Garmin 660 question

[someguy]

Is the Garmin 660 waterproof?

Despite a lot of online searching I still have no clear answers:

 

[GeorgiaRoller]

Is the Garmin 660 waterproof?

Yes...I've been through many downpours in the last couple years with my 660 and it works great.

All of the motorcycle specific "Zumo" models from Garmin are waterproof ie...350, 550, 660, 665.

 

[Redfish Hunter]

It is supposed to be. I have never had mine underwater but I have been in some torrential rains and it has been just fine.

 

[ShawnKing]

Is the Garmin 660 waterproof?

From the Garmin web site:

"Rugged, waterproof (IPX7), resistant to fuel spills and UV rays"

 

[someguy]

Awesome. Thanks guys. I had read several reviews that said it wasnt so I'd thought I'd check w the experts here

 

[ShawnKing]

Awesome. Thanks guys. I had read several reviews that said it wasnt so I'd thought I'd check w the experts here

To be clear, you *are* talking about dedicated motorcycle Garmin GPS - the zūmo 660, right? Not the nuvi 660. Idiots at Garmin have two models called the 660. ONLY the motorcycle one, the zumo, is waterproof and hardened for motorcycles.

 

[Redfish Hunter]

Awesome. Thanks guys. I had read several reviews that said it wasnt so I'd thought I'd check w the experts here

Experts? I thought you were asking us? If I had known I wasn't qualified... B)

As has already been posted, the entire Zumo line is supposed to be waterproof. So far so good, and good luck.

 

[someguy]

Hmm. I will check.

Ok. Well. It's a freakin nuvi.

So I guess I'm SOL.

Thanks for clarifying this before I ruined it.

 

[bramfrank]

Awesome. Thanks guys. I had read several reviews that said it wasnt so I'd thought I'd check w the experts here

To be clear, you *are* talking about dedicated motorcycle Garmin GPS - the zūmo 660, right? Not the nuvi 660. Idiots at Garmin have two models called the 660. ONLY the motorcycle one, the zumo, is waterproof and hardened for motorcycles.

They have a number of different series;

Dedicated automotive:

Streetpilot (old hardware, III, 2600 and so on, the last model being the 2820. No longer supported except for mapping on 3 models) - all are waterproof.

i - no longer supported.

C - no longer supported, though the 550 supports NT mapping.

Quest & Quest II - no longer supported - waterproof.

Nuvi (200, 300, 400, 500, 600, 700 & 800 series - you seem to have a 660 - it had a flip-up antenna - these are the previous generation of automotive navigators) Only the 500 series is waterproof.

Nuvi (1000, 2000, 3000 series and 30, 40, 50) - Current Nuvis, again NOT waterproof.

Dezl - Trucker/RV units - not waterproof.

Dedicated Motorcycle:

Zumo (motorcycle models - 220, 350, 400, 450, 550, 660 & 665 - all are waterproof, though their mounts are not).

Marine and multimode:

GPSMAP - primarily for marine use the 276/376/378/478 are/were dual-mode units that were among Garmin's best ever navs for motorcycle use - all are waterproof. The current 620 & 640 are also-rans. Interesting, but too expensive and never got public acceptance in the riding community.

Then there are the fishfinders and echo units.

Then there are the Aera, G series and such as well as GPSMAP multimode (usually marine/airborne, but they also had/have Automotive/Airborne and Automotive/Airborne/Marine versions) series for airborne applications.

. . . and of course their portable navigators and watches and other bits.

With so many series of devices, somewhere along the way there HAS to have been overlap in model numbering, so the simple fact is that you always need to provide the series when discussing navigators - it certainly isn't that Garmin are 'idiots'. Though their devices are in no way as robust and reliable as they used to be.

 

[ShawnKing]

With so many series of devices, somewhere along the way there HAS to have been overlap in model numbering

Not even a little bit true. All kinds of companies make more products than Garmin and yet manage not to confuse their customers with simliar names for similar products. If Garmin gave more thought to the customer, they wouldn't cause this kind of confusion.

Hmm. I will check.

Ok. Well. It's a freakin nuvi.

So I guess I'm SOL.

Thanks for clarifying this before I ruined it.

You're welcome and I'm glad I thought to ask you to clarify. I've been on Garmin for years for that stupid naming convention. Glad to have helped.

 

[Redfish Hunter]

That was a good catch Shawn. It never occured to me there would be a Nuvi 660 in addition to the Zumo 660. I guess you learn something every day. There's no telling how much I forgot today though...

 

[08FJR4ME]

Hello Shawn,

Nice to see you back again on the forum. Hope all is well.

Dave

 

[ShawnKing]

Hello Shawn,

Nice to see you back again on the forum. Hope all is well.

Thanks! Never left but now that I no longer have a FJR (or a motorcycle period), I didn't have much to offer and just lurked.

 

[Fred W]

Confusing model numbers? Talk to BeemerDons. The Bavarian propeller heads have made an art-form of it.

Lets see... a few years back they (BMW) offered two models of their 3 series cars, the 323 and the 328. The 328 was a 2.8 liter inline six, as one might infer from the name, but the 323 was actually a 2.5 liter engine. Why the '23 vs a '25? They wanted to make a bigger differentiation between models so they could command more money for the bigger engine. :huh:

And recently they had done it again in the Motorad department. The F800GS was an 800cc parallel twin in GS trim (large dual sport) as you might imagine. At the same time they made an F650GS, which actually was based on the same 800cc parallel twin engine, but detuned to use regular fuel. So... why the "650" name? They didn't want to cannibalize potential sales of the premium fuel only 800GS. Now they've decided that the bastard step-child must be a F700GS, but where that idea came from I have no idea because it is still an 800cc engine.

I should have gone into Marketing. Seems an area ripe for anyone with two brain cells to rub together.