[snowwy66]

i have a motorcycle i just bought. and the speedometer is slow. i'm due for a cell phone upgrade. so i'm going to be using my blackberry as a speedometer.

i'm looking for a decent software to use though. i have two programs already. GPSed. but the numbers are too small. i have adapta also. but it requires internet to pull up it's stupid homepage first before it kicks in. not a viable option when the phone gets turned off.

any suggestions. all i want is a speedo. preferably a big screen number.

someone had a really nice program for winmo phones. digital number program. and someone else had a analog program. wished i woulda kept that old phone now.

[JSanders]

Wirelessly posted (9520 / MF231)

The very last thing you need to be doing while driving a motorcycle is using the BlackBerry, for any reason.

[snowwy66]

it's going to be mounted somehow. with the screen lit up to display my gps speed. the LAST thing i need is to be driving around without an accurate speedometer. don't you think??????

[devnull]

The only GPS apps I know of that display speed do so with small font. How about fixing the speedometer...

Analogy: You're trying to use a screwdriver as a hammer. Sure, it will kinda work, but is it really the right tool for the job?

[snowwy66]

gps speedometer is better then no speedo.

i want to ride the bike today not wait 4 weeks. and certainly not spend the money the repair shop wants. $200 for a speedo repair on a $400 bike and the only shop i can find is in ohio. everybody else i've contacted REFUSES to fix motorycycle speedos. if i could find a repair job for under $50 i'd be all over it.

used speedos are around $150 plus shipping. and i have to fix the odometer to match what i'm taking off.

the cheapest solution basically is to hook up a 12 volt cigarette lighter plug from autozone. and run the car charger for the phone. something i can at least use untill i find a more permanent solution.

[TheRinger]

Originally Posted by snowwy66

gps speedometer is better then no speedo.

i want to ride the bike today not wait 4 weeks. and certainly not spend the money the repair shop wants. $200 for a speedo repair on a $400 bike and the only shop i can find is in ohio. everybody else i've contacted REFUSES to fix motorycycle speedos. if i could find a repair job for under $50 i'd be all over it.

used speedos are around $150 plus shipping. and i have to fix the odometer to match what i'm taking off.

the cheapest solution basically is to hook up a 12 volt cigarette lighter plug from autozone. and run the car charger for the phone. something i can at least use untill i find a more permanent solution.

And the next time you get pulled over the cop is going to cite you for using a cell while driving even if you arent talking on it.

This is an accident just waiting to happen

[BUC]

To answer you question instead of criticizing:

GPSLogger from one of our forum mates and in this GPS forum. It has big numbers and it can be set to keep backlight on, different colors and more useful info.

It looks big on my storm 2 though I'm not sure about 8330 screen. Worth to try

[TheRinger]

Originally Posted by BUC

To answer you question instead of criticizing:

GPSLogger from one of our forum mates and in this GPS forum. It has big numbers and it can be set to keep backlight on, different colors and more useful info.

It looks big on my storm 2 though I'm not sure about 8330 screen. Worth to try

Dont encourage him to break the law, if he kills someone squinting to see the cell phone instead of fixing the speedometer, you could be held liable :p

[BUC]

Originally Posted by TheRinger

Dont encourage him to break the law, if he kills someone squinting to see the cell phone instead of fixing the speedometer, you could be held liable :p

Im not encouraging anybody to break any law... Im just answering his question. Is up to him to use his cellphone or not while driving.

If he is a bit responsible he will set the phone with a proper mount and ride his bike or whatever using an "Speedometer" instead of the original one of the bike without further manipulation while he drives.

I currently do not have a GPS unit and I use my Storm 2 as a GPS with google maps which currently does not offer Voice commands... so basically for me to avoid breaking any laws I set my navigation route and I memorize the next few exits or turns, and I just take a look to my Storm whenever I stop on a stoplight or such... Is that illegal?


PS: sorry if I sounded irritated... did not mean to offend anybody nor sound harsh.... I feel your humor in your comment, but Im just trying to help this guy, thats it...

[wabbit]

Originally Posted by snowwy66

i have a motorcycle i just bought. and the speedometer is slow. i'm due for a cell phone upgrade. so i'm going to be using my blackberry as a speedometer.

i'm looking for a decent software to use though. i have two programs already. GPSed. but the numbers are too small. i have adapta also. but it requires internet to pull up it's stupid homepage first before it kicks in. not a viable option when the phone gets turned off.

any suggestions. all i want is a speedo. preferably a big screen number.

someone had a really nice program for winmo phones. digital number program. and someone else had a analog program. wished i woulda kept that old phone now.

i dont even know what speedometer is slow means. in anycase, fix the bike. if that dont work i can only imagine what else is busted on it. is it even safe to operate. NO its not.

fix your bike before you become roadkill somewhere.

to this day it still kinda shocks me what people do / dont do to there own safety.

[JSanders]

wabbit, it means his installed speedometer is working properly... it shows a slower speed than he is driving.

[baccess]

Take a look at blackstar: Blackstar Navigation - A free geocaching hiking and navigational utility for BlackBerry devices

Simple and free.

It has a large compass, not sure if you can change the font of the speed to make it larger.

Check against your "slow" speedo, it should give a pretty good idea of how far off it is at different speeds, so you don't have to use the BB all the time while riding.

[BUC]

Originally Posted by baccess

Take a look at blackstar: Blackstar Navigation - A free geocaching hiking and navigational utility for BlackBerry devices

Simple and free.

It has a large compass, not sure if you can change the font of the speed to make it larger.

Check against your "slow" speedo, it should give a pretty good idea of how far off it is at different speeds, so you don't have to use the BB all the time while riding.

I used to love that app until I came across to GPSLogger. The former has only 1 advantage which is to export the desired location to a map app such as google maps or BB maps. But GPSLogger has more features and is way more customizable.
The font is big and you can set the size, color and background.

I still have both in my BB but only use gpslogger now

[cook46933]

The font sizes in BlackStar are customizable. As you increase the font size, the compass shrinks.

[snowwy66]

the law states a FUNCTIONING SPEEDOMETER. it doesn't state what can be used as a speedomer. and mounting a cell phone for a speedo is no different then mounting a speedo itself. and just because the speedo isn't running as fast as it should. DOESN'T MEAN THE BIKE IS UNSAFE OR BROKEN.

i have a functioning speedo. may not be accurate but it most defenitly works. along with all the other electronics. out here we have to have a safety certificate to get registered. AND THIS BIKE PASSED JUST FINE.

a gps speedometer is better then a malfunction speedo. but if you all want to chip in for the repairs then i'll be more then happy for the assistance.

there are motorcycles with gps's mounted. is that any different then a cell phone?????
how about the touring motorcycles with radios and cbs. and coffee cups. or other bells and whisles. and just the other day i seen a bmw with a cell phone mount for his blackberry tied into his helmet. AND a gps mounted on the handlebars. to which BOTH mounts were bought from the local motorcycle dealership.

i asked a question. i didn't ask for idiotic assnine answers. if you've got nothing nice to say. then keep your idiot answers to yourself. i want answers to my question. not idiotic remarks.

thanks for the gpslogger tip. i'll give that a whirl along with 2 other programs i have. i've got a nice little pouch rigged to the handlebar. just got to hook up a power supply now.

just becuase you don't know how to drive a motorcycle and look at the speedometer at the same time. don't mean i don't know how to drive. after 25 years.

and i hardly think cops will be pulling me over for using my cell. specially since they won't even pay attention to the thing. and they most certainly won't be pulling me over for speeding. last i checked. having a cell phone in your possesion wasn't against the law. neither is mounting it on the handlebars.

what's against the law is having it in your ears. and talking on it.

THERE IS ABSOLUTELY NO LAW THAT STATES YOU CAN NOT USE YOUR CELL PHONE AS A GPS. OR A SPEEDOMETER.

toms toms have gps. and speedos. are they against the law??????

[snhrph]

snowwy66, if you definitely do not want to fix your speedo, get yourself a decent GPS unit. Both Garmin and Magellan that I own display moving speed and are accurate. They can also be mounted using proper hardware, and will keep you from being cited for using your cell phone while driving (riding).

just my 2 cents...

[snowwy66]

somehow, i really don't see a citation happening just for having a cell phone mounted to the bike. and i most certainly won't be the first person to have a cell phone mounted. and there are tons of places that sell phone mounts for motorcycles.

mount a cell phone. or mount a garmin. or spend boo goo bucks for a actual gps speedo. what's the difference?????

and i originally thought about hooking up a tom tom or something. but since my blackberry is soon to be deactivated. for a phone upgrade. and i'm liking that gpslogger recommendation. i'm gonna buy a 12v cigarette plug to hook up. and use the phone with my 12v charger.

the phone will be mounted. IT WON'T BE IN USE WHILE DRIVING. and it's going to show me my speed. JUST LIKE THE SPEEDOMETER WOULD IF IT WERE ACCURATE. and no cop will be giving me a citation without a reason to pull me over in the first place. and i highly doubt he's going to say anything. because there is NO LAW THAT SAYS YOU CAN'T HAVE A CELL PHONE IN YOR POSSESSION. and there is absolutely no law that says you can't use a gps speedometer. REGARDLESS WETHER ITS A CELL PHONE OR A TOMTOM.

THE LAW STATES NO TALKING WHILE DRIVING. OR TEXTING. nothing about mounting it for a gps.

is it really that difficult a concept to comprehend.

[snhrph]

Originally Posted by snowwy66

is it really that difficult a concept to comprehend.

Dude, take a chill-pill. This is a forum - you asked a question, you get the answer; however it may not be the answer that you like... Everyone is entitled to an opinion and I just expressed mine. If you have nothing good to say, don't say anything, just ignore the post and move on... You gotta play nice in the sandbox.

[G M Fude]

Originally Posted by snhrph

You gotta play nice in the sandbox.

You're right, but maybe Snowwy was just over-reacting a bit after the earlier posts which had a presumption he was going to break the law and carried the accusation of being "an accident waiting to happen". If I was a middle-aged biker with a good riding record, I think I would have been a bit peeved too. Snowwy just wants an accurate speedo and clearly stated that; the rant was probably not directed at snhrph, just a general vent. GPSLogger sounds as good a solution as any; I use it (for a different purpose) and it is a very nice piece of software at the right price! Kudos to the guy who coded it.

[snowwy66]

i AM chill pill. just a little peeved at the people who think i'm breaking the law. where there is absolutely no law in regards to what i want to accomplish to be broken.

a speedometer that works.

if the speedo were a cheap fix. i'd be all over it. but unfortunately it's not. and i can think of better things to spend my money on then putting $100's of dollars into a bike that just isn't worth it. if i'm going to spend that kind of money, IF I HAD IT TO SPEND IN THE FIRST PLACE. i woulda bought a better bike.

i paid $400 for this thing. and i'll be selling it for $400. the bike is a nice bike. looks very nice for it's age. and rides nice. but it's also OLD. i could spend $2000 to fix her up and make her look brand new again. but in the end. i'll still only get $400 for it.

if i paid $400 and the bike was worth $10,000. then it be a different story.

i don't mind buying cheap bikes and fixing them up and putting a little money into them. if the bike is worth it and i can sell it for what it's worth when i'm done riding it at the end of the year.