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View Full Version : My Invented GPS TankBag


ShinySideUpAZ
02-04-2006, 05:25 PM
A few weeks ago I asked if anyone knew of a GPS Tankbag. I found none, so here is what I came up with. It is a Joe Rocket Mantee Tank bag with a Gilsson Neoprean case for a Garmin 76CS. I just got back from a trip to Tortilla flats and the GPS and bag worked flawlessly. With the positioning of the GPS in your field of view it's great. When I stopped for lunch I just stowed the bag in my pannier and that was it. The bag has one of the best Magnetic mounting systme I've seen. If the bag and GPS some off the bike in an accident, you don't need to worry about where the GPS is going to land, worry about where you are going to land.

Here's how you make one. Carfully remove the cell phone pouch on the top of the TankBag, work from the inside of the bag and take your time. Remove the webbing and velcro bar strap from the bag of the Gilsson, Gilsson part #R76N using the same care you used in removing the cell phone pouch from the TankBag. Using a curved sewing needle, see you local craft store, secure the Gilsson case to the top of the TankBag.

The Garmin 76CS seems to run about 15hours on my 2500mAh batteries, but I still am planning to add a powerlet socket to the bag. Powerlet makes a cable for this GPS. When I'm ready I will cut and hot seal an access hole through the bag and case bottom for the Power connector.

I can't believe someone hasn't come up with this before. I really didn't like the look of the bar mounts for the ST1300, and think this solution is much cleaner. When I add the powerlet I will probably add a power cable for my cell phone and MP3 player as well. This will make the Mantee Tankbag a portable Electronics package.

Medicine Bear
02-04-2006, 05:59 PM
Very professional looking. Nice job!

Fred :03biker:

dond
02-04-2006, 06:37 PM
Nice job and very neat.

"With the positioning of the GPS in your field of view "
I will have to queSTion this comment. :p:

Assuming you are going to look at the GPS while moving I would be hard pressed to find worse place for it. JMO.

Ken
02-04-2006, 06:57 PM
Nice work, mgarula. If something like this had been available last year, I would have opted for this over the RAM ball mount. Simple yet elegant. Perfect. Maybe the bag makers will take heed.

ShinySideUpAZ
02-04-2006, 09:00 PM
Here is the cost breakdown.

Joe Rocket Mantee TankBag....$39.99
Gilsson R76N GPS case...........$13.99
Curved Crafting Needles..........$2.74
Thread.................................$1.89

Total..................................$58.61

2 hours of labor

AZST
02-04-2006, 09:05 PM
Wow...price of thread has gone up !!

Looks good.

--Bryan
04ST1300A
STOC# 5197
:04biker:

ShinySideUpAZ
02-04-2006, 09:09 PM
I used heavy duty upholstry thread.

AZST
02-04-2006, 09:13 PM
Any other STs go out to Tortilla today?? This is one local ride that I have been meaning to do but something else always comes up.

Also, which Garmin is that...I don't recognize it (I only know E-Trex and 2610)


--Bryan
04ST1300A
STOC# 5197
:04biker:

ShinySideUpAZ
02-04-2006, 09:49 PM
I went with some riders from work, it was kinda last minute so I didn't send an email out to our local Phoenix group. I did meet a new ST owner at the turn around past Tortilla flats. He just bought a used '03. I told him about the ST-Owners.com, do we have access to business cards? It would have been good to hand him a card with the web address on it.

The GPS is a Garmin 76CS. Garmin is comming out with a new version that has a mini-SD slot. That's the only diff. My unit comes with 115mb of built in storage. The base map that's in firmware is major highways only, and does not auto-route by address. However if you by Garmin City Navigator you get maps for the whole US major highways down to residential. With this package you also get address level auto-routing. Type in an address it tells you how to get there. City navigator also gives you a routable gas station, retail, food, and city sites database. I was able to load all of Arizona and Southern California. ShipDog has the best price. I paid $380.00 for the GPS and $115.00 for the City Navigator. This is a much better unit then the Gamin Quest I or II. I also think its better then the car ones people have been buying. The 76CS is water resistant and floats. It uses AA batteries Alkaline or NiMH.

crazykz
02-04-2006, 10:43 PM
Hey I'm all for making things work for what I need. Great job man.

Curt

Rob (from Hoosierville)
02-05-2006, 07:54 AM
Sweet. First class craftmanship.:clap2: