My Experience thus far with Andriod GPS apps

Dual Sport Maps is a derivative of OSMand, specifically designed for dual sporting. Worth a look as well.

I know I tried OruxMaps a couple of months back. There was something I didn't like about it, maybe the overly complex menus, but I didn't care for it. If it directly handles KMLs, I may look again. OSMand uses GPX files. I also like the OSMand vector maps of many states that fit on the phone easily.

Have you tried a simple RAM universal finger grip. that is what I use, and the phone does not overheat. I tried an AquaBox and the phone would shut down it a very short time. Of course it is not waterproof in the finger grip, but I have had good luck with it.

As long as the phone is not in the sun on a hot day it doesn't overheat in my AquaBox (Droid X), so I may fashion a rudimentary cover to keep the sun off it when I'm not looking. This may also keep me from being tempted to look while I am riding too... :\ Phone is too precious to leave it unprotected, so I will continue to deal with the box/overheating issues.

OruxMaps handles GPX too. I like it enough that I am going to donate to the developer soon, but not $20...

Check out OSMand. The offline vector maps is a real winner IMHO. No need for a desktop and only downloading small sections.

Roger, but for DS riding I need better than the usual road maps. The USFS maps are excellent as they show all their roads in great detail, are easy to ready, and include roads not on road maps (like Google Maps etc.)

For road riding away from cell service I can even just use Google Maps, as there is a Google Labs you can turn on to speculatively download their maps for a route (for this very reason). I haven't used it yet because downloading them from within the OruxMaps App (while at home on WiFi) is just too easy.

I bet OsmAnd does allow for importing maps, but the OruxMaps software has some great features (like creating zoom levels ala Garmin et al).

Funny that Orux and Osm have almost identical icons in Android...

With dualsportmaps, you can cache map tiles (such as google road maps) for just the area underneath tracks which gives you maximum bang for your buck in terms of map tile caching. The vector OSM maps are really quite good though. I rarely use the google maps out in the world in practice. There is a video which shows that process. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W7kd_hfpVBc

Where do you find the USFS maps? Do you have to create those on a PC and copy them to the phone?

MVUMs from the USFS are available here. They are PDFs generally.

USGS topo maps are available at dualsportmaps.com and through the app if you want them on your phone. Like below.

http://www.fs.fed.us/r5/rsl/clearinghouse/VisitorMaps.shtml

For OruxMaps you need to rename the .jgw (world file) to .tfw (technicality) and then run them through the desktop program, where you can create zoom levels and such to prep them for the App on the phone. Then copy them into the correct folder and finally select it in the app. Using .kml files is the same; once in the proper folder Orux finds them and makes them available in the app.

Has anyone considered porting this idea over to a "cheap" tablet? I'm thinking a 7" tablet could sit on my tank bag and be no more distracting than my 60CSx on the bars. Here's an option for discussion sake: Android 2.2 Tablet Cortex A8 Touch Screen Support Flash Bluetooth Gps Wifi

Several people are using my app on Nook colors with Bluetooth GPSes. They say it works well.

wally mart has an 8inch vizio that gets good reviews, gps, android 2.3 the phone os not the tablet, can take a micro sd up to 32gb for $250 even cheaper at sams I think. A few people have posted on the android forums that the gps works good offline with cached maps.
I am running DSM on a sprint evo now so that will be the first app on it.

I recently loaded your s/w onto a Toshiba Thrive and it's working great. The onboard GPS seems to work okay, if a little slow to change, in the car. When warmer weather arrives I look forward to taking this for a ride on the bike.

I recently got a new motorola razr m and the GPS is incredible. I was running it in a 757 even. I couldn't do that with my Garmins.

Done, $112 CyberNav with Orux. Cheap enough to be near disposable, and awesome with the kinks worked out. Review

The biggest problem is the screen as (so far) cheap generally does not equal sunlight-readable. My answer to this was custom high-contrast maps (near black and white) and a sunscreen. Of the two, the high-contrast is the most important.

Oh, and yes, OSM data and my tracks through JOSM (map editor), through Maperative to generate my very own tile-set (high-contrast, thick lines), through MOBAC to generate Oruxmaps. Yes, Orux configuration is crazy, but awesome when you get it right. Yes, the multiple learning curves of the above are crazy, but I am very, very happy with the results.

I've been meaning to do a write-up on the above... but then I've been meaning to do a lot of things these days,

David...

I've installed an uninstalled Oruxmaps 4 or 5 times now.

What a pain.

I've used OSMand for a couple of years now. They have the vector maps already made for me on a server. Download all of the free maps that I want, and I'm good. OSMand doesn't do a bad job of routing either.

http://www.amazon.com/Bad-Elf-1000-30-Pin-Receiver/dp/B0035Y7ZJ2
BAD ELF.

is a GPS reciever, and lets you charge while using it- downside I couldn't find it with the new connector- so you need the 30 pin adapter. Silly Apple.

Just throwing it out there.

Would this work?

http://www.amazon.com/fashion-allwi...TF8&qid=1357537442&sr=1-3&keywords=tablet+gps

Doesn't Apple build a GPS into their devices already? What is the point of this?
I suspect some of the older devices didn't include a GPS, and this stupid expense part is what you could add to get GPS.

Yes, the phones and the 3G/LTE enabled iPads have built-in GPSes.