Idiot's GPS magazine?

[Betty Swollocks]

I am a complete novice to the GPS thing... I need the right info and help before I decide. Is there anything like a magazine in circulation 'What GPS' or similar? I am considering the Garmin models, but need to learn what they can do and then learn how to use them. Total beginner's guide.

 

[adamapost]

Garmin's web site has GPS Guide for Beginners which is a good starting point (a pdf) - http://www.garmin.com/aboutGPS/manual.html

There is a lot of information on this web site - http://gpsinformation.net/ - everything from basic to advanced information.

A guide to choosing a GPS - http://gpsinformation.us/main/whichgps.html - based on your expected usage.

A GPS User Manual: Working with Garmin Receivers - http://www.gpsinformation.org/dale/wgarmin.htm - this book is a little dated now but certainly works as an introduction.

Hope this is useful.

 

[ebbo]

I aren’t aware of a GPS magazine, but I will give you a few tips.
Briefly, for the bike you need a waterproof GPS such as:

Garmin 2610, touch screen, cheap memory cards & PC mapping, large display not great in the sun.

Garmin 276c, push button control, expensive memory cards, large & sharp daylight viewable display, PC mapping

Garmin Quest, push button control, limited built in memory (Quest II is much better), PC mapping, small and sharp daylight viewable display, all the cheap ones have just been sold

Tomtom Rider, touch screen, large display, bike specific device, mapping on Tomtom data card for UK, rest of Europe is extra £’s, Bluetooth audio connectivity, no PC mapping.

That’s the current popular options; I don’t think there is any one GPS that’s a clear winner (yet)

Lastly, people do put PDA GPS’s on there bikes, some times in the tankbag, sometimes in a waterproof Otter Box (or what ever) but neither in my opinion are as good as a dedicated waterproof GPS.

Hope that helps, cheaper than a magazine too
(sorry If I stole your picture )
Martin

 

[Number 6]

Buy a Garmin. The Quest is superb and will do everything you could want from a GPS Try these sites for GPS info http://www.gps.gov.uk/ http://www.trimble.com/gps/
http://pocketgpsworld.com/

 

[HMR]

A guide to choosing a GPS - http://gpsinformation.us/main/whichgps.html - based on your expected usage.

This document is OK if you plan to use the GPS in a car. MC-usage is different.

The bad thing is that it is not until you have used a navigator on the bike for some time that you are able to understand what your needs are.

Buy a second hand Garmin. Or a new Quest.

 

[Betty Swollocks]

Cheers guys, Garmin of some sorts it will be. (Just not this week).
I hope to use it in the car as well. A mate has the triumph version, which I think is a Garmin2610, I will get a couple of runs with him and check it out...
Thanks again!

 

[guitarman]

I think it's pretty straightforward.

If you need to use the GPS off the bike or the car (walking or pushbiking for instance) then it's the Quest (or Quest II) as it doesn't need a separate power source.

If you're never going to use a GPS away from a power source then it's the 2610 if you can afford it.

When looking at costs don't forget to factor in brackets, power leads and possibly an aerial if you're using it in a car with a "reflective" windscreen.

Cheers

Dick

 

[NA1959]

Which GPS

Just to add to all of the above. I liv in Nord Ireland and have myself been in the market for a GPS for the car and bike.

Many options or the car , fewer for the bike. Basically came down to Garmin or Tom TOM. Having been in Halfords, PC World, Currys etc etc. still cannot make up my mind.

However, I have established that the Tom Tom system in some areas does not have accurate street mapping were as Garmin would appear to have an excellent coverage of NI.

Hope you fine a suitable unit and if so post on the forum what you bought and how you find it works!

You never know I could possibly be influenced by your view. As yet I'm sitting on the fence and dioing more research.

Chees for now!

 

[Kropotkin]

I think it's pretty straightforward.

If you need to use the GPS off the bike or the car (walking or pushbiking for instance) then it's the Quest (or Quest II) as it doesn't need a separate power source.

If you're never going to use a GPS away from a power source then it's the 2610 if you can afford it.

When looking at costs don't forget to factor in brackets, power leads and possibly an aerial if you're using it in a car with a "reflective" windscreen.

You overlook the 276 (presumably because of the cost). However, I would recommend the 276 over both the Quest and 2610, as it has a MUCH better screen than the other two (the Quest screen is very small indeed), it draws less power than the 2610, and it's much easier to use for walking than the Quest. It's also a lot more configurable than either the 2610 or Quest (more data fields to choose from).

The downsides are cost (it's a bit more expensive than the 2610) and the proprietary memory. The memory can be sourced more cheaply on EBay (there are a couple of people who make replacement cards), but it's still not as cheap as CF or SD cards. There's a 512 MB card available now, which is enough to load all the mapping for a reasonably comprehensive tour of Europe. I would only get the 2610 if I had a pressing reason for not having access to a computer with Mapsource on. But that would involve a 3 month, 20,000 mile tour of Europe, which ain't gonna happen very often.