OsmAnd GPS Phone App

1. Cost. You probably already have a smartphone. All you need to do is install an app and download some maps.
2. Convenience. Since your phone has internet access, it's easy to download routes and map updates.
3. Finding fuel stops, places to eat, etc- online info is usually more up to date than a GPS providing you have data reception available.

1. Harder to control the screen with gloves on.
2. Raindrops hitting screen can make it zoom, change functions, go crazy. (Never had a phone that was usable in a hard rain)
3. Phone must be connected to external power due to display running continuously at high brightness. 
4. Under bright conditions, the USB charging rate may not keep up with the phone's power consumption, causing the battery to run down.
5. On hot days, the phone may overheat and shut down.
6. Phone may be waterproof, but the USB connector is not. Phone might have to be unplugged if it rains.
7. Most phone app displays are not optimized for motorcycle use- buttons and text are too small, buttons often located in inconvenient places, too close together. 
8. Bike vibration can damage the phone camera unless you have a special mount.
9 A good phone can be much more expensive and difficult (think about transferring data) to replace than a dedicated GPS.

Looking back, the times I have most needed a GPS was when trying to navigate through a big city during a downpour- absolutely needed to have it working with voice prompts. That's also when a phone is most likely to fail. BTW a phone that's not working isn't going to send texts or make calls either.

1. OsmAnd is available for both Android and iOS, so only one app to learn and support that will work for everyone.
2. You can download and install a free version with up to seven states of map coverage which meets the needs of most rally attendees.
3. Very easy to download and import GPX files.
4. Can display and navigate both routes and tracks, plus alert for nearby waypoints in the GPX file, so it works well with existing MSTA event GPX files
5. If you want unlimited map updates and downloads, you can subscribe for only $9.99/year.

I recommend a dedicated GPS for use with MSTA routes. Some attendees don't have one or just prefer to use their phone, so I want to offer them a phone app with support so they can come to my event and use our great routes without spending extra money.
Attendees are free to use whatever phone app they wish, but supporting a variety of other apps is beyond the scope of what my volunteers can do.

1. OsmAnd is very "destination oriented." On loop routes where the start and finish are close together, you need to be either very close to the actual starting point or already into the route when starting navigation- otherwise OsmAnd will cheerfully declare you already at the finish. Done!
2. Voice prompts are very chatty, alerting you to relatively gentle curves in the road as well as turns. Railroads and pedestrian crossings are frequent voice prompts- often prompting when the railroad is more than a mile away, even when the crossing is not on the route. Info on how to disable some voice prompts can be found HERE
3. Don't rely on the given time or distance estimates given for the current route- they can be way off.
4. Off-route recalculation is not always timely or optimal.
5. Maps are excellent and map display is very clear.
7. OsmAnd can easily do turn by turn navigation from a track, as well as a route.
8. For individual GPX files that contain both routes and tracks, OsmAnd does not allow you to choose between them- it just offers you what it calls a Track.
9 Individual GPX file that contain only routes or only tracks are treated interchangeably- Both can either be made visible on the map manually follow or be navigated with turn-by-turn instructions. 
10 ADV riders can navigate the main route and set alternate tracks showing hero sections etc, to show on the map simultaneously. 
11. All waypoints in the GPX file that exist independently of routes will be displayed on the map and generate voice prompts in their vicinity. Points in routes that are set to alert for dedicated GPS units but do not exist independently from the route are ignored. 
12. Battery saver tips from Jon Juracich- There are 2 settings that can mitigate the battery-usage problem:
- Profile - Navigation Settings - Animate Own Position: set to OFF;
- Profile - General Settings - No animations: set to ON.
- If you use a Quadlock wireless charging mount- get the version that runs off 12 volt bike power rather than 5 volt USB. It will keep your phone charged much better!
These settings help a great deal - my phone will generally stay charged or mostly charged when running off the bikes power. They also don't seem to affect the apps functionality - at least that I can see.

OsmAnd Configuration

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Opening Map Screen

Press the menu hamburger in the lower left corner of the screen to select the main menu to get started.

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Main Menu

Main menu has many options. Start by pressing Settings.

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Settings Page

Go directly to App Profiles and scroll down.

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Motorcycle App Profile

Enable the Motorcycle profile and press it to adjust settings.

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Motorcycle Configure Profile

Press General Settings

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General Settings Motorcycle

Enable Display position always in center

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General Settings Motorcycle

Press Screen control

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Screen Control Motorcycle

Enable Navigation instructions, press the Back arrow (left arrow located near upper left of screen) two times  to return to Motorcycle Configure profile

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Motorcycle Configure profile

Press Navigation Settings

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Navigation settings Motorcycle

Press Route Parameters

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Route parameters settings Motorcycle

Press Avoid roads...

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Route parameters Avoid roads

Make sure all avoidances are Disabled and press Apply. Scrroll down

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Route parameters Motorcycle

Enable Consider temporary limitations (takes local construction reports into account)
Enable off-route recalculation Minimal distance to recalculate route, select it and set distance to 60 feet and press Apply.
Press Back arrow to return to Navigation settings Motorcycle.

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Navigation settings Motorcycle

Press Customize route line.

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Route Line

Scroll up, press Medium width,
Enable Turn Arrows Visible
Press Apply

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Navigation settings Motorcycle

Press Map during navigation

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Map during navigation Motorcycle

Press Auto center map view and set to 5 seconds
Press Auto zoom map if you want to change the preference
Enable Snap to road if not already enabled
Press Map orientation threshold and adjust if not already set to 0 mph
Press the Back arrow two times to return to Motorcycle Configure profile

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Motorcycle Configure profile

Press Configure map

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Configure map

Enable Favorites
Enable Point labels
Scroll down

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Configure map

Enable Map markers
Press Back arrow three times to return to the Map screen

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Map screen

Press the Hamburger to open the Configuration menu

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Configuration menu

Press Download maps

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Map download screen

Near the top of the screen you can see that we are running the free version of OsmAnd, which only allows 7 map downloads. I have already downloaded Ohio and Indiana so there are five left. Press North America, look for the states you want. Downloading takes a lot of device memory so make sure your phone has plenty. Expect 5-10 minutes per state on a fairly fast connection, preferably WiFi. 
Press the Back arrow to return to the Map screen.  

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Setup My Places for easy file import

This will be our final configuration task in the initial setup.
Press the Hamburger to open the Configuration menu

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Setup My Places for easy file import

Press My Places

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Setup My Places for easy file import

Press the Import button or the + symbol at the bottom left

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Downloads

Press Name and the dialog box will open
Press Modified. This makes oldest downloads appear first.

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Downloads

Press The Up arrow and it will change to a Down arrow.

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Downloads

Now the newest downloaded files will appear first. Since you probably want to import the GPX files you just downloaded this is a good thing!
One more trick-
Press the View icon at the top right of the screen

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Downloads

Now we can see the actual file names so it's easy to identify the GPX files and their exact names. This will make importing much easier in the future. 

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Congratulations- OsmAnd is all set for you to use!

Below on this page, there are three shorter tutorials-
1. GPX Route Import & Setup
2. 
Navigating a Route
3. 
Delete Routes & Clean Up

OsmAnd GPX Route Import & Setup

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FlyBy Week EZ Route Selector

Browse routes and find the one you'd like to ride, then press the GPX link to copy it to the Downloads folder on your phone.

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OsmAnd Main menu

Press My Places

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My Places

Press the Import or + button to access the Downloads floder. 

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Downloads

Press the name of the GPX file you want to import.

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Import tracks

All import items available will be selected by default, but not all are needed. Items with names that also contain waypoints (see red circles) are the ones you want. Scroll down

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Import tracks

The Pt2 track is also good and is already selected so scroll down

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Import tracks

The third item is selected but does not have a name or waypoints. Deselect it

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Import tracks

With the third blank item deselected, press the Import button

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My Places

You now have two tracks, 28 Country Lane WV Tech Pt 1 & 2 ready for navigation. See Navigating a Route below

Navigating a Route with OsmAnd  

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OsmAnd Main menu

From the OsmAnd Main Menu, press My Places

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My Places Tracks

Press Tracks

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My Places Tracks

All currently imported tracks will appear. Press 28 Cntry Lane WV Tech Pt 1 115
Route naming convention: 28 is a convenient reference number, Cntry Lane WV is an abbreviated description, Tech indicates it's a Technical route with county back roads, 115 is the length in miles

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Map Screen with route dialog

Press the Navigate button

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Map Screen with route and start dialog

Press the Start button to begin navigation

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Map Screen with Navigation

We are on our way

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Map Screen with Navigation

Looking ahead on the route, there are Gas Stop waypoints that will alert with text at the top of the map and voice prompts when you get close.

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Map Screen with Navigation

End of route Pt 1 with gas and lunch stop
Route will automatically cancel when the end is reached 

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Clear Pt 1 before starting Pt 2

Press 28 Cntry Lane WV Tech Pt 1 115

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Map Screen with route dialog

Press the Options button

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Route Options

Disable Show on map

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Route Options

Press the Back arrow to exit

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Map Screen with route and dialog

The Pt 1 route is now grayed out
Press the Tracks Back arrow in the upper left

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My Places tracks

Notice the Visible section is gone.
Press Tracks

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My Places tracks

Press 28 Cntry Lane WV Tech Pt 2 91

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Map Screen with route and dialog

Press the Navigate button 

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Map Screen with route and start dialog

Press the Start button to begin navigation

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Map Screen with Navigation

Once again we are on our way

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Map Screen 

Navigation tutorial is complete. 
Final section below is how to Delete  & Clean Up routes that are no longer needed.

Delete Routes & Clean Up

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OsmAnd Main menu

Press My Places

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My Places Tracks

Press the three dots to the right of the first track you want to delete.

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My Places Tracks

Press Delete

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My Places Tracks

Press Yes

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My Places Tracks

Press the three dots to the right of the remaining track

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My Places Tracks

Press Delete

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My Places Tracks

Done. 
If you have imported lots of routes the deletion process can be tedious. Much better to only download the GPX files you actually want to use and only import what you need for the day's ride then delete afterwards.

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About

FlyBy Week is MSTA's largest regional sport touring rally, over 25 years running at Marietta, Ohio

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Norm Kern

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