GPS questions (apologies if these are repeats!)

[bakerlonglegs]

A request for advice please!
I'm looking into getting a GPS for bike, foot, car and MTB use. So, it needs to be pretty portable, weather-proof and have its own power supply. Apple Mac compatibility would be nice but that doesn't seem to be possible. After an extensive trawl thru' the GPS threads, the Quest looks like it might do the job but I have a few questions:

1) Pick its own route?
As I've never used GPS before, am I right in thinking I can stick the the unit on the bike, tell it to take me from point A to point B maximising use of B roads inbetween (or whatever) and it will do the rest? If I'm feeling lazy I don't have to plot the route in detail via waypoints before I set off do I?

2) Mounting
I'm concerned about the small screen size and therefore want to mount the unit up high above the speedo using the migsel speedo mount thing. Other than that, the whole mounting issue seems very confusing involving sundry RAM(?) mounting bits but I got lost in the part numbers! I'm sure I saw a link on here (but now can't find it again ) to an online place that sold the lot in one go for a good price—does anyone have that link? Do I need to get the migsel speedo bit separately?
A power cable for long tours would be good - is there a particular mounting ruse I should follow to allow for this? (I gather the Garmin power cable will/may be available some time in the near future?)

3) Does the Quest also include off-road bridleways and footpaths as well, or is that a different beast?

Sorry if these are repeat questions chaps - you GPS experts (RAM-man, Fanum, Migsel, Pan et al.....) must be tired of the same newbie threads! Any help appreciated....

BLL

 

[Gecko]

A request for advice please!
I'm looking into getting a GPS for bike, foot, car and MTB use. So, it needs to be pretty portable, weather-proof and have its own power supply. Apple Mac compatibility would be nice but that doesn't seem to be possible. After an extensive trawl thru' the GPS threads, the Quest looks like it might do the job but I have a few questions:

1) Pick its own route?
As I've never used GPS before, am I right in thinking I can stick the the unit on the bike, tell it to take me from point A to point B maximising use of B roads inbetween (or whatever) and it will do the rest? If I'm feeling lazy I don't have to plot the route in detail via waypoints before I set off do I?

1) Yes - it's called auto routing just tell it where you want to go and choose between fastest route or shortest route and it will work it out for you. If you want to exclude possible u-tunrs or highways 9motorways0 you can also select that option too. If you want to work out a route in advance on you PC and choose an illogical route that meaders and takes in places that you want to go to it will let you doo all that too.


2) Mounting
I'm concerned about the small screen size and therefore want to mount the unit up high above the speedo using the migsel speedo mount thing. Other than that, the whole mounting issue seems very confusing involving sundry RAM(?) mounting bits but I got lost in the part numbers! I'm sure I saw a link on here (but now can't find it again ) to an online place that sold the lot in one go for a good price—does anyone have that link? Do I need to get the migsel speedo bit separately?
A power cable for long tours would be good - is there a particular mounting ruse I should follow to allow for this? (I gather the Garmin power cable will/may be available some time in the near future?)
The RAM mount website has a link at the top of this website so just click on it and go see what the optiosn are. they are many and varies. The MiGSel speedo mount is brilliant. It puts the GPS just in the right position for your line of sight without being intrusive - if you go for a Quest don't foget that it has voice commands to so with an ear plug you will hardly need to look at the screen. As for screen size - don't worry about it. If you can read your speedo and you can see the raod ahead the csreen will be more than acceptable for you.

3) Does the Quest also include off-road bridleways and footpaths as well, or is that a different beast?
As with all Garmins they are only as good as the software you load into them. If you really want a topographical Ordnance survey type map on your GPS you can install this (non-standard) but then you can't do turn by turn navigation. The standard Mapsource 'city select' or 'city navigator' software shows you lanes and unpaved roads that you didn't even know existed so probably more than you would ever need for normal use. If you want to take up rambling across the moors with the anoraks then you won't find it up to much. It's a navigation aid first and a tarditional GPS (positioning system) second. What it does have is a feature called 'trackback' which is like leaving an electronic breadcrum trail in the memory. You can then save the track and it will be there any time you want it.



Sorry if these are repeat questions chaps - you GPS experts (RAM-man, Fanum, Migsel, Pan et al.....) must be tired of the same newbie threads! Any help appreciated....

BLL

Now stop farting about and being a technophobe and get yerself one - you will not regret it !!! best bike accesory ever invented IMHO.

 

[Cooky]

Gecko,

I have the Quest but haven't tried plotting a detailed route using the PC rather than the unit itself. Is it easier to plot a meandering route/rideout on the PC?

Also if you go off route while following a pre-planned rideout route does the Quest redirect you back to your original route or does it simply recalculate the quickest way to the ultimate destination?

Sorry if this is a thread hijack

 

[Gecko]

It's very easy to make a route on the PC simply because the scale on the PC is much better. Plotting a manual route on the GPS unit is possible but it's a very small screen so a bit tricky. On the PC you can zoom right in close and click along the road you want to go on and make the route . Then just save it and upload it to your GPS. When you start up your GPS unit, select ROUTES and it will ask you if you want to navigate this route - tell it YES and off you go and it will take you exactly along the route. If you get to a point that you can't drive down and you have to re route you have 2 options . If your GPS unit has auto recalculate switched on the unit will do just that - it recalculates to take you on it's recommended detour but this may miss out a bigger chunk of the route than you may like. I tend to turn off the auto recalculate when I am running a saved route. This way if I go off route the route remains high lighted on the creen and I steer back towards the route using the onscreen display. If the route disappears off the display I can zoom in or out to see which way I need to head to get back on the route.

One tip - if you receive a route from someone else save it first to your PC then with your right mouse - 'recalculate' the route . this will ensure that the route is resaved in the correct software version that you are using for your GPS unit. It ensures compatability between your version of mapsource and your GPS unit which may be slightly different to the person who sent you the route.

 

[RAM-man]

Hi Bakerlonglegs,

I see Gecko has given you most of the answers here.

You can use the Migsel speedo bracket then add a short arm RAM-B-201-A and diamond base RAM-B-238 and then cradle RAM-HOL-GA15. if your smart, then buy a RAM-B-149ZA and get a U-bolt in the mount kit so you can have two anchor points, if you wish.

I suggest a trawl thru this Forum under Quest etc to view previews threads and links on this subject.

GPS Warehouse offer Quest with RAM-B-149Z and cradle at a bundle and its very popular I'm told.

As to the GPS Warehouse Quest power cable... its coming ! (familiar words you all say) but I know more but at risk of losing of my kn****rs on Valentines night, I cannot tell more. All I will says its moving forward and shall start a new thread when ready to announce.

 

[Cooky]

thanks Gecko.

 

[Gecko]

Yeah right.....now get lost.......or not hopefully with your new GPS

 

[Fanum]

Psssst Gecko....fancy writing a FAQ on GS suitable GPS' for the newbs???

Doesn't take as much time as you think......a bit of cut'n pasting and job done rolleyes: honest! )

 

[Gecko]

AUTOREPLY

I'm sorry but Gecko is unable to respond to your message due to being unavoidably blinded by drinking too much cheap liquor

 

[Gecko]

I'll have a chat with MiGSel - he knows lots more about these things than me and maybe we can knock something together

Gonna cost ya

 

[Fanum]

I'll have a chat with MiGSel - he knows lots more about these things than me and maybe we can knock something together

Gonna cost ya

It's a deal.

Sex or beer??

 

[Gecko]

Get me drunk and I'm yours

 

[bakerlonglegs]

I hate to interupt all this valentine's night love-play but.....
Thanks for the advice!!
You're right Gecko - it is time to stop dithering and go and get something....

Cheers for the part numbers and wise words RAM-man - I'll look out for the power cable launch, which leads to one last question - is this new cable likely to fit through the cradle you mentioned?
BLL

 

[RAM-man]

... and wise words RAM-man - I'll look out for the power cable launch, which leads to one last question - is this new cable likely to fit through the cradle you mentioned?


Yes.., the cable guy has a GA15 smaple and the electrical connection contacts is Ok but a new connector casing is needed to house the connector and marry onto the GA15 slot at the rear. I'll tell more in a few weeks and start a new thread.

RAM-man

 

[bakerlonglegs]

Cheers!

Thanks for all the advice RAM-man, just ordered the Quest bundle and the short arm for delivery tomorrow, and sent an e-mail to Migsel to ask about getting his speedo mount.
If anyone has any mounting questions about GPS kit I'd recommend phoning RAM UK and talking it through, certainly cleared the fog on all the part numbers for me.
Andy

 

[ebbo]

That GPS FAQ idea is a good one, make it a sticky

 

[Mouse]

One trick I've found useful is to make waypoints at various places in the area you are going to travel ... for example major road junctions, villages etc.

Then if you need to make a new route while out on the bike, you can go waypoint to waypoint much more easily then by tying to use the cursor on the GPS screen to select the points.

If you see what I mean.