Car Sat Nav for bike?

[Oggie]

Being a cheapskate I am looking at using a car SatNav for the bike. Seldom use it on the bike so this could be a good move. Not too keen on getting into bluetooth so looking for modern SatNavs with latest features but importantly with headphone socket. Anybody know of any? Any bright ideas?

Thanks a bunch.

Oggie

 

[Mutley]

The two problems you'll face are waterproofing and mounting.

There are some clever threads on here about utilising otter boxes and the like.

FWIW it all seems a big faff to me. Basic bike sat navs aren't that much and the FSAW section does a brisk business in second hand units

 

[rce]

Carphone warehouse, buy a Nokia 5230 on PAYG, put your sim in it as virtually all CW phones are unlocked.

Get the latest maps for free on the phone (no data connection needed once maps installed)

Has a 3.5mm jack and in the future you can connect via bluetooth, battery life is very impressive and fits nicely in jacket pocket.

If you have a data plan (3 is good) then you design routes and favourites on the computer then sync with phone.

 

[rce]

Just to add a link

http://www.carphonewarehouse.com/mobiles/choose-tariff/NOKIA-5230/PPAY/NEW?network=

You don't need to have an unlimited data plan unless you want the features that come with an internet connection and you are going to use them a lot. If you turn off network assist etc just leaving the GPS for navigation then you don't need a data plan.

 

[Bumpkin]

The Garmin Nuvi 765T has almost all of the functionality of the Zumo and with a little ingenuity can be effectively used on a bike. It has a headphone socket as well as microphone socket on the slim cradle, you'll need that for powering it using the lead below anyway. I bought a new one off eBay for £115, registered it with Garmin and updated to the very latest mapping. As I already have a StreetPilot 2720 it's primarily for use in the cage by myself and SWMBO though I'm tempted to buy the bits below and use it on the bike as it'll Bluetooth to my phone and be an MP3 player which the 2720 can't do.

Mount on the bike using this combined with suitable RAM mounting hardware or buy the case with some RAM bits included.

Power from the bike using this.

Plug into your Autocom, if you have one using this lead.

 

[RAM-man]

Power from the bike using this.

Bumpkins suggestion are Ok, so if I ever fall under a bus, then there's an understudy in the wings

If the bike is yer F800GS then look at this method http://www.locatis.eu/index.php?opt...lypage&category_id=5&product_id=407&Itemid=26

One thing often ignored or not even considered and I do raise the issue about using car chargers on bikes. If yer travels do not venture into hot climates during the summer, then maybe Ok, but many chargers have lower rated Vreg chipsets (say 50 degC) when really you should opt and use a higher rated version (125 degC) which you'll find in above suggestion.

 

[Bumpkin]

Bumpkins suggestion are Ok, so if I ever fall under a bus, then there's an understudy in the wings

Dunno what to say to that RAM-man, I'm honoured

One thing often ignored or not even considered and I do raise the issue about using car chargers on bikes. If yer travels do not venture into hot climates during the summer, then maybe Ok, but many chargers have lower rated Vreg chipsets (say 50 degC) when really you should opt and use a higher rated version (125 degC) which you'll find in above suggestion.

Another thing with the Nuvi 765T is that it runs off 12v, the 'barnacle' in the lead I suggested is just a fuse and an LED. Short video from GPS City here.

I'm trying to remotely help a friend get a 765T set-up on his CBR600, long thread here. He's taking his time but is almost there...

 

[(RIP) Miff]

There are various waterproof satnav holder bags available. A quick ebay search found this

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/GIVI-UNIVERSA...20?pt=UK_Motorcycle_Parts&hash=item35acdb1ce4

There are other types available. Bar, or tank mounted. You can rig up a charger via a cigarette lighter adapter wired into the ignition or direct to the battery. A mate has just done this on his Honda Varadildo.

 

[Michael R1150GS Adventure]

i did 10000 miles with a TomTom One in my tank bag map pocket on the top of my Touratech tank bank very time.
Could operate it through the plastic, gloves on.

Made one wrong turn in three trips!

Amazing. And you can pick one up on flea bay for pennies.
Just get the Europe card and away you rattle

 

[Bumpkin]

i did 10000 miles with a TomTom One in my tank bag map pocket on the top of my Touratech tank bank very time.

I believe that only certain combinations of TomTom One versions and firmware could be made to accept, and utilise, ITN route files (means you follow a specified route, made with TYRE or ITN Converter). Did you do this, or just use it for point to point navigation?

 

[torq]

Being a cheapskate I am looking at using a car SatNav for the bike. Seldom use it on the bike so this could be a good move. Not too keen on getting into bluetooth so looking for modern SatNavs with latest features but importantly with headphone socket. Anybody know of any? Any bright ideas?

Thanks a bunch.

Oggie

This is what I did:

- Bought a refurbished Navman S50 off the Navman refurbished website for £50 (inc 12 month guarantee)

- Unlocked it using easy to obtain software

- installed TomTom Navigator Western Europe on it (I used purchased version but it is available for nowt if you're so inclined

- Mounted it in a RAM extra wide aqua box (£48 iirc from www.buybits.com)

- I use a male-to-male headphone lead which connects the satnav to my CB radio via an adaptor from Maplins which has a 3.5mm jack that goes in the CB radio and has two female splitter sockets attached. You can then plug your helmet speakers into one of the female sockets and headphone lead from satnav into the other one.

So, for under £100 this gives me satnav voice commands and bike to bike comms through the CB radio into my helmet speakers.

Ofc if you just want the satnav commands going stright to your helmet speakers then you just need the appropriate lead from Maplins

It took me longer to write this than actually purchasing and putting the kit together

 

[forest biker]

i did 10000 miles with a TomTom One in my tank bag map pocket on the top of my Touratech tank bank very time.
Could operate it through the plastic, gloves on.

Made one wrong turn in three trips!

Amazing. And you can pick one up on flea bay for pennies.
Just get the Europe card and away you rattle

I second that ive used my car tom tom on the bike for ages, dont give me no trouble mounting it or the wet getting in , and only cost me £40

 

[Myke Rocks]

I agree about the tank bag

i did 10000 miles with a TomTom One in my tank bag map pocket on the top of my Touratech tank bank very time.
Could operate it through the plastic, gloves on.

If you have an I phone 3 or 4, consider downloading Tomptom maps. Work well.

Myke

 

[Oggie]

Wow, what a response to my first ever question on this forum. Thanks so much for all your suggestions, plenty to look into.

Cheers everyone.

Oggie

 

[ZED 1000]

Tom Tom One

Reading this thread with interest as i need to have a satnav setup for the bike, I have a TT one but cant see how i could get voice prompt from it to the earphone of my intercom which is blue tooth.

 

[Bumpkin]

If the TomTom has an audio out socket you can buy plug in Bluetooth adapters from eBay, usually from Hong Kong, for between £15 and £25.

 

[ZED 1000]

If the TomTom has an audio out socket you can buy plug in Bluetooth adapters from eBay, usually from Hong Kong, for between £15 and £25.

Thanks for the reply
No audio out socket so i guess there is no way to get the voice prompt to my up to helmet even if i dont use the Bluetooth.

 

[Bumpkin]

Thanks for the reply
No audio out socket so i guess there is no way to get the voice prompt to my up to helmet even if i dont use the Bluetooth.

It's not unheard of for owners to open the case and install a socket, a few certainly did with the Garmin i3 when I owned one. Can't see why it wouldn't be possible with a TomTom.

However, once you get to this stage it might be worth looking out for a used GPS that's more suited to bike use, that's the path I took in the end and I haven't regretted it. All the advantages, none of the disadvantages, not too expensive either. Having said that I was recently toying with getting a Garmin Nuvi up and running on the bike, almost as feature filled as the Zumo 660 with just a few minor downsides.

 

[doolittle]

Thanks for the reply
No audio out socket so i guess there is no way to get the voice prompt to my up to helmet even if i dont use the Bluetooth.

http://www.soeasygps.com/shop/kit-gps-moto.html#2

kinda like a stesthoscope Haven't tried it. Have their waterproof case though and works great.

 

[kalaharigeorge]

If the bike is yer F800GS then look at this method http://www.locatis.eu/index.php?opt...lypage&category_id=5&product_id=407&Itemid=26

One thing often ignored or not even considered and I do raise the issue about using car chargers on bikes. If yer travels do not venture into hot climates during the summer, then maybe Ok, but many chargers have lower rated Vreg chipsets (say 50 degC) when really you should opt and use a higher rated version (125 degC) which you'll find in above suggestion.

You're my hero! So, I have an F800GS, can I plug one of these gizmos into the tank mount socket to power my GPS using the cigarette lighter cable supplied with the GPS, and drive through Iran in mid-summer? Serious question.