Long Term Test in Patagonia - BMW R1250GS
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I have been riding in Patagonia for seven weeks using MyRouteApp on a CarABC head unit for navigation.
I have ridden through snow, rain and in the sun.
I have ridden about 200km on gravel where there is no phone signal - often on tarmac there is no phone signal and we carried a satellite phone for emergencies.
I planned routes using MRA with numerous Waypoints and Via points just as I would and have for years although normally, I save this in a GPX format and import to my Garmin Nav6 which works nicely on my GS.
Multiple times I had problems with the interface between my phone and the head unit causing MyRouteApp to hang.
The message "MyRouteApp has stopped working - exit or wait" was a common occurrence.
It also froze numerous times.
I used two different Android devices and both performed in a similar fashion although my newer device connected faster to the head unit and seemed to work slightly better.
It is simple to fix when it freezes or stops working - you simply stop the bike and restart the software - you can do this using the scroll wheel as well.
The problem arrives when you are in traffic or when it is snowing or at night or when keeping up with others - stopping and doing a restart is not so simple and numerous times this caused issues.
I have posted some problems earlier and it was suggested that I am exaggerating or making something out of nothing.
Try using it for real in inclement conditions on the other side of he World before suggesting that I am exaggerating.
When it works it is great and there were one or two days (out of almost seven weeks) that it worked flawlessly for the whole day.
The interface (GUI) needs more work as there are too many issues with the system for anything more than an A to B solution and, if it is only any good for that then I would use WAZE or Google Maps.
I love the Route Planner and have used it for years (and previously Tyre).
I want to like the navigation solution but cannot trust it due to the number of times it fails.
I leave for Alaska in July for six weeks or so travelling by motorcycle - should I simply stick to my Garmin or will there be improvements by then?
I created a short video about my experiences:-
https://youtu.be/Bsp_CJktwLI?si=HnnR3M0B3cnAkfqi
Nick
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That should be about 2000km on gravel and not 200!
