GPS - worth a go?

MMC · Jun 18, 2003

After having got hopelessly lost in London (only trying to get to Brighton from Clerkenwell!) I'm wondering about getting a GPS. Problem is, I know less than nowt about them, never having used one before - so please forgive the idiot questions...

- will a GPS tell me which streets to turn down in London (and other cities) as well as telling me the way on major roads?
- if the answer's "yes" to the two above, how much will a good 'un cost me?
- what *is* a good 'un?
- will I need rafts of PC software to update it (I have a Mac...)
- apart from a handlebar mount, what else will I need?

Thanks.

MMC

Jon · Jun 18, 2003

MMC,

Garmin seems to be the favourite brand round here. How much do you want to spend?

Do a search on GPS & spend the next hour(s) reading threads like I did

A fair few people have the Garmin Streetpilot III /BMW badged version. Colour screen & gives turn by turn directions on screen and audibly in headset I believe. But it's £7-800........

Some have the Garmin 176, which is a marine GPS, but able to have colour maps uploaded. Doesn't give directions tho, just a basic rolling map.

The Garmin V Delux is greyscale display, but does turn-by-turn directions and is approx £440 from GPS Warehouse at the mo.

The SPIII would seem to have the most memory & you can get extra memory chips/card things for it. ie have UK on one, France on another.

The "V" has 19mb of memory & no chip facility. However, I'm told that's Southampton to Luton & across to the east coast down to street level (incl London).

I'm in the market myself for one and am looking at the "V". The SPIII is too expensive/big for my requirements & the 176 whilst a good idea, is too big for the 650 Dakar I have.

They all come with the software, so I think the only thing you need to buy is the mount, having tried to play with my mates eTrex Legend in a tank bag yesterday............

I have also heard that Garmin are bringing out new models, so am hanging on a few months to see what happens.

However, as I haven't got one yet, no doubt someone with one will be able to confirm/deny all the above

boxer · Jun 18, 2003

GPS - worth a go?

Definitely.

- will a GPS tell me which streets to turn down in London (and other cities) as well as telling me the way on major roads?

Whilst I've never owned one, that's what I believe a GPS with an auto route function will do. Not all GPS units do auto route.

if the answer's "yes" to the two above, how much will a good 'un cost me?

A Garmin V does AR and is highly regarded. HERE sells them for approx £440. It comes bundled with a mapsource map CD which is useless to a Mac owner unless they're running Virtual PC.

- will I need rafts of PC software to update it (I have a Mac...)

This is were you really come unstuck - I use an iBook.
Garmin do not produce Mapsource CDs [these hold the detailed maps required for AR. They are many times more detailed than the base map that will come with your GPS unit] for Mac. You'll need some sort of emulation software to allow you to run windows and thus Garmin Mapsource CD and so allow you to load map detail you the GPS.
Even when you have Virtual PC or something like it you can only use a serial port to transfer the data. This is very slow and very, very unreliable. Data card readers use USB and the last time I looked these would not work with Virtual PC. I get a windows owning friend to load my data cards.

- apart from a handlebar mount, what else will I need?

Touratech do a good one.

Given the problems you may experience trying to use Mapsource on a Mac I would suggest you look at a GPS with a large screen that excepts data cards. A large screen makes creating routes with the unit easy and a large data reduces the need to load maps often. The Garmin V has little memory

In spite of the above I wouldn't be without a GPS now, it's one of my fave things. I have a Garmin 176C which takes data cards and has a large screen and I can highly recommend it. The Garmin 196 is very like the 176 but also does ARing and IMO should be the one to go for.
I would also suggest you don't get too hung up on auto routing. It's easy to do without and certainly isn't the be all and end all of GPS.

Check out www.garmin.com for more.

L · Jun 18, 2003

I'm hankering after one...

...for my trip to Istanbul. Found a few places that hire them at c. £10/day so that's a no no.

I like the look of the SP3 deluxe and have been hunting the web for deals. Prices seem to be tumbling every day. Only yesterday the cheapest place was £850 (not including EBay) but today I've found them for £830 inc. all taxes and delivery. (UK spec of course)

Also asked at the BMW dealership and was offered the Navigator for £937, which doesn't seem bad to me either, considering it was £1250 less than 6 months ago.

Dennis · Jun 18, 2003

Ellis,
Don't dismiss ebay, certainly I have heard very good feed back with regard to Mandy Phillips and SP3's she is usually selling the SP3 delux at £699

I use ebay quite a bit to buy and sell and have never (yet) encountered any problems.

Dennis · Jun 18, 2003

One further point, providing you have the eupopean City Navigator 5 with the unit, there is absolutely no advantage in buying the genuine UK version over the Americas version.

The base map is to all intents and purposes usless.

boxer · Jun 18, 2003

Top left the CW.

1. Tourtech Mount
2. Mount and 176c
3. Map showing mapsource detail
4. Base map only

Dennis · Jun 18, 2003

Just checked on Ebay, mandy phillips is now selling at £799, don't know why she has put the prices up when everyone else seems to be bringing them down.

however, there is one going for £450 at the moment....still bidding.

Beemer Boy · Jun 19, 2003

I bought a Garmin GPS V in April from www.adventure-motorcycling.co.uk and had my cheapest price matched by the great guy there. I'd watched his demo on both the 'V' and the SP III at last years BMW Club annual rally, and thought I'd best put my money his way as I'd been the chief heckler. Y'know, "you can buy a lot of maps for that, mate" etc.

The SP III is extremely large, and can look out of place on handlebars, and despite its colour screen, I really fancied the 'V'. Of course, it's half the price too, which really made up my mind!!

The screen of the 'V' is often quoted by fellow hecklers as being too small to read on the move, but having the advance warnings (of an impending turn) come up full screen, there really is no problem seeing that damn great arrow.

The only disadvantage so far is the 19mb memory. I can get the whole of Scotland on, and a route down to Nottingham, but no more. It's not really a problem though, just a disadvantage. Horses for courses and all that.

I mount mine on a Touratech handlebar mount clamped to a half inch dia. bar between my RT fairing arms above the clocks, meaning its just below line of sight, and its BRILL. Can't imagine long journeys without it now.

Whichever one you get, just DO IT. Makes a lot more sense than soggy maps on a windy day!!

Mike Werner · Jun 19, 2003

not only will the GPS route you automatically to your destination (SPII and V from Garmin), but if you go wrong, it will correct and reroute you.

Another great thing about the Garmin is the database it has in the memory. If you're running low on petrol, tell it to find the closest gas station, or restaurant, or hotel ...etc.

I also find them great when riding long distance to see what's in front of me in terms of the road layout. You can be going in to a curve, and with one glance at the map you'll see if the curve takes a turn afterwards...

Here's a pic of the SPIII on my (brand new) Ricky Bar

The arm that holds the GPS is from
Cyclegadgets

Flying Scotsman · Jun 20, 2003

176C

I use a Gamin 176c on my Dakar.

Jon said:
MMC,

I'm in the market myself for one and am looking at the "V". The SPIII is too expensive/big for my requirements & the 176 whilst a good idea, is too big for the 650 Dakar I have.

MMC, don't match the size of the GPS to the bike but DO go after the best GPS that you can afford.

The 176c is an excellent GPS and is probably the most sought after GPS over here. It has a faster processor so the refresh rate is much superior than the V and having owned the SPIII, the SPIII is not quite as good nor as accurate (although WAAS may not be a feature in the UK). The color screen is a big bonus. The downside is that you have to pay a lot more for it, including memory card, USB programmer and the Mapsource CD whereas all of this comes with the SPIII (again maybe this is just the US version of SPIII).

Anyway, Garmin are bringing out a PDA version in July (looks like a Palm Pilot). It will be color and with autorouting however I can't imagine it being too practical on a motorcycle. When Garmin announced the launch of the 3600 back in December, the stock rose from $20 to just under $50 today.

If you own a single cylinder or if you go offroad like I do, then it's recommended to use the appropriate mount (vibration dampening etc,) Touratech has a really good one. Otherwise, prepare to shake those electronic components to pieces.

Lots of good advice here

The GPS Question

Dennis said:
One further point, providing you have the eupopean City Navigator 5 with the unit, there is absolutely no advantage in buying the genuine UK version over the Americas version.

The base map is to all intents and purposes usless.

I agree, so if you know someone who will be visiting the US, then ask them to buy one there and bring it back in their luggage :beerjug:

http://www.gpsnow.com

MMC · Jun 20, 2003

Wow!

I was after some decent advice, and it looks like I got it! Thanks to everyone who's posted and added to the enlightenment.

So it looks like a GPS'll do everything I want (but perhaps not make the tea as well), but there might be a problem with interfacing with my Mac. I've got an old PC notebook as well, so should be OK...

Now all I have to do is finally decide which one to go for, and then decide which one of the cats to sell into slavery to pay for it.

Anyone want to buy a nice, only semi-psychopathic ginger tom cat? He's gotta go...

Thanks again,

MMC

Mike Werner · Jun 20, 2003

MMC said:
Wow!

I've got an old PC notebook as well, so should be OK...

MMC

Watch out, if you're using Windows 95 or even 98 you'll have a problem with the USB Data programmer.

CoolCarbon · Jun 20, 2003

Go straight for the Best.....................

MMC,

The only thing I will say.......buy the best you can cause you'll only want to upgrade in the future as sure as Eggs are Bollocks !!

CC

Jon · Jun 20, 2003

Flying Scotsman said:
I use a Gamin 176c on my Dakar.

Got a pickie? Very interested to see what it looks like as I like to look of it a lot, but discounted it due to size.

A "V" currently goes for about $630 & a 176c is about $825 over here at the mo, so prices there look fantastic - as long as basemap isn't an issue.

Just need to find someone going to the States now (& the money

)

MMC · Jun 20, 2003

Re: Go straight for the Best.....................

coolcarbon said:
MMC,

The only thing I will say.......buy the best you can cause you'll only want to upgrade in the future as sure as Eggs are Bollocks !!

Cool,

You are SO right. Wasted far too much money on an old R100RS when I should have shelled out the readies for the GS in the first place!

Live and learn and all that. Still off to Cornwall tomorrow, no time to buy the GPS so it's down to the atlas and luck again...

If anyone sees me on a Kalahari (ok, monkeysick) GS with the b-i-g-g-e-s-t Givi topbox in the world, gimme a wave.

Cheers

MMC :beerjug:

Flying Scotsman · Jun 24, 2003

check page 4 of...

Jon said:
Got a pickie? Very interested to see what it looks like as I like to look of it a lot, but discounted it due to size.

Here ya go...176c on Dakar

Jon · Jun 24, 2003

Flying Scotsman - Cheers mateeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee :beerjug:

GPS - worth a go?

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