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Transition from MAP to GPS

klaviator

klaviator

Scooter Trash
Joined
Feb 8, 2022
Member Number
431
Posts
3,391
Location
Alabama
I have been riding for 44 years. Most of that riding was done using paper maps or just the maps in my head. Some years ago I discovered mapquest and then Google maps and those started replacing paper maps for trip planning. Then I got a smart phone and would occasionally pull out my phone when I got lost or couldn't find something and consult google maps. A couple of years ago I decided it was time to get a GPS and mount in on my bikes so I could use it while riding. Like many other things I put my toe in the water as opposed to diving in headfirst and I got a Garmin drive 52EX for $99 at Wally World. I found a cheap mounting system and started suing it on some of my bikes. I found the Garmin pretty clunky to use or to input stuff however it was nice being able to see where I was and what was coming up. IMO Garmin's software sucked compared to google maps.

I'm at the point where I want to have a useful GPS mounted on my bikes that. My real motivation is that I will be doing a trip out west this summer and want to be able to follow some GPX tracks. After doing a lot of research I found basically three options.

1. Buy and expensive Garmin or less expensive used Garmin

2. Buy a Tom Tom.

3. Use a smartphone with one of the many GPS apps out there.

I just read too many bad things about garmin and my personal experience hasn't been that good and Garmin is expensive so I have ruled out #1.

I have a friend who swears by Tom Tom and it is less expensive than Garmin but it won't accept GPX tracks.

I have decided on the phone option. I was going to get a used Kyocera phone but after some research decided on a Samsung Xcover Pro. I got one on Ebay for $71. Then I needed to figure out how to mount it. I researched this for a while and went with RAM mounts. I got the Ram Quick Grip with all the hardware to mount it to a motorcycle handlebar. I also got a second ball mount that could be attached to a mirror stem. I needed this for my Vespa which has no exposed handlebar.

IMG_20240310_121409887_HDR.jpg


I have used this now a few times using google maps. I don't have service for my phone so i downloaded Google Maps for my area and us it offline.

My next step is to figure out which GPS app to use to be able to download and follow GPX tracks.

I researched this and the recommendations I got are to use Locus or Osmand. Research also shows it is possible to do this with Google maps.

I downloaded Locus 4 and so far I'm not impressed.

That's where I am right now. Any advice would be appreciated.
 
klaviator said:
I have been riding for 44 years. Most of that riding was done using paper maps or just the maps in my head. Some years ago I discovered mapquest and then Google maps and those started replacing paper maps for trip planning. Then I got a smart phone and would occasionally pull out my phone when I got lost or couldn't find something and consult google maps. A couple of years ago I decided it was time to get a GPS and mount in on my bikes so I could use it while riding. Like many other things I put my toe in the water as opposed to diving in headfirst and I got a Garmin drive 52EX for $99 at Wally World. I found a cheap mounting system and started suing it on some of my bikes. I found the Garmin pretty clunky to use or to input stuff however it was nice being able to see where I was and what was coming up. IMO Garmin's software sucked compared to google maps.

I'm at the point where I want to have a useful GPS mounted on my bikes that. My real motivation is that I will be doing a trip out west this summer and want to be able to follow some GPX tracks. After doing a lot of research I found basically three options.

1. Buy and expensive Garmin or less expensive used Garmin

2. Buy a Tom Tom.

3. Use a smartphone with one of the many GPS apps out there.

I just read too many bad things about garmin and my personal experience hasn't been that good and Garmin is expensive so I have ruled out #1.

I have a friend who swears by Tom Tom and it is less expensive than Garmin but it won't accept GPX tracks.

I have decided on the phone option. I was going to get a used Kyocera phone but after some research decided on a Samsung Xcover Pro. I got one on Ebay for $71. Then I needed to figure out how to mount it. I researched this for a while and went with RAM mounts. I got the Ram Quick Grip with all the hardware to mount it to a motorcycle handlebar. I also got a second ball mount that could be attached to a mirror stem. I needed this for my Vespa which has no exposed handlebar.

IMG_20240310_121409887_HDR.jpg


I have used this now a few times using google maps. I don't have service for my phone so i downloaded Google Maps for my area and us it offline.

My next step is to figure out which GPS app to use to be able to download and follow GPX tracks.

I researched this and the recommendations I got are to use Locus or Osmand. Research also shows it is possible to do this with Google maps.

I downloaded Locus 4 and so far I'm not impressed.

That's where I am right now. Any advice would be appreciated.
Click to expand...
I know a lot of people that use GIA on their phones and like is very much after getting past the learning curve. Phones and stand alone GPS's both have their pluses and minus's.

The big thing now is people are moving past phones and are using ruggedized tablets. There are also Carplay/Android Auto gadgets coming out with big screens. Lets you leave your fancy phone protected but use its features on the gadget on the handlebars.

I am still a GPS guy. Been using Garmin's for 20 years and am very familiar with what they do good and not so good. I still use one old handheld Garmin I bought almost 20 years ago for dirt bike riding and it still works fine. Find me 20 year old cell phone still in service. LOL YMMV
 
Do you want turn by turn directions… like something that tells you to turn left in 100’?

I have only used a handheld Garmin GPS on my bike so I don’t have any experience with navigation and routing. With Garmin there is a difference between “routes” and “tracks”.
 
Simmons1 said:
I know a lot of people that use GIA on their phones and like is very much after getting past the learning curve. Phones and stand alone GPS's both have their pluses and minus's.

The big thing now is people are moving past phones and are using ruggedized tablets. There are also Carplay/Android Auto gadgets coming out with big screens. Lets you leave your fancy phone protected but use its features on the gadget on the handlebars.

I am still a GPS guy. Been using Garmin's for 20 years and am very familiar with what they do good and not so good. I still use one old handheld Garmin I bought almost 20 years ago for dirt bike riding and it still works fine. Find me 20 year old cell phone still in service. LOL YMMV
Click to expand...
I've been using Garmin on my bikes for 20 years with no complaints. I used to use Garmin in my cars, but have since transitioned to my phone with Android auto. Phones mounted on bikes have many potential issues, water, heat, small screen, poor performing mapping programs, etc.
 
Smartphone, all day long.

Plan route here:

Export File.

Install OSMand.

Import file from kurviger.

Ride off.

Kurviger has a neat thing too with the roundtrip generator. Put in your favorite parameters, point the compass in a direction, enter how many miles you want to do, and click generate until a trip appears that peaks your interest. I do that all the time.

I must be close to 100,000 miles traveled this way.
 
woods said:
Smartphone, all day long.

Plan route here:

Export File.

Install OSMand.

Import file from kurviger.

Ride off.

Kurviger has a neat thing too with the roundtrip generator. Put in your favorite parameters, point the compass in a direction, enter how many miles you want to do, and click generate until a trip appears that peaks your interest. I do that all the time.

I must be close to 100,000 miles traveled this way.
Click to expand...
Can I download GPX tracks directly into OSMand?

Can I use OSMand to record a route that I am riding?
 
klaviator said:
Can I download GPX tracks directly into OSMand?

Can I use OSMand to record a route that I am riding?
Click to expand...
I email them to myself. Get the phone connected to wifi, open email, grab the gpx. Then, open OSM, and open the file.

Yep. But I've never used the feature. There are a LOT of options and stuff with OSM. I only use the basics.
 
DJ_MI said:
Do you want turn by turn directions… like something that tells you to turn left in 100’?

I have only used a handheld Garmin GPS on my bike so I don’t have any experience with navigation and routing. With Garmin there is a difference between “routes” and “tracks”.
Click to expand...
I use both routes and tracks depending on the ride and who created the ride. When riding dirt especially where part of the ride you are following is not mapped on roads you have to use tracks. Other times I display the route and track at the same time.

Many people I know that you use IPhones have have smoked their cameras using them on a bike. Phones also sometimes have their screens go blank in real hot and sunny weather. If you live up North that may not be a problem. In the South it can be. I ride in all kinds of weather cold, hot and rainy sometimes for days while traveling. If you want to use a phone that is great if that what works best for you, but there is no way they are as robust as purpose built GPS out in the elements over time. YMMV
 
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I've been using a Rugged 7" tablet (android) with OsmAnd for 15? years. It has been 100% reliable throughout my
solo rides in the US and Europe. Email the gpx to myself, click the email attachment and it loads into OsmAmd.

Let it loads and follow the blue arrow...... The tablet is weatherproof and bright, battery runs all day.

I've had 2 Garmins and they were unreliable - something I don't need when I'm alone in some remote place
out west.

Each GPX app has a learning curve, I used GAIA, GPXViewer and OsmAnd, the latter is more intuitive.
 
I have to admit that I've been thinking about the Beeline unit. It still requires maps from your phone but generates a simple distance to turn display that looks to be easy to read. Maybe not the best choice for off roading but should be easier to read at a glance instead of squinting at the phone display while riding.
 
Locus is very track friendly. It has a really good method of saving tracks in groups and folders...jut like the file structures on a PC. You can turn all of the tracks on or off in a given folder with the press of a button. I remember having to turn each individual track on on or off with my old Garmin 60cs. What a pain that was!

Locus also can do narrated, turn by turn, navigation offline.

You can also build tracks directly in the app offline.

I was easily able to load free topo maps for the entire Continental US on my dumb phone.

You can also customize, not only the map screen, but also the menu paths. You can put extra info on the map screen...stuff like speed, altitude, bearing, etc. Not only that, but you can further customize the font, color, and size of the information. Plus, put it wherever you want on the screen.

I bought the original Locus app 5+ years ago for $7, and am still using it. I have it loaded on 3 different devices.

I know the latest version is geared towards subscription based. I'm not a huge fan of that business model.

The huge amount of customization in Locus, which makes it so powerful, is also it's biggest drawback. It can be a bit overwhelming at the start. The best way to learn it is to simply start using it. Their user manual is excellent.
 
Drive Mode Dashboard 2 is the BEST mapping and navigation app I have ever used. It's built for riders by riders and continually gets better. It does require a subscription to get some of the best options like maps (its around $6 every 6 months). As a general rule I am anti-subscription based software, but this app has impressed me so much I feel the fee is worthwhile as it simply continues to improve.
 
For building tracks, I use primarily two websites:

  • Mappite.Org
  • GPSVisualizer.com/draw

The first one is excellent for building tracks that are following existing roads. You just click at the points along the way you want to go, and it builds the track following the road.

The second site is good for really remote stuff... like following logging trails, or for cross country travel (hiking).

Both sites allow you to choose among different maps and satellite imagery. You download your track to your PC and then load it to your smart phone or tablet.

For any extensive track editing, I still use good ole Garmin MapSource. It's antiquated, but way better than BaseCamp.
 
Garmin fan for quite a while and have had several gps units over the years. My 395LM and 62STC are still in use. If I were to buy another gps, it would be the Garmin Montana 700i.

I use Basecamp and '13 Microsoft Streets and Trips to create routes and tracks. Then, using Windows Explorer, the gpx files are copied to the GPS unit (internal "gpx" storage folder).

I've also downloaded the Gaia app and opened an account for use in the Tacoma. I use the website to add and/or create tracks. These then show in the app and displayed in the Tacoma radio. With a paid subscription, Gaia maps of areas can be downloaded for use out of cell service.

If and when you see gps files for downloading, you'll see gpx and/or kml files. Online there is a kml to gpx file converter website that is quick and easy.
 
I mounted a Garmin Montana on the motorcycle- really works well, not too large and once the helpful features are turned off it does its job without a lot of fiddling around. I don't use any of the routing, but it is nice to download the tracks after the trip with basecamp.
 
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