GPS

[Rob Schwartz]

I got the 550 for the car kit, basically.  It's real handy to have along on
any trip.  It's not much more money, if you find a good deal ($730 or so),
and it also adds bluetooth and an XM receiver (pretty sure there's no
bluetooth on the 450).

I picked the Zumo over other stuff because of its focus toward
motorcyclists...  Touch screen works pretty well with gloves on.  I use the
buttons on the housing frequently.  It's gotten rained on a few times.  I
dig having tunes in my lid and the MP3 is easy to use.  It shows a little
motorcycle as the navigation icon instead of a car or an arrow!  Has a
built-in "fuel guage" that'll display a little icon when you're running
low... tap it for a quick list of nearby gas stations.

I'd imagine that all the Garmins will come with MapSource, probably even the
same version.  It's not as intuitive as using Google maps, but it's
workable.

Hey, another thought just came to mind... Garmina and I will often sit down
for coffee to work out a route or the next stop or whatever.  It's nice that
the she has her own battery so you can take her anywhere.  Not sure if the
others do too, but I like that feature a lot.

Yes, her name is Garmina.  She's quite polite, though she will interrupt my
tunes with route guidance...

-Rob



-----Original Message-----
From: David Beard [mailto:davidebeard at comcast.net]
Sent: Thursday, October 16, 2008 9:34 AM
To: gpzlist at micapeak.com
Subject: Re: GPS


Well, I think I have a short list of GPS's that I'm looking at now,
thanks to those who have commented. They are:

Garmin SP C550

Garmin Zumo 450

Garmin Nuvi 750 or 760

Garmin 200W

I like the facts that the Zumo 450 is water proof and you can load your
custom trips into it. Price isn't too bad, but still not cheap. Has
Bluetooth and accepts SD card.

The Street Pilot C550 can be had pretty cheap. Discontinued model. Not
water proof. Has Bluetooth. Accepts SD card. Can not store routes(?).

The Nuvi 760 has Bluetooth, but is not water proof. Also accepts SD
card. Bigger display than C550. Currently more expensive than C550.

The 200W does not have Bluetooth. Can not store routes(?). Big display.
Price is fairly cheap. Takes SD card.


My question is which of these four units can not accept custom maps
loaded from your PC? I'm still a bit confused about that feature. Any
other pros or cons regarding these units? I'd love to have a Zumo 550,
but can't justify paying that money right now. Hoping to get the best
bang for the buck.

Dave B



Rob Schwartz wrote:
> Garmina (my Zumo 550) has been a faithful travelling companion for a
little
> over a year now.    In short, I love it.  Some reasons why (some may apply
> to all GPS units):
>
> 1. MP3 player - piped into my helmet with an Autocom system, I carry a
> couple 2GB SD cards full 'o tunes and I'm good to go.
>
> 2. Navigation - The thing makes you look like a local in even the most
> confusing situations (i.e. Metro Los Angeles).  Plenty of warning before a
> turn and a nice picture of the turn so you REALLY know which way to go.
>
> 3. MapSource - Not the greatest program but, once you learn it, it's not
too
> tough to make custom routes and upload them to the GPS.
>
> 4. Downloading tracks - If I've "accidentally" found a great route, I can
> save it to MapSource and edit it.  Also helpful if you're following
someone
> on a great ride and want to recreate it!
>
> I haven't really come across too many limitations other than it's not 100%
> when it comes to avoiding dirt roads and it has led me down some stuff
that
> just plain didn't work... had to turn around twice in August.  Arrrgh.
Time
> wasted!
>
> I had wanted a Navi setup for my car but the option was >$1600.  I paid
> ~$700 for my Zumo (through the FJRforums @ http://www.autonav2000.com).
The
> 550 comes with a car kit & carrying case, both absent for the 450, I
> believe.
>
> Anyway, LOVE IT!! GET ONE!!!!
>
> -Rob
>
>
>