GPS program with spoken offroad route directions? - General Questions and Answers

Can anyone suggest a program which will talk me round a pre-planned route?
I currently do a lot of hiking, and use memory-map to plan out my route before I leave the house, and can compare my location at any time on my phone. I'm now looking to start cycling a bit, and it would be nice to be able to leave my phone in my pocket, and be told left and right etc.
A fair amount of this will be off-road, which rules out all road navigation software.
It doesnt matter if the app supports maps or not, just that it will take a route in some format such as gpx or mmo, and give out verbal instructions which are practically useable.
Thanks in advance.

I've found Run.GPS which seems a very good package, but not very user friendly. I'm going to try the 2 week trial, but would still be interested in hearing other suggestions.

Related

Any decent cycling/training GPS software?

Something that records distance, average speed, total height climbed/descended, graphical outputs of speed v distance etc?
I've found a few different programs, but nothing that's amazing.
Anyone have any ideas? Cheers.
Lemme know if you find one u like, k?
Have you tried Memory Map. I use for hill walking and provides everything you ask for. Needs to be on Windows Mobile device.
Have you tried RunGPS?
I tried VisualGPS, TurboGPS and some other free ones and they are all kinda lousy for tracking stats while jogging. But RunGPS looks like it will work well. I downloaded it but I haven't taken it on a test run yet.
Yeah, Memory Map is good, but it doesn't do everything that I'd like. For example, I don't think you can get an graph of your speed v time etc, or elevation v time (like the application on the N95). It is very good for navigation though.
I'll have to try RunGPS.
James, have a look at TerraTrack, it's reasonably good. It gives you a colour coded route depending on speed etc. Not quite perfect for what I'm looking for though, but probably the best so far.
Hi,
Memory Map is okay. It will provide a track of where you have been, average speed, total ascent/descent, distance travelled etc. However, it is fairly limited in that it is not really designed for that. It is primarily a navigation tool.
The best thing I have found and use (only recently though) is RunGPS which Andy suggests. It is specifically designed as a training tool with a bit of navigation bolted on. It basically has a few main screens. They are
Recorder:- this is split into 8 areas where you can display speed, distance, altitude, calories, av speed, max speed etc. There are quite a lot of choices here to display so it is very customisable for your needs.
Navigation:- shows a map with a cursor following your route. You can import Google Maps or use open maps (mainly show roads so not great for off road navigation). Like memory map it will allow you to follow pre planned routes. It also has a compass on this screen.
Map:- basically a full screen map.
When riding you can record laps (ideal for timing yourself up your local favourite hill) and you can even set it up to race yourself over your favourite routes. Each run can be imported into Google Maps if you want to share where you have been with friends. There is even a web site where you can upload your routes.
A good feature of it is that you can produce a training report for each run you do (produced on a web page). It gives you a breakdown of the run based on
Speed
Calories
Altitude
Map of your route
The main recording screen has large buttons for starting and stopping your training and a split/lap button. You can set it to give an audible report of your speed, distance etc every 5, 10, 20 minutes (I use this on the road bike as I have my phone in my pocket).
Certainly for anyone riding competively it gives you most of the info you would ever need to analyse you training. The only thing you don't get is heart rate. However, you can sync you heart rate readings with this software.
Basically this software gives you all the info you would get from a cycle computer or one of the Garmin devices on your phone.
Have a look at their web site, it has screen shots and you can trial the software for 14 days.
Regards
matheprat said:
James, have a look at TerraTrack, it's reasonably good. It gives you a colour coded route depending on speed etc. Not quite perfect for what I'm looking for though, but probably the best so far.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'll take a look at it, thanks.
spangelsaregreat said:
Hi,
The best thing I have found and use (only recently though) is RunGPS which Andy suggests.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I am just floored on how well the GPS works with rungps. I ususally am stuck waiting for a minute at least while in clear view of the sky to connect to GPS with google maps, Microsoft Live, visualgps, turbogps, and a few other free ones I cant remember the names of,,,,,but with RunGPS is connects in a seconds even if I'm not outside............
I cant wait to take it out for a jog tomorrow.
Thanks for the detailed post! I've had a play, and it looks perfect for what I want, thanks for the suggestion! Do you know what the difference between "cycling". "mountainbiking" and "race-biking" is?
matheprat said:
Thanks for the detailed post! I've had a play, and it looks perfect for what I want, thanks for the suggestion! Do you know what the difference between "cycling". "mountainbiking" and "race-biking" is?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I could pretend to be all knowledgable here however to be honest I had not noticed the other options!!
I would hazard a guess they are linked to the calorie side of things. I was actually thinking about that today when I was out on my mountainbike slogging up a muddy track at 3mph. Obviously riding up a similar hill on the road would expend less calories so I am guessing the formula that works out the categories allows for this.
I guess cycling is perhaps for general leisure riding and race biking is for going a bit harder.
Regards
spangelsaregreat said:
I could pretend to be all knowledgable here however to be honest I had not noticed the other options!!
I would hazard a guess they are linked to the calorie side of things. I was actually thinking about that today when I was out on my mountainbike slogging up a muddy track at 3mph. Obviously riding up a similar hill on the road would expend less calories so I am guessing the formula that works out the categories allows for this.
I guess cycling is perhaps for general leisure riding and race biking is for going a bit harder.
Regards
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I thought this too at first, but surely calorie count is basically very similar regardless of the bike used? Sure, the bike's weight and efficiency will have an effect, but not enough to warrant 3 different cycling settings? You would use more calories pushing harder, but that would be reflected in your speed readings from the GPS?
Either way, cheers for the info about the software. Just what I was looking for
Hi,
Yes between cycling normally and racing on the road their should really be no difference.
However, you go considerably slower off road because of the conditions, so unless the program knows this it will think you are going less hard than on the road. Without a heart rate input (like on a Polar or similar) the program can't really know how hard you are pushing based purely on speed and altitude gained or lost.
Regards
I use Vidaone's (www.vidaone.com) MY Sport Training, this is quite an indepth program, with GPS / Polar HRM plugins also with a Windows Synchable desktop part.
I believe that they also do a diet app that also interfaces with My Sport Training.
SC
Or sportypal, almost the same type as Rungps, but with more options, and easy way for setting up goals.

Sat Nav for Cycling

I'm interested in using sat Nav for cyling on road and perhaps a little off road cannals etc.
Any recommendations for good options?
I notice copilot has a cycle mode
other threads
http://forum.xda-developers.com/archive/index.php/t-294512.html
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?p=3710059
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=328736
I'm very pleased with Run.Gps and would definitely recommend it. It allows you to plan a route in advance and they guides you around it with spoken instructions.
I cycle with my bluetooth headphones on listening to music, and it directs you at each junction, as well as giving you any data you want and pre-set intervals.
Its a bit complicated to start with, but it does have a free trial to play around with for a bit.
Igo has cycle and pedestrian modes as well.
I have not used the cycle mode though. I've used tomtom in the past, but I'm liking the Igo alot.
Thanks I'll take a look at both of these options. I know the dedicated Garmin cycle devices are also very good
If you want off-road, I use Memory-Map, which allows you to view OS maps. You can plot your route, if you wish, and then use GPS to track - or just track anywhere! One good thing is that it gives you a profile (heights) of your route - so you know when that uphill stretch is coming! Unlike road navigation software, you don't have to stay on a road and it give you all the OS information too. Best I've seen.
I use BikeDashboard.
It's free and has all the stats, and will link up to a heart rate monitor if you have the necessary connection gubbins.
You can create your own maps in GE and import them so you can have that on display or the stats. It also offers download and upload fatures so you can analyse your performance, and will allow you to race a previous trace.
http://www.freewarepocketpc.net/ppc-download-bikedashboard.html
It does everything I want it to, but I'd imagine all these GPS enabled software will be limited by battery life - mine will give me about a morning's use.
-Jonny- said:
If you want off-road, I use Memory-Map, which allows you to view OS maps. You can plot your route, if you wish, and then use GPS to track - or just track anywhere! One good thing is that it gives you a profile (heights) of your route - so you know when that uphill stretch is coming! Unlike road navigation software, you don't have to stay on a road and it give you all the OS information too. Best I've seen.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I agree that memory-map is very good for walking and hiking, but haven't found it much use for cycling other than using the pc part for planning routes and reviewing afterwards.
It is also very expensive, and we're not allowed to recommend looking for warez.

GPS app - Offline maps and offroad navigation

On my Windows CE PND, I use oziexplorer.
Using Mobile atlas creator I can use Google or OSM maps, and at the same time it has features like "as the crow flies navigation" to a waypoint, or load upto 5gpx tracks and show on screen, and navigate by gpx track.
It also writes tracks, with a new track for every day(useful over multi day trips).
I was looking at similar android apps.
I came across the following
1. Locus
This is the most popular, but gpx writing etc., has just been added, and is basic
2. Trekbuddy - Very old app, I am not sure if any current dev is going on
3. Big Planet tracks - Looks very promising, and feature set advertises "waypoint navigation etc,m'
4. Oruxmaps - Again very popular, can load gpx track
All the above maps do not split tracks by day.
I also found some quirks. For example in oruxmaps, there is no way of telling whether its writing a track or not. the button does not change shape on pressing play pause etc.,
All the above are great apps, but from an offroad navigation standpoint, I am not aware which is the best.
Of course there are paid apps like Maverick etc., but currently I am looking only at free apps.
Oziexplorer for android is under alpha stage, and many features are missing, but since I have already purchased a license long time back, I presume, I should be able to use it once it comes(nobody knows when), if the licensing terms are same.
What do you guys suggest? Any offroad navigators here?
any other apps which I may have missed?
thank u very much
Have you tried Brut Maps?
Brut maps are good for offline mapping. For this purpose orux/locus etc., all are excellent solutions. I am looking for a good off road gpx and navigation system. similar to oziexplorer. All the apps I mentioned are somewhat capable of what I need, but not every feature is available.
I think the Big Planet tracks is the most promising, since source is open, and with more developers joining in, things can get better!
I'm on the same hunt, a good off road gps navigator. I go off road a lot (have jeep, will travel) and the trails i go on do not exist on conventional maps. they are on topo maps as dotted lines or "jeep trails". I used to use GPS Tuner when i was on windows mobile. Loved that program. best thing out there in terms of off road navigation. hopefully they'll port it to android soon.
I'm currently trying Maverick, OruxMap, and Gaia GPS to see how they compare.
Maverick seems to be the best so far. Easy to learn and use. And has a lot of map options. Plus with the newest version they finally allow custom mapping, which means you can use a program like MapMaker to create a downloaded map with your choice of a source. I also like its interface and how it responds. Also love the one click ablity to drop a waypoint.
OruxMap seems like a good program, but it gets on my nerves a bit when you can not search around on the map, by dragging it, without it doing that "distance to target" crap. My other complaint about it is that it seems you can't just load a bunch of waypoints in without a track. wtf? hopefully i'm just missing something, but so far i can not load my already existing kml file (and yes, tried as gpx as well) full of waypoint markers without a track in progress or from the past. I do not like that. When I go off roading, i would like to load the markers, and have it track where i go. mainly because my "markers" are more like virtual notes to me on forks in the trail and what each one does. plus some of my markers are POI along the trail, like a nice rock climb or deep mud bogg, and I'd like to be able to just click that and have it point me in the direction of it without having to already be on my way.
Gaia GPS is nice and simple. nothing really fancy about it, except the price you pay for such a simple app. It is great if you want access to the old topo maps that it seems no other gps program can get without importing them via MapMaker. Its very easy to use, simple to follow and does its main job perfectly. show where you are ontop of topo maps. this is good for someone like me that wants to see where the old jeep trails are because like i said earlier, seems no mapping company marks these anymore.
And I've tried testing these all as best as i can. Right now I'm grounded to roads only due to the fact my off road ability is shot due to a bad transfer case. but hopefully i'll be able to do a true middle of no where, no cell service, off road test off these apps and any others i can remember to install before leaving the network.
But right now, if i had to pay for one, it'd be Maverick.
I am finding androzic quite nice too. Currently trying orux and androzic, will finalize about one of them
tsk1979 said:
I am finding androzic quite nice too. Currently trying orux and androzic, will finalize about one of them
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Click to collapse
I on a similar hunt - how did u get on?
Androzic is the way to go!
Oruxmap is almost there, but Androzic is totally Oziexplorer like. And guess what, Oziexplorer truly rocks.
I think orux maps would be close if it auto saved waypoints you created manually, and did not have so much confusing screen clutter.
I love androzic for the "look ahead feature", where I can look ahead a set percentage towards the direction I am travelling.
If you do try androzic, do not forget to download img2ozf from the project page(version 2) as newer version of img2ozf from oziexplorer website will create ozfx3 format maps from mobile atlas downloaded maps, which is not supported by androzic.
Awesome!
Thank you!!
I too have GPS units that I get in for myself & friends and we all go 4x4ing deep in the aussie bush.
Since the tablets have come along way I have been thinking about trying one with off-roading to compare to our current GPS units. However, if I can get a good tablet with GPS, and GPS software that I can port my 6gig worth of oziexplorer maps... I am set!!
I am going to look in to Androzic asap - currently I have masses of CD's with rooftops maps & that is the main thing I want on the droid tablets!
Thanks again for this thread!!
Guys, no question...
I mean it seriously. Menion (the dev of Locus) spends several hours a day in making Locus the best offline map app ever. If you have some suggestions or missing features, why don't you put it on his wishlist?
I looked at locus, but as things currently stand, oruxmaps has kind of come out on top for me.
It can write tracks, read tracks, navigate as a crow flies to a waypoint, or navigate a track.
Now I need to ask the devs to work on the trip computers.
For example, multiple odometers, with individual reset etc.,

[APP][2.2+] NotifyOnNet 1.1184 [2014-JAN-01]

For your consideration: NotifyOnNet 1.1184
I created this app out of necessity, I travel a lot through the mountains and desert and once you leave the pavement it's rare to have a solid Verizon signal for any stretch of time. To compound my problem I also use Google Voice which requires mobile data to send and receive texts. I wanted an app where I could activate it and then just leave my phone in the cradle. Then while I drove it would run in the background and then chime/vibrate when I came in range of a cell tower. I looked into a solution. Most people recommended sending a text to yourself, etc but that just didn't seem to work for me. I also tried Tasker but honestly it looked confusing and I didn't feel like buying it. In the end I just decided to would be cool to try making it myself and here is my attempt at that.
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.walledout.notifyonconnect&hl=en
This sort of app is probably not useful to most people but if you live in a rural area then I invite you to try it out. Please leave feedback and I'm definitely open to suggestions. This is my first Android app and it has been quite a learning process!
Thanks

Does the perfect GPS app really exist?

Hey XDA'ers - I recently drove an awful trip from Connecticut the South Carolina last weekend, and I have to go back tomorrow. What I used on the way down was Google Maps/Navigation on my phone, and Waze on my tablet. My experience:
Google maps didn't route me around a ton of various traffic jams.
Twice it asked if I wanted to select a better route, which I chose, and both times it landed me in very heavy traffic that HAD to be worse than orginal route. It asked me a 3rd time, I declined, and still landed in traffic.
Google maps appears to have no route avoidance - i.e. avoid next 5 miles, or avoid this highway.
I primarily used Waze for traffic and cop notification, Waze seemed to work well for that purpose .I didn't turn on a route in Waze until almost at my destination. I heard it's navigation can take you too much off main roads though.
Google maps did seem to reflect traffic jams in red on the map, but did nothing to get me around them.
I say all this with the understanding that sometimes there are no good alternative routes around traffic, accidents, etc.
I'd be willing to pay good money for a GPS app that works well, and has good route avoidance features. I should note that I've paid for CoPilot which is supposed to do avoidance, and I've had and used for some time, but they updated their interface and I can't figure out how to do route avoidance anymore. Any guidance on CoPilot route avoidance, or another solid GPS app, would be SO very much appreciated.
Thanks a ton in advance for any feedback!!!!

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