OzSTOC
Farkles, Gear & Accessories => Farkles and Gear General Section => Topic started by: CallMeSteve on November 05, 2018, 09:54:06 AM
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Hi all,
Genuine question here. I know that many of us have hardwired motorcycle GPS units on board, and when I bought STrudel I figured on that being one of my wish-list additions. But after a year of using my iphone for navigation I'm reconsidering, and to be honest I don't really see the point.
I have my phone sitting up quite high, using a modified Quadlock mount attached to a Migsel dash mount, so it's visible without dropping my eyes from the road, and the 'twist-on, twist-off' convenience works very well. Most of the time it runs off battery, but for longer runs I can power it from the lighter socket in the LH pie warmer.
My use case is mostly shorter distance riding. Perhaps I might feel differently if I was doing regular LD riding, but I dunno.
What benefits have others found in using a dedicated GPS over a smartphone?
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I've never used a smartphone for a GPS, used a Garmin 590 on my ST, and now use a BMW NavV (which is a Garmin) on my Beemer. You might want to consider the following:
* Is your smartphone waterproof?
* The big screen on a dedicatd GPS is an advantage
* Using software such as Garmin Basecamp, you can plot routes on your PC and save them to your Garmin GPS
* Big, glove friendly buttons are an advantage
* GPS works when you have no phone/data service
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It largely depends on what phone app you're using as map etc.
I could get by using Google maps but that needs constants updates from a phone tower so network dependent. You do have the option of downloading the route to your phone but if you decide part way through a route to go somewhere else and there's no phone tower your stuck.
There are only two apps that I know of that download the whole map onto your phone for use off line.
Sygic gives the same functionality as a dedicated GPS; maybe a little more.
HERE WeGo - similar to Google but you can download and use off line. It's fairly basic as it's only from Point A to B
We use TomTom as I've found them the best so far. Rider 450 for the bike and the Go600 for the car. As with all GPS devices you can plan your whole route before you leave home including fuel and overnight stops. If something catches your eye and you decide to go have a look your route is updated automatically
You can store your favourite places and routes and you can choose maybe the fastest, shortest or most economical route.
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Dedicated GPS:-
Powered by the bike, battery wont go flat.
Stays with the bike, wont forget it.
Position not dependent on phone signal, GPS satellites are always up there (one hopes)
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Sygic gives the same functionality as a dedicated GPS; maybe a little more.
HERE WeGo - similar to Google but you can download and use off line. It's fairly basic as it's only from Point A to B
Thanks Alan. I've tried many apps but I've mostly been falling back to Apple Maps.
HERE WeGo didn't impress me.
I hadn't come across Sygic, and at a first glance it looks very well featured. I'll give it a go :-)
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GPS satellites are always up there (one hopes)
Two major global systems which our Samsung phone and TomTom use are
GPS - US
Glonass - Russia (more accurate)
The Chinese are expanding there local BeiDou (BDS) system and are going global with it.
If the ancient US GPS fails we still have better new gear up there.
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Two major global systems which our Samsung phone and TomTom use are
GPS - US
Glonass - Russia (more accurate)
The Chinese are expanding there local BeiDou (BDS) system and are going global with it.
If the ancient US GPS fails we still have better new gear up there.
Are we able to access them?
The US system is accurate to 10 metres or better, so I'm comfortable with that.
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There is a TomTom app as well.
It downloads the maps to the phone too.
Annual subscription is about $30/year.
Traffic and camera alerts.
Sent from my SM-G930F using Tapatalk
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Two major global systems which our Samsung phone and TomTom use are
GPS - US
Glonass - Russia (more accurate)
The Chinese are expanding there local BeiDou (BDS) system and are going global with it.
If the ancient US GPS fails we still have better new gear up there.
Are we able to access them?
The US system is accurate to 10 metres or better, so I'm comfortable with that.
At the moment, there is a space based navigation trial in Australia to get down to 10 cm accuracy.
http://www.ga.gov.au/scientific-topics/positioning-navigation/positioning-for-the-future/satellite-based-augmentation-system
Sent from my SM-G930F using Tapatalk
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At the moment, there is a space based navigation trial in Australia to get down to 10 cm accuracy.
[url]http://www.ga.gov.au/scientific-topics/positioning-navigation/positioning-for-the-future/satellite-based-augmentation-system[/url] ([url]http://www.ga.gov.au/scientific-topics/positioning-navigation/positioning-for-the-future/satellite-based-augmentation-system[/url])
We had ground based augmentation for aircraft GPS alone approaches to conventional minima over 10 years ago. Interesting that there is satellite based augmentation being developed. I deduce there would be multiple cross-checking and redundancy going on.
10 metres is sufficient for road nav, and they claim they're reliable to 4 metres. I think the pressure for better is driven by the "driverless vehicle" industry.
I started paying attention to the vertical accuracy as compared to roadside signs in Tassie and was impressed with the closeness of the figures (usually within 20 metres). That is in the context of altitude not being what our consumer GPS devices are intended for.
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Two major global systems which our Samsung phone and TomTom use are
GPS - US
Glonass - Russia (more accurate)
The Chinese are expanding there local BeiDou (BDS) system and are going global with it.
If the ancient US GPS fails we still have better new gear up there.
Are we able to access them?
The US system is accurate to 10 metres or better, so I'm comfortable with that.
Samsung specifies in the specs since the S4 model that they use both GPS and Glonass and I checked the TomTom site as well where older units (pre 2005) use only GPS and the newer ones use both systems.
https://en.discussions.tomtom.com/go-5xxx-6xxx-series-go-4xx-6xx-series-go-via-and-start-4x-6x-series-mydrive-connect-176/does-the-new-tomtom-range-support-glonass-gps-satellites-494534
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What benefits have others found in using a dedicated GPS over a smartphone?
A few reasons I like mine.
1. its waterproof
2. you can control it with your gloves on
3. It gives you the actual speed you're going
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What benefits have others found in using a dedicated GPS over a smartphone?
A few reasons I like mine.
1. its waterproof
2. you can control it with your gloves on
3. It gives you the actual speed you're going
My Samsung S7 is waterproof.
It uses GPS, Glonass and Beidou.
With Google Maps, I use split screen and also run the DigiHUD app for GPS speed.
The TomTom app also displays GPS speed.
Sent from my SM-G930F using Tapatalk
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My Samsung S7 is waterproof.
It uses GPS, Glonass and Beidou.
With Google Maps, I use split screen and also run the DigiHUD app for GPS speed.
The TomTom app also displays GPS speed.
How stable is the speed display? The readout I see swings through a range of +/- 2 to 3 kph.
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DigiHUD Pro, at a stable speed is very steady.
You can even option it to display 0.1 km/h increments below 100 km/h.
Night time display
(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20181106/092c0b5b75ac7ed5eda93f482324ef4e.jpg)
Day time display
(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20181106/c8327bfa52d69a086fd5d6ed46811e4e.jpg)
Another day time display you can use.
(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20181106/bf42140e97a28076b82b0041dcf56f73.jpg)
Another option with the display in both landscape and portrait.
(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20181106/ceacc9b2983b35c762a4e22ca07f7a3d.jpg)
(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20181106/8179d1ed02a59301eb6ed4f54db1f422.jpg)
How I use it in split screen.
(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20181106/700b20eda26d7efa21c74a4bb66d9e6f.jpg)
You can set speed limits in it and the numbers are that colour, up to that speed. e.g in the photo below it's yellow from 81 to 100. You can even choose your colours.
You can even have audible overspeed warnings and choose between off, single and continuous.
(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20181106/676b42f0c4e2072ebd67983d2113b867.jpg)
It also logs statistics like max and average speed, all-time max, (I used it on a jet and got 975.78 :grin )
(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20181106/5214ddbdb47efb893e29ddf1c18d54eb.jpg)
Sent from my SM-G930F using Tapatalk