Garmin 2730 XM

[Feejer/Weejer man]

I am like a kid in a candy store. I just activated my Garmin 2730 XM radio. Got the weather and traffic report with the xm subscription. You save and activation fee for the weather/traffic and $6 a mionth when you subscribe to both. The traffic is only in major markets but I live in one so the road report will come in handy where I live as well as where I travel.

Let me say that XM radio is the bomb. So cool just to prompt the Garmin and listen. I still have to play with the functions, i.e. presets, favorites etc. I am impressed!!!! I am glad I chose the 2730 with the radio/puck antenna instead of bluetooth capabilities.

Of course it don't take much to impress me.

 

[04FJR4ME]

I am like a kid in a candy store. I just activated my Garmin 2730 XM radio. Got the weather and traffic report with the xm subscription. You save and activation fee for the weather/traffic and $6 a mionth when you subscribe to both. The traffic is only in major markets but I live in one so the road report will come in handy where I live as well as where I travel.Let me say that XM radio is the bomb. So cool just to prompt the Garmin and listen. I still have to play with the functions, i.e. presets, favorites etc. I am impressed!!!! I am glad I chose the 2730 with the radio/puck antenna instead of bluetooth capabilities.

Of course it don't take much to impress me.

The 2730 unit is a great unit for our FJR's, it does have just about anything and everything you will want or need except the Bluetooth, but it's no big deal if you do not wish to deal with a phone while ridding.

At the price of the 2730, it is still the best value for the buck.

04FJR4ME

 

[Feejer/Weejer man]

I am like a kid in a candy store. I just activated my Garmin 2730 XM radio. Got the weather and traffic report with the xm subscription. You save and activation fee for the weather/traffic and $6 a mionth when you subscribe to both. The traffic is only in major markets but I live in one so the road report will come in handy where I live as well as where I travel.

Let me say that XM radio is the bomb. So cool just to prompt the Garmin and listen. I still have to play with the functions, i.e. presets, favorites etc. I am impressed!!!! I am glad I chose the 2730 with the radio/puck antenna instead of bluetooth capabilities.

Of course it don't take much to impress me.

The 2730 unit is a great unit for our FJR's, it does have just about anything and everything you will want or need except the Bluetooth, but it's no big deal if you do not wish to deal with a phone while ridding.

At the price of the 2730, it is still the best value for the buck.

04FJR4ME

Thanks James for your services to this site and its members. I picked it up from Rick about a week ago in Palo Alto. Getting used to using it over the 2610 and trying to learn the radio portion and acessing all it does. Way simpler than the 2610 and faster. I think I like it.

 

[FJRJeff]

I am like a kid in a candy store. I just activated my Garmin 2730 XM radio. Got the weather and traffic report with the xm subscription. You save and activation fee for the weather/traffic and $6 a mionth when you subscribe to both. The traffic is only in major markets but I live in one so the road report will come in handy where I live as well as where I travel.Let me say that XM radio is the bomb. So cool just to prompt the Garmin and listen. I still have to play with the functions, i.e. presets, favorites etc. I am impressed!!!! I am glad I chose the 2730 with the radio/puck antenna instead of bluetooth capabilities.

Of course it don't take much to impress me.

You may get a few (good) surprises with the traffic. Portland, Oregon does not appear on their list of currently supported traffic cities, but I do get traffic reports on my 2730. I know they're expanding all the time, so maybe it caught up to our little town.

The Boneyard (ch. 41 I think) is currently my most used station.

The radio is rock solid when listening through the stereo jack on the unit. Not so great in my car. And in either, the reception is a little in and out when riding near large natural blockages. The satellites must be low in the sky.... However, on main highways, never a missed moment.

You get used to not having commercials REAL quick. :yahoo:

 

[Feejer/Weejer man]

Jeff, how does the xm interact with the GPS and voice interface for directions? Haven't figured it out yet as I just subscribed to XM service today. Does the GPS voice promps override the music? Can the Garmin do both at the same time?

 

[Derek]

it sounds like the 2730 may be what i want... except, the feature that i'm willing to wait for if necessary is being able to hear a tune on the xm and just hit a button and download it onto the mp3.

does the 2730 have this feature?

derek

 

[Bike Effects]

Jeff, how does the xm interact with the GPS and voice interface for directions? Haven't figured it out yet as I just subscribed to XM service today. Does the GPS voice promps override the music? Can the Garmin do both at the same time?

The GPS will overide.

The other Jeff

 

[FJRJeff]

Jeff, how does the xm interact with the GPS and voice interface for directions? Haven't figured it out yet as I just subscribed to XM service today. Does the GPS voice promps override the music? Can the Garmin do both at the same time?

Does it all at once. There are separate volume controls for the voice prompts and the XM, so you can make one louder than the other if necessary. It handles both very well. I usually turn on the radio, then hit the map button to keep track of where I'm going. If I need to adjust the radio, I just hit the map button 3x to get to the radio. I wear Shure e2c's in my helmet and connect directly to the unit. I can keep the volume relatively low, and have no problems hearing what's going on at 70+ MPH.

I did find the choice of voices amusing. I set mine to an Australian female (we'll call her... Rachel Hunter), but it's not meant for the US - when I was in Washington, I needed to take WA-xx (some highway), and it read it as "Western Australia". I'm thinking "Did she just say 'Western Australia'?" So, sadly I'll have to switch it back to the American "accent" to avoid any confusion.

HTH

 

[Mogan]

I've had my 2730 for about 3 months and it's fantastic. Replaced a 2610. Only nit I have is the excess drive capacity. Would like more for bigger inventory of MP3s.

And, stick with the Aussie lady. She's GREAT!

 

[Feejer/Weejer man]

Thanks guys. I really am enjoying this model of Garmin over the 2610, of course more bells and whistles but useful bells and whistles. I too would like more memory on the mp3 so I wouldn't have to carry mine but.... If it is really easy, haven't got to this part either, to drag and drop songs off my library then I don't mind.

 

[FJRJeff]

Thanks guys. I really am enjoying this model of Garmin over the 2610, of course more bells and whistles but useful bells and whistles. I too would like more memory on the mp3 so I wouldn't have to carry mine but.... If it is really easy, haven't got to this part either, to drag and drop songs off my library then I don't mind.

They're easy to add. Plug the 2730 in to the computer, and drag and drop in USB Mode. It's basically a folder view. Also does audio books if you prefer to listen to one of those while you ride.

I actually find myself wishing it supported WMV files. My regular MP3 player does both, and the WMVs crush down a lot smaller than MP3s and have better sound quality at the smaller sizes. I've put 5 or 6 full Pink Floyd albums on there ( :drag: ), and find I don't listen to them much since I like the radio, so maybe I wouldn't use it anyways.

Compact Flash memory is so cheap, a slot for an expansion card would have been killer. You could bump it up as the capacities continued to increase, and it'd be all fun space since the unit has what it needs on it's own internal flash anyways....

 

[Mogan]

fyi...

I've always been a huge fan of listening to favorite tunes while riding. But I have to confess that I had a little boo-boo with a turn last week. I attribute it largely to the fact I was a bit distracted...having too much fun with my playlist.

Let's be careful out there!

 

[FJRJeff]

fyi...
I've always been a huge fan of listening to favorite tunes while riding. But I have to confess that I had a little boo-boo with a turn last week. I attribute it largely to the fact I was a bit distracted...having too much fun with my playlist.

Let's be careful out there!

+1

It's hard at first not to watch the GPS in action, and with the MP3 player and XM, there's that much more stuff to compete for your attention.

 

[Groo]

I'm awfully conscious to avoid changing XM channels or looking/futzing with the GPS while in corners/manuvering. Once the road opens up/traffic is behind I can spare a couple seconds for secondary information inputs.

 

[kaitsdad]

And, stick with the Aussie lady. She's GREAT!

OH YEAH - I go for rides just to listen to her !!! Aussie Jane !! I'm in love........

:dribble:

 

[SkooterG]

Does it all at once. There are separate volume controls for the voice prompts and the XM, so you can make one louder than the other if necessary. It handles both very well. I usually turn on the radio, then hit the map button to keep track of where I'm going. If I need to adjust the radio, I just hit the map button 3x to get to the radio. I wear Shure e2c's in my helmet and connect directly to the unit. I can keep the volume relatively low, and have no problems hearing what's going on at 70+ MPH.HTH

Have you downloaded the latest version of the Garmin software? It puts a button on the map for one touch access to the music player. No more hitting the map button three times. I have turned the Nav voice off. No more annoying directions cutting out the music when I don't need them. If I want the voice directions, I simply press the "speak" button.

And I am in love with Aussie Jane. She loves me too. She told me so. Honest.

 

[FJRJeff]

Does it all at once. There are separate volume controls for the voice prompts and the XM, so you can make one louder than the other if necessary. It handles both very well. I usually turn on the radio, then hit the map button to keep track of where I'm going. If I need to adjust the radio, I just hit the map button 3x to get to the radio. I wear Shure e2c's in my helmet and connect directly to the unit. I can keep the volume relatively low, and have no problems hearing what's going on at 70+ MPH.

HTH

Have you downloaded the latest version of the Garmin software? It puts a button on the map for one touch access to the music player. No more hitting the map button three times. I have turned the Nav voice off. No more annoying directions cutting out the music when I don't need them. If I want the voice directions, I simply press the "speak" button.

And I am in love with Aussie Jane. She loves me too. She told me so. Honest.

Excellent - I'm going to grab that right now. I've told my wife a couple of times they should have put an icon on the map page to get to the music player.

I was telling my wife this morning that Jane (or Rachel Hunter - hey I can dream) has a lot of fans on the forum. She doesn't get it though. Go figure. :dntknw:

 

[kaitsdad]

And I am in love with Aussie Jane. She loves me too. She told me so. Honest.

HEY - SHE'S MINE !! :lol:

Have you noticed that every time she says 'recalculating', she gets more and more disgusted with you?

(Hmmmm..... kind of like ........ my ... no. say it ain't so? .. )

sigh. just no escape, is there? .....

 

[FJRocket]

So how do you have your 2730's mounted? Any of you have locking mounts? I'm looking to put a new GPS on my '06, so I guess I'm stuck with a stem stand as opposed to a bar mount. No shelf for me, that shield is coming WAY down. Tank bag covers the cap, so no cap mount, either.

If nothing else, guess I can set it in (map pocket) or on the tank bag...???