Android Phone as GPS?

[dropstharockalot]

The kids suprised me with an HTC Evo Shift for my birthday, and GPS nav is one of the included apps.

Is anyone using an Android phone as their GPS while they ride?
What's your experience?  Pros? Cons?
Wired headset or BluTooth?
Did you use the included app, or did you download one? 
Which one? How is it working for you?
Can you upload route maps that you created on a desktop / Google Maps?


Thanks in advance!

[herm]

The kids suprised me with an HTC Evo Shift for my birthday, and GPS nav is one of the included apps.

Is anyone using an Android phone as their GPS while they ride? - yes, works better than my garmin
What's your experience?  Pros? Cons? - just do your trip planning/programming in advance. battery life suffers with the GPS on.
Wired headset or BluTooth? - wired
Did you use the included app, or did you download one?  - the stock app, google navigation (accessed right from google maps on the phone) is VERY good
Which one? How is it working for you? - HTC Eris (3 years old, rooted and running Gingerbread.)
Can you upload route maps that you created on a desktop / Google Maps? - YES! biggest reason to use the phone instead of the garmin

put the headphones on, put the phone in your pocket, and let the voice lead you...no need to distract yourself looking at the little screen


Thanks in advance!

[lawmaster891]

ive used my droid 2 as a gps on my bike. i put it in the clear part on my tank bag and used my bluetooth helmet for sound. only problems were the first time i used it my phone overheated though it was 104 degrees outside and my bag was zipped close. the other problem was getting a phone call interupted it so now i put my phone on airplane mode when i use it while riding

[Raux]

I used it while travelling from germany to Czech and from Germany through Austria to Italy.
Both times in a car though.
It's a battery drain. But after learning that I always kept it plugged into the socket.
For me, my plan is in germany so I didnt want to data roam. But it allows you to preload 10 10sq. mi sections of map. so a key intersections I downloaded maps.

I was pretty easy to follow.

My next step is to try it on the bike to the Netherlands on the 17th. BUT I don't have a charger plug on the bike, so I may just use the maps which still has a GPS location pointer on the mapped out route. It just doesn't give the directions outloud.


update: so i ended up trying to use it with a cheapo headset i picked up. no dice, the headset was mono, the phone stereo so no sound. i tried to use in the tank bag clear part, but the glare was too much. and since it was threatening rain i didn't want to try it on a mount. but i idid end up putting on a charger on the bike just in case.

[bikepilot]

I use a garmin Zumo, it works well.  Have't tried a droid, but don't know how i'd mount a phone such that it'd survive the rain/vibration/general abuse it'd see on the bike.

btw you can upload routes etc from a computer to a garmin, at least you can to mine.

Listening to turn-by-turn is no where near as useful as seeing the moving map imho, especially if you are out riding for fun in an area you don't know well and wanna hit the twisty bits!

[andym]

Herm,

Can you explain how you get navigation to follow a pre made route.  I can load it in maps but when navigation opens it maps the route from where I am to the start point of the route not the complete route I want.

[herm]

Herm,

Can you explain how you get navigation to follow a pre made route.  I can load it in maps but when navigation opens it maps the route from where I am to the start point of the route not the complete route I want.

if I am understanding you correctly, it sounds like the phone is mapping the rout from the nearest cell tower to the start/finish point on your route(assuming its a loop..) You can put a few way points in your pre made route, and once you start moving and get a gps fix, that should force it to send you out to the farthest way point before returning.

[andym]

Hi Herm,

Are you able to get navigator using turn by turn to follow a pre-made route or does google determine the route to the way point you select?

As far as I know it is not possible to have navigate follow a pre made route from maps, I would love it if you know how it is possible and would be able to explain how to do it.

[Ahks]

Are you able to get navigator using turn by turn to follow a pre-made route or does google determine the route to the way point you select?

As far as I know it is not possible to have navigate follow a pre made route from maps, I would love it if you know how it is possible and would be able to explain how to do it.

Theres an android app that supplies turn by turn audible instruction that reroute you just like a garmin/tom tom would, That is all part of a suit of "car" specific aps like voice recognition searching and dialing and the like... I've got a an AT&T Tilt2 that I dual boot android 2.2.2/windows mobile 6.5. For those of us that live in well covered (cellular) areas android navigation is nice.

A note on this tho.
If your maps are supplied by the internet and you wander out of range of a tower you wont have your maps...
This is why I have a garmin as well

[herm]

google/android maps can actually be cached on the phone if you have enough storage and are not going too far..

[DucHead]

I've been using my iPhone with a GPS app for a few years...coast-to-coast, Canada to Mexico, no problems.

[lawmaster891]

well found out today that my battery doesnt last long as i thought it did when i use my phone for gps/music/ via bluetooth helmet at the same time

[herm]

you definitely want a power source if you are going to multi task like that...

[DRKWNG]

I use a garmin Zumo, it works well.  Have't tried a droid, but don't know how i'd mount a phone such that it'd survive the rain/vibration/general abuse it'd see on the bike.

btw you can upload routes etc from a computer to a garmin, at least you can to mine.

Listening to turn-by-turn is no where near as useful as seeing the moving map imho, especially if you are out riding for fun in an area you don't know well and wanna hit the twisty bits!

Which Zumo do you have?  I've been wanting to get one on the SD.

[cokey]

See if they make an extended battery for your phone.. i just picked up the droid bionic couple weeks ago and ordered the extended battery on the spot...