July 23 & 24, 2018
Okay, time to get serious....random thoughts and problems solved over the last couple of days...
Gas Cards
As I breezed thru the first few entries of review of my route, an epiphany hit me - gas cards!
I need to hit my credit cards (I have several to rotate...) to pull this off. So, I just spent an hour looking at my route and identifying the gas brands of the places I've picked.
In doing so, I will have stopped at 23 different brands of fuel. The most common?
Shell (12) and Exxon/Mobil (10) lead the list of the estimated 66 fuel stops to make. How convenient - the math is easy! I can purchase roughly 33% of my fuel needs with two gas cards.
Unfortunately, one of these brands isn't local to me, so I'll have to call an audible. My route to my starting point includes a stop at one of these brands...it's a problem that can be solved.
Route Revisions
I'm randomly looking at my route, and as part of the exercise I just described, I hit every planned stop on the route. Now, I found a couple of routing anomalies, and the correction shouldn't take much - what it will do is possibly save me 15 or 20 minutes of wasted movement. Good find!
The corrections on the other hand...wow. I'm really, really trying to use the built-in GPS for the primary...well, read more below.
Packing List(s)
My packing lists are printed; it won't take long to get all my gear in one pile. I'm traveling light - real light. I've written before about these; this is where it comes in handy. I'm thinking this is only going to take an hour or so.
Data Use and Collection
Another Goldwing rider writes on a forum...
When I was perusing much of my track data the bike provided from the April/May trip, I did note this anomaly happened. Fortunately, the track file saving mishaps, as described above, happened during some of the less interesting parts of the ride.
Unfortunate, but this really seems like a software 'bug/feature' (depends on who you'd talk to) and it was set up this way on purpose. It's difficult to tell if this is some artifact from the way a stand-alone automotive GPS would handle this.
If it's going to save a track log...save *all* of it. I'll edit out off-line what I don't need, I guess.
The 'work-around' sucks even worse. You did a day of riding, and are done. Before you shut down for the day, let's just take the contents of the track_log (all of it) and save this. Think you can do this in *one* step?
NoooOOOoooo! It wants you to save every individual segment of the track_log - and you have to rename each and every segment of the log (it's actually a track when saved) to do so!
You do get to pick what to save, but how d'ya know which was the good scenic section from 500 miles ago? Or, in the case of this ride, I simply want all of it.
I may still record the data with the bike, taking into consideration this data loss that can happen.
I finally have the GPX files for the bike set up in the format it requires. Nine files for the ride, one file for Kingman (I know how to get there...) but want to ensure that all of the files will function the same on the ride itself.
Backup routing is in the phone - as long as I have cell service, I'm fine. Day 1 will be the only stretch that I know may be a bit fuzzy for cell service while in Lincoln County, Nevada.
Phone
The phone will be doing a lot during this trip, as it usually does:
Okay, time to get serious....random thoughts and problems solved over the last couple of days...
Gas Cards
As I breezed thru the first few entries of review of my route, an epiphany hit me - gas cards!
I need to hit my credit cards (I have several to rotate...) to pull this off. So, I just spent an hour looking at my route and identifying the gas brands of the places I've picked.
In doing so, I will have stopped at 23 different brands of fuel. The most common?
Shell (12) and Exxon/Mobil (10) lead the list of the estimated 66 fuel stops to make. How convenient - the math is easy! I can purchase roughly 33% of my fuel needs with two gas cards.
Unfortunately, one of these brands isn't local to me, so I'll have to call an audible. My route to my starting point includes a stop at one of these brands...it's a problem that can be solved.
Route Revisions
I'm randomly looking at my route, and as part of the exercise I just described, I hit every planned stop on the route. Now, I found a couple of routing anomalies, and the correction shouldn't take much - what it will do is possibly save me 15 or 20 minutes of wasted movement. Good find!
The corrections on the other hand...wow. I'm really, really trying to use the built-in GPS for the primary...well, read more below.
Packing List(s)
My packing lists are printed; it won't take long to get all my gear in one pile. I'm traveling light - real light. I've written before about these; this is where it comes in handy. I'm thinking this is only going to take an hour or so.
Data Use and Collection
Another Goldwing rider writes on a forum...
The bike [Honda GL1800, 2012 - 2017] creates a track log each time the key is turned off. This track file saves to internal memory (not the card). As the internal memory fills the percentage approaches 100%. At any point, you can select one of these track logs stored in internal memory and export it to the card. When the internal memory gets to 100%, it saves the track logs to the SD and resets the internal memory to 0.
My issue is that whatever trip (ignition cycle) I’m on when it reaches 100% is lost at this time. It doesn’t seem to matter if that trip is 10 miles or 150, you lose the whole track. That’s what I’m trying to get around. Of course after the reset to 0, it all works fine again until it nears 100% again.
When I was perusing much of my track data the bike provided from the April/May trip, I did note this anomaly happened. Fortunately, the track file saving mishaps, as described above, happened during some of the less interesting parts of the ride.
Unfortunate, but this really seems like a software 'bug/feature' (depends on who you'd talk to) and it was set up this way on purpose. It's difficult to tell if this is some artifact from the way a stand-alone automotive GPS would handle this.
If it's going to save a track log...save *all* of it. I'll edit out off-line what I don't need, I guess.
The 'work-around' sucks even worse. You did a day of riding, and are done. Before you shut down for the day, let's just take the contents of the track_log (all of it) and save this. Think you can do this in *one* step?
NoooOOOoooo! It wants you to save every individual segment of the track_log - and you have to rename each and every segment of the log (it's actually a track when saved) to do so!
You do get to pick what to save, but how d'ya know which was the good scenic section from 500 miles ago? Or, in the case of this ride, I simply want all of it.
I may still record the data with the bike, taking into consideration this data loss that can happen.
I finally have the GPX files for the bike set up in the format it requires. Nine files for the ride, one file for Kingman (I know how to get there...) but want to ensure that all of the files will function the same on the ride itself.
Backup routing is in the phone - as long as I have cell service, I'm fine. Day 1 will be the only stretch that I know may be a bit fuzzy for cell service while in Lincoln County, Nevada.
Phone
The phone will be doing a lot during this trip, as it usually does:
- Track generator (what's seen with Spotwalla)
- Communication via text and email (gotta love Google Assistant!)
- Ride pace monitor (using a speedometer application) which also records track files
- Music source (the bike has one, and of course there's corporate radio - yuk!)
- Early-warning device for hazards, using Waze
- Any secondary searches that might be needed while under way.
Additionally, in major metropolitan areas, the phone will also become primary route source, since it's able to give near-real-time traffic information to me audibly as well as on-screen.
Phone setup is nearly complete - the ride to Kingman will be the final dress-rehearsal for this.
The miracles of modern technology, huh?
Speaking of that...
Spotwalla
I've set this up to be different this time - an overlay of my intended track that will be viewable at the same time my actual track messages are sent. I've played with this a bit. My hope is that it should be more interesting to see where I'm headed. Those viewing will get to see when I might be using Google Maps, and diverting me away from established routing to a particular destination.
Speaking of this, for the riders that use this utility - drop the webguru there a few coins in the bucket for the services he provides all of us for this when you can. A public service message from me!
Phone setup is nearly complete - the ride to Kingman will be the final dress-rehearsal for this.
The miracles of modern technology, huh?
Speaking of that...
Spotwalla
I've set this up to be different this time - an overlay of my intended track that will be viewable at the same time my actual track messages are sent. I've played with this a bit. My hope is that it should be more interesting to see where I'm headed. Those viewing will get to see when I might be using Google Maps, and diverting me away from established routing to a particular destination.
Speaking of this, for the riders that use this utility - drop the webguru there a few coins in the bucket for the services he provides all of us for this when you can. A public service message from me!
Thanks
I've been having conversations with several different riders in several different forums, on the subject of this ride. Let me publicly thank you now for your insights, wisdom...and smarts...you've shared with me in this effort. Long Distance motorcycling is definitely one of those activities that others can give encouragement to do nearly anything.
...or, is that instigate? Persuade? 🤣 🤣
I'll have more to write about in a day or two.
I've been having conversations with several different riders in several different forums, on the subject of this ride. Let me publicly thank you now for your insights, wisdom...and smarts...you've shared with me in this effort. Long Distance motorcycling is definitely one of those activities that others can give encouragement to do nearly anything.
...or, is that instigate? Persuade? 🤣 🤣
I'll have more to write about in a day or two.
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