Displaying GPS/Trail/Mapping app on Stark phone while riding

[Industrial316]

hey,
I know you've marked the topic as solved, but wanted to add another solution I've used.
The stark phone has split screen mode. You can use it to have both apps open at the same time.
I'm not near the bike atm but I believe this instruction is correct How to enable split-screen multitasking in Android 11 [Video]

 

[Chadx]

hey,
I know you've marked the topic as solved, but wanted to add another solution I've used.
The stark phone has split screen mode. You can use it to have both apps open at the same time.
I'm not near the bike atm but I believe this instruction is correct How to enable split-screen multitasking in Android 11 [Video]

Thanks. I'll take a look and see what split screen looks like. Might be a bit crowded, but won't know until I try with my particular mapping app.

My appending "- Edit: Solved" to the subject wasn't meant to close the thread; just inform that some options were found. I'm editing to remove that so it doesn't seem like it's closed. Subject is definitely still open for discussion as others bring their thoughts and suggestions to the thread as you did.

It's only 15F here today, but maybe I'll run out and give this a try. But here is a view with both apps up while not connected to the bike (in the safety/warmth of my home office rather than unheated shop). So far, it looks promising since my intent with the mapping app is just finding turns, that I already know I want to take, as I ride. I'll stop and pull out my personal phone, or can flip to full screen, if I need more screen "real estate" to explore on-screen. Good recommendation!
I'll also have to see how the Stark app acts while connected and if it flips to full screen when back on "Allow display over other apps" is still on, or if that still needs to be shut off.

​

 

[AL_V]

hey,
I know you've marked the topic as solved, but wanted to add another solution I've used.
The stark phone has split screen mode. You can use it to have both apps open at the same time.
I'm not near the bike atm but I believe this instruction is correct How to enable split-screen multitasking in Android 11 [Video]

Thanks! That’s definitely worth a try, and has obvious benefits.

 

[Chadx]

Went out and tried the split screen while connected to the bike. On my Stark phone, in landscape mode, it doesn't let me adjust the split screen, so it's a 50/50 split. This doesn't allow the Stark app to display the edges of that apps screen view which is where two important metrics are displayed (Neutral/Power setting on the left and battery percentage on the right), but does display riding and speed (speed I don't usually look at or care about).

Split screen display may allow one to see Stark errors or warnings, provided they are displayed in the center of the screen (the viewable section in the following screen shots) rather than the cutoff edges like power setting and SOC).
Does anyone have first hand knowledge of where/how warnings appear? Motor overheating is one I've heard of, but don't know where it's displayed.

If I can't see the battery SOC or power setting, probably not much value in having the Stark app displayed and I'll likely just run the mapping app fullscreen.

@Industrial316 Where you able to change your split screen percentage or otherwise get the Stark app to show battery SOC and power setting with 50/50 split?

Here is what I had when I tried...

 

[Fog 25]

Went out and tried the split screen while connected to the bike. On my Stark phone, in landscape mode, it doesn't let me adjust the split screen, so it's a 50/50 split. This doesn't allow the Stark app to display the edges of that apps screen view which is where two important metrics are displayed (Neutral/Power setting on the left and battery percentage on the right), but does display riding and speed (speed I don't usually look at or care about).

Split screen display may allow one to see Stark errors or warnings, provided they are displayed in the center of the screen (the viewable section in the following screen shots) rather than the cutoff edges like power setting and SOC).
Does anyone have first hand knowledge of where/how warnings appear? Motor overheating is one I've heard of, but don't know where it's displayed.

If I can't see the battery SOC or power setting, probably not much value in having the Stark app displayed and I'll likely just run the mapping app fullscreen.

@Industrial316 Where you able to change your split screen percentage or otherwise get the Stark app to show battery SOC and power setting with 50/50 split?

Here is what I had when I tried...

View attachment 12384


View attachment 12385


View attachment 12386

Try to red the font size on the phone. Might be able to get full screen.

 

[Industrial316]

Went out and tried the split screen while connected to the bike. On my Stark phone, in landscape mode, it doesn't let me adjust the split screen, so it's a 50/50 split. This doesn't allow the Stark app to display the edges of that apps screen view which is where two important metrics are displayed (Neutral/Power setting on the left and battery percentage on the right), but does display riding and speed (speed I don't usually look at or care about).

Split screen display may allow one to see Stark errors or warnings, provided they are displayed in the center of the screen (the viewable section in the following screen shots) rather than the cutoff edges like power setting and SOC).
Does anyone have first hand knowledge of where/how warnings appear? Motor overheating is one I've heard of, but don't know where it's displayed.

If I can't see the battery SOC or power setting, probably not much value in having the Stark app displayed and I'll likely just run the mapping app fullscreen.

@Industrial316 Where you able to change your split screen percentage or otherwise get the Stark app to show battery SOC and power setting with 50/50 split?

Here is what I had when I tried...

View attachment 12384


View attachment 12385


View attachment 12386

It's definitely not optimal. Stark has not put effort into making sure the app scales well. Which, is understandable.
As Fog 25 said, there are ways you can make it better. There's a setting under "display" in the settings menu that allows you to change the font size. And another setting under Accessibility allows you to change screen size. Again, not near the bike and can't try it myself, sorry.

I removed my phone mount and I have been designing a few ways to mount the phone elsewhere. I'm an engineer with a 3D printer and have done a ton of research on materials and found some super durable stuff. I made a custom number plate and one solution is to mount the phone behind it in portrait and for that, the split screen worked great. Effectively it turns into a small screen.

 

[Chadx]

Try to red the font size on the phone. Might be able to get full screen.

Reducing font didn't make a difference. There is only one size smaller than default, which doesn't reduce it much, but it's not the font keeping the view too wide; it's the block sizing they have separating the quadrants of the screen. Even if a very tiny faunt was allowed, the Neutral/Power Setting indicator on the left and SOC on the right wouldn't show up.

I'll mention that it's already a known issue that bumping up the font makes the battery SOC only display one of the two digits, but mentioning that here in case anyone runs into that little nugget.

Here are two screen shots. One with the default size and one with the smallest size. Not much difference.

 

[AL_V]

Locking the phone in portrait mode might keep the battery percentage on the screen.
I will try it at next opportunity.

 

[Chadx]

When I tested, I turned the phone to portrait at one point and, since both apps show 1:1 ratio squares, the view was the same as in Landscape mode, unfortunately. I didn't bother with a screenshot.

 

[AL_V]

When I tested, I turned the phone to portrait at one point and, since both apps show 1:1 ratio squares, the view was the same as in Landscape mode, unfortunately. I didn't bother with a screenshot.

 

[Fog 25]

I use Starks track map for one day at my local track before the phone updated and I lost it. Work petty good, set a start point and it displayed each lap with lap times, counter for laps and fastest lap in the session. it recorded all the laps in your ride stats. I didn’t get to use the trail mode but I think the trail mode should track your ride the same way.

 

[AL_V]

I use Starks track map for one day at my local track before the phone updated and I lost it. Work petty good, set a start point and it displayed each lap with lap times, counter for laps and fastest lap in the session. it recorded all the laps in your ride stats. I didn’t get to use the trail mode but I think the trail mode should track your ride the same way.

It already does record a gps "track" of your ride, but it doesn't do anything to "guide" you as you could do with a gps trail app.
Not sure what they have planned for trail mode, but I don't expect it to have trail maps like a gps app can.

 

[Chaconne]

My mapping app is set to "Keep phone awake", but it may only keep phone awake if the app is actively doing something. Since I was stationary in the shop, maybe it considers that not active. This afternoon, have to drive into the office so maybe I'll bring the stark phone with and turn on my mapping app and see if the simple act of driving (and my location dot moving across the map) keeps the screen awake. If so, that would allow me to change the Stark Phone display sleep time back down to a shorter duration number rather than 10 or 30 minutes. More experiments.

As for storing in cold, my uninsulated shop gets well below the recommended storage of most lithium batteries (which is usually 0F). This morning, for example, it's a season-typical 11F ambient. Over the winter, we usually spend some time down at the crossroads of F and C (-40F/-40C ambient). I have so many lithium batteries in various chemistries (lithium ion, LiFePO4, etc.) and it's always a challenge and call on where to store them. I trust LiFePO4 more than any other chemistry, but even those I prefer to not store in the house. I keep a tiny heater in my slide-in, pop-up pickup camper, that is stored in the shop over the winter, to keep it 35 - 40F even though it's winterized, so I put most of my other lithium batteries in there to keep them out of the extreme cold. But, a Varg won't fit in the camper! Ha. And I'm not pulling the battery like on my other electric dirtbikes and eMTBs.

Some of my other LiFePO4 batteries that I don't want to move (fishing boat trolling motor batteries), I put small 16w electric warming pads on them and plug it in when it gets brutally cold. Only costs a couple dollars of electricity per month. I bought an custom made electric battery wrap warmer, with thermostat, for the Varg and plan to use that. The frame and skid plate keep it from actually touching the battery in most places, and so the built-in thermostat is never going to let it shut off, but it only pulls 34 watts and even though it can't make contact with the battery case, hoping it will give a little micro climate around it to take the edge off since lows bounce off 0F most of the winter with plenty of trips to -20F to -40F ambient. (Yes we have snowmobiles/snowbikes and no I'm not considering adapting a snowbike kit to my Varg, but I did start this thread for Varg Snowbikes. Varg snowbike discussion).

Not to go too far off topic in this thread. But @Chadx could you share what you got for a battery warmer for your Stark? Custom ones are pretty expensive. Is that what you got?

Thanks, @Chaconne

 

[Chadx]

Not to go too far off topic in this thread. But @Chadx could you share what you got for a battery warmer for your Stark? Custom ones are pretty expensive. Is that what you got?

Thanks, @Chaconne

Bought one of these from DrJohnsen42. For Sale - CHR Battery Warmer
Not sure how many he has available. Kind of pricey at $250, but cheaper than $685 that @AL_V was quoted. It doesn't quite fit with the frame and skidplate of the Varg. I might pull the skidplate so it fits better and the thermostat touches the battery case. Currently, it sits away from the battery and is never going to shut off because only air temp impacts it, but not worried about it cooking the battery because there really isn't any part of it that makes direct contact with the battery case.

When storing some of my other lithium batteries in the cold, I've used little 16w reptile heating pads. There are automobile battery warmers that look like they would work well, also. Note: Stay away from high wattage RC holding tank heaters or engine block heaters. They are higher wattage and get too hot (well over 100F/38F).
I think a couple $30 automobile battery warmers with thermostats would slide between the frame and work well and then wrap some type of insulating cover around it and call it a day. You just don't want a hit spot on the battery long term. But, with low watt heaters and only turning it on when below 20F/-7C, I don't think anything will get warm enough to cause any issues. You can always pull back the insulation and slap your hand against the pad or battery after it's been on a day or two and check with laser thermometer, or at least see if it passes the "touch test". Warm to the touch is fine. Really warm or hot to the touch is too hot. You don't want 100F/38C hot spots. I would think the battery case would dissipate heat quite well, but worth keeping an eye on. If you get something with the thermostat, make sure it's pressed against the battery case if any of the heating elements are touching the case. Currently mine are not, so I'm fine with it being on 100% of the time. Just trying to make a little micro climate around it. This weekend, I might have time to pull the skid plate and see if I can get it fitted better.

How Do You Plan To Survive (Battery) the Winter? is a cold weather storage thread if you are interested.

 

[Chaconne]

Bought one of these from DrJohnsen42. For Sale - CHR Battery Warmer
Not sure how many he has available. Kind of pricey at $250, but cheaper than $685 that @AL_V was quoted. It doesn't quite fit with the frame and skidplate of the Varg. I might pull the skidplate so it fits better and the thermostat touches the battery case. Currently, it sits away from the battery and is never going to shut off because only air temp impacts it, but not worried about it cooking the battery because there really isn't any part of it that makes direct contact with the battery case.

When storing some of my other lithium batteries in the cold, I've used little 16w reptile heating pads. There are automobile battery warmers that look like they would work well, also. Note: Stay away from high wattage RC holding tank heaters or engine block heaters. They are higher wattage and get too hot (well over 100F/38F).
I think a couple $30 automobile battery warmers with thermostats would slide between the frame and work well and then wrap some type of insulating cover around it and call it a day. You just don't want a hit spot on the battery long term. But, with low watt heaters and only turning it on when below 20F/-7C, I don't think anything will get warm enough to cause any issues. You can always pull back the insulation and slap your hand against the pad or battery after it's been on a day or two and check with laser thermometer, or at least see if it passes the "touch test". Warm to the touch is fine. Really warm or hot to the touch is too hot. You don't want 100F/38C hot spots. I would think the battery case would dissipate heat quite well, but worth keeping an eye on. If you get something with the thermostat, make sure it's pressed against the battery case if any of the heating elements are touching the case. Currently mine are not, so I'm fine with it being on 100% of the time. Just trying to make a little micro climate around it. This weekend, I might have time to pull the skid plate and see if I can get it fitted better.

How Do You Plan To Survive (Battery) the Winter? is a cold weather storage thread if you are interested.

Thanks. I thought @Drjohnsen42's was a one off. I am interested.

 

[mrbullen]

I split my screen and run 2 apps varg and maps or horn but i cannot custom the screen sizes like on my main phone . That or maps on pop up in corner