c0urt

I am tired of being lost in Atlanta. and I have been debating on phone gps for use on my bike. any of you guys use it, and if how do you like it ?

zelah

i'm waiting for the 3g version of the iphone to come out

not gps, bu close enough

kjohnnytarr

I hate phones.

edit: GPS is cool though. I was sailing over spring break, and GPS was the ****. Saved our 21st century asses time and again, GPS did.

mugatu

I carry a Garmin in my bag, but have only used it once or twice. You'd have to ride pretty far to get truly lost in Atlanta. Do what all the out of town freshman at GaTech do and use the Bank of America building as your reference point.

diff_lock2

Why do you hate phones?

NitroPye

Phones == leashes.

Harder to get away from my work. Harder to get away from other people, etc.

c0urt

I forgot to mention, i have brain damage and no short term memory

EivlEvo

Correct.

However... Im lost without mine.

I don't use a GPS enabled phone... since when Im lost Im usually at 10,000ft (hahahaha... don't tell my passengers)

However... it would be interesting to see how they work. I mean. Does it actually have a receiver in the phone, or does it use cell tower triangulation and then send a rough estimation from the service providers HQ to the GPS constellation and then the service provider places you on a map and sends it to your phone.

ie. is it moving map? or is it like... updates via like a google maps type system?

moe sizlack

You can use google maps over 3g.
It rules.

NitroPye

Depends on the hardware. For instance, the current iPhone relies on triangulation of cell towers while some other phones have actual GPS chips in them. GPS being just satellite triangulation if I remember correctly and is accurate to a couple feet while the cell tower triangulation is accurate as a **** stain on a map.

EivlEvo

Yeah I mean... Im well read on GPS systems as a pilot using it every day. I know the systems inside and out.

But GPS reception is inaccurate in devices like this I feel. We use 2 separate systems with GPS called WAAS and RAIM. Wide Area Augmentation System is a ground based system that sends info back to the GPS constellation to help clarify your position. RAIM or Range Autonomous Integrity Monitoring helps with the triangulation. This is what enables GPS systems to be accurate down to 1 meter. However... I don't think this type of GPS system is RAIM capable. RAIM is essentially used for airport approaches.

Either way. You'd still be looking at a 10 - 30 foot position accuracy using only 2 satellites.

ebawho

i was actually thinking of getting a blackberry pearl with the bluetooth attachtment and a headset for riding around in foreing cities.. then i could just hear the directions, but the only problem is they will be more car centric and wont take you down the wrong way of one way roads, through alleys, etc. it would really only be awesome if it was bike specific somehow...

NitroPye

I guess I am confused about your original question then. Some phones have GPS receivers built in (most sprint and some verizon) but typically they are locked out from software APIs and are only used for 911 issues. Some phones have the ability to use a external USB or bluetooth GPS receiver, and some have software APIs that allow you to triangulate via cell towers, which is completely useless for flight purposes I would assume unless you are over / in San Francisco or some other technologically advanced city. Over here on the east coast if you can get one cell tower in your house you are lucky. So I can only imagine how bad it is anywhere else, let alone in the air.

diff_lock2

My phone is always on silent, and I call back if I have a missed call, and I reply to messages. I can do both when ever I want. It is also great to call someone or send them a message if you need something.

So I wouldn't call it a leash, and just use messages for work, and keep it on silent.

My phone has one of the best qwerty boards so maybe messages don't work too well for phone that are not qwerty enabled.

crydee

Couldn't you just get a garmin edge for your bike computer.

EivlEvo

I got you. What I was saying in the post was that I didn't know that ^^^.

I know GPS systems inside and out, but not relating to cell phones as it is a violation of federal aviation regulations to use them in the cockpit (its more technical than that but essentially thats it).

So I was just curious as to how the system operated. If they were "truly GPS receivers" or if it was mickey moused.

NitroPye

I know very little about GPS I'm a software guy so I only know the parts of hardware I need to know.

Ya for the most part its cell phone carriers being a-holes and locking out functionality. If the GPS reciever is there developers can't access it most of the time.

Apple is changing the developer / phone hardware / carrier relationship with such a high profile platform for development though.

stevenwk

NitroPye

That's not a GPS device. Cellular triangulation not equal to GPS.

Cynikal 

^ I have the same and the native google maps is great and in June the Iphone will blow up with new apps.

zelah

3g should be out in june too

40x14

Blackberry 8800 has true GPS and I use Google maps cause it's free (instead of telenav gps). Works well in a pinch, but you still need to have a "sense" of where you're going.

EivlEvo

Yeah... I feel like with bikes (esp commuters) it would be far more convenient to just stop and look at the google map. GPS seems more useful for something moving alot and not defined by a grid of roads. Like planes/boats.

The crew that had the shift before us when I was working EMS used a GPS. They said it was only useful some of the time because they would get the turn based directions too late due to the multiple abrupt speed changes in the ambulance.

m4bandit

I have a BlackBerry Pearl 8130 through Sprint. It has a pretty accurate GPS built into the handset. I use Google Maps as well as the TeleNav from Sprint. TeleNav is free due to my data package and it's a pretty decent piece of software but Garmin is way better. For some reason Garmin hasn't released any software for the Pearl so I'm out of luck with that one.

For those of you running a Pearl, there's a seller on eBay that sells a bracket to mount your Pearl to your handlebars. I've been very tempted to try it. As far as city use, a GPS unit will try to take you out onto the main roads so you're looking at a lot of traffic issues if you'd rather go through small use streets.

As far as downtown use, most GPS units I have experience with completely crap out and go ape *****. Especially here in downtown Houston, TX. Tall buildings and GPS don't make great friends.

40x14

The newest version of google maps for blackberry is a magnitude better than the old(er) versions.

It uses blackberry's built in GPS and it also uses some form of triangulation via the wireless (not gps) signal - so the whole issue of it not working around tall buildings becomes moot. If there is cellphone service, you can get a location.

In fact, my blackberry gps can display locations pretty accurately in downtown NYC -- even in places where dedicated GPS units get nothin.

But nothing is worse than the directions provided by gmaps for the blackberry.