Originally Posted by
Tende
I've found threads debating the merits of GPS vs smartphone vs paper maps, and Ive seen some info for the Iphone, but for my upcoming cross county tour, Ive decided to carry paper maps, supported by my Android smartphone. Some of the route I will have planned before I depart, but some routing will be done on the road. Battery & data usage considerations require that I only access GPS or cell phone towers intermittently (ie I can't run with continuous GPS connection or continously download data) Here are my requirements:
1. Must be able to download and access maps offline.
2. Need to be able to get directions, modify route and..
3. Save route to offline maps
4. I'd like to have turn by turn instructions (dont need oral)
5. I'd like to track my mileage (at least daily, but over the entire multiday tour would be nice)
Here are the programs I've looked at or heard about, but, to my knowledge none seem to meet all my requirements.
Googlemaps - seems to have everything, except the ability to access (save) offline.
MapMyRide
MapDroyd
Osmand
BackCountyNavigator
MyTourBook
Thoughts?
Before I begin to address some of your requirements, did you mean "cross-country" tour when you said "cross-county". If you're riding across the country I can certainly understand your problem. If you're only riding across a single county that shouldn't be a problem for most apps that can work off-line.
I'm not sure if I understand you correctly but are you asking is it possible to route or re-route a map while you are on the ride? I heard of people wanting to do this before but unless you have a laptop ( with mouse feature ) and on-line access I don't think this is possible with just a smart phone ( unless you have a mini-bluetooth keyboard with mouse feature that will work with a smart phone (?) ) Anyway, not sure if it's possible with just a standard smart phone.
Since someone else already recommended OSMAnd, I'll go ahead and recommend you give the Locus Pro app a look-over. Locus Pro will give you the option to down load maps for off-line use ( for a small fee ). Locus is very configurable. If you don't want voice prompts those can be turned off. You can use Locus for basic navigation and turn on/off the GPS manually if you wish. You can also set the GPS for how often you want it to check for location. Of course if you turn off the voice prompts you must view the screen more to see where you are going and where the next turn is. Locus gives no visual written cue sheet of street names or turns.
Another app you may find interesting is "Cue Sheet" with Pro pack. Cue sheet is much easier to work with but has limitations. New features allow the user to download maps for off-line use. Cue Sheet also offers "voice TBT" if wanted. Cue Sheet also allows the user to just use the "written" cue sheet for navigation without using the GPS. I believe it also gives you the distance to the next turn. Very helpful if you have a separate bike computer that gives you mileage. All this of course helps save battery life...
...And speaking of battery life; If you are using a smart phone for navigation you can easily extend run time by using an external battery/charger. These just plug into the phone's USB port and can extend runtime immensely ( how long depends on the size of the battery/charger...they come in different capacity sizes. The bigger the capacity, the more longer the run time ) Many people use these by just connecting them at the start and hide the battery in a small bag near the front of the bike. I have one but rarely need to use it. My phone has a good size battery, enough for my usual 3-4 hr rides. Of course if I needed more I could buy a USB/phone adapter for one of my 8.4 volt Li-ion batteries and use that to get me through a day long ride.
Lastly, both Locus Pro and Cue Sheet are pretty efficient IMO. Then again I usually leave the screen off and just let the "voice" tell me when a turn is coming up. If I have questions I turn the screen back on to get clarification. Not to worry though, if I go off route both apps will notify me with voice if I wish to use those features.