Which Garmin?

[Guest]

I'm thinking about getting a new GPS to use in my truck and on the bike. Garmin doesn't have much info about the Nuvi on their website since they're now promoting the 'Drive' series. I'm curious which units are good for creating custom routes directly on the device - it seems like this feature is limited on some devices.

Any recommendations?

[bonanzadave]

There are a ton of those things on CL. A quick search shows the 52LM (lifetime maps?) is a good bang for your buck.

There are deals to be found. https://minneapolis.craigslist.org/h...741688440.html

How much is a subscription ?

[Wallowgreen]

Likely you already know some of this stuff but here's what I've learnt along the way with the 55LM I use for exactly the same purpose....

The contrast of the newer displays is pathetic. Not sure if that's due to the poor choice of color schemes available or the technology of the display itself. Either way the slightest amount of incident sunlight and you can't see a damn thing.

I have power permanently plumbed into the bike as prior experience told me the fewer connections the better. Even so the mini usb connector is a source of problems. The connections need to be solid otherwise the Garmin will continually moan about loss of power and warn you it's going to switch off. That only seemed to happen when being used on the bike. I found regular application of dielectric grease into the usb plug to be the solution for that. You also need to use a usb cable made to power a garmin they have a sense resistor built into the plug so a standard computer usb cable will not work.

The trip application is a must to force the route you want to follow within the constraints of the "smartness" of the routing software. Usually riding a bike means you really don't want to follow the most direct or shortest route. What you don't get (at least I haven't found a good way to do it) is tell it you want to follow road xxx until it meets road yyy then follow that to road zzz. Yeah you can do it with intersections but still not that easy.

Trying to plan in tandem with google maps is also tedious because road names are different between the two. Very useful!

[Steve]

I use a Nuvi 1490 LMT. I use it every day in my van. Not so much for navigation, but for the tracks (cookie crumbs) it puts out. At the end of the week, I upload all the tracks to my laptop, separate out "commuting", "work" and "personal" miles, then enter those values into a spreadsheet to be used for income tax purposes. It sounds like a bit of work, but it saves the hassle of trying to remember to note the odometer reading on a notepad every time I fire up the vehicle. I just drive and sort it out later.

The Nuvi is not perfect for motorcycle use. It is not waterproof. The only waterproof ones that I know of are the Zumo series, but they cost as much as a house payment. The Nuvi has no provision for an external speaker or even for sending the audio to a Bluetooth device that you can have connected to speakers in your helmet. The speaker does have a volume control, but on the loudest setting, where it's needs to be in order to be heard, it blasts everybody around you as you slow down in town and don't need it so loud.

My last unit (same model) had the "loss of power" issues that Wallowgreen mentioned, but it was a bad connector, it was happening with the power cord in my van, too. The replacement unit is doing fine. Yes, you do need an official Garmin power cord. If you plug in to a USB power port, it thinks you are connected to a computer and goes into data mode, not navigation mode.

I do NOT plan routes on the device, it is WAY too cumbersome. I use Garmin's older software, Map Source. It has basically been replaced by Base Camp, but I have not played with Base Camp enough to get comfortable with it. I have heard that some of the latest generation Zumo units are having problems interfacing with Base Camp. Garmin's (temporary?) solution is to use Map Source.

I find it rather easy to keep the GPS unit free of clutter, with minimal waypoints (not much more than I need for the immediate situation), minimal routes and cleared of old tracks. It is a useful tool, but should not be relied on as absolute truth for routing. There are simply too many stories of people blindly following the suggested route and getting stuck on a boat ramp (that used to be a road, before they built the dam that flooded the valley) or turning into the woods on a single-track lane. I tend to consult mine when stopped, but it's a bit more handy than using a paper map, which I would have to dig out of the trunk or a tank bag. Paper maps also will not tell you where the nearest gas station is or where the nearest food is.

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[robertbarr]

For the bikes, I use the Garmin 2720. It's truly a dinosaur of a GPS, but I have them (I have two) updated to 2016 maps, and they're designed for bikes & weather exposure. They've been through deluges without a glitch, and they don't exhibit that 'power loss / reboot' problem of car oriented units. Nice big buttons that can be operated with gloves.

They're big, and they look like a bad sci-fi prop, like they belong on the control panel of the Jupiter II (Lost in Space, maybe), but with a sunshade, the contrast is usable even in bright sun.

As for route planning, I use a connect - the - dots scheme using Google Maps, mainly by entering coordinates. Often enough, I just number the turns and start a new 'destination' each time. Sounds cumbersome, but it's simple. I've tried uploading routes, with very limited success; perhaps I don't have patience for another learning curve.

You can find these for a song on eBay. It'll take a sturdy mount (I use a Ram) because of its weight.

[Steve]

For the bikes, I use the Garmin 2720. It's truly a dinosaur of a GPS, ...

I had its little brother, the 2610. Nice unit, but the fluorescent lighting for the display's backlight kept failing. After going through three units, I decided to upgrade to a newer unit and got my Nuvi 1490.

Robert, the 2620 works well with Map Source. It's not all that hard to learn.

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[Ray916MN]

No unit works well for developing custom routes on the unit. "Forcing" a specific route takes being able to the look at the route and then either place a way-point in the route or drag the route over to the road you want it to run on. The GPS touch screens are too small to make it easy to type to add way-points or to see enough detail to drag a route to where you want it to run.

A GPS which works well for a car/truck and motorcycle depends on your requirements. The Garmin Zumo motorcycle specific line, are the best units for motorcycles in my experience. They are built to be used with gloved hands and are waterproof. The power connector for the unit is rugged, waterproof and will not break with repeated use and heavy vibration. They are okay in a car, but not as nice as a car unit, because they don't support things like voice commands and the menu systems are more multilayered, since you can not touch a screen with a gloved hand as precisely as you can a bare finger. Garmin recently discontinued their former top of the line motorcycle GPS, Zumo 660 and they are still available for a little more than $300 with lifetime maps. For off road ADV/Dual sport riding most people use Garmin Montana line GPS unit. They have a simpler interface which works very well when riding on trails since there is no road map to reference.

For car units, I have a variety of units and find they all do a good job of routing to an address. When I want to run a preplanned route I just mount my Zumo 660 in my car. I've tried using car units on my motorcycle and found it to be a royal PITA. I do allot of riding off pre-planned routes (eg. did a 7 day VT and Nova Scotia trip last month and just did an 800 mile overnight trip this weekend) and have found that when you need your GPS to hit the best roads in an unfamiliar area have something that works with the least amount of hassle is priceless.

For route planning, I've used Mapsource, Basecamp, Delorme (discontinued) and Microsoft Streets & Trips (discontinued). Even after years and years of using Mapsource and Basecamp, I hate them and only use them to load routes or touch up routes that I get from other riders. Microsoft Streets and Trips is much easier to use, and much more intuitive. It can export files in GPX format so they can be used on other GPS units, although the files have to have some default content removed to be opened and edited by Mapsource or Basecamp. It is also much easier to use to create routes sheets so riders without a GPS can ride a pre-planned route. The last version MS Streets and Trip 2013 can still be purchased and works on Windows 10 as well as prior Windows versions.

[76_Mike_82]

I have the zumo 590 and I really don't think it's worth the money they are asking for it. I dont have another solution but don't spend the extra getting the zumo, at least not the zumo 590.

[Steve]

For route planning, I've used Mapsource, Basecamp, Delorme (discontinued) and Microsoft Streets & Trips (discontinued). Even after years and years of using Mapsource and Basecamp, I hate them and only use them to load routes or touch up routes that I get from other riders. Microsoft Streets and Trips is much easier to use, and much more intuitive. It can export files in GPX format so they can be used on other GPS units, ...

I use Streets and Trips all the time, I find it much easier to use, as well, but I never thought of exporting a file in GPX format. Will have to try that.

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[Joe Garfield]

Do we know which models started having the worse display? They really made too many models, it's confusing as _____ .

[Joe Garfield]

I found some useful information for anyone else looking to get a newer Garmin GPS. It's a little too much information to post here (I think), but they are really informative reviews and comparisons by a guy who's used and compared a lot of Garmin models.

2013 Models: 2x57, 2x77, 2x97
2014/2015 models: 2x39, 2x59, 2x89, 2x99
2016 models: Drive, DriveSmart, DriveAssist, DriveLuxe

The newer models have glass screens which can create a lot of glare. A work-around is to use an anti-glare screen protector. The features are all basically the same between 2013 and 2016, although the 2016 models have some extra 'fufu' features that don't directly help with navigation (note that the features vary from low to high within each model year, as denoted by the third numeral in the model number.) The 2013 supposedly had some 'bugs' which were fixed in the 2014/2015 models.

Information regarding the 2014/2015 models:

https://www.amazon.com/review/R3Q0P8VQ51O8VS/ref=cm_cr_rdp_perm

Information regarding the 2016 models:

https://www.amazon.com/review/R2LLHZMRO6MHEP/ref=cm_cr_rdp_perm

Note that there are comments regarding the new displays in the 'comments' section for the 2016 models.

[gbw]

I gotta tell ya, I don't know why anyone would buy a stand alone GPS these days. My Galaxy S6 works great as a GPS. I can plan my routes off line using https://ridewithgps.com, load them into OSMAND+ on the phone, and away I go. I do miss the Galaxy S5 because it is waterproof, but I'll just wrap the S6 in a baggie. Have it mounted to my handlebars with a ram mount.

I'm sure folks with iPhones can have similar experiences.

Plus, I can listen to music from my phone or stream Pandora and/or take/receive calls as necessary (when safe). I do love having the phone paired to the Sena SMH10 for all this too.

The one downside is that's hard to use with a gloved hand. I'm trying to figure out what to do about that, but for now I'll stop and pull off a glove.

[Wingsconsin]

I have a Zumo 550 -- ancient technology by computing standards,
But it is really bike specific - I own 2 cradles (one on each bike) and I use any of the 3 other GPS devices I have for my car.

I also have a 2720 with the motorcycle mounts and car mounts laying in a basket -- I should sell it I suppose...It works fine but the Zumo Bluetooth connects to
my phone , and has an SD card that holds music for me to play into my helmet via a simple mini-plug .

The PalmDR (http://www.palmdr.com/) has refurbished my 550 and updated to 2016 maps so I am ready to go anywhere.

I am also using Google Maps a lot more in my car - the navigation is good, traffic updates is nice, and the data isn't so bad anymore with todays massive phone plans.

My Buddy has a ZUMO 665 (I thnk?) that has weather radar -- that has saved us a few times from getting into big storms - you can sometimes route around them when on a big ride ...

[Joe Garfield]

I think it's probably just personal preference. My phones have had the tendency to get hot when used as GPS (two Galaxy S4's). This is with the screen at 50% brightness, wireless and bluetooth off, etc. The GPS function on Android phones is better than that on my TomTom (XL50?), but if I'm using my 'phone' to play music, I find the way the sound gets interrupted to be really annoying. Then of course, if I want to make a phone call while all this is happening...

I prefer stand-alone devices. I'd rather wear a watch than pull my phone out, and I'd rather have a GPS mounted in my truck that does one thing and does it well.

I do appreciate that others like the 'one device does all' functionality, it's just not my preference.

[Jethro]

I gotta tell ya, I don't know why anyone would buy a stand alone GPS these days. My Galaxy S6 works great as a GPS.

I used to think that as well, but I learned there are some huge advantages to having a dedicated GPS. I use a Garmin Montana, but I'm using it off-road a lot. But there are some features of the dedicated GPS's that are big advantage. The biggest to me is a powered, ruggedized mount. See, I used my Motorola Razor as a GPS for a long time, but if you want to keep the screen on all the time, backlit and everything so you can read it while moving, you really need to have it hardwired, which I did, but the little micro USB plug wore out eventually from the vibration. You've basically got a big heavy cord wiggling all around in your phone. Now when a USB plug wears out on a $600 smart phone, it becomes a real expensive problem because there is no other option of getting it fixed. I had insurance on the phone but that is expensive in it's own right and you get a refurbished piece of sh!t phone back. That experiment cost me a lot of money. Most dedicated GPS units you can get a rugged mount that is designed for vibration with very good electrical contacts. Also, you can have Garmin or whoever fix it- good luck with a smartphone. The only thing they fix on a smartphone are the screens so you get a refurbished, used phone that someone smashed the screen on and was replaced. There are a lot of features that are better on the dedicated units, but like I said I use it more for the back country so that may not apply.