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Skip the GPS for Google Maps Navigation

Bezdelnik

Got curvy roads?
Just curious if any of you have, or considered skipping the traditional GPS unit and are using the Google Maps Navigation on a cell phone with an intercom system?

Just thinking one less device to haul around. :heart

Thoughts? Suggestions? Experiences?
 
When touring, I use my Zumo to create a custom route picking the most interesting roads--usually NOT the most direct roads. Will the Google map/mobile phone do that?
 
custom maps

From what I have seen (yet to do myself) you can create custom Google maps and download them to the phone. Not sure how it would be done on the phone, but from my experience with an iPhone you can adjust your Google maps. Just curious if the Andriod phones provide more functionality. I totally agree with you about about custom maps. If I can't do that, then this is not an option. I don't want to ride the super slab everywhere! Oh so boring...
 
That's half the fun of trips. I sit here at my computer and plot my entire route and download it onto my Garmin Quest II. Works neat with the software that came with it (plus updates of course).
 
Google Maps

Just got a Droid and have just started to experiment with the maps/GPS. I can say one thing, the voice directions are good but the screen is very small and if you zoom the amount of coverage is very very small. I'll post as I get more familar with the system and also see what apps are avail.
 
A few problems, I ride a lot of area with no cell coverage, thus NO maps, unless you have a special program. 2nd can't see te screen in bright light. 3rd, point to point might be OK, but if you have specific way points and roads you want to include in the journey, I don't think it is doable.
 
Another thing to consider is the "turn-by-turn" visual queueing that you get from a GPS. I haven't tried my phone's presentation of the queueing, but on my GPS I get a big black turn-arrow with a count-up progress bar. Very quick to visually get the distance and direction of the upcoming turn.

That being said, I find myself using the GPS in urban areas about 80% of the time. When I'm in the country, there are more beautiful things to look at!
 
My preference is to ride until I am completely lost and then turn on the GPS to find my way home...
 
My preference is to ride until I am completely lost and then turn on the GPS to find my way home...

funny but I generally do the opposite, I use the GPS to get myself lost (y using shortest distance setting) then turn it off and use my map to find my way home!:lol

RM
 
Being an iphone user AND a Zumo user, the interface for creating routes is much better on the Zumo. Essentialy, when on the road in a motel at night, you can power up the Zumo and create a custom route using waypoints. Hey, it beats watching American Idol.
 
The one thing that my GPS has is street maps of anywhere I go in the US.
I can't carry that many paper maps.

One time on a Interstate Hwy the traffic was backed up and I took the next exit.
With my GPS I found another old Hwy that I took for a few miles until some other road construction.
Then I used my GPS to find a route through residential streets.

I don't know if is saved time or not but it was more fun.
 
MOD Action..

I'm moving this thread to the "GEAR" section since it isn't Hexhead specific.

Please keep your hands and feet inside the thread for your safety and protection, and HANG ON...

Whooooooooooooooossssssssssssshhhhhhhhhhh........ :burnout :burnout
 
I usually leave the electronic devices home along with all the other electronic devices except a simple cell phone for emergencies and let the front wheel go where it will...I have found that generally, the rest of the bike and myself will follow that wheel...If for some reason I am confused, a simple paper map always does the trick without fuss or muss...no batteries to go bad, no satellites to access...nothing but simplicity...

And, isn't that the reason we do this motorcycle thang in the first place?
 
And, isn't that the reason we do this motorcycle thang in the first place?
Not for me.

I love having the GPS along. It enables me to ignore directions and simply follow interesting looking roads when on a trip somewhere - with the knowledge that Doofus (the lady in the box) will tell me how to end up at my desired destination when I decide I've had enough fun getting lost.

I've also never found any practical map sources to carry on the bike that have the really interesting secondary and even more remote two lane country roads on them. My Garmin does - and used creatively ("shortest route" instead of "fastest route") has come up with some great rides using them.
 
Turn in X, Stay left X, Recalculating, Drive X ...Recalculating :bottle
 
This is just a little FYI for those who are not familiar with Google Maps NAVIGATION which comes on certain "smart" phones that run on an operating system called Android. (version 2.0 and above)

It is a fully feldged navigation system equal if not better to dedicated GPS devices from Garmin etc. It can give turn by turn directions and nice big visual cues. Since all current Android phones have bluetooth, bluetooth headsets work great with it.

DISADVANTAGES: not waterproof and can not use the touchscreen with gloves on, at least those are the only ones I have run into so far.

Most of the time, I will just pull up a map location on my Droid, hit navigate to it. Stick the phone in my pocket and let the directions stream over bluetooth to my headset in my Nolan N103......sometimes while listening to music.

Still working out how to text while riding :nono
 
This is just a little FYI for those who are not familiar with Google Maps NAVIGATION which comes on certain "smart" phones that run on an operating system called Android. (version 2.0 and above)

It is a fully feldged navigation system equal if not better to dedicated GPS devices from Garmin etc. It can give turn by turn directions and nice big visual cues. Since all current Android phones have bluetooth, bluetooth headsets work great with it.

DISADVANTAGES: not waterproof and can not use the touchscreen with gloves on, at least those are the only ones I have run into so far.

Most of the time, I will just pull up a map location on my Droid, hit navigate to it. Stick the phone in my pocket and let the directions stream over bluetooth to my headset in my Nolan N103......sometimes while listening to music.

Still working out how to text while riding :nono

I'll admit to being totally ignorant (hey - at least I'm honest) about Google Maps Navigation on cell phones (I do use the routing capabilities of Google Maps all the time on my computer..) but I have heard the following about it:

1. It relies on a digital cell phone signal (3G?) to download the maps and routing information.

2. If you loose cell phone signal your maps may not refresh?

3. You need to be continuously connected on the cell for it to work (meaning either a LOT of minutes/bits or some always-on plan)?

1 & 2 would really make it a non-starter for me - I'm rather often out of cell range, even in the somewhat densly populated east coast. West Virginia is one of my favorite riding areas, and one of the joys of riding there is the lack of cell signal (leading to very few brain-dead-cell-phone-using-cagers.)

3 would be also since I'm a cheap SOB with the absolute minimum useage plan Verizon will sell.

Having a complete lack of knowledge on how it actually works.. (I know - I could just go Google it..) what I think I know doesn't make it appealing to me.
 
Darn it all, I meant to mention that in the disadvantages.....it does rely on a data connection in order to keep the map updated. So yeah, no data connection, no map what-so-ever.

So if you plan to go far off the beaten trail away from civilization, this is a deal breaker.
 
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