phone as a Sat Nav?
 

Afternoon org,

Just wondering if anyone has tried using a phone on the bike as satnav?

Myself and the Mrs are only getting into touring on the bike this year, and am intrested in getting a satnav, but i wasnt to make sure that we enjoy going away (if i can put up with her!) before forking out £300 odd for a tom tom rider, so am thinking of using a phone, a long time ago a mate and me did a trip, and purchased bluetooth headsets for the phones, and used a bit of velcrow on teh yolk to fix the phone to the bike to be able to hit the answer button, or speeddial 1, whilst riding.

However am not sure about putting my phone on the bike like that any more, so wondering any anyone has come accross any way to waterproof the phone and attach to the bike and still see the screen.

So far the only thing i have come up with is my tank bag and use the map pocket, however i will prob also fit a power adaptor to the bike and i would like to attach it to my autocom and dont really want to have loads of leads dangleing out of the tank bag, i would rather have it all hardwired.

Any ideas would be great.

Cheers in advance guys.

Re: phone as a Sat Nav
 

What I do...

Program Sat-Nav on phone before getting on bike, attach headphones, adjust volume, stick phone in inside Jacket pocket, just have the voice directions.

Re: phone as a Sat Nav
 

yeah, have thort about that, but still want to be able to charge it, we are looking at going to france, and with satnav on all the time there is no way the battery will still be charged by the time we get there, and dont really wany more leads and things coming from the bike onto me than i already will with the autocom!

If that makes sense.

Re: phone as a Sat Nav
 

Stick phone under the seat then, attached to some way of charging it

Re: phone as a Sat Nav
 

I was going to ask the same question funnily enough. The overboard phone cases are good (waterproof) I have used them on the boat before but that might cause problems mounting/charging. I reckon best bet would be some kind of mount with strong velcro, then velcro on a waterprrof case, maybe modified if neccasary to get a charging cable in.

Re: phone as a Sat Nav
 

1. Yes, I use memory map to display OS maps and a GPS position when greenlaning, it works fine on a Windows Mobile smartphone. You can buy the likes of Copilot software pretty cheap on ebay, and I think that would work fine too.

2. In a normal handlebar mounted phone holder, slipped inside a condom! :mrgreen: You will find it difficult to get the touch screen to work properly though the thick plastic of a tankbag pocket.

3. I doubt you are going to find a powered cradle for your phone similar to that supplied with a Garmin Zumo, so you are going to have loose cables running somewhere, be it to a holder, or a tank bag. I've never found loose cables to be a problem, so long as they are the curly telephone cord type.

Re: phone as a Sat Nav
 

I used a £10 ish weatherproof fag lighter socket, a second hand waterproof case & mount and my phone or car satnav. Works a treat and muchos cheap - the only thing you miss off a bike nav it the sun visor....but if you could be bothered you could work something out.

Re: phone as a Sat Nav
 

cigarette socket to charge the phone, phone in tank bag= simples.

Re: phone as a Sat Nav
 

There is an android app for memory maps now :smt040 for those of you that use them.

Re: phone as a Sat Nav
 

Good to know. I'm thinking about getting a second hand Android to use as a personal handset with my personal SIM when I don't want work to bother me.