Anyone tried Ridernav R7M with MRA via AA yet?

[Lenny O]

@PieterG Hi, Pieter!
Thank you for chiming in with your comments, I appreciate it.
My goal was to have a larger screen than my Zumo XT and my phone in a carplay unit that would operate the MRA Navigation App just like I see it on my phone. (Maybe that part is unrealistic)
So, for me R7M failed on screen size and the MRA NAV operation, thus rendering getting one pointless.
Oh, well.... The search continues

[PieterG]

@Lenny-O You're welcome ;-).

Please keep in mind that no matter what type of Smart Display you buy, you always have to deal with the following architecture:

Smartphone Hardware
↓
Operating System
Android / iOS
↓
Application
Google Maps, MRA, Kurviger, Sygic, Waze, etc.
↓
Projection Platform
Android Auto / Apple CarPlay >> This is where it is determined what you see on the screen and how it is displayed.
↓
Communication Layer
Wi-Fi & Bluetooth
↓
Smart Display Hardware
Ridernav R7M, Chigee AIO-5/6, Carpuride, Aoocci, etc.
↓
Smart Display Firmware / Operating System
↓
Human-Machine Interface (HMI) >> There may also be differences here in the way the information is presented.
Display, touchscreen

So, all models display the same app interface on the screen, because it is determined by the Android Auto / Apple CarPlay layer.

If you're looking for a Smart Display (not a tablet or iPad) larger than 7 inches, the choice is very limited: I don't know of any good examples.

[Lenny O]

@PieterG Thank you for this, as the carplay area is totally new to me. I use Garmin for years, but now want to run the MRA Nav, because I di believe that it it the best and has grteat future to get even better!

So may I ask you ( or anyone else) to tell me the 2 top carplay options to run MRA NAV (as in the best / closest screen layout with the least screen functionality lost, while having a bright and readable screen, and work with the Wonder Wheel) in 2 scenarious:

1. Cost is no factor:
   A?
   B?

2. Staying on the reasonable budget (sort of like R7M).
   A?
   B?
   Thank you!

[M. Schrijver]

All Carplay and Android Auto device are sort of the same. The limitations on the devices does not come from the brands but they come from Apple and Google.
There are lot of brands, screen sizes, screen ratios and resolutions.

Take a look at the specs of popular brands like Chigee and Carpuride. These specs simply work. Every other brand which has more or less the same spec, should behave the same.
Max screen brightness is one of the big differences between the devices. Which results in different prices. Because the screen is one of the major parts of a device.

[PieterG]

@Lenny-O
I used to use TomTom Rider long time ago and after that a BMW Navigator IV(=Garmin-ish) for many years. But the BMW Nav's all get the same 'ghosting' problem after a few years and they become unusable.
(Repair costs 150 Euro every time) This is why I started my search for a follow-up solution and I ran into the same things as you are now

I started testing all kinds of models and brands of Smart Displays with MRA, Google Maps, Sygic, Waze, Calimoto, Stegra .io and Kurviger using both Android Auto and Apple Carplay on several Android phones and iPhones.

My opinion: all AA and AC implementations are still premature today (missing functions, etc.) and most nav apps are ok, but I'm the most unhappy with MRA app due to crashes (6-8 times a day, complexity and a very high risk of incorrect settings or operation due to the unintuitive GUI and too many (unclear or fatal) options. (The MRA app should have a “Simple Mode” button to put it into ' Kurviger mode' to make it rock solid usable! ).
Also, most important, with MRA you can NOT ride seamlessly through mountainous areas without an internet connection! (If you turn of data on your phone, MRA will not be able to do what you need..)

If the aviation industry used software like this, all the planes would fall out of the sky!
But hey, this is just my opinion after 3,000 km of testing the MRA app....

The MRA route planner website is very good though, once you get used to it.

After all of this, I’m happiest with Kurviger: simple, stable, everything you need right at your fingertips without having to search for it. The only thing you should always do when riding a turn-by-turn route, in my opinion, is turn off automatic recalculation. Do that, and it works rock-solid like a charm!
And with Kurviger you can ride seamlessly through mountainous areas when the Internet connection fails!

I use Kurviger app with both Android Auto and CarPlay. With CarPlay, the buttons are positioned on the left side of the Smart Screen, while with Android Auto they are at the bottom, which unfortunately wastes valuable screen space. So I prefer Carplay but Android Auto is also fine.

There is no way at all you can get an exact copy of any of the phone app-views on a smart display. The AA/AC layer is simply preventing that. (for all apps)

Options with Wonderwheel support:

1.A Chigee aio 6
1.B Chigee aio 5
2.A Ridernav R7M.
2.B. ...... none
2.C to Z. See Youtube and look for channel 'Smart Riding Gadgets' for all kind of tests (keep in mind that you are only interested in the models with Wonderwheel support)

[Lenny O]

@PieterG Thanks again, Pieter!
My set up today is MRA Planner, MRA Nav App route xfer to Zumo XT via Garmin Drive.
I have been running the MRA NAV in parallel to the Zumo XT for about 2000 miles now.
I must say that MRA NAV performed quite admirably and 95% of discrepancies were caused by the user error (me) or misunderstanding / lack of in depth understanding of the features and settings.
So, I am quite comfortable and confident with the MRA NAV and that's why I just wanted to get a larger and brighter unit.
As far as navigating with MRA when the Internet is not available - this is no issue at all, really!
As of today, as long as your routes are Synchronized - they are available for off-line navigation, provided you have downloaded the maps you need to run the routes.
You don't even need the Internet to kick-off the route, like it was before in the prior releases, just be Synched.
I love the new features of running a route as a track for one, it's amazing!
So, I am a big fan and supporter of MRA and really love the fact that it is a living-thing, developing and evolving unlike others that are stagnant or deprecated by now....

I think I will stick to my current setup for now and see what developes in the near future
Thank you for your thoughts!!!

[Peter Zehentreiter]

@Lenny-O All the pros and cons of AA and CP have now been set out here in sufficient detail.

Perhaps you should broaden your horizons a little in your search for a new device and find out whether a 7-inch tablet might be the better choice.

It offers the screen view you’re used to, with none of the limitations of AA or CP; it offers unbeatable brightness and can be operated using various controllers.

Yes, all that does, of course, cost a bit more than a device that simply reflects, but it leaves nothing to be desired

DMD-NOR7E GPS Navigation Tablet powered by Android https://share.google/iNnI6e1M6ppbT5yiC

Motorcycle GPS Navigation Kit | Caretta | 7" Adventure GPS https://share.google/GQvgCAMUf2BTj81Y0

I’ve had the NOR7E for two weeks now, and I’m wondering why I didn’t go down this route sooner.

[M. Schrijver]

Did you consider the Caretta? Just a neutral question.
Want to use the Caretta for the next bike but it look the Nor7E is also very intresting. Both has gone their own way which causes differences.

[Peter Zehentreiter]

@M.-Schrijver Yes, of course… a friend of mine has one…
He opted for the Caretta because he wants to be able to zoom with the Wonderwheel.

I, on the other hand, already have the Silverfox C1, so I went for the NOR7E.

The Caretta is much bulkier and the mount is quite heavy-duty.

And the NOR7E comes with a full licence for the DMD software – that was another reason I chose it.

I wouldn’t be without it now ️

[PieterG]

@Lenny-O said:

@PieterG Thanks again, Pieter!
My set up today is MRA Planner, MRA Nav App route xfer to Zumo XT via Garmin Drive.
I have been running the MRA NAV in parallel to the Zumo XT for about 2000 miles now.
I must say that MRA NAV performed quite admirably and 95% of discrepancies were caused by the user error (me) or misunderstanding / lack of in depth understanding of the features and settings.
So, I am quite comfortable and confident with the MRA NAV and that's why I just wanted to get a larger and brighter unit.
As far as navigating with MRA when the Internet is not available - this is no issue at all, really!
As of today, as long as your routes are Synchronized - they are available for off-line navigation, provided you have downloaded the maps you need to run the routes.
You don't even need the Internet to kick-off the route, like it was before in the prior releases, just be Synched.
I love the new features of running a route as a track for one, it's amazing!
So, I am a big fan and supporter of MRA and really love the fact that it is a living-thing, developing and evolving unlike others that are stagnant or deprecated by now....

I think I will stick to my current setup for now and see what developes in the near future
Thank you for your thoughts!!!

Hi Lenny,

I think MRA will work excellently on a tablet. (then you won't be bothered by all the AA/AC limitations and freezes)

Regarding navigation without an internet connection: I have tested this extensively. Naturally, with the latest updates, maps downloaded, MRA in offline mode, phone equipped with the latest firmware, etc. etc., and the data connection on my phone, and thus the Internet, was also disabled.
I can assure you that I received notifications many times from the MRA app itself (!) that it could not reach the server, as well as other error messages indicating that the connection was missing. The most annoying part: navigation did not work until I reactivated the data/Internet connection.
I was able to reproduce this problem multiple times, after first rebooting all equipment, so it was a thorough test.
This is what happened to me for days on end. God only knows what caused it...
(for the record: I haven't experienced these problems with other apps, so hardware and/or configuration errors can be excluded)

Additionally, if you are in an MRA group and a shared route has been created within that group and you need to reload that route (like what happened to me when the MRA app crashed in conjunction with AA/AC for the umpteenth time), then MRA obviously doesn't see the group without an internet connection, with the result that you don't see the group routes either.
So if you are riding in the mountains and have no connection, it's game over for your ride. You therefore have to download those group routes in advance. That is possible, but it takes some searching to figure out how to do it and where the file is located. (but then again, you do run the risk, for example during a multi-day trip, of not having the latest version on your phone if the group administrator has made a last-minute change to the route...)

Good luck finding a suitable solution for yourself!

[Peter Zehentreiter]

@PieterG said:

God only knows what caused it...
(for the record: I haven't experienced these problems with other apps, so hardware and/or configuration errors can be excluded)

I'm sorry you've encountered these problems......

But God has nothing to do with it.... The problem stems from a lack of user knowledge and, as a result, incorrect usage.

Offline navigation works perfectly, just as Lenny described.

The fact that you haven't had any problems with other apps doesn't mean MRA is to blame if you've encountered issues.
Every app has its own quirks and settings, but if those aren’t set correctly or if mistakes were made while using the app, you shouldn’t blame the app itself.

Please don’t get me wrong… even with MRA, not everything is perfect, but your description shows me that user errors were definitely made.