Galaxy S2 as GPS

a_megs

Hi, just started riding properly and went out for the first time around the Manchester area, an area I know little about. Must have got lost at least 6 times, which annoyed me a little. I would get a Garmin, but being a student Im too skint for that...

Basically I was thinking about using my smartphone as a GPS, using Google Maps. Ive found a handlebar holder for it for 30 quid so I am quite tempted. My only worry is whether it will use loads of data. Ive got 750MB allowance every month, that will be enough to go out say, 12 times a month right? Hoping my battery will last some 2-3 hour rides too!

Thanks
Alex

a_megs

Sorry this in completly the wrong section.

inkz

I've got a Garmin now, but been using a Galaxy S for the past few months. I just chucked it in my back pocket on my Jersey.

Make sure it's charged before you go out. It will only use data when you upload the route, I certainly wouldn't worry about data usage, you've got plenty.

I wouldn't spend £30 on mounting your phone, better to put it toward a cheap Garmin eventually.

The main advantage of the garmin over the phone is the battery lasts forever and only needs charging weekly and, that it's mounted on your handlebars and isn't touchscreen so you can use it with your gloves.

a_megs

What do you mean by uploading your route? Im only using the GPS and am using Strava for recording routes.

ricky1980

there is a bike mount for 5.85 from amazon and 4.5 delivery...tho it has been a week since i order still not showed up!

check out the thread i raised about phone NAV viewtopic.php?f=40013&t=12897736

as soon as the phone mount comes i am going to see how long my battery lasts might go for a 1.5x battery pack which you can buy for galaxy phones

reason for me using that app is i want a custom route as opposed to the GOOGLE cycle route...cycle routes are generally slow and lots of turns and junctions in it...not much fun for training rides.

alihisgreat

Don't bother with navigation, you can always use the phone to check if you think you've gone the wrong way anyway.. do bother with Strava though.

ricky1980

ALIHISGREAT wrote:

Don't bother with navigation, you can always use the phone to check if you think you've gone the wrong way anyway.. do bother with Strava though.

what if you don;t know the route, or doing the route first time? go blind :?:

alihisgreat

ricky1980 wrote:

ALIHISGREAT wrote:

Don't bother with navigation, you can always use the phone to check if you think you've gone the wrong way anyway.. do bother with Strava though.

what if you don;t know the route, or doing the route first time? go blind :?:

Map it out on google maps, look at junctions with streetview.. remember which roads you're taking/places you're going through... oddly enough people managed with road-signs before satnav.. and they're actually quite good! (i know its hard to believe!)

Paul 8v

I've just switched from a phone to a Garmin 200, much better as you can see things like average speed on the fly, much more useful and not expensive. also it's less likely to fall off, modern phones smash so easily, the Garmin is pretty solid

ricky1980

ALIHISGREAT wrote:

ricky1980 wrote:

Map it out on google maps, look at junctions with streetview.. remember which roads you're taking/places you're going through... oddly enough people managed with road-signs before satnav.. and they're actually quite good! (i know its hard to believe!)

easy said then done when you doing a 50mile loop with loads of junctions etc...in old days you have a-z i guess you can always bring that out...but that is still navigation...

I think the OP needs navigation so Garmin 200 won't be any use...

buckmulligan

I can't believe that noone has mentioned that in the Android Google Maps app, you can download any area you like and store the map on your device, thus it won't use any data when viewing maps in that area. I do this all the time, especially for places that I'm going abroad, where you don't want to be using any data.

Just fire up the Google Maps app, press the Menu button on the bottom left of your S2 and press 'Make Available Offline'. Pan and zoom to choose the area you want to download and it'll download and store it in the cache. As an example, I downloaded the whole of Greater London area (everything up to and including the M25) and it only took ~40MB of data.

Obviously this will save you downloading any data when browsing the maps, but for me the main bonus is that when you're out and about and don't necessarily have signal, you can still browse the maps and the GPS function will still plot your position, so you can never get lost! The only issues I've come across are:

1. Any routes you've plotted in 'My Maps' will still have to be downloaded every time you want to view them, I really wish Google would make an option to store these on the device too.

2. Any apps that use Google Maps as part of their app (e.g. Strava, Endomondo etc) will not use this stored data, they will still try to download the maps again. It is ONLY the Google Maps app that will use this cached data.

Hope that helps!

buckmulligan

ALIHISGREAT wrote:

ricky1980 wrote:

ALIHISGREAT wrote:

Don't bother with navigation, you can always use the phone to check if you think you've gone the wrong way anyway.. do bother with Strava though.

what if you don;t know the route, or doing the route first time? go blind :?:

Map it out on google maps, look at junctions with streetview.. remember which roads you're taking/places you're going through... oddly enough people managed with road-signs before satnav.. and they're actually quite good! (i know its hard to believe!)

This is exactly what I do and 95% of the time it's fine. Just try to remember the main villages/roads your route is heading on and do a quick reccy of the major junctions on Streetview and it's surprising how little you'll need to check the maps. It'll save your battery life a hell of a lot as well.

cougie

Surely getting lost is half the fun ? I only consult the iphone when i'm really baffled. Makes for great mileages !

ricky1980

cougie wrote:

Surely getting lost is half the fun ? I only consult the iphone when i'm really baffled. Makes for great mileages !

WHAT GETTING LOST! We are men, MEN DO NOT GET LOST - we are never lost, we are taking a more scenic route or avoiding traffic! We always know where we are and where we need to go and how to go about it! RAR! Navigation is our god given natural talent...it's our sixth sense.

prawny

ricky1980 wrote:

cougie wrote:

Surely getting lost is half the fun ? I only consult the iphone when i'm really baffled. Makes for great mileages !

WHAT GETTING LOST! We are men, MEN DO NOT GET LOST - we are never lost, we are taking a more scenic route or avoiding traffic! We always know where we are and where we need to go and how to go about it! RAR! Navigation is our god given natural talent...it's our sixth sense.

+infinity.

Navigation is only for parents when you need to get an exactly 40mile ride done by 08:30 at the latest (before the kids drive the Mrs mental)

daniel_b

BuckMulligan wrote:

I can't believe that noone has mentioned that in the Android Google Maps app, you can download any area you like and store the map on your device, thus it won't use any data when viewing maps in that area. I do this all the time, especially for places that I'm going abroad, where you don't want to be using any data.

Just fire up the Google Maps app, press the Menu button on the bottom left of your S2 and press 'Make Available Offline'. Pan and zoom to choose the area you want to download and it'll download and store it in the cache. As an example, I downloaded the whole of Greater London area (everything up to and including the M25) and it only took ~40MB of data.

I am relatively new to smartphones, and did not realise you could do this.

I just tried it on my S2, and chose an area of only 2mb in size, I have tried it both on wireless and 3G but my second effort just says queued for download, and the first one has a pause button beside it, and a cross on the right, and neither seem to be going anywhere.

I have noa managed to delete the second 'queued to download' one, but the first one sits there belligerently not downloading, and not allowing me to delete it.

I have a £25 a month, plenty of data tariff.

ricky1980

go home connect to wifi and download the entire british isles from google if you want

dyson1590

I've downloaded the free bike hub app for my S2 and got given a waterproof phone holder for Christmas. The app has gps and maps, so I can select where I want to go, choose "quietest route" and it will take me down the pottery lanes to get there just like a satnav. It's all I need.

daniel_b

ricky1980 wrote:

go home connect to wifi and download the entire british isles from google if you want

I've tried it on wifi last night, as well as 3g, and wireless again this morning.

Bizarre, just sits there and goes nowhere, tells me size will be 2mb etc, but progress is stuck at 0.0mb/0.0mb.

Perhaps I need to uninstall and reinstall it, though it normally flags up if it needs an update - quite frustrating!

murf1480

cougie wrote:

Surely getting lost is half the fun ? I only consult the iphone when i'm really baffled. Makes for great mileages !

^^^^ This. Really is more fun and you start to learn the area and surrounding areas better

ricky1980

Daniel B wrote:

I've tried it on wifi last night, as well as 3g, and wireless again this morning.

Bizarre, just sits there and goes nowhere, tells me size will be 2mb etc, but progress is stuck at 0.0mb/0.0mb.

Perhaps I need to uninstall and reinstall it, though it normally flags up if it needs an update - quite frustrating!

try uninstall and reinstall the app, if that fails reboot into recovery (press power home and volume up buttom at the same time when powering on) and go into advanced -> wipe Delvic cache. but i think u need to root your phone...

ADIHEAD

Surely everyone uses Strava now? If it ain't on GPS, it didn't happen:D 750meg per month is loads and you won't use much doing Google Maps. If you're near a WIFI when you end the ride then it will avoid data usage also. When I didn't know where I was going I just printed a map and put it in my back pocket. Normally just going through the route the day before you tend to remember it when it counts. Then just run Strava with the phone in your back pocket, that's what people I ride with who don't have Garmins do. If you're uncompetitive, you can use Endomodo or Map My Ride instead;-)

daniel_b

ricky1980 wrote:

Daniel B wrote:

I've tried it on wifi last night, as well as 3g, and wireless again this morning.

Bizarre, just sits there and goes nowhere, tells me size will be 2mb etc, but progress is stuck at 0.0mb/0.0mb.

Perhaps I need to uninstall and reinstall it, though it normally flags up if it needs an update - quite frustrating!

try uninstall and reinstall the app, if that fails reboot into recovery (press power home and volume up buttom at the same time when powering on) and go into advanced -> wipe Delvic cache. but i think u need to root your phone...

I tried it again later today and it just started working, with no intervention by myself, must have been a glitch - very strange! But a very useful feature, so very pleased to discover it :-)