I have a waterproof Garmin Nuvi GPS that will directly accept OpenStreetMap data on micro-SD card. It is in bicycle mode and running on a DC-DC converter from my e-bike pack. I am quite satisfied with it despite being 20 years old. The external storage and well defined format have saved it from becoming e-waste.
Garmin is really good when it comes to open maps. I can still put new OpenStreetMap maps on an old Garmin 62s like it's 2010. I recently replaced my Apple Watch by a Garmin Fenix 7 Pro and even though it's not really advertised, it just accepts good old map .img files. I put on the Dutch cycle network overlay without any issues, just like I did with my Garmin GPSr units.
$10 for an accessible Windows CE PDA is a pretty good deal. If I were OP, I'd fire up an appropriately old version of Visual Studio and vibecode some patches to the open source app he found.
It's an example of modern tech capitalism: you buy a nifty consumer product, after which you don't own it, it owns you.
The few exceptions to this rule are run by conscientious developers who make sure their products don't rely on their maker for continued support. But by this generous act, such companies fall behind their predatory competitors.
It's late-stage capitalism at work. You buy some food, but you don't eat it, it eats you.
The joke's on them, I just try to avoid "nifty consumer products" now. After getting burned a number of times, I have developed a very strong "no gadgets" rule. And if it connects to the internet or needs regular "updates" to remain usable that is an additional major strike against it.
The nice thing about real GPSr units and things like Garmin watches is that they (depending on the model) can last a week to even weeks. E.g., if you use a GPSmap 67s for 8 hours per day, it lasts 3 weeks. In the older units you can even put AA batteries.
Cycling with a phone with the screen on and at full brightness (which is what you need on a sunny day), a phone will last a few hours at most. The magic of good GPSr units is that they use a transflective display, the sun is your 'backlight'. (And of course using something more akin to a microcontroller than a smartphone SoC.)
Also, in contrast to smartphones, these things are really rugged. Like last year I was cycling through the alps and accidentally dropped my GPSmap at ~30km/h (without a case or protection, who puts them on a GPSr?). It only has some scratches.
It is really good, and Brouter-web is really useful too.
However, that combo is a battery hog. For some reason, OSMAnd drains a lot more battery when using it in guidance mode with Brouter, even though routing is much faster than with the built-in algorithm.
I heard that Locus maps has a much better brouter integration, though it is unfortunately closed-source: battery-efficient, automatic brouter detection, profile selection from within the app.
I also wish the brouter app would get a fresh coat of paint (a UI redesign), but that is secondary.
Not really? You just select brouter in osmand. Make sure you select the correct profile for brouter. Server mode engages and it just works. Sure, you also need to download the tiles for brouter.
It is, but brouter's navigation is really much better. Just yesterday, I was in a relatively unfamiliar, small (european) city which I needed to cross. Organic Maps was sending me trough small streets I would have shared with cars. I fired up OSMAnd + Brouter to compare, and ended up picking the latter: it sent me trough bike/bus-only roads, then a park, to reach a dedicated bike lane along the river, far from any traffic. The trip was a pleasure, though maybe a few percent longer.
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See stop killing games.
Huh, intresting.
The few exceptions to this rule are run by conscientious developers who make sure their products don't rely on their maker for continued support. But by this generous act, such companies fall behind their predatory competitors.
It's late-stage capitalism at work. You buy some food, but you don't eat it, it eats you.
Best offline navigation there is. You can even customize your navigation profiles.
Cycling with a phone with the screen on and at full brightness (which is what you need on a sunny day), a phone will last a few hours at most. The magic of good GPSr units is that they use a transflective display, the sun is your 'backlight'. (And of course using something more akin to a microcontroller than a smartphone SoC.)
Also, in contrast to smartphones, these things are really rugged. Like last year I was cycling through the alps and accidentally dropped my GPSmap at ~30km/h (without a case or protection, who puts them on a GPSr?). It only has some scratches.
Also carry a power bank and chargers.
Airplane mode will also save lots of power.
However, that combo is a battery hog. For some reason, OSMAnd drains a lot more battery when using it in guidance mode with Brouter, even though routing is much faster than with the built-in algorithm.
I heard that Locus maps has a much better brouter integration, though it is unfortunately closed-source: battery-efficient, automatic brouter detection, profile selection from within the app.
I also wish the brouter app would get a fresh coat of paint (a UI redesign), but that is secondary.