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Navigating

AKsuited

New member
I'm thinking about getting a GPS for the bike. I am wondering how people feel about GPS for navigating on the bike. I've heard some GPS's don't hold up well. I'd hate to spend $600+ on a unit and have it last only a couple of years. I also wonder how many here navigate with just a tank bag/maps versus GPS. Some say you need a Bluetooth headset for the voice commands, but it seems like the screen would be enough to navigate.

Any thoughts appreciated.

Harry
 
GPS - love it!

Well, not all the time... updating maps can be a hassle, since I do it so infrequently.

Bought my first GPS for my old Triumph back in 2001. After a couple of rides, I knew I would not really want to ride without it. I really appreciated it on my big ride across the US and Canada last June. Really really appreciated it.

Now using a Zumo 550. It's not the newest and that's why the updating is so tough. Go for the newer one, if you can afford it.

Do use a waterproof one. Don't ask me how I know...

Don't drop them either. Don't ask me how I know.
 
New to GPS

When I bought a 1998 K1200RS in 2011, it came with a old Garmin Street Pilot 2720. That was my first experience with a GPS on a motorcycle. I have found it useful, but will always take paper maps as a backup.

On local roads that have not been changed in decades, the GPS will want to take me on weird paths I know are the long way to my destination. Yes, I have set it up for the kind of roads I want, etc. :banghead

On the positive side, I have ridden in areas that are unfamiliar and the GPS always guided me out...eventually.

I also have a cheap Mio that I use in the car. Same experience as far as weird routes.

I do not use any audio support on the bike GPS. I wear ear plugs to protect from additional hearing loss.

I find the more accurate speed indicator and the estimated time of arrival to my destination some of the most useful information from the GPS.

The level of detail you can get on a GPS is not available on most state road maps or an atlas. That is also one of the positive features if you take county and township roads like I do. Enjoy your rides! :wave
 
Thanks for the replies!

I'll have my bike in to have the brakes serviced the end of the month, which would be the perfect time to wire in a GPS unit.

I am also planning a long ride across the US this summer.

I probably should crack open the wallet and get one...

Harry
 
Quick FAQ bit: Ephemeris vs. Maps on GPS

Hi all,
Just a quick bit o' nerdy trivia: There are (at least) 3 databases on your GPS that need updating. The big map database is usually copyrighted by a company you've never heard of, and is rarely updated for free. A new map might cost 50% of a new device. Your device-manufacturer may have a special db of corrections, that they give you for free/cheap. Usually, this is what you get when you "update the map." These corrections, in my insignificant opinion, have proven to be of limited use and they have nothing like the scope of the full map. (full map>1gb, typical corrections<1meg or 0.1%)

The 3rd database is the ephemeris, this is free and changes frequently. This is the guide that tells your navigator where to expect the satellites to be, and it shortens the time-to-first-lock by orders of magnitude, from minutes down to seconds. Besides convenience this db can be the only thing making a lock possible; for example, on power-up deep in a canyon (natural or man-made). This is the part of "updating the map" that I think is really important.

Hope this helps explain some stuff,
Ben

tl;dr: the map database is not usually updated for free--map corrections might be free, but they're of limited value--the db predicting the satellites' position is the real benefit to frequent updates.
 
I use a paper map for trip planning & as a back-up. The GPS is for the actual trip, how to get there while on the road. I use a Garmin 660 (which is blue-toothed or hard wired to my helmet and also has an MP3 player) that is several years old and has held up well.

One of the benefits of the GPS over the paper map, is the database(s) that usually come with it. My current installed map(s) is the US & Canada. I have a listing of hotels, gas stations, hospitals, police stations, attractions, etc...On most of the current Garmin's, you can usually find a model that comes with free lifetime map up-dates. Software & firmware up-dates are free

When I use the "Where Am I" feature it gives me the nearest medical/fire/police, which is handy in an emergency. It also gives me my speed and in some cases it will show the posted speed limit (Which isn't always accurate, but better than guessing), and depending how I set up the screen, an ETA to my next turn, destination, etc. And the "tracking feature" plots were I've been and can be downloaded to my computer as a record of the trip.

So as to which GPS to buy, that depends on 2 things...how much cash you want to spend and how big of a techie you are...:laugh
 
"The 3rd database is the ephemeris, this is free and changes frequently. This is the guide that tells your navigator where to expect the satellites to be, and it shortens the time-to-first-lock by orders of magnitude, from minutes down to seconds. Besides convenience this db can be the only thing making a lock possible; for example, on power-up deep in a canyon (natural or man-made). This is the part of "updating the map" that I think is really important."

From my experience with GPS navigation and timing receivers starting in the late 1980's with Rockwell units and progressing to MEINBERG GPS synchronized timing equipment over the last decade - The Almanac and Ephemeris data of the GPS satellite system are not databases that are stored in your mapping software program, and are not anything that you would have control over as the user.

That information (as well as the time) are typically stored in memory in the GPS receiver itself. If you power down, have not moved very far (typically within 100 kilometers), and a significant amount of time has not passed (as in months) and then power up again, the GPS receiver has a a rough idea of where it is, and the time. That information is associated with the Almanac and Ephemeris data and allows a relatively quick position fix (provided satellites are in view and not obstructed). Once a single satellite is received, the current Almanac and Ephemeris data that is available on that satellite is downloaded to the GPS receiver in order to provide the latest information about the rest of the complete operational constellation (which consists of 24 satellites in six polar orbital planes, with 4 satellites in each plane). That allows the receiver to search for and select satellites that should be in view.

The GPS satellite system is a constellation of satellites that are continuously transmitting information about "Here I am, and this is the time", with the time a result of atomic clocks (rubidium and cesium ensembles on each satellite) that are regularly synchronized to UTC (Universal Coordinated Time) that is derived from from the US Naval Observatory, through the USAF Control Segment in Colorado.

Four satellites are required in order to get a good fix - the receiver solves for X, Y, Z (latitude, longitude and altitude) as well as time. Solving for those four attributes allows the calculation of your position.

If it has been some time since last lock, and significant distance from the last lock (as in equipment that I distribute that is manufactured in Germany and which is placed in service in the US or Canada) the time to synchronization can be problematic, and may take some minutes in a positioning application (again, providing that there is good visibility to the sky).
 
:gerg I guess it's time to update the Loran :whistle
You bring up a good point on powerdown JW. All that gets to be a PITA when the unit is not hard-wired in so every pit/gas stop, with a key off, causes a re-acquisition and more time to acquire and get the GPS back on track.
 
I put a RAM ball mount into one of my triple clamp bolts, and wired in a USB cable to the BMW GPS power connector that's hiding under my RT's dash. Invaluable for touring or running errands in an unfamiliar city.

Cheap automobile Garmin GPSes work just fine on bikes; in the event of rain, deploy a tactical sandwich bag. You can buy a lot of sandwich bags with the $650 you save by getting a $150 N?vi (with lifetime maps!) rather than an $800 Zumo.
 
As above, love highly detailed maps to plan DeLorme gazetteer, Google maps etc, but then GPS on the road. But I do not travel, I ride and gravatate to small back roads that lead to nowhere but fun.

No b-tooth, or helmet sound. Garmins 276C, 376C 378, 478 series wonderful, tough, and BRIGHT. A bit clunky and frustrating to use, until you get use to the menus. but easy to use with gloves.
 
I use Mapquest or Google to plan my routes, and write large/easy to read directions for on the tank. I like that I can zoom in with the computer and see finer details of the road than what a paper map will offer. Both programs have the ability to locate some gas stations and diners, so we can plan stops. While on the bike I keep my car oriented Garmin Nuvi, via RAM Mount, which has MP3 capability, so I can listem to music. This is a cheaper model that pretty much just takes you the fast way, not the twisty way, as it is not programmable like the Zumos, so it is there in case I get lost/have to get home sooner than later. I started using it in a RAM Aqua box, but after 3 years the lense of the Aqua box clouded and made it difficult to see. I now just keep zip top sandwich bags handy in case of rain. I am half hoping it does get soaked so I can get a Zumo 665, but while it is still working, I can't justify the expense.
 
I put a RAM ball mount into one of my triple clamp bolts, and wired in a USB cable to the BMW GPS power connector that's hiding under my RT's dash. Invaluable for touring or running errands in an unfamiliar city.

Cheap automobile Garmin GPSes work just fine on bikes; in the event of rain, deploy a tactical sandwich bag. You can buy a lot of sandwich bags with the $650 you save by getting a $150 N?vi (with lifetime maps!) rather than an $800 Zumo.

+1

I have a +/-$200 Nuvi with lifetime updates on a standard Garmin mount, attached to the accessory dash on my '07 RT. I use the stock power/traffic cord that came with it to connect to a 12v adapter plugged into my accessory socket on the left side of the fairing. And, I carry Ziplocs for the wet times...LOL

The one thing I did not know about was this "GPS power connector that's hiding under the dash" of which you speak... Where might I find it, what type of connector is it, and is it relatively easy to tap into? I would love to free up my 'visible' accessory plug.
 
Cheap automobile Garmin GPSes work just fine on bikes; in the event of rain, deploy a tactical sandwich bag. You can buy a lot of sandwich bags with the $650 you save by getting a $150 N?vi (with lifetime maps!) rather than an $800 Zumo.

I concur with the Nuvi 1450 that is mounted to an RKA plate on the top of my RKA tankbag...wired in hard to switched fuse source, and I just hit the button for keeping the Power On when I stop for gas.
 

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I'm thinking about getting a GPS for the bike. I am wondering how people feel about GPS for navigating on the bike. I've heard some GPS's don't hold up well. I'd hate to spend $600+ on a unit and have it last only a couple of years. I also wonder how many here navigate with just a tank bag/maps versus GPS. Some say you need a Bluetooth headset for the voice commands, but it seems like the screen would be enough to navigate.

Any thoughts appreciated.

Harry

I have had one or two GPS units on my bikes since 1998. I have, over the years used 10 or so different Garmin GPS units in various combinations. Eight of them were waterproof for motorcycle use and two are car units not specifically waterproof.

When not hanging out with MOA Members I hang out with many long-distance endurance riders of the Iron Butt Rally variety. While I can't say there are as many different schemes for GPS use and navigation as there are riders, that almost seems to be the case. At one end of the scale are riders who plan their routes on the computer, download the route to the GPS, and follow that route. At the other end of the spectrum are riders who navigate with a map and use the GPS to know exactly where they are and to find things like fuel or food. In between are those who plan on a map, enter some waypoints, and route waypoint to waypoint on the fly.

You can add to the mix the ability to have music, weather radar, pairing with a telephone, and other bells and whistles.

If you don't ride in much rain one of the inexpensive Garmin Nuvi units would be a good first GPS. I have an older Nuvi 265 that I use for its data tabble, detailed street level maps, and points of interest (gas, food, fuel, etc). It is mounted along side either a 276C or BMW Navigator III which I use for routing from waypoint to waypoint. I always have a map for overall routing and almost never ride the route (fastest or shortest) I can find on the GPS.

Voni uses a Garmin 2610 - she has had three of them over the years. I resisted giving up a voltmeter display and control buttons for years but find the Nuvi touch screen very nice to use.
 
paper, plus iphone

I link my iPhone using google maps into my earbuds and set a destination. I usually have a paper map in the top window of my tank bag but find it very helpful to have voice commands in unfamiliar areas. Looking to upgrade to a more dedicated GPS - but can't quite justify the price of the full on motorcycle / waterproof units yet.

John

2001 R1150GS
 
I love my BMW Nav IV (Garmin) I like that it is motorcycle specific and waterproof. Easy to operate since my car navs are also Garmin. Will work fine with gloves on too. I purchased the BMW mounting bracket and had the dealer install it.
 
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