Just a data point (or 10).

When my Garmin Zumo 550 died after getting wet (!) on this summers Euro trip on my 09 GSA, I used my iPhone 4 with Navigon app and Europe maps loaded until I could get a new GPS days later. I had the iPhone mounted in a RAM ball mount on handlebars and ran power to it from my tank bag electrics. It was in a non-protective mount, so it went in the mapcase when rain threatened. I received bluetooth voice guidance to my helmet headset (in addition to all the iphone stuff like phone calls and music,etc). As a side benefit, I had live weather radar maps running some of the time to avoid storms. I navigated safely from Aix-en-Provence to Andorra (Spain) where I found a deal on a Zumo 660 to replace the 550.

As to navigation accuracy I would say it performed as well as the Zumo, both had map data/routing frustrations occasionally, but overall both work. BTW, Navigon is now owned by Garmin.

I've had the 550 refurb'd, and cannot decide whether to sell the whole kit, or keep it as a spare, or leave it on the GSA that I leave at Stefan Knopfs place in Heidelberg.

All in all, a great backup system to the Zumo which has now needed two refurbishments at $150US each because of water induced electrical issues. Dedicated units are not all they are cracked up to be, and while the iPhone is not a foolproof solution for full time navigation, it sure beats the hell out of going back to paper or being lost.

I'll certainly bring the iPhone 4 back to Europe for my next ride installment, especially now that I have had it long enough to unlock from the AT&T contract and use it with Euro SIMS I can buy as I travel for more reasonable calling while traveling. :mchappy:

3 days into Samsung Galaxy Y ownership and I'm impressed (especially considering I am one of those people who said his old phone was fine as all he did was text and make the odd call and laugh at those who had to charge up more than once a week :blushing: ). The GPS works well enough, the camera is doing it's job as an aid to my awful memory for minor/useful stuff and I'm loving the ability to just shuffle things about via the house/office/coffee place wifi, bluetooth and the phone company's web. The battery life seems OK as I've followed the tips and learned how to turn off the 3G etc. when not using them.

I don't think this will replace my TomTom unit, but the next phone probably will as this one is a first class back up and probably close to usable as is.

One question to fellow users, have you rigged a USB charger socket onto the bike or are you using Cigar lighter/DIN-USB adapters? Anyone had a USB survive a northern winter?

Cheers

Andy

[QUOTE=

One question to fellow users, have you rigged a USB charger socket onto the bike or are you using Cigar lighter/DIN-USB adapters? Anyone had a USB survive a northern winter?

Cheers

Andy[/QUOTE]

Andy ,,, get a lighter jack or make a direct connect to the battery with a fuse. Not a problem. When you set the phone in a box .. make sure to have a padding so the USB connection does not move too much.
Also having a Ram mount waterproof box on the handle bar with SSG2 inside ,, I survived a thunder storm on top of the Ural pass, for two hours.
I have downloaded the world map from Sygic.com for 72 euros and it worked with 99% accuracy. GPS will connect in 30 seconds.
Two POS Garmin I took with me never worked properly. I stomped on them and threw them away.
Also when I go somewhere and park the car ,, I take pics of the spot. Used it to take pics of food ,, while doing Siberia,, next Kafe ,, I just showed the food I want to eat. While I would use it as a GPS ,, MP3 would give me hours of music. When to bed I would listen to audible books I have down loaded,, listen to BBC world services ,, read my newspapers,, download Kakao Talk from APP store for free ,, talk and chat with family and friends for free,, as long as you have wi-fi or data. Download movie tickets do the banking on it,, send money,, use paypal ,, use it as a check out card a the groceries. Put a where is my androd program on it ,, so you can trace the phone in case of misplacing the phone ,, put a graphic phone lock so others can't open the phone.
One caution, when using with the cigar jack ,, turn on the power then off every two hours or it will fry the battery, in hot weather.

Hi ,Just found this thread as its what I have been thinking about for a while

My needs are slightly different as I have a 4 tonne Iveco 4x4 camper so I've been looking at Android tablets to use for navigation (that can be backed up by my phone as my phone also runs android)

Now I've been looking for rugged android tablets, dust and vibration still happen in the cab of a truck , water less of a problem. I want a bigger screen than phones give me as i'm a distance away from the gps.

Interested to hear that seouljoe is using sygic as I've been looking at that and thinking of buying it as a test as it looks quite comprehensive.

Looking for Rugged tablets , there seems to be a range out there just about to be launched from casio and others. I have fond ones from this french company but cannot find if they are sold outside the French speaking world - they do rugged phones and tablets

Mobile Tout Terrain : Mobile Antichoc - Mobile Etanche

I like the idea as I believe memory map also have an android app so good for OS mapping at home.

Cost of teblet is less than 300 Euro

Rich

Check out the Nexus 7 which is a tablet sold by Google, the 8GB model is £160 and the spec is outstanding for any price.

Also before buying any App make sure the maps avaliable cover the area you're interested in.

I'm playing with / Testing a Nexus 7 and Welcome To Osmand at the moment for 4x4 travel.

Matt

Hiya Matt

But how rugged is the nexus 7 - that would be my concern , i've looked at the spec and its definatly a good spec. Only concern I would have is the lack of SD slot for storage

Rugged cases look due out in october time. please keep us informed of your experiences

Rich

See I used to be a total smartphone advocate, but now, having won a Zümo 350LM, I'm a convert. I like the fact that it it's what it it's, not a jack of all trades. I like the fact it clips onto it's dedicated mount, turns itself on and is ready to go, I like the fact I can Deedee the display clearly even in bright sunlight, and work it with gloves on.

None of these things can I do with my Samsung Galaxy Note, so whilst I think there may be better maps, better software on Smartphones, what there isn't, is the hardware to match.

I'll still use my phone, especially since I've discovered I can download gpx files and transfer them directly from phone to Garmin which the phone sees as a drive, but for on the bike use I'm a Garmin convert. Would I be if I'd had to pay for it? Well let's just say I would have soldiered on with my phone as £400 is a lot of money to me (and if anyone wants a Zümo 400, complete with disc, cables, mount and box let me know).

Rich

A cheap cable can be attached to the charge port of the Nexus, then a pen drive etc can be attached to extend the memory.

ATM, I use a Garmin 1490 (5" screen) for normal travel on busy roads and a windows tablet with nRoute and Mapsource for an overview and to follow pistes install tracks etc. This works really well and I'm hoping when Windows 8 takes off there will be a good range of windows tablets to choose from.

I'm more thinking of the Nexus as a navigation backup, for entertainment, for planning and very much as an Ebook reader, it's amazing value for money.

IMO android navigation does not beat Garmin.

Gosh, I like my Garmin Streetpilot 7500 with the 7.5" screen so much that I have 2 spares. Yes it does cost $ for things like the best Mexico map and China SD card, but there's always OpenStreetMap for the cost of an SD card.
AFAIK nobody makes a GPS that screen size or bigger, unless one wants to deal with the fragility and size of a laptop.

Charlie

Small sample survey
 

I'm just back from about 3K miles around France (mainly) and rather than staring at other peoples' bikes I have paid more attention to what is fixed in their "cockpits" - my completely un-scientific survey showed that some people are still using GPS, fixed on their handlebars, but are also carrying a smartphone somewhere on the bike, such as in a tankbag.
I talked with a couple of riders - one had both GPS and phone fixed on the bars (with the smartphone in a rigid water-tight case that included a bracket for the handlebars).
In both cases, they were keeping the GPS on the bars - that is what they are used to looking at - but using the smartphone for looking at maps when taking a beer etc etc.

Smart phones are smart and stupid depending on the mapping app you installed. On my KTM I use PN60 Delorme exclusively. It turns on and works flawlessly every time without fail. It sees it all; heavy dust, rain, hail, snow, heat, cold, you name it it works and it gives directions. However it does have a tiny view screen.
When I need to find a gas station or other POI, I use my smart phone with Sygic application. This app runs off the GPS exclusively and no need for phone service. My smart phone stays in a sealed bag in my tank bag to protect it. I would not even consider a Nexus 7 on a bike. The 7 would be a great off road GPS for in-vehicle use. However it's new operating system may not accommodate all the great mapping apps available.

Smartphone Vs GPS
 

Personnaly I would not like to put all my eggs into one basket, A smartphone is for communicating and listening to music. My Iphone eats battery power when running any APP so the phone will die and then you have lost communicatins as well.
Smartphones are not water or dust proof
Smartphones cannot be used with gloves on
Smartphone mapping software is eons behind the GPS companies
Smartphones cannot be easily viewed in bright sunlight
Smartphones are not as accurate as GPS as they track very few satelites
Smartphones require a network connection for the APP to run which can be expensive when travelling through different countries
Smartphones usualy switch off the screens after a preset time to safe battery life so no road map.
Smartphones are not designed for the high frequency vibrations on a bike so it will damage it after a short time.

Keep the GPS seperate to mitigate against breakage, theft, failure, battery life.

I have a Zumo 660 its built to last in all weathers and it works with clear instructions and maps. I have my Iphone linked via bluetooth to the Zumo and then linked to my Interphone F5 headset. This si the best set up you can get its totaly safe and reliable.

You pay your money and throw the dice!!!

Replace the word "Smartphone" with the word "iPhone" and all of the above may be true, but an Android phone doesn't suffer from any of those software shortcomings, wire in a waterproof USB socket to your bike and you can keep it charged. What it can't get round might be some of the hardware problems. That said I ride everywhere with my Galaxy mounted on the bike and it hasn't been shaken apart yet.

As an aside comparing Garmin to Google I notice if I'm using turn by turn navigation and go off route Garmin will recalculate to try to get me back to its initial planned route often wanting me to "perform a U-turn", Google will recalculate the whole route afresh meaning I can generally keep on riding forwards. In one recent instance, missing one turn on the Garmin would have lead me to ride a circle (take the next right, then the next, then the next etc.) of 24 miles to get back to the original route, whereas Google recalculated the whole thing, and told me to take the next left.

Yea! Thanks for that observation Alex - I thought it was just me and how I have my Nuvi 205w set up; I have fiddled with the settings but it continues to do exactly as you describe. On one recent ride in France it appeared to want me to go back to Calais, even though by then I was miles and miles further south. This was quite perplexing at the time - I am used to a Tom Tom that does what I want (and constantly recalculates routes as I deviate, including when the French roads have their own, local, deviations for road works etc). In contrast, the Garmin gave me the impression of "I know best where you want to go (and make a U turn now!!)".
Two other features of the Garmin that I did not like were (this is my first trip using one of these);
It seemed slow to do the calculations compared with my Tom Tom.
Over long route calculations it more or less "gave up" and came up with a message that more information would be provided later. In contrast, the ancient Tom Tom can come up with a route across most of Europe.

I had a really bad experience using my iPhone for navigation.

The main problem was that it overheated in direct sunlight and shut down, over and over again - it was useless. In the end I used some gaffa to make a sun visor/flap for it that I could lift up to check the map - but it was no good solution.

I still have not given up on the idea though. I am trying to gat my hands on the lifeproof protective case which will make it waterproof, and their GoPro adapter mount. The latter has been out of stock for ages - but is the thing that makes the solution attractive. With this I could also use the phone (camera front and back) as an action cam, a GPS, a phone, mp3 player... with several attachments arround the bike.

I am hoping that I can place it behind my black wind deflector to keep it out of the sun when it comes from the front, and my body if it comes from the rear.

If you buy some conductive thread on e-bay and stitch this into the thumb and index finger of your glove, then you should be able to operate it with your gloves on.

http://www.lifeproof.com/themes/site...protection.jpg
http://guide-images.makeprojects.org...qTUgOZ4.medium

http://cache.lifehacker.com/assets/i...09d6d98f96.jpg
http://c9085783.r83.cf2.rackcdn.com/...ing_render.jpg

Now, if you combine this with DeLorme inReach 2 way satellite communicator with GPS - then you can place calls anywhere there is no cell coverage, post to facebook/twitter from anywhere, send sms from anywhere... and send predefined emergency messages from anywhere, use it as a tracker, navigate where there are no roads... Only thing, you can't use it as a modem to surf or send e-mails

http://hotcellularphone.com/wp-conte...iPod-touch.jpg

And, if you combine all of this with a scala rider bluetooth handsfree, then you should have everything covered:
http://images.gizmag.com/hero/scala-rider-g4.jpg

Listen to music on and off the bike
Place calls on and off the bike - even where there is no cell phone coverage
Listen to the radio
Use it as an action camera or regular camera
Enjoy turn by turn sat nav
Enjoy nav off road
When in WiFi range, you can update blog, upload photos, check e-mail, surf the web...
Etc

But as it is bluetooth, you can't operate it all seemlessly at the same time...

Tom Tom app for Android
 

I read a report in some newspaper recently about Tom Tom bringing out an App for Android phones - I can't remember which newspaper unfortunately, but I think it was projected that the UK asking price would be about £30.

I've been reading this report which indicates it will come to the USA market around the end of this month:-
TomTom bringing its navigation app to Android in October, keeping mum on the details -- Engadget
Yep, the mapping will be available on the phone memory so it won't need to be connected to the phone signal in order to navigate.
(the comments attached to this report are somewhat informative and even amusing concerning the enthusiasm for different products).

This continuing discussion reminds me of the arguments about Betamax and VHS recording tapes of many years ago; of course, VHS won the market but they were all superceded by recordable DVDs and, further down the line, digital recording to thumbsticks, cards etc.

You can get the exact same maps and features on a smart phone as you can get on any standalone device.

The standalone device is simpler, and will probably have a longer battery.

I've done a number of tours in the safety of Europe using the following phones. Nokia N80 - Tom Tom / Ovi Maps. ZTE Blade Sygic, HTC Desire S - Sygic, Motorola Defy - Sygic / Google Maps.

I also have a bluetooth GPS receiver. I used this with the Nokia and TomTom and that's been the best combination I found.

The GPS on the Blade was poor in comparison, as was the HTC. The Motorola Defy was actually pretty good.

I've now got a Galaxy S3 and the GPS seems great. If traveling outside Europe (I haven't made it that far yet) I think I'd also take my separate GPS receiver just as a backup.

In response to the post above. The Tom Tom app is now out. It looks good, but after a couple of years without Tom Tom I actually prefer the look of Sygic. The comment on the Tom Tom are mixed. Most people are complaining about the lack of functionality e.g the ability to set custom POI notifications etc.. I think it's too locked down at the moment for any serious traveller.

How many custom routes can you download to your smart phone?

... and how many custom waypoints can you create? all without inernet access.

Pretty much the same as you can on a standalone device without internet access.

You don't need internet access any more than you do on a standalone device. Having Internet access is just an added bonus.

I think with most things in life a standalone is usually better, but when many standalone devices are running the same or very similar software and you've got the back up of hard maps, why bother with the extra device?

Obviously there are some advantages of disadvantages of both e.g a phone is much more desirable and you're more likely to lose it, get drunk and break it, or have it stolen, but it's infinitely more flexible.

I also use my phone with an app called ride logger to track my progress, G-force, and lean angle. Just for fun mind.

I suspect this is a discussion that will go on for many years to come.

I don't think there will ever be true convergence for die-hard adventure travellers.

Hard to read smartphone in sunlight
 

Hi
I use an Iphone with Ram mount it is great to read in the morning or evening but in the daylight it is hard at best. Has anyone found a cover that keeps the phone dry and you are able to charge as you are travelling as the GPS chews up the batteries. Any ideas or fixes would be great. I think the smart phones are the way to go one less thing to carry around they will only get cheaper and better.
Nick

MapsWithMe for Iphones, Android etc
 

Another endorsement for offline mapping on smart phones; in this case used in conjunction with paper maps:-
http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hub...355#post408065
(post number 5).

on team smartphone!
 

I'm keen to try Iphone as a GPS replacement. Important advantages seem to be much more intuitive software and carrying a multi-use device that can also be used to play music or duck into a cafe connect to wifi, check your email, take a photo, or compose a video. To me this is part of the charm of motorcycle travel - figuring out how to simplify things down to the essentials. In the spirit of the debate, below are my idea of solutions to the issues that I've commonly seen raised:

someone please make the perfect mapping app!
 

On the smartphone GPS evolution front, the two Iphone apps that I've found most useful are MotionX and MapsWithMe, but they both have their shortcomings.

MotionX supports track and waypoints and all that, but the OpenStreetMap (OSM) data are huge! Difficult or impossible to fit large areas at high resolution on a 16gb phone.

MapsWithMe OSM data is incredibly compact - highest level resolution for far less space and time to download. The MapsWithMe OSM tiles at the highest resolution are 90,000 smaller than the MotionX ! Seriously - how is this even possible?! I tested with an area about the size of Morocco - 11 MB vs 890 GB.

So, the solution for now may be - download low resolution data in MotionX to use tracks (since away from cities the high res maybe isn't as important) and use MapsWithMe in cities. Anyone have a better idea?

here is my 2 cents.

i rode Africa with a motorola defy. this sucker is water proof, dust proof and shock proof. i used 2 maps/nav apps sygic and navit (both fell off the back of the internet truck) i could download the whole of africa on navit and some countries with sygic.
i would put my phone in the map section of my tank bag.
i could also use the phone for all my music and both gps apps would interrupt my music to tell me voice directions :thumbup1:
the navit maps weren't the most comprehensive but not much of africa is mapped!
i could also check my email and do all the net stuff with this phone and it was way cheaper then a good gps it only cost me around 300 bucks. fits my phone gps and some computer needs. i love it and use it all the time now for navigation both online and offline.:clap:
:D:D

I've read this thread (or at least most of it) with interest.

I've been a tomtom user for many years and have a chinese motorbike tomtom satnav on my bike which works fine. I quite like the interface and simplicity.

The Zumo seems to be the satnav of choice for bikers though, I've never used one but I don't know what functions of it over the tomtom I am missing? Bear in mind though I've always stuck to tarmac before. I think it can track your ride and stuff?

Anyhow I have just been cleaning out my wardrobe and found a Garmin 60CSX. I've played around with it, loaded Basecamp on my PC and loaded a map (Of Iceland) and see I can get OSM maps for it. However I'm pretty naive and wondering if the fad with these is over now that phones and tomtom/zumo's are around.

Basically is the 60CSX something I should learn about, play with and become familiar with and will it become a good part of my travels or am I just playing with outdated or unsuitable technology?

Thanks - Daniel

I don't have one of those 60csx but there does seem to be a steady market for second hand ones on the likes of ebay.
I believe the replacement model is the 62 and you can find feedback about various models of garmin in the rest of this forum:-
Navigation - Maps, Compass, GPS - Horizons Unlimited - The HUBB
Just look back in there for views about the 60csx - I believe there is a strong following of this model so if you don't want it I have no doubt you can sell it.

By the way, I also have a (very old) Tomtom and I like the simplicity of it.
I bought a second hand Garmin Nuvi 205W just because I wanted to experiment with free maps such as OSM.
Again, read reviews for the capabilities of the various Garmins; the company have a huge range of models and, from what I can tell, most/all do tracking but not all accept routes - I have been known to be wrong though :innocent:

Thanks for that info Dave. I will have a look at everything. My Cheap Chinese satnav keeps hanging, grrr so I am going to eed to buy something in a few months.

In that case, I would definitely give the 60csx a go: now that I have got over the wonder of touch sensitive screens I think there is something to be said for a GPS that uses buttons - positive control while wearing gloves for instance.

Anyway, you have the thing, so why not use it? As I mentioned, they seem to be rated quite highly by others. The only other thing that comes to mind is their "computing power"; maybe the older technology will be slow or not able to load up "big" maps?
I think they are water resistant and you should be able to get a mounting bracket to fix it to a bike.

Somewhere in here, not so long ago, is a thread about a different, cheap, GPS made in China (although that is not to say that Garmin et al do not also have factories in the republic ;-)
Maybe you have the same make??

Thanks for that Dave. I have been playing around with it most of Sunday (Indoors mind you) and have some maps loaded and now just learning the different terminology.

Nokia Lumia ...gloves...
 

downside of using smartphone as gps device is that in the event the smartphone is stolen or damaged, you will no longer have a gps device as well. As we can buy gps device for US$100 or so, it makes sense to have a gps device in addition to the smart phone. The gps device is also much more durable and less sensitive to the elements than a smartphone.

I think you will find, reading back through the posts in this thread, that those points have been discussed and, some folks anyway, have found satisfactory solutions to each of them; satisfactory to them at least.
Personally, I still use a cheap mobile phone and an even cheaper (second hand) GPS; I don't mind if either gets broken, stolen, or whatever - so, there is another option, outside of smartphones (there are more mobile phones in the UK than there are people, certainly in my home).
There again, I like paper maps and compasses.


There are a couple of free softwares for smartphones identified in the thread linked below- I haven't checked back through earlier posts, so it is possible that they have been mentioned already? :innocent:
http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hub...432#post415962

More waterproof phones that locks in Sat in 30secs
 

Not like those POS garmins

"Samsung launches waterproof and dustproof version of its Galaxy S4
The Samsung Galaxy S4 Active has been designed with parents in mind
It is a toughened version of its flagship S4 handset in a sealed case
Samsung claims the £480 Active is waterproof, dustproof and childproof
Yet the warranty does not cover for water and dust damage or 'neglect'
By VICTORIA WOOLLASTON
PUBLISHED: 11:11 GMT, 29 July 2013 | UPDATED: 11:27 GMT, 29 July 2013
71 shares 10 View
comments
From spilt cups of tea to being dropped from on high, many a parents' mobile phone has fallen victim to adventurous children.
But one new handset - the Samsung Galaxy S4 Active - claims to be waterproof, dustproof and even childproof.
The company is said to have designed the phone, which is a toughened version of its current S4 handset, specifically for parents to avoid accidents and damage caused by youngsters.
Samsung's latest handset, the Galaxy S4 Active, claims to be waterproof, dustproof and even childproof.
Samsung's latest handset, the Galaxy S4 Active, claims to be waterproof, dustproof and even childproof. The company is said to have designed the phone, which is a toughened version of its current S4 handset, specifically for parents to avoid accidents and damage caused by little fingers
SAMSUNG GALAXY S4 ACTIVE SPECIFICATIONS
The front of Samsun'gs Galaxy S4 Active phone, designed to be childproof
Dimensions: 139.7 x 71.3 x 9.1 mm
Weight: 153g
Dust and water resistant: up to 1 metre and 30 minutes
Operating system: Android 4.2.2
Camera: 8MP rear-facing, 2MP front-facing
Chipset: Qualcomm APQ8064T Snapdragon 600
CPU: Quad-core 1.9 GHz Krait 300
Internal memory: 16 GB with 2GB RAM
However, the handset's warranty doesn't cover damage caused by accidents, misuse, water damage, defects caused by 'sand or dirt', or 'neglect'.
The S4 Active costs £480. It was announced in May, but officially went on sale earlier this month.
Samsung calls it 'the perfect companion for exploration, activity and adventure'.
It has been designed to stay underwater for up to 30 minutes and take pictures with a waterproof camera.


The handset additionally comes with a water-resistant headphone jack and is inside a sealed case to keep out dust.
Its LCD screen has a Glove Touch component that means it can be used with gloves, too.
Luke Mansfield, head of Samsung's Europe innovation team told The Times the phone was designed with parents in mind.
He said: 'We know a lot of parents use their phones to show children content. We ended up going to a lot of family homes where we were shown a graveyard of smashed phones.'
Yet despite Samsung's durability claims, the warranty that comes with the phone doesn't cover certain types of damage the phone was designed to protect against.
First discovered by VentureBeat, the warranty in the phone's user manual claims: 'This Limited Warranty does not cover: (a) defects or damage resulting from accident, misuse, abnormal use, abnormal conditions, improper storage, exposure to liquid, moisture, dampness, sand or dirt, neglect, or unusual physical, electrical or electromechanical stress.'
The S4 Active, pictured, costs £480. It has been designed to stay underwater for up to 30 minutes and can take pictures with a waterproof camera.
The S4 Active, pictured, costs £480. It has been designed to stay underwater for up to 30 minutes and can take pictures with a waterproof camera. The handset is a toughened version of Samsung's S4 handset and is inside a sealed case to keep out sand and dust
According to the phone's how-to guide, users must also correctly cover the USB ports and claims the phone should not be used underwater until these steps have been taken.
The Samsung Galaxy S4 Active is a direct competitor for Sony's Xperia Z, released in January, that has an 'anti-shatter film' on the screen, and is also water resistant up to one metre and 30 minutes.

Despite Samsung's durability claims, the handset's warranty doesn't cover damage caused by accidents, misuse, water damage, defects caused by 'sand or dirt', or 'neglect'. The phone's user manual explains the S4 Active is only water-resistant if the USB ports, pictured, are all properly closed

This is how I do it
 

Carry two smart phones.
A used old Sam Sung Galaxy S 15cm x 10cm ,,
Load music, wifi internet,, Sygic.. Maps to Go ,, Lotus
Put it in a water proof Ram mount attached to waterproof speakers with power jack coming out of the battery.
Listen to stereo in all weather with navi instructions breaking off the music.
Classic rock to beat arias.
This Ram mount box ,, protects against the shakes ,, water,, dust,, and several crashes.
Connects to SAT in less than 30 seconds.
Price USD 60 bucks now days.

Second (Galaxy Note II) for communication and internet.
Has all of above programs loaded. Unike Garmin all the programs you buy on Google play,, it follows you life time ,, not individual unit like the motherless Garmin.
Uses limitless 3G at usd 9 per day. Limitless data usuage ! I can look up POIs ,, bakeries ,, pizza huts ,, on the road. I can book hotels and motels, in the middle of Siberia. Software updated on regular basis autimatically.
Use both wifi and 3G ,, I can watch movies ,, listen to music ,, read Guardian to Der Spiegel ,, Korean journals to New York Times. Download audible books so I can fall asleep listening to books.
This phone I hang around my neck.

Every Garmin I have bought ,, SAT connect takes 5 minutes or never,,
Recalculating..Recalculating..Recalculating..Recal culating.. all frigging day long. Lousy maps ,, Sygic will give you 3D buildings ,, every nook and corner with names. Google map as a good back up.

How to stay sane, while on the road
 

I've downloaded iTorrent PRO version for usd 2.
Then goto isohunt.com and download latest movies for free. via wifi or 3g most movies download in 30 minutes to enjoy later.

Apps for major newspapers NY Times, Guardian, Der Spiegel, Daily Mail,, Radio and TV ,, BBC CNN Al Jajira,, TED has great video presentation.

For commuication ,, Skpe, Kakao ,, OTO free international calls ,,
Porn too if you wish.

Navigation ,I've got Sygic ( Europe,Russia,Middle East, most of Asia, all of Africa and Americas for 65 Euro (On Sale Now) Australia and New Zealand 25 Euros),, Maps to go ,, Lotus ,, Google Map as well as free navigation for local ,Korea and Japan. Connects to SATT under a minute.

New Nokia 440 quid phone comes with 41MP camera.

No Garmin can do this.
:Beach:

..and for that, I'm eternally grateful... all I want my Satnav to do is navigate the multiple routes that I've downloaded (without an internet connection).

PS it's a Garmin, and has performed faultlessly for the past five years and about 35,000 miles.. :thumbup1:

Satnav
 

Good for you ! Glad you re happy with Garmin,,,

New Nokia 440 quid phone comes with 41MP camera.

No Garmin can do this,,,

:confused1: I have a camera...

I'm not sure that all folks understand that phone GPS apps work without an internet connection. There is a gps receiver inside the phone and you download data to store on the device, basically the same as a GPS unit works.

One important difference in my view is that Garmin uses a data formatted so that it only works on their own devices when the data itself is already free (and often better quality) from sources such as the Open Street Map Project. In effect, Garmin benefits from crowd sourced data, but gives nothing back to the crowd. This is an outdated model for using spatial data that will eventually die.

Some where back there in this big thread, this point has been made but it certainly bears to be reiterated.
It also goes for tablets - I am experimenting with one right now that has only wifi and no connection to the mobile phone network. The maps are downloaded to the tablet as and when you want them and have a wifi connection to hand, but they don't need a "live" connection to the internet to track your location and display it accordingly.

Again, the OP started the thread with this aspect as one of his central themes.
All of the marketing efforts of Garmin now seem to be directed toward protection of their position in the future market.
Google has also been using OSM (I understand from some media) and this has not been without some problems, for them.

Maybe but do you know about the new Monterra coming Jo?
Specs here -
Wifi, 8 MP autofocus camera and 1080p HD video with automatic geotagging, Skype, Android with Google Play for complete customization , Bluetooth, GNSS support: GPS + GLONASS, etc etc etc
Life's a :Beach:

But what's the point of it? Carry 2 items that do the same thing.

Where is Monterra anyway??
 

I guess Garmin would like to think that you don't have to do that, with their latest product; however, it is not a phone, funnily enough.

There's an interesting review here:-
Garmin Monterra outdoor GPS pictures and hands-on - Pocket-lint
Especially for the one attached comment:-
"This is the first decent article that I can say is reasonable in looking at the Monterra as a GPS and not as a tech toy. You are correct, the price is high for an Android device that would have cost them no more than $80 to manufacture. This device in fact I would compare to an Apple iPod but I can't see why a transflective screen, digital compass and waterproof housing adds $500. Utilising the internet and google maps etc is fine, as long as you are in the big smoke, but GPS of this nature are not for the big smoke.

Luckily the Garmin format was cracked many years ago and we have a great free vector map called OpenStreetMap (OSM) and for where you are in Europe the free OSM is no doubt affecting Garmin's map sales. The other point I note in Garmin's write up is they say their 3D MapMerge is the "ultimate mapping tool" with a unique feature when in fact TwoNav had this feature 5 years ago and not only can TwoNav utilise raster like teh Garmin, TwoNav can display vector as well. If you want unque, if you want best mapping capaibility you don't buy a Garmin, Magellan or a Delorne, you buy a TwoNav"

I like that we get here such a list of possible solutions!

Today we can use what we want (iOS, Android, Windows) - and we will find a way to handle our navigation needs.

Currently i use an IOS based setup:

But i`m on for switching over to a Windows Surface based setup - there i have more options. Specially i can also use Android Apps on Windows - what gives me more options over all....

Surfy

I have a smart phone with GPS, so understand what you're saying..

However, what you can't do is create multiple complex routes.. (say.. 30?) and download them to your phone, without an internet connection, unless of course things have changed recently..

I think it has. There are now so many apps that can utilize the currently available mapping.

I've never understood the obsession with navigatible routes myself.

Enough Said,,,,
 

Enough Said,,,,

Awesome set up,,,
 

Awesome set up,,, !

And pay Garmin thru the nose,,
 

Every time youu change a Garmin,, you have to buy new maps. They have a software, where else ,, you can not use same map.

Apps ,, once you buy it ,, you can transfer it to as many machines as you want. You own the license clear and free. I have Sygic loaded on 4 phones.. 2 for me,, 1 for wife and the kid.

app tracks
 

Here is a shot of the MotionX app loaded up with tracks for the Oregon Backcountry Discovery Route, Great Devide Route, and Western Trans America Trail. There were constant dirt road intersections to navigate through and this app did the job. Two friends on the ride with me used Garmin Montanas and could generally navigate faster but always looked at my phone when then wanted to see an overview of our route because it was too many points to display on their units at once.

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-L...3-no/image.png

never paid a penny for any of the maps on my garmin, osm is free for garmin as it is for a lot of smart phone apps. My Montana also consistently outperforms the smartphones on the trip, both mine and my travelling companions

For high speed navigation, Garmin wins if you want to spend $500. If you only want to spend $200 on a Garmin 60csx like I did, you may find it nearly unusable compared to a smartphone.

Even so, the other guys on my trip with Garmin Montanas spent a lot more time fiddling with their devices than I did trying to figure out how to display this or that.

For high speed navigation, Garmin wins
 

Quite the contrary ..
I found smart phone lot faster and more precise.
All I got from Garmin was '' recalculating ,, recalculating ,, recalculating ,, recalculating ,, recalculating ,, ''
On both OSM loaded and Garmin map.

Atari GPS
 

Neither precision or updating seemed to be the problem for me with the phone apps. I just could not see my screen as well as the Garmin Montana dudes could when the sun was high even with my screen on full brightness. If I was on my own or not going so fast it wouldn't have mattered, I would have just taken a second to look closer at intersections.

The most annoying things on my 60csx were the tiny screen having to redraw every time you pan the view even a little bit and the way it renders data is akin to an Atari 2600 game from 1979.

wikiloc
 

Has anyone tried the wikoloc apps (they have them for the iphone and android systems) which seem to do something like this (or perhaps they only record tracks rather than plotting routes)?

Wikiloc - GPS trails and waypoints of the World

Interesting, but ................
 

............... I've looked at the motionX website and it seems to be an app for iphone/pad etc only - is that right?

Apart from that, am I right to think that the process you use is to load up tracks "pre-recorded" and provided by others rather than plotting your own routes?

Motion x
 

wikiloc seems great app for route planning and traekking.
Another impressive APP totally free is navfree and navfreeusa apps.
motionx is for apple only so far.

Well, I've dipped my toes into this water via the use of navfree, all as per this rather similar theme of thread:-
http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hub...t-vs-gps-69975

I've looked at the wikiloc site only briefly, but it appears to deal with storing tracks rather than having the capability of planning routes; there again, what do I know. :innocent:

Question
 

Nice threat ! And always important for any rider who is planning his trip :)

I find usefull, hopefully also the other members, if you could post top 3 recomanded applications for navigation for both Android and Apple users.

For me, for sure it will be usefull because I have both Android and Apple, and now I am preparing my trip to South America and I am wandering if I can go there without a dedicated GPS ( Garmin, Tom Tom etc )

Thank you !

I don't know about the Apple side of life, but have a look at the thread below for what I am trialling at present on an android tablet (as far as I know, every bit of software that works on a tablet also works on a phone = it's all android).

http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hub...software-72464

5 Tech Products That Will Be Dead in 5 Years

By Techlicious / Micah Singleton @techliciousJan. 02, 2014109 Comments


Blu-ray/DVD players
DOA

Stand-alone in-car GPS units

In a little over six years, over 1.3 billion iPhone and Android smartphones have been sold around the world, and all of those devices have access to mapping software. Combine that with the propagation of in-car GPS systems, and it spells a swift demise for the stand-alone GPS units for vehicle dashboards, which saw widespread success in the early and mid-2000s. Since smartphones started offering GPS capabilities in 2008, sales of stand-alone GPS units for vehicles have seen a 15-20 percent decline per year.

Costing between $75 and $350, standalone GPS units built for vehicles from companies like Garmin and TomTom are already losing their viability (although these companies are still finding success with GPS units for boating and other outdoor activities), and will likely be completely removed from the market in five years. As battery technology allows for more usage time in smartphones and more people move into newer cars with built-in GPS systems, opting for a standalone GPS unit will cease be an option in the near future.

Dial-up Internet
DOA


Low-end digital cameras
In five years, camera companies like Nikon, Canon and Sony will have done away with their low-end camera lines and shifted their focus to the mid- and high-end market, as the low-end market will have been completely subsumed by smartphones.

Car keys
But as quickly as smart keys have come on the scene, smartphones may soon replace them. With apps like OnStar RemoteLink offered by Chevrolet, which allows you to unlock and start a your car with an app, the future of car keys may lie in an app store. Whether we stick with smart keys or move on to something more innovative in five years, you can be sure that the physical car key we have used for the last 70 or so years will be a thing of the past for new cars.

This article was written by Micah Singleton and originally appeared on Techlicious.

Is this finally an invincible phone?
 

Cat B100 is waterproof, heatproof and drop proof | Mail Online


Is this finally an invincible phone? New handset is waterproof, heatproof, drop proof and cancels out noise during phone calls
Cat B100 has been designed to ‘withstand the rigours of the real world’
Its maker claims it can be used under water and dropped from 1.8 metres
The feature phone has large buttons so that it can be used by someone wearing gloves and claims be resistant to dust
Pricing and availability for the rugged handset are yet to be announced
By SARAH GRIFFITHS
PUBLISHED: 13:17 GMT, 6 January 2014 | UPDATED: 19:13 GMT, 6 January 2014
726 shares 104View
commentsThe Cat B100 handset, pictured, has been designed to 'withstand the rigours of the real world'
The Cat B100 handset, pictured, has been designed to 'withstand the rigours of the real world'
Caterpillar is known for its rugged machinery - and now it has rolled out an equally rugged new phone said to be waterproof and drop proof.
The Cat B100 handset has been designed to ‘withstand the rigours of the real world'.
Its makers claim it can survive a 1.8metre drop as well as temperatures as low as -25°C.
It can also be submerged in up to one metre of water for up to 30 minutes, has a talk-time of up to 10 hours and can be on standby for up to 23 days using a single charge.
The handset has gone on show at the 2014 International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas.
It was built to be used in noisy environments such as building sites because it has a noise cancelling microphone and a high-quality loudspeaker.
Unlike the latest generation of thin touchscreen smartphones, the Cat handset has large buttons so that people can use it while wearing gloves.
‘The Cat B100 is a practical and tough mobile phone, designed for people who demand ultimate reliability, said Dave Floyd, Co-CEO of Bullitt Mobile, which licenses CAT phones.

More...
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'Its rugged features, long battery life and talk time make the B100 an ideal choice for tough conditions.
Scroll down for video
Cat B100 handset is built to withstand extreme conditions
the handset has a loud speaker
The Cat B100 handset is built to survive a 1.8metre drop and temperatures as low as -25°C as well as being submerged in up to one metre of water for up to 30 minutes. It is also dust-proof and has a loud speaker and noise cancelling technology built in so it can easily be used in noisy environments
B100 SPECIFICATIONS
Operating system: Proprietary
Battery: 10 hours talk time, 23 days on stand-by
Display: 2.2inches
Memory: 128MB / 64MB
Camera: 3MP with 4x zoom
Dimensions: 12.3cm x 5.6cm x 1.8cm
Weight: 136g
Comes with GPS, FM radio and loudspeaker
‘This is a phone that won’t let you down,’ he added.
The Cat B100 can work in temperatures of between -25°C and 55°C as well as keep out dust.
The handset follows Cat’s B15 model, which is also built to stand knocks, scratches, water and dust, but does not have a physical keyboard.
While the B15 smartphone runs Android 4.1 Jelly Bean and has a 5MP camera, the newer B100 is a feature phone running a proprietary operating system and has a 3MP camera.
The new handset comes with a screen protector and belt clip, as well as a charger and will be available in Europe, yet pricing and availability has yet to be announced.



Read more: Cat B100 is waterproof, heatproof and drop proof | Mail Online
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Barrons on Chinese Phone Makers ,, Coming Up Fast.
 

Chinese Smartphone Insurgents Take Aim at Global Share
By TIERNAN RAY | MORE ARTICLES BY AUTHOR
ZTE, Huawei, and Meizu think Apple and Samsung are vulnerable.

The Consumer Electronics Show, which took place in Las Vegas this past week, is host to a plethora of new-product unveilings, though usually not smartphones; they normally make their splashy debuts at the largest cellular trade show, Mobile World Congress, which takes place in Barcelona next month.

China's phone makers, however, are restless. They are not about to wait another month to storm the West.

Three in particular showed up in Vegas with new wares: Hong Kong–listed ZTE (ticker: 0763.Hong Kong) and employee-owned Huawei, both from the southern Chinese city of Shenzhen, and privately held Meizu, based in coastal Zhuhai, not far from the gambling resort of Macau.

In meetings with the three companies last week, it became clear to me that they believe the goliaths—Samsung Electronics (005930.Korea) and Apple (AAPL), which together control over 40% of the global market—are vulnerable. After real success in China, the troika believe their time on the global stage has come.

Huawei was No. 3 in smartphone sales globally in 2013's third quarter, behind Apple and Samsung, according to research firm Strategy Analytics. Its 5% market share even topped longtime champ LG, and electronics titan Lenovo (0992.Hong Kong). ZTE trailed in ninth place, while Meizu came down the list, in 24th.

The ranking is less important than the fact that the Chinese firms collectively represent a coming of age of the country's tech effort that poses a growing challenge to current champions. "The wave of Chinese brands emerging is huge," says Strategy Analytics director of research Neil Mawston, involving "literally hundreds" of scrappy manufacturers, including names such as Coolpad and Xiaomi that are unknown to Western consumers. "If you fire off enough shots, eventually one of them will hit the target," says Mawston—that is, take serious global market share.

The perception that Chinese firms are merely copying Apple and Samsung doesn't do justice to their assiduous appropriation of tactics and strategy.

Bag of impressive features? In spades, in the case of Huawei, which announced the second version of its Ascend Mate, a smartphone so big, at 6.1 inches in screen diameter, that it straddles the line between phone and tablet.

Not only does the Mate 2 rival Samsung's flagship Galaxy S4 phone for sleekness, but its laundry list of features goes head to head with Samsung's. Using the phone's front camera, it takes panoramic selfies that can include the entire family. Its battery can go for about two days without a recharge and has enough juice to charge another phone hooked up to it. "The Chinese are doing a phenomenal job of improving features and quality," says Jim McGregor, principal analyst with tech consulting firm Tirias Research, who was at the show.

These flashy features have been propelled by a home-grown chip industry that has raised eyebrows with its achievements. Huawei has its own in-house microprocessor-design firm, called HiSilicon, to make the Mate's chips, emulating Samsung's vertical integration.

Data Free Navigation of the World
 

The Best GPS Apps

https://play.google.com/store/apps/d...ndroid.OSM.ALL
https://play.google.com/store/apps/d...com.sygic.aura
https://play.google.com/store/apps/d..._EASY_CAR_LITE
http://mapswith.me/en/home (no navigation yet but better than downloading google maps)

Getting around has always been the bane of everyone’s life at one point or another. Whether you are on your way to the first day at a new job, exploring your college campus, or just new in town, then getting around could be made a lot easier with the help of GPS.
Apr 28 2014, 12:54am CDT | by Triszia Marie Santos

2 Updates
The Best GPS Apps

Full Story
The Best GPS Apps
Many people have GPS apps on their smartphones for added convenience when we need to find a certain specific something. But with so many GPS apps now available, making a bad decision comes way too often. Here we name the best GPS apps of both Android and Apple.

Best Android GPS Apps:
Sygic GPS Navigation Maps – (My Top Choice) this is the most popular Android GPS navigation app because of its likeness and partnership with Tom-Tom. It speaks street names, measures distance, and even has speed camera warnings. The Sygic GPS Navigation Map has garnered over 30 million downloads and can be available for you (if you have an Android) for free.

GPS Status Toolbox – this GPS is multipurpose; for driving it is able to display acceleration speed as well as position. It has a functionality that quickly shares your location to family or friends in case of an emergency which is a really awesome feature. Also, it is equipped with a magnetic compass for people that like hiking or camping. The GPS Status Toolbox will send you regular map updates and is also free.

GPS Tracking Pro – GPS Tracking Pro displays images on a map that helps you find any specific person and lets you see who is closest to your location. This kind of app would be really handy for parents who want to keep track of their kids.

Google Maps – (Need data,, sucks,, more interested in ads ad tracking you)
Downtime and storage sucks.

Avoid at all cost: It will freeze your sd card ,, otherwise good app,, avoid till the issue solved.
https://play.google.com/store/apps/d...ctor.navigator

Scout by Telenav – this app is known for its simplicity in use. It has the standard Satnav functionalities such as keying in an address and routing, it speaks street names and uses bold colors for the map’s simple navigation.

Waze – also a general GPs app for wither driving or walking. Has voice navigation for directions. This app can also report incidents on the road that you might want to avoid.


Best Apple GPS Apps:
Scout by Telenav – this app is known for its simplicity in use. It has the standard Satnav functionalities such as keying in an address and routing, it speaks street names and uses bold colors for the map’s simple navigation.

Waze – also a general GPs app for wither driving or walking. Has voice navigation for directions. This app can also report incidents on the road that you might want to avoid.

Looks Android has more venue,,the reason I use Android is this very reason,,,, I can do Active X banking,, web surfing ,, Skype,, Kakao ,,Line,, call and text for free from Timbuktoo,,,, larger screens 5 inches or more.. use as a pc ,,more water proof and dust proof offerings. Finally ,, load up with music and listen via bluetooth or speakers ,, both the directions and tunes as you ride long hours.

Cool mountings galore...
https://www.google.co.kr/search?q=sm...cyles&tbm=isch

Water and impact proof mounts from Ram Mounts.
https://www.google.co.kr/search?q=sm...ounts&tbm=isch

Should consider,,,making this thread a sticky and catch up to the changing world.

I also use 'Soviet military maps' for viewing and downloading.. old Soviet military maps :-) Maps are high quality topo maps, often quite detailed, covers the whole world, just maps are ~30 years old. Great in remote areas, for hiking, etc.

Also 'locus pro' with 'map tweak' for caching Google satellite view, can be useful for hiking, searching for nice beaches etc.

OSMAnd is the main app I use for driving.

I bought an LG G PAD 8.3 to use these apps on. Very powerful and available for $250 USD. It works well. Screen is viewable in direct equator sun if you just shadow the screen with your head or pull over in the shade. I also have a gamin nuvi which I'll certainly use back in Europe when it's a question of getting somewhere concrete, for which it works great, bit as a standalone aid for poking around developing countries less ideal.

In the beginning , when others were not avaliable , I was all for the Locus,, but it requiring data really was a hassle. I have used Sygic all over the world,, and find it amazingly accurate, with 3D buildings,, tons of preloaded way points by category. You can also add your own GPS points and chart and save routes.

At the Norther Asia thread,, Walter has brought up an interesting news regarding Russia shutting down US Sat stations..
Might be interesting to read.
http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hub...248#post466162

Cool APP ,, just bought by Google. Download while it's free.
 

Another cool APP for smart phone as we travel in Russia,, daunting Cyrillic.
Download Word Lens from Google Play,, and you can instantly translate simple signs, directions, menus and notices into English, without need for DATA.

It can translate following languages.
Language packs must be downloaded before traveling - but are currently free.
Once downloads, the user does not need a network connection.
Supported translations are:
Russian
Spanish
French
Italian
German
Portuguese

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h2OfQdYrHRs

Went to buy Z2 ,, yesterday ,, compared it to my Sam Sung Note II ,, found the screen real estate actually smaller than my Note II , it was thinner,, yes it had metal body but much narrower than I am used to. Deceivingly sophiscated for such a rugged phone. Sam Sung S5 has same 20MP camera and same dust and water proof,, but feels plasticky ,,the price is USD 950 vs Sony' USD 790, here in Korea. Sony is made in China,, Sam Sung is made here in Korea.
I will wait till, Sam Sung comes out with a metal body.
Share
__________________

Screw Garmin !
 

Another cool apps that you can call for FREE any where in the world,, using 3, 4G or Wi-Fi ,,
Screw Skype also !
Two Korean apps we are using ,,
Kakao Talk ,, talk free ,,, massive file transfer ,, photos ,, voice,, text ,,,have your friends and family download ,, you can call them from Timbuktoo as long as you have some sort of data or wi-fi ,, FREE.

Line , another Korean app ,, this one same as Kakao ,, but with video.

So now you got ,, water proof ,, dust proof ,, impact proof smart phones, with accurate GPS ,, internet ,, free talk and text ,, banking ,, hotel booking ,, AND satellite adaptors for the middle of the Sahara or the Pacific!
SatSleeve for Android | Thuraya
Iridium | Products | Iridium GO

in one package ,, .. so carry TWO as a spare ,, your life depends on it.
Rather than Garmins ,, "recalculating ,, recalculating ,,recalculating ,,recalculating ,,"

A smart phone you can buy in Lagos ,, in Kinshasha ,, in Bogota ,, in Timbuktoo ,,
Try buying a freak Garmin there , or let alone after service ,,
"Please send it back to the Best Buy or Walmart,, in your city for the service, with warranty ,, with receipt ,, Please send it back to the Best Buy or Walmart,, in your city for the service, with warranty ,, with receipt ,,Please send it back to the Best Buy or Walmart,, in your city for the service, with warranty ,, with receipt ,,Please send it back to the Best Buy or Walmart,, in your city for the service, with warranty ,, with receipt ,,Please send it back to the Best Buy or Walmart,, in your city for the service, with warranty ,, with receipt ,,"

Walter , It is here ,, came out several months ago. 5 inch! With 32GB SD
Water proof ,, dust proof ,, impact resistant ,, 20mp camera.
Samsung Galaxy S5 review - CNET

Why bother with Google map ?
Tons of NON-DATA required OSM maps with GPS tracking and route planning !

And with this ,,
RAM Mount Water Resistant Universal Aqua Box Cradle for Mobile Device - Free Shipping!

You can go up to the Magadan ,, submerged in one of those terrible creeks ,, while listening to your music on the waterproof speakers ,, NO PROBLEMO !

Submerging anything electronic in a water resistant box is... unwise at the best of time :innocent:
Besides, the S5 will not fit joe-

Samsung S5 5.59" X 2.85" X 0.32"
Aquabox 3- 5.25" X 3.5" X 1.5"
A waterproof box of the correct size might be a better idea- no? or just use Garmin's Android powered Monterra- a bespoke navigating unit, all the apps you can wish for and waterproof too:Beach:

I'm thinking about buying a Nokia 1020 for Navi (yes, it works in offline mode too) and camera. At the moment it costs around 330€ in Germany.

Has anyone tried it before?

Hello Bertrand ,,
S5 it self is water proof ,, 30 minute guarantee in the water less than a meter deep.
The Ram box is as an example,, my Ram box is 6 inches by 4 inches ,, I put in my Galaxy Note 2, which is bigger than the S5 by an inch ,, plus couple of cigars ,, connected underneath by the wire to the cigar jack for power and speaker wires to the Kuryakin water proof speakers.

I heard some one mentioning in different thread under same category,, that they were very happy with it. It is also very reasonable in price ,, USD 300 or so?
Water proof phones are up there around USD 700 - 900

Long List of Water, Dust and Shock Proof Smart Phones
 

I'm just about fed up with garmin products. I've never had so many issues with their older stuff. The 60csx just worked. Now got 2 rino's and besides useability issues batteries don't connect well between units and now wall chargers stop charging.

Winge over!

Not all of them..

I just picked up a Kyocera Hydro last week for $150.. new..Normal everyday price ( Walmart ). The screen is a little smaller than I'd like 4".. But.. other than that I've been happy with it..

That ,, my friend ,, is the VERY idea , rid of the Garmin BS ,, stop getting ripped off! Stop getting lost!
Kyocera , a good company.

Tablets and smart phones do not work in hot environments with much direct sunlight. Mounted on the handlebars or put in the transparent tank bag holder they over heat verry quickly and shut down. Seen it happen many times whereas my "BS Garmin" product (276C) performed normal in temperatures up to 48 degress. No problems at all, months after months after months after......Actually I'm leaving again in a couple of days with my crappy 10 year old Garming GPS. Nothing beats a Garmin.

Noel

The old ones are decent like you said Noel. These new ones just seen to shit themselves.

How have people mounted them?

Had no problems with my Galaxy S3, encased in a water proof box ,, all through the summer of 2012 ,, doing Siberia ,, celsus 45 or more in the box ,,
Had music blaring out of my water proof speakers, while riding long boring 14 - 16 hour days,, thunder storm over the Urals ,, no problem.
In the evening ,, flipped out my phone, for the news ,, downloaded movies ,, used it to find hotels and motels, hospitals,,police box,,libraries,, museums,, kiosks for cigaretts ,,opera houses ,, watched TED ,, listened to BBC news ,, talked to friends and family via Kakao Talk for free ,, did EMs ,, web search ,,, sent pictures and video files via Kakao.
Kept my eye on one and only one ,, my Galaxy.
No need to keep the eyes on both phone and garmin,, which gets to be left on the bike some times.
Looking at the screen was no problem ,, for you can adjust the brightness,, but who looks at the screen while riding a bike ,, you listen to the directions.
Took two garmins as a test run against the Galaxy ,, smashed them both with my boot heels and binned them at the front of the Hotel Turist, in Omsk ,, Russian doorman and security guy thought I was mad.
Got sick of recalculating ,, recalculating ,, recalculating ,,

I have a Galaxy S5! Indeed a great navigation device but a navigation device is NOT a GPS! Try setting routes on the Galaxy where there are no roads like Mongolia or Sahara! You won't get the "recalculate, recalculate, recalculate" but instead you get "return to road, retrun to road, return to road". Again, have seen it happen and I had to lead the posse with my 10 year old crap GPS. :)

Everbody his own cup of tea I guess.

Hey Taco,

Yeah, there is a reason why I stick to my 276C with upgraded 2Gb memory card but I also hear possitive sounds about the Montana and on our recent Mongolia trip the Zumo wasn't half bad eather!

That cup of tea ,, will be the smart phones,, remember,, you can attach SatNav to a smart phone,, not on garmin.
Peace brother.
:innocent:

Fair call Noel. But I'm always amazed why people need or want turn by turn directions in the bush.

Maybe I navigate old school by land features and check where I am on the map and look at where north is.
For that an app that works with any geo referenced scanned or downloaded map like backcountry navigator (love it, very accurate and power conservative GPS receiver) will do perfect.

Middle of Sahara or Gobi?
No problemo , with smart phone.
BackCountry Navigator
Plus for oceans and air plane flight...
[url=http://gps.motionx.com/iphone/overview/]MotionX

Maps with me awful good ,,
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y_MNX7OO8zw

Internet and telephone any where ,,
http://www.thuraya.com/satsleeveandroid
http://www.gizmag.com/iridium-go-satellite-hotspot/30711/

No recalculating ,, no go back to road.

Anywhere really. The choice is usual "go left or go right".

I've noticed backcountry navigator to be more accurate than the garmin in cases. They've got a trick to optimise the GPS location without reception somehow.

Never dropped out neither. The rino lost the signal for 15 mins mid ride on a clear day on the prairie.

I guess everything is possible now with smart phones but they are way too fragile for me and I don't like touch screens in a dusty environment, where you need to wipe the screen clean every 15 minutes. With a touch screen phone (or GPS!) the thing goes haywire! My tea remains my non touch screen Garmin for now :)

I used a combination of Garmin Zumo 660 n Samsung Grand for my trip from India to Uk last year thro the hot dry windy weather of Uzbekistan. One of them always worked where the other didnt. Language was a problem on Garmin but not on a phone. I did have maps for each zone I was traveling. One does need a phone to communicate so it shall be a part of our trips Garmin or any other GPS does help. In a trip of thousands of Kms some lost paths are part and parcel. Although I did not loose a single way or direction on the entire trip. Its like comparing phone v/s a camera to take pics.

Smart phones,,
Water proof ,,
Dust proof ,,
Encased in this box, with finger recognition front cover ,,

https://www.google.co.kr/search?q=ra...ed=0CAYQ_AUoAQ

Enough said !
Ride on !

:scooter:

this thread is still going!? my contribution of empirical evidence - Iphone4 using MapsWithMe app as my only navigation down the west coast of Africa London to Cape Town, now in Nairobi on the way back up to Europe. The app pulls OpenStreetMap data which is updated frequently, easy to use, GoogleMaps-like data rendering.

Somehow MapsWithMe makes the data super compressed, so I've ridden around with all of W. Europe and Africa living on my phone. Works great and costs about 0 if you've already got a phone. Glad I returned the Garmin to REI before I left the US.

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-C...o/P1010627.JPG

Smart phones do a great job of navigating, no debate there. But using a smart phone as both your navigation tool and your communication tool is putting too many eggs in one basket. Phones do break, get stepped on, get sat on, get stolen, etc. Having a Garmin and a smart phone is redundancy and it will save you. A cheap garmin, a cheap smart phone, a cheap netbook, and a cheap camera provide you with a full suite of redundancy in case of problems. Using one device (iphone) for all of these functions leaves you in a very fragile state.

Not if you also take your old phone as backup. Most people aren't on their first smart phone.
Plus, you can get smart phones everywhere in the world now. Most stuff on a phone is in the cloud our accessible online. Garmin need a computer

Slight correction if I may Tmotten.
A Garmin does not need a computer. It functions as a standalone unit.
If you download osm maps ( on a separate App, I have virtually the whole world in the Navigator Android App and large amounts of old albeit still mostly the best available digitally for more remote areas. Soviet Military topo maps App.
you do need access to the web once to get them.)
It runs Android apps identical to those on your phone.
When it finds an open wifi network, it checks for app updates, Garmin app updates, checks weather forecasts, updates my currency app, checks email , skype etc etc ad nauseatum!!

If you own a Monterra, powered by Android, you have zero need for a computer.
It has wifi and bluetooth capability and self checks for any system updates just as any smartphone does.

SeoulJoe, this 'recalculating-recalculating' was back in 2000! Technology has hugely moved on ( and so should you!:wink2:)

Have you thought about treating yourself to a Monterra? No need for speakers or an Ipod as the music stored on the Monterra plays back via small earphones. (tip: Bose noise cancelling ear phones are excellent!)
If you use turn-by-turn instructions, the Monterra can be set to either quieten or turn off the music when guiding instructions are spoken then resume playing the music.
And this satnav does so much more but it's not for the faint hearted!

(p.s rotten navigators always blame their satnav... :wink2: :blushing:)

Sure smart phones are available in many places; but not everywhere. You may have to drive to a major city to find one. I suspect you haven't tried to buy a smart phone in Argentina or Brasil. The prices are prohibitive.

I think your response has the imbedded assumption that everywhere is similar as Calgary to buy a smart phone. It is not. Most of the time in traveling in foreign countries, losing functionality of your navigation system is a big deal; something that is not easily rectified. That is why i argue for redundancy.

Here is a simple solution to nav redundancy.
Have 2 sat navs!! Each with their own powered mounts. Weighs little and offers peace of mind.
An old fashioned but reliable compass is also a must have.:)
Make your own choices in terms of kit and, in fact, everything else!!!
Whatever works for you is fine!

Sat nav redundancy = paper map.
 

Sat nav redundancy = paper map.

I find the paper map is much easier for night time planing. And its batteries don't go flat. And locals are better with a paper map, some are not sat nav friendly.

So - yes I use a GPS ... but I also use a paper map.

Your montera ,, is a copycat of an Android ... put out by garmin ,,posthaste less than a year ago. If former garmin quality and after service is any indication ,, good luck.
With any smart phone ,, in fact any phone ,, one can hear the music or phone ,, using ear phone or blue tooth ,, sorry I like my music blaring streophonic ,, while I ride.
All Android navigation ,, while playng music ,, when the turn by turn instruction comes on , music goes down,, then comes right back to music volume.

Yes montera ,,playing catch up has put in a wifi ,, yet it still is not a telephone,, nor a computer , nor a good camera ,,can not use skype,,kakao ,, can not surf internet,, can not attach a sat phone. This review asks ,, why ,, what is it garmin,, this monterra at 750 bucks + 30 for this ,, 100 for that ,,? (garmin really knows how to sell you ancilliary things to you)
http://www.globeriders.com/article_p...monterra.shtml

99% of the garmins ,, still has to be plugged into a pc ,, to download maps ,, and at a great hassle! If you don't pay for their blood curling high priced maps , one has to learn a whole life time to download OSM and also learn how to use it.

You can buy smart phones, in 90% of the world.
https://www.google.co.kr/webhp?sourc...es+in+mongolia

https://www.google.co.kr/webhp?sourc...phones+in+Iran

https://www.google.co.kr/webhp?sourc...ones+in+Soweto

https://www.google.co.kr/webhp?sourc...n+Sierra+Leon+

https://www.google.co.kr/webhp?sourc...phones+in+Peru

Try buying a garmin ,, on the market place in Wakhan Valley or Kashigar,,, smart phone is possible. They even use solar panels to charge the suckers.
One can even buy one in Medina Souk or at the open market in Marekesh.
Used ones are under 100 bucks ,,

Again ,, smart phones now days...
WATER PROOF ,, (see if any garmin will stay in the water for 30 minutes in one meter deep water)
DUST PROOF ,,
IMPACT PROOF ,,
Immense power of internet ,, navigation, gps tracking ,, telecommunication ,, free VIDEO calls to family using Kakao or Skype with wifi or data ,, under your finger tip.
More than a dozen choices of FREE OFF LINE maps ,, with out studying how to for ages!
20 MEGA PIXEL cameras ,,,
32 GB + 14 GB average storage ,,
BRIGHT 5 INCH SCREEN,,
DOZEN COMPASS apps.

No NEED to carry the camera ,, computer and GPS ,, do carry a paper map for the romance sake.


Take a nice one in the pannier ,, use the old one on the handle bar ,, like the fake wallet we carry.

Why carry,, telephone,, garmin ,, lap top ,, camera ,,

Remember ,, smart phones,,,
WATER PROOF ,,
DUST PROOF ,,
IMPACT PROOF ,,,
US Army is using it ,, so does British Military ,, Frech army since long ago,,, rugged enough for the battle field, on the hills of Afghanistan. Korean army uses it with a scrambler. One Iphone even saved a soldiers life,, blocking a bullett.
https://www.google.co.kr/webhp?sourc...smart%20phones

Time to catch up with changing times folks ,, technology evolution is coming our way.
garmin is an one trick pony ,, Google and Apple , with massive,, global App developers are keep churning out new mind blowing stuff every day.

One Verdict on garmin montera
 

Posted 17 January 2014 - 07:08 AM
I just received a Monterra for Christmas. The hardware seems very nice. The only negative things are the speaker volume is weak and battery life seems short. If you turn off wifi and BT the life might be acceptable but I have not used it outdoors enough to know. I have the latests sw on it. The unit cannot direct you in a straight line to a point in the middle of an open field if you follow the map pointer. The compass on these units is typically off by 15 to 60 degrees. If you follow the compass pointer you end up spiraling in to the cache. This is not what you expect from a $700 GPSr. It seems to lose geocache descriptions, logs and crash often. It has been so frustrating to use for geocaching I have only used it out side about 3 times. Garmin started shipping these in June 2013. They had a sw update in October and December of the same year and these units still have very basic flaws that should have never been in the first units sold. After two sw releases the units still have very bad flaws. The unit has great potential to be the best GPSr ever for the enthusiast but I would not buy one of these untill you read on the monterra wiki that the sw update have really fixed the compass problem. Many people have sent there's back and I am going to send mine back also. When/If they get the sw and possible hw problems fixed I will buy on. As slow as they are fixing fundemental problem I suspect it will take at least a year to get them fixed.