New world, new obstacles...

[Phmode]

So, having decided never to rely on a Garmin device ever again (don't ask, it's way too boring) and having never worked out how my TomTom works, I was left with only the smart phone route.

I decided to go with MyRoute app Navigation and once MRA have finished building it I'm sure it will be wonderful.

Of course, I then had to buy an old phone cos I don't want to wreck my real one but eBay was my friend.

Then I had to sell a kidney (again ebay to the rescue) to buy new mounts for the bikes and the car. QuadLock to the rescue this time.

And then the real obstacle popped up on the horizon. Having been out on the bike last week it suddenly dawned on me that new phones need new tech to be able to operate them with gloves on. I am already suffering with this with the iPad when I am out stargazing and navigating the heavens which is way easier than navigating the roads. I have some really warm shooting gloves which have roll back trigger finger ends and that works well for touch screen use on freezing winter nights but they are about as much use as a chocolate teapot on a bike.

I can't be the first etc. etc. and lo, it turns out I am not...

https://www.oxfordproducts.com/motorcycle/brands/oxford/rider_wear/gloves/oxford_smartfingers/

...and so a bundle are winging their way as we speak.

Other 'nano-technology' paint solutions are available but I decided to go old-school. More anon!

[richtea]

Excellent! We're both doing the same thing.
I jumped the Garmi and Tomtom steps and went straight to smartphone + QuadLock + MRA + touch-sensitive finger gloves.
Trouble is the touch-sensitive gloves are summer ones. And it's February.

What I am missing are waterproof / winter gloves with touch sensitivity, so I'll be very interested to see how your Oxford smart fingers work.

[alancu]

I've gone the Quadlock route as well having given up on Garmin, I run WAZE which for day to day routing is excellent! I also find the user contributed alerts are brilliant. Once an alert stop me finding a scaffolding plank the hard way on the M25.

Reference operating the phone with gloves, I guess it depends on whether its Iphone or Android but I hit the same problem using the Quadlock water resistant "cover", on android you can tweak the screen sensitivity which solved the problem for me. Maybe I just have dainty little fingers!

One word of warning in case you hadn't heard. If you are using the Quadlock be careful if you are using an Iphone. If you don't buy the Quadlock anti vibration mount the vibration can destroy the camera auto focus, very expensive with the risk of warranties being voided. Initially I wasn't sure if this was just an internet myth but as far as I can tell it is true. Not totally sure if Android phones like my S20 are susceptible, there doesn't seem so much info about them but I bought the vibration mount just to be safe.

[Phmode]

I have the anti-vibe mount on the bike with the weatherproof charging head so I'm good to go.

I bought the rain hood for the iPhone SE but it turns out the phone is waterproof. I also bought the screen mount and charging head ordinaire for the car. It doesn't need the anti-vibe mount. I'm not sure the bike does either to be honest. There is a problem but it is more about off road bikes. And then, just to be sure, I bought a second hand iPhone SE to use exclusively on the bike and in the car, no SIM to keep things simple.

I've had a few 'interesting' journeys using MRA nav. Asked it to take me to Halesowen in the car to get it serviced and it all looked so good. It kept telling me to turn round but I figured that was because it was taking me via the M50 and I was going into Malvern to call in at B&Q. However, when I caught some traffic and took a look at the display MRA was trying to take me to somewhere 1300km away in Holland; well, MRA is a Dutch outfit...

I did a reset at B&Q and it worked fine until I got to the dealers when it kindly informed me that I reached my destination. Well, sort of, except it was on the other side of a dual-carriageway with no pass-through. At that point the screen stopped scrolling and I drove on right off the top of the phone...

Then, on the way home it kept telling me to leave at every junction on the motorway and back to the dealers before eventually relenting and taking me home. Two blue lines on the M/way ahead, one going round the roundabout and back and the other going straight on.

I also asked it to take me to a foodie night at a local brewery on a hop farm about 8 miles away down some truly wibbly bits. I had been there with a neighbour as a passenger in his car so 'sort' of knew the way but wanted to see what the nav did. Well, it knew a shortcut missing out the local village and I'm lucky the suspension is still attached to the car. It did say 'Not suitable for HGV's' but the A3 hardly counts as big...I measured it when I came home and it was 10 metres shorter but I reckon it takes about a week longer 

There is currently no route selection facility in MRA nav, only avoidances, so you can't choose shortest or fastest, neither of which I ever want to use. 99% of the time I am either following a pre-plotted route or I want it to take me the obvious way, but neither Garmin nor TomTom have an 'Obvious' button.

The new version of the MRA nav is in Beta testing at the moment and although I'm on the tester list I just haven't had time to get involved.

As far as finding destinations etc. in a search, it is every bit as good as the Garmin XT so I'm hoping the real version will be as good.

[richtea]

You can always fall back on Google Maps, Brian. Even on an iPhone.

[EDIT: if you hook it up to your other phone for data]

[Matt]

Oh god I can see me wanting to try this out now! If the touchy fingers make it all easy then I've little excuse.

[Phmode]

Well, there is no need for data because MRA nav has all the maps downloaded onto the non-phone foc (and onto my real phone and my iPad) so if I get 'lost' then it is my fault. Even without the nav function, the screen shows me where I am so using it as a plain old map with a 'you are here' pin will do in a squeeze.

I am mainly using the non-phone to run CamerAlert from PocketGPSWorldGPSPocketwotsit. It doesn't show the map detail without data but it does show the upcoming cameras which is more than the Garmin XT did. At the moment I am struggling to get the non-phone to run both MRA and CamerAlert at the same time.

I may end up running both the real phone running CamerAlert using it's data (as well as using the phone function) and the non-phone running the MRA nav. But that sort of complicates things and still means I am risking my real phone.

I am also in the process of updating the helmet. I am probably going to go to a Schuberth C3 Pro (currently on an original C3 which is probably going to the science museum as an historic exhibit).

I would have loved to do away with the Sena and fit the Schuberth SRC-System Pro to the helmet but they stopped making them after Pontius the Pilot retired. There was one on eBay yesterday but I missed it so if anyone has one they don't want, I'm in the market...

And then there will be a fire-sale of the Garmin XT, the TomTom Rider 400 and the Sena20S. Or perhaps just a fire...

[richtea]

> CamerAlert from PocketGPSWorldGPSPocketwotsit

Not sure this is maintained any more, in terms of recent camera locations. Rae may know.

[Phmode]

The database is updated at least weekly. Every time I use it it warns me that I am not using the latest database and I have to do a manual download.

There has been heavy roadworks on the A40 north of Gloucester for a couple of years and it warned me of the various and almost daily changes to the speed limits. And the thing still gets confused as to what the speed limit is now that the works have been completed.

And talking of Gloucester, anyone who fancies a last pint or three in The Air Balloon pub at the junction of the A417 and the A436...you (and I) have missed your chance. The place is now boarded up for good pending the bulldozers starting on the Nettleton By-Pass sometime, maybe never.

[raesewell]

After Cameralert stopped working with Android I switched to Speedtrap Alert which works with the PocketGPSworld database.
It's just a bit of a faff to download it, but it does work.

[Phmode]

There are times when I think those who stick to the speed limits have a much easier time of it...

[raesewell]

There have been times when I thought that myself but I quickly dismissed the idea.

[black-k1]

...

I am also in the process of updating the helmet. I am probably going to go to a Schuberth C3 Pro (currently on an original C3 which is probably going to the science museum as an historic exhibit).
...

Slightly off topic - there are some very nice deals on carbon C3 Pros if you shop around.

[alancu]

>After Cameralert stopped working with Android I switched to Speedtrap Alert which works with the PocketGPSworld database.

Yep, me too.
Speed trap alert Seems to play nicely with Waze and Google Maps on my phone, I'm off to try out MRA, isn't that one excellent for predetermined route following (say on a ride-out?...that is what none of the others seem to want to do, they all seem to me to want to try and reroute rather than follow a planned ride)

>There are times when I think those who stick to the speed limits have a much easier time of it...

 

I have the occasional joy of riding through London, trying to hold to the 20mph limits there when all the locals ignore them because they know where the cameras are and stick on your rear number plate because they think you are winding them up, is no joy.

[Matt]

Ah... lan, that's a shame! Last time I rode through London was... yeah about ten years ago. I somewhat enjoyed it then, was less stressful than the car when I was trying to find the right lane all the time.

I use the MRA planning side of things to make routes, or did last couple of years. As you say though, when we move those routes to our various TomTom Club and Garmins they all try to change it. It was not at all all good in the wordy rappinghood trying to sort that out!