Global Positioning System

Just dreaming of this years Tour De Treader and the possibility of more (does Guernsey count? ) International Treaderising. The first problem I can see is my excellent phone/Google maps combo snot going to be usable due to roaming interweb charges.

I do not want to be told turn left/turn right....jump up and down etc. but would really loike summat loike goole maps, you are here, the roads are here, the tracks are here, take yer pick type approach.

So far I have taken a look at the Cycle GPS versions but they are very expensive and most of the cack (heart, cadance, altitude etc) I dont give a fig about. The other problem is that Google maps allows me to find/use things loike old railway lions and canal paths but am guessing this is going to freak out a GPS or sat nav type system?

Has anyone got experience with GPS systems and have advice on if there is summat loikely to suit? Else its gonna be a rather large map and alot of stopping.

pm sent

Is your phone Android? MapDroyd (or possibly MapDroid) is a free one lets you download maps and then overlays your current GPS position. Used it in Iceland and it was useful but the maps weren't massively detailed, not sure if European maps are better.

Depending on the age of the phone, you might well find you can cache google maps. Did in the lake district earlier in the year, viewed the maps in the hotel while on wifi and then found it didn't need to download any extra stuff while we were out an about.

I'm going for 6 years with a GPS from Garmin.
And I can plan on a large map of the route on the PC and stored on the GPS.

A GPS for a motorcycle should be waterproof, and has a price.
Not every GPS can save waypoints and routes with stopovers.
This possibility should have a GPS on the bike.

I just bought a new GPS Zumo 660 from Garmin. There is also a smaller Zumo motorcycle GPS is not that expensive.

Each GPS you can show the way to the next gas station, ATM, restaurant, or any interest (POI).

With Garmin I like that you pay once, and always gets updated maps every 3 months.

Limbo

Mega. Thanks very much Trev.


No. Its very ancient, no WIFI or oubt clever like that. Tempting to get one though, once they have made a waterproof, Dappers proof one I'm all for it. Nearly went for the Motorola Defy buy glad I didnt.

Another thought was to get a monthly sim in Euro land with unlimited data but not sure if this would work and don't want to find out once there that it don't. Also going through diff countries (ambitious I know) would scupper this plan.

Hey Limbo, Google translate has yet to update to include the word "treader", this is a bicycle cyklaus?. Also I think these devices point and tell you where to go and then shout if you don't go the way they want. If I wanted that I would get married.

All the car ones tend to be based around giving you directions rather than just a moving map display, I think what you want is something more like a Garmin E-Trex which is intended for walkers, but they start at around £100 compared to basic car ones that around half that, and I'm not too sure how good thier mapping is as I think they'reusually intended to be used in conjunction with a map.

Cheapest option is probably going to be something on your phone if yours can take aftermarket applications.

There are companies that rent satnavs, no idea on price though.

There are Trevs that do that too. He is very kindly going to lend me a loaner to see if such a device is suitable.

Off to check out an E-Trex now, thanks for that.

Oooooh, if it's the wan I saw Trev using at the Hunstanton rideout then it also tells you how fast you were going

I bought the Motorola Defy, waterproof and can even film underwater!

I used Co-pilot Live when we went to Germany last year, it's £50 for European maps.

I've since changed to FreeNav, this is excellent and uses Open Street Map data. Free and just download the countries you require.

There's a great Phone from Sony with GPS and Android 2.3 for only £90, my son is looking at this.

Alternatively a pucka GPS is the best option if you've got the budget. The Zumo 660 is a great piece of kit but I'm holding fire until they produce a voice activated system.

Is it still waterpoof if someone phones it? I know of two people who had supposedly waterproof phones and have attempted to show off by dunking them in a pint, unfortunately in both instances they weren't able to survived being submerged while the vibrate was ringing

Problem with using a phone is probably going to be battery though id he's using it while cycling, the GPS does chew the battery.

I'd better reset it before I post it, then.

I've been using a Garmin Nuvi 550 for a few years, simple robust waterproof 8 hour battery life and will mount on a bike or motorbike.

Garmin spec:

With the rugged, waterproof and multi-purpose nüvi 550 sat-nav, you can do it all: drive, hike, bike or boat. nüvi 550 is geared for adventure and is ideal for those who want to go out and explore the great outdoors in every way they can. With a built-in compass and integrated Wherigo™ and Geocaching player, this sat-nav goes beyond navigation to bring the fun of the many family treasure hunts and adventures available online. With detailed European street maps, text-to-speech spoken road and place names and topographic shaded contours, this easy-to-use sat-nav is the perfect companion for navigating your active lifestyle.

Multi-mode for Multi-purpose Navigation

Four bespoke user modes bring customised features for driving, boating, walking and cycling. This flexible navigator combines the advanced navigation and large colour display of Garmin’s in-car sat-navs with the rugged resilience of our outdoor GPS handhelds. Slim and streamlined, it fits neatly into your pocket, bag or backpack, with a removable, rechargeable lithium-ion battery that packs in 8 hours of power. Optional mounts for each mode of transport make it an even better fit. nüvi 550 comes equipped with the latest technology from Garmin, including sophisticated NAVTEQ™ mapping data and waterproof card slot to load different types of mapping such as TOPO for outdoor navigation and BlueChart® g2 Vision® cartography for marine use.

Driving

nüvi 550 makes driving safe, simple and stress-free. Its built-in, unique driver safety system contains details on hundreds of fixed, mobile and temporary speed cameras, variable limit and red light speed cameras across Europe. Smart GPS software uses a patented "corridor" technique of camera validation to bring you only the relevant alerts. The nüvi welcome screen greets you with two simple questions: "Where To?" and "View Maps." Just tap the touchscreen to look up addresses and services and for voice-prompted, turn-by-turn directions to your destination with road and place names announced as you approach. Add an optional traffic receiver accessory for live traffic avoidance using data from real cameras located every 2 mi (3,22 km) along every major route. This live analysis provides real-time incident reporting so Garmin can find the best route around the tailbacks.


Walking and Hiking

nüvi 550 takes walking and outdoor pursuits in its stride, with shaded, contoured maps and a sunlight-readable, waterproof touchscreen. Select the walking mode to activate the built-in compass page, journey track log and integrated Wherigo/geocaching player. Or plug-in optional topographic mapping for routing on road, track and path, with detailed contours, geographic points and shaded terrain.

Wherigo lets you create and play GPS-enabled adventures in the real world. Be guided by GPS technology to physical locations across the landscape and interact with virtual objects and characters.

Geocaching is an entertaining adventure game for the whole family, combining the thrill of a treasure hunt with the discovery of new places. Geocachers hide-and-seek prizes hidden across the landscape using clues posted on the internet and coordinates loaded on their GPS handheld.

Scootering and Biking

nüvi 550 fits comfortably on your scooter or cycle for navigation on 2 wheels. An optional scooter mount provides a secure fixing to cushion against vibration from your travelled terrain. The user interface is simple to control on the move, and you can enjoy clear directions on the go. Its rugged UVA/B and fuel-resistant design make it a trustworthy companion, while the waterproof casing braves all weather to give turn-by-turn directions for the most direct route in the quickest time. Just select the bicycling mode and you’re away.

Yeah one of the reasons I am glad I didnt get one was Motorola customer service (or lack of it) and its guest appearance on watchdog. Apparently they didn't use waterproof speakers. and a large number have had speaker failures that Motorola wont fix. Hoping Sony will finally bring out a C702 replacement at some point.

Ooohhh E-Trex, that looks SPOT ON Chris . A 20 looks to do everything I would need. Also, this would mean that a bullet proof phone would be slightly less critical and I could get an androidy type phone at some point in the future.

Power supply not a problem I use Goal zero solar panels and charge whilst I treader. Kept my phone and camera fully charged on last years Tour and that were in UK cloudyness.

http://www.viewranger.com/en-us

can be loaded onto a lot of phones

I think the Nuvi will try and tell me where to go.

Loike the viewranger, looks good but oi dont have a smarty phone.

I've got viewranger on my phone. Excellent for public rights of way use. Mrs Trevini uses it for her horsey stuff if we box them up and take them out of the local area for a hack.

Sony Android Phone £99

Smartphone option?

P.S.
After 15 months of ownership my Defy is still going strong, including underwater filming in Shetland whilst canoeing. (Tempting fate or what? lol)

Just downloaded MapDroyd and it seems pretty detailed to me. Down to 5ft!! Got all the roads and name of local roads near to me. But no foot paths in Thetford forest.

You can also download any area in the world. I'll try it out for real tom at work and I normal drive a couple of hundred of miles.

Just need to find a free sat nav that doesn't require a tinternet connection. Thats one and only thing I miss about my old Nokia is the free satnav!!

Free and no internet connection required.

NavFree