Now and again on random trips, I find myself getting a bit lost and have to pull over and check Google Maps on my phone. Bit of a pain really. Ideally I could do with something to stick phone in and bolt it to handle bars to use as proper satnav. So, what do people recommend?
Phone is a HTC One X.
Do people bother with audio, bluetooth helmet headset, wired hands free etc? What works well?
What about power? Do you just get by with phones standard battery life, or do you plug it into bike to charge?
What about selecting stuff, touching screen etc. Is this still feasible through a case/cover? I’ve seen clip on stylus things for your glove fingers, do they work well?
What about security? Do they stow away easy enough?
I have a sat nav for the bike but for short journeys or when I’m already out without the satnav, I sometimes use google maps navigation on the phone with earphones in to listen to the directions. Works OK but I don’t think that the gps receiver on my phone (HTC Desire S) is very good and it sometimes seems to be running a bit behind where I actually am, leading to missed turns.
I use it all the time, just leave the phone in my pocket and stick some earphones in to get the directions. simples, and the phone batt is nearly always enough, just so long as I’ve remembered to charge it.
I have an iphone 5 and have never had the issue of loss of signal, in and around London at least.
That mount linked I used one of them for my desire jd and it was perfect now I have the note 2 I had to buy a new case but still use mynphone over my propper satnav
Cheap as chips SatNav and now that I’ve hacked it back to the original TomTom v7 item menus that include ‘ITINERARY PLANNING’ and ‘POI MANAGEMENT’ it suits me fine. Can be used as a regular point to point SatNav or for complex routes with unlimited waypoints.
I use ITNConverter to plan my routes on the PC and download them onto the TomTom.
I have a waterproof handlebar mount to replace the rainy days sandwich bag which I’ve yet to fit and test, ebay inter webby wotsit here
Suits me fine - It’s a SatNav, it doesn’t make phone calls, it doesn’t play music, it doesn’t make tea but most importantly it doesn’t get lost
You can buy cigarette lighter plugs that you can use to plug in your sat nav/ phone. Relatively easy to connect to battery though fitting them may be an issue.
Only one I’ve seen is Jaime’s who cut a whole in the plastic of the key/immobiliser to fit it… I think there are others that grab onto the bars
Not sure how good that method of charging is in the rain
Art, expect me to be PMing you a bit as my brother is trying to find all the bits from his TomTom One to bring to me…
1x iPhone
1x CoPilot Europe (4GB used for offline maps, POIs and speed cameras from here to Greece)
1x iPhone USB cable
1x USB to Car adapter with 3 USB heads (sticky taped in the KTM 990’s ‘glovebox’)
1x Caberg Sintesi helmet w/ Bluetooth
1x Wolfman Enduro tankbag with transparent screen.
I have an always-on cigarette socket on the dash, which the key does not affect. If I want power to the iPhone, my GPS, or charge up my helmet, then I leave the plug in. And if I want to make sure no power is being drawn, I yank it out. Works fine in all weathers and no messing at all with the wiring on the bike.
The iPhone is paired up to the bluetooth helmet, so the spoken insutructions provide me with enough detail not to require me looking down. It also fades down any playing music to 50% whilst it talks to me, and if I get a call it goes straight through.
I find the iPhone will be drained after about 4 hours without power, and controlling it with the gloves on is really hit and miss - but set it up before you leave and there’s no problem.
Came with about a yard of cable and plugged straight into the Triumph accessory wiring connector on the loom which runs straight back to the fuse box, so there was no need for me to include an in line fuse.
with my fazer, I had a fag lighter socket under the seat then ran a USB cable under the tank (zip tied to the frame) up to the front and into a holder I made for my tomtomXL.
if it rained, I put it in a sandwich bag to keep dry.
the problem I found with tank bags or the handlebar bags is the plastic is too reflective in sunlight and too thick to accurately use with gloves on.
in an emergency, I have been known to put the phone in my chest pocket, max the volume and tilt my head to listen to the speaker.
Re power, I have a 12v socket under the seat and recharge the phone from it at stops, but also have a 5v rechargeable USB powerpack (about £20 on eBay from someone in Bromley) that will power a phone or satnav for well more than a day and fits in the same pocket, or handlebar mount as the phone.
Martin, I’m a little confused, you have two separate GPS units? (iPhone AND a Garmin?)
In the car I always use Google Navigation and recently I’ve been wondering how best to mount my phone on the handlebars and fit Bluetooth into my helmet.
I’ve found it surprisingly sturdy. Whether I will trust it at high speed on a bike… not sure.
I also then need to figure how to keep it dry when it’s raining. I might go for a proper water proof mount for around £50… but maybe after I’ve upgraded to the Galaxy S4
they probable are the same mount but with a case instead of a clip i trust the case alot more just in case it does fall off the phone is protected and its protected from weather as well
