Tom Tom Rider

[Pondboy]

Lagered up now, so here we go.

Disclaimer:- As there is the ability to download new functionality to the unit through the mini USB port these menus could change or be added to during the units lifecycle. (I also hope I have not skipped anything important due to my trip to the pub.)

Main Menu
Page 1 of 3
Navigate to
Find Alternative
TomTom Traffic
Mobile Phone
Change Preferences

Page 2 of 3
Advanced Planning
Browse Map
View Route
Add Favourite
Itinerary Planning

Page 3 of 3
TomTom Weather
Download Extras
Clear Route
Guided Tour
Configure GPS

Navigate to Menu
Home
Favourite
Address
Recent Destination
POI
Postcode
Point on Map
City Centre
GPS position
POI in city

Find Alternative Menu
Calculate Alternative
Avoid Roadblock
Travel Via
Recalculate Original
Avoid Part of Route
Minimise Traffic Delays

TomTom Traffic (needs my phone to uplink so I can't use it.)

Mobile Phone (I'm not linking my phone so there).

Change Preferences Menu (on 6 pages)
Use night colours
Turn off 3D display
Turn off Map display
Show POI
Turn off Sound
Volume Preferences
Manage Favourites
Change Home location
Manage Maps
Manage POI
Status Bar preferences
Set Clock
Connect Headset
Change Map Colours
Change brightness
Planning Preferences
Toll Charge Preferences
Compass Preferences
Change Voice
Switch Language
Set Units
Operate Left Handed
Keyboard Preferences
Mane Preferences
Show Tips
Enable Bluetooth
Show version
Docking Preferences
Disable ASN
Reset Factory Settings

Status Bar Preference Menu
Tick boxs for
Remaining Time
Remaining Distance
Arrival Time
Current Time
Street Name
Speed

Planning Preference Menu
(Radio button choice between)
Ask me when I Plan
Only the Fastest
Only the Shortest
Only avoid Motorways
Only walking routes
Only Bicylce routes
Only at a limited Speed


POI's include:-
Petrols Stations
Restaurants
Open Parking
Hotel/Motels
Parking Garage
Airport
Amusement Parks
Beach
Camping Gound
Car Dealer
Car Rental Facility
Car Repair Facility
Cash Dispenser
Cinema
College/University
Company
Convention Centre
Exhibition Centre
Ferry Terminal
Frontier Crossing
Golf Course
Government Office
Hospital Clinic
Mountain Pass
Mountain Peak
Museum
Nightlife
Open Parking
Opera
Park & Recreation
Petrol Station
Place of Worship
Post Office
Railway Station
Rental Car Parking
Rest Area
Restaurant
Shop
Shopping Centre
Sports Centre
Stadium
Theatre
Tourist Attraction
Tourist Information Office
Yacht Basin
Zoo

and I am sure you can add other catagories somehow.....


Advanced Planning Menu
Home
Favourite
Address
Recent Destination
POI
Postcode
Point on Map
City centre
GPS Position
POI in City

Browse Map Menu
(Shows the map screen on your current position and lets you zoom in/out and scroll around) It has the tick box options to show, POI, Favourites, and Names.

View Route Menu
Browse as Text
Browse as Images
Browse Map of Route
Sjow Route Demo
Show Route Summary

Add Favourite Menu
Home
Favourite
Address
Recent Destination
POI
Postcode
Point on Map
City centre
GPS Position
POI in City

Itinerary Planning Menu
Start Navigation
New Itineray
Guided Tour
Save Itinerary
Load Itinerary
Delete Itinerary

Add Itinerary Menu
Home
Favourite
Address
Recent Destination
POI
Postcode
Point on Map
City centre
GPS Position
POI in City

TomTom Weather Menu (Need to pair Phone to use)

Download Extras Menu (Need to connect to Internet to use)

Clear Route Menu (Obvious)

Guided Tour Menu (Helps you learn the basics)

Configure GPS Menu
Three radio buttons to choose between
Degrees (d.d)
Minutes (d.d.m')
Seconds (d.m.s")

The remaining menus are pretty low level and are of less immediate interest.




Using the unit
Due to the short time I have it and its beta nature, I am not using the unit on my F650 in case it all goes Pete Tong. I have not tried building complicated routes although it is obviously capable of doing this on the unit.

Every time I zoom out the unit quickly zooms back in to my current position. I do not know if this is a speed related function that will give a larger visible area if you are travelling at speed. I cannot find a switch to disable this function although that does not mean there is not one buried in there somewhere.

I'm off to watch the second WSB race now, so leave your questions and I will try to answer them.
PB

 

[ebbo]

TomTom weather sounds interesting, especially if its displayed like the Garmin 376, ie like a weather map overlay, and postcode search is obviously where Garmin let us down. It all sounds great but for the lack of PC mapping, Ill give them a bollocking at the NEC in a few weeks

Thanks Pondboy,

 

[TheJoker]

Thanks for reporting PB! I'm keenly following your exploratios! Keep 'em comin'! (And keep drinking that lager - it fixes the world, you know )

 

[beemerboy9]

Try the Garmin 2720.

Greg

The 2720 has the same microdrive that gave trouble on the 2620 in a motorcycle environment. Hence many people opted for the 2610. Are you happy that the 2720 is a safe bet now?

 

[Pondboy]

TTR pictures

Right, I have finally got round to editing up the following images of the beta TTR I was recently loaned.

First of all, the images of the working screen do not do it justice.
The screen is much, much better and brighter that it appears in the piccies. Due to the ambient lighting being so low, the screen had reverted to its nightime display and I was using about f2.8/25th second shutter speed. The colour display IS superb.

TomTom Rider screen in night vision mode using the 3D display (which updates seamlessly).

Another showing screen in night vision mode

The unit

The back of the unit showing some electrical connectors of unknown usage. (they sure are not used with what comes in the box.) BTW notice the lanyard mount on the left as you look at it. This is a failsafe should it bounce out its cradle and meant to deter casual thieves.

The back of the unit while it is in its cradle

The bottom of the unit has a little sliding catch which reveals an SD card a mini USB socket and a power socket. (the thing under the unit is part of the cradle which I was resting it on to get the angle right. See next pictures)

The cradle. The bottom of the TTR unit has two lug holes which locate on lugs on the bottom of the plastic cradle. The stiff rubber top part of the cradle folds over the top of the TTR with a clip action.

The cradle with its handlebar mounting brackets. (I hope the ball socket fits RAM mounts)

The small bluetooth receiver. This is not waterproof and can be charged from the supplied power unit.

The single earpiece headset and microphone which plugs into the bluetooth receiver.

The power charging unit.

 

[TheJoker]

Thanks for the piccies PB! What's your impressions of the overall build quality of it? Would it survive a clumsy drop into the tarmac when you take it off the holder?

 

[Kropotkin]

The 2720 has the same microdrive that gave trouble on the 2620 in a motorcycle environment.

Not as I understand it. I understand that the storage in the 2720 is solid state memory, as opposed to a microdrive, so it shouldn't suffer the same vibration problems.

 

[Pondboy]

Joker,

The designer claims one of the first things TomTom did when they came to look at the first beta unit was to take it out into the cul-de-sac and lob it hand grenade stylee 50ft down the tarmac. It bounced and continued to work without a hiccup, so I recon that it is fairly tough.

The unit I had certainly felt very well put together, although I know they were still working on aspects of the case and seals to ensure their hardiness. The designer has it running on his HP2 (sigh) which he does use on green lanes as well as the Marlebone road (big sigh)

It will only get released when they are 100% happy with its durability.

PB

 

[TheJoker]

PB, life's so unfair! *pout*
I also want an HP2 equpped TomTom Rider (don't fancy Marylebone road tho - been there done that)....

Thanks again!

 

[DavidHolmes]

Do us a favour Pondboy. Plot a route from Sevenoaks to Dover, and see if the thing wants to send you off the M25 somewhere between junction 5 & 6 (and tells you to rejoin at the same place). And then try locating 'Oakham'. My Tom Tom software doesnt think the latter exists but insists on telling me to use the phantom Junction 51/2 on the M25.

When the software doesnt recognise my home town and insists there is a junction on a motorway that isnt there (less than 2 miles from my house), it doesnt give me much faith in the ability of the unit to actually get me to a destination that I dont already know how to get to. Great screen, wonderful features, amazing robustness dont really count for much if you still have to use a map to replan the route.

 

[Mouse]

I can see why GPSR manufacturers are moving away from PC software to "manage" the GPS - the processors in the units themselves are getting faster so it's more feasible to plan a route on the GPSR. But also they are trying to expand their market and offering a stand alone gizmo has much wider appeal than a gizmo that requires a PC connection. PCs are still a technical hurdle for most people (present company excepted) whereas electronic gizmos are just like ipods, people who would suffer a nervous breakdown when Windows gives them a blue screen don't seem to be fazed by them.

Having said all that, I really value the MapSource functionality and I don't think I'd buy a GPSR that didn't come with something like MapSource. However good the GPSR is, plotting a complex route (rather than just "take me to X") will always be easier on a PC.

 

[TheJoker]

I can see why GPSR manufacturers are moving away from PC software to "manage" the GPS - the processors in the units themselves are getting faster so it's more feasible to plan a route on the GPSR. But also they are trying to expand their market and offering a stand alone gizmo has much wider appeal than a gizmo that requires a PC connection. PCs are still a technical hurdle for most people (present company excepted) whereas electronic gizmos are just like ipods, people who would suffer a nervous breakdown when Windows gives them a blue screen don't seem to be fazed by them.

Having said all that, I really value the MapSource functionality and I don't think I'd buy a GPSR that didn't come with something like MapSource. However good the GPSR is, plotting a complex route (rather than just "take me to X") will always be easier on a PC.

Mouse, I've been pondering a bit (no reference to Pond Boy).

And it seems to me, alltho it's already Thursday...

... I still think...

... That it's a bit....

... too early to be drinking

- GPS' are getting faster - check (would be horrible the other way!)
- PCs are technical hurdles - for those other people
- Mapsource is best if you don't go in a straight line - check!

Excellent!

 

[Possu]

TomTom Rider is advertised in a Wunderlich advert in the latest Tourenfahrer that arrived yesterday for €799 or £570 @ €1.40 to the £.

 

[Mouse]

I can't decide whether Joker is taking the piss or just on the piss



What I was trying to say is that I'm sticking with Garmin because of Mapsource! But I can see there's a market for "stand alone" GPSRs.

 

[TheJoker]

I can't decide whether Joker is taking the piss or just on the piss

Mmmmmm beer!!!

What I was trying to say is that I'm sticking with Garmin because of Mapsource! But I can see there's a market for "stand alone" GPSRs.

Blimey! I understood that! No more drinks during the afternoon then

 

[Pondboy]

DavidHolmes,

Unfortunately I had to give the unit back after one weekend of play, as Honda UK wanted to get their grubby mitts on it (It would be a larf if they made them standard equipment on Blades.)

I don't know TomTom's plans, but it is possible they could offer internet based route planning at some time in the future. Personally, I do not know how I could have managed my 16 day UK Coastal ride (with around 450-600 waypoints and via's) without a PC planning tool. Thank god MBW press services loaned me a Nav II for the trip at the last minute. It took me over 1 week just to get the routes right in Mapsource and that was after I had already planned them in Autoroute and waypointed all the RNLI stations.

PB

And now you can read all about the trip in the back few pages of the Autumn issue of the quarterly MBW Bike Magazine (which is a very GS centric issue BTW)

 

[Brian ROSEN]

It is on sale here in France at 799 euros (that is about £550) It will soon be available cheaper at the supermarkets and then cheaper still by mail order on the internet. It IS waterproof and will run on its (rechargeable) battery for 5 hours. A bluetooth connection and mike and headphones to fit in a helmet are included. ( If you can read a little in french try www.acheter-moins-cher.fr)

 

[Brian ROSEN]

Buying cheaply in France

Sorry, I should have written www.acheter-moins-cher.com Good luck

 

[Brian ROSEN]

Yes, it is already reduced to 760 euros, delivery free in France from 1st December.

 

[TheJoker]

Brian, thanks very much for that information. It's good to know what's happening a bit further than the next town