Garmin 2720 Settings

[mermoto]

I've used my 2720 for a couple of rides and been experimenting with the options available.

Having researched the options for some months I decided on the 2720 as this seemed to be the most recommended and upto date GPS currently available, however when I initially tried it, I have to say I had big reservations as there were a number of things I felt were not as good as my existing Tomtom's (One and a PDA). Without going into all of the issues, some of which have also been discussed in the other current thread regarding the current software, I would very much appreciate some guidance from you more experienced users.

What settings do you recommend for on bike use?

When navigating a route, I frequently find the map zooming out to much and often jumping from one level to another and jerking during bends as it displays the direction I am traveling. In contrast to my Tomtoms which always turn corners smoothly and zoom in and out of junctions perfectly giving exactly the right amount of detail 99.9% of the time.

I also find that often when negotiating tricky junctions the mapping then displays the next instruction before I have completed the one Im on. This is particularly annoying if the juction Im on has multiple exits. As instead of concentrating on the current manouver I am being given the next instruction which can be two miles away!

The mapping displayed often seems to be to small detail on the screen compared to the very clear roads displayed on the Tomtom's.

As Im travelling to Garmish soon, any advice and tips on tweaking would be very much appreciated as Im hoping the garmin will prove a valuable aid and not a frustrating mistake.

Many Thanks

Mermoto

Garmin 2720, Ram mounts, 1150GSA

 

[Pondboy]

I know you can switch off the auto zoom "feature".

I like riding with the unit zoomed right in so I can see the severity of the approaching corners. I would only zoom out when I was stationary and looking around the map when planning journeys.
PB

 

[PanEuropean]

Hello Mermoto:

I have used the 2720 quite a bit on a motorcycle, and I'm generally pretty happy with it. Based on my own experience riding with the 2720, I have the following suggestions for you, to address the concerns you have:

1) Turn off the auto-zoom feature. It is a useful feature if you are working with the 3D visual presentation, but I find it to be a PITA when working with 2 dimensional maps. My preferred main map setup is 2D, auto-zoom off, north up.

2) The issues of next-turn screens popping up before a turn manoeuvre has been completed was fixed with a software update. To ensure that you have the 'latest and greatest' operating software for your 2720, go to this website Garmin Updates & Downloads - WebUpdater, download and install the application 'WebUpdater', then plug your GPSR into your computer via the USB cable, and launch the WebUpdater application. Your computer will then poll the Garmin website and download and install all the latest software (operating software, voices, GTM 10 software, etc.) for your GPSR.

Be aware that the WebUpdating procedure is a bit like doing the laundry: It has several stages, like the rinse cycles. So, after going through the first query, you will probably see a screen that says 'there may be further updates available...' Be sure to accept this and go looking for the further updates. The operating software updates are processed during the first cycle, and the voice software updates are processed during the second cycle. You might be surprised when you are offered the choice of downloading about 15 different voice languages - only choose the languages you intend to use, and be sure to choose the (English) languages that have 'names' attached (e.g. US English Jill, British English Jack, etc.). The languages with the 'names' attached to them are the language packs that can pronounce street names. The language packs without proper names attached cannot pronounce street names, they can only say 'turn left in 500 feet' - rather than 'turn left on High Street in 500 feet'.

3) You wrote: "The mapping displayed often seems to be to small detail on the screen" Again, I think this is an unwanted consequence of having the auto-zoom feature turned on. Unless you are using the GPSR in 3D display mode, turn auto-zoom off. You can now set the zoom level yourself, to provide you with the level of detail you want, and it will then stay as you have set it up. Personally, I tend to use a fairly tight zoom level when riding in cities, and a fairly wide zoom level outside of cities. I don't really adjust things much beyond the urban/rural change.

4) You could increase the level of detail presented by switching from 'Normal' to 'More' on the 'Map Detail' settings. But - I suggest you do this as a last resort only, because when you are in urban areas, you can be overwhelmed with detail if you have the map detail set to 'more'. Also, having the map detail set to 'more' fractionally slows down the speed of the map redraw. I usually leave the map detail set at 'normal', except for days when I am riding in sparsely settled areas (rural Switzerland, rural France), when I will sometimes crank it up to 'more' whilst I am out in the boonies.

Hope these suggestions help.

Michael

 

[mermoto]

Hello Mermoto:

I have used the 2720 quite a bit on a motorcycle, and I'm generally pretty happy with it. Based on my own experience riding with the 2720, I have the following suggestions for you, to address the concerns you have:

1) Turn off the auto-zoom feature. It is a useful feature if you are working with the 3D visual presentation, but I find it to be a PITA when working with 2 dimensional maps. My preferred main map setup is 2D, auto-zoom off, north up.

2) The issues of next-turn screens popping up before a turn manoeuvre has been completed was fixed with a software update. To ensure that you have the 'latest and greatest' operating software for your 2720, go to this website Garmin Updates & Downloads - WebUpdater, download and install the application 'WebUpdater', then plug your GPSR into your computer via the USB cable, and launch the WebUpdater application. Your computer will then poll the Garmin website and download and install all the latest software (operating software, voices, GTM 10 software, etc.) for your GPSR.

Be aware that the WebUpdating procedure is a bit like doing the laundry: It has several stages, like the rinse cycles. So, after going through the first query, you will probably see a screen that says 'there may be further updates available...' Be sure to accept this and go looking for the further updates. The operating software updates are processed during the first cycle, and the voice software updates are processed during the second cycle. You might be surprised when you are offered the choice of downloading about 15 different voice languages - only choose the languages you intend to use, and be sure to choose the (English) languages that have 'names' attached (e.g. US English Jill, British English Jack, etc.). The languages with the 'names' attached to them are the language packs that can pronounce street names. The language packs without proper names attached cannot pronounce street names, they can only say 'turn left in 500 feet' - rather than 'turn left on High Street in 500 feet'.

3) You wrote: "The mapping displayed often seems to be to small detail on the screen" Again, I think this is an unwanted consequence of having the auto-zoom feature turned on. Unless you are using the GPSR in 3D display mode, turn auto-zoom off. You can now set the zoom level yourself, to provide you with the level of detail you want, and it will then stay as you have set it up. Personally, I tend to use a fairly tight zoom level when riding in cities, and a fairly wide zoom level outside of cities. I don't really adjust things much beyond the urban/rural change.

4) You could increase the level of detail presented by switching from 'Normal' to 'More' on the 'Map Detail' settings. But - I suggest you do this as a last resort only, because when you are in urban areas, you can be overwhelmed with detail if you have the map detail set to 'more'. Also, having the map detail set to 'more' fractionally slows down the speed of the map redraw. I usually leave the map detail set at 'normal', except for days when I am riding in sparsely settled areas (rural Switzerland, rural France), when I will sometimes crank it up to 'more' whilst I am out in the boonies.

Hope these suggestions help.

Michael

Thanks Michael and Pond Boy,

I have switched the Auto zoom off but not yet had time to try the unit again. There is a second menu under 'Map Settings' called 'Zoom Level Detail'. Does this have any effect if the Auto Zoom is Off?

Many thanks

Mermoto

 

[PanEuropean]

There is a second menu under 'Map Settings' called 'Zoom Level Detail'. Does this have any effect if the Auto Zoom is Off?

Yes, it does, although I suggest you leave the settings under the 'Zoom Level Detail' at the factory defaults, unless you want to change only one or two specific items from the 20 or so that are listed there.

There are two ways that you can control how much detail is presented on the map at various zoom levels. One is through the 'Map Detail' control - found in the 'Map Settings' section - which gives you choices such as Normal, More, or Less. This is a high level control that affects all items shown on the map at all zoom levels. For example, if you switch it from Normal to More, you will notice that minor streets will appear on the map at one zoom level higher than they previously did. This particular control 'paints with a broad brush', so to speak. Be aware that if you set this control to 'More', it will take a fraction of a second longer to draw the main map. Under certain circumstances (riding in complex urban environments), this added delay can be a nuisance, so under those conditions it's better to leave this setting at Normal and just manually zoom in one level tighter.

The other way you can control what is shown on the map at various zoom levels is via the 'Zoom Level Detail' control, which is the one you mentioned. This control is similar to Map Detail, but it paints with a very narrow brush, so to speak. By way of example - let's say you are a railroad buff, and you want to see railways depicted on the map at much wider zoom levels than they normally disappear at. You could then go to 'Zoom Level Detail', select 'Railways', and change the setting from 'Auto' to - for example - 50 miles. This would ensure that railways will appear on the map display at all zoom levels up to and including the 50 mile display. by the same token, you could go to 'Points of Interest' under 'Zoom Level Detail', and turn the display of POI's off completely. This would ensure that when you are zoomed in really tightly, your screen is not cluttered up with display of restaurants, gas stations, hotels, and so forth.

If you want to start 'fine-tuning' your GPSR display settings, I suggest you do the following:

1) Backup your waypoints, tracks, and routes to your computer using MapSource.

2) Reset the GPSR to its factory default settings by clearing its non-volatile memory. You can do this by pressing and holding the MAP and MENU keys whilst the GPSR is off, then turning the GPSR on, and continuing to hold those two keys down for about 10 seconds or so.

3) Reload your waypoints and routes.

4) Now, ride with the GPSR at the factory default settings, and be quite judicious (conservative) about the changes you make to the various settings. Keep a record of what you have changed, and try to make only one change per day, so that you have ample opportunity to evaluate the difference that each change makes.

If you go about things this way, you will be starting off from a 'known good' configuration - namely, the factory defaults - and then slowly fine-tuning your GPSR to suit your personal preferences. A common problem that arises is that users make so many small 'fine-tuning' changes to the settings that they wind up screwing the GPSR up over a period of time. This is why highly experienced GPSR users always backup routes, waypoints and tracks to MapSource, and reset the non-vol memory to factory default status whenever a new software release for their GPSR comes out. That allows them to evaluate the new software release under the configuration conditions that the software engineers set up as default. That's really the only way to see what the changes (improvements) in each software release are!

There are a few items you will probably want to change 'right away' following a reset to factory defaults. These are, for the most part, the items below:

Under the 'General' button of the 'Settings' menu
a) Spoken and written language, unless you want American English.
b) Audio Settings - to suit your own wishes
c) Time - 12 or 24 hour display, as you wish, plus entering your home time zone.
d) Units of Measure - metric or imperial
e) Safe Mode - turn it off.

Under the 'Map Settings' button of the 'Settings' menu:
a) Orientation - 2 or 3 dimensional, north up or track up.
b) Auto-Zoom - on or off (I suggest off).

Under the 'Navigation' button of the 'Settings' menu:
a) Off Route Calculation - I suggest 'Auto-Silent' unless you want to follow a very carefully constructed route (e.g. a green lane tour).

Other than the items mentioned just above, don't tweak anything else for the first day or two. After a few days of riding, during which you can see how the unit operates as the software engineers envisioned it should, you can then start to make 'one change a day' to fine tune it to your own personal tastes. Again, keep a record of the changes you make, so that if you don't like the results, you can undo the changes you have made.

Michael

 

[mermoto]

Yes, it does, although I suggest you leave the settings under the 'Zoom Level Detail' at the factory defaults, unless you want to change only one or two specific items from the 20 or so that are listed there.

There are two ways that you can control how much detail is presented on the map at various zoom levels. One is through the 'Map Detail' control - found in the 'Map Settings' section - which gives you choices such as Normal, More, or Less. This is a high level control that affects all items shown on the map at all zoom levels. For example, if you switch it from Normal to More, you will notice that minor streets will appear on the map at one zoom level higher than they previously did. This particular control 'paints with a broad brush', so to speak. Be aware that if you set this control to 'More', it will take a fraction of a second longer to draw the main map. Under certain circumstances (riding in complex urban environments), this added delay can be a nuisance, so under those conditions it's better to leave this setting at Normal and just manually zoom in one level tighter.

The other way you can control what is shown on the map at various zoom levels is via the 'Zoom Level Detail' control, which is the one you mentioned. This control is similar to Map Detail, but it paints with a very narrow brush, so to speak. By way of example - let's say you are a railroad buff, and you want to see railways depicted on the map at much wider zoom levels than they normally disappear at. You could then go to 'Zoom Level Detail', select 'Railways', and change the setting from 'Auto' to - for example - 50 miles. This would ensure that railways will appear on the map display at all zoom levels up to and including the 50 mile display. by the same token, you could go to 'Points of Interest' under 'Zoom Level Detail', and turn the display of POI's off completely. This would ensure that when you are zoomed in really tightly, your screen is not cluttered up with display of restaurants, gas stations, hotels, and so forth.

If you want to start 'fine-tuning' your GPSR display settings, I suggest you do the following:

1) Backup your waypoints, tracks, and routes to your computer using MapSource.

2) Reset the GPSR to its factory default settings by clearing its non-volatile memory. You can do this by pressing and holding the MAP and MENU keys whilst the GPSR is off, then turning the GPSR on, and continuing to hold those two keys down for about 10 seconds or so.

3) Reload your waypoints and routes.

4) Now, ride with the GPSR at the factory default settings, and be quite judicious (conservative) about the changes you make to the various settings. Keep a record of what you have changed, and try to make only one change per day, so that you have ample opportunity to evaluate the difference that each change makes.

If you go about things this way, you will be starting off from a 'known good' configuration - namely, the factory defaults - and then slowly fine-tuning your GPSR to suit your personal preferences. A common problem that arises is that users make so many small 'fine-tuning' changes to the settings that they wind up screwing the GPSR up over a period of time. This is why highly experienced GPSR users always backup routes, waypoints and tracks to MapSource, and reset the non-vol memory to factory default status whenever a new software release for their GPSR comes out. That allows them to evaluate the new software release under the configuration conditions that the software engineers set up as default. That's really the only way to see what the changes (improvements) in each software release are!

There are a few items you will probably want to change 'right away' following a reset to factory defaults. These are, for the most part, the items below:

Under the 'General' button of the 'Settings' menu
a) Spoken and written language, unless you want American English.
b) Audio Settings - to suit your own wishes
c) Time - 12 or 24 hour display, as you wish, plus entering your home time zone.
d) Units of Measure - metric or imperial
e) Safe Mode - turn it off.

Under the 'Map Settings' button of the 'Settings' menu:
a) Orientation - 2 or 3 dimensional, north up or track up.
b) Auto-Zoom - on or off (I suggest off).

Under the 'Navigation' button of the 'Settings' menu:
a) Off Route Calculation - I suggest 'Auto-Silent' unless you want to follow a very carefully constructed route (e.g. a green lane tour).

Other than the items mentioned just above, don't tweak anything else for the first day or two. After a few days of riding, during which you can see how the unit operates as the software engineers envisioned it should, you can then start to make 'one change a day' to fine tune it to your own personal tastes. Again, keep a record of the changes you make, so that if you don't like the results, you can undo the changes you have made.

Michael

Michael, thank you so much for all the information. I turned the autzoom off today and went for a ride. Now that has helped immediately, no more jumping from different zoom levels like it did previously. I experimented in the heat of the day just to add a little additional stress to the situation. Screen was quite readable in the bright sunshine though.

I experimented with different zoom levels manually. It seemed to default at 800ft which was ok for most roads but I zoomed in a few times for the extra detail. Is it possible to increase the width of the roads displayed? They still seem rather skinny compared with the Tomtom's. I noticed that when trying the 3d mapping (which I dont like using normally) the roads are much fatter in appearance, however I dont like the way corners are drawn in 3d.

I still find, even when zoomed in to 120ft, that the roads on the map don't give me a very good indication of the severity of a bend coming up compared to the Tomtom. This is something I discussed in detail with the supplier and whilst it is not my intention to allow the Garmin to act as a second eye in judging the approaching corner it is a particularly useful feature I am used to with the Tomtom and is particularly helpful on an unknown road at night. Perhaps in the future GPS will give details of camber and road surface as you approach

Now I understand exactly what 'Zoom Level Detail' means I will experiment some more. Is there any reference guide that state what level zoom a particular feature will appear at when using Auto zoom level detail?

Thanks

Mermoto