navigation with Android: Device
Pictured here is the equipment with which Filippo Ceccucci traces the route of the Moto Club Umbria events and draws up the road-book, hand-drawing it note by note.
A feat that in addition to requiring skill, effort and dedication is impossible to perform without specific equipment.
If you only follow road-books and tracks, what do you really need? A rugged Android tablet!
Even the old outdoor GPS is now as obsolete as the navigators that used to be built into cars: only ten years ago, you had to go to a car dealership to update the maps, today the navigation systems in cars are nothing more than mirror screens, exchanging data with the smartphone in our pockets.
Android is open, flexible, not bound to a specific use, it has hundreds of thousands of apps for the most diverse uses.
In the motorcycling field, for example, in addition to the 'canonical' uses, from navigation to motorbike diagnosis apps to frequency meter apps developed by the timing belt manufacturers themselves (anyone with a Ducati or Gilera Bi4 will understand!).
Android universal tool: PRO and CON
The advantages of using a universal platform such as Android are almost infinite and it is also difficult to draw up a precise list, however, relative to our field of application...
PRO
- use is not exclusively related to the motorbike
- the cost
- versatility by number of apps
- two-way communication, versatility of connection with other devices
- use of multiple positioning systems (GPS II, Glonass, Galileo, Beidou)... (how the global positioning system works is a topic that deserves a separate in-depth study, also theoretical)
AGAINST
- if not Rugged (resistant to water, vibration and dust) they are delicate devices for this use
- only certain devices can be used in touch-screen mode with gloves
- If not ruggedised, monitor brightness may be poor in daylight conditions
- The displays have a glossy finish that multiplies reflections (there are matt protective films that partially solve this)
- battery life: the active GPS antenna and the always-on display at maximum brightness require a continuous power supply from the motorbike or a power-bank
- fragility of USB charging connectors - only a few tablets have a POGO contact connector, but this requires a specific holder for that device model
the maximum
This section shows how we have made up our equipment, if you already own an Android tablet our suggestion is to use it, perhaps investing in a solid holder such as the Cradles produced by RAM: the device search engine on the motogps.co.uk makes it possible to find the appropriate and specific cradle for hundreds of different tablets.
In addition to the hand control, this is what we chose for our personal equipment without any compromise in terms of use and resistance, but still keeping the cost to a minimum of around €300.
The tablet is an 8″ Samsung Active Tab 2 T-395, rugged IP68 (official data sheet here).
- is a model presented 2017 and upgradeable to Android 9
- Built for professional use, it is shock, dust and liquid resistant (IP68), has a very bright display, the three front buttons are physical, and the use of the touch screen with gloves is particularly advanced.
- has a POGO connector that allows it to be powered without using the USB-C socket
The Galaxy Tab Active series comprises an earlier model (Tab Active T-365), a later 8″ model Tab Active 3 T-575 and the latest Active Tab Pro T-545, which, however, is 10.1″.
Guaranteed refurbished can cost between 100 and 300€, new about twice as much: for our use we have also used the first Tab Active T-365 to our satisfaction.
In order to be able to insert the tablet into the Ram Cradle, it is necessary to use either the original case (which is not usually supplied with remanufactured tablets) or the specific Ram Intelliskin case: For active Tab 2 (code number is RM4901)
Cradle Ram Mounts (for Active Tab 2 and 3 cod. RM4922): is a mount for industrial use equipped with a Pogo connector at the base and a USB cable for powering the tablet.
Curiously, the Cradle is the size of a paper roadbook holder (23×16 cm), is thinner (6.5 cm) and does not have to be fitted with tripmeters!
On the site of motogps.co.uk you can look for a suitable mount for your motorbike and the whole RAM system revolves around solid ball joints: they really hold.
In any case, the Cradle RAM uses a standard AMPS platealso used universally by Garmin, TomTom etc... the hole spacing is 38×30 mm for M5 bolts.
If we take the Ducati DesertX as an example, since there is no crossbar and the riser area is particularly unfriendly, we used a pair of Rally instrument brackets: here are the measurements.
The Samsung Active Tab 2 with the SAM-29 RAM case
The three physical front buttons
The POGO connector at the base of the Galaxy Tab Active
the Cradle Ram Mounts kit RAM-HOL-SAM60P
Cradle RAM with Mini-USB socket
The Cradle Ram Mounts are not flat but have a thickness of 6.5 cm
Rear view with AMPS attachment (vertical)
The POGO connector at the Cradle Ram Mount base
Cradle Ram Mount: made in the USA
the complete set
the essentials
The minimum configuration: a mobile phone running Android 6.0 or later, a holder to fix it on the handlebar, a power cable and of course the hand control.
Pros, cons and some suggestions!
A mobile phone we certainly already have, it probably already comes with a mounting bracket on the bike because we use it with Google Maps or just to see incoming phone calls while riding: that's advantage No. 1, we are already prepared!
What are the disadvantages? The risk is not to see the digital roadbook well because the display is small. On the other hand, it consumes less battery power than a tablet and we can also power it with just a relatively small power-bank (4000 mAh).
If it is not ruggedised and exposed to dust and shocks, the power supply has to go through its USB connector which, as we will always reiterate, is a point of fragility: a cable with a 90° plug offers some extra assurance.
If you have to use a smartphone, don't use the one you keep on your bedside table because it is essential that it accompanies us in our daily lives, for our safety, and on the trail it is useful for taking photos and videos.
The Navirally app does not need to exchange data, so it can also be used with the device not connected to the network or without a card.
Many Android phones have a feature that allows us to use them with gloves: themposition>screen>touch sensitivity
For specific cradles you can search the extensive RAM catalogue by device search on the motogps.it website
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