Trial motorcycle run - comments and suggestions

[David Bonner]

I used the Beta app (v 3.2.8) for the first time on my motorcycle on Wednesday and I thought it may be helpful to record what went well, not so well and some suggestions for improvements. The phone I was using is a iPhone SE, 2nd generation. The ride was a whole day, of approx 220 miles.

Firstly the positives -

• Generally the navigation worked correctly (as intended) with no crashes.

• The map is clear.

• Layout of guidance and information windows is good and does not restrict the view of the map too much or the line the route. I only tested this in portrait mode.

• Rerouting for diversions etc is reliable and fast.

• A road closure made a major deviation from the route necessary. In ‘Show Route’ I was able to select a waypoint ahead on the route and instruct the navigation to reroute to this. I didn't know this was possible - what a great feature!

• Skipping waypoints worked well. I use this feature a lot and it is good to have it as a single touch button on the main screen.

• I like that speed cameras and average speed cameras are flagged up in the information box at the base of the display. I wonder if it is possible to also show your actual average speed in the display? This would be most useful.

• The distances and timings to waypoints and completion of the route is accurate.

• Lane indication is accurate.

Areas for improvement -

• As I have previously reported, displaying waypoints in the top left window prevents the more important junction & roundabout guidance being displayed.

• Voice guidance is slow, sometimes given and sometimes not. Occasionally it is even given after a junction! Definitely needs work..

• Duplication of distance/time to waypoints in the information box at the base of the screen. As per my previous suggestion this feature could be toggled show distance & time to -

  1 - Completion of the Route
  2 - Via Waypoints only
  3 - All Waypoints

• Warning beeps for exceeding speed limit & upcoming speed cameras are very tentative. Is it the intention for warning sounds to be customisable in the future?

• The font for the junction guidance could be larger - it is difficult to see with the phone mounted on the handlebars. The next instruction font is even smaller. I suggest both be in larger fonts, both the same size.

• Suggest arrival time (base of screen) is the principal information to display in this box. Distance and time remaining are secondary. I have attached a screen shot to illustrate both the above comments.

Although the App is not yet ‘the finished article’, even in its present form it is a very commendable navigation system and I am excited to see it’s future development.

[Ronni]

@David-Bonner said in Trial motorcycle run - comments and suggestions:

The font for the junction guidance could be larger

i fully support that.

[Corjan Meijerink]

Thanks so much for the elaborate feedback! I truly appreciate these extensive posts

Regarding the positive notes: thanks so much for stressing these! We really put in quite some effort to get those aspects right The remark about showing average speed during a average speed check is something numerous testers mentioned and we will look into that.

Then over to the suggestions:

• We’ll check this later to see how it can be improved. Some enjoy the current layout and others less. Besides, the current implementation is technically way easier but that’s something for us to solve, yet this is the reason why we haven’t changed it yet.
• voice guidance will be improved and configurable later (at least before release)
• this is how it is right now? Or do you mean something different?
• yes, probably
• general font size and layout improvements are something we wish to do before release!
• thanks!

Once again, thanks for the detailed feedback! We’ll keep improving and happy to hear you already enjoy the app. My statement "before release" is getting closer every week. To be fair, we get in that phase after implementing offline maps & CarPlay. Together fine finetuning we want to build Android Auto and then it’s release time.

[David Bonner]

@Corjan-Meijerink Thanks for your very prompt reply as usual Corjan. Just a couple of follow up comments from me -

1 - For me, displaying waypoints in the top left window in preference to junction guidance is a big deal. I realise that junction guidance is given, providing there is no waypoint ahead, but sometimes for good reasons it is necessary to have a waypoint quite close to a turning, and in this case the information as to which way to turn etc is given very late. Sorry if I am ‘going on’ about this, but I do think it is a fundamental principle of a satnav system that junction guidance is given AT THE CORRECT TIME to plan for the manoeuvre. This works perfectly for an A to B route, ie no waypoints, so is not the solution simple - just stop displaying waypoints in the top left window? I really don’t see the benefit of this. If information about waypoints is required this can be displayed in the top right (upcoming waypoint) window, plus the time/distance to upcoming waypoints can be given in the bottom middle window.

2 - Regarding the bottom middle window, you asked -

> this is how it is right now? Or do you mean something different?

At the moment default is arrival time/distance for whole route. Press again and information shown is to the next waypoint. Press a second time and the information displayed is the same - next waypoint. Press again and display returns to the default. So I am suggesting to use the 3 windows to show -

1 - Completion of the Route (default)
2 - Via Waypoints only
3 - All Waypoints

Just a suggestion….

[Corjan Meijerink]

@David-Bonner Thanks for the follow up!