GPS questions

[nakedlover]

i've been thinking about getting a gps, checked out Garmin.
but i was wondering if the people who have them have any
opinions on them ( i know NO ONE on this forum has any
opinions on ANYTHING!) (LOL)
how well do they work, hold up, etc...
also REALLY how useful are they and are they worth the $$$.
one thing i would like to be able to do is to completely
map out a long day trip manually. entering in all the differant
roads i'd like to take (the long long way!) so then the GPS unit can just tell me when each turn is coming up instead
of having to keep looking down at the map and guessing how far away each turn is. that way i could just concentrate
on having fun and riding some new roads without having to
keep slowing down looking for street signs etc..

[pbrownw]

I have a GPS unit from pioneer, it is VERY helpful for finding places I've never been to, but putting in a route like you suggested has been impossible. I got a RAM mount that attaches to the handlebar, which works great.

[bikesdp]

I was looking at the moto-specific models from Tom Tom and Garmin, but it doesn't look to me like either of those display altitude. In my region, I like to have that information as well. I sometimes ride with a Garmin Edge 205, which is basically a GPS-based bicycle computer. It's the perfect size, slightly smaller than a Moto Razr but It's major shortcoming is that it's a GPS that cannot tell you where you are! It tells you where you've been when you get back home and upload the data to their training software. So really, while riding it's just telling you time, distance,rate, altitude.

[ This message was edited by: bikesdp on 2007-05-28 22:30 ]

[abruzzi]

8 years ago, I bought a garmin eMap for when I moved from Philadelphia to New Mexico. I still have that one and it still looks like a charm. It has a 7/8th handlebar mount, and I added a 128mb ram card. It doesn't doesn't do route following (i.e. turn directions, distance to next turn, etc) but I can do that on the PC and upload the routes. You still have to look down to follow your route, but I've loaded both the "metroguide" (roads businesses and points of interest) and topo maps for NM, AZ and west TX. To me it isn't useful for shorter (<200mi) rides, but for long ones it's very handy.

Geof

[Martin_R]

On 2007-05-28 22:27, bikesdp wrote:
I was looking at the moto-specific models from Tom Tom and Garmin, but it doesn't look to me like either of those display altitude.

At least my Garmin Zumo 550 has altitude on the compass screen. As for other features, I think the unit is just about perfect for motorcycle nvaigation, route planning, answering mobile phone calls/listening to directions via Bluetooth headset etc. Also comes with MapSource PC software for preplanning, car cradle with speaker+mic for mobile hadsfree and directions and pretty much every accessory you would want (except helmet headset).



If you are short on cash, many people over here are also using Fujitsu Loox for motorcycle navigation. Not weather proof, but very cheap for almost all the same features.

TomTom Rider has been pulled from the shops over here due to the major design flaws in cradle design. Rider v2 is just coming out - no experiences yet as to if the cradle finally does what it should without breaking or eating the contacts on the navi itself.

[ This message was edited by: Martin_R on 2007-05-29 00:35 ]

[bkrbil]

I have the Garmin Zumo 550...great unit. There is the Zumo 450 if you don't want or need Bluetooth, XM Radio or street name announcements for a bit less.
It's waterproof, vibration proof, and works well in extreme temps. It comes with both motorcycle and car mounts so you can use it anywhere. Easy to use and pretty ***** accurate.