Batteries are a definite weak point. I'm struggling right now with communication. Garmin had the rino but I can't seem to get them to show each other on the map like they're meant to. Been emailing Garmin about this. They've given me instructions of how to solve this but nothing worked. Their last instruction was to buy new ones. What planet are they on. Never Garmin again!

Forget Garmin me thinks
 

Thanks for the info in this thread :clap:

I have a Garmin Zumo 390 and for the $800AU I paid for it :thumbdown::blushing: it's crap.
I could have bought a smart phone, waterproof case and good mapping software for it for less cost and had much much more functionality.
I have used garmins for many years on yachts and bikes but they are not as good as they used to be considering the advances in technology in the last 10 years or so.

In my opinion a smart phone or small tablet is the way to go now.

I'm heading off to Turkey this week and I'm planning to use OSMAnd on my Android phone, mounted on the handlebars in a waterproof case with a usb power lead from the bike battery.

I've created routes in Google Maps (My Maps) by creating a driving route and dragging the route across the mountains to what look like fun roads to explore. This is a simple task on a laptop / PC but nearly impossible using the touch screen of a phone / tablet. I have found that it is made possible by connecting a mouse using either bluetooth or an OTG cable. This will save me lugging a laptop around just for the sake of creating gpx routes.

I then save the Google Map as a .kml file and convert it to a .gpx file using the free web based tool Kml2gpx.com: convert kml to gpx online. It's free, simple and fast

I then download the gpx file to my phone and load it into OSMAnd.

This all seems to have worked nicely so far. Hopefully it works when I'm out on the road! Cheers!

I recently used my Samsung Galaxy S3 with the TomTom app for a trip to the South of France and back, it worked perfectly. You will need a power source and decent case though. I got a waterproof case off ebay and run a power lead in from the usb socket on the bike.

Screen operation through the case is a bit hit and miss with gloves on, but otherwise it's the best satnav I've ever used. I run a 32gb sd card and have all of Europe and Africa on it, they take up about 7gb. Maps for the whole of the world are free to download, and then mean you don't need a network connection like you would for say Google maps.

I've actually just got a new phone and I'm keeping the S3 to run as a stand alone satnav, as I can also use it for music through my bluetooth intercom as well. Second hand they are something like £60, and reset to factory settings it's superfast again!

It also means I have a spare phone if needed, as all I do is swap the sim card into it.

I have ended up with a whole range of USB cables varying in length from about 150mm to over 1 metre; these deal with different bikes and the varying positions of the 5 volt power source on those bikes.
+ I have experimented with straight connectors and the right angle type of micro USB.
All of those cables do the same job and cost pennies.

Just to clarify, you are using the S3 phone as a GPS/navigation device without any sim card in place and there are no issues with that?
I expect it approximates to operating the phone in aircraft mode.

I've been wondering where such a killer app is for Android.

There are a few ideas about route planning software in the thread linked below, but I haven't yet found the one that bypasses desktop/laptop/notebook computers and makes it childs play on a phone/tablet.
http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hub...hich-one-82808

In my last post in that thread I thought I had found an app that uses cross hairs to show where the "big fat finger" is on the screen, but .............................. I 've lost it!!

No issues with it being offline at all, in effect it runs as a stand alone satnav, using the same graphics etc as the new 400 system does. It will obviously still connect over wifi, so if you have a few forums etc you can still access the net.

I was seriously considering a new satnav, but at £350+ I'll stick with my phone!

The only option I could find on the new 400 series that the app doesn't have is a twisty roads function, but I can read a map and program way points so I can live with that :-)

If you already have a smartphone the app and all maps are free. You get something like 50 miles a month to use to try before you buy. It'll give you an idea if it's for you or not. If you run it in a network connected phone it'll even give you advance warning of traffic jams etc. It worked in France for hold ups as well, and meant we could plan an early stop for food etc if the traffic ahead was bad.

Thanks for the info about your experiences with the hardware and the software.

I guess Tom Tom "sort of own" (patent?) that twisty roads feature.

I still fall back to using maps - the ones with notes written all over them in pencil and multi-coloured highlighter pens (because a pencil will always manage to write whereas a pen can fail) - notes about the best twisties, views, pubs found en route, and the like.

I guess the app is more based for car drivers, and they only add the twisty roads feature to motorcycle devices?

It looks like about 6 hours is the battery duration for this phone when not connected to an external power supply; is that a "good" duration for a 4000 mAH batt? (a rhetorical question perhaps, except for the lithium-ion experts of this world).

The 6 hours I quoted earlier was based on use while mounted in a 4 wheeler and used as a navigation aid.
Now it has lasted about the same duration while used to track a route on 2 wheels - because I wasn't even slightly interested in navigating electronically, the phone was simply in my top pocket, operating a tracking software different from the earlier nav software.

I've noticed that another, totally separate, app offers the use of Tom Tom maps, at some cost I guess - I haven't tried it, sticking with the free OSM option.
I assume that it is the car driving version that you describe, without the twisty roads function - although there would be, say, sports car drivers who would enjoy the twisties!

The Tom tom option comes with the app "Navigator" which is supplied by Mapfactor; confusingly, it shows up on the phone simply as "navigator" but in the google playstore it is named Mapfactor Navigator.

A 32 Gb SD card is a bon idee.
My 16 Gb (+ another 8 Gb on the phone internal memory) is filling up rapidly.

Ive been on GPS for years. All the maps are made by the same third party company and they all have the exact same mistakes and missing roads no matter what brand GPS you purchase. I'm talking Topo maps here.

That Said: Since smart phones are so cheap on the second hand market, and since you do not need a data plan to operate GPS mapping, I think I will buy a used phone and test it on a bike. I have Wifi at home so downloading the mapping apps (Alpine Quest) is a no brainer. Since no data, it wont be able to guide you to a gas station, but that's why you pack your normal day to day smart phone in you tank bag.

Give navigator a try; the app I mentioned a few days ago - it contains POIs for various categories including "transport and accommodation".. I guess that would find some gas stations (I've never bothered with them).
What I have done is add my own Waypoints into Navigator and they work exactly the same as my garmin Nuvi.

Maps:
There are a number of suppliers of digital formats to the public - some are regional (classically, national mapping agencies), and others offer worldwide products.

I use an app called Be on Road which uses OSN data. Tested it on iPhone, iPad and android and it is pretty good. The app actually works great, the data download is very easy, your data stays on your device. The OSN data however has quality problems. It doesn't seem to have house numbers and there are connectivity problems between road segments.

I'm a bit biased against Garmin. I use Tom Tom in my car and now Be on Road on my bike.

What about the DeLorme InReach (or SPOT) as an alternative? I know cost-wise it is not a cheap alternative, but it adds the function of emergency help, tracking, and (limited) texting with friends/family back home.

Anyone have experience using one vs a GPS or the seemingly preferred phone options discussed above?