OsmAnd

Being a long term Garmin fan but now a keen follower of MyRoute, I have never used my phone as a dedicated navigational device.

Whilst I wait for BMW to get their act together over the failing’s of my 1600’s Connected system, I thought I’d have a look at some phone based app’s. This one seems to score pretty highly on assorted forums.

Here is a good quality basic introduction video

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And here’s one telling about more bells and whistles

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PS There is a certain irony if the manifest problems with the integrated BMW Connected system on my bike, pushed my to using my phone, mounted on the bars.

I now see that it’s received a thumbs up already.

https://www.ukgser.com/forums/showthread.php/574745-OSMand-Off-road-etc?highlight=OsmAnd

Been using it a while. Recommended for off road particularly

g00ner said:

Been using it a while. Recommended for off road particularly

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Thank you.

I am just mucking around with it at the moment but it seems well built.

I’ll be interested to see how well it exports a GPX file into my XT, not least as the base maps are different. Or do I just use my spare phone as the navigation device?

g00ner said:

Been using it a while. Recommended for off road particularly

Click to expand...

I've used it for the last year and find it helpful, especially being able to add other layers, for example the unrestricted byways in Dorset and Somerset, which I've not managed in other apps. There's a nice simplicity and clarity to the maps, particularly the road classifications.

I’m using a spare Iphone when on the little 350, not using a sim with it as it’s happy using imported routes without satellite connection. On my Africa Twin I have the same App running on a Samsung Tab 7 fitted with a mount, battery usage is minimal again without a sim though I do have power for charging.

What is useful (I’m unfamiliar with Garmin apps) is that the route has directional arrows meaning less confusion when off road routes cross. Again you can follow route or commence from a given point. If you’re into off road trips I have a few from OsmAnd I could share

I have a spare Samsung S10 phone, bought only because the new Connected system on my 2022 1600 is absolute garbage with my iPhone. I can use the S10.

The downside is that I’ll now have to clutter my 1600 with a phone. One of the reasons I liked the 1600 was simply because it doesn’t (or at least didn’t) require ‘stuff’ to be added to it. Not least, one of the key reasons to have the whirlywheel thing is to control a navigation device, useless if that device is now a standalone phone.

g00ner said:

I’m using a spare Iphone when on the little 350, not using a sim with it as it’s happy using imported routes without satellite connection. On my Africa Twin I have the same App running on a Samsung Tab 7 fitted with a mount, battery usage is minimal again without a sim though I do have power for charging.

What is useful (I’m unfamiliar with Garmin apps) is that the route has directional arrows meaning less confusion when off road routes cross. Again you can follow route or commence from a given point. If you’re into off road trips I have a few from OsmAnd I could share

Click to expand...

On an iPhone a sim card is not required to use the GPS receiver