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Iron Butt
Posts: 763
Anderson, IN (48mi NE of downtown Indianapolis) | There are a lot of discussions regarding GPS's in this forum. I was going to get one, but the cost kept me from actually making the purchase.
I had googlemaps on my cell phone, but no turn-by-turn directions. My phone recently received an update for turn-by-turn. This is turning out to be a great navigation tool.
It works better than any GPS I had borrowed in the past. Maps are accurate and always up to date. With a smartphone I get everything a GPS has plus more:
-Voice assisted turn-by-turn directions
-Speed
-Avg speed
-Estimated time remaining
-Elapsed time
-Moving time
-Compass
-Latitude
-Longitute
-Grade
-Elevation (min, max, change)
-Satellite view
-Street view
-Traffic view
-Terrian
-Bluetooth
-Tracking (overlay my travled route in Google Earth directly from my phone then email it, send to web, etc.). The route is saved at googlemaps.com and be retrieved at anytime from the phone or computer.
-With a small FM modulator that simply plugs into the headphone jack of the phone, sound can be directed to the Vision's stereo system wirelessly. Or, just plug the MP3 wire from the Vision into the phone (an extension wire is needed).
-Getting directions to anywhere is easy. For example, I type "McDonalds", "restaurants", "Shell", "gas stations", etc. and the phone will automatically find the nearest one(s) because the phone knows where its location is at all times. I click on the one I want and get a map, turn-by-turn directions, address, and phone number. Click the number and the phone will place a call. Bluetooth makes this convenient. If I want the location of a specific restaurant, store, lake, park, etc., I type the place followed by the zipcode or city&state. I also get a photo of the place I am going and I can pan 360 degrees around to see everything around the location.
-At anytime along my route I click a button and all restaurants, gas stations, stores, ATM's, parking, and more are shown around my location.
The signal is very good. Heavy tree cover has no affect on the phone GPS like my hand held Garmin. Heck, when I'm in my garage and hit the Navigate button it retrieves a map and starts navigating. When I reach an area where my phone and data signal are lost it still keeps navigating. I have yet to lose the navigation signal.
Theft is not issue because many smart phones can be tracked. I can simply use another person's phone or computer to access the internet and locate my missing phone.
This is barely touching on the capabilities of a smart phone as a GPS. The only negative I have found so far is they are not waterproof. I have to put mine in the glove box when it rains. Maybe someone will come out with a clear protective cover soon.
There are many mounting options for cell phones. Wal-Mart has many different low cost types. The net has almost any type you want for almost any phone.
If you have a smart phone or are thinking about getting one, this could be a viable alternative to paying hundreds of dollars for a separate GPS. That's one less electronic device to deal with.
Has anyone else used their phone as a GPS on their bike? I'm curious if others are having as good of luck with it as I am. Anyone had any issues?
Edited by victoryvisiontour 2009-12-20 8:46 PM
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Visionary
Posts: 8144
New Bohemia, VA | i've got sprint nav on my palm pre but don't know how to hook it all up on my bike. I don't think it has all the detail that you're talking about either. |
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Tourer
Posts: 548
Mount Vernon, WA United States | Also there is a difference between AGPS and GPS. Some smartphones like the AT&T Tilt, and I think the IPhone have a built in GPS antenna. Others use the cell towers to figure out where you are. And... to make things more confusing... you can add a Bluetooth GPS antenna to your phone. It's an external little (tiny really) box that just needs to be near the phone to work.
I like using the smartphone for a GPS because I like CHOICES. When I want turn-by-turn I use the Garmin software I installed which also hooks to google so you can look stuff up and route to it. It's a little cleaner than raw Google Maps, but... google maps has actual satellite and street level views... so... sometimes i use that. I also have Backcountry Navigator for when I'm camping.
If anyone has questions about GPS's and Smartphones and use on a bike, feel free to ask. I have done a LOT of research with many phones and dedicated GPS units and even laptop GPS software. |
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Puddle Jumper
Posts: 40
| What app are you using on your phone if it's not Google maps? I have A&T navigator on my Blackberry which I've used on the bike a number of times. It gives turn by turn - but there is a subscription feed. If there was a free app that did turn by turn I'd be willing to try it out. |
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Iron Butt
Posts: 763
Anderson, IN (48mi NE of downtown Indianapolis) | I'm using Google Maps from the Android market. It includes Google Maps Navigation (the turn-by-turn directions part of the app). The program is free. No subscription required.
I also downloaded My Tracks from the Android market which is a Google program for free. It records my traveled routes and can run at the same time as Navigation. No subscription required for it either. |
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Iron Butt
Posts: 725
Reno County, KS | Visiontour. You have the only version of Google Maps that actually provides turn-by-turn voice navigation. The Google Android platform in general is the only one so far that offers it *as of today*. The rest of us still have to pay for the service using a different application. I still use google maps on my Blackberry because the "search map" and "locate" functions are awesome and up to date. From there I switch over to my Telenav for actual Turn-by-turn. I've been using my phone vice a dedicated turn-by-turn unit for several months now and I have to say that I won't buy another dedicated unit. That means a couple GPS devices are gonna collect dust in my house, including the Garmin that mounts to my bike. I'm going to pinout a micro USB connector and get rid of the Garmin mount for my bike eventually. I have a watertight Ram Mount enclosure that will fit just about anything inside. |
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Tourer
Posts: 548
Mount Vernon, WA United States | "The rest of us still have to pay for the service using a different application."
This isn't exactly true... but just to clarify... There are "services" like AT&T NAVsomething in which there is an additional charge for turn-by-turn directions. However, you can use GPS equipped phones as you point out without the turn-by-turn. But also... Garmin, Tom-Tom and several others have smartphone versions of their software that can either use a built in GPS antenna if you got it, or an external GPS antenna if you don't.
Lisa runs Garmin Mobile with an external antenna on her Blackjack II cause it doesn't have an internal GPS antenna. I use a version of Garmin Mobile that uses the built in Antenna.
Please note... If you ask your provider about using a GPS... they will likely tell you that you can ONLY use their paid subscription. It's just what they are told to say, don't hold it against them.
And one more point of clarification... while Google Maps is available for nearly anyone, the Turn-By-Turn version is only available for Andriod users at this time. |
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Iron Butt
Posts: 725
Reno County, KS | Miles - 2009-12-21 11:41 PM
"The rest of us still have to pay for the service using a different application."
This isn't exactly true...
Okay, I'm missing the point here? Being that I posted (in context): Visiontour. You have the only version of Google Maps that actually provides turn-by-turn voice navigation. The Google Android platform in general is the only one so far that offers it *as of today*. The rest of us still have to pay for the service using a different application. I still use google maps on my Blackberry because the "search map" and "locate" functions are awesome and up to date. From there I switch over to my Telenav for actual Turn-by-turn.
I have a phone. It is NOT a Google Android phone. I pay for the TURN-BY-TURN VOICE service. Is a turn-by-turn GPS application for my phone available that I download for free? Let me know so I can quit paying. BTW, AGPS Vs. GPS: http://www.vision-riders.com/bb/forums/thread-view.asp?tid=4051&pos...
Edited by bigwill5150 2009-12-22 2:30 AM
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Iron Butt
Posts: 763
Anderson, IN (48mi NE of downtown Indianapolis) | The tomtom app is free on the iPhone but you have to jailbreak the phone. |
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Tourer
Posts: 411
Dallas, Texas | Thanks Vic...we have the same phone and service...I'll have to get this together myself. |
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Tourer
Posts: 332
Dale, Indiana | If you have a smart phone, GPS is free.
Please direct me to the free smart phone with free service so I too can enjoy the free GPS.
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Tourer
Posts: 548
Mount Vernon, WA United States | "Is a turn-by-turn GPS application for my phone available that I download for free? "
The "application" isn't free, but you don't need to pay for special GPS service. As example my Tilt has a gps in it so I bought Garmin Mobile ($99.00) instead of paying $10.00/month for AT&T's NAVsomething turn-by-turn service.
I was just trying to clarify for those that may be reading this and trying to figure it all out.
Here's some bullets..
1. AGPS (or Assisted) GPS is essentially the cell phone using the cell towers to approximate your location.
2. GPS (an actually GPS antenna) may or may not be built into a smartphone.
3. There are external GPS antenna's that can be purchased for use with Smartphones that don't have one built in.
4. There are MANY GPS applications for smarphones, several are FREE, but they work best with an actual GPS antenna. Garmin has a nice bluetooth antenna that works on most smartphones.
5. Turn-by-turn directions can be obtained from most the major carriers for a monthly fee.
6. Turn-by-turn directions are available in many 3rd party softwares you can purchase, thus avoiding the monthly turn-by-turn directions fee offered by the carrier.
7. I have not seen a free turn-by-turn software solution except for the special version of Google Maps for the Android.
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Cruiser
Posts: 293
Arkansas | Having done two trips out West this summer (Colorado, Utah, and Arizona) , I'll just add that you must have cell coverage (and in my case 3G) for the gps to work in any detail. That just wasn't practical where I was- I couldn't even make a call from anyplace that wasn't in a town. (AT&T with iPhone) Especially Southern Utah! But the 2720 worked great. Just glad I didn't need 911. |
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If you have a smart phone, GPS is free.
