Tablet as a GPS

TerkelIQ

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Hey guys..
im pondering on using a tablet as gps on my GS. Has anyone done this on this forum :eek
have been on google for some research, but not much to find on the "great inter web"
It should be possible, but not sure how it tackle the vibration…..
on the price side, it is not to bad, and adding 3g/4g on the tablet you have it all in "one pack".

Hope for some input from you guys.
 
I have used a 7inch Samsung tab in the map pocket of the tank bag, need a docking station as it wont charge of the standard cable, other than that it was easy to use and worked well, just remember though that with a capacitor screen it wont work through the plastic pannel.
 
I have run the OSM based PocketEarth app on my iPad in the map pocket of a tankbag. The touch screen worked perfectly using a stylus on an elastic band tether. For power I used a 90 degree 30 pin cable (eBay) to a Motoburns USB outlet in the bag (and also a Anker battery pack)

After a three hour ride on the UK's hottest day of 2013 the screen eventually complained and shut down but quickly came back when taken out of the sun

I also ran CamerAlert in the background with a direct audio feed to my hemet

The PocketEarth app works offline but does not provide audio instructions
 
just remember though that with a capacitor screen it wont work through the plastic pannel.

cap touch gets really screwed up by air gaps, but if you can get the screen hard up against the plastic panel there's a fair chance it'll work ok. oh, and non-conductive gloves will mean that fingers don't work, even on the bare screen. just in case that helps anybody get stuff going. apparently you can now get ski gloves with fine wire in the weave so you can fondle your iphone on the chairlift...
 
For what it's worth I use tomtom on an iPhone in a waterproof cover mounted on the handle bar. It works well for me.

As for operating a tablet/smart phone. You can get cheep stylus from eBay and attach it via a retractable cord. Problem solved.
 
OK, so this is where I'm at right now. 7" tablet of some sort with 3g/4g and wifi (samsung, nexus….) waterproof case for the tablet (ebay) and some rammounts for mounting it in the cockpit.
I have an iPad, but its to big to be using it as navitool, don't want to use it in the map pocket of the tankbag.
Buying a 7" of ebay, with the rammounts and a waterproof case is cheaper then buying a GSP for the bike…… a tom-tom rider is 500$ and the setup I'm looking at is about 250-300$ and then i get a new gadget to play with also :)
 
Tomtom DOES NOT allow you to program a custom route. Apparently Copilot Premium Western Europe (£29.99), can plan routes in pretty much any application you like but I've not looked into it yet.

Type retractable key ring in to ebay for the string thing, there are loads of them.


Sent from CIA snooping van 7
 
I bought a Galaxy 10" tablet and Baglux tank bag, forget the name but the one with a pocket designed to take a tablet (btw do not buy one of these it fell to pieces) in any case I couldn't see it in sunlight and the temperature got so hot under the plastic I couldn't touch it and was afraid it would burn out so back to the 660 ..
 
But presumably you need a constant 3G signal?

don't need the 3g, it has gps. But will be faster with a 3g signal.
also want the possibility of having offline maps.

almost all tablets have gps/agps so thats not a problem.
and yes, will have a aux power source for the tab.
 
So where do the maps come from?

The maps app on my iPhone or iPad is useless without 3G to download the maps.
 
Sygic works offline, once you've downloaded the maps you're good to go. Routing is not too bad but I always have a quick scan over first just to check. It's available on Google Play, not free but good value for money IMHO

Mick

livin' the dream
 
So where do the maps come from?

The maps app on my iPhone or iPad is useless without 3G to download the maps.

thats a secret ;)

download them on wifi to offline use, and you are good to go.
The 3g just helps it be faster and more accurate when navigate
 
tablet as GPS

Hi, I use an iPad in tank bag (big enough screen to see:D) and use a Dual gps sender in its case wrapped around handlebar, therefore not reliant on 3g or mobile signal, I also have OS maps for use when off the bike and walking, also hooked up to gps sender... Cheers:beer jug:John B
 
As others have said, nice responsive capacitive screens don't work well through plastic and even less well with gloves on. They are also prone to damage when exposed to strong sunlight (both due to heat and UV affecting the lcd matrix). Then you've got to power them, waterproof them, make it possible to use them with plastic / gloves in the way (I hope whoever suggested a stylus wasn't serious...), stop them getting nicked, deal with the fact that they don't have trans-reflective screens so are hard to see in direct sunlight, pay for a decent off-line mapping app etc, etc. Way too many compromises to end up with a device that still doesn't work as well as a cheap satnav.

By the time you've arsed around jumping through the various hoops required to make a tablet work as a waterproof satnav, you might as well have bought a proper one (perhaps second hand?). Don't get me wrong, I find my iPad dead handy when traveling but it stays in the bottom of my tank bag out of harms way while my ancient but fit for purpose and totally reliable Garmin2720 handles the navigation (bought off here for about £80 five years ago).
 
Hi, I use an iPad in tank bag (big enough screen to see:D) and use a Dual gps sender in its case wrapped around handlebar, therefore not reliant on 3g or mobile signal, I also have OS maps for use when off the bike and walking, also hooked up to gps sender... Cheers:beer jug:John B

John B - I presume your GPS sender links by Bluetooth but IIRC Ipad will only talk to keyboards & headsets. I (briefly) looked at it for my Ipad Air but gave up after that. Which GPS mouse do you use?

I've just got TomTom for my Galaxy S phone, and as Stu says above, you cannot preplan (like I could on my old PDA TomTom s/w). You can manually add up to 4 waypoints but only after setting up initial route. Navfree is good I am told.

A
 
audio or custom routes?

Do any of the above have voice commands to a headset or the option to feed in custom routes from basecamp etc. ?
 
As others have said, nice responsive capacitive screens don't work well through plastic and even less well with gloves on. They are also prone to damage when exposed to strong sunlight (both due to heat and UV affecting the lcd matrix). Then you've got to power them, waterproof them, make it possible to use them with plastic / gloves in the way (I hope whoever suggested a stylus wasn't serious...), stop them getting nicked, deal with the fact that they don't have trans-reflective screens so are hard to see in direct sunlight, pay for a decent off-line mapping app etc, etc. Way too many compromises to end up with a device that still doesn't work as well as a cheap satnav.

By the time you've arsed around jumping through the various hoops required to make a tablet work as a waterproof satnav, you might as well have bought a proper one (perhaps second hand?). Don't get me wrong, I find my iPad dead handy when traveling but it stays in the bottom of my tank bag out of harms way while my ancient but fit for purpose and totally reliable Garmin2720 handles the navigation (bought off here for about £80 five years ago).

I was serious about using a stylus. Why not. It works well with my set up.
 


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