► GPS mounts/connections and Autocomm (consolidated)

[Schtum]

Is there a problem though?
I thought with the modern solid-state technology in GPS that there was nothing really to rattle around and become damaged.
Is this just a scare tactic to make us all buy zumo's at £400 a pop or is there really an issue

I managed to destroy the mount on SWMBO's nuvi 770 after a day and a half's riding on a rented GS in California last year. The female power/data connector on the mount was too fragile to withstand the effects of a flapping power cable and a RAM handlebar mount.

The solution was to use the USB input to power the GPS unit.

 

[eds]

twisticles - just a quick THANK YOU! I'd wasted a half day (or at least several hours) trying to work out how to fit newly bought sat nav. Particular problems finding the plug (well disguised BM), then another hour or so trying to work out why with everything wired up the wretched thing still wouldn't work. I then found your advice (and partic the photos) on the ukgser site and all became clear. Suggest you send the advice and pics to Garmin and BMW as an example of how to be helpful to customes trying to undertake what should be simple tasks. Cheers mate.

 

[Aran]

Autocom & Canbus

I had a great idea.
I put all my autocom nonsense in a tankbag ('cos I only use it on holiday trips) and threaded out a little fused power lead with a BMW plug on it to use the canbused power socket on the tank.
It did power up the autocom. But now it doesn't
I have added a direct 5amp fused second power socket (the Nippy Norman one) and the autocom will work off that, so it can't be the autocom or it's inline fuse.

Has my canbus had a stroke?

The battery is well charged up (via the direct socket) and the bike is only 2800 mile old.

I'd usually just chill and get it seen whenever, but I'm off in less than a week and BMW dealers aren't great for squeezing stuff in to the workshop.

Aran

 

[John Armstrong]

I power my autocom from the canbus socket that's on the top of the battery too. No real problems so far, but I hide my autocom underneath the plastics as it slides in vertically next to the battery

Have you checked that a pin hasn't become dislodged in the canbus socket / plug?

The socket will shut itself off if too much power is taken out, and then reset automatically.

 

[chrisjk]

My autocom works OK off the Canbus..

 

[Aran]

I hope that running the autocom & the bike2bike radio isn't too much power- it was OK on a CBF1000 running with a take-off from the rear tail light. So It should be under 5 amp.
It can't be the plug as it works in the other socket.... so I suppose the socket could be the culprit.
Cover off & have a look-see when I finish work. Let's hope it's just something knocked loose!

Aran

 

[John Armstrong]

I'd try wiring the autocom on it's own into the plug, see if it works. If it does then add the radio in and try again. If the autocom + radio on standby are ok, then try transmitting and seeing what happens. I'd try and play music through the autocom all the time so you can see if it's the radio that's the cause of the problem.

What sized fuse are you using when directly connected to the battery?

 

[Aran]

The direct fuse is a 5 amp.
I'd read somewhere that the canbus could manage 5 amp so I went for the same to match up.

Aran

 

[Aran]

Err........
Apparently it's surprisingly easy to forget to reconnect the plug at the back of the power socket when you've had the dummy tank panel off.
Power socket operational. Humble pie in the oven.

 

[John Armstrong]

Nice to hear it was an easy fix

 

[SamD]

New Garmin Mount

I've never been 100% satisfied with the RAM Garmin mount on the bars and have always liked the idea of it being more central. Sadly Touratech's central mount is damn expensive for a piece of metal (and I'm not sure it works unless you buy one of their mounts aswell, further adding to the cost!).

I happened to mention this to chad of this parish and he said he'd knock me something up that would do the job AND let me use the standard Garmin mount. He fitted it tonight, and it has exceeded my expectations big time

Here's a (bad phone) picture of the arrangement - proper quality job and it puts the satnav in a waaaay better position (it sits below the instruments in your field of vision)

 

[tommyboy]

That looks nice, simple and sturdy

 

[guk]

New Garmin 660 mount

The new 660 mount finally arrived from Garmin.....

 

[IanNicky]

Do they do it with different colour cable ties

 

[guk]

colour options

Do they do it with different colour cable ties

The ties are to go with the 2010 Arctic White

 

[contact23]

im gonna wait for the chevron ones

 

[IanNicky]

The ties are to go with the 2010 Arctic White

Where do i order one from

 

[barnesontour]

Budget Garmin GPS Set up

Not prepared to stump up the readies for a bike specific GPS I started looking for an alternative solution, the result looks almost like BMW OE fitment and many people ask me about it so I thought I would post something here. I hasten to add the setup is for a visual reference only, though you can hear it below 30mph it doesn't have bluetooth or a headphone socket, sound is too much faff on a bike in my opinion.

Pictures:

I tried a Navigo GPS from ebuyer on a handlebar mount but the vibration killed it in a week. The garmin unit is tougher and mounted as described below it doesn't seem to mind the vibes.

The GPS is a Garmin Nuvi 250 which can be had cheaply second hand in use it works very well auto zooming at low speed and complicated junctions, the camera locations feature could save me my licence.

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Sat-Nav-Garmi...tems?hash=item2c50f02607&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14

I fitted the BMW GPS cable under the tank cover and wired in a car cigar lighter socket with the GPs cable connected and taped/ziptied out of sight.

The GPS is fitted to the inside of the screen using the suction mount which has a thin smear of clear bathroom silicone sealant around the edge to give extra adhesion. It has never fallen off and has been there now for a 1,000 miles. I waterproofed the unit by painting a thin smear of clear silicone around the edges of the screen, and into all the joints, I covered the speaker and sd card holes with electricians tape and added the silicone cover for good measure. I've ridden in several downpours and no problems so far. The unit switches on automatically when you turn the ignition on and off again 30 secs after the power goes off, another great feature.

Sorry for the lenghty post but I hope this is of use to someone.

Phil Barnes

 

[D6]

this is my non gs budget set up (drz400)

no speedo on it, (e model)
so £30 sp111 fitted instead ,

 

[Greg Masters]

Phil

You might want to consider editing your post.

There's a nice bike tucked up in a garage [map link removed].

Edit: You might want to remove your e-mail address too!


Greg

Edit: I will remove the map reference shortly