2820 remote control

Quickie for those with the 2820.....

The manual (the abreviated one you can download from Garmin) refers to the "optional remote control". Am I correct in assuming that you don't actually need the remote to operate the thing? the reference to optional and my gut feel is that all the features will be available via the touch screen menus. Has anyone found otherwise?

Reason for the query is that I can't really find a suitable spot on the bike to mount the remote and would rather simply leave it at home! Also, those little buttons look a bit fiddly for use with gloves - not like the buttons on the GPSR itself.

Dale

Dale said:

Quickie for those with the 2820.....

Am I correct in assuming that you don't actually need the remote to operate the thing?

Click to expand...

you are correct

No, it's not needed, but I'm mounting mine...

It would be handy to be able to hit speak, map, zoom in and out with the flip of a digit IMHO.

I worked out where last night...

On my 1200gs, I'm going to use 3M dualock (the extra tough velcro kind of stuff) to make a holder for it on the inside/top edge of my LH hand protector... it point right at the GPS in most handlebar positions... and the buttons are right in front of my hand while it's resting on the bars...

Al...

araspitfire said:

I'm going to use 3M dualock (the extra tough velcro kind of stuff) to make a holder for it...

Click to expand...

Al:

Just a bit of background information for you about 'reclosable fasteners', such as the various Velcro products: The more tightly the fastener grips, the fewer release/reseal cycles it will withstand. In other words, the traditional 'hook and loop' fabric Velcro may not grip super-tightly, but it will withstand thousands of release/reseal cycles. Some of the products that have more tenacious grips, such as the button or mushroom type fasteners, are only designed for perhaps 50 to 100 release/reseal cycles.

I have used a product called '3M Industrial Velcro' for the past two years to attach the remote control of my 26xx and 27xx onto the top of the clutch fluid reservoir of my moto. This is the traditional 'hook and loop' fabric Velcro. The 'industrial' part refers to the strength of the glue on the back side of the fabric, because that glue sticks like shit on a blanket. Once you stick those Velcro strips onto the back of the remote and the top of the clutch reservoir, they ain't coming off without a crowbar. As for the Velcro itself, it holds together really well - I just put a long strip on the bottom of the remote, to maximize the contact area with the part on the clutch reservoir.

I have posted some photos below, hope these are useful to you. The installation is now well over 2 years old, and has well over 40,000 miles on it.

By the way - despite my repeated best efforts to kill that remote control by getting it wet, it still works. Garmin says the thing is not waterproof, but I think they are just being over-cautious. I have left it on the moto whilst I power washed it, left it on for weeks at a time while the moto sat out in the rain, and even submerged it in a sink overnight - and it still works great. The only problem is that water sometimes accumulates in the battery compartment and drips out during the first few miles of riding.

Michael

Remote Attachment using Industrial Velcro

Dale said:

Am I correct in assuming that you don't actually need the remote to operate the thing?

Click to expand...

Hi Dale:

You are correct, you don't need the remote. You can do everything you need to do just by touching the screen.

What the remote is handy for, on a moto, is zooming in and out. If you are wearing gloves, it is sometimes a bit of a pain to exactly touch the correct spot on the screen. If you have the remote attached somewhere (see pictures above), then you can press the zoom in and zoom out buttons on the remote instead.

Think of it as a 'poor man's BMW Navigator'.

Michael

I mounted mine and took it for a ride... Inside my clutch lever hand-protector on some 60 degree wedges is perfect for left hand on grip, index finger operation of the 'top' buttons... perfect... When the Dual-lock wears out I'll try velcro, thanks for the info...

After reading your posts about it being hard to kill... I (of course) took mine appart to judge for myself how it would fare...

The top membrane (the rubber buttons and the domed "springs" that keep them pushed up) covers the whole PC-board where the contacts are... so unless you are unlucky the top of the board should stay dry...

The bottom is exposed though, and there are half a dozen LED's across holes in the board.. and the microcontroler that runs it all... not to mention the battery compartment... I'd not want to get salty water in there, as stray current could easily fry the micro...

When I mount mine, I'm running a strip of 3" wide black poly tape (Like extra wide electrical tape... easy to buy in the UK) along the side seam (which faces up on my mount), and down onto the front of the hand-protector... this should give me assurance that the wet will only get in in small amounts..

Al...

Thanks ...

Beemerboy, Al & Michael ,

Thanks for the advice. Hadn't thought about the INSIDE of the hand protector might just be an option, esp if you have little TT style spoilers fitted to the hand guards.

Dale

araspitfire said:

... I'd not want to get salty water in there, as stray current could easily fry the micro...

Click to expand...

Hi Al:

I do agree with you fully regarding salty water. Personally, I only use the 2xxx series GPSRs when I am riding in freshwater lakes and rivers. For serious off-shore and 'Blue-Water' motorcycling, I switch over to the marine model, the 296...

Michael