Having used the 2610/2650 on bikes for a while, what would you recommend as the best setup regarding map screen detail and user interface for Bike use.
regards
Gerry H.
regards
Gerry H.
2610 Set Up for Pan?
- Thread starter (RIP) Gerry Huxtable
- Start date
PanEuropean
Registered user
Hi Gerry:
Not sure if you intended this question for me or not, I'm guessing so because I don't think there are any other motorcycle users with SP 2650's yet.
My personal preferences, developed since the spring of 2001 when I got my first SP III, are as follows:
North up, map detail set to "more", autozoom off, next turn pop-up set to automatic and 'speak' key, and no audio at all. I also switch the max zoom level for parks, railroads, stuff like that which I don't really need to see to 500m or less - that way, I don't get a cluttered screen at the wider views.
I have occasionally had to hook up the audio when doing beta-tests, and I find it to be a real distraction - it takes 'forever' to listen to what the voice is saying, compared to half a second or so to read the very same information on the pop-up "next turn" page. I'm not a big fan of the audio output at all.
If I'm in a city, I usually ride around with the scale set at 500m, which is as far as I can zoom out and still see all the residential road detail. If I'm outside of a city, I usually set the zoom at about 2km and leave it there. I always keep a map (Michelin map) on the tankbag, if I want a wider view of things, I just look at the map, rather than the GPSR. I figure that the GPSR tells me where I am, but the map shows me where I am going. The two are complimentary.
I prefer to create my own routes the night before when I am doing long tours (4 weeks or more on the road). I have a little IBM 240 ThinkPad that is very, very small, fits in the saddlebag without taking up any space, and I use it plus Michelin regional maps for route planning. I like to avoid motorways and stick to the secondary and tertiary roads, I get MapSource to accomplish this for me by telling it my average travel speed on a motorway is 30 km/h (the lowest value it will take), then setting my preference to "fastest route". MapSource will then calculate my route without ever putting me on a motorway. But, once I have done this, I need to "tack" the route to the secondary roads with via points, else the SP will re-calculate and put me back on the motorway. (NB this will be fixed in the next software release for the SP 26xx, we will be able to fine-tune our road category preferences right on the GPSR itself - another enhancement by Garmin in response to requests from the motorcycle community).
Hope that is the info you were looking for.
PanEuropean
Not sure if you intended this question for me or not, I'm guessing so because I don't think there are any other motorcycle users with SP 2650's yet.
My personal preferences, developed since the spring of 2001 when I got my first SP III, are as follows:
North up, map detail set to "more", autozoom off, next turn pop-up set to automatic and 'speak' key, and no audio at all. I also switch the max zoom level for parks, railroads, stuff like that which I don't really need to see to 500m or less - that way, I don't get a cluttered screen at the wider views.
I have occasionally had to hook up the audio when doing beta-tests, and I find it to be a real distraction - it takes 'forever' to listen to what the voice is saying, compared to half a second or so to read the very same information on the pop-up "next turn" page. I'm not a big fan of the audio output at all.
If I'm in a city, I usually ride around with the scale set at 500m, which is as far as I can zoom out and still see all the residential road detail. If I'm outside of a city, I usually set the zoom at about 2km and leave it there. I always keep a map (Michelin map) on the tankbag, if I want a wider view of things, I just look at the map, rather than the GPSR. I figure that the GPSR tells me where I am, but the map shows me where I am going. The two are complimentary.
I prefer to create my own routes the night before when I am doing long tours (4 weeks or more on the road). I have a little IBM 240 ThinkPad that is very, very small, fits in the saddlebag without taking up any space, and I use it plus Michelin regional maps for route planning. I like to avoid motorways and stick to the secondary and tertiary roads, I get MapSource to accomplish this for me by telling it my average travel speed on a motorway is 30 km/h (the lowest value it will take), then setting my preference to "fastest route". MapSource will then calculate my route without ever putting me on a motorway. But, once I have done this, I need to "tack" the route to the secondary roads with via points, else the SP will re-calculate and put me back on the motorway. (NB this will be fixed in the next software release for the SP 26xx, we will be able to fine-tune our road category preferences right on the GPSR itself - another enhancement by Garmin in response to requests from the motorcycle community).
Hope that is the info you were looking for.
PanEuropean
PanEuropean said:
I go with:
- North up (its a 'bloke' thing!)
- map detail 'normal' - I'd like 'more' but on the SPIII the redraw speed can be very slow
- autozoom 'off' - this feature really bugs me - the concept is great but all the settings are too zoom out biased
- audio set to 3 or 4 - hearing Betty's dulcet tones prompts me to look at the screen (even if I don't pay much attention to what she says!)
Greg
BurnieM
Guest
On GPS V and GPSmap 176;
North up (less screen redraw)
Detail to 'most' - so when 4WDing I can zoom out to 1.2km and still see minor roads (dropping detail as you zoom out is needed in the city but is a real hassle in the country when most of the roads/tracks are minor) - most is slow to redraw (in the city) on the GPS V but fine on the GPSmap 176
Zoom level on POI to 80m so that I only see them when I zoom right in (and text off)
North up (less screen redraw)
Detail to 'most' - so when 4WDing I can zoom out to 1.2km and still see minor roads (dropping detail as you zoom out is needed in the city but is a real hassle in the country when most of the roads/tracks are minor) - most is slow to redraw (in the city) on the GPS V but fine on the GPSmap 176
Zoom level on POI to 80m so that I only see them when I zoom right in (and text off)
Thanks
Thanks for the info, I more or less had these settings having used GPS V for 18 months.
Usefull tip with mapsource to avoid motorways.
I prefer to go off the beaten track when possible on B and unclassified roads.
I calculate the shortest route to try to force the unit to follow a more direct route, not sure if this is the best option. Seems to work in rural areas but drawback is in built up areas it tends to direct you straight through towns instead of using bypass or ring road.
An option to avoid built up areas would be usefull.
Maybe in a future software update??
cheers
Gerry
Thanks for the info, I more or less had these settings having used GPS V for 18 months.
Usefull tip with mapsource to avoid motorways.
I prefer to go off the beaten track when possible on B and unclassified roads.
I calculate the shortest route to try to force the unit to follow a more direct route, not sure if this is the best option. Seems to work in rural areas but drawback is in built up areas it tends to direct you straight through towns instead of using bypass or ring road.
An option to avoid built up areas would be usefull.
Maybe in a future software update??
cheers
Gerry
PanEuropean
Registered user
Hi Gerry:
I have no experience with the GPS V, having only used the SP III and SP 2650 myself, but I know that the three automotive autorouting GPSR's (GPS V, SP III, and SP 26xx) share a lot of common code between them for navigation, so maybe some of the ideas below might help you.
My touring preferences are exactly the same as yours - I detest motorways, and prefer the secondary and tertiary roads. What I do with the SP III and now the SP 2650 is to check the box in the routing preferences that says "avoid highways" - this tends to keep me off the major highways, but it's not the perfect solution, because it sometimes results in me getting routed through minor streets when passing through urban agglomerations.
Garmin is aware of the desire of many touring motorists to avoid the major highways (known as 'superslabs' in America). I think they are working on a more "fine tunable" method of allowing the rider to assign priorities to the different classifications of roadway, but I don't know how soon this will happen.
Problem is, the vast majority of purchasers drive cars, and want either the fastest route (without regard to the scenery), or the shortest route. Plus, the automobile users are generally not as technically competent with the GPSR's as the motorcycle users, this means that if Garmin puts in an enhancement for the motorcycle community, they have to be careful that it will not cause confusion for the automobile users.
Garmin recently gave us "avoid unpaved roads", specifically in response to requests from the sport-touring riders (like me, on my ST1100), so there is hope - they do listen carefully to us and try to pay attention to our unique needs. Not sure if they will come out with an option "seek out unpaved roads" for the dual sport community, though.
Anyway, hang in there, I am sure more enhancements to the software will be coming down the line for the summer of 2004.
PanEuropean
I have no experience with the GPS V, having only used the SP III and SP 2650 myself, but I know that the three automotive autorouting GPSR's (GPS V, SP III, and SP 26xx) share a lot of common code between them for navigation, so maybe some of the ideas below might help you.
My touring preferences are exactly the same as yours - I detest motorways, and prefer the secondary and tertiary roads. What I do with the SP III and now the SP 2650 is to check the box in the routing preferences that says "avoid highways" - this tends to keep me off the major highways, but it's not the perfect solution, because it sometimes results in me getting routed through minor streets when passing through urban agglomerations.
Garmin is aware of the desire of many touring motorists to avoid the major highways (known as 'superslabs' in America). I think they are working on a more "fine tunable" method of allowing the rider to assign priorities to the different classifications of roadway, but I don't know how soon this will happen.
Problem is, the vast majority of purchasers drive cars, and want either the fastest route (without regard to the scenery), or the shortest route. Plus, the automobile users are generally not as technically competent with the GPSR's as the motorcycle users, this means that if Garmin puts in an enhancement for the motorcycle community, they have to be careful that it will not cause confusion for the automobile users.
Garmin recently gave us "avoid unpaved roads", specifically in response to requests from the sport-touring riders (like me, on my ST1100), so there is hope - they do listen carefully to us and try to pay attention to our unique needs. Not sure if they will come out with an option "seek out unpaved roads" for the dual sport community, though.
Anyway, hang in there, I am sure more enhancements to the software will be coming down the line for the summer of 2004.
PanEuropean
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