Anyone Use Iphone As Their Gps?

Just wondering if anyone uses an iPhone as their GPS on their bike?  And if so what is your set up. I just ordered my RAM mount, but now wondering about using ear buds to actually hear the turn by turn directions instead of having to look down to see.

iphone in my inner jacket pocket, and etymotic hf3 earbuds. Play music/podcasts, and the phone automatically mutes either for audible directions, then fades the music/podcast back up. Works great.

I use a ram mount and either my iPhone or Moto X all the time for my gps. I have a set of Motorola buds bluetooth headphones that I wear for the audio. Works well enough for me.

I use a ram mount and either my iPhone or Moto X all the time for my gps. I have a set of Motorola buds bluetooth headphones that I wear for the audio. Works well enough for me.

Are you able to use the controls on the headphones while riding?  Or you have em in your jacket?

iphone in my inner jacket pocket, and etymotic hf3 earbuds. Play music/podcasts, and the phone automatically mutes either for audible directions, then fades the music/podcast back up. Works great.

Expensive.  Do they also work half decent as ear plugs as well?

No, they're usually on the outside. If they get under the collar then the buttons tend to get pushed randomly. And I have no problem using the controls.

I use a ram mount and either my iPhone or Moto X all the time for my gps. I have a set of Motorola buds bluetooth headphones that I wear for the audio. Works well enough for me.

Are you able to use the controls on the headphones while riding?  Or you have em in your jacket?

iphone in my inner jacket pocket, and etymotic hf3 earbuds. Play music/podcasts, and the phone automatically mutes either for audible directions, then fades the music/podcast back up. Works great.

Expensive.  Do they also work half decent as ear plugs as well?

Yeah, they ain't cheap. Before these I had their er6i's, which I liked, but the wires were so damn delicate that I pulled them out of 3 pairs while trying to take them out of my ears. I sweet-talked them into warranty replacements on 2 sets, but one I had to buy again. I think they were around $100 a set.

These hf3's have a longer plug on them, so they are easier to grab. Still, don't touch the cord when pulling them out. And yes, they work fantastic as earplugs, which is why I use them. And when they are in your ears, it takes MINIMAL volume to hear music. And all my pipes are loud/with full pipes (not slip-on's.) I have worn them for 12 hour days on the bikes straight, never taking them out, and never had any pain or comfort issues. They come with a bunch of different tips, but I just have always used the rubber 3 flanged ones b/c....they work fine for me.

thanks for the tips guys

Bluetooth.

I use the Nokia Here Drive+ App (it has offline maps) on my Nokia Windows 8 Phone in a Ram Mount X-Grip on Fred's (huntinggunns) Ram ball mount. The phone gets power through a short cable from a nearby Battery Tender USB connector that runs to a Denali PowerHub 2. I use a SENA SMH5-FM via bluetooth to control the phone (with voice commands) and hear the GPS directions.

The phone/SMH5-FM combo allows me to have intercom, listen to my music, FM radio, make phone calls and GPS navigation with turn by turn voice directions.

The phone was $50 and the SMH5-FM was $119.

[image: VoltMeter 03]

VoltMeter 03

[image: Huntinggunns Ram Ball Mount]
Huntinggunns Ram Ball Mount

 

On a side note, I have a Cortech Dryver Waterproof GPS Tank Bag/Mount for when it rains.

[image: Cortech Dryver Tank Bag 05]
Cortech Dryver Tank Bag 05

iphone on my ram mount blue toothed through my scala Q3...works like a top!

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Bluetooth.

I use the Nokia Here Drive+ App (it has offline maps) on my Nokia Windows 8 Phone in a Ram Mount X-Grip on Fred's (huntinggunns) Ram ball mount. The phone gets power through a short cable from a nearby Battery Tender USB connector. I use a SENA SMH5-FM via bluetooth to control the phone (with voice commands) and hear the GPS directions.

The phone/SMH5-FM combo allows me to have intercom, listen to my music, FM radio, make phone calls and GPS navigation with turn by turn voice directions.

The phone was $50 and the SMH5-FM was $119

Wow I am testing my Nokia Here system for the first time on my VFR this weekend.  I have been using it for about two years as a backup (and car use) but my Zumo is being used by my Commanding Officer in the cage so I am forced to extemporize for the outbound leg for a meet up.   

Here Drive+ has improved quite a bit and is now offered for IOS and Android platforms as well.  Besides the maps being stored on the unit/SDcard, Here.com allows you to input waypoints/favorites on the web and then sync to the phone.  While route making is not as sophisticated as using Mapsource/Basecamp or even Street and Trips it works pretty well for point and shoot navigation. I may even do to a face off with both but how to make room when I already have this.

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Of course the phone screen is not as bright, rugged or waterproof as the Zumo but we shall see (maybe?). 

Sena 20S comm system with BT connection to iPhone...flawless for GPS. The standard iPhone map/nav app runs in background when also running music and radar, audio prompts directions over the other apps when needed. Alternately, can run in foreground with other apps in background, or of course alone. Works perfect. Phone is in Lifeproof case, mounted in Techmount cradle, on Adaptiv stem mount w/extender. Powered by a TAPP USB connection from a Denali fuse block. Waterproof, seamless, works.

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90% of my canyon runs are in places with no cell service. Using an iPhone as a GPS is impractical for people living in the MountainWest and I imagine lots of other places as well.

90% of my canyon runs are in places with no cell service. Using an iPhone as a GPS is impractical for people living in the MountainWest and I imagine lots of other places as well.

True this. However, other iPhone Nav apps work GPS alone and don't need the cellular network. I recommend the MotionX GPS app as it works really well out in the woods and desert and you can download offline map data if needed.

I use Iphone + Navigon GPS app. I like Navigon because  (1) All maps are downloaded to phone so no cell service is required. (2) It has a motorcycle/scenic mode which does a pretty decent job of finding twisties and avoiding boring roads/highways. (3) You can download waypoints (only 25 though). I use ITN Converter to make routes for download to the phone. 

I use Shure SE215 headphones instead of earplugs. The sound quality is excellent for the $, the noise isolation & DB reduction is comparable to a set of foam earplugs. 
 

I like this setup a lot.

 (2) It has a motorcycle/scenic mode which does a pretty decent job of finding twisties and avoiding boring roads/highways.

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Downloading now... I've been looking for something that does this for a WHILE now.  I typically use Copilot GPS for offline maps and custom routes, but I've always wanted something that does 'Scenic routes'.

Sena 20S comm system with BT connection to iPhone...flawless for GPS. The standard iPhone map/nav app runs in background when also running music and radar, audio prompts directions over the other apps when needed. Alternately, can run in foreground with other apps in background, or of course alone. Works perfect. Phone is in Lifeproof case, mounted in Techmount cradle, on Adaptiv stem mount w/extender. Powered by a TAPP USB connection from a Denali fuse block. Waterproof, seamless, works.

So do you get aural alerts from your V1 thru your phone or just visual cues? 

Thanks for the app tips. Will definitely check them out.

Just keep in mind, by the time you download the Navigon basic app, plus the "in app purchases",  you're looking at $130.00 or more.

Just keep in mind, by the time you download the Navigon basic app, plus the "in app purchases",  you're looking at $130.00 or more.

Not really, because you just buy the regions you need. I bought US east only for around $29, I believe. 

Looks like the 'Scenic Route' is only for the iPhone... so that's out.  I've got a cheap Android phone I use as a GPS.

Adaptiv Tech Mount

RAM X-GRIP Cradle attached to the Adaptiv

Piped into the helmet via a Sena SMH-10R

Adaptiv also sells the finger condoms that you can slip over your finger so you can work the touch screen.  With this setup using google or apple's map system, I am not left wanting.  One device for GPS, music, everything.  If it rains I just throw the phone in my tankbag and listen to the directions.

Sena 20S comm system with BT connection to iPhone...flawless for GPS. The standard iPhone map/nav app runs in background when also running music and radar, audio prompts directions over the other apps when needed. Alternately, can run in foreground with other apps in background, or of course alone. Works perfect. Phone is in Lifeproof case, mounted in Techmount cradle, on Adaptiv stem mount w/extender. Powered by a TAPP USB

So do you get aural alerts from your V1 thru your phone or just visual cues?

Sena 20S comm system with BT connection to iPhone...flawless for GPS. The standard iPhone map/nav app runs in background when also running music and radar, audio prompts directions over the other apps when needed. Alternately, can run in foreground with other apps in background, or of course alone. Works perfect. Phone is in Lifeproof case, mounted in Techmount cradle, on Adaptiv stem mount w/extender. Powered by a TAPP USB connection from a Denali fuse block. Waterproof, seamless, works.

So do you get aural alerts from your V1 thru your phone or just visual cues?

With the V1 Connection BT transmitter and app, it provides audio and display functions on the phone via BT using the app, and allows blanking the V1 unit display so it's all shown on the phone. However, it does not transmit BT audio to the Sena comm, so you can't get a direct aural alert in the helmet, and with earplugs in you can't hear the phone audio on alerts at highway speed. So, in that sense it is visual only.

I made my own mount power phone from USB adaptor on bike. Phone is in a life proof case. I use a Bludio blue tooth headset with noise cancelling ear buds, can use it for music & directions at the same time. I use co-pilot nav.

Ram mount came real quick.  Now I just need to steal a pair of ear buds from one of the kids.  8 bloody Apple devices in the house and only 2 sets of ear buds.

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I made my own mount power phone from USB adaptor on bike. Phone is in a life proof case. I use a Bludio blue tooth headset with noise cancelling ear buds, can use it for music & directions at the same time. I use co-pilot nav.

Cheers mohawk, been looking for a good GPS nav app. Tried loads.Used it today on a run, perfect. Loads of features. As i do a lot of work in the Forest of Dean and Wales where mobile data is patchy i needed a GPS only mobile nav app. Bought it. Will be buying the Europe maps soon. Too tight to spend £400 or so on a Tomtom, Garmin etc. 400 buys me a J D upgrade kit!!

I ws put on to it last year by Ken who organised our eurotour, you can do full planning with way points in google maps & then convert for import to co-pilot.  Enjoy.

This site has a good comparison of iphone GPS apps and I generally agree with their feature comparisons for the 5 apps on the list I have tried: http://www.motomappe...-apps-reviewed/

However their analysis is almost a year of date at this point and does not cover the new Nokia Here GPS app just released in 2015.

I will say a big benefit of using a smartphone for GPS versus a dedicated hardware GPS  is you can use one app for one function (finding twisty roads for instance) and another app for other functions (importing GPX files, etc) and switch between them with ease to take advantage of strengths of the different apps.

This site has a good comparison of iphone GPS apps and I generally agree with their feature comparisons: http://www.motomappe...-apps-reviewed/

However their analysis is almost a year of date at this point and does not cover the new Nokia Here GPS app just released in 2015.

I will say a big benefit of using a smartphone for GPS versus a dedicated hardware GPS  is you can use one app for one function (finding twisty roads for instance) and another app for other functions (importinging GPX files, etc) and switch between them with ease. 

Nice link. Thanks.

I use an Android w/blutooth & a mount I made from my Otterbox belt clip.

Based on suggestions here, I decided to try the co-pilot app for it's impressive kung-fu with importing routes only to discover that the recent IOS update 8.3 for iphone broke this ability!   :angry:   Goodbye $7.99.