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Post Info TOPIC: GPS Units


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GPS Units
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This is what i will be using for a gps. It also has a blue tooth connect card to connect to smart phones,ect. I just bought it today i'm so happy biggrin

It takes a picture every 1, 3, 5, 10, 15,20, 30, 45, or 60 seconds 5MP Sensor,full face detection,laser alignment ect.ect.ect.

 

It is also an awesome headcam & apparently one of the best on the market for offroading,ect.

I bought it mainly for the camera & video recording but the gps was an added bonus.

Link to contour specifications.

Breif specifications

FEATURES:
- F2.8 LENSE ROTATING UP TO 270˚ WITH 6 ELEMENT GLASS.
- LIVE STREAMING VIA HDMI
- EXTERNAL MIC JACK
- MULTIPLE FRAME RATES FOR PAL & NTSC FORMATS
- EXTRA WIDE FIELD OF VIEW FROM 125˚ TO 170˚
- CONNECT VIEW CARD FOR BLUETOOTH CONNECTIVITY TO APPLE IOS OR ANDROID
- GPS RECEIVER TO CAPTURE LOCATION, SPEED AND ALTITUDE
- MICRO SD MEMORY UP TO 32GB.
 
  • Full HD - 1920 x 1080 @ 30/25fps
  • Tall HD - 1280 x 960 @ 30/25fps
  • Action HD - 1280 x 720 @ 60/50 or 30/25fps
  • Slow Motion - 854 x 480 @ 120/100, 60/50, or 30/25fps
  • Photo Mode: Every 1, 3, 5, 10, 15,
    20, 30, 45, or 60 seconds
  • 5MP Sensor
  • Codec - H.264/AAC / File Type - MP4
  • AAC Audio Compression
  • 32GB microSD Compatible
  • Battery Life: 2-2.5 hrs (optional higher capacity battery available)

..................................................................

Gps specifications:

GPSType:Built-in 4Hz NEO-5Q GPS receiver
Time To First Fix using AssistNow Service
Accuracy:+/- 10m
Configurable Sample Rate:0: No Data
1Hz: record coordinates once per second
2Hz: record coordinates twice per second
4Hz: records coordinates four times per second
...........................................................................................
As to brindabella 's questions....
 
Brindabella wrote:
.....................................................................................................................................................

OK, now I have a confession to make..
Actually I am a software developer, and after reading about the 7000km APC rally discussed in this forum, I decided that I would
like to go in the next rally, and as GPS was mandated, I would like to write my own minimalistic android app for the purpose.

So I would like to trawl for opinions on this forum - what do TTR250 riders need in a gps unit?
(for trail riding, NOT city street riding)

- do you need to create a track file for later use?
- do you need to follow a known route (eg a planned expedition)?
- if following a route, could you do without a map display (but displaying the route and your track/position)?
- do you just need an "I am lost, show me a topo map with my position marked" facility?
- do you want to be able to tweet/sms your position (if cell coverage permits)?
- do you need to play with, annotate, create routes for others to follow?
- if there is a map, must it be "track up" meaning the map shifts around trying to align with your heading,
or is a nice stable "north up" good for you (and if "track up", is it a problem if the map labels are not so readable)?

and most importantly, what have you actually tried that is crap, cluttered, confusing or bad?

BTW, Brian's previous link to his road angel post in the devongtrf forum is worth checking out - very informative!

John

.....................................................................................................................................................
You may want to ask that in a different thread in this section...Forum: Ride out and event reports click here  so all can see it that is interested in the subject &you will have a better chance of a reply. Also it won't clog up this thread on gps's.
........................
Jarrah.

 



-- Edited by barra8 on Tuesday 2nd of October 2012 05:36:56 AM

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TTR250ACTIVE''BORED'' ADDICT!

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Now then folks..

Getting right back into my green laning and loving the TTR.

I am a familiar user of Memory map software for O.S Mapping and when I used a LandRover I had a netbook set up in the car with a gps receiver.

Question now of course is which is the best GPS unit to plonk on my handlebars??

Really relying on other users experience on this one as a quick browse on Amazon blew my mind with the choice and its very hard when you have no experience in the

field no

 



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Ha - the GPS question has a dozen answers all of which are right in their own way but all opposite cry

I can only speak personally and would suggest a good starter GPS that works well with Memory Map is the Road Angel 7000 (Navigator or Adventurer - doesn't really matter which).

Cheap enough to buy on eBay s/h where they range between £50 and £100.

Plan your route on MemMap on your PC or laptop and transfer it to Road Angel where you can follow the route on a "real" OS map. When you get back home you can then upload your tracklog to your PC.

Lots of info and support available here http://devongtrf.activeboard.com/t20410554/road-angel-7000-information/

Good luck with your quest wink

Brian



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perhaps a smart phone gps app (there are quite a lot out there)?

things to consider are:

is the app simple to use?
does the smartphone using the app have a good gps hardware capability (eg accurate, works under trees, quick first fix)?
does the smartphone have decent sized battery (assuming not connected to external power on TTR)?
is the smartphone reasonably robust and weatherproof?
can the app use stored maps (so map tiles don't need 3G to download - battery sapping and not possible in remote areas)?
can the app use FREE maps (like OpenStreetMap) or do they charge extra for maps?
will the app still function in airplane mode (usually needed to improve battery life)?

In the recent past, I have often thought that the ideal phone/gps unit would be a smooth circular disk in shape so it could be thrown into the nearest creek/stream as a "rock skipping" exercise to stop people playing with them at a stop so we could resume trail riding.

Other times I have thought (when lost) that all I needed was something to give me position (lat lon, or map coordinates),
so I could figure out where I was on my out of date paper map.

But nowadays, phones are supercomputers with capability to store maps at any level of detail and having GPS chips which
are superior to some expensive dedicated GPS units (like my own little used 2007 garmin etrex legend cx, purchased
for a motorbike trip in Mongolia) - the latest phones can use the Russian "GPS" (GLONASS) as well, for better performance.

OK, now I have a confession to make..
Actually I am a software developer, and after reading about the 7000km APC rally discussed in this forum, I decided that I would
like to go in the next rally, and as GPS was mandated, I would like to write my own minimalistic android app for the purpose.

So I would like to trawl for opinions on this forum - what do TTR250 riders need in a gps unit?
(for trail riding, NOT city street riding)

- do you need to create a track file for later use?
- do you need to follow a known route (eg a planned expedition)?
- if following a route, could you do without a map display (but displaying the route and your track/position)?
- do you just need an "I am lost, show me a topo map with my position marked" facility?
- do you want to be able to tweet/sms your position (if cell coverage permits)?
- do you need to play with, annotate, create routes for others to follow?
- if there is a map, must it be "track up" meaning the map shifts around trying to align with your heading,
or is a nice stable "north up" good for you (and if "track up", is it a problem if the map labels are not so readable)?

and most importantly, what have you actually tried that is crap, cluttered, confusing or bad?

BTW, Brian's previous link to his road angel post in the devongtrf forum is worth checking out - very informative!

John








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brindabella wrote:

So I would like to trawl for opinions on this forum - what do TTR250 riders need in a gps unit?
(for trail riding, NOT city street riding)

- do you need to create a track file for later use?
- do you need to follow a known route (eg a planned expedition)?
- if following a route, could you do without a map display (but displaying the route and your track/position)?
- do you just need an "I am lost, show me a topo map with my position marked" facility?
- do you want to be able to tweet/sms your position (if cell coverage permits)?
- do you need to play with, annotate, create routes for others to follow?
- if there is a map, must it be "track up" meaning the map shifts around trying to align with your heading,
or is a nice stable "north up" good for you (and if "track up", is it a problem if the map labels are not so readable)?

and most importantly, what have you actually tried that is crap, cluttered, confusing or bad?

BTW, Brian's previous link to his road angel post in the devongtrf forum is worth checking out - very informative!

John


 Great way to analyse what GPS would be best John!

Here are my answers:

- do you need to create a track file for later use? Yes. I like to look back over where we actually rode as we sometimes deviate from the planed route, actual length of the run which is always more than the planned route, how long it took, etc so that the route can be honed and improved for future use.  

- do you need to follow a known route (eg a planned expedition)? Yes. I don't have the right brain connections to be able to lead a run without the GPS. Some of our Devon Trail Riders Fellowship members have the ability to lead a run and make it up as they go along which I find impressive and an impossible act to follow. Finding the Memory Map software and the Road Angel 7000 transformed my trail riding.

- if following a route, could you do without a map display (but displaying the route and your track/position)? No. I need the "moving" map display showing my current position and with my route overlayed so I know exactly where my next turn is. In the UK, most trail riders use the OS mapping with 1:25k scale for "exploring" and the 1:50k scale for a better known route. The screen shot below is from my GPS using the 1:25k OS mapping with a planned route overlayed on blue.

RA - Ozi map with route.jpg

 

- do you just need an "I am lost, show me a topo map with my position marked" facility? No - see above answer.

- do you want to be able to tweet/sms your position (if cell coverage permits)? No.

- do you need to play with, annotate, create routes for others to follow? Yes. One of the great benefit of a group all using the same software is that it makes sharing routes and track logs very easy.

- if there is a map, must it be "track up" meaning the map shifts around trying to align with your heading, or is a nice stable "north up" good for you (and if "track up", is it a problem if the map labels are not so readable)? Track up is preferable so that if the route shows your next turn is left it actually is! The Memory Map client software that runs on the RA7000 doesn't have this facility but Ozi Explorer does. See here

I mount my RA7000 on my TTR using a RAM mount and a big sunhood as the RA7000's screen is a bit dated and not good in full sun.

Road_Angel_on_RAM_mount_side_view.jpg

So, for the time being, the RA7000 meets my requirements.

Brian



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On the 12V socket subject:

Just run a wire from your cdi through a 12V resistor (to be safe) & to the car charger.

Athough if you want to be able to charge it without the ignition on you will have to do the same but directly from the battery.

This thread will help with that... Fitting additional lights and accessories & upgrading electrical components click here

 

...........................................................................................................

Mounts:

Mounts can be found just about anywhere eg. ebay,electrical stores ect but it would pay to buy a good one when it comes to mounting something so valuable. Brian should know more on this subject.

...............................................................................................

I just bought a samsung galaxy ace phone that has a built in gps ect. ect. ect. & will work in conjuction with my new Contour plus gps headcam

.............................................

Jarrah.



-- Edited by barra8 on Thursday 4th of October 2012 09:58:29 AM

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YAMAHA ROCKS!!!!!!

TTR250ACTIVE''BORED'' ADDICT!

Favourite quote: To be old & wise first you must be young & dumb!

My own: Your never too young to learn an old trick! :)



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Great feedback guys.

Ive went for a RA 7000.

Theres a guy on ebay got 3 brand new boxed units and Ive picked one up for £60 posted which is cheap as chips in my book. Ordered and on way.

Next connundrum is how to mount the little devil on the crossbar.

Brian that looks ideal what you have, what is it and from where did you source it?

Incidentally I guess I will need to add some sort of 12V socket? Any tips?

Cheers
Tony

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BM Steve wrote:

Hi Barra

I see in your pic that your Contour is running a Micro SD card slot.

Can you run a full size SDHC card like the one below ? I got 2 of these lately, one for the Canon still camera and one for the GoPro

$38.00 each, A bargain, here if you are interested, I buy all my PC gear from these guys

I have a spare 2g SanDisc MicroSD if you want it, I'll never use it, nothing to put it in

Send me a PM with your address and I'll post it up to you

 

Cheers

Steve


 Hey Steve,

                 Yes it is 32GB microSD Compatible . (I think mine only comes with a bluetooth connect card for smartphones ect. i will know tommorrow:)

If you get an adapter( like below) the 2g SanDisc MicroSD will work as if it was a SDHC card

Wow this picture is so much better than using my laptopsmile  Much easier toobiggrin

I think i'm falling in love with my Samsung Galaxy Ace phone already aww

.................................................................................

 

If you honestly don't want it i would be happy to take it off your hands. Thanks for your offer if you decide to keep it.

Jarrah.

 



-- Edited by barra8 on Thursday 11th of October 2012 09:15:24 AM

__________________

YAMAHA ROCKS!!!!!!

TTR250ACTIVE''BORED'' ADDICT!

Favourite quote: To be old & wise first you must be young & dumb!

My own: Your never too young to learn an old trick! :)



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Hi Barra

I see in your pic that your Contour is running a Micro SD card

Can you run a full size SDHC card like the one below ? I got 2 of these lately, one for the Canon still camera and one for the GoPro

$38.00 each, A bargain, here if you are interested, I buy all my PC gear from these guys

I have a spare 2g SanDisc MicroSD if you want it, I'll never use it, nothing to put it in

Send me a PM with your address and I'll post it up to you

9_1536597_Front.jpg

Cheers

Steve



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2004 TTR250 - Highway Dirtbike Hand Guards, 38mm Bar Risers, D606 Front & Rear, Opened up Airbox with Twin Air Filter, Re-jetted Carby, B+B Bash Plate & Frame Guards, DIY 3mm Alloy Tail Tidy, 14/47 Gearing.

 



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brindabella wrote:

So I would like to trawl for opinions on this forum - what do TTR250 riders need in a gps unit?

 

I think one of the most useful features would be to be able to (Easily via kmz files) import and export the following:

Tracks
Place Markers
Way-points
Notes
Photo's

into and out of Google Earth (The Program not the Browser extension)

Google Earth is the main program I use to find new places to go, it's far more useful than any Topo map I have ever seen

You can draw paths, add markers/Text/Notes etc... then export to your GPS unit and have it come up in the topo map

or record a path on your GPS and import it to GoogleEarth

This is a really good way to share locations and tracks in a universal piece of free software

as soon as developers make there app propriety it becomes very limited indeed so it needs to be easy to send to other programs without limitation

-   -   -   -   -   -   -   -   -   -   -   -   -   -   -   -   -   -   -   -   -   -   -   -   -   -   -   -   -   -   -   -   -   -   -   -   -   -   -   -   -   -   -   -   -   -   -   -   -   -   -   -   -   -   -

Questions

- do you need to create a track file for later use?
Yes for the obvious reasons

- do you need to follow a known route (eg a planned expedition)?
Yes, a good feature

- if following a route, could you do without a map display (but displaying the route and your track/position)?
Yes and no, map overlay is easy to follow but waypoints and my track position would be enough for me

- do you just need an "I am lost, show me a topo map with my position marked" facility?
No

- do you want to be able to tweet/sms your position (if cell coverage permits)?
Absolutely not,  what a waste of time !!


- do you need to play with, annotate, create routes for others to follow?
Yes but not on a smart phone, they are tedious in the extreme to do anything accurate with, so yes, see above the dotted line

- if there is a map, must it be "track up" meaning the map shifts around trying to align with your heading,
or is a nice stable "north up" good for you (and if "track up", is it a problem if the map labels are not so readable)?
No, I don't have any problem reading north up maps, in fact I prefer them

and most importantly, what have you actually tried that is crap, cluttered, confusing or bad

I've tried a couple, can't remember what, that's why I now have a Garmin as my first cheap GPS
I will buy another Garmin one day, One that has the Birdseye Satellite Imagery built in for $39 per year

Hope that helps

 

 

 

 


 

 

 

 

 

 



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2004 TTR250 - Highway Dirtbike Hand Guards, 38mm Bar Risers, D606 Front & Rear, Opened up Airbox with Twin Air Filter, Re-jetted Carby, B+B Bash Plate & Frame Guards, DIY 3mm Alloy Tail Tidy, 14/47 Gearing.

 



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Now that i see the pic properly it is the same as the one i got with the samsung galaxy. I was'nt sure what you were talking about there with the pic guiding me as it had trouble uploading & went blank. Great site though & will help others maybe??

.............................

Jarrah.



__________________

YAMAHA ROCKS!!!!!!

TTR250ACTIVE''BORED'' ADDICT!

Favourite quote: To be old & wise first you must be young & dumb!

My own: Your never too young to learn an old trick! :)



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Ra Arrived this morning. Now I just need to get memory installed. I presume I need an SD card with memory map on to replace the one in with he road mapping on?

Initially I just want to get it running in men map before importing routes etc.



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Ideally you need a 2Gb fast (Class 4) SD card on which to load the Memory Map client, maps and still have enough room for your routes and tracklogs.

Have you got someone locally who can clone an SD card for you? It saves you a lot of bother if you have!

Otherwise, there is a free MM client download on the Memory Map website which needs copying on to the SD card.

Have you got Memory Map installed OK on your PC or laptop? You need to have the same version running on the RA else you won't be able to import and export routes etc.

Brian



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Hi all

Like Jasperthehorse, the thread spurred me on to take the plunge, for the £ involved a Road Angel seems the way to go, so my 7000 navigator has arrived and I know where to get the mount (using the link in the Devon TRF thread). The sticking point is the cloning of the SD card.

Is there anyone (local?, I'm St Albans, Herts) that could clone a card to get me going?

PM me please if you can help



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Just thought i'd add this for people interested in puchasing electrical goods online eg. gps,'s ect. but you may have to click on their main page & start again as most will not take you to their home page as i have seached them & saved the link where i wanted it to take me.

.........................................................

 
 


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TTR250ACTIVE''BORED'' ADDICT!

Favourite quote: To be old & wise first you must be young & dumb!

My own: Your never too young to learn an old trick! :)



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I will do a step by step account of the project and post up as well.
have just ordered a bar mount from the mount guys.com in the states as well.

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ROAD ANGEL 7000 - THE KIT
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First off the kit in its raw form!!

 



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This looks like an intersting thread
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Been doing a little bit of searching on the web googling "memory map installation on Road Angel 7000"

Some good stuff. This looks particularly interesting....

http://www.berkshirequadtrails.org/QuadForum/showthread.php?t=252

I have ordered a 2GB SD Card so eagerly await its arrival to get cracked on.

Interestingly I have just found a number of memory map "maps" installed on my device or card which I wasnt expecting.

Needless to say doesnt cover north yorks or cumbria which is my desired playground so will still have to crack on with it. disbelief



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RE: GPS Units
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What OS map numbers do you need?

Brian 



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Region 4 is my "local" map.

Doesnt look to hard to download.

Ive been playing around on memory map this evening and the links seem straightforward. just need the bloody memory card to arrive to get going!!

 



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Not straightforward
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Seem to be having issues.

Getting the MM data ported across ok onto the new SD Card but for some bloody reason it wont let me open from the RA device. Frustratingly if I attempt to open the data on the SD card via the card reader it fires up MM no problem on my PC. Aaaarghhh!

 



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How big is the .qed file?

I remember that when OS brought out a new Region 1 map it wouldn't run on the RA because of file size limitations. I reverted to the older mapping and all was OK again.

I think the limit may be 250Mb.

Try exporting a "visible" portion of the map and see if that opens OK.

Brian



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Eureka!!!
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biggrin

Brian

your bang on target. Found this little link after a search

http://devongtrf.activeboard.com/t20410554/road-angel-7000-information/

and all became clear. I had a bit mess about with downloading visible portions of maps and it works!! On reflection the whole Region 4 map is 688 MB So that was clearly the problem.

Incidentally I have ported the original RA data onto the same card so can now switch between on and off road Navigation, RESULT!!

Once you know how its actually a doddle to do.

 



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Tonys Step by step to setting up Road Angel 7000 with memory map.
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Hopefully this will help many other trail riders and green laners out there who faced the same problems as me.

Step 1:-

Purchase a ROAD ANGEL 7000 Doesnt matter which model, navigator or adventurer, as the only difference is the data that goes on the SD Card.

Step 2:-

Purchase or accquire an SD Card, maximum capacity allowed is 2GB. Apparantley the architecture in the RA will only recognise up to this size. I want for a Sandisk and works fine.

Format the card and get set to go.

Step 3:-

I used a card reader to do the copying, pasting and building up of the new Data card. It seems way easier that using microsoft active sync and they are only a few pounds.

Step 4:-

Create a folder on your PC and copy the contents of the supplied Road Angel SD card to it.

Step 5:-

Create a second folder on your PC and follow this link to download some files you will need to make the Road Angel compatible with Memory Map.

http://www.memory-map.co.uk/downloads.htm

Scroll down to the bottom of the page and open the link. Extract the files into the folder you have just created on your PC.

Step 6:-

Okay, its now getting constructive. Stick your 2GB SD Card into the card reader and open it up on your desktop. You now need to copy and paste the contents of the folders from Step 4 and Step 5. I got a couple of messages about replacing older files with newer ones but I ignored and retained the older files.

Step 7:-

Fire up your memory map software on your PC and go to MOBILE DEVICES in the top tool bar. To be on the safe side go to SEND VISIBLE PORTION and select the area you need. Send this to the card reader directly. My mistake was trying to send 688MB across to the card and was getting loads of errors. Reason was that the RA couldnt cope with that size file. Dont know the exact maximum number of MB it can take but it certainly works with smaller 70 - 100MB maps.

At the end of this for well under a £100 you should have a quite functional and useable GPS device with Ordnance survey mapping ability

 

 



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RE: GPS Units
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That looks like a great kit and the maps look very usable, also the name of the mountguys.com was great, I'll be getting some gear from them for sure

biggrin



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2004 TTR250 - Highway Dirtbike Hand Guards, 38mm Bar Risers, D606 Front & Rear, Opened up Airbox with Twin Air Filter, Re-jetted Carby, B+B Bash Plate & Frame Guards, DIY 3mm Alloy Tail Tidy, 14/47 Gearing.

 



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Good news for Road Angel owners that ride in different areas and would like to keep more maps on their SD card.

A Devon TRF member bought a 4Gb SD card from here and it works fine with Memory Map in his Road Angel biggrin

The RA will normally only work with a 2Gb SD card.

Brian



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Potentially you could have the uk on a card or two at this rate.
By the way If anyone needs region 4 (North of England) drop me a pm.
Still waiting for my mount coming from the states before I begin the next phase of the project.

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A little late to the conversation here, but I ride with a Garmin Oregon 450T.

I opted for a handheld unit because I felt it better suited my needs than a "car" GPS. It's waterproof, very durable (it's fallen down ravines) and has long enough battery life that I don't need to worry about charging it on the go. This ones takes AA batteries so I always keep an extra set in my pack. It mounts nicely to my bars with a RAM mount. Detaches quickly so I can walk with it too when exploring.

Although I do have street maps loaded, I have never used the GPS for navigating in town. What I do use it for is a) exporting the .gpx track file and finding out where I rode, b) following someone elses trail that they have sent me, c) using the speedo, odo, clock, avg speed etc as a dashboard when riding

 Because I'm never following city streets, I never expect turn-by-turn navigation.

The touch screen is great because I can use it with gloves on, and it's really quick to load/unload tracks, mark waypoints and scroll around the topo map to get your bearings.

To answer brindabella's questions:

- do you need to create a track file for later use? Yes, absolutely
- do you need to follow a known route (eg a planned expedition)? Yes
- if following a route, could you do without a map display (but displaying the route and your track/position)? Sometimes, but the topo is a good reference
- do you just need an "I am lost, show me a topo map with my position marked" facility? No, map with tracks is needed
- do you want to be able to tweet/sms your position (if cell coverage permits)? No
- do you need to play with, annotate, create routes for others to follow? Probably no, I create tracks on the computer and import them that way
- if there is a map, must it be "track up" meaning the map shifts around trying to align with your heading? Always North is OK for me, but that's just my preference

-Kent



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Thanks everyone for the feedback - there is a reasonable amount of consensus.

So far I have only produced a simple proof of concept app which runs on a tablet - as I have real work to do, this gps app is low priority. But the 14 day 7000km dirt APC rally is coming up, and requires the entrants to follow a provided GPS track, and I have paid my entry fee.

My plan, in case anyone is interested, is to buy a waterproof sony xperia s phone, which has android (easier for me to program) and has a gps chip which includes GLONASS (very accurate). Normally I would NOT want to wire it up to charge from the battery but it WILL be required in this case.

I will probably take the supplied GPX track (provided 10 days in advance of the event) and convert it to KML (for google earth), then annotate it with some "spur track" at important intersections (assuming this is not too tedious), then I will convert it to my own format and load to the phone.

Because I am an idiot, I will try to make the app idiot proof. The path will align to the average direction of recent travel, rather than "north up". The averaging should stop it spinning around because of GPS error when stopped. The point representing my location will tend to be in the middle of the screen. The primary app control will be a zoom gesture. the capacitative screen means that I will have to remove gloves to do this (or make a stylus). the screen will be locked at full brightness and all other stuff on the phone (including its phone capability) will normally be turned off (probably no reception anyway). Actual navigation while riding may involve taking the wrong turn, noting the divergence of my track from the proper track on the display, and turning back to take the correct route.

In an ideal world (with enough time), I could add mapping, north and sun indication, time, distance, speed display (hmm maybe replace the speedo? - probably illegal), alerts when approaching decision points, trail notes etc. But the world is not ideal and I could even end up with "plan B" - get a real GPS like everyone else.

Has anyone had experiences with mounting a phone on the handlebars? Hopefully some RAM mount fitting will do it, but I sure don't want to lose the phone on bumps, shrubbery or falls.



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It might be worth having a chat with Des Newman of Ozi Explorer fame about your requirements - might be a big short cut wink

I use Ozi and its a great bit of software.

RAM mounts are the Rolls Royce of mounts but its worth putting your device on a lanyard (fishing line?) just in case.

Brian



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brindabella wrote:

Thanks everyone for the feedback - there is a reasonable amount of consensus.

So far I have only produced a simple proof of concept app which runs on a tablet - as I have real work to do, this gps app is low priority. But the 14 day 7000km dirt APC rally is coming up, and requires the entrants to follow a provided GPS track, and I have paid my entry fee.

My plan, in case anyone is interested, is to buy a waterproof sony xperia s phone, which has android (easier for me to program) and has a gps chip which includes GLONASS (very accurate). Normally I would NOT want to wire it up to charge from the battery but it WILL be required in this case.

I will probably take the supplied GPX track (provided 10 days in advance of the event) and convert it to KML (for google earth), then annotate it with some "spur track" at important intersections (assuming this is not too tedious), then I will convert it to my own format and load to the phone.

Because I am an idiot, I will try to make the app idiot proof. The path will align to the average direction of recent travel, rather than "north up". The averaging should stop it spinning around because of GPS error when stopped. The point representing my location will tend to be in the middle of the screen. The primary app control will be a zoom gesture. the capacitative screen means that I will have to remove gloves to do this (or make a stylus). the screen will be locked at full brightness and all other stuff on the phone (including its phone capability) will normally be turned off (probably no reception anyway). Actual navigation while riding may involve taking the wrong turn, noting the divergence of my track from the proper track on the display, and turning back to take the correct route.

In an ideal world (with enough time), I could add mapping, north and sun indication, time, distance, speed display (hmm maybe replace the speedo? - probably illegal), alerts when approaching decision points, trail notes etc. But the world is not ideal and I could even end up with "plan B" - get a real GPS like everyone else.

Has anyone had experiences with mounting a phone on the handlebars? Hopefully some RAM mount fitting will do it, but I sure don't want to lose the phone on bumps, shrubbery or falls.


I had a Garmin 62s mounted direct to the handlebars on my xt660z before I wrote it off. I used the mountain bike mount and the unit did not like the vibration at all. It gradually got worse and in the end it would not stay on at all on the bike. When my new Ten arrives in a few weeks I will definitely be using a RAM mount up high on the console instead of the handlebars. With the TTR, get a wolfman Enduro tank bag and carry the GPS in the map pocket.... My 2c

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We use GPS routeing for the DB1K....

Dusty Butt 1000.. 1000km of tracks/trails/roads

in 2 days.. 12 plus hours a day on the bike..

http://www.db1k.com/

I use a Garmin Colorado with topo maps 

set the zoom to show 1km of track ..

just wish it had a bigger screen....

 



-- Edited by petenz on Saturday 6th of July 2013 11:59:52 AM

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I use a Garmin GPS62 with a RAM mount, even on the bumpy rough tracks it never moves. As for maps I use 4x4 tracks Australia & shonky maps. The Garmin will run on the batteries for days & does data tracking as well.


Here is a data trace from a ride

524896_10151336142807864_385651327_n.jpg

 

 



-- Edited by TerryK on Saturday 6th of July 2013 12:39:31 PM

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yeah, those garmin gps62c seem to be nice units.

As hinted in my previous posts in this thread, I recently used a GPS in a rally.
It required following supplied GPX tracks, riding all day, every day for 2 weeks.
The tracks were often very small and not on any of the usual base maps.

Although GPS units can run for a fair while on batteries, in this event,
you really needed to "hard wire" to the battery.

Strangely the base map was not so important, but Tracks4Australia, which is free,
was used by the organiser, so seemed a no-brainer.

For effective use the brightness had to be set to maximum, "track up" seemed best,
and when the going was tight, you had to be zoomed in and keep you wits about you
when temporarily off track (it is surprisingly easy to accidentally reverse your route).

I chose a garmin montana 600 for the task as I had spoken to others who had used it,
and it seemed solid, had a decent sized screen and had an available hard wiring cradle,
which did not rely on a weak USB plug connection.

Another possibility would have been a garmin zumo which has an even bigger screen,
but this is apparently a bit of a disaster to use when the desired route is off road,
as it has a mind of its own and tries to reroute you. good for around town though.

I had also been told that some people had problems with the standard RAM mounts,
as they tended to become loose and require repositioning and clamp tightening
from time to time. So I mounted my cradle+gps to the center of the handlebars
with rubber insulated clamp. This was neat but maybe passed too much vibration
to the GPS, and also was not the ideal position for "line of sight" while riding.

Because many others had issues with the battery connection (still needed when hard-wired),
I used the standard solution of wrapping a bit of bicycle tube around the the battery,
inside the case, and had no problems.

An unexpected problem with the montana setup was loading the base map using garmin "BaseCamp"
software. I ended up having to do it a different way, file by file.
This was strange as on another different much older and smaller garmin it loaded easily via BaseCamp.

In actual use I liked the montana for navigation following the pre-loaded track.
And I would recommend it.

Unfortunately, late on the 2nd day it somehow popped out of its cradle, presumably over some sharp bumps.
I had put too much faith in the "Garmin AMPS Rugged Mount with power cable" to clamp the GPS unit.
I should have used a tether (there is a small slot in the case to attach a string).

This lead me to discover what can be done with a phone application (plan B when GPS lost or broken).
This was an android app I wrote running on an HTC phone.
The app was "stand alone", not needing a cell connection like many phone GPS apps.
It also did not continuously track (to save battery) and was "north up" (lazy programming).
My app had a rudimentary background vector map of nearby tracks extracted from Open Street Maps.
Most importantly it had the rally track loaded.

So I found that you could indeed follow the rally route on this simple setup.
The phone got a position "fix" in a few seconds and I had a "cross hair" position
indicator which was much better than an arrow as it easily showed the distance
to the track or intersection.
However it was tedious, annoying and time wasting, as you had to get out the phone at every side track,
just to check.
By the way, with "north up" display it is nice to know where north is in the real world
(ie from the sun or from the device sensor).
As an emergency backup the phone app was fine, and the uncharged phone battery could last for days.

But to follow a route, you absolutely definitely need to have a nice visible continuously tracking
GPS unit mounted so it is easy to frequently glance at it while riding.

Another thing I can confirm is that it is certainly worth while to import / set up your route
on google earth and virtually preview it before the actual "on ground" riding.
(although more valuable time sucked up in front of the computer).










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I have one of my Triumph's wired to the battery, might do the same with the TTR as I have a spare power cable...the XR400 didn't have a battery so there was no need


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Whats the latest thoughts on a Trail riding satnav for the UK, is the Road angel 7000 still a good buy??

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Got a used Road Angel 7000 for £35 on ebay :)

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Brian, is it the 1:25000 memory map OS maps I need to download for the Road Angel??

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Hi Richard - see PM.

I use the 1:25k on my Road Angel if following a route as it gives more topographical detail but also load the 1:50k for a wider view occasionally if a diversion from route is forced.

Brian



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These notes may help new RA users:

1. Charging the Road Angel from their support site:  "The correct way to charge your unit is using the mains adapter supplied with your Road Angel device. The switch at the back of the unit should be in the "ON" position. You should charge the unit for 6-8 hours or until the red light on front of the unit turns green. Please ensure you are charging the unit in this way and if the unit is still not holding a charge then please submit a ticket for our support team. Note: to allow the unit to charge at a quicker rate, we advise to put the unit into standby mode using the rubber standby button on top of the unit." 

2. To plan routes, you need to have have Memory Map and the OS mapping installed on the your PC/laptop. Plan your route on the laptop and, once complete, save it to the Routes folder from where it can be copied to the RA from within the MM programme installed on the PC/laptop.

3. You will need to buy a Memory Map licence to be able to access the OS mapping on the laptop after the 30-day trial period.
The cheapest way to do this is to buy this licence pack at £0.99 see http://www.gaynors.co.uk/brands/memory-map/dp-71310/aa-caravan-camping-sites     and then register through the Memory Map software on the laptop using the menu option Help -> Licence Management

4. Mounting the RA on the bike. I prefer to use the RAM mounts but they are difficult to find on the interweb. This is the one I use shown on the RAM website but you have to source them elsewhere - http://www.rammount.com/CatalogResults/PartDetails/tabid/63/partid/082065077045066045049052057090085/Default.aspx  They are a silly price in the UK but cheaper bought in from the States - search on eBay. A mate uses this one http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/350845501817 which is quite cheap.  

 

5. You will also need a power supply. I prefer to use one that fits the USB port on the LH side of the RA e.g. http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/GENUINE-TomTom-ONE-v4-v5-XL-v2-USB-IQ-Start-Car-Charger-/250880436450?pt=UK_CE_GPS_Accessories_Software_ET&hash=item3a69a3a8e2 - you can get them a lot cheaper but it shows what I use.

The RA is a great bit of kit and certainly cheaper than trashing your mobile phone wink

Brian



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So, talk to me like a 5 year old biggrin You get a doins for your pooter to plan routes and put them on the RA? Do you need something like an RA instead of say a Tomtom with the windy road option? My windy roads takes me literally all over the shop but not off road.



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Some GPS units allow you to Download OS maps Steve, plan your route with Software called Memory map and then download the routes to the Satnav. Many are the handheld ones and cyclist ones, but they are expensive, The Road Angel Navigator and Adventurer 7000's allowed you to use OS maps, and link to Memory map. I have just bought a RA 7000, cheap second hand on ebay, Its an early version with no Memory map application. Problem with them is they are a bit out of date and the company no longer supports updates, having said that, brian is giving me loads of help and I am in the process of trying to get the thing sorted out, if I can then I'll let you know... :)


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Well explained Rick!

Most trail riders start off planning their routes on OS paper maps and then, probably, take them with them on the trail ride to stay on course.

Trouble is maps get wet, fall in the mud, and have to be refolded regularly so that your route is still on the page.

Any GPS that can use OS mapping is therefore a natural way forward as it is so recognisable.

The Road Angel hasn't been available new for a while now and a lot of owners are upgrading to SatMaps etc (about £3-400 a throw). This means that there are Road Angels put up for auction regularly on eBay and go quite cheaply biggrin

Brian

 



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I can plan a route on Google and send it to my Tomtom, so it sounds the same really. I need somewhere that shows boats? clearer though before I can get stuck into it proper. I usually get paper maps before I go anywhere, look at them then plan it on Google, or I have messed about with Tyre recently. I'm not the best though.

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Definitely worth getting Memory Map on your PC with proper OS mapping which shows BOATs, ORPAs etc.

Most of the Devon lanes are UCRs and are shown as ORPAs on the OS mapping.

Steve



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+1 you need some proper OS mapping software, i use Garmin Basecamp with GB Discoverer to plan my tracks/routes then just send them to my GPS . Iv'e never used Memory Map but from what folk say it seems to be good.
If you just want to view online OS maps www.bing.com/maps/

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Soo, I've been looking for trails near us on Tyre, which is pretty good for scratching roads on the Smt but is there something better for highlighting green lanes? I get up the Trough of Bowland regularly and know there must be hundreds up there.

Can someone recommend a good paper map for the Northwest, Yorkshire and Wales? And some pooter maps?

aww



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You just need OS maps mate, on the computer, try trailwise to find ROW's etc.. if you join TRF you can get full access to it, but there is limited access for non members :)

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This looks easy enough to use with a phone.

http://my.viewranger.com

I even made a map on the pooter and sent it to my phone. Don't know if it'll send stuff to a tomtom/garmin whatever though.



-- Edited by The Mancunian on Wednesday 1st of April 2015 01:37:17 PM

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If you want to have a play with Memory Map Steve then I can let you have the OS maps to try wink

Brian



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