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Chinese Motorcycle Waterproof GPS

I bought the 5" IPX5 Android version a few days ago from an EBay seller and was able to mount on the bike today, wired into a switched circuit.

Created some routes on Furkot.com, exported as .KML files, dropped them to a folder named, "route." The GPS found my custom route right away, though it did alter what Furkot had created. Adding more waypoints should solve this as suggested elsewhere.

I can't see myself doing a video review as nifty as Downs did, but I'll add some screenshots and my opinion of the unit once I've had a chance to play with it some more.

First impressions are more positive than negative, but it certainly has some quirks. If you're not technically inclined, these may not be for you. The manual is all but worthless and there isn't a lot of documentation or support to be found on the Internet.
 
So I'm looking to get a GPS at some point, but I know nothing about them. Software, open source and so on are all a mystery to me, but really I just need something that I can upload the maps on without too much trouble. I'd rather not spend 300 or more on something that has "motorcycle" maps on it, but I was wondering if a GPS like the one reviewed here has dirt roads and such in places like New Mexico, Arizona or Colorado. Something I can use for an "off road" adventure ride at some point.

Suggestions?
 
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So I'm looking to get a GPS at some point, but I know nothing about them. Software, open source and so on are all a mystery to me, but really I just need something that I can upload the maps on without too much trouble. I'd rather not spend 300 or more on something that has "motorcycle" maps on it, but I was wondering if a GPS like the one reviewed here has dirt roads and such in places like New Mexico, Arizona or Colorado. Something I can use for an "off road" adventure ride at some point.

Suggestions?



REVER on your phone, it also has the butler maps included for $5 per month. Galileo is also good for gpx files. My always go to for route planning is copilot but you can’t export or import.


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So I'm looking to get a GPS at some point, but I know nothing about them. Software, open source and so on are all a mystery to me, but really I just need something that I can upload the maps on without too much trouble. I'd rather not spend 300 or more on something that has "motorcycle" maps on it, but I was wondering if a GPS like the one reviewed here has dirt roads and such in places like New Mexico, Arizona or Colorado. Something I can use for an "off road" adventure ride at some point.

Suggestions?

If the dirt roads are in google maps they will show up. If it's just a goat path it may not if it's not listed as a public road.

The IGO Primo software is updated via a download that basically reloads the whole program. It's not maps like are loaded into Garmin software. I haven't used it in a while since I moved to a Samsung Galaxy phone. It's IPX rated and I'm currently using a program called LOCUS to map my rides and routes and it's working great and consolidating my gadgets a little bit.

I haven't had the Chinese GPS out for quite a bit now since I've been using that LOCUS program. It even has integrated geocaching via an addon. :giveup: I'm quickly becoming a cell phone gps convert.
 
Downs, if you decide you aren't going to use the GPS you got from Ebay, I may be interested in taking it off your hands. I don't really want to use my cell as a GPS since I don't care to give Google any more info about me than they already have. I'd rather use a dedicated GPS for now, but I may just end up doing what I've done since I was 15. That is find a real map, write stuff down and remember things.
 
PM me an offer. I'll probably take it. I've got 3 mounts/wiring harnesses for it as well.

Sent from my SM-G892A using Tapatalk
 
Kidder and I just got back from a roughly 1,500 mile ride where I got to put this GPS through several paces. Regarding this GPS, the takeaway is that there are some pros and cons, just like every other GPS.

If your nav needs are such that you want to get from point A to point B, this will do just fine. For specific routing, it lacks some features that other units have. Here are my thoughts on it as compared to Garmin, which is the only other brand I've ever used.

I used Furkot.com to create routes and exported as .KML files.

PROS:
- Detailed maps. The level of detail is pretty high, it even shows named dirt roads.

- Familiar interface. It uses the Android 4.4.2 Kitkat OS. It's not upgradable, but is familiar if you know Android.

- Lots of settings. Because of the Android interface, you can tweak tons of various settings. One feature I like is that you can see how many satellites your unit is listening to and the signal strength to each.

- Routing is accurate. If you program in a route with appropriate way points, it will follow that route and give you accurate "turn here" instructions.

- NO BASECAMP. I hate basecamp. 'Nuff said. It's super easy to drag custom routes into the appropriate folder where the unit will then see them.

CONS:
- Buttons are difficult to press with gloves on. On screen buttons are small and don't respond easily to gloved input.

- Screen is easily scratched. Even with leather gloves, the screen ended up scuffed through normal use in trying to press on-screen buttons. These marks will likely come off with some work, but still a pain. Get a screen protector.

- No motorcycle "mode." Without the addition of several waypoints, routing tends to be the shortest or fastest routes. Auto, pedestrian, and bicycle modes are available.

- Doesn't follow conventional route shaping. Furkot allows you to add shaping points vs actual way points and then will export those shaping points into your route. Garmin recognizes them, the Fodsports unit does not. There are a number of advantages to having only shaping points.

- Address search was limited to the region I was in. When we were in another state, the onscreen GPS search function would only let me search for addresses in that state. This may be user ignorance on my part, but searching for a destination in another region wasn't intuitive. Admittedly, I didn't spend long looking at how to do this as we were getting ready to head out.

-No "north up" navigation in 2D turn by turn mode. I prefer this feature because it allows me to get a quick look at my direction of travel with just a quick glance at the screen. You can set the orientation and zoom in and out in overview mode, but you don't get "turn here" directions and similar to my older Garmin, the screen does not follow when in overview mode. You have to scroll to your vehicle using your finger. North up is just a preference for me, especially when I'm exploring an area off a predetermined route and without references for pilotage.

(edit to add) - Hard to see in bright daylight. In bright sunlight, the screen isn't easy to see. Even with the large hood, I found myself using my left hand to shield the screen from the sun.

- Skip next waypoint requires two button presses. You have to go to a sub-menu to get to this feature in nav mode. See above about button size. The skip feature should be on the main screen and large enough to press without multiple attempts. If your waypoint is off your desired route/roadway, even by as much as 50 feet, skipping waypoints keeps you on track without the unit constantly complaining that you have to make a U-turn to go back to the previous waypoint. Since this unit requires the addition of a lot of waypoints to get specific routing, having this feature on the nav screen would be awesome.

Not really a con, but if you are riding with others who use Garmin devices, be prepared for some routing differences, even with a preprogrammed route with added waypoints. Over our 1,500 mile ride, we ran into this a few times. We didn't stop to explore the reasons for the differences, just chalked it up to being a different routing algorithm.

Things I didn't test:
Because I don't care to use them, things I didn't test were bluetooth, WIFI, the video viewer, and audible turn by turn instructions.

Here is my .02. If you are on a budget for a GPS, this will work for you if you're willing to put up with its shortcomings. If you want the "easy button," look elsewhere. I'll probably use this for the time being just because I have it, but I can see myself digging deep and going back to Garmin in the future, unless something else comes along that looks promising.
 
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Yeah Igo doesnt recognize shaping points. I just switched to using waypoints instead of shaping points to do the work. Seems to get the job done.

But then again I've switched to using my phone as my primary gps now. Using the locus mapping software I'm able to easily build routes and drag and drop routes if necessary easily and quickly.

Sent from my SM-G892A using Tapatalk
 
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