| Author | Message | ||
     Pwnzor |
Why would the smartphone GPS be any different in that situation? Simple. The smart phone also uses cell tower triangulation to get a fix on your position. | ||
| Wbrisett |
Sifo: The phones use a combination of things. If the phone is so equipped, it uses the GPS. When that fails, it uses triangulation to figure out where you are based on cell towers and your distance from these. So, in tall building locations (or indoors), you can be located via your cell carrier and not have to rely on the GPS sats. Wayne | ||
| Xl1200r |
I plan on a map (usually electronic) and navigate via dedicated GPS. I have an iPhone, so without an expensive app or a monthly subscription, I don't get real-time, turn by turn direction. But I have used it in a pinch to figure out where I was in relation to where I needed to be and served that purpose fine. | ||
| Sifo |
So it really is a hybrid system. Makes sense. | ||
| Xdigitalx |
I've used my droidx in my tank bag map cover too, I like it. But after 20-30 min it overheated went into a safe-mode (unusable) for 15 min. till it cooled off. So I unzipped the mapcover so there was some airflow, then all was good. | ||
| Sifo |
BTW, it really comes down to the user, regardless of what technology you choose to use. I know people who can't figure out a paper map. Also paper maps are just not flexible in their scope and detail. A state map won't show all the roads that interest me, but I would spend a small fortune on county maps that would still not work well for extended travel. When on the road I carry both maps and the GPS. Both have their strengths and weaknesses. | ||
| Mtch |
i use a gps if im away for a long trip and there is likely to be no cell coverage, especially in europe and it will also find campsites, fuel, shops, and the maps are on a memory card. my android phone i use for finding local stuff, and if in an area i dont know and i can get cell coverage. street view is great if looking for a particular address as it saves looking for house numbers while riding/driving. https://market.android.com/details?id=wik.StreetVi ew&feature=search_result i've not had a problem with google maps being slow or inaccurate tho, in fact my phone picks up a gps signal faster than my gps unit (Message edited by Mtch on July 07, 2011) | ||
| Pkforbes87 |
My evo uses gps signal for the gps. Loss of cell signal only means a loss of traffic updates, and street names with the vocal turn by turn directions. Without cell coverage the turn by turn simply says "turn right/left". The phone not being waterproof is the only reason I own a dedicated gps unit for the bike. I still usually listen to pandora and turn by turn with the phone in my tank bag, and keep the real gps unit out for a visual aid. | ||
| Crackhead |
Water proof problem solved. http://www.casiogzone.com/commando/ | ||
| Dfbutler |
The question of charging came up here and today's Web Bike World had an interesting post: http://www.webbikeworld.com/r4/waterproof-power-po rts/ The issue of waterproof is not really an issue he in CA, my phone stays in my pocket and I interact via bluetooth. | ||
| Froggy |
Just get an extra ram mount and a power cable, the cradle is expensive but can easily be moved bike to bike. I do that with my Zumo on 4 Buells.
It still relies on an expensive phone and an expensive application. Then you have the issue of using a junk innacurate GPS receiver on the non-waterproof phone and the inability to make adjustments on the fly with gloves on. I'm glad at least it has free map updates, that makes it more worth it for the casual user.
Indeed it is, and a GPS makes it more fun. Ride till the gas light comes on, press the button to find nearest gas station or town that way I reduce my chances of getting stuck. Ride some more, then sun starts to go down, press the Go Home button and see what unpaved closed road it wants me to go down! 
The same thing with Samurai swords when guns came around.
It is being smart, not lazy. Work smarter, not harder as my dad used to say. GPS is a tool just like a hammer. Sure you can drive some nails in with a rock and your boot, but is that really the best option?
Just like the Star Wars Holiday Special, nobody likes to acknowledge the GarminPhones existence. Sometimes venturing into a new market works great, but often times it is a disaster. Sorry to hear you experienced it first hand.
There are a number of them, but they all have a fatal flaw that cannot be fixed, you can't use them with gloves on, and depending on your phone you can't even use it while in the case. You can't make adjustments on the fly or even a quick press of the Go Home button, you will need to pull over, remove gloves, remove from case, fiddle around with it, then put it all back. It gets old, fast.
The hard part with phones is finding 12v cords that don't come with the end on them for a car cigarette outlet. There is circuitry in them to reduce the voltage to whatever you phone takes, so you can't just cut the end off and hard splice it in. You can install a 12v cigarette outlet but you need to keep an eye on it as the charger will eventually vibrate out. A zip tie can help hold it in.
They just came out with that the other day, I haven't had a chance to see if it works good or not.
That is a LOT of crap to add to my contacts! Most of them are coordinates not addresses, I'll have to see if that works.
Problem is if you need to change something and you have no reception, you are SOL.
I've tried voice navigation on both Google Maps and a Garmin Nuvi, I've found both to be very hit and miss.
I've found the opposite. Late model Garmins higher sensitivity receivers than phones, and will even work in some parking garages and tunnels. Walking down the street in NYC with my Xoom I was lucky the thing even pinpointed I was in lower Manhattan.
Which requires expensive phone coverage. With my Wifi only Xoom like I mentioned before, it was useless for GPSing because of the weak receiver and not having cell coverage. My Zumo which I was carrying around with me had no problem tracking me to about 30ft accuracy inbetween the sky scrapers.
I can't see any strength of a paper map.
LOL Casio! | ||
| Wbrisett |
I can't see any strength of a paper map. Froggy, I'm disappointed in you!  The one strength of a map is it's not subject to death due to EMC or EMI, nuclear explosions, or lack of battery power. A map will always work. Now, figuring out where you are using a map can pose a challenge to some people, but that's another set of issues. I prefer a GPS. Heck, I was a very early adopter of the Garmin, which had no maps! I use to hook it up to my Apple Newton, which did have some very crude maps, and go from there. However, in a pinch I'll gladly use a paper map. Wayne | ||
| Froggy |
I'll be the first one to jump off a bridge if any of the above happen. Maps are only as good as the cartographer that made them! | ||
| Cataract2 |
I'm still rocking my Magellan Meridian Platinum. Other than the maps in it being a bit outdated in some ways it still works amazingly well. | ||
| Sifo |
Maps are only as good as the cartographer that made them! That's true of paper and electronic maps. Paper is great when you have a number of you gathered around trying to plan where to head next. Many seem to thing that the strength of a GPS is to punch in an address and have it take you there. I see one of the best strengths being the ability to pick hundreds of miles of routes, and I never have to wonder about missing a turn, poorly marked roads, etc. At the same time I can deviate from the plan at any time of my choosing. It's funny that most people I ride with say they would never have a GPS, but they always want me to lead the way on rides because I seem to find the best routes. I know how I found those routes. GPS can be a great tool. Still, a hammer in the wrong hands... | ||
| Danger_dave |
I can't see any strength of a paper map. << Thet are 3 bucks and don't need power. | ||
| Sifo |
Thet are 3 bucks and don't need power. They do at night!  | ||
| Crackhead |
Different tools for different purposes. When i go hiking off the grid, paper maps and a candle are the way to go. But in the car or on the bike, i go with GPS. Unless i am navigating in DC. I can change my rout and take short cuts so fast that the GPS can't keep up. | ||
| Mtjm2 |
Damn Froggy ! Whats your point !  | ||
| Danger_dave |
>>They do at night! << Depends on where you are reading it. Apart from that - having all that junk on the handlebars like Court has would really annoy me. I think a fuel gauge is overkill. | ||
| Hootowl |
"When on the road I carry both maps and the GPS. Both have their strengths and weaknesses." Good idea. That way you can use the map as kindling when your GPS gets you completely lost in the wilderness with darkness rapidly approaching. che(tongue)ek | ||
| Danger_dave |
You can't wipe your....with a GPS either. | ||
| Sifo |
"When on the road I carry both maps and the GPS. Both have their strengths and weaknesses." Good idea. That way you can use the map as kindling when your GPS gets you completely lost in the wilderness with darkness rapidly approaching. che(tongue)ek You have no idea how close I've been to that situation. A few times!  Once it had me going down a farmers driveway and following a 2 track that went past his barn. There was no way I was going to follow that route so I made a U-turn. At that point the GPS gave the message "Can not calculate route". This was after about 45 minutes of making turns on roads that I would never have gone down in any other situation. It takes a computer to really get you lost. | ||
| Sifo |
You can't wipe your....with a GPS either. Maybe not, but I've been tempted to try. | ||
| Danger_dave |
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| Sifo |
A couple of weeks ago down in Franklin, TN my GPS wanted me to go up an expressway ramp the wrong way. You won't get that kind of adventure and excitement from a paper map! | ||
| Danger_dave |
Hold it in front of your eyes while riding. | ||
| Pwnzor |
Froggy: My Nuvi is a couple years old, and works great in most situations. The live traffic is a complete joke, however... and the pop-up ads are pretty annoying. My GPS is mounted on the left, and the phone stays mounted in the cradle, so I use it to peep out the traffic, and use the Garmin to choose my route. Added benefit of using both, I can pull up weather radar maps and stuff while still navigating. Very cool for what I do. Downtown Atlanta, the Garmin spins around in circles saying "recalculating, recalculating".... | ||
| Danger_dave |
For me it's that I like a completely naked bike. No bodywork, no screens, nothing 'extra'. Anything that can be minimised should be. A good motor and great handling chassis I can attach to my butt. Apart from the running gear, I only want stuff on it that is necessary for locomotion of the vehicle. This doesn't mean it's uncomfortable. It has a comfy seat, upright ergonomic, speedometer, tachometer, discreet idiot lights and i'm happy. I should have just typed I like the stripped down Lightnings best. My uly is the closed I could get to fit me and carry a passenger. In six years I haven't added a thing to it. Edit: 'Closed' I could get. Silly auto correct. (Message edited by danger_dave on July 07, 2011) | ||
| Birdy |
Pwnzor, in downtown Atlanta I spin around! And I-275...once was enough to age me 20 years. |
