My Experience thus far with Andriod GPS apps

[Thanantos]

Just, FYI. ALL of the information below is WAY out of date. The Android GPS situation has come a LONG way since I wrote this post almost 2 years ago now. I plan to update this soon and include some apps built by some of our very own members

Hey all,

I've spent a good deal of time this winter researching a way to use my Android phone (Samsung Moment) as a decent GPS device for following some of the great tracks that are out there. I prefer to use my phone because I already use it to listen to music while riding and I'm a cheap ass. Hey, I ride a KLR!

Following tracks is important to restate. There are lots of apps (many that work very well like MyTracks from Google) that record where you have been, but not many that allow you to follow someone else's tracks.

Below are the two best options I have found. Both work offline (out of cell coverage) and both allow you to record your own tracks or follow someone else's. One option is free and one is paid. I've used both, successfully, in my cage.


THE FREE OPTION:




I've found that Oruxmaps (follow the link for the barcode or search in the Android Market) is a very good free option, but can take a little while to learn. It has many different options (more than the paid option I write about later), but all those options also increase the learning curve a bit.

However, the documentation provided is easy to read and fairly comprehensive.

For offline map use they recommend you use the Mobile Atlas Creator which is also free. In theory this app allows you to do Mapsource type uploading and editing of GPX tracks and then output them to your phone. It also allows you to define an area and download the map tiles (in whatever zoom levels you like) for offline use. In practicality I was unable to upload any tracks into this program (although I could upload them to Oruxmaps and follow them there) and also had problems downloading the map tiles. I believe this is because that program is designed for hikers and bicyclists and not motorcyclists who are downloading LARGE areas of maps (it did work when I reduced the area or zoom levels thus reducing the number of tiles downloaded). The Orux team also provides documentation on how to use Mobile Atlas Creator specifically for Orux.


Mobile Atlas Creator


THE PAID OPTION:



As you might imagine, because you have to pay for it, I found this option the most effective and user-friendly. The app I used was Trimble Outdoors which was $9.99 in the Market. Kinda pricey for a phone app (cheap as hell for good GPS software though), but I found the cost was ultimately worth it.

The app itself is pretty and has all the options one would expect from a full functioning GPS app. Orux has a few more options (lots of different types of maps such as ones for aviation, etc), but none that I missed using Trimble.

The Trimble website has two functions that will be important for you:
#1. The site has a very user-friendly and robust webapp that allows Mapsource type functionality with the upload and editing of GPX tracks. Once you are done editing your tracks they are downloaded to your phone via the app itself so there is no need to copy anything manually to your SD card.


#2. It also has a spiffy offline map download site where you define an area, the zoom level and then download the map tiles. These do have to be manually moved to your SD card.


Lastly, about Trimble. If you have problems or questions the actual software engineers themselves take part in their discussion forums and are very good about providing prompt assistance. Their customer service and support is definitely top notch.

Good luck, and I hope someone is able to find this helpful!

[Thanantos]

Reserved for additional info if needed.

[9Dave]

Thanks for sharing!

[craftycoder]

I am thinking about creating an Android app specifically for dual sport riding. I'd like to know what kind of features people want?

I thought I would start by allowing you to put Garmin map files (the unencrypted variety) and OSM maps into the phone so no network is required. Then, I was thinking that I would cross reference the app with dualsportmaps.com's track database and allow you to download tracks from there to follow. I was also thinking that it would be cool if you could cache google satellite images and store them on your phone the app could download all the tiles over the tracks and cache them (while you are at home) until you tell it to clear its memory.
The app should output a gpx file of your trip and also probably allow you to push the track directly to dualsportmaps.com.

Information on the screen would include current speed, time, odometer (for mileage concerns). Interest in a rally computer type interface?

Obviously the maps would be zoomable, but I was not planning to allow you to create routes on the fly because the interface on the phone is clunky and it would be pretty tedious.

Please comment on features that y'all would be interested in and I'll see how I can accommodate them.

[919nick]

Originally Posted by craftycoder

I am thinking about creating an Android app specifically for dual sport riding. I'd like to know what kind of features people want?

Is this happening? If so, I'll buy it.

Would this show tracks only or would it be able to calculate a route?

[markwrich1]

Originally Posted by craftycoder

I am thinking about creating an Android app specifically for dual sport riding. I'd like to know what kind of features people want?

I thought I would start by allowing you to put Garmin map files (the unencrypted variety) and OSM maps into the phone so no network is required. Then, I was thinking that I would cross reference the app with dualsportmaps.com's track database and allow you to download tracks from there to follow. I was also thinking that it would be cool if you could cache google satellite images and store them on your phone the app could download all the tiles over the tracks and cache them (while you are at home) until you tell it to clear its memory.
The app should output a gpx file of your trip and also probably allow you to push the track directly to dualsportmaps.com.

Information on the screen would include current speed, time, odometer (for mileage concerns). Interest in a rally computer type interface?

Obviously the maps would be zoomable, but I was not planning to allow you to create routes on the fly because the interface on the phone is clunky and it would be pretty tedious.

Please comment on features that y'all would be interested in and I'll see how I can accommodate them.

The app needs the ability to load Shonky Maps onto it so that I can all of Australia sitting in the app rather be mucking with downloading map tiles all the time, if you can do that I'll use it and give you a BIG thank you

[Thanantos]

Originally Posted by markwrich1

The app needs the ability to load Shonky Maps onto it so that I can all of Australia sitting in the app rather be mucking with downloading map tiles all the time, if you can do that I'll use it and give you a BIG thank you

Agreed, lots of apps work very well. Where all of them fall down is getting the maps themselves onto your device. There needs to be a way to download large maps all at once.

[Thanantos]

This would be awesome. The hardest thing with all these apps is that:

#1. They're not MC specific so no links/interface to MC specific sites.

#2. Offline map downloads. You need a LOT of those little tiles and i keep running into download / upload errors. A batch download of the whole US via Open Maps or the ability to import Garmin maps would be great.

I'd definitely pay for an app like that!

Sent from my SPH-M900 using Tapatalk

[LI LT Owner]

[Jeff@TheQuadShop]

Trimble is also available for the iPhone under "AllSport GPS" in the app store.

[Thanantos]

How is the GPS reception on these phones while riding?

It will vary from phone to phone, but accuracy within 3 meters shouldn't be difficult to achieve with any of them.

[Thanantos]

Originally Posted by EmmEff

Yes, the phones and the 3G/LTE enabled iPads have built-in GPSes.

So the WiFi only devices don't have GPS built in? I'd be surprised if you couldn't activate it by jail breaking the device, but maybe its an integrated chip with the 3g?

O Apple, I am so glad I don't own any of your devices. Broken from the factory. Only to be repaired with more money.

[EmmEff]

Originally Posted by Thanantos

So the WiFi only devices don't have GPS built in? I'd be surprised if you couldn't activate it by jail breaking the device, but maybe its an integrated chip with the 3g?

This is my understanding- the GPS is integrated with the 3G chipset.

O Apple, I am so glad I don't own any of your devices. Broken from the factory. Only to be repaired with more money.

What kind of nonsensical drivel is this? My iPads work as advertised. They were never designed nor sold as navigation devices.

On the topic, there are many Android devices also without GPS but I guess those don't warrant discussion since they're not made by Apple.

[Thanantos]

Originally Posted by Buddy_Holly

So back to the android world- I have a co-worker who will sell me his old droid so I can use that as a GPS- workable?

How say ye?

Sure would be nicer than having to buy a new $400.00 Garmin GPS.

Thanks,

BH

It will. I'm not aware of any Android devices that don't have GPS built in (except for the early Kindle and Nook tablets), but it depends more on what you want to do with it.

The only thing that I can't get an Android device to do is give me good, offline, turn by turn directions of my preplanned route.

Offline maps is easy, using a preplanned route is easy, but the only app I have found that does offline, turn by turn of an uploaded GPX route is OSMand and it does it pretty poorly.

If you don't care about this very specific need then an Android device will work fine.

P.S. not all Garmin devices will do that either.

P.P.S. Once you get the device you can download maps via WiFi either using Google maps, OSMand, Oruxmaps, CoPilot, etc. which are all free.

Trimble outdoors used to be good (their trip planning features are top notch), but now you have to buy the app and then sign up for a subscription service to use their trip planning features separately. That screwed all of us who bought the app previously, bastards.

Crafty's app (Dual Sport Maps) is good with some moto specific features and a decent website interface to plan routes, but I believe its a variant of OSMand so try that first to see if you like it.

[Thanantos]

Originally Posted by EmmEff

What kind of nonsensical drivel is this? My iPads work as advertised. They were never designed nor sold as navigation devices.

On the topic, there are many Android devices also without GPS but I guess those don't warrant discussion since they're not made by Apple.

You're right on both accounts. The difference being the Android devices are half the price and accomplish the same thing....actually more.

But, what the hell. If you're happy with it, good for you.

It was not my intent to raise the ire of the Apple fanboys in the crowd.