iPhone as GPS?

Being on a tight budget with my ST, I'm trying to make do with what I have for the up coming riding season. I got lucky and picked up a used blue tooth for my helmet and I want to use my I phone as a GPS. where I travel my I phone looses signal regularly( Mountains and Foothills) . My question is does a I phone 6 needs constant signal to navigate or once I use " Google maps " does it keep the entire track to my destination? Also any suggestion for a reasonable weather case mount for my I phone 6?. I have plans to add a fuse block and charger line for the I phone.

Re: I phone as GPS?

I have tried using my iphone se as a nav device, and i used a ram mount x-grip as a holder. holds phone very well but does nothing to waterproof it. I don't have a lot of experience with it but I can say that the bluetooth part of it works perfect with my sena smh10c communicator. What I did notice however was the screen was really hard to see on the phone, and that when you are using the iphone's gps reciever, it needs to be plugged in and charging from the bike steady as it drains the battery fast. You can save a certain amount of area locally to your phone for google maps so it can use just the gps radio and not cellular signals, or you can purchase full on maps from the likes of tomtom and a bunch of others that can be stored locally on your phone so no cellular signal needed. I think there are quite a few cases to weatherproof your phone but I have no experience with them, surely someone will chime in on that. The 1 feature about having bluetooth directions in your helmet makes bike gps a whole lot more expensive doesn't it.

Re: I phone as GPS?

I got my Android phone set up as a no-data-usage GPS; there are probably a few useful nuggets in the thread and my write-up about it: CLICKY

Co-Pilot, the app I use, is available for iGagets, as is Sygic. I think Garmin, TomTom and Magellan all have similar products, and there are probably lots of others around.

--Mark

Re: I phone as GPS?

Thanks forster, The Ram X mount is one that I am looking at. I mostly travel local to me but lucky I have the Virginia Mountains 45 min from me and its endless roads and towns to travel to and wonderful AT@T service is spotty. I'm gonna have to check into loading maps, or the Co-Pilot or Garmin type apps ( thanks Birfl)

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I have a Garmin without the bluetooth which I got used for $35. It shows you what the exit looks like on a split screen so I don't really miss the voice prompts. My pillion provides those through the headsets; " you missed it, honey!", LOL.

Just kidding. Usually works great and is waterproof. Sits in a Ram X mount very nicely. If you use your phone you will need to plug it in as leaving the screen on all the time will drain it in an hour or so.

Re: I phone as GPS?

I-phone case that's waterproof - Lifeproof case. This cost me I think $80 two years ago when the 6 came out. Now I think they are $30 on ebay. Supposedly guaranteed waterproof to 6' depth, and you can drop the phone from 6' to concrete w/ no damage. Test these parameters at your own risk - but for most of us, it does the trick in rain and dropping from our hands. I plug mine in all the time when I'm on the bike because I have a Fobo tpms on the phone. You should know that ONLY original Apple thunderbolt cords will fit in the Lifeproof charging port. And some of these are very tight.

I noticed that after 2 yrs the rubber around the perimeter has peeled off in places. My friends think that 2 years for a case is reasonable - I don't agree but what are you going to do? These mfr's have us by the short hairs.....

Re: I phone as GPS?

I use google maps and you can now download offline maps to your phone so it will work in areas with weak or no coverage. It communicates through my bluetooth headset so I dont even need my screen on my phone on, although I usually do have it on.

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Bmacleod I like google maps( my brother turned me on to it) , in this area is seems to work well and its good to know that I can get the maps offline , I rely a lot on other people's research as that is not my strong suit. SMSW I am fair weather rider but a life case it not a bad idea,I'm considering a better mount( like Ram) to start with then a water proof case later , I don't travel a lot YET on the bike, All my bikes to date have been sport bikes, plus i have a poor since of direction and until having a smart phone I stayed pretty local. I used Garmin E trek when I was Riding ATVs but never fully understood how to set tracks, waypoints ETC, I'm lucky to have friends with good since of direction.

Re: I phone as GPS?

Both Maps and Google Maps can be used offline if you like:
http://mashable.com/2015/09/16/offline-maps/#IcEybINds8qM

This is a newer link for for just Google Maps:
http://www.cultofmac.com/414627/how-to-save-offline-maps-with-google-maps-for-iphone-how-to/

I use Apple Maps for short ranges in unfamiliar territory and Navigon for long range riding. The latter is a full-fledged navigation app. I've never used Google Maps though I keep it on my iPhone along with Here and Maps.me.

My iPhone is an older model used in a RAM X-mount. Being a fair-weather rider myself waterproofing consist of a Glad ziplock bag. I'm going to try an iPad mini (with cellular for the GPS) and see how that works. Otherwise I just follow the lead puppy. He's an any weather any time rider.

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the Google map app is controlled in part by the service provider. On my phone and my gf's (Droid Sprint/iPhone Verizon) we can download maps on network or wifi for offline use. My mothers phone (AT&T - iPhone) can not. Did some digging and found that the service provider can limit this. Guess they want you to rely on them use their data.

If you can't or don't download the area before departing.
If you do start a route before leaving data coverage area it does download the roads you'll be driving and will continue routing you. But go off the route and it won't recalculate.

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I think the ram x-mount is garbage--get the ram finger-mount instead, it's much more secure and customizable.

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I use a snap in Ram mount built especially for the phone. Very secure.

Re: I phone as GPS?

jspringator said:

I use a snap in Ram mount built especially for the phone. Very secure.

Click to expand...

problem with that one is the phone must be naked, no case, no protection at all.

I use a clear glass cover of the screen only. I have a waterproof diving bag that I use in in a pinch. It will fit in the mount with the diving bag on.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000BT80U2/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I went looking for an off-line phone app that could do a good job here in North America and in Europe. My research led me to Here WeGo https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/here-wego-city-navigation/id955837609?mt=8

The link is for Apple but I use it for my Android phone. It was developed for Nokia and the acquired by Audi, BMW and Mercedes. I think that Microsoft licenses it for it's Bing maps too.

In any case I've been very pleased with it. It's free and you can select which states/countries etc you want to download. I don't like to take my eyes off the road when riding so I prefer turn by turn voice directions, which work well with Here-WeGo. I keep the phone in my riding jacket pocket or in my tank bag.

I've used it/tried it on a number of back roads in NH, VT and Maine and it's been very good. I've used it to walk around Boston and just came back from 9 days in Austria, where I used it offline extensively to walk the maze of streets in in the old cities of Innsbruck, Salzburg and Munich and I used it to route local bus and train travel there too and was very pleased.

Good luck in finding something that works for you.

Anybody using your iPhone as a GPS?

Specifically, is anyone designing custom routes then opening them on using the iPhone for turn by turn directions? One of my riding buddies designs routes for our longer rides to make sure we catch all the best (curviest) roads. I have in the past plugged these into Garmin's Basecamp then opened them in my GPS. I'd like to do the same using my iPhone instead of my regular GPS (which is nearing death).

I've got the Navigon app for my iPhone, but getting the routes where they can be opened and used is pretty convoluted. Anybody have any experience with this?

Re: Anybody using your iPhone as a GPS?

Not with that, but there are limitations to using your iPhone. My friend and I got separated from 3 other riders heading home by going straight instead of hanging a left. The road got narrower, then the asphalt started disappearing, soon it was hard packed gravel and dirt. We rode for about two miles and stopped to use my iPhone to get us back to Cadiz, Ohio. No cell phone service. Asked a young Amish boy who was plowing his field with a two horsepower plow how to reach the interstate. Lesson learned - do not ask directions from someone who does not own an internal combustion engine. We retraced our steps, headed west, and once the roads turned into state routes, we had cell coverage again. I have no idea about cell coverage out west in the more rural areas.

You might check your cell provider's coverage map and compare it to your proposed route. GPS's have their own quirks, but satellites are more reliable than cell coverage.

Re: Anybody using your iPhone as a GPS?

Don't worry about lack of cell coverage. You probably already know that since you have Navigon all your applicable maps can be downloaded in advance. Cell service is irrelevant just as with a Garmin or Tom Tom because the iPhone has GPS.

As to getting a route onto the iPhone I too am clueless.

I will add that you can do a Point A to Point B plot in Mac OS X / macOS Maps and hand it off to the iPhone. But if you're on a Windows box or need more than two plot points you're out of luck.

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Anybody upload pre-prepared custom routes (with lots of waypoints) into Navigon? I just bought it but haven't used it yet. I wonder how it manages all of those waypoints.