Smartphone as Sat Nav (Android)

[Darkest-Star]

Does anyone do this and if so do you use Googles software or 3rd party?

[uk190]

My Nokia n8 was ace as my bike sat nav. But the response was a tad slow.

My galaxy s3 has better/faster sat nav but is shit on the bike. It can't cope with cornering or accelerating or braking without flipping the screen from portrait to landscape every time. So I have kept the Nokia for use on the bike.

[whitedevil]

There is an option to turn off that auto screen rotation.

I use the google maps app and navigation and its pretty good altho i dont use the screen just the sound via headphones, after hearing alot of positive stuff about the navfree app im gonna try it out when bikes back on the road. its more like a real satnav than google maps is, you should try it out.

Id recommend getting a good mount and waterproof case if you want to use it alot on the bike and also wire up a cigarette lighter socket to your battery or your phone will be flat after a short time.

[Stu]

My Nokia n8 was ace as my bike sat nav. But the response was a tad slow.

My galaxy s3 has better/faster sat nav but is shit on the bike. It can't cope with cornering or accelerating or braking without flipping the screen from portrait to landscape every time. So I have kept the Nokia for use on the bike.

 

turn it off so it doesnt rotate and put a toggle on the home screen so you can quickly turn it back on again

[Darkest-Star]

Trying nav free on and off at the moment in the car seems alright can download maps for UK Europe and beyond. Gave Google a go had to select areas in map to cache then plan a route but that was the actual map application not the navigation app.

[uk190]

My Nokia n8 was ace as my bike sat nav. But the response was a tad slow.

My galaxy s3 has better/faster sat nav but is shit on the bike. It can't cope with cornering or accelerating or braking without flipping the screen from portrait to landscape every time. So I have kept the Nokia for use on the bike.

 

turn it off so it doesnt rotate and put a toggle on the home screen so you can quickly turn it back on again

 

i know, but i am a mardy arsed luddite and if inanimate objects piss me off then i tend to avoid giving them a second chance or smash them into little pieces lol. As i also have issues with the S3 and my Scala bluetooth, i dont want to fall out with my lovely S3. also i cant use the touch screen with my gloved hand, so ive been looking at the dedicate biker satnav, the Garmin Zumi 660LM.

maybe i'll give it one more go before opting for the Garmin..

[Tango]

I use Copilot live V8 on my S3.......which works pretty well. Have the ability to plot routes with waypoints, drag the route, select from 3 suggested routes depending on Fastest, Shortest or easiest, has speed camera warnings and Points of Interest options.......so basically it turns Google Navigation into a fully fledged Sat Nav on the phone.......and I think it was around £20 for the app.......so not too bad really.......

[Stu]

i know, but i am a mardy arsed luddite and if inanimate objects piss me off then i tend to avoid giving them a second chance or smash them into little pieces lol.

 

sound just like me

[mealexme]

I used to use google maps on my S3. The main problem is you cant choose a specific route. You get a choice of 3, thats it.

I now run co-pilot live and it works a treat. It has speed camera alerts built in, you can choose the exact route you want and it has a function built in so you can find where you parked your bike

[acting_strange]

Doesnt all this mean that you have to have a contract phone?...

Would love some kind of satnag on the bike but they are excessively expensive compared to a car system.

[uk190]

Doesnt all this mean that you have to have a contract phone?...

Would love some kind of satnag on the bike but they are excessively expensive compared to a car system.

i think the idea was that folks who already already have a contract phone could use it as a satnav rather than a dedicated satnav.

my spare smart phone doesnt need a SIM with credit to function as a satnav. so i have a pay as you go sim in it which i have never topped up. to update the maps, i use wifi at home every few weeks or so.

a decent bike satnav like the garmin zumi 660 is anywhere between £350-£600 including lifetime map updates, depending on where you buy it and if it is graded stock etc.

[Stu]

I must say I would rather use a dedicated sat nav then my phone

I have used phone before but my tomtom rider is great not as good as the latest ones but for what I use it for it does me fine

the problem with the phone is mounting it and if it comes off its a lot of money to throw down the road wher as the tomtom it pretty durable I have known people loose them at speed and they are still fine

[Tango]

the problem with the phone is mounting it and if it comes off its a lot of money to throw down the road wher as the tomtom it pretty durable I have known people loose them at speed and they are still fine

 

That's why you have mobile phone insurance Stu......

Anywayup......a decent WATERPROOF phone mount should be OK....and they're not too expensive......

[Stu]

fair point Bob but I dont have insurance on mine

Yeah I have seen some decent cases for £40

[Tiggie]

Yeah I have seen some decent cases for £40

mine was a tenner from ebay!

[chris_589]

I use Nav free with a waterproof phone holder that i got from amazon for my Iphone, run the lead from my head phones to an extension lead that goes in at the bottom of my jacket. Works great for a simple sat nav, i've not played with it to see if i can put way points in and stuff but it always gets me to where i want to go, it works well on my mates HTC Which runs android.

just need to get a charger for my phone as the battery wont last all day plus having to take my gloves off everytime to check somthing can get a bit frustrating if you have to do it alot.

Cheers

Chris

[Chrissb6]

I've just brought this mount for my samsung S3 complete with a power supply it fits and works a treat!

http://www.ultimate-mobiles.co.uk/mobil ... __2869.htm

As said switch off the auto rotate, l think l'm right in saying that you cannot use the google maps more than 30 consecutive days without entering a contract. but for me it great to use along with some useful apps.