Looking for a GPS navigator for bicycle

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Hello!
I'm trying find a GPS navigator suitable for use on bicycle.
Because GPS itself is using lot's of battery I'm looking for something that would preserve as much battery as possible, therefor the requirements are:

1) no data connection requirement (google types are not acceptable)
2) has voice turn-by-turn notifications
3) can work in standby mode (or at least has an option to turn off display)
4) can work in the background

I've tried tomtom, but it fails 3 and 4...


Any suggestions?

Thank you.

Try This

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Use TomTom, use "psShutXP" to turn off display and use "Taskfacade" to let it run in background (switch to another task).

Thank you, I will try.

The thing is, whenever I switch to another program (or just open start menu), TT stops doing it's job and it looses GPS connection...I'm not sure if it's ROM related or TT related...

Just tried Taskfacade4...oh my, how the hell did I live without it?!
Now, off testing TT

You can try iGo too. I just took it off of my card because I don't like its routing compared to Garmin.

I'm just not sure if it'll work in the background. You can adjust power settings for backlight, and even use the system default so the backlight will go off after x amount of time and it should still run and talk to you.

Try Sportypal: www.sportypal.com

You can also see your journey with googlemaps...it's great (look in the community section the road uploaded by other members)

Chargers

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Try this site to make your own charger. I've made 3 so far and they all work fine
http://blog.makezine.com/archive/200...e_charger.html

Originally Posted by V@no

Hello!
I'm trying find a GPS navigator suitable for use on bicycle.
Because GPS itself is using lot's of battery I'm looking for something that would preserve as much battery as possible, therefor the requirements are:

1) no data connection requirement (google types are not acceptable)
2) has voice turn-by-turn notifications
3) can work in standby mode (or at least has an option to turn off display)
4) can work in the background

I've tried tomtom, but it fails 3 and 4...


Any suggestions?

Thank you.

I do a lot of mountain bike riding and I suggest you get a Bluetooth GPS. They are really quite cheap and this will solve your battery life issues. You can also keep your phone tucked safely away but have your GPS on the handle bars or in the shoulder strap of your hydration pack to maintain a good signal under trees or between tall buildings in the city.


I use this http://www.memory-map.co.uk/pda_mobile.htm
If I use my BT GPS it continues to record my track when the phone is in STBY.

Memory-Map doesn't do turn-by-turn navigation but is awesome off-road in the UK. Pity US maps are hard to get (but not impossible)

I use Garmin Mobile XT attached to my handlebar, on road only. Just buy that cradle for handlebar found in ebay. I never use this combo for mountain biking, rather use other GPS device.

Originally Posted by V@no

Hello!
I'm trying find a GPS navigator suitable for use on bicycle.
Because GPS itself is using lot's of battery I'm looking for something that would preserve as much battery as possible, therefor the requirements are:

1) no data connection requirement (google types are not acceptable)
2) has voice turn-by-turn notifications
3) can work in standby mode (or at least has an option to turn off display)
4) can work in the background

I've tried tomtom, but it fails 3 and 4...


Any suggestions?

Thank you.

TomTom is released on Android? When did that happen? Thanks to the rest of you, too - I have some other things to look at, then.

First of all, I ride in London, so my research has been based on navigating within the UK. I thought I'd looks at everything, but it appears that I've missed a couple of obvious ones.

So here's what I've come up with:

I'm using an experimental navigator called Androad (google it - it's not on the market). I find that it gives me the best route for my daily commute, although it's not without issues. It does not give me my current speed, which I like to see, the turn directions overwrite the arrows you can can't see the distances, and the voice navigation gets its lefts and rights confused so is a bit like taking directions from my wife. However, it does a great job routing primarily along cycle routes where it can, so I'm inclined to use it over the alternative.

BikeHub uses the CycleStreets API to do its routing, and is quite nicely polished. It doesn't give you the ability to create a location database, and although you can route via multiple locations, it is difficult to enter multiple points not having a location database to reference. This said, it does provide routes that I would never have considered possible, so it's interesting to see.

I will have a look at the apps mentioned elsewhere in this thread, and see how they work.

Another point that has been mentioned is that if using a charger. I have done this myself, although I never use it because my phone lasts much longer than my commute. My charger solution involved buying a USB car charger from amazon and a 3S lipo battery (11.1V). I do quite a bit of radio controlled helicopter flying, so I'm kitted out for lipo, although I see no reason that the same solution shouldn't work for LiFe, which is often used for bicycle lights. I ripped the guts out of the charger, connected the battery directly the input and my phone to the other end. I have yet to get my hands on a LiFe battery to try this, so don't try it until you hear from me again because you might damage your phone.

Hope this helps.

Garmin

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Hi
HTC Touch pro with EnergyRom 29020

I use Garmin mobile XT with Garmin Topo Germany 2010, but the OSM-maps work as well.

For Hiking:
Power settings:
settings\system\power
on battery power:
turn off device if not used: switched off
using the navigation display. For power saving: long press power button and then select "switch off display"
now the announcement and the GPS is still active.
Want to see the display: press the power button
For power saving: long press power button and then select "switch off display"


For cycling:
I use a usb-loader that is connected to the dynamo.
on external power
Switch off: turn off device if not used (otherwise the GPS is switched off and the device lost the orientation)

I am very satisfied with this solution.
For hiking and cycling I can rout at the desktop and copy the route to my device. Or I can route on the Touch Pro.

For carnavigation I use the same device, but in this case I prefer "Navigon"

best regards
Bernd

your points 1-4: yes