| Author | Message | ||
     Xl1200r |
I want to get a Garmin Zumo 550 and use the XM radio feature, but I only want the music - I don't need the traffic or weather stuff. Is there a cheaper music-only antenna out there that will work with the Zumo? The GXM 30 that Garmin sells to work with the XM radio and NavTraffic has a street price of $200. The kicker is it's a USB connection. I don't know that I've seen any other XM antenna with a USB connection. Ideally, I'd like to use the Zumo to act as my XM reciver for the car as well, so if I could my factory antenna somehow that'd be great. | ||
| Froggy |
Don't quote me, but i believe a basic traffic and weather is included with the normal XM subscription, and i believe they have higher up plans available that do more weatherish things. | ||
| Xl1200r |
The NavTraffic is a couple bucks more a month from what I've read. I'm honestly undecided on it, but shelling out $200 for the antenna kind of kills it for me. I want to just be able to use a $30 antenna for just music like every other XM radio does. | ||
| Ferris_von_bueller |
I have the 550 with the XM and the Navtraffic/weather is extra. I would check eBay. I bought my GXM30 for $160. Oh, and although the connection might be a USB configuration, the plug is right angle. | ||
| Ferris_von_bueller |
I was using the 550 in my car but found it cumbersome to repeatedly disconnect the GXM30 every time I wanted to transfer it to a bike. The antenna is easy to disconnect from the car cradle but hard to remove from the bike mount because it's recessed. So, I recently purchased a stand alone receiver from XM. There are eight models on sale ranging in price from $10 to $250. There is an extra monthly fee of around seven bucks for the added service. | ||
| Rich |
The GXM30 is the radio, not just the antenna. My only problem with the gxm is that I really don't listen to the mp3 much, XM has made me lazy. I rode to Indianapolis recently, a one day 1K, and never changed the channel. Or heard a commercial. | ||
| Jackbequick |
Like Rich says, it is a complete receiver. Built into a housing with an antenna. There are processors or modules both in the zumo 550 and the receiver for controlling tuning and other settings in the receiver. The USB cable is the link between the XM-related menu in the zumo and the control module the receiver. And the zumo gets the digital output from the receiver via the SUB connector and processes it to generate the audio. So the GXM-30 is useless without a zumo to control it and there is nothing else that will give the zumo a XM input. Jack | ||
| Rasmonis |
When is it going to come with Sirius? That's what I want to know. | ||
| X1glider |
I'm finally interested in getting a GPS. The Zumo 550 seems to be a clear winner in ease of use and weather proofness. I can care less about radio but I might use the bluetooth and MP3 ability. Can it play WMA files instead of mp3? MP3 is lousy sound quality IMO. Any other opinions on the 550 about anything else? Like map quality, waypoints, updating...? | ||
| Xl1200r |
Yeah, I discovered that the GXM 30 is more than just an antenna. It kind of makes this all a hard choice. Where are you guys mounting it? Is the gas cap magnetic enough to hold it? In order to get XM on the bike through the Zumo, I need to spend about $100 more to get the 550 over the 450, plus another $160 for the reciever. For $260 I could buy a Pioneer INNO xm radio...though it woudln't be waterproof or bluetoothable, and I'd still have the second subscription issue. Anyone know much about the TomTom Rider 2? Does it have an MP3 player built in? I think the solution is to get the 550, and save my pennies for the GXM 30 over the winter since I won't be needing it until spring anyways. | ||
| Jackbequick |
None of the Garmins can use any audio file format except mp3. There are two North Anerican models (550 and 450) and two European models (500 and 400). The 450 will not speak street names (but does have the regular voice prompts), will not provide Bluetooth cell phone services, and will not connect to a GXM-30 receiver for the optional XM satellite radio based services (entertainment and weather). You can check the boxes here: https://buy.garmin.com/shop/shop.do?cID=135 and compare the features. Many of the newer Garmins can pronounce street names but many people are finding the performance on that to be mediocre at best. I couldn't imagine that a computerized voice could read the names of millions of streets and roads and pronounce the majority of them correctly. In many cases the pronunciations are rendered in an unrecognizable manner. Maybe they'll add a "Huh?" button. Jack | ||
| Xl1200r |
Well, I ordered the Zumo 550. I'll be holding off on the XM stuff for now, since I won't be needing it on the bike until Spring. One of the bigger issues for me was having two XM subscriptions, so when it comes time, I'm going to transfer the XM service in my car to go through the GPS rather than the factory XM setup I have now. I probably won't bother moving the antenna to the bike except for long trips, which would only be a handful of time a year - the MP3 player will do just fine for me otherwise. | ||
| Deadduck |
Rasmonis, you'll get Sirius as soon as the shareholders approve the merger, actually you'll get XM http://news.moneycentral.msn.com/provider/provider article.aspx?feed=PR&date=20071030&id=7724963. | ||
| Soloyosh |
Does the 550 do stereo bluetooth? Or is it just for the phone? | ||
| Rich |
No. http://www.zumoforums.com/index.php?sid=8c02d1550f 7cb1b179876aa827fa874e | ||
| Xl1200r |
Yeah, no stereo bluetooth, and I don't know if that's something that can be fixed with a software update or not. This wasn't a big deal to me as of yet. In the car, I'll just be using the aux audio out jack. For the bike, I use a Chatterbox for communication with a buddy, so I'll be using a wire for that as well. Currently, there is no bluetooth headset with enough usable range to be used as a bike-to-bike communications device (I know some are advertised as such, but the testing proves otherwise...30ft range is not acceptable), and it would require my buddy to update all his music and gps stuff to blutooth - not hard, not too expensive (they make apadpers), but still extra effort. I'll deal with a wire - I do it already with my iPod. I'm really excited about getting this thing. I've been seriously considering a GPS for a year and a half! | ||
| Xl1200r |
Well, I got the Zumo a couple days ago. I haven't used it on the bike yet, but I'm in love with it so far. I spent a little time figuring out how to mount it on the bike, and I'm not going to be using the included "stuff". Instead, I'm going to run a length of threaded rod up through the steering stem, have a nut and washer on the bottom and a washer and a female ram ball at the top for mounting. Anyone see a problem with this? | ||
| Bcordb3 |
I just ordered the Zumo 450 yesterday. I can't wait to use it. My choice of the 450 over the 550 was simple. I don't think I would use the blue tooth function. Most retailers I looked at on the internet were about the same price. Wal-Mart came in the cheapest by far. I know what a lot of you think about Wally World, don't spam me, I am just passing on what I read on line. | ||
| Sath |
What do you guys use for ear phones? Can you buy a helmet with speaker phones in them? | ||
| Rich |
Xl1200r, I have a friend that uses the same setup, no problems reported. For earphones, I use the Etymotic ER6i. About $60 on line. | ||
| Xl1200r |
Xl1200r, I have a friend that uses the same setup, no problems reported. Good deal, it seems like a cheap solution and it will put it right where I want to have it. I use a chatterbox radio, so my earphones issues are already solved. However, on my road trip I may get something esle since i'll traveing alone and the radio is kinf a pain to have on the helmet or on the bike. Bacordb3 - What did you end up paying, of you mind me asking? I bought my 550 for $611 with no tax and free 3-day shipping. I think the 450's from the same site were around $530. | ||
| Diablobrian |
The only problem I see with that mount is that it makes it hard to use the triple tree lift race stands. Not a problem for a lot of you, but worth mentioning. | ||
| Bcordb3 |
X11200r I paid a little than what you including shipping. I should have waited a few days, damn! LOL | ||
| Buellsruell |
Xl1200r: Where did you buy the 550? All of them on eBay are in the mid $600 range it seems. I'd really like to find a NIB one for close to $600 somewhere. Could not even find them on tigerdirect.com. 2nd question: How are most of you listening to the GPS and the XM radio? Through the speaker in the unit itself? Or wired earbuds? I tried using my ipod last season with my Bose IE's, and I could not for the life of me get the helmet on without pulling out the earbuds. I have a scorpion exo700- maybe it's just a REALLY snug fitting helmet? Do they make bluetooth (ie: wireless) speakers that can be fitted inside my helmet by any chance? Thanks- (Message edited by BuellsRuell on April 17, 2008) | ||
| Froggy |
Buellsruell, PCnation.com has it for a few bucks over $600. If you get it from eBay, Garmin will not honor the warranty, plus you don't know if its going to have the newest maps or not. Also, the bluetooth will only do mono sound, so if you want stereo sound you need to go with something wired. | ||
| Buellsruell |
Thanks for the info. PCnation= $643.80 plus shipping... | ||
| Froggy |
That price goes up and down, I paid $640somthing about a month ago, and it was $638 when i checked 2 weeks ago. | ||
| Buellsruell |
Cool. It's still the cheapest store to buy this from, so I appreciate the tip. Seems that shipping is free, to... http://www.epinions.com/Garmin_zumo_550_Motorcycle _GPS_Navigation_System_Retail_Free_Shipping_GPS_Re ceiver/display_~latest_prices | ||
| Froggy |
Oh yea, the shipping is FAST. They said 3 days, I fount it on my stoop the next day.  | ||
| Sath |
On the ear bud thing. I did a post on, Something for your ears. They had a lot of suggestions. I have a 400 series helmet and cannot get it on with out upsetting anykind of ear buds. It fits to snug. In my ZR1, I use the over the ear kind and they don't pull out. I also bought a helmet liner that helps other kinds of buds stay in place. |
