Help needed, with getting a GPS

[Glambabe]

Can anyone help as I can't ask grumpy, "you don't need one of those things", Tarka.

I have looked at the Tom Tom Rider but it seems a bit expensive.
The Quest can't be found anywhere.
I am curious about the Garmin StreetPilot i3.
Does anyone know anything about this model?
Or can anyone advise on a 1st GPS as I am a bit lost

I am looking for one suitable for car and bike use. Will be using it in the Uk and Europe so one that either has the data or not to expensive to buy the data for.

 

[Fanum]

Keep looking out for a Quest Lorraine.....they keep popping up at silly prices and if you keep an eye on the board you'll find one soon enough I would have thought.

The i3's no good on a bike...not waterproof for a start.

Might be worth popping in to Dixons or PC world and asking them to check their systems...they'll be able to tell you if there are any anywhere in stock.

Even if you pay up to 250 quid (going rate online) they're still the best value all round unit IMO.

Good luck

PS Tell Tarquin from me that you're wasted on him

 

[Glambabe]

Keep looking out for a Quest Lorraine

PS Tell Tarquin from me that you're wasted on him

Thanks for the advice Fanum. Really surprised that you remembered my name.

Good luck with TITS trip. Have a safe journey.

As for telling Tarka that I am wasted on him, I can only think of the phrase "save your breath to cool your porridge" as he is too busy doing his ironing to listen to me.

 

[hightower]

I've used a Tomtom Go in the car and truck for the last 2 years and it's always been pretty accurate and works well in cities etc. I've got no hesitation in getting the Rider, apart from the price, but, like all new electronic stuff, it will start to fall in price. Woolies, Dixons & Currys have dropped theirs to £550. Give it a few weeks and it'll be down to £499, then, by summer it'll be £449. Same rule applies to the xbox 360. I've worked in the electronics industry for 24 years and it's always been the same old story

So, if you fancy a Rider, hang on for a bit and watch the price tumble.

 

[ebbo]

I’d go for a Garmin with PC mapping, ie Quest (small screen) or Streetpilot 2610 (large screen).
The TomTom Rider is ‘no doubt’ a competent GPS, but it has no PC mapping for route planning and waypoint management. Lots of bikers will buy the ‘Rider’ thinking 'because it’s a bike specific unit' it must be the best option, I don’t think it is, and certainly not at £500.

Its worth remembering that just a couple of years ago the 2610 was well over £1000!

 

[hightower]

I’d go for a Garmin with PC mapping

Aaaaah...........good point.

Does that mean what i think it means??? i.e. You can plan the route at home on the PC instead of doing it on Watford Gap Services??

 

[mike6631]

I have just taken the plunge and purchased a Garmin. Spent ages reading all the info about the relative merits/disadvantages of most of those that people have bought. Finally opted for the Garmin on the basis of its performance, rugged/waterproof build, slightly larger screen and the fact that I don't need/intend to use it away from a vehicle (no internal battery). Am trying to digest the manual but after a couple of trial journeys I'm getting the hang of it and beginning to enjoy its capability. I got mine through Amazon at a good price and 2nd hand ones do come up on Ebay, but be careful not to buy from China or any US version!

Mike

 

[ebbo]

Does that mean what i think it means??? i.e. You can plan the route at home on the PC instead of doing it on Watford Gap Services??

It does Hightower, but when you go shopping for a Rider GPS, they probably won’t tell you that.

I think Tomtom missed the target slightly with the Rider GPS. As a car driver you probably do want to drive ‘door to door’ as you would if you were a bike courier, then the Rider would seem ideal. But, if you want to pre plan routes (even multiple routes, over hundreds of miles) use/save waypoints or save trails, then you probably want a Garmin.

If you want to see what can be done with pre planned routes and Garmin GPS’s, you can read my travelogues of the French Alps 2005 and Scotland 2005, click here www.ebbo.org

 

[Mouse]

Agree with everything ebbo said

Being able to plan a days ride onm the PC the evening before is great, much better than trying to work out a complicated route on the GPS unit itself. Planning a route on the GPS is perfectly acceptable if you just want to go from A to B by a direct route.

Anyway, Tarka's just bought a Quest, why don't you have away with that as he probably hasn't worked out how to use it yet

 

[team duvet]

Halfords

Hi Glambabe (nice name!)

Just bought a Quest from Halfords £100 off, £299 should have been £399, due to Quest 2 coming soon?

Just need my RAM fittings in the New Year.

Halfords salesperson said "Tom Tom rep said Rider not perfect yet"

Good luck,

TD

 

[Taff]

If I was looking for a good first GPS and can find a Quest for £80, I would take their hand off. If your budget is slightly higher, I would certainly consider the StreetPilot III even though it's not the most modern / fastest GPS system available. As a guide for you, I just sold my SPIII for £265 (with 128Mb memory card & latest Version 7 City Navigator). As long as you are aware of its limitations (you are restricted to 128Mb worth of maps - unless you buy a 256Mb card for about £120; and it is slower to recalculate routes than say the 2610) it really is a cracking unit and still used very happily by many today, in fact the TITS Land Rover Discovery was using the SPIII when it left Carmarthen for Gibraltar and back.

Keep an eye on E-bay, (don't buy from China) and when comparing units, make sure you are comparing "like for like" so you will need to know what it would cost to get the latest mapping etc.

 

[Mouse]

Good price on the SP3 there taff I just sold mine for £150, admittedly to a friend, but I thought that was the most I could sensibly ask

Cheap Quests seem to be in short supply these days so the SP3, even if a little more expensive, is still a good first GPS.

 

[Taff]

Good price on the SP3 there taff I just sold mine for £150, admittedly to a friend, ..

After keeping a close eye on similar units on e-bay, prices seem all over the place. Believe it or not, there was an old SPIII sold last week with City Navigator Version 5 for £300, while well kept units with Version 7 maps were selling for just £175. Whichever way you look at it Glambabe, for around £200 you should be able to get a good dependable GPS.

 

[longdog]

Hi Glambabe (nice name!)

Just bought a Quest from Halfords £100 off, £299 should have been £399, due to Quest 2 coming soon?

Just need my RAM fittings in the New Year.

Halfords salesperson said "Tom Tom rep said Rider not perfect yet"

Good luck,

TD

I'm not sure what to buy yet. I've missed the boat with the cheap Quests, but I did find this It's the least expensive Quest 2 that I could find. Anyone know of a cheaper one?

 

[Den]

Miss Glam. Ive got an sp3. If you want, you can sit on my tank whilst I ride along, and play with it. This way you can see how it performs for yourself. You can push the buttons as we are riding and see if you can guide us to our destination without any slip ups.

 

[Vampire]

Interesting that I never see the Garmin 276C being recommended in the UK. Is that model not available over there? I much prefer it to the Quest, and particularly the 2610 Street Pilot. I like the large colour screen, internal battery, and large capacity track log. I have it mounted on a Touratech bracket over the instrument panel, and although it partially obscures the tacho, I don't find that a problem as I don't have much use for that particular instrument.
The only downsides are that it is a bit bigger than the Quest and won't fit in your pocket, and it doesn't have a touch-screen like the 2610. Otherwise, it is better in every way, albeit a little more expensive.

 

[North]

Interesting that I never see the Garmin 276C being recommended in the UK. Is that model not available over there? I much prefer it to the Quest, and particularly the 2610 Street Pilot. I like the large colour screen, internal battery, and large capacity track log. I have it mounted on a Touratech bracket over the instrument panel, and although it partially obscures the tacho, I don't find that a problem as I don't have much use for that particular instrument.
The only downsides are that it is a bit bigger than the Quest and won't fit in your pocket, and it doesn't have a touch-screen like the 2610. Otherwise, it is better in every way, albeit a little more expensive.

According to http://www.gpscentral.ca/gpslcanadai.htm in Calgary, Canada. The Garmin 276C is their best selling Motorcycle GPS.

I am looking to get a GPS this coming spring and 276C looks like a nice piece of kit that would give me all around use. (Hiking, for the wife in the car and me on the bike.)

I don't really know anything about GPS's, other than what I have read. I wonder what anybody else thinks about 276C.