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GPS choices


don_k

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I've been using a Garmin e-map since 2001 and am looking to replace it. From what I've found so far the Garmin zumo 660LM seems to be a good option. But I figured I should ask the wonderful people on this site what they use and why (or perhaps why not something else).

 

Thanks in advance and safe riding to all,

Don Kramber

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I don't know how wonderful I am, but I just use Navigon on my phone. The only real issue is the lack of touchscreen, which I can work around with voice commands through a Sena.

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Stan Walker

Zumo 590LM for me.

 

The good:

1) Transflective display.

2) Large screen. Can be used in portrait or landscape orientation. Touch screen operation works with any glove.

3) Weather and Traffic are available as low cost (one time charge eash) aps on iPhone (maybe others?),

4) Linked easily with iPhone and Sena 20S.

 

The bad:

1) Coming from the 276C the unit is quite dumbed down. I think that's probably true of all their automotive/motorcycle units.

2) Crackling noise when placing a phone call using the double Bluetooth link. I will find out this weekend if a second unit does the same thing.

3) Lots of cables (5 of them) from the motorcycle mount to deal with. To either hook up, cut off, and/or hide somewhere. In my case I routed all the cables behind the instrument panel (required small mod to bikes plastics in a location that doesn't show). The cables then run over to the glove box on my '02 RT where they are coiled up in the bottom. The power cable is mated to power inside the glove box and the USB cable is used to supply power to the iPhone 6 laying on top of everything else in the glove box. The iPhone is always powered up and running the application that gives me weather and traffic. I have no idea if that makes a big hit on my data usage as I am grandfathered into an unlimited plan. It works fine on the power side as my iPhone is always at 100%.

4) I 'bricked' my unit trying to update the firmware. The tech at Garmin thought it was because my copy of Garmin Express was down-level and got confused........ I like that theory as I am 125% sure I followed the instructions perfectly and that I wasn't confused..... That's my story and I am sticking to it.

 

Feel free to ask questions.

 

Stan

 

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Not a bad unit,the screen is not as good as some of the newer models as far as visibility.

 

Groupon has a current deal on the 660LM

 

JR356

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Don't really know anything about that 660LM, but if you're still using an emap, you'll be so tickled with a modern unit, that nearly anything will do.

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Stan Walker

Crackling noise when placing a phone call using the double Bluetooth link. I will find out this weekend if a second unit does the same thing.

 

Sadly, a second unit does the same thing. I mean you can still make phone calls, all the features seem to work, but it's noisy.

 

A direct link from iPhone to Sena 20S is fine. Listening on the Garmin 590 GPS automobile speaker is fine. But the iPhone to Garmin 590 to Sena 20S is noisy.

 

I've tried a different headset instead of the Sena 20S, no joy.

 

Oh well, I don't place or take calls while riding anyway.

 

Stan

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Sheepherder

we use the novi series. we do not use all the features the zumo has. we do not use blue tooth and audio is not used. I know it is not waterproof and sensitive to vibration. You can buy two to three novis for a zumo 660LM. I can replace it on the road at any big box store.

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Bill_Walker

I've got a 660LM, and it's generally been trouble-free, but I don't use many of the features, e.g., Bluetooth, music. I plan routes in BaseCamp, download them to the SD Card, and then import them to the internal memory for use (didn't have to do that extra step with my prior NavII/2610).

 

Troubles: on my way to North Meets South in April, I had a fairly lengthy route programmed from my home in San Marcos, CA to Lancaster, CA, taking in a bunch of mountain roads. The unit would periodically say it had no maps for the road I was on (including I-15!) and stop navigating. I could restart the same route and it would work fine for a while. I used with other pre-programmed routes the next day and it was completely fine, and I never had the problem before, including on long routes to the last Un, and haven't had it again so far.

 

The screen still washes out in sunlight. It comes with a little visor you can put on, but it's a permanent stick-on, so if you use the it, the unit will no longer fit in the provided carrying case. It also can't be used in the Touratech mount I got for it, wanting something a little more secure than Garmin's non-locking mount.

 

Note that the 660 does NOT have XM radio/weather/traffic capability.

 

The wired audio out from the 660 is stereo. To fit it into my existing Autocom setup, I had to get a special adapter made by Autocom so I could connect it to the mono input (I have an iPod connected to the stereo music input). Without the adapter, the 660 would revert to using its internal speaker.

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Greetings!

 

I just installed a Zumo 665 w/XM on my 2003 R1150RT this year. My StreetPilot III died a few years ago and I finally got off the fence on which unit to replace it with.

 

I have the 665 mounted to a Touratech locking mount which in turn is attached to a GadgetGuy Mounting plate IV. It places the Zumo in the center of the dash above the speedo/tach. It's nicely protected by the windscreen.

 

I have an iPhone 4S that I pair with the Zumo.

 

To mount the XM antenna, I have a RAM ball mounted to one of the handlebar riser bolts. I then use a 5 inch arm and then a round mount which is attached to antenna. The antenna sits just about inboard of the clutch reservoir. There are distance requirements between the antenna and Zumo unit that need to be observed if you are using bluetooth. I would have liked to have mounted the antenna in a more out of the way spot, but was concerned with getting it as unobstructed a view of the sky as possible. In reading reviews of the unit, it seemed to be a bit fussy when using XM and bluetooth.

 

I use bluetooth to get audio to my Schuberth S2 helmet with its Schuberth Bluetooth system.

 

All in all I am VERY happy with how it's turned out. I bit the bullet and signed up for satellite weather and traffic and It works pretty well. I'll be riding along and then get a *bing" with a message that rain is in the area. Kind of nice.

 

I've only run into one techy issue with the set up, occasionally the Zumo and the helmet get confused and I won't hear the XM radio after unmuting it. Once the radio is turned on after firing up the unit, you don't ever really turn it off, you just mute it...or so it appears. Sometimes, I can't get the radio unmated from the navigation page. I usually have to go in a couple of pages...to the XM page...and mute/unmute to get it to sound.

 

My only other issue is really more my problem than the unit. It appears that if I load a route and i stray from it...perhaps even as small a stray as pulling into a gas station on the route, the unit starts to recalculate the rout to the next endpoint....it doesn't appear to want to get you back on the route ASAP. I have changed a setting to make the unit ask about recalculating that I think will help. Again, this isn't so much a problem with the unit as it is me getting to understand how it works and/or the unit doesn't think the way I think it should! :-)

 

All in all, I'm really pleased with how it turned out. The whole set up isn't cheap, but it works reasonably well. XM reception is little "flakeier" than I would like, but 98% of the time it's fine. It might be that I don't have the antenna quite far enough away from the Zumo itself.

 

Best regards!

 

Jim

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I'm on my third GPS for motorcycle use in the last ten years. I started with a 276C, then a Montana and now a BMW Navigator V. Budget aside for the moment, I tend to use the same rule for any sort of consumer electronics, and that's buy the latest (since it'll be out of date soon enough).

 

I'm quite happy with my Nav V (and I never thought I'd buy a BMW-branded GPS). I bought the Nav because, at the time, it was not based on a similar Garmin unit, like previous Navigators were, and it had the features I liked. I think the closest Garmin-branded unit now would be the Zumo 590.

 

A good online source for GPS reviews is WebBikeWorld. I also use the Navigation sub-forum at ADVRider for useful advice.

 

Again, much depends on what you're willing to spend and how you intend to use new GPS.

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I'm still using my TomTom 340XL I bought before the bike. Works great. I have no need for additional features, just a map, thanks.

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Another Nüvi fan here. I'm a cheap bastard. $110 on Amazon for the Garmin Nüvi 52LM. Bright, fast, cheap, not waterproof.

 

nuvi52lm.JPG

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Stan Walker

I'm a cheap bastard. $110 on Amazon for the Garmin Nüvi 52LM. Bright, fast, cheap, not waterproof.

 

Cheap is good. Waterproof is better!

 

The time I most appreciated my GPS: I was riding on some 2 lane back road in a desolate part of Arizona that I had never been on before. It was nighttime, raining cats and dogs, and I was getting low on gas.

 

I couldn't have read a street sign to save my life, and there weren't any to read anyway. There was this warm comforting image on my WATERPROOF Garmin 276C telling me I was on the correct road and that gas was not too far away. That was worth more than a few dollars in the bank!

 

Of course, if you only ride interstates during the day and only if the weather is good.... Cheap will trump waterproof.....

 

:)

 

Stan

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I'm curious as to how anyone can see the screen on a Nuvi on a bike. I had a Nuvi for the car at one point. It was very thin and could easily slip into my pocket. But, when I tried to use it outside my car (on foot), the screen was virtually unreadable in sunlight.

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276C to Zumo 550 to ??? <--- That has been my GPS journey. I have access to a crappy Nuvi that won't take routes, but it's not waterproof, and being in Florida I ride in rain. Like a lot.

 

I hate Garmin. They dominate like Apple, they get my money, and when their stuff breaks they no longer service it. Then I buy another one. Hate them I do.

 

Tried my iPhone6+, and it overheated in the sun and shut down in a minute. Good thing, as it is not waterproof and the first rain would've killed it, protective case or not.

 

I think I'm going to minimize my expense and go with the GPSMAP 78. It's a marine unit (like the 276 was) which should work fine on the road. I don't need anything other than something telling me where to turn on the route I planned, because hopefully I am riding somewhere strange. I like strange. No music, no weather, don't need no stinking blueteeth.

 

The screen's fairly small, but in vertical orientation should give me enough warning that I'm about to be lost. It is supposed to be bright though with the tafle, er transfarlke, uh, TFT display, and work when the others crap out in the canyons, which will be great in Florida. $169.95 with actual buttons. I like buttons - they work great with gloves on until they break like my Zumo did. That's why the $169.95. Runs off of AA batteries for a whole day, and/or will use the bike's power with a secure plug. Those crazy offroading Advriders seem to love it and get all geeky over it.

 

If you have one and hate it, speak up please.

 

Garmin-GPSMAP-78.jpg

 

 

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276C to Zumo 550 to ??? <--- That has been my GPS journey. I have access to a crappy Nuvi that won't take routes, but it's not waterproof, and being in Florida I ride in rain. Like a lot.

 

I hate Garmin. They dominate like Apple, they get my money, and when their stuff breaks they no longer service it. Then I buy another one. Hate them I do.

 

Tried my iPhone6+, and it overheated in the sun and shut down in a minute. Good thing, as it is not waterproof and the first rain would've killed it, protective case or not.

 

I think I'm going to minimize my expense and go with the GPSMAP 78. It's a marine unit (like the 276 was) which should work fine on the road. I don't need anything other than something telling me where to turn on the route I planned, because hopefully I am riding somewhere strange. I like strange. No music, no weather, don't need no stinking blueteeth.

 

The screen's fairly small, but in vertical orientation should give me enough warning that I'm about to be lost. It is supposed to be bright though with the tafle, er transfarlke, uh, TFT display, and work when the others crap out in the canyons, which will be great in Florida. $169.95 with actual buttons. I like buttons - they work great with gloves on until they break like my Zumo did. That's why the $169.95. Runs off of AA batteries for a whole day, and/or will use the bike's power with a secure plug. Those crazy offroading Advriders seem to love it and get all geeky over it.

 

If you have one and hate it, speak up please.

 

Garmin-GPSMAP-78.jpg

 

Not a GPSMAP-78, but I use a 60Csx, or just starting to use it on my bike. Have used it for about five years on a sled and now deciced to try it on motorcycles, so far so good, can hear the beeps ( no voice ) at all speeds except above about 70 on the 00RT.

Waterproof and many say multipul drop proof, re-calculates fast and works with all gloves except heavy winter gloves.

Washes out in bright sun.

I'm with you on the phone, music and green teeth.

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I think I am beginning to sound boring - a Garmin Quest with free OSM mapping will give you two days touring on an overnight charge - no wires, interference or hassle. What is not to like about it? Maybe it's too cheap at $60?

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