| Author | Message | ||
     Bertotti |
I opted for a hand held Garmin 76csx. Does anyone use anything similar? I didn't need it talking to me, nor do I need blue tooth. I figure if your riding why tether yourself to phones. I use a ipod if I want music. Am I looking at problems with it on a bike? | ||
| Miamiuly |
I have a couple options but one is a handheld etex vista cx and I've had no problems yet. Simple barclamp ( garmin bicycle kit.) Some people seem to complain about batteries vibrating in handhelds causing the unit to turn off but I've had no problems yet, and I've run it on my mountain bike on trails as well. Larger screens are nice as are some extras, but when I just want the simplest option, etrex works fine. I'll probably get a zumo eventually but I have an ique 3600 and a M3 to kill 1st. Not to mention my first mapping gps and etrex venture with only 8mb on board memory that I've been meaning to ebay. GPS is one of the greatest things IMO. Just having it in a bag as an option to allow you to get lost and find yourself when you want to makes them worth while. (Message edited by miamiuly on August 28, 2007) | ||
| Bertotti |
I run a mac so i am looking at GPSpro now to get me connected but so far I am excited about it. I will still have a good old fashioned compass along though. I guess it is the old jarhead in me. Now i have to google the bar clamp. Thanks Miamiuly | ||
| Jameslaugesen |
I've been using a Garmin eTrex Legend for a couple of years, love it. I do have issues with the batteries vibrating loose. I imagine some foam or something in the battery compartment could fix that, but I run it from the bike's power anyway. Very practical gps IMO; water proof, tough, light weight, low power usage, and reasonably cheap. Can be a bit fiddling to use while riding... but that's illegal anyway.  | ||
| Jameslaugesen |
Oh, I use the bar clamp Miam mentioned too. GPS has never come free, even on very bumpy stuff on a mountain bike. It's only a simple clip though, no security features like the fancy touratech mounts. | ||
| Jackbequick |
Bertotti, I was using a 76Cx (same as yours, no barometer or compass) on my Dyna for a while. I have a RAM mount that makes for a really good and solid mount. And both the GPS receiver and the mount are quickly removable for security/anti theft. I changed the shown connecting arm to a shorter one and it made the mounting lower and more compact. I also added an external power cable and wired it into the bike so I could run it at full screen brightness all the time. I've since gone to a StreetPilot 2610 but all that required was a different cradle, all the other mount parts are still used. Jack | ||
| Miamiuly |
This should be the mount, gpsmap76csx https://buy.garmin.com/shop/shop.do?pID=805 or go to this link and click accessories to be sure that I chose the correct gps because the battery cover is part of the kit so it must be the right one to fit. https://buy.garmin.com/shop/shop.do?cID=145&pID=35 1 | ||
| Gotj |
Jack, Do you use the audio prompts? If so, what do you use? I've tried ear buds but they don't stay in place well when I put on my helmet. I'm thinking of helmet speakers. If this hijack gets out of hand, I'll start another thread. George | ||
| Bertotti |
Any questions work for me I learning from it all. Hijack away it's all good.  I wound up ordering the ram mount form touratech. Not there 100+ dollar job but the ram job. Looks a bit more bulky then the Garmin one but I thought the ram arm would let me play with positioning better. For you mac people out there here is a link to mac gpspro http://www.macgpspro.com/index.html (Message edited by Bertotti on August 29, 2007) | ||
| Bertotti |
Now that I have had it a few days I can honestly say there are other farkles I should of done first. I have no real use for it. Nothing I can't do with a map and a compass at a fraction of the cost. Don't get me wrong it is a fun little gizmo but I think I could of made better use of my money. Problem is i want to return it and i want to keep it, I do like it, it is convenient. | ||
| Adamd |
I have a 60cx with the ram mount and power cable. I love it. The etrex doesn't have the sirfIII chipset, but is otherwise the same as the 76cx and 60cx. Let me know if you need any maps... I have a few "backups" | ||
| Firemanjim |
I am looking at getting a GPS for dual sporting on my DR-650 and was wanting input on what unit you guys are recommending. Have NO knowledge of GPS use at all. Heading out end of month with Bob G, Snail, Reg and co. Ease of use for a noob paramount.TIA. | ||
| Bertotti |
If you have a pc the 76 csx I just returned was one nice unit. Water proof, floats, compass so you don't need to be moving for it to work. I returned it but I did like it. I just couldn't justify 500 dollars for a toy when there are other Uly farkles calling me. I have a laptop gps setup for mac that ran me 200 dollars and works just fine for my uses. I still prefer a good printed map over an electronic one. | ||
| Froggy |
I once tried a paper map when i got lost, and i never till this day figured out where i was. My GPS has never put me in that situation. | ||
| Jackbequick |
George, I have a DC outlet in my Cortech Mini-Mag tank bag and the combo DC plug/speaker that comes with the 2610 lays in there. If I turn the volume full up I can hear that speaker with my helmet on (as can anyone near me). But it is not loud enough or clear enough to use it at highway speeds. There is no where on the 2610 to plug in a set of ear buds. I'm sure you could add a jack or make up an adapter to get the audio to a set of ear buds though. I really don't need the GPS audio prompts on the bike, I glance at the GPS regularly and find the visual pop ups and stuff are all I really want or need. If I was using an Autocomm or something with multiple audio inputs, I might wire the GPS into it. I tried helmet speakers and they did not work for me, not loud enough at curising speeds. Then I got some Shure e2c ear buds and they worked but would not stay in my ears very well. I found some extended and flanged tips for the e2c's and those worked well. They block most of the external noises and get down into my ear canals enough that I can hear them well. My audiologist says I have deep and narrow ear canals. With the Shures in I can listen to my mp3 player/FM radio easily. I set a comfortable listening level at stop and external noises are sealed out well enough that I can still hear okay at speed with further adjustment. The price I pay for that is that I lose nearly all external audio inputs. I don't think it is possible to both hear external noises well and listen to entertainment audio. It is one or the other. Jack | ||
| Gotj |
Jack, I have the Garmin motorcycle mount for my 2610. It includes the hardwire kit and a port for a jack. I have tried an ear bud but it didn't stay in well. I want to switch to a single speaker for the prompts. I don't listen to music or radio while on the bike so all I need is the single speaker. Thus, I expect to get external audio inputs. | ||
| Jackbequick |
Firemanjim, If you want a tough, waterproof, handheld that will work both on the bike and off (two AA cells will last all day off the bike), look at the Garmin 60Cx, 60CSx, 76Cx, or 76CSx. The "CSx" models have a built in compass and altimeter and would probably be preferred by anyone that mountain climbs, sky dives, or flies airplanes. Otherwise save $50 and buy the Cx model. Those will give you a compass like GPS heading as long as you are moving at a slow walking pace or faster and a GPS elevation which is not quite as accurate as the barometer but good enough for most ordinary purposes. The 60 and 76 have the same hardware and software, they differ in the shape of the cases, button locations, and some other minor physical details. I happen to prefer the more rectangular shape of the 76 over the 60. The 60/76 Cx/CSx have a smallish display so they are not that good for riding along and glancing at the display to get a good visual picture of your location and surroundings. But when you have a route activated on them, they zoom in on the details and also have some oversized pop-up icons and "turn now" indicators that are easy to see and understand. When you look at them in the store you'd think the display id too small to work well but that is not the case. You really need to see one in action to appreciate how well them work. I could go on and on about the differences but I think I can objectively say that those Garmin handhelds are the most versatile GPS receivers for going anywhere and doing anything. They have all the navigation features needed. They are not the best on bikes and cars for visibility and ease of use in motion but they will do well enough there. The popular (i.e., cheap) automount units like the nuvis and "i" and "c" series StreetPilots are easier to see but they are relatively stupid as far as navigation features and versatility with other mapping. And they are also not waterproof or very much ruggedized. But be warned, 9 out of 10 bikers will not be happy with the lack of control you have over routing with these. For rugged, waterproof, all the navigation features, and flexibility in mapping, look to the zumo, Quest II, and StreetPilot 2820 in the current models. I'm using a discontinued StreetPilot 2610 on my Dyna. It is rugged, waterproof, and is probably the model that has been used on more motorcycles than any other. They are available refurbished for around $300 or less on the internet and on eBay. Jack | ||
| Gotj |
Let me add to the 2610 info base. I went the refurbished 2610 route but got it with the v7 of MapSource (being ignorant at the time). Some of the 2610s on ebay now come with v8. I paid another $100 for v8 so beware of the version of MapSource supplied with the unit. I also added a 2 gig memory card so I could load the maps of the whole US in the unit. Standard is 128 meg. Also, buy the Garmin motorcycle mount kit. As I mentioned above, it includes a port for ear buds/helmet speakers. You can then hardwire the unit so it does not turn off when you stop if you wish. But it does not include the RAM mount. That's another $40 or so. For what I ended up paying for all of the pieces and parts, I think the Zumo 450 would have been a better value. | ||
| Jackbequick |
George is right about buying the zumo if you're going to add bits and pieces that get you up to where the zumo is only a couple of hundred bucks or so more. There is a zumo 400 on the horizon that will a little cheaper than that 450. It will not have all the XM and maybe Bluetooth stuff but I don't use any of that stuff anyway. You can go to the motorcycle products page at Garmin and compare the features of the various zumos. The 400 comes up empty and no price for now, they have not said when it will be available. Maybe for Christmas though? On the Garmin motorcycle mounts for the 2610 and others, those are mainly plastic and of marginal quality IMHO. They will work and may last but for very little more you can get a RAM mount that is much better and more versatile. And with the RAM you can always add a different cradle or another different bit to the end of it and use it for the next GPS, a camera, radar detector, etc. And they lend themselves to being moved from one vehicle to another pretty well too. The zumo 550, 500, and 450 come with a mount that *is* a RAM mount. George, send me an email to jacker@midmaine.com with an address and I'll send you the helmet speakers I bought on eBay. They did not work for me and I'll never do anything with them. You can get some double sided tape and play with those. I think the issue with them is that there is not a good enough seal between the speaker and your ear to let the speaker output overcome the external noises. If you have a lot of audio power there you may be able to do it. But then it will be too loud as you slow down... That is why I wound up with sealing out the external noises and giving up most of the other audible noises around me. I getting mildly addicted to listening to my mp3 player/FM radio while I ride. I really enjoy having about 1,000 songs on tap on random play and hardly every hearing the same cut more than once a week or so. And that is with 8GB, the sky is the limit on those things now... Jack | ||
| Hooliken |
Magellan Meridian Color on a RAM mount. Tough as nails, waterproof as a frogs ass, easy to use and can replace it for pennies compared to some of the others. Software leaves a little to desire but once you are familiar with it....no worries. | ||
| Jackbequick |
The Meridian Color might go down in history as the last great Magellan. They simplified the next model, the eXplorist, and it made them less capable. Then the company was sold, support was moved to India, and people are getting really unhappy with the lack of hardware and software development, mapping upgrades, and support in general. I'm going to hang on to my Meridian Color and Meridian Marine, they may be collector's items some day. But in the meantime I'm getting all the work done with my Garmin 76Cx. Jack | ||
| Retired_cop |
I have used the 76csx for the past 8 months with ZERO problems using a RAM mount. 6 hours in torrential rains at 50-70 mph were no problem for the unit ( all together different for the operator ). No vibration problems with the battery, but I run wired to the power outlet so I am still on my 2nd set of batteries. It goes in the car or truck when needed as well as marking all of the tree stands and deer trails within 3/4 of a mile of my house for the coming hunting season. A big plus is the removable memory card that can be programmed from the computer at home for any thing I want or need. With the soft ware in my PC it takes less than 15-20 minutes to plan, plot and download my trips or routes. I got mine from a company in Las Vegas called Offroute for $355. | ||
| Bertotti |
Now that is a good price. I always look local first and buy. I think in this case that was the wrong thing. Local coast with auto charger was just shy of 500. Another reason I took it back. | ||
| Jackbequick |
Timothy, Thanks for the testimony. Some people won't believe how well the 60/76Cx/CSx will work in a car or on a bike because of the smallish display. But the biggish popup prompts make them work fine. They *are* the most versatile/all around GPS receivers on the market. Send me a mailing address to jacker@midmaine.com and I'll send you some obsolete mapping that is interesting to look at and pretty useful to folks like Uly riders. More of them secondary/unpaved roads and stuff. It's a freebie. Jack | ||
| Miamiuly |
Bertotti- your price may not have been THAT out of whack. If you got the package with the auto mount, it probably included the street level maps as well. If you buy a unit alone, you need to add that cd to have smaller streets, home addresses etc. I do still have an etrex and an older (2002??) mapsource metoguide cd that I have been meaning to ebay. It is just like the one in James' picture above. I use some innertube in the clamp and mount mine (venture csx) on the crossbar though. If you are interested pm me and we can work something out pretty cheap. All you would need is the bar clamp which comes with the battery cover and maybe the hardwire kit as the older ones are not AS nice on batteries as the new ones. Still goes for hours though. Have the boxes and unit is real clean. (Message edited by miamiuly on September 04, 2007) | ||
| Bertotti |
No auto mount and only intestates and major highways where installed. I also had to pay extra for a car charger. I really did like the unit but using a mac I didn't like having to load windows to use mapquest and the mac gps maps won't load to the Garmin GPS units. I just bought a usb gps antenna and am using the routebuddy program and maps for mac. | ||
| Jackbequick |
Garmin was supposed to have software for the Mac by the end of last year, I guess they are still dragging their feet on that? Sort of baffling that the world's easiest to use computer is so hard to develop software for. The 76CSx will take a 9-35V DC input and regulate the power internally. It just needs a power cable ($10 or less for a generic one on eBay) with the widely used on Garmins round four pin connector. But you're right, you have to buy the GPS and you have to buy the optional at extra cost mapping too to get street level detail, topo detail, marine charts, etc. And a power cable and a mount are nice too. I used my 76Cx in my map case on batteries occasionally and that will work in the short run. Right out of the box those will navigate you across North America country on all the major highways and a few major streets in cities. And it will do that with full autorouting too. You choose the place and it tells and shows you the roads. It also has a fairly good POI database in for it too. But you don't get all the bells and whistles with it. Anyone wants to get started with some older, slightly outdated but way better than nothing mapping can email me, I can help with that. Jack | ||
| Crazyhorus |
Magellan Explorist 600 with a RAM mount and power from the lighter socket, with full topographic maps of the entire country with every single road, fire trail and walking track on a single SD card. |
