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best GPS/ SATNAV?

Gary (et al) --

I posted some skeletal information about downloading from MapQuest to Garmin in another thread. The process is conceptually similar for Google Maps. MS Streets & Trips has its own way of connecting to Garmin. If you search for "MapQuest" in the Gear forum, you may uncover more info as well. In any case, here are a few links to get you going:

Downloading from MapQuest to Garmin

How to:
http://forums.bmwmoa.org/showpost.php?p=606816&postcount=6 (MS Windows XP OS-based, but easier process on an OSX Mac! ;) )

Additional info:
http://forums.bmwmoa.org/showpost.php?p=608669&postcount=17
http://forums.bmwmoa.org/showpost.php?p=608669&postcount=19

Troubleshooting:
http://forums.bmwmoa.org/showpost.php?p=607248&postcount=12
http://forums.bmwmoa.org/showpost.php?p=608669&postcount=21

HTH
 
Very nice Theo, especially the screen shots. :thumb That kind of info really helps-to get an actual view of what a person should be seeing.
For those of you watching, with a specific question, don't be shy. Any question asked by one is usually wondered about by many.
There are some other areas we could explore for this thread like....
Do you use it all the time, route a trip and stick to it?
Do you use it just to find your way to a place you've never been?
Do you just use it to find a quick route home after a fun day of riding?
Do you find your motorcycle GPS works as well in your car-maybe better?
Do you run your GPS through a unit like the Autocomm?
How about the relationship with GPX and GPD.

Let's have at it guys (and gals) Gary, old map and compass guy :gerg
 
My 2720 is doing a slow death, when I replace it I am going to get one of the 5" screen Garmin 1490T. The sale price for this can be found as low as $170. I can buy 4 of these for the price on one motorcycle specific Garmin 665. For less than $50 I can get the lockable and waterproff Ram AquaBox to put in. It will be very easy to hard wire it to the bike and still be able to move it to my truck when I want to.
 
For less than $50 I can get the lockable and waterproff Ram AquaBox to put in. It will be very easy to hard wire it to the bike and still be able to move it to my truck when I want to.

+1 on this. If I'm taking a trip I will keep a gps in the radio box. Otherwise I don't need something else to distract my attention. I am bad enough trying to program the gps in the truck. I'm sure others are quite adept at multi-tasking on the bike. I am not one of them, yet.

That said, I am going to buying a Garmin soon. I had a first gen Tomtom and loved it. Quick to load, quick to replan if I missed a turn, etc. I "upgraded" to the xxl535T and this has got to be the biggest POS on the market. I have yet to be in any city that it didn't guide me in the wrong direction. It takes forever to load, and if I miss a turn, it replans the entire trip. By the time it reloads, I have passed the next turn, and it replans again, going into a continuous replanning loop until I pull over. I usually end up turning it off and navigating by "zen" navigation (that guy's going in my direction, let's follow him). Tomtom home is no help, as it hasn't ever recognized my device. I won't even carry it on the bike because I don't trust it. I use the old one, even though the maps are 2007.

Back to the topic, I like non-specific units because of the price difference, and keep one stored until needed while on the bike.
 
Another very satisfied Zumo 550 owner.

Didn't think I would ever join the ranks but a little over a year ago I got a bit twisted around on some back roads, delayed and arrived home just as it was really getting dark.
I DO NOT ride in the dark here- too many moose.

So last Christmas I indicated what I wanted and Cathy gave me the 550. I love this woman!

Haven't gotten around to XM yet (this coming season) but I have a few hundred songs on the SD card for the boring highway miles.

If I had to choose one GPS feature that is my favorite, it would be how it calculates (and recalculates if necessary) arrival time.

The second would be how the Zumo keeps track of fuel remaining. When it gets down to where I have set it for low fuel, one touch will have it suggesting close by gas stations and how to get to the one I select (POI factory is great)
 
what's the BEST hands down, all around GPS?

You did state "all around".

In that case a Garmin 60 Cx or 60 CSx which has recently been replaced by a similar model.

148883087_juvRT-M-1.jpg



what makes it best or better?

Whenever possible, I stay clear of devices that take proprietary batteries. Furthermore, I stay clear of devices that have built-in batteries that are not user replaceable.

The 60 Cx runs on a pair of AA batteries for far more hours than any of the other units...in fact many times over. I use NiMH rechargeables. It can also be powered by USB or DC from 8 to 32V using a cigarette lighter output or hard wiring to a battery.

Its compact, waterproof, takes microSD cards for maps and highly detailed track logging, it AutoRoutes, etc.

It is why so many have chosen this unit for motorcycling. I use it in my car, on my motorcycle and while on foot in cities and out in the woods. I liked it so much, I bought a spare. ;)
 
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My Zumo 450 works great with the added 8GB SD card for my MP3 tunes. Zumo, Inno and radar wired into a MixIt2 amp with helmet speakers :whistle.
 
You did state "all around".

In that case a Garmin 60 Cx or 60 CSx which has recently been replaced by a similar model.

Whenever possible, I stay clear of devices that take proprietary batteries. Furthermore, I stay clear of devices that have built-in batteries that are not user replaceable.

The 60 Cx runs on a pair of AA batteries for far more hours than any of the other units...in fact many times over. I use NiMH rechargeables. It can also be powered by USB or DC from 8 to 32V using a cigarette lighter output or hard wiring to a battery.
;)

maybe i have misconstrued your meaning here, so to clarify...
do other Garmin models and/or other brands of GPS NOT use batteries that one may replace at will?
also,
do most GPS's use specialised batteries and not a typical type?

this would, in my mind, make ALL the difference in selecting a GPS unit.
 
maybe i have misconstrued your meaning here, so to clarify...
do other Garmin models and/or other brands of GPS NOT use batteries that one may replace at will?
also,
do most GPS's use specialised batteries and not a typical type?

this would, in my mind, make ALL the difference in selecting a GPS unit.

My Garmin eMap and 60 Cx use 2 AA batteries. I've flow from Germany to Canada, changed flights in in the UK and still had plenty of battery life when I landed.

The Garmin 376C and Zumo 660 uses a Garmin Li-Ion battery pack. And if you check the specs on these units on the Garmin site, battery life is up to 5 hours or less. Useless for my purposes.

Other Garmin units use a built-in battery that is not user replaceable.

Of course, if the unit it always plugged in when you re using it, then battery life is not an issue. I use mine on foot often.

Go to the Garmin site, pick a model and check the specs...for example...

Zumo 660 specs

GPS Map 62S specs
 
do other Garmin models and/or other brands of GPS NOT use batteries that one may replace at will?

do most GPS's use specialised batteries and not a typical type?
Yes to both questions. Some, like the 2610/2650 does not have batteries. Instead they use a 12/24 volt external power source or 120 converter.

Others like the Zumo series and some of the GPSMAP units have propriarity batteries.

It's not the problem you may think it is, other than the units that don't run on battery power [when I say battery power, I mean the units do not have a battery installed] to take with you when you walk - you just take the power adapter with you. No biggie unless you want to use it on foot.
 
a different way

I use a marine Lowrance Global map 5200 on motorcycle ,car and truck.
Advantages are big very bright screen and a big keypad.On the smaller units
I had trouble seeing the small screen(old age creeping up) and manipulating while driving.-I actually have two units to reduce switching between 4 vehicles.
Gary
 
I bought a nuvi 550 in 2009 and it has worked well. List price $299, street price around $249. It comes with the car adapter and car mount. You have to buy the RAM mount (~$30) for the bike and the hardwire kit (~$30) from Garmin. It is IPX 7 waterproof and rated as "Motorcycle friendly" by Garmin. Downside compared to a Zumo is no audio jack, no bluetooth, no MP3 player, no XM Radio. The features it does not have are not a big deal for me. I wanted a good GPS at a good price. I don't have a problem navigating without being able to hear the voice prompts. It tells you about the turns on the screen so far in advance that it is hard to miss them. I recently bought the lifetime map update subscription from Garmin for $89. This used to be much more than that, and when a one-time map update is $49, the lifetime seems like a no-brainer when they have updates available 4 times a year. The streets don't change that often, but the points of interest (like restaurants and gas stations) do. One of the best conveniences of riding with a GPS is to quickly get a list of all restaurants, in proximity order, whenever you want a bite to eat. I also try to stay with Shell or BP gas, and the GPS makes it easy get whatever brand of gas you prefer in the same way. Keeping your GPS up-to-date avoids riding out of your way to a restaurant or a gas station that has been closed for 6 months (this has actually happened to me with my other GPS in the car).

The nuvi 550 is a "multi-mode" GPS and has specific features for walking, hiking, and boating that other models do not have. It has a user-replaceable lithium-ion battery that Garmin claims lasts up to 8 hours (I assume to support the walking and hiking modes). The battery life is significantly longer than most GPS models (most are 3-4 hours). In fact, when I first bought the unit, I bought the RAM mount, but not the hardwire kit. I thought the battery life would be long enough that I wouldn't need it. The first trip I took with it was over 11 hours and I had to keep turning the unit on and off to conserve the battery life. As soon as I got home from the trip, I bought the Garmin hardwire kit.

A quick look at the specs on the Zumo 220 compared to the nuvi 550 looks like the Zumo 220 is the same as the nuvi 550 only with bluetooth, for $200 more. For me, I wouldn't get $200 worth of utility from the bluetooth feature. The pictures of the units on Garmins web site look exactly the same.
 
I'll back up everything Globalrider said in post #26 about the Garmin GPSMap60CX. I've been using one for several years (The fact they were made for so long says volumes in the fast changing GPS market.)

They have just recently been replace by the similar GPSMap62 series. If you don't want the fancy audio features, it is a fantastic unit. The screens are customizable so you can have exactly the data fields showing that YOU want. In addition, the vertical screen layout shows more of what's AHEAD, rather than what's off to the side, which is more important if you think about it.

It has a lot of technical features that make it really popular with the off-road and hunting/fishing types as well. Although I have hard-wire setups for it on all three bikes, the easily replaced AA cell batteries are a major plus as well.

There isn't a better does-all GPS on the market. I won't give mine up.
 
I'll back up everything Globalrider said in post #26 about the Garmin GPSMap60CX. I've been using one for several years (The fact they were made for so long says volumes in the fast changing GPS market.)

They have just recently been replace by the similar GPSMap62 series. If you don't want the fancy audio features, it is a fantastic unit. The screens are customizable so you can have exactly the data fields showing that YOU want. In addition, the vertical screen layout shows more of what's AHEAD, rather than what's off to the side, which is more important if you think about it.

It has a lot of technical features that make it really popular with the off-road and hunting/fishing types as well. Although I have hard-wire setups for it on all three bikes, the easily replaced AA cell batteries are a major plus as well.

There isn't a better does-all GPS on the market. I won't give mine up.

Neither would I, which is also why I bought a spare. I am happy to see Garmin continued the line with the 62. The left over 60 CSx can still be had new at a great price.

All good points you brought up that I didn't bother to. I've been looking at getting a car unit like the Garmin 255 or 265 WT, but none of them track log and do what my 60 Cx do.

Another point that I did not bring up; the Garmin 60 Cx and CSx both AutoRoute. Although they provide screen prompts, they do not provide voice prompt, instead the user can select from a slew of alert tones. I have some very noticeable ones selected that alert me prior to having to make a turn. In the end, I rarely use the AutoRouting feature and if I do, only in my car and so far, never on my motorcycle while on tour.
 
...........................
The Garmin 376C and Zumo 660 uses a Garmin Li-Ion battery pack. And if you check the specs on these units on the Garmin site, battery life is up to 5 hours or less. Useless for my purposes...................


Garmin must underestimate the life, on my 276c and 478, even on the brightest screen setting I get 6-7 hours on my 4 and 5 year old batteries. If you turn the screen down (stilll visible in bright sun) it will go 8+ hours.

They are big for hiking and hand held use, but I like the big screen to help find those little twisty roads.
 
Garmin must underestimate the life, on my 276c and 478, even on the brightest screen setting I get 6-7 hours on my 4 and 5 year old batteries. If you turn the screen down (stilll visible in bright sun) it will go 8+ hours.

But they use proprietary batteries.

Which is why I never wasted my time with Sony and their proprietary "memory sticks". I guess they never noticed that SD and CF cards were out there. I refuse to bend over to those companies and pay double the price for the same memory capacity.

Another advantage of commonly used batteries...they can be used in a AA Maglite, your camera, your GPS, your whatever.
 
Garmin Streetpilot 2720. Buy used on eBay for about $70. Register it with Garmin and get a free map update. Absolutely waterproof as I can attest to in a torrential hail/rain storm in New Mexico.
 

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