Gps

[sweptwingnut]

For those that are using GPS around here, share with us your thoughts and opinions based on your experience thus far with GPS.

Have you found any pitfalls? How did you address them? How often has it led you astray? Tips and Techniques? Have you tried using your GPS as double duty in the car and on the bike?

:ears:

This poll will be made public and displays all users who voted, and what choice they selected.

[Diamond Lil]

I have been blessed with a good sense of direction and have been reading maps since a kid. GPS seems terribly redundant. Ours sits in the console between the seats. I find if it is up and on, I turn it off. I just do not like it.

Based upon that experience I've been hesitant to put it on the bike. A compass? Oh yes!

[Luna Tique]

:chin:When you are in the middle of Nowhere USA tried & hungry after dark.
It is really nice to be able to bring up the closest Motor Lodge and get there quickly.
Same goes for gas Stations.:thumbup:

It doesn't think I do :shrug: so in general we do not allow it the freedom to set our course for the entire day.I have a spidey sense for direction.:wootrock:

Instead I carry a paper map ( Which I recommend highly ) and we set "Waypoints" That way we can keep on the roads we like to travel on vs the ones the GPS wants us to take.:kcd: (We try never to use interstate highways.)

We have had it want us to do a U-turn and them a few minutes later do another one. I feel like a rat in an experiment when that happens.:hiding:

I have planned a trip and loaded it in instead of riding parallel to one it always wants me to get on it. :mgbanghead:
:slaphead:I think a GPS thinks you are in always in a hurry to get somewhere. It doesn't understand the :zen: of :kcd: :lol:

So my answer is Yes I would not travel with out it nor would I ever travel without a paper map.

Could I live without it :chin:Probably but why would I want to it sure has its advantages.:thumbup:

Does it try and mess with your head from time to time in a word YES :lol:

and I would pick
Hate it ( when it's direction requests doesn't make any sense)
Like it but I don't need it (most of the time)
Can't live without it ( when I am tired and hungry or low on gas)

So I guess my answer is really ALL OF THE ABOVE

:redface1: sorry Nut...

[sweptwingnut]

:chin:When you are in the middle of Nowhere USA tried & hungry after dark.
It is really nice to be able to bring up the closest Motor Lodge and get there quickly.
Same goes for gas Stations.:thumbup:

Very good point.

I would pick
Hate it ( when it's direction requests doesn't make any sense)
Like it but I don't need it (most of the time)
Can't live without it ( when I am tired and hungry or low on gas)

So I guess my answer is really ALL OF THE ABOVE

:redface1: sorry Nut...

Classic! :lol:

[ridingAK]

I have never had a GPS, but want one. There are times when I am out riding and I see a forest service road that I would like to explore, but I am nervous about where it might go. With a GPS I would have more confidence about not getting lost and running out of gas if I get caught up in a maze of dirt roads. I have no problem using maps if I stay on a planned route. My problem is that I'll find something interesting and leave the area covered by the paper map, or get off on little roads that the paper map doesn't show. What I want from a GPS is something that shows ALL the roads.

[indianscout]

What little experiance I have had with them has been about the same as LT. As a result I have never felt I really needed on but can see where it would come in handy. I have always used paper map and thanks to Dakar now use a dry erasable marker to write directions on my gas tank. Yes, there is a margine of error but it adds to the adventure of the unknown.

http://indianscout.smugmug.com/photos/632365308_sgVKk-M.jpg

[KansasKawboy]

I'm like the guy on ADV, his sig line is " My GPS tells me where I am not where to go. " I get frustrated with mine there are 2 places on the way to my moms that it just freezes and I have to restart it to get it to work. I to carry paper maps, but like knowing where I am and how close the turn off I'm looking for is.

[Astir]

I have never had a GPS, but want one. There are times when I am out riding and I see a forest service road that I would like to explore, but I am nervous about where it might go. With a GPS I would have more confidence about not getting lost and running out of gas if I get caught up in a maze of dirt roads. I have no problem using maps if I stay on a planned route. My problem is that I'll find something interesting and leave the area covered by the paper map, or get off on little roads that the paper map doesn't show. What I want from a GPS is something that shows ALL the roads.

We know what rAK needs for Christmas! ;):

Do I have to vote? GPS is useful, and when we were in Slovenia invaluable. But I do like to get lost every once in a while, it is what keeps life exciting. :D:

[sweptwingnut]

We know what rAK needs for Christmas! ;):

Yep,,, A bigger map that shows ALL the roads! :D:

[indianscout]

Yep,,, A bigger map that shows ALL the roads! :D:




:lol:





:hiding:

[Astir]

Yep,,, A bigger map that shows ALL the roads! :D:

:smack:

[msyzf2u]

:chin:When you are in the middle of Nowhere USA tried & hungry after dark.
It is really nice to be able to bring up the closest Motor Lodge and get there quickly.
Same goes for gas Stations.:thumbup:

It doesn't think I do :shrug: so in general we do not allow it the freedom to set our course for the entire day.I have a spidey sense for direction.:wootrock:

Instead I carry a paper map ( Which I recommend highly ) and we set "Waypoints" That way we can keep on the roads we like to travel on vs the ones the GPS wants us to take.:kcd: (We try never to use interstate highways.)

We have had it want us to do a U-turn and them a few minutes later do another one. I feel like a rat in an experiment when that happens.:hiding:

I have planned a trip and loaded it in instead of riding parallel to one it always wants me to get on it. :mgbanghead:
:slaphead:I think a GPS thinks you are in always in a hurry to get somewhere. It doesn't understand the :zen: of :kcd: :lol:

So my answer is Yes I would not travel with out it nor would I ever would never travel without a paper map.

Could I live without it :chin:Probably but why would I want to it sure has its advantages.:thumbup:

Does it try and mess with your head from time to time in a word YES :lol:

and I would pick
Hate it ( when it's direction requests doesn't make any sense)
Like it but I don't need it (most of the time)
Can't live without it ( when I am tired and hungry or low on gas)

So I guess my answer is really ALL OF THE ABOVE

:redface1: sorry Nut...




LT EXACTLY nails it. :clapping:


Even with the GPS, you still want the (good) paper maps for the large overall picture.

:(: Some of the older GPS units were awful. Not intuitive, hard to learn and use. I could easily see how a person could get turned off of the whole concept,

:riding: I use a 550 Zumo, it goes from the bike to the car seamlessly. I'll often loan it out to family when they are traveling.

:worthy: Knowing one's exact coordinates is always useful. I've used this multiple times when relaying to police/ambulances exact location of accidents. (not mine, ones I've come upon)

:wootrock: My favorite feature is knowing, after a day of exploring, where I am and more importantly how to get back. Along with where services I want/need are, and how long it will take me to get there.

:redface1: GPS is not perfect. It won't know that the closest gas station is defunct. And those silly U turns it may want you to make occasionally - I think it is testing you when it does that.. lol.


:zen: All in all, I love the Zumo.



:thumbsup:

[Lion_Lady]

There needs to be one more option: "VERY useful, but not VITAL"

I use my GPS as another tool in my "tool kit" - it is great for getting a pretty accurate idea of how long it will take to get to a destination. Then I can call home and tell hubby, "According Mrs Peal says I'll be home at around 4:30."

On our Colorado adventure dodging those bad thunderstorms, I used the GPS to get zip codes of en route towns that I plugged in to the accuweather app on my cell phone to get the latest radar picture.

With updated maps (they say it is smart to upgrade the map set every 2 years at the least) it can quickly find food/gas/bathrooms on the fly and route you there - the BP you found may have a different brand name sign, but generally a gas station remains a gas station...

P

[Lion_Lady]

For those that are using GPS around here, share with us your thoughts and opinions based on your experience thus far with GPS.

Have you found any pitfalls? How often has it led you astray?

Well, that depends...

"Fastest Route" = road speed. "Shortest Route" = just that, shortest by miles.

At one point on our way to Keystone, I asked Mrs Peal for fastest route - which turned out to be almost 130 miles greater distance. When I then asked for shortest route, the time difference between fastest and shortest was only about 10 minutes. Now that is the most extreme disparity between time to destination and miles to destination that I've experienced.

You've got to weigh which is more important, time or distance when choosing how to route.

The long view on the screen (I've got a Garmin 276C) for a route doesn't have enough resolution to show the little roads in between. And when I zoom in to see those, sometimes the route takes little jogs in the "wrong" direction. On more than one occasion - times when I did not have a paper map with me - I've assumed that Mrs Peal was leading me on a merry 'fastest route' chase and disregarded her instructions... and found my self off in Outer Slovenia rather than closer to my destination.

How did you address them? Tips and Techniques? Have you tried using your GPS as double duty in the car and on the bike?

In the future, especially on multi-state trips, I'll make sure I've got PAPER maps with me so I can get a better idea of the long view of the route and eon't "argue" with Mrs Peal about best path.

When I first got the GPS (it came with a "car kit") we used it in the car for a family road trip vacation. That way I became familiar with what it did/how it worked, while riding shotgun in the car rather than while trying to pilot my motorcycle. We regularly use it for car trips as well as on the bikes.

P

[RASZ]

I love my garmin. It use to take me hours to find my way home:): Now, if I really need to get home quick, it takes me right there. It wasn't like this when I lived in Colorado Springs. I would just look for the mountains and know which way was west.

[kari-star]

I don't have a GPS and used to make a big stink about people not remembering how to use maps or plan ahead... but since getting an iPhone I have often found myself pulling it out to double check location or how to get home. I can find gas and hotels with the iPhone too - but service is quite limited in remote places where you need it most.

we may get a GPS for longer touring at some point but for our short jaunts our paper maps, google directions in the tank bag, the iPhone if necessary, and leaving a little extra time for getting lost has been working out well!

[LiLiBug]

So my answer is Yes I would not travel with out it nor would I ever travel without a paper map.

Could I live without it :chin:Probably but why would I want to it sure has its advantages.:thumbup:

Does it try and mess with your head from time to time in a word YES :lol:

and I would pick
Hate it ( when it's direction requests doesn't make any sense)
Like it but I don't need it (most of the time)
Can't live without it ( when I am tired and hungry or low on gas)

So I guess my answer is really ALL OF THE ABOVE

:redface1: sorry Nut...

:rofl: A woman after my own heart:

Yep,,, A bigger map that shows ALL the roads! :D:


Too funny!!!!:rofl:

I am so excited about this thread as I am :drool: for a Zumo 660 and was not blessed with good navigation skills!

[tarzan77]

I recently purchased a Garmin 2720 from Ebay and prior to that just did paper maps and index cards in my map pouch on my tankbag. I still always have a paper map in my map pouch but have found that the GPS allows me to explore secondary roads and places that I wouldn't have with just paper maps. So, I guess I could live without one, but I'm really enjoying mine now that I have it!! That being said, I have a love affair with maps and atlases - I think AAA hates me, I keep ordering new free maps :):

[Luna Tique]

Your going to really like the Garmin 2720. That is the one we have Tarzan77. It is fairly easy to use :thumbup:

[tarzan77]

Your going to really like the Garmin 2720. That is the one we have Tarzan77. It is fairly easy to use :thumbup:

I'm really liking it so far and I'm getting the hang of it. The only thing I don't like is the Road Trip routing software, I'm on a Mac and it seems really slow and cumbersome (hangs up sometimes) to make routes other than just on expressways and seems like you have make a billion waypoints...could just be my lack of experience with the program though.

[ridingAK]

I love you Nut! :lol:

Truth be told, I recently got a new cell phone that has a GPS function available for it, I just haven't turned it on yet.

[Calif Girl]

I love my Garmin for work use and for finding places near the roads I am on. It has helped finding auto parts stores and other unplanned, necessary places I have needed to go,

I would not normally choose to blindly follow the GPS , I prefer to map out my trip and use the GPS as an added benefit.

OOPS forgot to add I transfer my GPS from my bike to the cars.

[kari-star]

What little experiance I have had with them has been about the same as LT. As a result I have never felt I really needed on but can see where it would come in handy. I have always used paper map and thanks to Dakar now use a dry erasable marker to write directions on my gas tank. Yes, there is a margine of error but it adds to the adventure of the unknown.

http://indianscout.smugmug.com/photos/632365308_sgVKk-M.jpg

by the way - this is awesome.

[KCDakar]

Well, were to start...:chin:

I have had about 7 or 8 GPSs to date. (I am hard on them. :devilsmile:)
I started with a Garmin 2610 and my newest one is a Garmin Marine 478 Chartplotter.
We also have a 750 Garmin somethingorather in the SO's car.
I take mine from car to bike as needed.

I like the 478 as it is a very tecnical GPS. It can get both XM and WX. The weather is much different than what you get on the Zumo. I can (but don't have) get WX Doppler radar in real time and get a very detailed weather out lay for the day. The Zumo is a fraction of what I get and the detail on the screen is very poor (inmo) compared to the 478. I can change all the pages and set them up for how I want them to run. If I am routing I have 4 options on how the page can look along with about 30 different bits of info I can program to be on the page. Time, speed, altitude, voltage, ect,,, I am a bit of a snob when it comes to my GPS. I like my info!

I do not have it set up to run audio in my helmet so do not have a use for XM radio. I would like the WX though but don't want to spend the $. I don't like music when I ride and I don't like a voice to tell me to turn or that it is rerouting. I like to keep on my OWN toes and pay attention to my next turn thank you very much.:D:

That said, I also carry maps. I have had every GPS I have ever owned go out on me or stop working right. I always carry a back up. :thumbup: They are after all an electronic gizmo that works on magic and the smoke can leak from them at any time! :D: And remember I am VERY hard on them. :D: I have many friends that have GPSs that are old and they run just fine. I was told by my friends at Garmin I am an exception...:angel:

I have a grease pencil and write down info on my tank bag and or my windshield like IS did with the dryerase. And I take time to look and see where the GPS is routing me. Remember it is only a small confuzer inside and can only do so much. Does it lead me astray? You bet! But that is why I use common cense and keep an eye out for things that don't seem right or feel right. Has it led me off the beaten path? Yes it sure has. But I found something that I never would have found if I hadn't. :D: I also have no trouble stopping and using a map to back me up. :thumbup:

If I am running low on gas it can get me to a station. Low on food, to a restaurant. In need of a hospital, to the ER. A place to camp and on and on what it can do. BUT! It is only a tool in my bag of tricks I use to keep me on the road safely. Is there always a gas station open where it tells me? Nope not always. But my maps dont tell me anything about that. So why did I let myself get this close to the edge then... Whose fault is that? I guess I should have stopped before the light went on...:slaphead: And in this day and age when so many places are closing faster than they can keep up the software...well buyer beware... How different was it from before we had GPS's?

It does not and cannot replace YOU. If you depend on it to tell you everything you THINK it should the way YOU want/think it should it WILL let you down.



Nut you would like the 478...:devilsmile:

[sweptwingnut]

That is a very nice looking unit KCD. I see it is approx. the same price as a zumo 660 but has a 9 hour battery life vs. zumo's 5 hours. I like the feature for closest hospital, police, gas station. That is a plus on both units.

99.00 / month for xm weather :wtf: I think I will stick with looking out my visor and saying, "hey, looks like rain ahead."

[ridingAK]

Nut you would like the 478...:devilsmile:

Hey! Whose side are you on? :catfight: He says all I get is a bigger map and he gets the high tech GPS?
But then again with my habit of going off on my own, maybe he needs it to find me...:D:

[sweptwingnut]

But then again with my habit of going off on my own, maybe he needs it to find me...:D:

:lol: Let's see,,,geocaching for your misses. That could be fun.

[KCDakar]

99.00 / month for xm weather :wtf: I think I will stick with looking out my visor and saying, "hey, looks like rain ahead."

I think it is more like $29 a month. The $99 one is for Emergency use. It gives you EVERYTHING. We don't need that! Would be fun though. :devilsmile:

Link to the Fisherman WX. http://www.xmwxweather.com/marine/data-service-pricing.html

I just called a friend that has it and he said that is the best one for what we would be using it for.

I wish I had had it last year for my trip...:shrug:

[sweptwingnut]

29 is much more acceptable.

[1Koolemom]

Hello All,

I have a tomtom that I use in the suv when I travel to places not familiar with. I would love to ride with & see as I am riding vs stop & start every so many miles. But if you all have other ideas please let me know. I will try to use on next road trip on motorcycle. How are you all keeping the gps in view as in the suv I attach to windshield or on dash with suction cups? I do have a bag that I can put in between handlebars but it is not see through.

1koolemom

[tarzan77]

Hello All,

I have a tomtom that I use in the suv when I travel to places not familiar with. I would love to ride with & see as I am riding vs stop & start every so many miles. But if you all have other ideas please let me know. I will try to use on next road trip on motorcycle. How are you all keeping the gps in view as in the suv I attach to windshield or on dash with suction cups? I do have a bag that I can put in between handlebars but it is not see through.

1koolemom

Mine is hooked in under one of my stem bolts with one of these systems:

http://www.ram-mount.com/

There are a ton of different mounting options like around the handlebars and through the brake reservoir bolts. I'm really happy with my mounting system for my 2720!!

Stacey

[Luna Tique]

Well this is what JT came up with for the Wee

In the place under the seat where the tool bag is He added the Fuse Panel

http://lunatique.smugmug.com/photos/647924374_rgwSs-L.jpg (http://lunatique.smugmug.com/Motorcycles/gear/8217403_knBx5#647924374_rgwSs-A-LB)

Snaked the wires under the tank and to the fairing added a DC Plug for charging the extra batteries while riding. IE Camera & Radio

http://lunatique.smugmug.com/photos/647924346_6cHNm-L.jpg (http://lunatique.smugmug.com/Motorcycles/gear/8217403_knBx5#647924346_6cHNm-A-LB)

Installed a watertight grommet in his tank bag.


http://lunatique.smugmug.com/photos/647924323_Z4duK-L.jpg (http://lunatique.smugmug.com/Motorcycles/gear/8217403_knBx5#647924323_Z4duK-A-LB)

And for the Garmin He took a piece of Angled Aluminum ( available in any hardware store) and made a bracket to mount and lock the Garmin to.

http://lunatique.smugmug.com/photos/647924349_p89zZ-L.jpg (http://lunatique.smugmug.com/Motorcycles/gear/8217403_knBx5#647924349_p89zZ-A-LB)



http://lunatique.smugmug.com/photos/647924352_2WTPK-L.jpg (http://lunatique.smugmug.com/Motorcycles/gear/8217403_knBx5#647924352_2WTPK-A-LB)

JT is very clever and frugal :wootrock:

[indianscout]

Nice setup LT, tell JT he does nice work, very professional!



.

[Lion_Lady]

Nice setup! One word of caution: If the Garmin mount is the standard plastic "C" clip one. Beware. A good hard bump/pothole may bounce the GPS right onto pavement. That's how a friend lost his GPS.

P

[Luna Tique]

Nice setup! One word of caution: If the Garmin mount is the standard plastic "C" clip one. Beware. A good hard bump/pothole may bounce the GPS right onto pavement. That's how a friend lost his GPS.

P
I am not sure if this ours is the type of mount you are referring to L_L but JT always locks it in place. He keeps the key for it right on his keychain.

[1Koolemom]

LunaTique,

that setup is very kool that JT created for you. I can't do anything like that for my Hyosung so, I will check out website for RAM mounting holders for my tomtom & see what I can come get.

Thanks for pics
1Koolemom

[KCDakar]

LunaTique,

that setup is very kool that JT created for you. I can't do anything like that for my Hyosung so, I will check out website for RAM mounting holders for my tomtom & see what I can come get.

Thanks for pics
1Koolemom

Is the TomTom made for motorcycles or outdoor use? It needs to be waterproof to be on a bike. :ears:

[bmwgrrl]

I have an Oregon - Generally have an idea when I set off, but have a bit of an issue :cool: with meandering. And sometimes I meander WAY off course, and need to book it to my point (maybe that's my real issue - I have a point, just don't know what/where:lol: it is)

Paper maps are great. Love pouring over them, plotting my next adventure. Just something about having a map in your hands...but then, playing with Garmin Road Trip at work is fun too...

[Firefly]

I have a Garmin Zumo 450. I use it pretty much all the time "just in case" I decide to explore. I love how I can explore to my heart's content and then hit the "Home" button and it shows me the way home. It's also nice for marking cool places that I want to return to in the future. I do load routes up quite often especially when I want to include some nice twisties or cool places to see along the way. I LOVE my GPS!