Does the 765T have the Bluetooth hub feature? I mean can you route phone through GPS to Headset? Or is this just on the Zumo models?
Garmin GPS features.. what's important and what's not?
- Thread starter jay-d
- Start date
I could understand upselling Bluetooth, waterproof, bigger screen, etc. Uploading routes is a very basic feature that costs them nothing to include.
Bah, pisses me off
wonderings
Well-known member
The newest Nuvi is waterproof and works fine on a bike, in a basic sense of getting you there. One is sitting on my dads HD Ultra classic, another on my uncles HD Road king, both vibrating monsters when not moving, the Nuvi stands up fine.
http://www.gpscentral.ca/products/garmin/nuvi550.html
I stand corrected on a couple of points:
- I didn't know there were waterproof Nuvi's. One plus for Nuvi series. They are still very hard to use with gloves on and practically impossible to zoom in/out properly ("buttons" are too small and the unit zooms by itself in increments that cannot be controlled/adjusted). That renders them useless on the bike in my book.
- I just received a Zumo 660 yesterday and after a brief test have to say that it's software feature set and adaptability/configurability is on par with Nuvi 1490T I tested recently, which means piss-poor. My first eTrex Legend from six years ago beats them hands down in almost every respect with regards to the operating system features.
I stand firmly behind my statement that many bikes will kill handlebar mounted electronic devices prematurely. Some bikes vibrate less or differently then the others and some GPS devices are more sturdy then others, but I can tell you from direct personal experience that no Garmin eTrex will last longer than 40-50,000Km on an air cooled Bandit. The fact that the GPS case flexes and there are several critical sliding contacts inside does not help at all. 50,000Km (about two seasons for me) is nothing to sneeze at, but without vibration these devices should (and probably would) last forever.
Last edited:
Enough about the Apple of GPS industry, let's talk about the PC for a change. Any of these will run circles around any Garmin and their proprietary and overpriced ilk:
http://www.curtisint.com/web/catego...&subCat=GPS&catName=GLOBAL POSITIONING SYSTEM
http://www.dealextreme.com/p/6-lcd-...transmitter-built-in-4gb-memory-usa-map-45499
http://www.dealextreme.com/p/5-lcd-...vigator-built-in-4gb-memory-with-us-map-31997
I haven't bothered to search for waterproof ones, but for $100 or so a pop I can afford to have them soaked once a year and still come ahead of virtually any waterproof Garmin.
http://www.curtisint.com/web/catego...&subCat=GPS&catName=GLOBAL POSITIONING SYSTEM
http://www.dealextreme.com/p/6-lcd-...transmitter-built-in-4gb-memory-usa-map-45499
http://www.dealextreme.com/p/5-lcd-...vigator-built-in-4gb-memory-with-us-map-31997
I haven't bothered to search for waterproof ones, but for $100 or so a pop I can afford to have them soaked once a year and still come ahead of virtually any waterproof Garmin.
Holy crap.. I had no idea that these even existed! I'm a TOTAL PC guy, even got me an Android phone that's customized to the tits! I would definitely love to get one of these and I'm sure there's forums or something on the net to get the Navteq maps on here.. hmm.. thanks so much!! Screw Garmin!!
I'm glad you found it useful. There is a very informative thread here about the little Curtis GPD359. Most CE GPSes should be just as hackable. I'll be bringing one as a backup GPS - MP3/movie player on my transcontinental trip starting this Friday.
vrus
Well-known member
I agree on the vibration. I've used my samsung captivate and it fell apart in about 2 weeks mounted on my bike.
I sort have an interest in these, but they don't look very shock proof and I'm weary of the mini usb connection. On the captivate, the micro-usb connection was the second thing to go!
http://sites.garmin.com/montana/ garmin just came out with this. They're claiming motorcycle/ atv friendly and it has a proper rugged mount and connection. I respect people who go for alternatives, I just want to one shot the unit and not fall to buying something new every 2-3 years!
You are right, they are probably not very shock-proof. However, they can easily become so if you stick them in a RAM Aquabox. It would take care of stabilizing and waterproofing the mini/micro USB connector as well, although I never had problems with it on eTrex that had it pretty much out in the open. Combined, the cost of the most expensive CE GPS units (I'm talking 7" screens with all the bells and whistles you can think of) and a RAM Aquabox/mount would still be under $300 and probably closer to $200, which is the price of a non-waterproof Garmin Nuvi.
No experience with Montanas, but they look like a touch-screen version of eTrex to me. Of all the Garmins I've seen live, the GPSMAP series offers the best price/usability ratio for the bike, IMO. I wouldn't trust any touch screen until I've tried it on a long-ish trip with a lot of zooming in/out, switching screens, etc. I wonder how hard it is to make a GPS that will have three-four programmable buttons on the left front side of the case and leave other functions to the touch screen? Am I the only person on the planet who finds that idea good and feasible?
The StreetPilot 2730!! This is the one I had and it was great but sold it cause I was bikeless for 2 years
https://buy.garmin.com/shop/shop.do?cID=164&pID=297
The StreetPilot 2730!! This is the one I had and it was great but sold it cause I was bikeless for 2 years
https://buy.garmin.com/shop/shop.do?cID=164&pID=297
Yep, StreetPilot series comes pretty close to what a good motorcycle should be, but no cigar. They are also discontinued, so they will be harder and harder to find, even second hand. They are on the bulky side too, so I don't see it being a big seller in the age of razor thin devices. I have borrowed one to take across the continent and I'm expecting it to work quite well. Still far short of features standard for higher end of the eTrex line though.
P
Pearlzzzzz!
Guest
No lack of information on this GPS thread,
but overwhelming contributory choices.
Please name 3 good starters?
"EASY" Mapquest Programming. Tracking, Very Clear Visibility. Waterproof.
Uncomplicated Hookup. No Gimmicks. No Vibration Complaint. Reasonably Priced.
but overwhelming contributory choices.
Please name 3 good starters?
"EASY" Mapquest Programming. Tracking, Very Clear Visibility. Waterproof.
Uncomplicated Hookup. No Gimmicks. No Vibration Complaint. Reasonably Priced.
It says US maps... does it have canadian maps and do they get updated often? Are the maps any good?
Forget what they say about pre-installed maps/software. It's a PC, so if it's hackable (many are, but I'm only sure for Curtis) you can install and run any software and maps you wish, even several of them at the same time. I use iGO8 on Curtis and it beats Garmin crap on too many levels to list. A colleague took it to Portugal, I used it as a pedestrian in Venice and my brother navigated Spain and Greece with it, all without a glitch.
