Why spend $ on a GPS?

[Slagiatt]

I have been trying out the reasonably new iPhone app called, "Scout" which gives you turn by turn voice directions. I deliberately screwed around with it...making irrational turns and goofy detours...and it recovered immediately and correctly rerouted me. And Oh yeah...the price?...FREE!
I'm sold, so far. I'll be testing it further on the way to and from Spyderfest, but so far, this app is amazing...and, did I mention...Free? I must have...

[jcthorne]

There are decent GPS apps for both android and IOS that do not need cell connections but none of them are free. They have to sell you a licensed copy of the maps to load them on the device. The free apps all use cloud based maps and require continuous cell coverage.

Google Maps does let you download the required maps for a preplanned route but its pretty limited.

My biggest peeve with smartphone based GPS is the maps and fonts are too small to read at a glance while driving. None of them seem designed for use in a vehicle.

[Highwayman2013]

Same here in the Northeast, get outside town and no cell coverage. You don't have to get an expensive GPS either but our Limited came with a 660 Zumo and it works great. Most times I use a map unless I'm looking for a specific address.

[wyliec]

I have been trying out the reasonably new iPhone app called, "Scout" which gives you turn by turn voice directions. I deliberately screwed around with it...making irrational turns and goofy detours...and it recovered immediately and correctly rerouted me. And Oh yeah...the price?...FREE!
I'm sold, so far. I'll be testing it further on the way to and from Spyderfest, but so far, this app is amazing...and, did I mention...Free? I must have...

Using it isn't free. Don't you pay a monthly charge to be able to connect to the internet (wi-fi + cellular).

[Vrooom]

Do they make this "Scout" app for the iPad, so it could be used or hot spotted off your phone?

[BLUEKNIGHT911]

I'm about as tight with a buck as they come ....With that being said , I got a Garmin Nuvi 50 LM ( 5 inch screen ) ( lifetime maps ) for $115 delivered. I covered it with a cheapo plastic cover ( it's now rainproof ) and I don't need CELL coverage to make it work............Sometimes free isn't worth it....IMHO

[wyliec]

Do they make this "Scout" app for the iPad, so it could be used or hot spotted off your phone?

It can be used with the iPad if you have iOS 6.0 or higher, per iTunes.

[Bob Denman]

I'm about as tight with a buck as they come ....With that being said , I got a Garmin Nuvi 50 LM ( 5 inch screen ) ( lifetime maps ) for $115 delivered. I covered it with a cheapo plastic cover ( it's now rainproof ) and I don't need CELL coverage to make it work............Sometimes free isn't worth it....IMHO

Mike
I've heard it said, that you're, "tighter than a gnat's rectum, that's been stretched over a bushel basket..."

And THAT; is pretty darn tight!

[IdahoMtnSpyder]

I've been very happy w/ Sygic. It uses Tom Tom maps. Run it on my 7 in tablet. See my GPS project posting.

Sent from my GT-P3113 using Tapatalk

[Bob Denman]

I've still go to get my Zumo 660 out of the driveway, and see what it can do...

[pacog1943]

I have been trying out the reasonably new iPhone app called, "Scout" which gives you turn by turn voice directions. I deliberately screwed around with it...making irrational turns and goofy detours...and it recovered immediately and correctly rerouted me. And Oh yeah...the price?...FREE!
I'm sold, so far. I'll be testing it further on the way to and from Spyderfest, but so far, this app is amazing...and, did I mention...Free? I must have...

Hey, I use my iPad Mini mounted on a RAM Mount on my dash. I use the the map app for turn by turn, plus I have the big screen for viewing the map. Works great! Ryde safe and often. Paco

[Rob Rodriguez]

I use Google maps on my i-phone 5s. It's my GPS in my vehicle and on the Spyder. It offers voice turn by turn navigation, a graphical navigation view, routes routes really well, has settings so you can choose to use highways or not, gives routes for walking so when you reach your destination it can also take you places off your Spyder or out of your car and it doesn't require cell service to operate. You do need cell or wifi to plug in the destination and get the route mapped but after that no cell or wifi service is required. Google maps is a free app.

I also use it with a free app to navigate snowmobile trails in the VT and NH and it works great for this as well.

[wyliec]

You do need cell or wifi to plug in the destination and get the route mapped but after that no cell or wifi service is required. Google maps is a free app.

I also use it with a free app to navigate snowmobile trails in the VT and NH and it works great for this as well.

Without cell service, how do you make calls? Also, without wifi there are no turn by turn directions; so, if you miss a turn, the directions you've already loaded for the route won't help much. In other words, your gps is not tracking your actual movements without wifi.

[jScotD]

I like paper maps.. they are sometimes hard to fold .. but they work ok for me.. and if I get lost, hey, I was suppose to, and I saw something I wasn't expecting

[Rob Rodriguez]

Without cell service, how do you make calls? Also, without wifi there are no turn by turn directions; so, if you miss a turn, the directions you've already loaded for the route won't help much. In other words, your gps is not tracking your actual movements without wifi.

Well, I don't make calls without cell service unless I have wifi and then I use Skype but that has nothing to do with GPS.

I can't hear the turn by turn navigation with my helmet on so I just glance at the screen when need be. Most smart phones have a GPS chip so they don't need cell service to track your location (just like any other GPS). You're correct, if you miss a turn the phone app can't connect back to reroute you without cell or wifi service.

[Dan McNally]

I'm very happy with my Zumo 660. It came with my Spyder, so I didn't buy it, separately. It talks to me over Bluetooth so I don't have to watch the screen, and it does lots of things a map can't, like finding the nearest gas station , the nearest motel, the nearest (name your cuisine) restaurant . . . and when I ignore it and make a wrong turn, it gets a little testy with me ("recalculating") just like a spouse . . . but I can ignore it with no repercussions !

[Trickie Dick]

I suppose it depends on what your GPS needs are. If you need to go from point A to point B then anything will work. If you want to go from point A to point Z with 500 waypoints in between then you won't make with a cellphone or a basic GPS. When you get to Spyderfest and get ready to go on the scavenger hunt, can you sit down and program your route so that i routes you from stop to stop in the most efficient manner.

[Purple Guy]

I for one wouldn't give up my Zumo 660, one of the best travel accessories on the Spyder!

[SAPD911]

I have been trying out the reasonably new iPhone app called, "Scout" which gives you turn by turn voice directions. I deliberately screwed around with it...making irrational turns and goofy detours...and it recovered immediately and correctly rerouted me. And Oh yeah...the price?...FREE!
I'm sold, so far. I'll be testing it further on the way to and from Spyderfest, but so far, this app is amazing...and, did I mention...Free? I must have...

how do u have it mounted?

[Bob Denman]

I like paper maps.. they are sometimes hard to fold .. but they work ok for me.. and if I get lost, hey, I was suppose to, and I saw something I wasn't expecting

We did that for years...
But we're looking forward, to letting the Zumo 660 get us home this year!
We figure on just pointing the bike in a direction, and seeing what we can find!