Member Contributer tbzep Posted June 8, 2014 Member Contributer Share Posted June 8, 2014 Recent talk about dedicated GPS, smartphones, etc. got me to thinking. I only recently switched from an old reliable flip phone to a Galaxy S4. Seems odd that I bucked technology, considering I do some part time IT work and run Linux on my home computers. Convenience of the tiny phone was what held me back. The other day I downloaded the free version of Ulysse Speedometer. I played around with it in the house, and even sat it in front of the speedo of my truck when I took my daughter to cheerleading practice the other day. Seemed cool enough, so I ordered a Ram X-Grip mount to stick on my tank bolt Ram ball. It came in this afternoon so I mounted up and took it for a spin. I was able to see it easily, even through the protective screen film AND an Otterbox Defender with substantial plastic over the screen. I rode around for a while, covering exactly 35.1 miles according to the app. Speed indication lagged behind the real speedo only two or three seconds. Compass direction was instantaneous. The app calculated my average speed while moving along with overall average including stops. It has a real time indicator showing location accuracy based on the number of GPS satellites it is getting signals from at any given time. It varied from 9 to 18 ft, spending most of the time at 9 ft. It has a little feature showing 0 to 60 time and 1/4 mile time that resets itself each time you stop and take off again. I didn't look at it today, as I was spending time seeing how accurate my bike's speedo was, and trying to get done before the storms hit. When I had the 2004 bike, the consensus back then was that the speedos were a little over 7.5% off. We often used a simple in-head calculation by just looking at the double digit speed and subtracting one less than the first digit. Examples: 50 mph indicated, subtract 4 to give 46 mph. 75 indicated, subtract 6 to get 69 mph. 100 indicated, subtract 9 to get 91 mph. It was quick and easy, and accurate enough. On the 2008 bike, I assumed the speedo error would be the same. It isn't. At an indicated 50 mph, I was running 48 actual. At 75 indicated, ~72 actual. At 100 mph indicated, I was running 96 mph actual. This bike is only 4% off. From what I've read, the smart phone GPS is very accurate, but since it lags a few seconds behind, I held constant indicated speeds for about 20-30 seconds and ran the tests multiple times to make sure I was spot-on. I like the Ulysse Speedometer app enough that I decided to spend the big bucks and buy the Pro version. It gets rid of the tiny banner ad and unlocks a few extra goodies the freebie doesn't have. KKKKanadian KKKen can attest that I have a hard time letting go of my hard earned cash, but the author of this little piece of work deserves something for his work. It was hard, but I shelled out the huge sum of $1.99 to get the Pro version while sitting through the 4th tornado warning of the evening. Well worth it IMHO. I haven't had much time to fool with it, but I've already found that the layout is customizable. One feature you liter bike guys will like is how it saves your max speed attained during the ride. You can choose the data you wish to see real-time, colors, layout, etc. There's tons more to tweak to your delight that you can read about via the link below the image. This is a screen cap from my phone right after downloading the Pro version, so there's no significant data on it. https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.binarytoys.speedometer . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TNRabbit Posted June 8, 2014 Share Posted June 8, 2014 I've been using that app for almost a year now. I love it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer Switchblade Posted June 8, 2014 Member Contributer Share Posted June 8, 2014 Nice ... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer tbzep Posted June 8, 2014 Author Member Contributer Share Posted June 8, 2014 I've been using that app for almost a year now. I love it. I found one reference to it within a larger thread by Noobtastic14, with a short list of features but no review. I figured it was time to let the VFR.D world know about it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer TheJay Posted June 8, 2014 Member Contributer Share Posted June 8, 2014 I've had the app for a while but just bought the pro version right before tmac. It was the first time I've really used it and I really dig it. The daily mileage is my favorite feature as I'm bad about not paying attention to the miles traveled throughout a day. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TNRabbit Posted June 11, 2014 Share Posted June 11, 2014 I've been using that app for almost a year now. I love it. I found one reference to it within a larger thread by Noobtastic14, with a short list of features but no review. I figured it was time to let the VFR.D world know about it. Funny; noobtastic's thread was where I learned about it~ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
L8Apex Posted June 11, 2014 Share Posted June 11, 2014 I used it a few years ago on a car trip to northern Ontario (from KY) I was suprised how accurate it was. I just upgraded our phones this week, but when I had it on my Galaxy S3, it couldn't maintain satellilte connnections, so my whole idea of being able to use my smartphone for navigation on the bike went into serious doubt. (always worked fine for directions in the car, but not the bike) I'm going to give the Galaxy S5 a chance to see if it does better than the S3, fingers crossed... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer FJ12Ryder Posted June 11, 2014 Member Contributer Share Posted June 11, 2014 When are they going to come out with these apps for the flip phones? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blainerides Posted June 24, 2014 Share Posted June 24, 2014 Another app option. Same, but different. I've noticed no lag on speedo...changes instantly. https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.mrchops.android.digihud Sent from my XT1080 using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer Switchblade Posted June 24, 2014 Member Contributer Share Posted June 24, 2014 Still thinking about that one ^^^^ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VFRBert Posted June 24, 2014 Share Posted June 24, 2014 I have an app, that remembers the max speed. Not suitable for the wife's eyes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer Switchblade Posted June 24, 2014 Member Contributer Share Posted June 24, 2014 I have an app, that remembers the max speed. Not suitable for the wife's eyes. Yeah or a cop !!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VFRBert Posted June 24, 2014 Share Posted June 24, 2014 I have an app, that remembers the max speed. Not suitable for the wife's eyes. Yeah or a cop !!! No evidence over here and the German autobahn without speedlimits is just half an hour driving. So a topspeed test is no problem over here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer Dutchy Posted June 24, 2014 Member Contributer Share Posted June 24, 2014 And the police have no right to see the data on your smartphone or GPS unit... So Bert, what is your max? Last weekend I did 228kmh.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer Texfoto Posted June 24, 2014 Member Contributer Share Posted June 24, 2014 I believe here in the UK that if they are doing an investigation they can look at your phone or video that records your speed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BRad704 Posted June 24, 2014 Share Posted June 24, 2014 And for those reasons, I shall not be posting anything speed-related online either. Not that I would speed. That's dangerous. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VFRBert Posted June 24, 2014 Share Posted June 24, 2014 And the police have no right to see the data on your smartphone or GPS unit... So Bert, what is your max? Last weekend I did 228kmh.... about 240 km/h And for those reasons, I shall not be posting anything speed-related online either. Not that I would speed. That's dangerous. In Germany once i was going topspeed (more than 255 on the speedometer) and still overtaken by a few cars with considerable more speed. Whoeshh and gone were the cars. Doing at least 300 km/h and still legal Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer tbzep Posted June 24, 2014 Author Member Contributer Share Posted June 24, 2014 I have an app, that remembers the max speed. Not suitable for the wife's eyes. Ulysse does that as well. Another app option. Same, but different. I've noticed no lag on speedo...changes instantly. https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.mrchops.android.digihud Sent from my XT1080 using Tapatalk There is a little lag with all GPS speedos due to the nature of how they calculate speed. The number of satellites they are receiving, the GPS unit's abilities, and the software/app running within that unit can minimize the delay, but it is always going to be there to some extent. The harder you ride, the more you will notice the lag. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VFRBert Posted June 25, 2014 Share Posted June 25, 2014 I have an app, that remembers the max speed. Not suitable for the wife's eyes. Ulysse does that as well. Another app option. Same, but different. I've noticed no lag on speedo...changes instantly. https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.mrchops.android.digihud Sent from my XT1080 using Tapatalk There is a little lag with all GPS speedos due to the nature of how they calculate speed. The number of satellites they are receiving, the GPS unit's abilities, and the software/app running within that unit can minimize the delay, but it is always going to be there to some extent. The harder you ride, the more you will notice the lag. Does the app also track your route ? I use the app to measure distance, average and topspeed and track my route when i am kitebuggying. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer 007 Posted June 25, 2014 Member Contributer Share Posted June 25, 2014 I wonder if they could program a tachometer into it using the microphone? It could also set the Odometer to start once it hears the engine note. Pretty close to a track bike gauge replacement! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VFRBert Posted June 25, 2014 Share Posted June 25, 2014 Most smartphones have a motion sensor, that could do the trick. Some dashcams work that way too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JDMBird Posted June 25, 2014 Share Posted June 25, 2014 FYI, I have been using speedview pro myself for the last 4 years now, and love it. I tried Ulysse pro, but I don't like it quite as much, but to each their own. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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