Computer & GPS Sat Nav mounted on Electric Bike

[morphix]

This is a review of sorts... I finally found a mounting holder for my Nokia N810 internet tablet which has built-in GPS Sat Nav.. The mounting holder cost just under £8 delivered from eBay. Looks like a good quality bit of a kit. There is only ONE seller in the UK (Channel Isles actually) selling these on eBay remarkably. I been waiting ages for one as I bought my Nokia N810 many months ago with the sole intention of mounting it onto my bike.

Apart from the obvious reason of wanting to mount this device on my bike (SavNav to help me not get lost!) I wanted to explore the possibility of using as an electric rear view mirror, since the N810 has a USB port and supports Webcam viewing software.. I haven't yet been able to test that but plan to do it on this thread as I do have a tiny Webcam I can use. The obvious practical limitation with fitting a rear view camera is that probably won't be any good at night-time. That's ok for me as I don't use my bike much at night and I can just resort to looking over my shoulder if I need to.

Anyway enough waffling..here's some pix of the mounter and the thing mounted up.

It comes with 3 pads of varying thickness to bring your GPS device to the right height as the holder itself is quite deep (around 2 inches) and obviously designed to accommodate devices of all sizes.

Here is the Nokia N810 inside the holder. The N810 with its 4.2 screen and 5 inch total width is too big for this holder. However it does squeeze in and zip up reasonably easily. The only problem is, because its so wide (and so thin) you can't "pad it out" to bring the LCD next to the clear cover of the holder..resulting in a slight space between... the touchscreen is still usable but means you have push a bit to close the space.. it's ok for simple functions (zoom in and out etc) but I wouldn't want to be tapping in postcodes and wot not regularly on this device mounted up. You can of course just unzip and open lid to do that.

So here it is mounted up. Standard clamp sort of mount (nice easy one) that grips the handlebar tightly. It stands 2 inches clear from the handlebar so it can go over your bell or whatever. The holder part slides and locks in place, and can be rotated at any angle for ideal viewing.

Here's a close up of the map. Sorry photo is a bit fuzzy but it looks crystal clear even in bright daylight as the LCD is transflective. Another advantage of using GPS on your bike is you got a speedometer and distance tracker that's fairly accurate.


I have not yet road tested it, but it feels quite sturdy and secure. Also claims to be waterproof. We shall see, no shortage of rain lately is there!

I will do the camera part for those interested next as a follow-up post when I get chance..

 

[morphix]

Here is a view from the back showing the mounting bracket and how far it stands out.

 

[kitchenman]

nice one Morphix. Can you tell me more about the camera you are going to use and how it will connect? I'm looking for a bullet cam that has an AV OUT which I can use with my ARCHOS device ...

 

[morphix]

nice one Morphix. Can you tell me more about the camera you are going to use and how it will connect? I'm looking for a bullet cam that has an AV OUT which I can use with my ARCHOS device ...

Season greetings to you Alan! The camera I'm going to try is a real nasty cheap Chinese webcam with a standard lens and standard USB connection..however it is 2 megapixel I think. I'll put a pix of it up later for you when I can find the damn thing, put it somewhere and can't remember where....anyway it's an unusual looking webcam because its real tiny and bullet shaped so ideal for mounting up..it only cost a few quid on eBay. I will need an adaptor for the N810 USB port (which I have) and probably a USB extension lead which I think I have somewhere.

Obviously with the N810 I don't have the luxury of AV and using proper camera.. but I will see if I can find a better USB camera maybe, if the cheap one works. I have no idea if this will even work yet on the road..

I did consider going down the Archos route myself before I spotted the N810 going *really cheap* for 50 quid delivered. Be interested to see your setup and how you get on..are you intending to make an electronic rear view or just film your rides?

Actually while we're on the subject cameras, check out this little beauty I spotted...note the dimensions: 34(W) x 34(V) x 50(L)mm! Night vision too. I'm going to get one, but not for using on bike.

 

[morphix]

Alan in addition to that "Sony" stereo mic I showed you, I just picked up this lapel mic for £2 which has a wind breaker screen on it. Haven't had chance to try it out yet but can't go wrong at that price can you! Wondering if it solve the wind noise problem..I'm lucky as my Creative Vado HD has an external mic port on it.

 

[kitchenman]

And the same to you Paul.
I got the ARCHOS working ages ago using a stupidly heavy camcorder! >. I think you've seen this and forgotten! ..
SPIRIT/ARCHOS 404/SONY HDR-HC3 REAR VIEW TEST - YouTube
Just need to find a suitable light and cheap camera with AV OUT ( The ARCHOS 404 has a travel adapter that provides AV IN) ...

Good spot on the Sony camera .. I'll put that on my list! ..

My USB camera that I use with my PSP is reallly good. Cheap and light. I wonder if it would work for you? ... I was thinking of getting a spare with my xmas money ... (I asked my "kids" for some money and they gave me some! ... best xmas ever ...) Cycle fund now stands at £80. If I exchange the gillet my sister gave me I could bump that up to over £100 .... although the gillet is nice and I will wear it .. and she will expect to see me wearing it next time I visit ...

 

[morphix]

And the same to you Paul.
I got the ARCHOS working ages ago using a stupidly heavy camcorder! >. I think you've seen this and forgotten! ..
SPIRIT/ARCHOS 404/SONY HDR-HC3 REAR VIEW TEST - YouTube
Just need to find a suitable light and cheap camera with AV OUT ( The ARCHOS 404 has a travel adapter that provides AV IN) ...

Good spot on the Sony camera .. I'll put that on my list! ..

My USB camera that I use with my PSP is reallly good. Cheap and light. I wonder if it would work for you? ... I was thinking of getting a spare with my xmas money ... (I asked my "kids" for some money and they gave me some! ... best xmas ever ...) Cycle fund now stands at £80. If I exchange the gillet my sister gave me I could bump that up to over £100 .... although the gillet is nice and I will wear it .. and she will expect to see me wearing it next time I visit ...

That's a useful sum, you'll get plenty of goodies with that

I'm saving up myself (been selling loads of stuff I had hanging around) for a new 20" bike and looking at options for a new conversion... who knows, this time I might have suspension and not need my body-mounted Vado camera..might do something like you and AV bullet cam on the front.

Just had a look at your Archos video..strange I have no memory of you even buying one! Maybe when I was absent from the forum perhaps? Unless I'm getting old! Anyway the video quality looks good from your camcorder there..how does it look on the Archos screen i'm very curious? The thing I'm worried about is 4.2" screen might be too small for rear view...but I guess you don't need to see much detail, just when a vehicle is coming up close is sufficient eh. Your USB info sounds promising tho so maybe I'll be ok with my cheap camera.

That Sony camera looks the business don't it? I bet it makes good quality videos. Check out that site he has loads of cameras and unusual stuff.. some even cheaper. I found that site while looking for CCTV stuff as I'm trying to rig up a covert CCTV camera.

 

[kitchenman]

The ARCHOS is my brothers. He picked it up for £40 and at about the same time I delivered his bike I took home his ARCHOS so I could work out how to connect a camera. The screen size was fine. I may have some photos showing where it was mounted ... I'll have a hunt ...
Time to go home.. Have a HNY! ..

 

[steveindenmark]

I fitted my TomTom car GPS to my trike and it worked a treat. Great for listening to books as I rode along. It was powered by a small scooter battery in a crossbar bag.

015.AVI - YouTube

I also have a Garmin Edge which is quite good. What is the mapping like on the Nokia 810?

Steve

 

[morphix]

I fitted my TomTom car GPS to my trike and it worked a treat. Great for listening to books as I rode along. It was powered by a small scooter battery in a crossbar bag.

015.AVI - YouTube

I also have a Garmin Edge which is quite good. What is the mapping like on the Nokia 810?

Nice one Steve. The built-in mapping on N810 is fairly basic, there's no waypoint import/export support but you can upgrade to a licensed version with more features from Wayfinder, or there's an open-source alternative called Maemo Mapper. I probably wouldn't recommend this if SatNav was the main function you wanted and used regularly...its more like a secondary function to it.

 

[morphix]

A quick update on this thread for those interested in my experiments with the Nokia N810....

I have ridden the bike a couple of times with the Nokia mounted up but in satellite mode (not for use as an electronic rear view mirror yet)...

First impressions:

The holder does tend to slip down frequently when you hit bumps which is a bit annoying but it's easily pushed back. The viewing angle is great and the N810's transflective screen is easy to view in daylight and the backlight works great at night and comes on automatically.

The Sat Nav works fairly reliably and quite accurately. I was able to see myself moving around roads and see nearby landmarks and buildings. It's only a basic mapping technology but it does the job. I actually used it to cycle to my brothers house across town and find a short-cut instead of going via the motorway. There are some freeware and commercial upgrades to the SatNav mapping software available for the N810 but I haven't bothered to try them as SatNav is really a secondary interest for me and the basic 2D mapping software looks sufficient.

I still haven't been able to test the device as an electronic rear view mirror which was the whole purpose of this exercise. I can't find my damn USB bullet camera anywhere and they no longer sell them. Pity as it was very small and discrete size ideal for mounting on the bike. Perhaps if I have a spring clear-out it will eventually turn up!

The other problem is that using a USB camera is on the N810 is not "plug and play" and as easy as I expected it would be...the OS is Linux-based and you have to install a kernel module driver for the camera, and make a few other changes which looks a bit complicated..but I will give it a go.

Will certainly post an update and some piccy's anyway when I do eventually get this sorted and working.

 

[kitchenman]

The viewing angle is great and the N810's transflective screen is easy to view in daylight and the backlight works great at night and comes on automatically.

I actually used it to cycle to my brothers house across town and find a short-cut instead of going via the motorway.

I can't find my damn USB bullet camera anywhere and they no longer sell them. Pity as it was very small and discrete size ideal for mounting on the bike. Perhaps if I have a spring clear-out it will eventually turn up!

Thanks Morphix. Keep going! ... THe unit sounds like it'll do the job really well. ... btw you know your not supposed to cycle on motorways!!!

 

[12xu22]

I have had a bad time with cheap plastic mounts, so i now use this which costs a fiver and will loop nicely round your handlebar or crossbar:

Veloset GPS 600 Neoprene Protective Sleeve Cover - GPS Cycle Computer - Veloset GPS 600 Neoprene Protective Sleeve Cover - Veloset Cycle Computers Accessories

teamed up with a £60 smartphone from Argos you have a nice little sat nav set up that can also run "my tracks" and a dozen other route recording apps from the android store ... the phone is actually a lot cheaper than any bike gps available and does a lot more... why, some people even make phone calls on them, or so I have heard...

 

[mrpscott]

I have invested in a Satmap active 10 and I use the Landranger SD card which is more then sufficinet detail for the type of riding i like. Routes / waypoints can be saved and then activated - I tend to go for 50 - 80 mile rides so it is nice to know where you are and what the route is. All sorts of data about average speed, distance to end / next way point, total ascent etc.
The handle bar mount works well on my Alpino 906 and I have used the kit for a couple of years now - the only problem I had was when a new road appeared unexpectedly in the middle of the Fens however the old road was located and the route to Ely completed. Not the cheapest but it works - for those who want to go more off road then more detailed maps are available.
I am a recreational rider and only use the motor when the asthmatic lungs struggle. My average speed over the last couple of years is 12mph - it is what it is but I did wonder how it compares with others

 

[kitchenman]

My average speed over the last couple of years is 12mph - it is what it is but I did wonder how it compares with others

At last a chance to use my spreadsheet! ... For my Cannodale CX700 it was 16.6mph after 14 months of cycling. For my Street Machine its 13.8mph after 4 months.

 

[morphix]

Update almost a year on... the Nokia n810's as beautiful a device as it is, makes for a lousy GPS SatNav device.. doesn't have enough power or just has a weak power signal...it frequently loses position, totally unreliable unless you're standing still.. ok to get coordinates in two places, but no good for live mapping/tracking.. Also it doesn't fit into my GPS waterproof holder and using the touch screen through it is next to impossible.

I've since bought a HTC Desire smartphone and that works PERFECT as a SatNav on my bike.. I run it with Maverick GPS SatNav Android app which not only provides excellent mapping but also speed, distance, altitude, everything..it even produces post-journey maps and travel stats in HTML to a freely hosted webspace. The HTC Desire also fits into SatNav holder perfectly and the screen seems to work in sunlight just as well as the Nokia n810.

 

[morphix]

Alan in addition to that "Sony" stereo mic I showed you, I just picked up this lapel mic for £2 which has a wind breaker screen on it. Haven't had chance to try it out yet but can't go wrong at that price can you! Wondering if it solve the wind noise problem..I'm lucky as my Creative Vado HD has an external mic port on it.

The mini stereo mic wins hands down in a comparison between lapel v stereo mic! Massive difference. Those stereo mics are fantastic and really good value at around £3.50 on eBay (delivered from China!).

 

[103Alex1]

This thread is very interesting ! I'm actually about to finally convert to an Android phone specifically to get a SatNav facility for the bike (would probably have limped along with my old hardware with slide-out keyboard otherwise if it was just for the phone !).

Has anyone tried using the Samsung SIII as a SatNav ? Held back on account of the mounting device not being available yet, but Vodafone have pushed me into it by changing my 'ancient' contract terms from next month so new phone on its way this week.

I am looking for a case/mount like one of these because I want one which is both waterproof and 'tough' .. link is for the S2 model, but the company advised there will finally be one of these available for the Samsung SIII from early November - they are already manufactured but awaiting delivery from the overseas factory. Advance orders not possible unfortunately !

Bicycle Pro Mount with Tough Waterproof Hard Case for Samsung Galaxy S2

Anyone have any experiences of using this brand / make ? The mount looks pretty solid.

Love the idea of the webcam rear-view mirror setup ! The Mirrycle MTN MR04 I have protruding from the end of my right handlebar is all very well, and by far the best mirror of about 4 I tried, but it gets knocked out of position every time the bike is chained up and has to be adjusted every time I get out on the road. Not ideal and not used nearly as much as I thought it would.

 

[morphix]

This thread is very interesting ! I'm actually about to finally convert to an Android phone specifically to get a SatNav facility for the bike (would probably have limped along with my old hardware with slide-out keyboard otherwise if it was just for the phone !).

Has anyone tried using the Samsung SIII as a SatNav ? Held back on account of the mounting device not being available yet, but Vodafone have pushed me into it by changing my 'ancient' contract terms from next month so new phone on its way this week.

I am looking for a case/mount like one of these because I want one which is both waterproof and 'tough' .. link is for the S2 model, but the company advised there will finally be one of these available for the Samsung SIII from early November - they are already manufactured but awaiting delivery from the overseas factory. Advance orders not possible unfortunately !

Bicycle Pro Mount with Tough Waterproof Hard Case for Samsung Galaxy S2

Anyone have any experiences of using this brand / make ? The mount looks pretty solid.

Love the idea of the webcam rear-view mirror setup ! The Mirrycle MTN MR04 I have protruding from the end of my right handlebar is all very well, and by far the best mirror of about 4 I tried, but it gets knocked out of position every time the bike is chained up and has to be adjusted every time I get out on the road. Not ideal and not used nearly as much as I thought it would.

That Samsung mount looks very nice indeed. A lot better than the cheapo SatNav mount I got. I might even switch to one of those myself if I can find something suitable for the HTC.

I know what you mean about the mirror alignment prob..I gave up on my mirror and ended up taking it off..just kept moving all the time.

The Nokia n810 I was originally using was ideal for an electronic rear view mirror with it's USB port and transflective display..means I can use any mini-Webcam.. but the HTC has no USB/external camera support..I'm wondering if a WiFi cam might be an option, or even bluetooth. but never seen anything like that which can directly interface to Android.. Does the Samsung phone have USB device support?

You can do some totally amazing GPS stuff with Android...check out the Maverick SatNav app which is ideal for e-bikes and doubles as speedometer/distance...even generates end of trip reports in html onto a free server space for you. Also Speedict of course for full e-bike controller interface, a must have.

 

[Deleted member 4366]

Although not waterproof, this is a cheap effective way to male a phone mount for any phone.

Black Bicycle Cycle Bike Mount HandleBar For iPhone 4 4th 4S mobile phone holder | eBay

You get one of these iphone mounts that has a clamp for the handlebars. Cut the corners off so that you have a flat rectangle of plastic. Take a cheapo rubbery case for your phone, lay it on top of the iphone one and drill 4 pairs of 3mm holes near each corner of the plastic base. Use 4 cable-ties to fix the two together and you should get something like this. You can have more protection by using a thicker case: