Bafang displays with navigation and Bluetooth

[egroover]

Hi all

I enjoy touring and currently use my phone and Komoot for turn by turn navigation with pre programmed routes with my phone mounted to the handlebars. Works well, but issues when it rains, having to remove for security when stopped and battery life of phone.
I've been looking at the new Bafang displays for BBS mid drives that have built in Bluetooth and navigation turn by turn indicators etc on the display.
From what I can tell there are 2 or 3 models, a couple of larger screen ones and a smaller one here

EKD01 Bluetooth Navigation Display 8 Languages LCD Ebike Computer For BAFANG Electric Bike Motor Kit Intelligent Controller UART - AliExpress 18

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About £35 delivered

They link to an app called BikeGo via Bluetooth and theres a mapping feature

I'm thinking of taking a punt and ordering one, but before I do has anyone had any experience of these displays?

Cheers

 

[guerney]

I'm thinking of taking a punt and ordering one

About £35 delivered

Wow that's low priced. If you buy one, I'd be interested to read about your experiences - there don't appear to be any handlebar displays to show turns and other information, integrated with Google Maps, Koomoot etc. for bikes, but HUDs do exist for cars.

Bluetooth connected Navigation display

The goal of this project is to create a low cost display that can be mounted to the handlebars or fairing of any motorcycle to provide a display of the riders route navigation. GPS navigation is performed via an app running on the users smart phone. Directions are communicated over Bluetooth...

racineennis.ca

I enjoy touring and currently use my phone and Komoot for turn by turn navigation with pre programmed routes with my phone mounted to the handlebars. Works well, but issues when it rains, having to remove for security when stopped and battery life of phone.

I used to use my main phone, but because my handlebar mounted "Waterproof" phone case isn't very (showerproof at best, if very light), I used a cheap Moto E instead, covered with a plastic food bag (which stops it's capacitive touch working), then later a cheap 7" Lenovo tablet - if necessary on longer rides, I charge one device using a powerbank in my rucksack while using the other.

 

[portals]

It's a nice idea but another device to carry about/charge/worry about getting stolen?

You can buy cases for most phones that are rainproof and phone mounts (like mine), where you just release a lever to remove the phone, couldn't be simpler.

Whilst it's cool to see controller/battery stats on that display I don't think you'll get the same experience using maps for navigation that you'd get from google maps or waze?

Um and you'd also need to waterproof it?

 

[egroover]

It's a nice idea but another device to carry about/charge/worry about getting stolen?

are you referring to these new Bafang displays? They are secured to the bars, powered by the ebike battery, same display to control the motor settings etc so nothing to remove, secure or charge..and waterproof, so not sure what you are on about...?

 

[guerney]

Lately, I've tried mostly dispensing with a display by using this:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/JBL-RED-Bluetooth-Wireless-Wired/dp/B07CXFVD2F/ref=

...cheaper second hand:

CeX

...and it's been for the most part ok in use - it's waterproof, loud, but occasionally I need to switch the phone screen on to see where the heck I am and where I'm going. The speaker switches itself off after some minutes of inactivity - this might not happen if a line-in cable is used instead of bluetooth, haven't tried that. Keeping the JBL Go connected to a power supply such as a powerbank, might also prevent it from automatically switching off, after a period of zero activity... but I haven't tried that either. When issuing voice directions, the JBL Go's battery lasts many hours, and I have yet to fully deplete it during a ride. I simply keep both the phone (screen off) and speaker on, in separate pockets. The speaker has to pointed outwards, with the volume set to max to get through well insulated jackets - the reaction from pedestrians is funny, particularly at night.

 

[portals]

The OP said re using his phone:

Works well, but issues:
1. when it rains
2. having to remove for security when stopped and
3. battery life of phone.

So OP want 3rd party screen because of above issues.

Then after I reply your response was:

are you referring to these new Bafang displays? They are secured to the bars, powered by the ebike battery, same display to control the motor settings etc so nothing to remove, secure or charge..and waterproof, so not sure what you are on about...?

1. You phone will be as waterproof as that display - no IPS rating.
2. So, if they're secured to the bars how can you remove for security?
3. charge your phone of the battery.....

And you're not sure what I'm on about...?

 

[trevor brooker]

looking at the pictures if you pair your phone to the screen then the screen will display left/right arrows, whereas if you use a phone you will have a map & directions.

Also it uses the current Communication Protocol:Uart so is not backwards compatible with the old style motors.

 

[egroover]

1. You phone will be as waterproof as that display - no IPS rating.
2. So, if they're secured to the bars how can you remove for security?
3. charge your phone of the battery.....

1. the Bafang display is waterproof, IP rated, all ebike displays including the proposed one are rated to be used in the rain ,my phone isnt
2. I wouldn't want/need to remove my ebike display, it is secured with a nut/bolt onto the bars, my phone is secured only on a garmin mount, one twist it's gone, hence I would need to remove my phone every time I leave my bike unattended
3. No need to charge the phone, if not using it to display maps, navigation etc, the screen is off and in my pocket, doesn't run down like it would if it was on showing me directions etc as the Bafang display is doing that

 

[guerney]

EKD01 Bluetooth Navigation Display 8 Languages LCD Ebike Computer For BAFANG Electric Bike Motor Kit Intelligent Controller UART - AliExpress 18

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Which app provides maps and route planning? Bikego depicts Mapbox maps:

bikego - Android Apps on Google Play

Enjoy millions of the latest Android apps, games, music, movies, TV, books, magazines & more. Anytime, anywhere, across your devices.

play.google.com

Does Bikego connect to Mapbox services (utilising a Application Programming Interface) to provide mapping, in order to display indicators on the handlebar display via bluetooth?

Mapbox seems to be available as a demo (demonstrating some of what's possible with it's Software Development Kit), which is an app with at least a couple of bad reviews mentioning bad route planning:

Mapbox Demo - Apps on Google Play

Explore what’s possible to build with the Mapbox Maps SDK for Android

play.google.com

I'm guessing Mapbox functions made available by it's SDK, are being used by the Bikego app. A data connection for the phone may be required, unless maps are downloaded for offline use from Mapbox's servers, if that's how Mapbox operates? Does it work in every country? Who's maps is Mapbox using? Well... however it works, I can't wait to read all about it - I'll stick with my boxy JBL Go shouting directions from my pocket, with either Sygic's (awful for cyclists, but offline - no internet required, but there's no cycle specific route planning: car, HGV, or walking only; hence awful) maps or Google's online Maps controlling it's virtual vocal cords.

 

[AntonyC]

2mm font, I can order bifocals but where do you find smooth tarmac?

 

[guerney]

2mm font, I can order bifocals but where do you find smooth tarmac?

Yes 20 years ago I wouldn't have given a second's thought to tiny fonts. How readable the font might appear compared to say that of the DPC18, I can't know unless I look at the two displays printed out to scale side by side, or by buying a B02N-U... which I'm not going to do, because I have little faith that Mapbox's mapping functions will work well enough.

Besides, Android font sizes in apps are ludicrously tiny, and they stay ludicrously tiny even if you buy devices with large screens, because the apps shrink font sizes as the apps detect thay're running on devices with larger screens.

Android's settings for font sizes fall short, forcing us to buy ever larger phones and tablets in the vain hope that someday one will be readable, which they never will, even when they form the walls of our homes, forcing us to buy ever larger homes with larger walls, which we'll get lost in, because vital information will continue to be displayed using 2mm fonts.

 

[StuartsProjects]

Android's settings for font sizes fall short, forcing us to buy ever larger phones and tablets in the vain hope that someday one will be readable, which they never will, even when they form the walls of our homes, forcing us to buy ever larger homes with larger walls, which we'll get lost in, because vital information will continue to be displayed using 2mm fonts.

Thats been a common trend on TV for several years.

There seems to be an assumption these days that everyone has TVs the size of the side of a house. All to often text appears on the screen that requires that you have a house sized TV in order to read it.

 

[guerney]

Thats been a common trend on TV for several years.

There seems to be an assumption these days that everyone has TVs the size of the side of a house. All to often text appears on the screen that requires that you have a house sized TV in order to read it.

It's capitalism gone mad I tell you. Older people with poor eyesight are richer and will spend more on larger devices, for which they'll shrink UI fonts. It isn't paranoia when they really are out to get you.

 

[egroover]

I'm beginning to have doubts that the app/maps behind this are up to the job yet. The beauty of Komoot is that I can load a gpx file in advance and ride the route knowing I will be on a pre planned route that I have studied beforehand. I'm not sure that this will do that other than do an A to B route on the fly at the time. There's so little info out there on this as it would appear to be very new.
They do a '850/DP-18' size display with the same navigation, more expensive at about £60 del, might be more suitable, as agreed the font size is small on this display

Bafang Central Motor Display EB04 Bluetooth Map Color Screen 12 Languages for Bafang Mid Motor BBS M500 M600 M510 - AliExpress 18

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The other benefit of these bluetooth displays is that you can easily and quickly change the maximum assist speed using bluetooth/phone app, so handy if you go off road on private land (with the owners permission) if that's your thing...also has phone notifications (text messages etc?)

And also a bluetooth lock/unlock security feature - you can enable a password on the display which stops the motor from being enabled until either keying in the pin code (common on existing displays), but in this case when the phone is nearby it automatically unlocks (and presumably when the phone is out of bluetooth range the display is locked)