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[tunnie]

For some time I've been thinking about get a custom sat nav solution for the bike.

The Problem

Plenty of Sat Nav Apps work fine, put the postcodes in, bang, fastest route is generated. But they never go the route I want to go, its a big issue on the bike, as I want to take fun twisty roads, which often make no sense to a satellite navigation planning software.

The Solution

Well I had been considering this:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Garmin-Zumo-Satellite-Navigation-Motorbikes/dp/B001PKTBR2

Its well reviewed on the GS forum, works well. But a tad expensive 

My iPhone does all the above, except custom route planning.

So finally got a solution:

Navigon for iPhone (this is the only one which allows custom route (be it with slight bodge) TomTom & CoPilot just don't support it)

That said CoPilot can do route 'planning' on the handset but its fair amount of work if your work inputting it manually. This will be a last resort, but for now....

Use Tyre for TomTom:

http://www.janboersma.nl/gett/index.php

Its an application that uses Google Maps, that creates itinerary files for Garmin & TomTom. You basically plan your route in the excellent Google maps and export it.

This gives you a file called "yourmap.itn" (easily used in TomTom)

Convert it to a .targets file with this handy program:

http://www.benichou-software.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=4&Itemid=2&lang=en

Then just place it in your iPhone Navigon directory, either via SSH or WinSCP, I followed this blog:

http://certain.cc/2010/08/custom-routes-navigon-iphone/

Just tested it all it all works!

Just got to take it for a test run now, TB you found your crapazaki keys yet? 

[Danny]

i think its because up until recently, sat navs were primarily aimed at directing people to locations they dont know, just to ensure they dont get lost, basically route-finders, not route planners

if 10 years ago someone in the sat nav development world said "i want my satnav to take me on routes i want to choose myself" the response may have been "well why do you even need a satnav?"

[tunnie]

True, however I had been able to do custom routes with TomTom for years on Windows Mobile Devices & PDA's

Just TomTom on iPhone is about as useful as a chocolate fire-guard!

[Kevin Wood]

I have a constant battle with satnavs to try and make them let me plan the route when touring in the kit car. They simply don't support the concept that you might want to decide the route yourself.

On one tour we kept bypassing the villages, then turning round and going back into the village centre because until you've actually passed within a few metres of a waypoint the Tom Tom wouldn't let you go to the next one. They seem to have improved this a little in the latest software but it has still once sent me down the same road in the opposite direction to the other 40 odd cars I was touring with. Given that we were driving "spiritedly" this is not good.

The Garmin is reckoned to be better in this respect but I've never used one myself. The normal problem with Garmin stuff is that the PC-based software is shockingly bad, as is the reliability of the hardware in my experience.

I tried CoPilot. It had better planning software but the combination of the application and the unbelievably sh1te Windows PocketPC platform on which it ran caused it to be consigned to the bin for running out of memory and requiring a reboot every 20 miles.

I wonder if one of the stand-alone Navigon boxes would be worth a try next, then?

Kevin

[tunnie]

I have a constant battle with satnavs to try and make them let me plan the route when touring in the kit car. They simply don't support the concept that you might want to decide the route yourself.

On one tour we kept bypassing the villages, then turning round and going back into the village centre because until you've actually passed within a few metres of a waypoint the Tom Tom wouldn't let you go to the next one. They seem to have improved this a little in the latest software but it has still once sent me down the same road in the opposite direction to the other 40 odd cars I was touring with. Given that we were driving "spiritedly" this is not good.

The Garmin is reckoned to be better in this respect but I've never used one myself. The normal problem with Garmin stuff is that the PC-based software is shockingly bad, as is the reliability of the hardware in my experience.

I tried CoPilot. It had better planning software but the combination of the application and the unbelievably sh1te Windows PocketPC platform on which it ran caused it to be consigned to the bin for running out of memory and requiring a reboot every 20 miles.

I wonder if one of the stand-alone Navigon boxes would be worth a try next, then?

Kevin

Did you use some route software to plot the route? I've been there when I dropped a way point on the opposite side of a dual carriage way, instead of the way I was going 

A tip I found, was to name the points plotted as "Entering Buxton" "Leaving Buxton" and plot them a mile or two outside said town, that way if you get routed off for road works or a ice cream van is spotted, you can easily go back and advance the route to where you want.

We have a stand along TomTom One XL unit, which father T has. I tried uploading a custom .itn file, but without success. That said I did not try very hard, but it would need some 'patching'  :-/

[TheBoy]

For leisure driving/riding, lose the stupid gay satnavs, and do it the old fashioned way, by nose and by signposts.

Satnavs are only needed for finding the house within a town.

[VXL V6]

For leisure driving/riding, lose the stupid gay satnavs, and do it the old fashioned way, by nose and by signposts.

Satnavs are only needed for finding the house within a town.

....and a proper Sat Nav will get you to the front gate of Dale Bottom Farm in the Lakes  whereas any other will dump you on a gravel track on the hillside!

[TheBoy]

For leisure driving/riding, lose the stupid gay satnavs, and do it the old fashioned way, by nose and by signposts.

Satnavs are only needed for finding the house within a town.

....and a proper Sat Nav will get you to the front gate of Dale Bottom Farm in the Lakes  whereas any other will dump you on a gravel track on the hillside!

Thats the difference between a mans satnav, and one for lady boys...

[tunnie]

I used non custom routes on nDrive in Wales last year, worked really well. I want to be able to force it to a route I know, loads of recommendations on the GS forum.

I tried following nose with a map in the tank bag, but had to keep stopping to check it.

[Kevin Wood]

For leisure driving/riding, lose the stupid gay satnavs, and do it the old fashioned way, by nose and by signposts.

Satnavs are only needed for finding the house within a town.

My "leisure" driving is not leisurely enough for me to be thinking about where I'm going.

Kevin

[TheBoy]

I used non custom routes on nDrive in Wales last year, worked really well. I want to be able to force it to a route I know, loads of recommendations on the GS forum.

I tried following nose with a map in the tank bag, but had to keep stopping to check it.

Don't use a map whilst riding - stop every 200 miles, note the towns you want, then no hassles to detour if you found something better . I find that far more satisfying.

Or is there a law that you have to obey everything the other wannabe Ewan McGregors say on the GaySuckers forum?

[tunnie]

I used non custom routes on nDrive in Wales last year, worked really well. I want to be able to force it to a route I know, loads of recommendations on the GS forum.

I tried following nose with a map in the tank bag, but had to keep stopping to check it.

Don't use a map whilst riding - stop every 200 miles, note the towns you want, then no hassles to detour if you found something better . I find that far more satisfying.

Or is there a law that you have to obey everything the other wannabe Ewan McGregors say on the GaySuckers forum?

Tried that method, spending time reading road signs, most likey missing some! Too much like hard work....

I want tunes on the go with the occasional audio instruction!