recommend a smart phone for touring

[srw]

Are the e-trex any good for cycling then? Or do you need one of those garmin cycle gps? I always wonder if there suitable for cycling - avoiding A-roads etc..?

Perfect. The cycle-specific GPS gizmos add cadence and heartrate monitoring functionality which aren't actually all that useful for touring - or for anyone who isn't in serious training and trying to get the last milliwatt of power out of themselves.

We toured France for three weeks with an Etrex vista, a netbook and a cheap PAYG mobile. All the hotels and B+Bs bar two had free wifi. As someone has said, you can expect two or three days useful activity from a pair of AAs, which is five or six times the battery life of an iPhone or similar. The netbook carries Garmin's own maps for the whole of Europe, so you're not paying data download fees to see a map, and are in no danger of losing your way because you can't get a mobile signal.

 

[J-Lo]

That's the thing.. I couldn't justify spending loads on a GPS - might aswell just stick to maps!

However I would be happy to pay £120 for the HCX if it will get me from A - B..

Im not bothered about fancy OS maps either... aslong as the maps show small roads/country lanes all is good - and im sure if i purchase the garmin uk & ireland map it would..?

 

[sadjack]

That's the thing.. I couldn't justify spending loads on a GPS - might aswell just stick to maps!

However I would be happy to pay £120 for the HCX if it will get me from A - B..

Im not bothered about fancy OS maps either... aslong as the maps show small roads/country lanes all is good - and im sure if i purchase the garmin uk & ireland map it would..?

In my experience here in North Wales the Garmin mapping shows all but the smallest of tracks, any road that has tarmac is shown so it does me.

You can also get free open source mapping for the HCx which is pretty good and one is cycling specific, long time since I looked but have a look here if your interested http://garmin.openstreetmap.nl/

 

[J-Lo]

Sounds good. I wouldn't be using a netbook on a tour though to setup routes. I would be wanting to navigate within the garmin gps (as you do on a car satnav etc), is that any good on this model?

Alternatively, I could just go from town to town using the gps if it has map view etc.

 

[srw]

Sounds good. I wouldn't be using a netbook on a tour though to setup routes. I would be wanting to navigate within the garmin gps (as you do on a car satnav etc), is that any good on this model?

Yes. You set up the routes beforehand on the computer, upload them to the device and then go. You can easily get three weeks' worth of routes on one garmin.

 

[J-Lo]

What I mean is.. when I go on a tour I wouldnt want to stick to a route that ive planned before ive even set off. I like that flexibility!

Obviously you have a rough idea of towns etc, but what happens if you decide to go a different way one day? I imagine that ruins the whole route?

 

[sadjack]

What I mean is.. when I go on a tour I wouldnt want to stick to a route that ive planned before ive even set off. I like that flexibility!

Obviously you have a rough idea of towns etc, but what happens if you decide to go a different way one day? I imagine that ruins the whole route?

I think you could still use the garmin if you dont pre-plan the route. You can zoom in and out of the basic map at different resolutions so you could get an idea of where you are going and zoom in for better detail. So if you want to head for town "A" you can zoom out, get a general feel for the directions and meander your way in that general direction and your able to check where you are at a moments notice and recalculate as you go. No need to be a slave to a route, although you could plan routes just as a guide if you wish. Best of both worlds

You may have guessed I like my Garmin, cheap enough, long lasting batteries that you can buy just about anywhere and just enough detail in the mapping. Its tough and rugged too, waterproof, well certainly rainproof! Ideal for a tour if you ask me.

Maybe you should try and see one at a dealer first though, one persons ideal tool is anothers pain in the *r*e

 

[MontyVeda]

so it appears a smart phone isn't the ideal gizmo for touring... unless somebody invents a dynamo to keep it in juice?

 

[tbtb]

so it appears a smart phone isn't the ideal gizmo for touring... unless somebody invents a dynamo to keep it in juice?

Plenty of dynamo options. The Nokia phone charger bottle dynamo is maybe amongst the cheapest at £30 but the one review on play.com suggests it needs alarmingly high (30mph) speeds for smarter phones (eg n8).

 

[J-Lo]

I think you could still use the garmin if you dont pre-plan the route. You can zoom in and out of the basic map at different resolutions so you could get an idea of where you are going and zoom in for better detail. So if you want to head for town "A" you can zoom out, get a general feel for the directions and meander your way in that general direction and your able to check where you are at a moments notice and recalculate as you go. No need to be a slave to a route, although you could plan routes just as a guide if you wish. Best of both worlds

You may have guessed I like my Garmin, cheap enough, long lasting batteries that you can buy just about anywhere and just enough detail in the mapping. Its tough and rugged too, waterproof, well certainly rainproof! Ideal for a tour if you ask me.

Maybe you should try and see one at a dealer first though, one persons ideal tool is anothers pain in the *r*e

Thanks!

Yeah I have to admit im really tempted, i was fascinated when i first bought a satnav for the car

You talk of heading in a general direction which is my kind of method, but can you also say navigate to postcode or town, and it will calculate a route for you with directions etc?

 

[wanda2010]

https://powertravell...e/primatepower/


The Powermonkey products look good.

Of use to anyone? I came across this earlier today and might, possibly, add one to my 'want' list

 

[J-Lo]

I have a powerchimp - can charge your gizmos and runs on AA batteries

 

[sadjack]

Thanks!

Yeah I have to admit im really tempted, i was fascinated when i first bought a satnav for the car

You talk of heading in a general direction which is my kind of method, but can you also say navigate to postcode or town, and it will calculate a route for you with directions etc?

I have never used it, but it has a function called "Trackback". I understand that you can use this to track to a location you choose. You can set the route to walking I think and this keeps you off main roads? As I say I have never actually used this function. Maybe someone else here has?

 

[Oxo]

Garmin Vista gps can be set to 'road' or 'off road' so you can follow cycle tracks, bridle paths etc if you want. Also you can set up a route, leave it at any point to make a detour and pick it up again when you are ready. You can buy a handle bar mount and since the unit uses AA batterys power is not a problem.