Might have a good reason to have one now.

[second exodous]

So in early November I'm going on a bicycle tour through most of Latin America and needed a way to dump my SD cards with pictures and video from my action camera to multiple HDDs, need at least 3 copies all in different paniers. I needed something small, good battery life, and could charge through USB as I didn't want to put off backing up my data waiting to get to the next wall outlet. A notebook sucks for this since power that is more than what USB can supply is finite. I was having a heck of a time trying to figure out how to do this, I even considered something like this and then looking into building something with a pi with a screen and then smacked my four head and said 'duh, my Pandora!'

So, I'm preordering and if the Pyra doesn't come before I leave then my Pandora will do, the Pyra will be waiting for me when I get home in 18-24 months. My Pandora might be better for this because if it is lost stolen or damaged it wouldn't be a big of loss. I don't really need any of the advanced features of the Pyra, faster file transfer from SD to USB drive facilitated by faster SD slot and USB 3 would be nice, and cell data, and better screen, yah, a lot nicer, but the Pandora will be a good enough for a file dump. I just wish I had a second battery for my Pandora now.

 

[thatgui]

I just wish I had a second battery for my Pandora now.

You could utilize a USB-Powerbank and charge the Pandora via its USB-Host-Port.

 

[second exodous]

You could utilize a USB-Powerbank and charge the Pandora via its USB-Host-Port.

Oh yeah, I am doing that. When devices don't need charged directly I'll change my power banks with my dynamo. This is what I like about the Pandora, it can be run off of USB, a notebook can't.

 

[sulu]

probably slightly off-topic:
I assume you wouldn't go on such an endeavor without a lot of experience.

So I'd like to ask some questions:
1. What dynamo/lamp do you use (whatever has the USB port)?
2. How well is the port doing in heavy rain (sealed and in use)?
3. If you can answer that, how does the dynamo perform in medium terrain (S2 [1]), mainly with respect to long-term stability?

[1] http://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/Key:mtb:scale#mtb:scale.3D0-6

 

[pyrat]

And where do the HDDs get power from ?

 

[second exodous]

And where do the HDDs get power from ?

There are 'y' USB cables, one end for the HDD, one to go to the Pandora, and one to go to a power bank. I tried it out on my phone that can't power a drive by itself and it worked to read the drive but it won't use a hub of any kind so I can't have the HDD and SD mounted at the same time. The Pandora has a SD slot so problem solved! Well, I think, I haven't tried on the Pandora yet. My phone powers my external SSDs and my thumb drive but not my external 2.5 mechanical drives without the y-cable.

probably slightly off-topic:
I assume you wouldn't go on such an endeavor without a lot of experience.

So I'd like to ask some questions:
1. What dynamo/lamp do you use (whatever has the USB port)?
2. How well is the port doing in heavy rain (sealed and in use)?
3. If you can answer that, how does the dynamo perform in medium terrain (S2 [1]), mainly with respect to long-term stability?

[1] http://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/Key:mtb:scale#mtb:scale.3D0-6

I don't have a dynamo yet, will get one when I build the wheel set I will take. The dynamo to USB adapters are all Waterproof, and reviews say they are safe to use in the rain.

I know about open street maps, I wanted to use the Pyra for this purpose at first but it is a little awkward to have it open all the time as it isn't Waterproof. I am looking into using paper maps and have a phone or other device to whip out occasionally to check my exact coordinate. Nothing on my handlebars to get swiped, no one wants paper maps.

 

[sulu]

I know about open street maps, I wanted to use the Pyra for this purpose at first but it is a little awkward to have it open all the time as it isn't Waterproof.

Some weeks ago I made a two-day trip of about 200km and used my Nokia N900 (similar performance like the Pandora) with Marble [1]. I had to plan the route and download the map tiles in advance, but routing worked very well.

I am looking into using paper maps and have a phone or other device to whip out occasionally to check my exact coordinate. Nothing on my handlebars to get swiped, no one wants paper maps.

I'm not sure if I understand the last sentence (I'm not a native speaker).
There are handlebar bags with transparent and water-proof top covers. They work quite well for storing paper maps in a visible way. A colleague even puts his iPad in there, though I don't know if he can still operate the touch-screen through the cover. These bags might conflict with highly mounted front lamps though and will definitely conflict with time-trial bars.


[1] https://marble.kde.org/

 

[ible]

 

[FBnil]

@sulu I have a pedalpowerplus, I connect their Universal iCable directly on the frontwheel hub dynamo. Although it charges phone and pandora, I bike too little and am scared they steal the hardware, so I kinda stopped using it.
The iCable is waterproof, but getting the connector to inside my bags is a pain (because the bag is in the back, and the cable should not touch my peddals). So usually I use a bag on the steering wheel
(or just a plastic bag I fold a few times)

 

[levi]

You could utilize a USB-Powerbank and charge the Pandora via its USB-Host-Port.

I didn't think you could charge the Pandora via that port? I've always used it's power barrel port or the mini USB port.

 

[Silent-Hunter]

I didn't think you could charge the Pandora via that port? I've always used it's power barrel port or the mini USB port.

You can't. I think he meant the mini one.

 

[second exodous]

Some weeks ago I made a two-day trip of about 200km and used my Nokia N900 (similar performance like the Pandora) with Marble [1]. I had to plan the route and download the map tiles in advance, but routing worked very well.

If I get the Pyra before I leave I very might well do this, the apps that use open maps on Android I don't like that much. I would rather. . .

There are handlebar bags with transparent and water-proof top covers. They work quite well for storing paper maps in a visible way. . .These bags might conflict with highly mounted front lamps though and will definitely conflict with time-trial bars.

I was thinking of this to use a map, I don't want to connect electronic devices to my handlebars as the might get 'swiped' meaning stolen, but I'll occasionally pull out my GPS device to double check exactly where I am, maybe that will be a Pyra.

As far as conflicting with the light on my bike I can mount it below the bag, I had it that way when I had way too much crap on my handlebars.

 

[tarator]

If I get the Pyra before I leave I very might well do this, the apps that use open maps on Android I don't like that much. I would rather. . .

You should try OsmAnd+ on an Android phone. You can use it completely offline with OpenStreetmaps-Vector maps. The routing also works fine offline. You can get the free version OsmAnd~ from other "App-Stores" like F-Droid.

Actually I'm looking for a piece of software wiht the functionality of OsmAnd for a Linux desktop (look at this thread). Any hints would be appreciated...

 

[thatgui]

You can't. I think he meant the mini one.

Yup, my bad - sorry

 

[sulu]

@sulu I have a pedalpowerplus, I connect their Universal iCable directly on the frontwheel hub dynamo. Although it charges phone and pandora, I bike too little and am scared they steal the hardware, so I kinda stopped using it.

Looks a bit like the "Forumslader" [1] (a similar device, kind of popular in Germany that started as a DIY manual in a biking forum).
So far I have no dynamo because I'm not yet convinced it would withstand the rather heavy terrain (for a trekking biker), I like to ride in, in the long term.

I was thinking of this to use a map, I don't want to connect electronic devices to my handlebars as the might get 'swiped' meaning stolen,

With most handlebar mounts you can remove the device, only leaving the mount (an otherwise useless piece of plastic) on the bike. Would that be enough?


[1] http://www.forumslader.de/Automatiklader.219.0.html

 

[second exodous]

Withmost handlebar mounts you can remove the device, only leaving the mount (an otherwise useless piece of plastic) on the bike. Would that be enough?

Well, I'm worried someone will break off the device while walking past me.