Anyone use a car sat nav behind an adventure screen 
Waterproofing tips welcome
Waterproofing tips welcome
Using a car sat nav on a bike
- Thread starter bisbee
- Start date
Anyone use a car sat nav behind an adventure screen
Waterproofing tips welcome
Buy one that's already waterproof.
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/4-3-Inch-...ics_GPSSystems_GPSSystems&hash=item4175b8591f
Anyone use a car sat nav behind an adventure screen
Waterproofing tips welcome
Please do not bother, the best advice is to purchase a bike sat nav, yes they are more expensive as they have a brighter screen. Pratted about for ages trying car sat navs as soon as the sun comes out you cannot see the screen.
Now the proud owner of tom tom urban and do not regret paying the extra £100 over the cost of the car versions. Bike sat navs also hold their 2nd hand prices should you wish to sell on.
Have fun.
Its not just the rain you have to think about. Bike satnavs are allegedly better able to handle vibration.
Fanum
Toubab
Because obviously, the sun NEVER shines in a car, so they make the screens dimmer
Does anyone actually have ANY evidence to back up this sort of thing?
I've used cheap car GPS units on bikes for years and have never had a single problem
I reckon it's some sort of self justification to overcome buyer's remorse.....Yes, I HAD to spend 500 quid on a bike nav unit 'cos it's just better innit.
No wonder Touratech are still doing a roaring business with their overpriced, poorly designed farkly shyte.........people keep falling for it all, year after year after year
andrewh
Registered user
Used a Garmin NUVI 1440 with a waterproof case as post 2 for approx 20,000 miles, all weathers, no problems at all, you can even route from Mapsouce/Basecamp.
Use a Tom Tom one, cost £99 full european mapping. Home made handlebar mount... Cost feck all... If it's pissing down I pop a ziplock freezer bag over it... Or take it off and stick in my tank bag map pocket...
Too tight to buy a full on bike version...
Too tight to buy a full on bike version...
The Grey One
Registered user
Because obviously, the sun NEVER shines in a car, so they make the screens dimmer
Does anyone actually have ANY evidence to back up this sort of thing?
I've used cheap car GPS units on bikes for years and have never had a single problem
I reckon it's some sort of self justification to overcome buyer's remorse.....Yes, I HAD to spend 500 quid on a bike nav unit 'cos it's just better innit.
No wonder Touratech are still doing a roaring business with their overpriced, poorly designed farkly shyte.........people keep falling for it all, year after year after year
Well I have posted before about this. I reckon I see more bikes, with sat navs of all sorts, than most. Most of our guest these days have one, so that's hundreds every summer. As I have said before the percentage failure rate for car units on bikes is by far the highest You might have a different experience but then your's is a sample of one, it tells us almost nothing.
And since when did you have to pay 500 for a bike unit-there are threads on here telling of better deals.
In my opinion using a car unit is a compromise, both in terms of function and reliability, if you can't afford a dedicated bike unit it is better than nothing. I just get a little suspicious when people say they can't afford one and then talk about their latest i phone! For can't read won't, which is fine but don't dress it up a a logical decision.
John
Still using a 2610 (with openstreetmaps)
Because obviously, the sun NEVER shines in a car, so they make the screens dimmer
Its a fact the screens are brighter. A car is surrounded by extensive bodywork. I have used car sat navs and bike sat navs! Have you actually done a comparison?
My statement is based on fact and is not an opinion......
You know what they say about opinions? They are like belly buttons, every one has one and some just stink.
Sooty09
Registered user
That Pumpkin sat nav on E-bay looks OK, however its the routing and maps which make a good sat nav. The cheap ones may do the job but not as good as more established and developed systems.
I have used Car GPS in a special waterproof bag from Hein Gerick, it dose the job OK but the plastic over the touch screen makes for sluggish operation, and misting up is a problem, Will generally work OK and at less than £60 from Halfords are a good cheap introduction.
First GPS unit I used was a HP personal organiser with a special Navman GPS attachment, it was a huge assembly and not waterproof at all, survived in a polly bag selotaped to the tank for many years, but when it did fail due to water I was stuffed for a while.
I now use a Garmin GPSmap60, fully waterproof and very robust, no going back to standard car ones now.
I have used Car GPS in a special waterproof bag from Hein Gerick, it dose the job OK but the plastic over the touch screen makes for sluggish operation, and misting up is a problem, Will generally work OK and at less than £60 from Halfords are a good cheap introduction.
First GPS unit I used was a HP personal organiser with a special Navman GPS attachment, it was a huge assembly and not waterproof at all, survived in a polly bag selotaped to the tank for many years, but when it did fail due to water I was stuffed for a while.
I now use a Garmin GPSmap60, fully waterproof and very robust, no going back to standard car ones now.
AberdeenAngus
Registered user
Reckon you could do it.
I've got a 660 but, tucked away behind the screen, I don't think it's ever gotten wet.
I've also seen folk put them behind the clear window on a tank bag.
I've got a 660 but, tucked away behind the screen, I don't think it's ever gotten wet.
I've also seen folk put them behind the clear window on a tank bag.
luke scott
Registered user
I used my Nuvi car GPS last year on the bike. I bought a givi waterproof holder and mounted it on the bike. Powered from the on board power point on the GS. and to finish off the cheap and cheerful approach I used cheap iPod earphones plugged into the GPS then up into my helmet. Faultless over 3,000 Kms.
Its a fact the screens are brighter. A car is surrounded by extensive bodywork. I have used car sat navs and bike sat navs! Have you actually done a comparison?
Like all generalisations.....
Having used iMap, Streetpilot III, nuvi 760, nuvi 770 and now Navigator IV on various motorcycles, I find it difficult to discern much variation between the screen illumination on the last three. Besides which, we did this very topic only recently... http://www.ukgser.com/forums/showthread.php?348360-Why-buy-a-bike-specific-sat-nav
Fanum
Toubab
I bow to your godlike superiority on the subject then
I've never been on a tour, organised anything or had anything whatsoever to do with leading large groups of people on trips, so you know it far better than me
I have seen more bike specific GPS units fail than I have car ones used on bikes
I use a Garmin 660. It's been thrown down the road while attached to the bike, and left out in the rain overnight. It gets washed with the bike.
I also use it in the car and van.
No problems with it yet.
I also use it in the car and van.
No problems with it yet.
Well I seem to have reopened a debate which I missed
I have a Garmin nuvi 265 that was a retirement gift and no desire to rush out to blow a large wedge on a 660 and all the ironmongery etc
I had thought about using the car suction mount on the screen anyone done this ?
I will look into trying a Givi case Do they steam up
Thanks for the replies to date
I have a Garmin nuvi 265 that was a retirement gift and no desire to rush out to blow a large wedge on a 660 and all the ironmongery etc
I had thought about using the car suction mount on the screen anyone done this ?
I will look into trying a Givi case Do they steam up
Thanks for the replies to date
The area tucked in behind the screen of a GS or GSA is fairly kind to sat-navs. When on the move and most of the time at standstill in the rain - my Zumo doesn't get wet.
The downsides to using a car-type sat-nav (as I see it) are:
1) The power-connector on the unit, and the cable - can be susceptible to damage on a bike.
2) If you mount the unit inside a tank-bag the cable connection can be even more vulnerable.
3) Inside tankbags - the touchscreen on the satnav may become even more difficult to operate
4) Any rain - tends to steam up the inside of the tankbag, and obscure the satnav from sight.
5) Positioning a sat-nav inside a tankbag may not be a great location for glancing down at the route - it takes your attention away from the road too much (in my opinion) - compared to the almost "line of sight" of a sat-nav mounted above the instruments.
The upsides are:
1) They are much cheaper. (until you have to shell out on a special tankbag)
2) ................................
3) ................................
4) ................................
5) ................................
Al
The downsides to using a car-type sat-nav (as I see it) are:
1) The power-connector on the unit, and the cable - can be susceptible to damage on a bike.
2) If you mount the unit inside a tank-bag the cable connection can be even more vulnerable.
3) Inside tankbags - the touchscreen on the satnav may become even more difficult to operate
4) Any rain - tends to steam up the inside of the tankbag, and obscure the satnav from sight.
5) Positioning a sat-nav inside a tankbag may not be a great location for glancing down at the route - it takes your attention away from the road too much (in my opinion) - compared to the almost "line of sight" of a sat-nav mounted above the instruments.
The upsides are:
1) They are much cheaper. (until you have to shell out on a special tankbag)
2) ................................
3) ................................
4) ................................
5) ................................
Al
I used a regular Tomtom One with a bike mount on my FZ6 with few problems other than the mount getting a bit loose. However, when I swapped it to my XT660Z the vibes killed the charging connector. Having said that, once I moved it to a tank bag it was OK.
I bought a Tomtom Rider for my F800ST and that was fine, but when I moved it to my R1200GSA the vibes killed the mount. Now I have a Touratech anti-vibe mount, and it has been fine.
So from my experience, all sat navs are fine if you keep them away from vibration. The advantage of regular sat navs is that they are 1/3 the cost of a Tomtom Rider. I go with the Rider now as I like to have a nav mounted in the cockpit and I was happy to pay the price difference.
I bought a Tomtom Rider for my F800ST and that was fine, but when I moved it to my R1200GSA the vibes killed the mount. Now I have a Touratech anti-vibe mount, and it has been fine.
So from my experience, all sat navs are fine if you keep them away from vibration. The advantage of regular sat navs is that they are 1/3 the cost of a Tomtom Rider. I go with the Rider now as I like to have a nav mounted in the cockpit and I was happy to pay the price difference.
hughguzzi
Registered user
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