COFSTA

Yeah, that's right. No more taping directions on my gas tank.

Figured with my sophisticated BMW motor sickle now I ought to become more tech savvy.

I have a Garmin Nuvi 500 that 007 passed on to me, and I have an iPhone 6.

What I really want to be able to do with GPS, is two fold
A: design custom routes and upload them to my device on bike so I can follow them
B: which is really an extension of A, but be able to download GPX files from you fellows or else where and use those as well.

Added benefit is if I get lost I've got a map right there!

I'd love to be able to cut my GPS or phone on and have it track my route and save it as a GPX file for applications listed in A and B and to share with others.

If my Garmin or my Phone won't do any of this, I'm open to suggestions. BMW's Nav V is nifty and looks nice, but 800$ is some serious coin I'm not gonna have for a long time, for a GPS anyways.


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I use Rever on my iPhone 6. It uses power so it really needs to be plugged in.
Here is one route... It's just a photo but you can download the GPS routes and share in the app too.

For starters (if you haven't already), go to the Garmin website and download Basecamp and Mapsource (to a computer, not phone). Both apps will enable you to create routes and load to the GPS. I prefer Mapsource for user friendliness, but Basecamp will do some things that Mapsource won't. I often create a route in Mapsource, tweak it some, then xfer to Basecamp for further tweaking such as blocking via points from "announcing" during the trip (a real annoyance). Lee will probably chime in also with alternatives as he is the guru for "anything but Garmin" mapping.

Hopefully 007 can chime in as well and tell me the best place to mount a GPS on this bike...

I'll look into base camp and the other one. And I'll check out Rever too.


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Come on Lee tell about the tablet and OSMAND... Using Basecamp. Less than $200 including the tablet mount to bike.
I'm still thinking about this. Heck the result is a 7" GPS screen on your bike.

I looked through Lees old thread about that. It looks cool.
Pretty sure a 7" screen will cover the entire dash area of the K bike. Haha!


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The choices are tricky. Osmand+ on Android Nexus is an outstanding setup but not one I'm comfortable recommending for learning detailed route creation. The issue is that it's all open source software and maps which are great if you're already familiar with how similar systems work but maybe not so great for beginners.

I think your Garmin Nuvi 500 will handle output from Garmin's Basecamp route maker. If so, download Basecamp and give it a go. You'll probably also need to download Garmin drivers for your computer so Basecamp can "see" the Nuvi and use its map.

If that doesn't fly... For somebody just starting out you might consider another inexpensive Garmin model, like a Nuvi 57LM. It does everything you want to do: accepts multi-waypoint, custom routes from Basecamp, records GPX tracks of where you've ridden and includes lifetime map updates - all for something over $100. You get a turnkey deal so everything works together automagically. It can be attached to your bike with an also inexpensive RAM ball mount. The shortcoming is that it isn't waterproof but in a serious downpour I've put a sandwich baggy over a Nuvi and gone on my way. There's no shortage of instruction available online and from other people.

Creating routes is tedious and easy to screw up so few people like doing it. Not much point to spending a lot of money on a GPS until you decide it's something you enjoy. Or you might decide to do something totally different like I did with Osmand+.

I have a lot of training using ArcMap and ArcGIS. But those are a bit more complex than just GPS maps.

I'm going to download Basecamp tonight and see what I can cook up with it on my little Nuvi, since I already own it


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Oh yeah I forgot, here we are trying to teach a geography major about mapping Lol.

Haha! I'm no expert. And I'm pretty clueless when it comes to commercial GPS units.



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PirateRiderBen wrote:I have a lot of training using ArcMap and ArcGIS. But those are a bit more complex than just GPS maps.

I'm going to download Basecamp tonight and see what I can cook up with it on my little Nuvi, since I already own it

Then, you might end up being happier cooking up an Osmand+ setup like I did. Are you registered with OpenStreetMap? http://www.openstreetmap.org/#map=10/35.7928/-81.5165 I am so when I run across an error I can correct it on the map.

OpenStreetMaps will run in Basecamp and on Garmin devices. Here's the site to make an OSM for Basecamp and Garmin GPS. http://garmin.openstreetmap.nl/ This site gives you the entire US OSM for Garmin GPS. https://www.openmapchest.org/maps/united-states/

I'll have to check, I think I was at some point but it's been awhile.


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I'm guessing that my Nuvi 500 won't track my routes and save them as a GPX file? I don't see much that would indicate such a feature in the menus


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Brick wrote:I use Rever on my iPhone 6. It uses power so it really needs to be plugged in.
Here is one route... It's just a photo but you can download the GPS routes and share in the app too.

So Brick do you like this better than Checkmytour?

Broz, Go to CheckMyTour online and read that they are stopping CheckMyTour. I think by May or June it will be gone... No more ... Kaput... History!
So there is no choice. So get any routes you want to save before they are gone. [FLUSHED FACE]

So I ordered a new battery for the Nuvi, as well as a ram ball mount I intend to retrofit in place of one of the bolts that holds the brake lever assembly, the small arm extension and the correct piece to mount to the case I have for the Nuvi.

I downloaded Basecamp and Rever and will be messing with both of them. I also need to route the long USB cable from a power source up to the GPS, as even with the new battery, I doubt it will run all day.


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