[pdxstriper]

Hi,

I've decided to seek out the ultimate GPS solution for my iPhone. What I believe is the solution may involve multiple components. My assertion is that over time nothing will compare with the ever-evolving capabilities of Google Maps for guiding me on a journey. Given that, what is missing?

Thinking about it over lunch hour, I also need:

1) The ability to record a ride in a format that can be uploaded into Google Maps - so that it can be edited, blogged about, and shared with others.

2) The ability to plan a route or edit an existing route on Google Maps (Provided by Google).

3) The ability to download a Google Map into the iPhone. (Provided by Google).

So for the missing record portion of the solution I have done some looking and chosen MotionX GPS as my first test platform. It gets good reviews and costs like $2 on the iTunes store. Note that I have tried to do this with the Nike and PAL apps and find them both very annoying.

I'm open to ideas on things I am missing here. I'll ping back to this thread as I learn what works and what doesn't.

 

[Jeff_MdR]

I'm a complete GPS novice, so I'll be checking in to learn from your experience. Thanks!!

 

[Scooter_Maniac]

There's a MotionX GPS and a MotionX GPS Drive. I don't believe the former does street mapping, as it's more of a cross-country app. On the other hand, the latter is a road-specific app and is been my go-to GPS most of the time. Whether it can tie into Google maps, I'm not sure. It has its own map database which can be downloaded if planning on going out of network.

 

[pdxstriper]

My plans are not working out as well as I had hoped. I've been able to record and share maps for short runs, but for longer runs the battery on my iPhone 4S runs dead - despite being on a charger the entire time. Also my phone locks up when this happens, rendering the phone useless and all the track data lost. I think its time to upgrade my phone and try again. But I'm concerned that the battery draw using GPS with the MotionX app may still be an issue.

 

[fernando]

off the top of my head, most of regular GPS units such as the Garmin can do what you want not into google maps but in their own ones.

why not a GPS Unit? I don't use one of those, in fact I use Google Maps with Android but due to your requirements maybe its a good option or not?

 

[MacDoc]

MotionX GPS and a MotionX GPS Drive

work fine and there are online apps that can covert beween GMaps and standard GPS waypoints.

But if you want some fun the the TomTom is kinda plain jane but works without a dataconnection and has Winding Roads....which takes you the twistist way but still avoid dirt.

Worth its weight in electrons

 

[Liamjs]

My plans are not working out as well as I had hoped. I've been able to record and share maps for short runs, but for longer runs the battery on my iPhone 4S runs dead - despite being on a charger the entire time. Also my phone locks up when this happens, rendering the phone useless and all the track data lost. I think its time to upgrade my phone and try again. But I'm concerned that the battery draw using GPS with the MotionX app may still be an issue.

You can get a used Garmin 1450 for $50-75. A free program called Tyre for Travel (http://burgmanusa.com/forums/12-general-discussion/65738-google-maps-garmin-route.html) will convert Google maps to downloadable routes. A $65 ram mount and you're set. A dedicated gps system that works great all day. I even can send the route file to my buddies so any of us can lead a ride.

I use mine every weekend. It's not fancy, but it works. And you don't have to worry about cell reception, or incoming calls or texts, its glove friendly, it even figures where you are in a route should you need to restart it. The new Garmin's don't have that for some reason.

But most of all, when it pops off due to a bump or crash, you don't have to shell out $800 to replace it. If your phone works fine, just get a dedicated gps unit. Smart phones are the multi tool of today. But just like any multiple purpose tool, it does a lot of things adequately, but it doesn't do anything great.

 

[MacDoc]

ANYTHING you can do on a GPS you can do on an iPhone and far more.
You don't have to have reception or any form of connection beyond seeing the sky exactly as the standalone.

Far better screens and excellent voice nav.

Several apps give you voice nav without a connection of any kind.

This is the conversion for MotionX/GoogleMaps
http://murphymac.com/google-maps-to-gpx-or-motionx-gps/

 

[Liamjs]

But still $800 to replace a smartphone. You perhaps saw my video of a fall i had this weekend. Would your smartphone survive? Do you really want to risk your communication device in a crash? That pouch looks awfully flimsy.

I have had a gps that popped off in the past. $50 to replace. No big deal. Plus I keep a spare unit in the trunk they are so cheap.

 

[gurock]

I had my I phone 4 S in an Otterbox and went down on I 90 at 60 MPH. The phone was in a pocket of my rain pants that tore open and let the phone bounce all over the highway. After I got off the pavement we found the phone and it worked fine. That's a **** of a testimonial for Otterbox.

 

[Liamjs]

I had my I phone 4 S in an Otterbox and went down on I 90 at 60 MPH. The phone was in a pocket of my rain pants that tore open and let the phone bounce all over the highway. After I got off the pavement we found the phone and it worked fine. That's a **** of a testimonial for Otterbox.

No doubt!

I just don't think it wise to mount such a valuable piece of equipment onto your handle bars. Especially when the one thing you are using it for can be easily replaced with a $50 dedicated unit (probably less than your Otterbox). When you factor in cost, time and trouble of replacement, and the fact that its your lifeline to the world... Nope, that gets tucked away in the trunk, keep it as a backup, hopefully padded with lots of soft things. IMHO.

 

[MacDoc]

Would your smartphone survive? Do you really want to risk your communication device in a crash? That pouch looks awfully flimsy.

It's not and that's a $200 iphone 4 yes I'm quite confident that the phone would survive just fine.
45 years of riding I have yet to go down on a road bike so that is a very minor concern.
That's a neoprene sleeve and not in the least flimsy and extremely simple to use

Iphones in any sort of protective sleeve are extremely tough - they don't need to be coddled andI have my nav music and communications all together.

THIS ....

$699

on.com/TomTom-Rider-Navigator-Motorcycles-Scooters/dp/B000VB6VOC

versus

The app for the iphone is $49 and does more. A used iPhone 4 is $200. Mount is $20.
That mount is not waterproof but as mentioned - ziplocks work just fine.

No brainer imnsho

 

[Liamjs]

I went down for the first time in 35 years of riding. You cannot say it won't happen to you, nor that I have a valid point. Perhaps others are not as confident in their riding ability as you and still under contract with those $800 iPhone 5s. I have given an inexpensive, effective alternative to mounting an expensive piece of equipment to the bike.

So we will have to agree to disagree.

 

[MacDoc]

Yup

 

[pdxstriper]

off the top of my head, most of regular GPS units such as the Garmin can do what you want not into google maps but in their own ones.

why not a GPS Unit? I don't use one of those, in fact I use Google Maps with Android but due to your requirements maybe its a good option or not?

One of my goals was to record rides as they happen, potentially edit them online, and store them for future re-use. I was hoping to find a solution that made use of Google Maps as I see it as the most versatile format for present and future use. I know some of the dedicated GPS vendors have their own formats but i did not want to find myself having maps that only worked with a Garmin device or a Magellan device or whatever.

BTW here is what I got from a test run using the MotionX app. It uses Google Maps and has some Download features. I'm still playing with it.

http://gps.motionx.com/maps/a0b14c502602c56b576461033bf5dd12

Note the straight line from Amboy, WA - the northern most point - back to Portland. It locked up in Amboy and came back to life after a hard reset back in Portland.

Pete

 

[MacDoc]

MotionX has cookie crumbs which is I think what you are looking for.
I find it useful to shut the phone down before nav and then restart and use it fresh.
Might be ram related if the phone has not been off for a while.

I'm tending lately to wander more and that's why I like the Winding Roads from Tom Tom as it's always a surprise yet I still always get to the destination ....nice combo.

That way instead of having to plot out the twists....the application takes you on them as a surprise which I dearly love.