GPS Recommendations...

Tankereng

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I’ve got a Zumo 660 that’s get a bit tired.

What’s the latest and greatest GPS? Don’t need all the fancy bells and whistles anymore.

Weatherproof, good screen, Bluetooth to connect with my Sena.


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Mellow

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I'm still using the 590 and really like it... the Up Ahead built in function is priceless IMO... it finds stuff along your route and not just in the radius of your current location. So, makes dealing with the smaller tanks of Non-ST bikes much easier. I can hit 120 miles and check the app to see if there are towns/gas stations along my route around 60 miles away and if there are some 30 miles away and then 90.. it helps me plan a little better and hopefully not have to push.. lol
 

Uncle Phil

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If you are just after GPS function in a waterproof, glove friendly unit, the 5" Chinavasion is a good, inexpensive unit.
Since I normally ride to work, I use mine everyday just to see how they will hold up and there have been no issues.
Not a Garmin, but then it doesn't cost like one either and you don't have go the 'baggie' route when it rains. :biggrin:
Setup is fairly simple and downloading/updating is even simpler. No lifetime maps, but the software supplier I use
emails me when he has new maps and I decide whether I want them or not. Some of the units on EBAY already have the software included.

Also, IIRC, PaulCB was looking at a 7" phone that functioned as a GPS but you did not have to have phone service (uses an internal GPS chip).
That sounded really interesting to me.
 
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bdalameda

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I just purchased the new TomTom Rider 550. You can get these on Ebay - I paid 314.00 for mine back in December. I never liked the earlier TomTom units but this is a very high quality and well thought out GPS. It has a wifi connection for updating maps directly without needing a computer and the map planning application looks well thought out as well as motorcycle riding preferences to develop routes etc. It also automatically converts from horizontal to vertical format just like a cell phone and has a sensitivity touch adjustment for setting for use with various types of gloves to make selections easier. Overall a well design package with a lot of features and free maps. A lot cheaper than the Garmin units. I bought this one to replace my aging Zumo 550.

Dan
 

paulcb

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Also, IIRC, PaulCB was looking at a 7" phone that functioned as a GPS but you did not have to have phone service (uses an internal GPS chip).
That sounded really interesting to me.
Yes, I'm looking into it, sort of. There's a very long thread about this on ADVrider. It started in Feb 2017, so take that into account. It discusses using a rugged waterproof Kyocera phone as a primary GPS, with nav software from the Android store. The Duraforce XD with a 5.7" screen seems to be the most popular choice. And, cell service is not required... pretty much just works like a tablet with wifi and a GPS receiver.

I still use the Chinavasion 5" waterproof GPS, but my current one is the Android version, which doesn't support gloves. The WinCE version does though, and it works very well but is often OoS.
 
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Like Mellow, I have a Garmin 590LM. If interested, there's someone in Holland that provides firmware to load onto a 590LM and make it a 595LM.

I thought of using my Samsung Galaxy Note 4 as a GPS. The idea of having my $6-700 smartphone possibly come off a holder and bounce on the road turned me off on the idea. The tether on the RAM Mount took a long time to get it attached. Then it seemed like on full brightness, in the hot summer sun, it would overheat. A couple car GPS's didn't work well because they didn't have Bluetooth and the screens washed out in the sunlight.

I looked seriously at the TomTom Rider at the time. It's a great GPS, and the Winding Roads feature works far better than Garmin's equivalent...or at least in this area. My biggest objection was the screen size. With the Garmin 590/595, I got a 5 inch screen. With the TomTom, it is 4.3 inches. Some of that is recovered by TomTom with a thinner information strip on the right. If I was looking for a new GPS, I'd look very closely at the new models.

Many people look at a GPS as only for navigation. It can also be used to get a look at the road ahead. In the picture below, you can see that the first turn is pretty easy, but the one just after that will require slowing down a lot.



The perspective on the screen is important. I've seen some give you a good look ahead at the road, and others that were worthless.

Chris
 

drrod

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GPS threads are not much different than oil and tire threads:biggrin:

If you have lots of time, here is a forum on advrider that should/could answer most of your questions.


Personally, I doubt I will ever buy another standalone GPS unit. Too many GPS/smartphone apps out there that perform just as well (IMO) and are less expensive; especially to update/change maps.
That being said, my old TT920 keeps chugging along. I think I may have to shoot it to get it to quit!! I use a smartphone, in conjunction, with different apps simply to compare and to be prepared when the 920 finally dies.
 

sirepair

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Per another advrider thread, I went with a Kyocera Duraforce Pro. Still working out routing, but I'm happy with it so far. Used ones available for $100 or so, Osmand+ GPS sw was about $8, IIRC.
 

ST Gui

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Daboo said:
It can also be used to get a look at the road ahead
This is why I keep my phone in portrait mode. The downrange look is easier for me to see. Aside from getting me from Point A to an unknown Point B it's may main use of a GPS.

The Kyocera threads were interesting. But it's no different than what us phone-as-GPS users have been doing. Any smartphone sitting in a drawer could do this. The Kyoceras mentioned are rugged and apparently water resistant/waterproof and have a big screen. But for my use my phone or iPad mini will be enough.

The key element as far as I'm concerned is touch screen capability with gloves – this is the feature dedicated GPSs have over phones. I'm still tempted to get the Chinavasion though loading maps may be a bit fiddly for a Mac user.

A question for you dedicated GPS users – can they just display 'where you are' as you travel – without entering a destination? This occurred to me while in a friend's Lexus. The nav screen constantly displayed all that stuff but no course was ever entered. You could look at it and see street names when signs weren't available.
 
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A question for you dedicated GPS users – can they just display 'where you are' as you travel – without entering a destination? This occurred to me while in a friend's Lexus. The nav screen constantly displayed all that stuff but no course was ever entered. You could look at it and see street names when signs weren't available.
Yes, my Garmin can show either the normal road-ahead view or, with a tap, the overhead view with north up, and either can be zoomed inn or out.
 
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Per another advrider thread, I went with a Kyocera Duraforce Pro. Still working out routing, but I'm happy with it so far. Used ones available for $100 or so, Osmand+ GPS sw was about $8, IIRC.
Just a suggestion...try loading the TomTom GPS app on your Kyocera. The Winding Roads feature works better than Garmin's Adventurous Routing, at least on roads in my area. The screen interface is good.

You can try it for free, but it is limited for miles. I'm not sure of the cost now, but when I bought it, the cost was $35 for three years. Not bad for what you get. Plus, it does routing like you'd want on a motorcycle...not just the fastest way to get from Point A to Point B on the freeway.

Chris
 

T_C

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The key element as far as I'm concerned is touch screen capability with gloves – this is the feature dedicated GPSs have over phones. I'm still tempted to get the Chinavasion though loading maps may be a bit fiddly for a Mac user.
Mini stylus, cost ya just over a dime apiece for a 20 year supply. Hook it to a retractable lanyard and leave it attached to the bike. No matter what gloves you are wearing the touch screen issue is mitigated. After about two years the tip is worn out, replace, ride on.
 

paulcb

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Mini stylus, cost ya just over a dime apiece for a 20 year supply. Hook it to a retractable lanyard and leave it attached to the bike. No matter what gloves you are wearing the touch screen issue is mitigated. After about two years the tip is worn out, replace, ride on.
My personal experience with those T_C linked to (and several others) is that they quit working relatively quickly when left on the bike, i.e. within a few weeks. The tip seems to "dry out" and crack. This has happened to me on at least three different types (brands).
 

T_C

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My personal experience with those T_C linked to (and several others) is that they quit working relatively quickly when left on the bike, i.e. within a few weeks. The tip seems to "dry out" and crack. This has happened to me on at least three different types (brands).
Hmm... different environment, less humidity? I bought a 10 pack of these spring 2013 (these specifically according to my Amazon order history) and I still have 6 left. My bike is parked on a Southeast facing corner of the building so it get's plenty of sun through the day?
 

tjhiggin

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I have never had my hands on a TomTom, and have often wondered - and you may not know the answer unless you have really checked it out:- When you plot a route on (say) Kyocera, does it get transferred to the satnav exactly as planned, or does the TomTom modify the route once you have started using it ? Often the software just passes the key route points and leaves it up to the satnav to calculate a route in between - which means that the route planned on the mapping software and what the satnav does are not necessarily the same.
You've described the TomTom's behavior exactly; it modifies the route once you load it. I have the TT Rider 5 GPS (which came out several years ago and has been superseded by the Rider 550), and use MyRouteApp for route planning. I have to remember to put plenty of waypoints into the route to force the TomTom to go the way I want.
 

paulcb

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Hmm... different environment, less humidity? I bought a 10 pack of these spring 2013 (these specifically according to my Amazon order history) and I still have 6 left. My bike is parked on a Southeast facing corner of the building so it get's plenty of sun through the day?
Yeah, I was a little surprised too. Been fairly humid here (Dallas) the past few months (lots of rain), and I'm also parked outside in a parking lot, with no cover or shade. At your suggestion a while back, I used several of the ones you linked to and a few that were on the ends of some give-away pens I had. None were "professional grade", but expected them to last longer. They worked well for a few weeks, and occasionally work now, but usually don't without some fiddling and pressing hard/long/multiple times. Maybe it's my Chinese GPS? I dunno!
 

paulcb

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I have to remember to put plenty of waypoints into the route to force the TomTom to go the way I want.
I've found that true on several different GPS's... they all seem to route a little differently.
 

Andrew Shadow

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My personal experience with those T_C linked to (and several others) is that they quit working relatively quickly when left on the bike, i.e. within a few weeks. The tip seems to "dry out" and crack. This has happened to me on at least three different types (brands).
I use the hard plastic type of stylus similar to these- Touch Screen Stylus Pen. They work well on a touch screen. They have a much smaller/finer tip than the rubber ones so I find them much easier to use if you want to pin point something on the screen. They are hard plastic so they do not wear out. They are small enough that I can leave one in my GPS case all of the time. I also have one clamped to the GPS bracket on the bike that stays there all of the time. It is hard to see in the picture but they do have a slot in them to run a lanyard through. The only time I had to replace one is when I forgot it in a motel room and at the price of them it is not a big loss.

I personally prefer a dedicated GPS but truthfully I think that is because that is what I am used to. There biggest drawback is their price. When it comes time to replace it I don't know what direction I will go in. There are so many people who seem to do just fine using their smart phones so these threads are helpful to many of us I suspect.
 

T_C

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I use the hard plastic type of stylus similar to these- Touch Screen Stylus Pen. They work well on a touch screen. They have a much smaller/finer tip than the rubber ones so I find them much easier to use if you want to pin point something on the screen. They are hard plastic so they do not wear out.
Ahh.. these are for pressure sensitive touch screens, like most GPS' use. The stylus with the rubber tip work for the capacitive screens, like most smartphones now use. Unless you are saying these plastic ones work both?? Maybe???
 
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