Where do I start?!

[DavidHale]

Here comes a silly question from a newbie to the site...

I'm not new to biking, or to GS's (had my Adv for 2 and a bit years now), but I'm now thinking of getting a GPS for it but (and here comes the silly bit) Where Do I Start?

Everyone on here seems to have valid opinions about differing systems and functions, but is there somewhere I could look that gives straightforward info on types of gps and how they work (I didn't realise you could download maps till I started reading this forum...)? I'm a bit overwhelmed by the amount of info avalible at the moment...

I hope this isn't too daft a question, but feel free to flame me if it is!

TIA,

David Hale

 

[Gecko]

What's your budget ? That's the first question because you can go mad spend thousands and have blue tooth voice command into your helmet or at the other end of the scale spend less that 100 quid and have a GPS that'll tell you where you are but not how to get where you are going.....

 

[Telford]

If you haven't done so already, try HERE

 

[Aussie]

Do you know what you want it for? and how good is your eyesight
Garmin seem to have the best backup, see if you can play with a BMW Nav. at your local BMW shop

 

[DavidHale]

And there's more...

Thanks for the replies and links - all useful stuff!

I'm hoping to use it in the UK and Europe, including Eastern Europe, and was hoping to spend around £600 (at least, that's how much I've saved so far!) The sites I've found so far are great at describing their products, but not so hot on basic info - which is what I need! Is there some sort of 'GPS Navigation for Dummies' that someone could point me to? It's the simple stuff I need, such as how you actually get the maps onto the system, and that sort of stuff.

I know this is basic stuff, but I don't want to sheel out a load on something that needs a degree to operate!

Thanks again,

David Hale

 

[rocks]

Gps

Dave,
I have just posted a brandnew Garmin 2610 on the forsale section..

I bought one as my first ever GPS.. absaultely brilliant. Easy to use, easy touch screen options, easy software to use.

Just takes about 20minutes to run through the basic instructions and your away... ( you get a quick cheat sheet card.. as well as a chunky instruct manual..lol..)

I dont use mine for off road, but i have to say it proved its worth excellently on a recent trip to scotland.. the auto routing function made getting to places i wanted to be, really easy.

There are other options, the quest is quite popular..
But i went with the 2610 as it has a bigger screen and upgradable memory..

Well if its of interest have a look.. otherwise see if you can find someone nearby to you to have a look at, always helps to see them in the real. Good luck.. John

 

[DavidHale]

I'm interested...

but I've got to go out now!! bolox! Could you e-mail me your details to [email protected] and I'll be in touch first thing tommorow.

Mark it as 'provisionally sold'!!

TIA

David Hale

 

[Gecko]

Dave
Good choice - the 2610 is a great bit of kit - only thing you can't do is use it as a hand held unit to find your way back to your bike when you've parked in a strange town It needs a 12volt power supply. The Streetpilots , Quests and 60c model all can operate independantly on batteries.
If I had the dosh I'd buy a 2610 - today I use a 60c .
Whatever you buy I recommend you make sure it has the 'Atlantic base map' not the US base maps. This is less important if you have a 2110 with extra memory but the base map you need is the European Atlantic base map.
Happy navigating.

 

[rocks]

Emails..

Dave, have sent you a mail.. have a good read up on the unit. They rock in my opion.. excuse the pun.

The one i am selling is as Geko rightly points out, the proper European/UK model, Not a US one which has been re-mapped rest assured...

Its on hold for you.. John

 

[Boz]

If I wa to buy a Garmine 2610 in the US, would it be a problem getting hold of the Europe maps?

 

[littleredrooster]

If I wa to buy a Garmine 2610 in the US, would it be a problem getting hold of the Europe maps?

No problem. The problem only manifests itself when there are no maps loaded... Many people will tell you it makes no difference what the base maps are. Come in MikeO, tell us about it.

 

[markie_wales]

If I wa to buy a Garmine 2610 in the US, would it be a problem getting hold of the Europe maps?

No problem buying them (in the US) but they'll cost. Do the maths before you decide.

Mark

 

[Taff]

Dave. Go for it lad - next to my Adventure, the GPS is the best thing I have ever bought. As I write this, I am sitting in a hotel in the middle of Berlin, and believe it or not, I haven't looked at a paper map since I left South West Wales.

I currently use a Street Pilot 3, but I've been so impressed with how much easier travelling has become since I bought it, that I've already decided to buy a 2610 before next years "big trip". I agree with you about the huge amount of info available on different units, but the Quest / or 2610 seem to be the units which are in favour at the moment - and they are comfortably within your budget. You could spend weeks reading up all the information available - only to end up buying one of those anyway.

For some reason, this computer wont let me copy / paste the relevant thread title, but do a search for "Street Pilot 3. How Old?" I reckon this is the thread littleredrooster referred to earlier.

Don't worry too much about the technical stuff - like anything else - it's only a matter of practice. Although I needed help to load the program on the computer initially, once it's on there, you don't need any more, and it's all covered in the manual anyway.

GPS for Dummies ? Try one of Judges courses and if you have any ongoing problems - just bang them on here.

 

[Manch]

Dave,
for what it's worth I'm a complete technophobe myself and have recently posted several questions on this forum all of which have been helpfully answered by the guys here(thanks again ).
I took the plunge and bought a 2610 which I've found fun and easy to use.
I am struggling with the stuff that stays in the computer though. Loading the maps was easy, but the software on my desktop (Mapsource) seems dull to figure out, not very helpful and other than loading maps I'm still not sure what else it can or is supposed to do. Hopefully someone here will help out on that ??