Choosing a GPS - Easy

[Greg Masters]

If you want the 'best' GPSR, just wait a few years until this one comes out.
It's a top-secret picture of the prototype of the BMW Navigator XXVIII, due out in 2011...

<a href="http://www.hostdub.com/PanEuropean:Citation_Mustang_Garmin_1000:full"><img src="http://www.hostdub.com/albums/PanEuropean/Citation_Mustang_Garmin_1000.jpg" alt="hostdub.com"></a>

Seriously - it's a picture of the all-Garmin avionics suite in the new Cessna Citation Mustang very light jet.

Mchael

I can't wait to see the Touratech bar mount!



Greg

 

[guitarman]

Thought I would have a go at advice for all those who post - 'Which one?'

Buy the new BMW Nav 3 (soon)
If you can't afford that, buy a Garmin 2720
If you can't afford that, buy a Quest 2, or a second-hand 2610
If you can't afford that, buy a Quest 1
If you can't afford that, buy a second-hand StreetPilot III
If you can't afford that, buy an i3 (and a plastic bag)

If you can't read the above, buy a 276

If you want to be different, buy a TT Rider. Then sell it and buy one of the above.

Be veeeeeery careful buying off eBay. Garmin stuff requires coupons & unlock codes, and there's some dodgy stuff about.

ps. I'm only half joking

I know you're half joking but if you want a GPS for cycling, walking or don't want the hassle of a plumbing in a unit on the bike then the 26/27 series is useless.

 

[Mutley]

Sticky, sticky, sticky

Again I say this should be a sticky

Pink Crash Helmet has just asked the same question again and I'm damned if I could find this thread anywhere. Luckily Wildebeeste found it again

 

[PanEuropean]

And it has an analogue clock??

We pilot types call that thing with the two pointers on it 'an altimeter'.

 

[Nick Marshall]

you sure

We pilot types call that thing with the two pointers on it 'an altimeter'.

thought it was 1 1/2 oclock..

 

[wildbeeste]

Again I say this should be a sticky

Pink Crash Helmet has just asked the same question again and I'm damned if I could find this thread anywhere. Luckily Wildebeeste found it again

Wildbeeste found it again only because he saved it as a bookmark. Having also lost it himself and only found it because he went through the history on his computer.
Sticky Sticky Sticky Sticky etc etc

 

[PanEuropean]

Here's a serious attempt by me to provide a decision-making tree to help answer the question: "Which GPSR to buy".

1) Will you use it in North America or Europe? (this determines the model you need to get, Atlantic for Europe or Americas for North America).

2) Are either of the these two features critically important to you: Wireless audio to your helmet via Bluetooth, and/or wireless control of your cell phone via Bluetooth? If so, consider the BMW Nav III or Garmin 2820.

3) Are either of these two features critically important to you: Notification of Traffic Problems in real time and/or notification of the presence of speed cameras? If so, consider a GPSR that supports these two features, which are known as TMC and Custom POIs, respectively. Examples include (but are not limited to) the 27xx series of GPSRs. Some of the more recent production 'dual purpose' (marine and automotive) GPSRs, such as the 3x6 and 4xx series, support Custom POI alerting (speed cameras), but none of the dual purpose ones support TMC.

4) How important is large screen size to you? This is influenced considerably by your age (in other words, your visual acuity). If you are over 40, you might want to lean towards the GPSRs with the larger screens, such as the SP 2xxx series, or the 2x6, 3x6, 4x6 and 4x8 series; and stay away from the ones with the smaller screens, such as the Quests.

5) Do you have a computer with a CD or DVD reader available to you? If not, you may want to concentrate on buying a GPSR that comes with all the maps pre-loaded. Most of the newer ones (meaning, those brought to market since the beginning of 2005) do.

6) Will it be used primarily on a motorcycle? If so, limit your choice to the models that are clearly identified as 'waterproof'. Not all are (although all the ones I have mentioned in this post are).

Michael

 

[Dale]

Here's a serious attempt by me to provide a decision-making tree to help answer the question: "Which GPSR to buy".

Michael

Michael,

I would add one criteria....

Are you going to be using the GPS primarily on-road or off road? Included in "of-road" are any places where the maps available are either not good or not autoroutable.

On road the SP range are certainly the best but for off-road use I believe the 276/76 stlye of user interface is better (see other post on this board about "2820 and tracks" for a more full explanation).

Dale

 

[PanEuropean]

Hi Dale:

Yes, I agree with your comment - the StreetPilot series is intended for primarily on-road use. You can load topo maps into it and use it off-road, but it won't provide routing guidance. The dual purpose units (2x6 et al) won't provide 'initial routing guidance' either, but once you have created a track, you can then display that track and follow along it.

I think that the recently announced 'Zumo' motorcycle specific GPSR from Garmin will provide a better solution for off road riders than either the StreetPilot or the 2x6 series. According to the information published by Garmin at the product announcement page Garmin zūmo 550, this GPSR will allow you to "share your favorite places and rides with other zūmo riders", because "SD card expansion makes it easy for storage and route sharing. Download routes to share with your riding buddies". In other words, the routes and track logs will be kept on the SD card, thus easily transferable from one GPSR to another in the field.

I know a bit more than I am letting on to, but I can only refer to what has been publicly announced. Suffice to say, though, that I think we will finally have a solution to the on-road / off-road track and route navigation and sharing issue.

Michael

 

[snodog]

I know a bit more than I am letting on to, but I can only refer to what has been publicly announced. Suffice to say, though, that I think we will finally have a solution to the on-road / off-road track and route navigation and sharing issue.

Michael

Ohh stop teasing and spill the beans.