Advice on extending battery life on phone...

[Tenkaykev]

Must try Apple maps on the bike, it worked flawlessly navigating me on foot through London recently, earpiece in one ear and chose the quieter side streets instead of the main roads.

 

[All uphill]

I use cycle.travel for navigation on my basic android phone. I have look at the map, cycle a couple of miles, stop, have another look, cycle a couple of miles and so on.

A full day reduces the battery to around 50%

Probably a good thing I mostly cycle on my own.

 

[mjr]

And in the olden days I used to tweak the motion sensor to wake my device up for 10 seconds at the wave of a hand

WaveUp can do this on android still. But not reliably if the phone is in a waterproof case, sadly.

 

[Cathryn]

At the moment, my only means of navigation when cycling is Komoot app. I went on a 40 mile ride. Started off with battery 100%. By halfway, battery was down to 17%, so I switched it off and let others do the navigating (I think they had Garmin equipment). I had the screen on low brightness to save on battery consumption, but I was still surprised how quickly the battery drained. Maybe a Garmin or similar is the answer (or a phone upgrade)! Does anyone use their phone for navigation? Also, I downloaded the gpx file for offline use, if that makes any difference. Thanks

I navigate like you and have the same problem. My solution has been to have a small power bank in my handlebar bag that I use to charge my phone as we go. It’s worked really well for us for all our trips.

 

[Ming the Merciless]

If it’s a modern phone it likely supports fast charge to 50% in 30 mins. Plan a cafe stop after a couple of hours and give it a fast charge whilst you eat.

 

[HobbesOnTour]

I was still surprised how quickly the battery drained.

A lot of the main points have been covered already:
Use a powerbank, look at settings so that it "sleeps" between turns etc. Consider a different app, although most of them are pretty heavy on batteries.
Another factor may be the age or condition of the battery. They degrade over time, lose capacity and can discharge quicker. Unlikely to notice too much in day to day use but navigating like this it can become very obvious.
Personally, I'm wary of charging my phone "on the move" attached to handlebars etc. The sockets for cables are not designed to be used on bumpy (and possibly wet or damp) conditions. A cheapy android? Not too much of a problem. A top of the range iPhone? No thank you!

My suggestion would be a powerbank. It removes all anxiety and means that the phone can be used for all its features - phone calls, messages and photos without anxiety.

However, this is in the Touring & Adventure Forum so if you're going to consider upgrading your phone for this, then I'd strongly suggest looking at a dedicated gps device instead. A phone is a great "comfort blanket" away from home and sticking it on the handelbars day after day in strange places puts it at risk. A gps enabled phone will accurately record the location of all your photos too and a dedicated unit will record your ride. Matching photos to ride is a piece of cake and a great record.

I use cycle.travel for navigation on my basic android phone. I have look at the map, cycle a couple of miles, stop, have another look, cycle a couple of miles and so on.

The CT app has been out for a little while on Android. have you tried it? If on an older phone, it may not work. It works quite well for the use you've described, although, for me, I am having lots of niggly issues using a phone as a navigator. I just don't like it - the phone, not the app. It uses voice instructions as well.

Osmand may be worth investigating as it uses voice instruction. Depending on location it can work quite well from a pocket or similar popping out with the odd instruction to turn left or right. In other locations it can be a nightmare issuing instructions to turn left when it actually means to go straight depending on the underlying map data.

 

[Cathryn]

I would love a GPS device @HobbesOnTour but it’s impossible to justify buying it to my Yorkshire husband if my phone does the job perfectly!! Any advice on how to persuade a chap? 🤣

 

[Jameshow]

A lot of the main points have been covered already:
Use a powerbank, look at settings so that it "sleeps" between turns etc. Consider a different app, although most of them are pretty heavy on batteries.
Another factor may be the age or condition of the battery. They degrade over time, lose capacity and can discharge quicker. Unlikely to notice too much in day to day use but navigating like this it can become very obvious.
Personally, I'm wary of charging my phone "on the move" attached to handlebars etc. The sockets for cables are not designed to be used on bumpy (and possibly wet or damp) conditions. A cheapy android? Not too much of a problem. A top of the range iPhone? No thank you!

My suggestion would be a powerbank. It removes all anxiety and means that the phone can be used for all its features - phone calls, messages and photos without anxiety.

However, this is in the Touring & Adventure Forum so if you're going to consider upgrading your phone for this, then I'd strongly suggest looking at a dedicated gps device instead. A phone is a great "comfort blanket" away from home and sticking it on the handelbars day after day in strange places puts it at risk. A gps enabled phone will accurately record the location of all your photos too and a dedicated unit will record your ride. Matching photos to ride is a piece of cake and a great record.


The CT app has been out for a little while on Android. have you tried it? If on an older phone, it may not work. It works quite well for the use you've described, although, for me, I am having lots of niggly issues using a phone as a navigator. I just don't like it - the phone, not the app. It uses voice instructions as well.

Osmand may be worth investigating as it uses voice instruction. Depending on location it can work quite well from a pocket or similar popping out with the odd instruction to turn left or right. In other locations it can be a nightmare issuing instructions to turn left when it actually means to go straight depending on the underlying map data.

I have yet to find a GPS device that has the functionality and ease if use of a phone. I can stop check my route, check cyclechat and wattsapp in the time I have eaten a banana!!!! 🍿🍿🍿

 

[albion]

I would love a GPS device @HobbesOnTour but it’s impossible to justify buying it to my Yorkshire husband if my phone does the job perfectly!! Any advice on how to persuade a chap? 🤣

Your phone does the job better possibly making any purchase a big disappointment.

 

[wiggydiggy]

Make sure all other apps are stopped - press the square button to see everything that is running and close it all. Then just start Komoot.

I use RidewithGPS. 1.5hr ride this morning took about 7% battery so maybe Komoot is taking too much power, I use a Motorola e6s.

 

[albion]

Seems I was almost inflating prices. If you search Amazon for 'Enegon' you can get two 10,000mah polymer cell packs for £12.50, applying the currently shown 50% voucher.

Try OrganicMaps. You can turn on voice instructions too. Everything seems to be offline. Most apps got bloated over the years, this one feeling new and light.

 

[Deleted member 121159]

The phone does the job but battery life is the problem. Bryton rider 420 goes for £80 and has navigation. I found my Wahoo bolt v2 for £150 with HR monitor, speed and cadence sensors on eBay. Not too hard to find cheap deals on old Garmin models as well.

 

[HobbesOnTour]

I would love a GPS device @HobbesOnTour but it’s impossible to justify buying it to my Yorkshire husband if my phone does the job perfectly!! Any advice on how to persuade a chap? 🤣

It's a very strange day when I'm being asked for marriage advice

Didn't you have phone problems on your Italy trip?

My semi serious / semi jokey answer is to manipulate him, no I mean manoeuvre him into making the decision

I did a lot of touring without ever using a GPS and only using my phone or android tablet as an emergency backup. My touring was unadventurous (in the navigation sense ) following rivers, canals, the sea and well signposted routes.
Once I set my sights on going further and to places without bike paths, rivers and canals my thought process for acquiring a GPS went something like this........
What's the most likely time I'm going to need my phone?
When I have an accident or crash.
What are the chances of my phone being useful in such a scenario?
Not good.

A secondary thought was that a phone stuck out front would be attractive to a certain kind of person - the kind of person I'd rather not meet.
(As things turned out I met several of those people and in one case it would have been a lot less painful to have the phone easily lifted off the front of the bike )

Basically, on a bike trip far from home the phone has one vitally important function - call for help - and I should try to minimise anything that might interfere with that.
Your situation is a little different in that you'll have 2 spare phones (assuming Pog is of an age to have one).
Then again, haven't you recently discovered the joys of solo bike camping?

However, the good news: if you only want a unit to navigate my suggestion is to avoid overpaying for features you don't need and go second hand. I'd expect to see a lot of second hand units post Black Friday & Christmas. Unless ancient, you shouldn't need to worry about it being obsolete and the only other issue to consider is battery life - but you already have that covered with your power bank.

I have yet to find a GPS device that has the functionality and ease if use of a phone.

First of all, it doesn't have to be a binary choice. The usefulness of my GPS unit is significantly enhanced by my phone and my phone is better placed to do what I need it to do by using my unit.

Ease of use is a perfectly valid point to make a decision. However, for me, accuracy and dependability trump that. I recall my phone telling me I was in Belgium when I was across the bay in the Netherlands. In urban areas, my phone is frequently not accurate enough quickly enough. My GPS is, with exceptions like places in Monchau, Germany and some extreme hill towns where streets can be like stories of a building.
I've also used my phone daily to plot routes (and change them on the fly) for pretty long stretches. A big part of "ease of use" is familiarity.

Functionality is another, but in fairness, there are few things that are truly multifunctional. I use a number of apps on my phone but I don't trust them 100%. Google Translate can get you in a lot of trouble at times.

Speaking of functionality, my unit functions irrespective of internet connectivity - not many phone navigation apps do and the ones that do normally require an investment of time and energy in advance.

I've been playing with the CycleTravel app (phone) on and off since August. The first problem I had was heat - my phone kept switching off while my GPS continued as normal.
The second has been glare and rain - both interfering with the display - not an issue with the GPS.
Nothing against CT, at all - purely phone issues -, but those are the exact conditions that having a reliable method of seeing an alternative to the plan would be most welcome.

I appreciate that my kind of touring isn't everyone's cup of tea but since I got my unit I've come to love it's recording ability. Each day, easily married to my photos recorded for posterity.

Your phone does the job better possibly making any purchase a big disappointment.

Not all units work the same way and there are many people who are very unhappy with their units. I'd be pretty confident that a big reason for that is people buying the wrong unit for how they want to use it. I love mine and getting it gave me the confidence to spread my wings further - but it was my second unit - the first was an abomination.
I've seen a complaint from a guy who used his unit to plot a daily route for a 3 month European tour, not something I'd advise anyone to do (if for no other reason we have to be outside to get the unit to work in that fashion) and one of the funniest was a shouty rant against a dedicated bike unit because it wouldn't work properly hiking.

 

[HelenD123]

Your phone does the job better possibly making any purchase a big disappointment.

I bought a Garmin for my Spanish trip last year and it was a big learning curve. I've still not mastered it (although not helped by not being able to cycle for most of the year since ). I found myself reverting to my phone as it was easier. It's risky being reliant on one device for so many things though.

 

[mercalia]

a cheap Android device eg a Samsung Xcover4s ( £50) or 5 2nd hand ( £100) (uses a replacable battery) on handle bar tethered to a power bank in a bar bag. Thats what I do with screen max brightness, the powerbank taking the load.