Android Phone for NexRad and Navigation

spring time... more riding...
Check out EMFB ("Easy Map For Bikers")
.. Navigation, Weather, hourly/daily forecasts, all automatic for your location and one tap for any destination location..
.. designed by bikers for bikers for your Android phone.

Great for new and intermediate android users.. power users probably don't need it.

Disclosure:
In the spirit of being a good "citizen" here..
.. yes, it's my software and I'm proud of it because it really works well.
I've spent the last two years developing and improving it.
This is the fastest NexRad available anywhere.. I pull the data right off the NOAA servers.

Please.. excuse my post if you think I should not be talking about it here
but I don't know how else to get the word out..
I will ask the admin to remove this if this is not appropriate here.

More info at:
http://www.fogbog.com
.. available in the Google Play Store

Thanks,
Dennis

Dennis,
Very interesting APP. This is the Adventure Rider website, and many of our rides are OFF published highways. Can your product create "routeble" roads that are not in the Googlemaps basemap? I expect this would require retracing a "tracklog" from the original pass along the proposed new road. I currently use GPS tracks generated by an old Delorme PN-20 and saved to Delorme's TopoUSA product, or GPS tracks recorded by PC and a USB tethered Delorme Earthmate GPS antenna. If the track is over a road not shown in the basemap, I simply "draw" it in. Then I have a new basemap with a new road that is routable. The device sometimes has to be coaxed into using my drawn routes by inserting "via" points along my created roads.

So why don't I just keep using this 6 year old device and PC based editing software? Fifty year old eyes, and the tiny screen on the PN-20. It sure would be nice to use the larger screen of my Thunderbolt, or a droid tablet!

I don't mind buying if you're working toward the features above, but I don't see any posts from you since March. How about PM'ing me and let's make this a really useful app for the ADVrider group?

Clint

Clint,
So sorry I've not gotten back to you sooner..
..we've been on the road for most of the month and,
quite frankly, I had forgotten to check this post.

I've never tried to draw my own roads using the available Google tools..
..let me play with that a bit.
If it's possible, then it should be easy to bring into EMFB.

Thanks,
Dennis

Hi there. Thanks for the post, but how do i find your app ? I've triend searching google under its initals and the full name but it's not showing. Any suggestions?

Thanks.


Gareth

PS: Sounds like it'd be great tho !!! lol.

..try this...

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=appinventor.ai_den12x4.EMFB

..also, see the faq at
www.fogbog.com

Dennis

Clint, I just played around with GM for a little bit this morning.. so the short answer
(if I understand your question) is, yes I think so.
GM will let you draw a route where ever you wish..
I made a simple test... just a few miles..
. but I've used their similar tools to make a route around the entire U.S. so I'm pretty sure it would work.

Below are two images..
1) is from my PC where I created a start point off the hwy...
.. and then I just traced a random line along the river where I know there is a bit of a path
(have been there last year in my off road Ural /w Side car).

Then I just save that into "My Places" on the PC
and when I open MAPS on my Android phone it is there to use under the "My Places" layers..
.. nothing to upload... it's just there.

2) The second picture is the same custom "off road" route as it appears on my Android.
If I went there with my URAL, I could follow the route by keeping the little blue GPS triangle on the blue line.

It's up to you to stay ON the route.. it's not going to give you "turn by turn" voice prompts.

Is that something like you had in mind?.. or did I miss the point all together?

Dennis

1) as created on the PC...



2) as appears on MAPS on my Android phone...

I sent original post while doing a lot of research on what is out there. Looks like the closest thing to what I wanted is an app called DualSportMaps.com. Android and PC based. Incredible capability, and I've confirmed it replaces my Delorme PN-20 for the ability to: Ride it, edit GPS created "track" into a route, and save it. Routing is rudimentary, but through process like you suggested for yours, keep blue triangle on blue line" you can follow any saved "new road". It also has a bunch of other features I really like.
Now on to what you have. Since yours is more simplified, AND ties directly to Google Maps and the My Maps feature, I can see it being useful at work. I don't think there are many companies with the same extreme need we currently have for new road navigation, but could be. Here's our situation: We get a GPS location on Thursday, Local Manager drives to that point via 4wd pickup to confirm it. Friday bulldozers are creating a single lane path to that point (usually across cattle pasture), and Saturday we begin delivering 50,000 lb loads of sand for natural gas "fracking wells" that will start on Monday. By the following Thursday, we're on a different site. Your interaction with GM makes it easy to email our drivers a public "my maps" link to the well site as quickly as Thursday evening. Nice. I'll try to play with it this week and get back to you. Thanks for reply. Enjoy your trips.
Clint

I get emails for a "free" trial version..

I'm hoping to have EMFB v4 "out" in a few weeks.

The last time I did a major update, I did a month long free trial.
.. I would, with your permission, like to try that again.
I'm looking for some "volunteers".

If you have an android phone and would like to try out the free trial version,
send me an email at at "info@fogbog.com" and I'll let you know when it's ready to try.
Last time, the feedback was great.. I'm hoping for something like that again.
I think it will be ready before June.

The free trial copy will be good for about a month so you can play with it for half the summer.
It will not overwrite your downloaded (paid) version of EMFB... you'll have two copies for the trial duration.
After about a month, it will quit working.
You can still download the free copy even if you don't have the other.

EMFB v4 is a major update to EMFB v3.
A few changes: (but it's still about big buttons and big text and intuitive access to MAPS, NAV, WEATHER, and more.
.. Now, there are fewer buttons (but bigger and MORE information)
... home screen buttons are now "Destinations", "Navigate Home", "Weather",
and "Menu/Everything Else", that's it.
Fewer buttons mean easier to use.. at least that's what I'm hoping and what I need your feed back for.
.. improved "Follow Me Radar"
.. Home screen Menu access
.. faster loading and updates
.. infinite zoom levels ( up from "3")
.. more overlay/opacity levels (up from "3")

Weather voice control not ready yet but I'm still working on it ..

Fewer calls to external apps result in less data usage.
Here, a week is about 11 meg.. not very much.

here are some screen shots:
The Start Screen:


The WEATHER Screen.. you can now change the zoom and overlay/opacity without restarting
and the current levels will show on the options buttons.
Notice one zoom says "6" and one says "8"?
.. and you can change Overlay (opacity) "on the fly" (good for when the storm gets so heavy it blocks out the map)






The most often feedback was about: "the menus are all over the place".
Well ok guilty ... and this upgrade is about addressing that point.
Now, ALL the rest of the Menu's, Tools, Options etc are now in ONE place... the "Menu" button.

.. when you tap it, it should look like this:


Thanks all for your help and feed back..

Dennis

This is exactly what I've been looking for. My current riding contraints are short, largely in town, trips for work. I'll have some mounting issues to work through in order to keep my phone powered (lousy battery life).

Someday, I'll indulge my trail riding appetites (TAT comes to mind). That may require a Zumo but for the near term future this looks spot on.

My phone on my bike is the main effort right now, but I wonder if this will work on a Samsung Galaxy Tab running Andriod 4.0 for use elsewhere?

Yes...works on any Android..
I have it on the new ICS..
..this app rocks.
Get it now and when the new update comes out (v4)
...it will be a free upgrade.
The new upgrade does weather display via voice command.

Dennis

Dennis,

I bought this app and went on two relatively short rides in northern Kentucky. I am finding this to be an excellent, user friendly app. I love the ease with which this can take an address or location, and HTC Evo I am lugging around runs this with no hiccups.

I plan on thumb wrestling with the weather features tomorrow, and I look forward to the v4.0.

..Thank you.. thank you..

remember, get out of the old mindset of putting an address in..
it's more fun to just "say" stuff like: "motorcycle museum in Ohio" and let EMFB do the work..

for now, just get the basics down for the weather.. because in 4.0 that gets A LOT easier (and different)..

tell you what..
if you PM me your email address I'll send you a TRIAL copy of the 4.0..
.. it's still just what I call "beta" but it's fully functional...
... it will expire at the end of May but by then I should have, or be close, to the full release in the Market Place..
(free upgrade for you).

thanks again,
Dennis

Dennis,

PM sent. I'm going to dig up an Otterbox type of case to work through my mounting issues.

Sean

cool.. I've been looking at those and trying to come up with something neat..
.. let me know what you find?

also.. once EMFB launches Google Navigation be sure and go to the MENU - LAYERS on GM and select "Satellite"..
.. then, leave it there.. it's awesome..
Instead of viewing where you are with simple 1970's "pac man" like map (like most of the Big G does) you'll find yourself looking down at your route from what appears to be a birds eye view of about 200 feet above..
.. it's like flying down the road in helicopter.. the detail is incredible.
Once you do, you won't go back to Pac Man style maps anymore..

I wrote a big piece about it with some sample pics for the goldwing guys..
... here is a copy of it..
... it's a long read but if your new to Android and EMFB you might find some worthwhile tips.

CLICK HERE FOR >> Android and Easy Map

thanks again,
Dennis

Perfect Riding Day during the Perfect Storm

Wow...This mornings ride was GREAT... spectacular..
excellent breakfast with good pFriends.

This afternoon... not so much.

But on the EMFB radar view, this is one of the most "perfect" storms I've seen in awhile..



enjoy your rides..

Dennis

This perfect storm has provided a good example for me to explain the difference between
BASE view vs COMPosite NexRad views.
.. I've never had good "side by side" examples, but now I do.

BASE is a single sweep at a single azimuth from the NexRad dish.
It's better for a long range view but can't paint a picture of the whole storm
and it can't "punch" through the storm. Basically, you can't "see" into the storm.

COMPosite is just that; a composite view taken over several sweeps and at different azimuths from the dish..
.. it's more like an x-ray of the storm allowing you to see through it.

In the next two pics.. I'm "viewing" from the bottom of the red push pin.
The BASE view "sees" farther but does not allow me to "see" how intense the storm really is up near JAX.
The COMPosite view "drills" right through and lets me see into the other side of the storm..
.. the hidden side from me.

On the other hand, look up near Perry (the "P" is missing; map shows "erry").. near the top left side.
The BASE does a better job of showing the outline of the cells up there,
the COMP shows something there but has it all fuzzy.
That's why they are the two predominant types of displays you see..
.. each has an advantage.
The good news is that the EMFB software let's me easily flip back and forth between the two views.

This is probably of more interest to flyers than riders but even as a rider it sure is nice to be able to see "through" the storms...
(i.e. do I stop for the day..or keep going for a few more hours.. )



I find this stuff fascinating...

Dennis
EMFB (easy map for bikers)

What are u guys using to mount your phones to your bikes. I'm finding that unless you buy an iPhone there aren't too many sturdy waterproof mounts out there.

Sent from my DROID RAZR using Tapatalk 2

I picked up a nice little mount at Best Buy.. around 25-30 bucks..
.. It's been on my touring bike for about 75,000 miles now.. works great.
I have a similar mount on my not so touring Ural with side car..but it still holds up well off road.

.. I posted a piece for the goldwing guys (Everything Android) and there is a picture of the mount there..
...here is the post if you're interested
CLICK HERE>>

Dennis
EMFB (easy map for bikers)

just adding the last bit to the new package...

A safety item..
Either by button tap or just "asking" (talking) to the app,
you'll be able to set up an auto response when you are riding..
So if anyone sends you a text message while you are riding,
the app will automatically send one back to them with something like:
"hey, I'm out riding my motorcycle. I'll get back to you as soon I can."
You won't have to do anything.



it will do more .. but I'm still working on it..

Dennis

Thanks all for your interest.
..I am humbled by the response..

..the trial copy should run for one month. .. it is the full program, not a dumbed down version. ..it will provide tap or voice control for weather, maps, navigation and "do not disturb" ..if your family or close friends know the "secret" text message to send you, EMFB will text back your current location.


EMFB does a lot but requires processor time to do it.
It should be powered when running on the bike to keep the battery charged.

PLEASE provide feedback and questions on the main thread I started here.
.. obviously, I'm doing this to try and generate exposer and interest for the app.

Thanks,
Dennis