Noobtastic14 Posted March 30, 2013 Share Posted March 30, 2013 The reason I've always used the smartphone is the audio output. I ride long trips with my phone managing the music playlist or audiobook as well as my navigation at the same time. It will play music/book until I need directions and the music/book will fade out and the navigation voice will chime in telling me where I need to go then fade back into my music/book. It provides seamless transitions between long straights and navigating cities without ever having to actually look at the device. I have it running off the bike for a charge and sits in my tank bag. Funny thing is, once I lock in the navigation it will continue to talk me through directions even when I lose signal in the mountains. How does that work? I have no clue, but I was plesantly suprised. -Drew Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spud786 Posted March 30, 2013 Share Posted March 30, 2013 THe real GPS units work off satelite, cell phones are off cell towers. I'll stick with the real thing, satelite! since I have to depend on it for my job. Cell phones have built in GSP receivers too and are (at least mine is) as accurate as a regular GPS unit. Cell phones use cell tower signals to get a rough estimation of their global position which quickens the satellite fix. Regular GPS receivers (TomTom, Garmin) that support WAAS/EGNOS not only use GPS satellites but also groundstations for even more accuracy. well my experience with phone verses a Garmin there's no comparison, garmin wins hands down nationwide works, the phone I prefer to use as a phone, and a garmin with a nice big screen and docking station, I dont see a real comparison. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer vfr Posted March 30, 2013 Member Contributer Share Posted March 30, 2013 Hail & Noobtastic--What apps are you using on your phone? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Noobtastic14 Posted March 30, 2013 Share Posted March 30, 2013 I have an Android so I just pull up google maps, select my destination, hit Navigate and go! -Drew Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer JeffInFranklinTN Posted March 30, 2013 Member Contributer Share Posted March 30, 2013 I have an Android so I just pull up google maps, select my destination, hit Navigate and go! -Drew ..and as long as your in the "Navigate" mode the screen remains on. (android phones anyway) Downside to the google maps app is if you have Scala Rider head sets (or others) the Google Maps feature does not have bluetooth technology so you can hear the turn by turn directions in your head sets. There is an app for Android called "Navigon" which is Garmin based. It does have bluetooth that you can enable to connect to a Scala Rider, etc. This app however will use up battery life. It does have alot of features that I thought was really neat but I'm going to get a Garmin bluetooth GPS...soon I hope. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer NorthernVFRDave Posted March 30, 2013 Member Contributer Share Posted March 30, 2013 The reason I've always used the smartphone is the audio output. I ride long trips with my phone managing the music playlist or audiobook as well as my navigation at the same time. It will play music/book until I need directions and the music/book will fade out and the navigation voice will chime in telling me where I need to go then fade back into my music/book. It provides seamless transitions between long straights and navigating cities without ever having to actually look at the device. I have it running off the bike for a charge and sits in my tank bag. Funny thing is, once I lock in the navigation it will continue to talk me through directions even when I lose signal in the mountains. How does that work? I have no clue, but I was plesantly suprised. -Drew The Zumo line (less the 450) along with a fair number of other Garmin units support audio output for music via headphone jack or Bluetooth connection. Just put your tunes on an SD card and go. Plus the unit is powered off the bike already so there is no need to wire up your tank bag. Music mutes for turn by turn instructions, and you can link your phone to the GPS as well, to access your address book via the GPS should you need to make a call. Also gives you call display on the unit so you can ignore wife when she is calling to see when your home ;) I believe the newer Zumos also allow you to use your BT helmet headset to access voice commands to search the GPS database for Gas station and to pick and activate navigation to any preset waypoints. Things you really should pull over and stop todo, but under the right situations I don't see a problem with it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted March 30, 2013 Share Posted March 30, 2013 A while ago, I had my 660 just resting in it's cradle after stopping for gas, and lost it on the side of the highway, never to be seen again. I keep thinking about using a small tablet or smart phone for navigation, with the biggest advantage being a tablet allowing for faster scrolling and zooming of map area. Then again, most of the time I've used paper maps to navigate the fun roads. To flip the other way, something I google addresses on the fly would be pretty nifty. (I'm rolling with a pay the minutes phone, the type you buy at Walmart.) I'm likely to go with another 660 for the one-stop shop of waterproof and durable. I dropped my previous Garmin several times on the ground, with only a couple nicks to show for it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer Dutchy Posted March 30, 2013 Member Contributer Share Posted March 30, 2013 Imho if you are going on a serious trip, where serious weather can occur, go for a waterproof, mc specific unit (read resistant to shocks). Anything else is like taking a knife to a gunfight. I still have my phone on the bike as well (in a RAM AquaBox); running the Flitsmeister App. It knows all the fixed speed camera's (as is my Garmin unit which gets updated) but it warnes you for mobile ones that are reported by the users of the App via the phoen network. so you either report it yourself if you see one you didnot get a warning for. In case you get a warning, you are presented with a question "Is it still there Yes/No" this way we make sure those who will come along later do not get a false warning I have encountered folks on the scottish hils armed with a smartphone for navigation. In chatting to them they did not have a map with them nor a compass (nor the skills to work with either either..... :-( ) Each to his/her own, but if the brown stuff hits the ventilator, either myself or Mountain Rescue can come to their aid. So yes I also carry paper maps on longer trips..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted March 30, 2013 Share Posted March 30, 2013 ... if you are going on a serious trip, where serious weather can occur, go for a waterproof, mc specific unit (read resistant to shocks). Anything else is like taking a knife to a gunfight. ... Not to mention those of us who rely on a motorcycle as our only transportation. I have few mods to the bike, but what I put on had better be workable when I want it to. In other words, simple and robust will make me happy over more features or faster. I frequently see people with problems with their smartphones. Either some update broke something, settings that did something they didn't want, software locking up, etc. Heck, a friend even had a brand new phone blow off the table in a restaurant, and break apart. My phone can be hurled across the room, and all that will happen is the rear cover pops off, and the battery comes out. Still debating getting a cheap tablet for reading PDF's/maps on the road away from my desktop. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer Dutchy Posted March 30, 2013 Member Contributer Share Posted March 30, 2013 A while ago, I had my 660 just resting in it's cradle after stopping for gas, and lost it on the side of the highway, never to be seen again. Ai.................... I will see if I can fit a tether to my unit now................. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted March 30, 2013 Share Posted March 30, 2013 Entirely my fault. I never got around to fixing the power button, so the only way to turn it on/off was taking it out of the cradle. So I got used to put in in the cradle to turn it on, the popping it out and resting it there. If I had just fixed the bloody thing right, I would have never gotten into the habit of letting it rest there unsecured. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Noobtastic14 Posted March 30, 2013 Share Posted March 30, 2013 I have an Android so I just pull up google maps, select my destination, hit Navigate and go! -Drew ..and as long as your in the "Navigate" mode the screen remains on. (android phones anyway) Downside to the google maps app is if you have Scala Rider head sets (or others) the Google Maps feature does not have bluetooth technology so you can hear the turn by turn directions in your head sets. There is an app for Android called "Navigon" which is Garmin based. It does have bluetooth that you can enable to connect to a Scala Rider, etc. This app however will use up battery life. It does have alot of features that I thought was really neat but I'm going to get a Garmin bluetooth GPS...soon I hope. Mine doesn't. I mean you can set it to "not time out" so the screen stays on while navigating but I just hit the button on top of the phone and shut the screen off myself. -Drew Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer luvtoleanit Posted June 3, 2013 Member Contributer Share Posted June 3, 2013 I decided this weekend, along with some excellent help from crakerjac, to just go with my phone for nav. I'm amazed at how many different duties the phone is subbing for (I will even have it setting my pool timers soon) these days (walkman duty, GPS, camera, email, phone calls, calculator, workout recording) but while it gives me a lot of concern of depending on a single device for so many things (SPOF for so much) I'm gonna get my use out of it and use it for nav for the bike. My question related to this topic is those of you using the phone for this duty on the vfr or any bike. I want to mount mine in the steering stem with RAM, or whatever you guys recommend but I want it protected. I figure if I'm going to depend on it for so much I should probably invest in some kind of strong case for road duty and a solid mount. If you are using it for this duty what are you mounting it in on the bike? Pics? And I've heard the screen on phones will go blank if the sun beats on it all day. Is this true? TIAFAR. I've got a 3BR TAPP (2.1A) on it's way thanks to crakerjac as well as a quartet harness. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Noobtastic14 Posted June 12, 2013 Share Posted June 12, 2013 I put mine in the "map pouch" of my tank bag. It sits in perfect sight, it is within reach of my phone charger, I can work the screen through the pastic cover, and if I get rain it stays safe and dry. -Drew Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.