New GPS!

Discussion in 'GPS Stuff' started by Grey Jay, Dec 25, 2012.

  1. bkowal

    bkowal ODSC-OFTR Member

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    We are not quite there yet for dual-sport use. For automobile use, a 7" tablet is the way to go. Yes, they have real GPS's in them and you can install any GPS software you like. Cell phone connectivity is not required. I have a 10" Android tablet and it is awesome for a car, its like viewing a complete map, but it is difficult to find the room for it.

    You can get 7" GPS tablets for around a $100. The ruggidized ones are coming and even at twice that price, they would be a deal. If your life depends on a GPS, of course get the dedicated rugged device, but if you dual-sport life consists of finding the closest Timmies, then a cheap table would be awesome. I consider this technology to be disposable anyway. Even my 60CSX evetually self-destructed, and could buy 3 tables for the price of one of those.
  2. Randy_K

    Randy_K Limited User

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    I could have sworn my GPS on my phone did not work when there is no cell service. No way to load or create tracks that i am aware of. I have had my old garmin 60 lost then found in the mud and sand at St Williams , not sure a tablet or phone could take that.

    Im still on the fence about dishing out the cash for a new Montana. My old eyes could sure use it . The sale ends on Jan 2 i think. Hard to decide on upgrades for the bike. Santa only left me so much to by my own gift.

    R
  3. bkowal

    bkowal ODSC-OFTR Member

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    I am not talking about phones, I am talking about tablet computers. BTW, your phone might accept GPS software that does not require you to be "on the grid". The nice thing about using a tablet as a GPS is that you can load whatever software you want, there are choices.
  4. Randy_K

    Randy_K Limited User

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    I am expecting the day will come that you have to pay for GPS service. Most people have a GPS in one for or another. Someone will find a way to make money of the service. Some maps cost but a lot of them are free if you know where to look.
  5. Neil Edmunds

    Neil Edmunds ODSC Executive

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    How does a tablet perform when it comes to track recording?
  6. bkowal

    bkowal ODSC-OFTR Member

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    IGO8 does track recording, I have it running on my cheap Window CE "tablet" computer, works great. The newer version is called IGO Primo and will run on iPhone and Android. BTW, the IGO software is really good, tailored more for street use, but it can be customized to do what you want.
  7. DualSport

    DualSport Ride Organizer

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    It depends on the GPS app you are running - some need data access to load on-line maps, others allow maps to be downloaded while on a wi-fi connection for later use when outside cell signal range.

    I have the DualSportMaps app on my Android phone and it is specifically aimed at off-road no-cell-service use. It's linked to the DSM website which is a track-sharing service maintained by an ADV Rider (CraftyCoder). It's a great app but I rarely use it as my cell phone (HTC Sensation 4G) just can't be used satisfactorily on a bike (too long a story for this thread). and that's why I bought the Montana last year.

    On the subject of "New GPS", take a look at this one from Garmin: https://buy.garmin.com/shop/shop.do?cID=145&pID=113532. It's cheaper than the Montana but is smaller, although it does have Bluetooth for data transfer (the ANT+ system in the Montana is totally useless - even if you actually get it to work).

    There's an interesting Oregon 600 thread on Groundspeak which is full of comments from Montana users wishing Garmin would fix the Montana bugs before jumping into other new handhelds. It seems that this is Garmin's current policy - rather than totally fix current products, launch a new one with the fixes in it and abandon the existing one. Remember back in the Etrex and 60/76 days? All the bugs were worked out. Starting with the Colorado they just moved the fixes and improvements to the next product. I still use my 60CSx and Montana 600 together. The 60CSx is absolutely reliable, the Montana freezes/maloperates EVERY time I use it for "road cataloging". If it's just on to display a map and record a track then it gets through the ride unassisted, but it's far from reliable when the "advanced" features are used.

    BTW, there are now rugged cell phones available that have a similar water/shock-proof spec as GPS, that solve problem most cell phone have on bikes.

    Bob