CarPlay and Android Auto device
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I'm not sure I see the point of the thing. Why would one use this vs. a smartphone and associated mount?
@Tim-Thompson i tried to use phone only….in summer at 35 with direct sun there is no phone that will not dimm the screen due to overheat…..
For proper trips (rain, fog, cold, warm…) a dedicated gps is needed. I use tomtorider 550. Tried phone, cant be used seriously on my 500-600km daily routes at any day in year (all year)
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Ok... But to run Android Auto or CarPlay you're likely going to have to have a data connection - either USB or WiFI (depending if the phone and device support it). If it has to be USB, that seems like more cabling mess. Plus where are you going to put the phone if it has to be hooked up with a cable? In either case, you talking some power consumption on the phone. I presume this device consumes a (and perhaps the only) power source on the bike. What are you going to power the phone with?
@Tim-Thompson, If your phone can't handle a days ride in your pocket with the screen off, buy a new one... CarPlay and Android Auto are wireless (nowadays at least), so no cabling needed. The headunit itself of course needs power from the bike.
I am just an enthusiastic MRA user, and hope you will be one too!
Most motorcycle problems are caused by the nut that connects the handlebar to the saddle.
Streetpilot 2610/Zumo 660/Zumo 395/ CAT S52 + MRA app -
@Tim-Thompson i tried to use phone only….in summer at 35 with direct sun there is no phone that will not dimm the screen due to overheat…..
For proper trips (rain, fog, cold, warm…) a dedicated gps is needed. I use tomtorider 550. Tried phone, cant be used seriously on my 500-600km daily routes at any day in year (all year)
@Jure-Sirena-0 said in CarPlay and Android Auto device:
@Tim-Thompson i tried to use phone only….in summer at 35 with direct sun there is no phone that will not dimm the screen due to overheat…..
Most rugged phones have no need for extra phonecases, then the risc of overheating is much less. On a naked bike at least I have not seen my screen go dimm yet. Out of precaution, on hot days I often switch off the charger, that leaves out a lot of overheating. My CAT phone can easily operate on battery only for 4 to 5 hours at full brightness.
For proper trips (rain, fog, cold, warm…) a dedicated gps is needed. I use tomtorider 550. Tried phone, cant be used seriously on my 500-600km daily routes at any day in year (all year)
That is absolutely bogus... Just chose your phone wisely.
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@Tim-Thompson i tried to use phone only….in summer at 35 with direct sun there is no phone that will not dimm the screen due to overheat…..
For proper trips (rain, fog, cold, warm…) a dedicated gps is needed. I use tomtorider 550. Tried phone, cant be used seriously on my 500-600km daily routes at any day in year (all year)
@Jure-Sirena-0 said in CarPlay and Android Auto device:
@Tim-Thompson i tried to use phone only….in summer at 35 with direct sun there is no phone that will not dimm the screen due to overheat…..
For proper trips (rain, fog, cold, warm…) a dedicated gps is needed. I use tomtorider 550. Tried phone, cant be used seriously on my 500-600km daily routes at any day in year (all year)
I understand this challenge and indeed it's an issue I keep in mind when considering these things. In fact, I made a suggestion a while back that Next have an option to display the battery temperature somewhere for this very reason. For now I just use a simple app called Battery Temperature that displays the temp in the notification bar. Only problem with that is the font size of the temp is pretty small/hard to read. As to the suggestion for Next... Don't think it got much traction. That said...
I've only had temperature problems with one setup. I use a small smartphone tank bag on one of my bikes to hold my phone. The phone can get a little hot if operated in this setup - the screen is angled up towards the sun, less air flow etc. However, I practically never need full time navigation on this bike, so it's not much of an issue.
On my other bike... I use a Ram Mount. When hot out, I may take the phone out of it's case and mount it naked. I don't ever recall having a problem with heat with this setup. Presumably the phone gets plenty of cooling air and the screen doesn't generally face up towards the sun.
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@Tim-Thompson, If your phone can't handle a days ride in your pocket with the screen off, buy a new one... CarPlay and Android Auto are wireless (nowadays at least), so no cabling needed. The headunit itself of course needs power from the bike.
@Con-Hennekens said in CarPlay and Android Auto device:
@Tim-Thompson, If your phone can't handle a days ride in your pocket with the screen off, buy a new one... CarPlay and Android Auto are wireless (nowadays at least), so no cabling needed. The headunit itself of course needs power from the bike.
Have you tried running a navigation app and Android Auto or CarPlay on a phone not plugged into a power source? My experience suggests that a phone consumes a fair amount of power - even with the screen off - in such a scenario. New phone/fresh battery or not, it's likely that a significant power draw will be experienced on anything other than a fairly short trip. I personally don't fancy arriving at my destination - or worse an intermediate stop with potentially no opportunity to recharge - only to find that my phone has been significantly drained. Additionally, I prefer the phone to maintain a fairly healthy state of charge in case it's needed in an emergency while traveling.
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Navigation apps on phones do consume quite some power. We are currently matching battery usage of Google Maps (which is a good benchmark).
When you are tracking, consumption is slightly higher. We will always recommend connecting your phone to a (wireless) power source.Based on environment conditions, age of the phone & screen brightness there are significant differences in battery life.
Regarding the CarPlay / Android Auto device. We develop the app for all official platforms and cannot guarantee good performance on such devices from day one. Michel has quite some experience with a aftermarket CarPlay installation and that was rather unstable. Crashes of the app were not caused by our app but simply by the device that was 'simulating' CarPlay.
Hope to have an early (official) CarPlay version early Februari!
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I have quadlock with wireless charging. Neither samsung or iphone couldnt keep up the whole day
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I have quadlock with wireless charging. Neither samsung or iphone couldnt keep up the whole day
@Jure-Sirena-0 My exact same setup too
Without charging I get about 4 to 5 hours of battery life while constantly using the app. -
@Con-Hennekens said in CarPlay and Android Auto device:
@Tim-Thompson, If your phone can't handle a days ride in your pocket with the screen off, buy a new one... CarPlay and Android Auto are wireless (nowadays at least), so no cabling needed. The headunit itself of course needs power from the bike.
Have you tried running a navigation app and Android Auto or CarPlay on a phone not plugged into a power source? My experience suggests that a phone consumes a fair amount of power - even with the screen off - in such a scenario. New phone/fresh battery or not, it's likely that a significant power draw will be experienced on anything other than a fairly short trip. I personally don't fancy arriving at my destination - or worse an intermediate stop with potentially no opportunity to recharge - only to find that my phone has been significantly drained. Additionally, I prefer the phone to maintain a fairly healthy state of charge in case it's needed in an emergency while traveling.
@Tim-Thompson said in CarPlay and Android Auto device:
Have you tried running a navigation app and Android Auto or CarPlay on a phone not plugged into a power source?
To be honest: I have not tried that, no. But I think we can agree that the screen on it's brightest setting will always be the highest powerdrain possible. Both my phones will have absolutely no problem surviving more than a day without charging in my pocket. The CAT S52 can even handle at least 4 to 5 hours of navigating on it's brightest setting. My P30 Pro has less battery capacity, but with it's screen off, no youtubing, tiktocking and apping (hey, we are riding...!
) I am sure it will survive a whole day. The trick is not to charge when needed, but to charge to full before leaving EDIT:
Completely unrelated, but triggered from a post in a forum elsewhere:
Many people seem to be desperate to have their USB chargers connected behind the ignition of their bikes, to prevent power leak. I am advocate for connecting it (fused!) directly to the battery. Buy a charger with integrated switch, or buy a separate switch. I use this sometimes to charge my bluetooth headset while having a coffee break. That is otherwise impossible without the engine running. You can easily charge a phone this way too of course.I am just an enthusiastic MRA user, and hope you will be one too!
Most motorcycle problems are caused by the nut that connects the handlebar to the saddle.
Streetpilot 2610/Zumo 660/Zumo 395/ CAT S52 + MRA app -
@Tim-Thompson said in CarPlay and Android Auto device:
Have you tried running a navigation app and Android Auto or CarPlay on a phone not plugged into a power source?
To be honest: I have not tried that, no. But I think we can agree that the screen on it's brightest setting will always be the highest powerdrain possible. Both my phones will have absolutely no problem surviving more than a day without charging in my pocket. The CAT S52 can even handle at least 4 to 5 hours of navigating on it's brightest setting. My P30 Pro has less battery capacity, but with it's screen off, no youtubing, tiktocking and apping (hey, we are riding...!
) I am sure it will survive a whole day. The trick is not to charge when needed, but to charge to full before leaving EDIT:
Completely unrelated, but triggered from a post in a forum elsewhere:
Many people seem to be desperate to have their USB chargers connected behind the ignition of their bikes, to prevent power leak. I am advocate for connecting it (fused!) directly to the battery. Buy a charger with integrated switch, or buy a separate switch. I use this sometimes to charge my bluetooth headset while having a coffee break. That is otherwise impossible without the engine running. You can easily charge a phone this way too of course.@Con-Hennekens said in CarPlay and Android Auto device:
@Tim-Thompson said in CarPlay and Android Auto device:
Have you tried running a navigation app and Android Auto or CarPlay on a phone not plugged into a power source?
To be honest: I have not tried that, no. But I think we can agree that the screen on it's brightest setting will always be the highest powerdrain possible. Both my phones will have absolutely no problem surviving more than a day without charging in my pocket. The CAT S52 can even handle at least 4 to 5 hours of navigating on it's brightest setting. My P30 Pro has less battery capacity, but with it's screen off, no youtubing, tiktocking and apping (hey, we are riding...!
) I am sure it will survive a whole day. The trick is not to charge when needed, but to charge to full before leaving EDIT:
Completely unrelated, but triggered from a post in a forum elsewhere:
Many people seem to be desperate to have their USB chargers connected behind the ignition of their bikes, to prevent power leak. I am advocate for connecting it (fused!) directly to the battery. Buy a charger with integrated switch, or buy a separate switch. I use this sometimes to charge my bluetooth headset while having a coffee break. That is otherwise impossible without the engine running. You can easily charge a phone this way too of course.Yes... Certainly the screen on fully bright (typical during day time riding/navigating) is going to be a significant power drain. If memory serves, the drain from running with the screen off, Android Auto on and using a Navigation app still consumes a non-trivial amount of power. This is with a USB connection. I can't say for sure what the impact would be if using WiFi for the data connection. Could it be worse? Maybe.
One thing I do to protect the phone battery is to manage charging and battery temperature. Theory has it that one can extend Lithium battery life by keeping charge cycles limited to between 20% and 80%. You can manage battery charging on an Android device via software or hardware/software combination. The software only option requires rooting the phone (I would need a more compelling reason than this one application to root the phone). The other option is use something like a Chargie (hardware/software solution).
Chargie allows you to manage charging, rate of charge, and battery temperature. One feature it has is called Android Auto mode. If this is not set to "on" when using it in the car, then the phone will not recharge (go back into charging mode ) after hitting the low threshold (in my case - generally set to 77%) to reinitiate charging.
So why am I telling you all this? Well, this is how I know that the battery drain impact of running Android Auto and a Navigation app without external power to the phone is non-trivial. I've missed the Chargie's Android Auto mode not being set to "on" a couple of times on my way to work and saw the results when I got there.
I understand the appeal of such a device as this Elebest unit. It appears to be designed for the harsher conditions (rain, temperature, etc.) that is experienced when riding. So that's a plus - perhaps a solution to common problems. Certainly might reduce wear and tear on the phone in these respects. However, the power issue with the associated/still needed phone is an issue in my mind. Like I said, maintaining the phone in a healthy state of charge while riding is a requirement for me. Anything that will significantly drain it during a day long outing/while traveling is a unacceptable problem in my book. A practical solution would be required here. In the end, the hassle of such a solution might not be worth it. Instead I'd just use the phone as I currently do now.
As to the Chargie... They came out with a smaller, inline Chargie C unit that makes installation on the bike viable. I should also note that Chargie supports both Android and iOS. However, it doesn't not have an equivalent to the Android Auto mode for CarPlay.
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@Con-Hennekens said in CarPlay and Android Auto device:
@Tim-Thompson said in CarPlay and Android Auto device:
Have you tried running a navigation app and Android Auto or CarPlay on a phone not plugged into a power source?
To be honest: I have not tried that, no. But I think we can agree that the screen on it's brightest setting will always be the highest powerdrain possible. Both my phones will have absolutely no problem surviving more than a day without charging in my pocket. The CAT S52 can even handle at least 4 to 5 hours of navigating on it's brightest setting. My P30 Pro has less battery capacity, but with it's screen off, no youtubing, tiktocking and apping (hey, we are riding...!
) I am sure it will survive a whole day. The trick is not to charge when needed, but to charge to full before leaving EDIT:
Completely unrelated, but triggered from a post in a forum elsewhere:
Many people seem to be desperate to have their USB chargers connected behind the ignition of their bikes, to prevent power leak. I am advocate for connecting it (fused!) directly to the battery. Buy a charger with integrated switch, or buy a separate switch. I use this sometimes to charge my bluetooth headset while having a coffee break. That is otherwise impossible without the engine running. You can easily charge a phone this way too of course.Yes... Certainly the screen on fully bright (typical during day time riding/navigating) is going to be a significant power drain. If memory serves, the drain from running with the screen off, Android Auto on and using a Navigation app still consumes a non-trivial amount of power. This is with a USB connection. I can't say for sure what the impact would be if using WiFi for the data connection. Could it be worse? Maybe.
One thing I do to protect the phone battery is to manage charging and battery temperature. Theory has it that one can extend Lithium battery life by keeping charge cycles limited to between 20% and 80%. You can manage battery charging on an Android device via software or hardware/software combination. The software only option requires rooting the phone (I would need a more compelling reason than this one application to root the phone). The other option is use something like a Chargie (hardware/software solution).
Chargie allows you to manage charging, rate of charge, and battery temperature. One feature it has is called Android Auto mode. If this is not set to "on" when using it in the car, then the phone will not recharge (go back into charging mode ) after hitting the low threshold (in my case - generally set to 77%) to reinitiate charging.
So why am I telling you all this? Well, this is how I know that the battery drain impact of running Android Auto and a Navigation app without external power to the phone is non-trivial. I've missed the Chargie's Android Auto mode not being set to "on" a couple of times on my way to work and saw the results when I got there.
I understand the appeal of such a device as this Elebest unit. It appears to be designed for the harsher conditions (rain, temperature, etc.) that is experienced when riding. So that's a plus - perhaps a solution to common problems. Certainly might reduce wear and tear on the phone in these respects. However, the power issue with the associated/still needed phone is an issue in my mind. Like I said, maintaining the phone in a healthy state of charge while riding is a requirement for me. Anything that will significantly drain it during a day long outing/while traveling is a unacceptable problem in my book. A practical solution would be required here. In the end, the hassle of such a solution might not be worth it. Instead I'd just use the phone as I currently do now.
As to the Chargie... They came out with a smaller, inline Chargie C unit that makes installation on the bike viable. I should also note that Chargie supports both Android and iOS. However, it doesn't not have an equivalent to the Android Auto mode for CarPlay.
@Tim-Thompson said in CarPlay and Android Auto device:
I can't say for sure what the impact would be if using WiFi for the data connection. Could it be worse? Maybe.
I don't think so, because most people work on wifi the whole day also when NOT riding their bike. The navigation software will of course consume power, but so does spotify and youtube and ticktock what people listen to or watch almost continuously. And following my earlier tip about charging while having a break will most likely prevent a to high drain. But yes, it wil have it's cons and pros.
I am just an enthusiastic MRA user, and hope you will be one too!
Most motorcycle problems are caused by the nut that connects the handlebar to the saddle.
Streetpilot 2610/Zumo 660/Zumo 395/ CAT S52 + MRA app -
@Tim-Thompson said in CarPlay and Android Auto device:
I can't say for sure what the impact would be if using WiFi for the data connection. Could it be worse? Maybe.
I don't think so, because most people work on wifi the whole day also when NOT riding their bike. The navigation software will of course consume power, but so does spotify and youtube and ticktock what people listen to or watch almost continuously. And following my earlier tip about charging while having a break will most likely prevent a to high drain. But yes, it wil have it's cons and pros.
So anybody tried one of these out yet?
Seen another variant under various names...
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Morning,
no I haven´t tryed yet, because the Elebest device is not available at the moment. (maybe end of Feb.)
I have contacted Elebest and they are willing to provide a test sample for some weeks. 1. When they can ship 2. When Navigation Next is CarPlay capable.
I will provide a test report, then.I prefer the Elebest device, because it has a 7inch display and a German/Europeen contact.
I am not sure what support will be provided for the other devices, may be none.Hardware
iPhone 12 pro (iOS 17.0.2)
Oukitel RT3 (Andr. 12)
Samsung Galaxy XCover 4 (Andr. 9 Pie)
Wireless CarPlay mit (Elebest C650)
Wired CarPlay (SEAT Arona - 2021)
For more information, click here -
@Corjan-Meijerink
When do you think is Carplay ready to test? (approx.)Hardware
iPhone 12 pro (iOS 17.0.2)
Oukitel RT3 (Andr. 12)
Samsung Galaxy XCover 4 (Andr. 9 Pie)
Wireless CarPlay mit (Elebest C650)
Wired CarPlay (SEAT Arona - 2021)
For more information, click here -
@Corjan-Meijerink
When do you think is Carplay ready to test? (approx.)@Jörgen We're still aiming for a first Beta version at the end of this month / beginning next
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Thanks.
What a work spirit, working on Sunday.
Hardware
iPhone 12 pro (iOS 17.0.2)
Oukitel RT3 (Andr. 12)
Samsung Galaxy XCover 4 (Andr. 9 Pie)
Wireless CarPlay mit (Elebest C650)
Wired CarPlay (SEAT Arona - 2021)
For more information, click here -
@Jörgen Drinking coffee and updating the forum
Nice and calm Sunday! -
So I've been digging into these things a little more...
Noted on the Maxca site that the OS is Linux. Also, found out that they support both wired and wireless Android Auto and CarPlay.
Searching around, I've found reports of roughly 10%/hour (some more, some less) phone battery drain using wireless Android Auto. I might find that unacceptable. They say on a charger, the phone will run hot while running wireless AA.
The wired option may be important. I did a quick test running Android Auto with no power (using my Chargie to facilitate this test). It consumed about 1% in roughly 1/2 hour. If this is indeed representative, then 2 to 3 percent battery usage in an hour wouldn't be bad. I might do some longer runs to confirm this.
So... You'd have to wire the provided power supply harness into the bike's accessory power (might also be able to use the bike's USB port). Then you'd need to run a USB cable to where the phone is. Hmmm... What would make for a good setup here? Perhaps I could mount a windshield bag on my Heritage and toss the phone in it. The USB cable run from the windshield bag to a device like this might not be too bad. A little kludgy, but perhaps acceptable.
One potential important use case... Cold weather riding. They say not to charge your phone when it's cold, which is generally not a problem. In times past, I haven't used my phone on the bike during the winter. However, I've done a couple of rides beta testing MRA this year. I've noted that charging performance appears to be poor when it gets cold enough. So, one of these things might be useful here.
Hot weather riding might also see a benefit for obvious reasons.
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So I've been digging into these things a little more...
Noted on the Maxca site that the OS is Linux. Also, found out that they support both wired and wireless Android Auto and CarPlay.
Searching around, I've found reports of roughly 10%/hour (some more, some less) phone battery drain using wireless Android Auto. I might find that unacceptable. They say on a charger, the phone will run hot while running wireless AA.
The wired option may be important. I did a quick test running Android Auto with no power (using my Chargie to facilitate this test). It consumed about 1% in roughly 1/2 hour. If this is indeed representative, then 2 to 3 percent battery usage in an hour wouldn't be bad. I might do some longer runs to confirm this.
So... You'd have to wire the provided power supply harness into the bike's accessory power (might also be able to use the bike's USB port). Then you'd need to run a USB cable to where the phone is. Hmmm... What would make for a good setup here? Perhaps I could mount a windshield bag on my Heritage and toss the phone in it. The USB cable run from the windshield bag to a device like this might not be too bad. A little kludgy, but perhaps acceptable.
One potential important use case... Cold weather riding. They say not to charge your phone when it's cold, which is generally not a problem. In times past, I haven't used my phone on the bike during the winter. However, I've done a couple of rides beta testing MRA this year. I've noted that charging performance appears to be poor when it gets cold enough. So, one of these things might be useful here.
Hot weather riding might also see a benefit for obvious reasons.
@Tim-Thompson I rode in the freezing cold this year - battery charging was terrible. On the quadlock wireless charger, my iPhone was dead within approx 20 minutes.
As soon as it was inside again and I connected a normal charger it indicated a level of around 70% - leading to the simple conclusion that the phone cannot handle such temps and the battery indication goes bananas
leading to a shutdown 
Riding in hot / cold weather with a phone on your handlebar can be very challenging regardless of the apps you use. To benchmark MRA, we always test in cars as the weather (especially current season) impacts tests too much.
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Did a 1 hour test run with my Pixel 5a. It was connected to Android Auto via USB cable, but with no power (battery only). Waze was used for navigation. Car temperature was 70 degrees F. Battery dropped from 76% to 69% - 7%/hour.
Not great in my opinion. Could imagine worse results in extreme temperatures. Road trips with long days might put a significant hit on the phone's battery. Not sure I'd want to do this too often (wear and tear on battery).
I'd be curious to see what wireless Android Auto would do to the phone while plugged in. Probably have the phone setup not to quick charge for this experiment (~1.5 to 2 amps max). Would the phone get hot?
Of course, similar experiment with an iPhone, CarPlay and MRA/Scenic would be interesting. How would the iPhone fair here? Heat?
