GPS Advice

[olsonm3915]

IMO, there are some definite advantages of having the phone forwarded thru the GPS device.

No doubt there are.

Perhaps the biggest is that you get the caller ID right up on the GPS screen (big, easy to read) and can decide on the fly whether to answer the call (or not) with a touch of the screen. Otherwise you need to decide to blindly accept (or reject) all incoming calls. There is no way I'd be able to read the tiny screen of my crackberry while riding. In some cases I need to take work related calls on the fly. In others I'll intentionally klet it roll to voice mail as a screening mechanism and then call my VM to find out if it's worth calling them back.

The GPS also automatically prioritizes the various audio signals that it generates. Not sure how that would work with having multiple devices paired to your BT headset.

I also like being able to manipulate the phone's features thru the GPS. When I want to initiate a call I can leave my gloves on, find the recipient in my phone's address book, and place the call all via the GPS touch screen (after pulling over to the side of the road, of course!).

If it works for you that's great. I just don't think that is the optimum arrangement.

The Sena SMH10 does a good job of prioritizing the various sources.

Your primary complaint about not pairing your phone through the GPS seems to be about losing of all the useful functionality the GPS provides for making and receiving phone calls. I agree those features are very nice to have, in fact they can be essential for some people.

But for me, they are practically irrelevant, since I am not obligated to take any calls on my cell while riding, and in fact most of the time I would simply dismiss the call and let it go to voicemail. Obviously, our priorities and needs differ. And as I pointed out, the one thing I figure I might as well have with the Sena is the ability to answer phone calls while in motion if I choose to, which is a simple tap of the phone button, or I can even set up the SMH10 to answer the phone via a voice command if I choose. So I really see no downside at all to my situation, since the features I am losing out on simply would not get used.

So for people for whom full phone control is not required, the combination I have works extremely well. I think it's good to tease out the differences between systems so that folks can evaluate these sort of nuances before plunking down their money. No particular solution is going to be optimum for everyone, when cost is brought into the equation- my GPS + the AquaBox and RAM mounting stuff was about $225, whereas the Zumo 220 is about $430 and the most expensive Zumo 665 is about $800, (both prices are before adding RAM mounts).

Sure, a Zumo would be nicer, being waterproof and having the phone integration features while connected to the Bluetooth headset, but to save $200 to $550, I can live with the minor limitations of my setup. Maybe after I've used this for a while I'll decide the bulk of the AquaBox is too annoying and I'll spring for the Zumo anyway, in which case I will have a really nice bonus Nuvi 765T GPS for the car.

 

[monkeyman]

I use a Nokia N900 in a Givi S850. The N900 is great as it is 100% open source so I can do as I please with it. I have Ovi Maps, Navit and Mappero and all work well. Mappero works the best but the voice guidance can sometimes sound very close to the turn you need to make. There is a developer working to add voice guidance to Ovi Maps and should be available soon.

I also use my N900 to keep track of my fuel mileage, check my email, listen to music, take and make calls, check stock prices and on and on...

It can be used with any QT, Python, Debian or Maemo software.

Great device, the Nokia N900.

 

[garywayne]

Well after trying my 765T a few times (never could get it to where I could see it if the sun was anywhere in the sky) I just gve in and ordered a Zumo 550. Way to much money but I've gone thru hundreds of reviews and almost everyone really like it.

Gary

 

[Eric L]

i also found out the hard way that I cant pair the interphone F4 to both the iphone and the 765T at the same time as they are BOTH a2dp streaming audio. Droids can send be set to only send the phone call via the old fashioned BT connection and can pair at the same time as the 765T to the F4.

I was OK with this - no need to take calls on the bike. But then I discovered Pandora on the iphone and love listening to streaming audion. Now I am back to either the iphone or the nuvi, not both. If I HAVE ot listen to the Nuvi, I just play some MP3s on it.

IMO, there are some definite advantages of having the phone forwarded thru the GPS device.

No doubt there are.

Perhaps the biggest is that you get the caller ID right up on the GPS screen (big, easy to read) and can decide on the fly whether to answer the call (or not) with a touch of the screen. Otherwise you need to decide to blindly accept (or reject) all incoming calls. There is no way I'd be able to read the tiny screen of my crackberry while riding. In some cases I need to take work related calls on the fly. In others I'll intentionally klet it roll to voice mail as a screening mechanism and then call my VM to find out if it's worth calling them back.

The GPS also automatically prioritizes the various audio signals that it generates. Not sure how that would work with having multiple devices paired to your BT headset.

I also like being able to manipulate the phone's features thru the GPS. When I want to initiate a call I can leave my gloves on, find the recipient in my phone's address book, and place the call all via the GPS touch screen (after pulling over to the side of the road, of course!).

If it works for you that's great. I just don't think that is the optimum arrangement.

The Sena SMH10 does a good job of prioritizing the various sources.

Your primary complaint about not pairing your phone through the GPS seems to be about losing of all the useful functionality the GPS provides for making and receiving phone calls. I agree those features are very nice to have, in fact they can be essential for some people.

But for me, they are practically irrelevant, since I am not obligated to take any calls on my cell while riding, and in fact most of the time I would simply dismiss the call and let it go to voicemail. Obviously, our priorities and needs differ. And as I pointed out, the one thing I figure I might as well have with the Sena is the ability to answer phone calls while in motion if I choose to, which is a simple tap of the phone button, or I can even set up the SMH10 to answer the phone via a voice command if I choose. So I really see no downside at all to my situation, since the features I am losing out on simply would not get used.

So for people for whom full phone control is not required, the combination I have works extremely well. I think it's good to tease out the differences between systems so that folks can evaluate these sort of nuances before plunking down their money. No particular solution is going to be optimum for everyone, when cost is brought into the equation- my GPS + the AquaBox and RAM mounting stuff was about $225, whereas the Zumo 220 is about $430 and the most expensive Zumo 665 is about $800, (both prices are before adding RAM mounts).

Sure, a Zumo would be nicer, being waterproof and having the phone integration features while connected to the Bluetooth headset, but to save $200 to $550, I can live with the minor limitations of my setup. Maybe after I've used this for a while I'll decide the bulk of the AquaBox is too annoying and I'll spring for the Zumo anyway, in which case I will have a really nice bonus Nuvi 765T GPS for the car.

 

[monkeyman]

i also found out the hard way that I cant pair the interphone F4 to both the iphone and the 765T at the same time as they are BOTH a2dp streaming audio. Droids can send be set to only send the phone call via the old fashioned BT connection and can pair at the same time as the 765T to the F4.

I was OK with this - no need to take calls on the bike. But then I discovered Pandora on the iphone and love listening to streaming audion. Now I am back to either the iphone or the nuvi, not both. If I HAVE ot listen to the Nuvi, I just play some MP3s on it.

IMO, there are some definite advantages of having the phone forwarded thru the GPS device.

No doubt there are.

Perhaps the biggest is that you get the caller ID right up on the GPS screen (big, easy to read) and can decide on the fly whether to answer the call (or not) with a touch of the screen. Otherwise you need to decide to blindly accept (or reject) all incoming calls. There is no way I'd be able to read the tiny screen of my crackberry while riding. In some cases I need to take work related calls on the fly. In others I'll intentionally klet it roll to voice mail as a screening mechanism and then call my VM to find out if it's worth calling them back.

The GPS also automatically prioritizes the various audio signals that it generates. Not sure how that would work with having multiple devices paired to your BT headset.

I also like being able to manipulate the phone's features thru the GPS. When I want to initiate a call I can leave my gloves on, find the recipient in my phone's address book, and place the call all via the GPS touch screen (after pulling over to the side of the road, of course!).

If it works for you that's great. I just don't think that is the optimum arrangement.

The Sena SMH10 does a good job of prioritizing the various sources.

Your primary complaint about not pairing your phone through the GPS seems to be about losing of all the useful functionality the GPS provides for making and receiving phone calls. I agree those features are very nice to have, in fact they can be essential for some people.

But for me, they are practically irrelevant, since I am not obligated to take any calls on my cell while riding, and in fact most of the time I would simply dismiss the call and let it go to voicemail. Obviously, our priorities and needs differ. And as I pointed out, the one thing I figure I might as well have with the Sena is the ability to answer phone calls while in motion if I choose to, which is a simple tap of the phone button, or I can even set up the SMH10 to answer the phone via a voice command if I choose. So I really see no downside at all to my situation, since the features I am losing out on simply would not get used.

So for people for whom full phone control is not required, the combination I have works extremely well. I think it's good to tease out the differences between systems so that folks can evaluate these sort of nuances before plunking down their money. No particular solution is going to be optimum for everyone, when cost is brought into the equation- my GPS + the AquaBox and RAM mounting stuff was about $225, whereas the Zumo 220 is about $430 and the most expensive Zumo 665 is about $800, (both prices are before adding RAM mounts).

Sure, a Zumo would be nicer, being waterproof and having the phone integration features while connected to the Bluetooth headset, but to save $200 to $550, I can live with the minor limitations of my setup. Maybe after I've used this for a while I'll decide the bulk of the AquaBox is too annoying and I'll spring for the Zumo anyway, in which case I will have a really nice bonus Nuvi 765T GPS for the car.

The Nokia N900 has great blutooth support, Pandora software, it's own GPS and it has true multitasking so you can use all of these at once.

It does have a slightly smaller (but far more responsive) screen.

The N900 also has a 5MP camera with Carl Zeiss optics and you can geotag the photos to show where they were taken. it really is an "All-In-One" device. it has a phone but it was originally designed as a tiny Linux computer to which the phone function was later added. has 3G support and front facing camera with Skype so you can video chat as you ride.

 

[monkeyman]

Opps. I hit the wrong button.

 

[Big-D]

I've had the Garmin Nuvi 760 for over 3 years now. Its been through hell, got wet from three times and crapped out, but once it dried out, it worked again. I carry a sandwich bag now to put over it if it rains.

It has survived numerous attempts by BeemerDon to destroy it with a hammer. On the rare occasion I can't see the screen due to bright sun shinning directly onto the screen, I don't worry about it, because I usually just listen to it anyway using my earphones in my helmet.

As long as it talks to me, I don't need to see it. Besides, when the sun is that bright that I can't see my GPS screen, I usually blow through red lights anyway, so seeing my GPS screen is the least of my problems.

 

[olsonm3915]

Well after trying my 765T a few times (never could get it to where I could see it if the sun was anywhere in the sky) I just gve in and ordered a Zumo 550. Way to much money but I've gone thru hundreds of reviews and almost everyone really like it.

Gary

Sure, a Zumo would be nicer, being waterproof and having the phone integration features while connected to the Bluetooth headset, but to save $200 to $550, I can live with the minor limitations of my setup. Maybe after I've used this for a while I'll decide the bulk of the AquaBox is too annoying and I'll spring for the Zumo anyway, in which case I will have a really nice bonus Nuvi 765T GPS for the car.

Cough. Here's where I 'man up', and eat my words. Fred and Gary, you are right- the Nuvi 765T in an Aqua Box is not really a substitute for a Zumo 550.

I returned my 765T to Best Buy this afternoon, and ordered a Zumo 550 from https://www.gpscity.com for $608 including shipping.

I still think the 765T is a great GPS, with lots of nice features, and it integrates really well with the SMH10, but the lack of waterproofing and not being designed specifically for use on a motorcycle makes the Zumo 550 the better choice for me. The fact that the Zumo 550 can pair with and control the phone while passing the phone audio through to the SMH10 is a bonus, and although not something I really need, I won't say having caller ID on the Zumo will not be appreciated. It also should be mentioned that the Zumo comes with a lot more accessories than the Nuvi.

Anyhow, does anyone want to buy my new & unused Aqua Box? Note that I bought the 'G' version with extra foam padding, there is enough foam to completely fill the AquaBox and a RAM 1" ball round base + a medium arm B-socket. I got this kit from https://www.gpscity.com and it's for sale now as a package:

1. RAM Mount Aqua Box GPS Cradle Wide Plus RAM-HOL-AQ6G $41.95ea
   
2. RAM Mount Round Plate with 1 inch Ball RAM-B-202U $6.10ea
   
3. RAM Mount Plastic Medium Arm B-Socket RAP-B-201U $9.95ea
   Item Subtotal: $58.00
   Shipping & Handling: $4.99
   Total: $62.99
   

1st person to PM me with any even remotely reasonable offer gets it.

 

[isuftin]

765T in the Aquabox. Completely weatherized and seems to render the GPS inconspicuous to those that would feel the need to absconded with it. I reversed the positioning (opens from the top down) for ease of removing the GPS without interference from the tank bag.

Which Aqua Box model (it appears there are at least two sizes) is that? And does the 765T need to be mounted in a cradle inside the Aqua Box or does the power cable plug directly into the GPS unit? I was leaning toward a Nuvi 550 because it is waterproof, but if the Aqua Box works well, I'd like the turn by turn audio from the 765T coming through my Sena SMH10 headset.
Oh, and does it have detailed Canada maps or just a basemap for Canada? Going to B.C. in June so it would be nice to have detailed Canada maps on it.

Thanks

Here is my set-up from Amazon Including the Frequently Bought Together items shown on this page with one exception. I had a diamond shaped surface mount which I attached to the back of the Aqua Box instead of the circular one shown. I don't see where it would make a difference.

Here are a couple of videos which should help if you haven't already seen them.

Here are some pics of how I have mine set-up:

Note: I used the two thickest pads and cut out the lower left corner for the traffic antenna

The maps for Canada are the same as the US. I purchased a cradle but after using the AB I don't see myself ever using it.

Hope that helps.

Keep Going!

Is the power source for the GPS unit coming from the trickle charger lead to the battery or from somewhere else?

I'm curious as to what you did in the back there.

Is the wire from the lead going through a metal backing plate and into the aquabox unit?

How difficult is it to remove the aquabox itself when not in use?

Does it just pop off the ball joint?

You'd mentioned you purchased this: https://www.amazon.com/Mounts-Double-Socket-Replacement-Standard/dp/B0012TUPRQ/ref=pd_bxgy_e_img_c

(one of the three items frequently purchased together) -- Where did you hook this up to and how? I see it's hooked on to a metal stem in the pics, but what is that metal stem? What are some of my other options for attaching to the bike itself?

Finally, I have a 765T that I use for the car. What's been your experience with it on the bike?

Thanks for posting this, by the way. It helps a lot.

 

[Mount Rainier]

Is the power source for the GPS unit coming from the trickle charger lead to the battery or from somewhere else?

I'm curious as to what you did in the back there.

Is the wire from the lead going through a metal backing plate and into the aquabox unit?

How difficult is it to remove the aquabox itself when not in use?

Does it just pop off the ball joint?

You'd mentioned you purchased this: https://www.amazon.com/Mounts-Double-Socket-Replacement-Standard/dp/B0012TUPRQ/ref=pd_bxgy_e_img_c

(one of the three items frequently purchased together) -- Where did you hook this up to and how? I see it's hooked on to a metal stem in the pics, but what is that metal stem? What are some of my other options for attaching to the bike itself?

Finally, I have a 765T that I use for the car. What's been your experience with it on the bike?

Thanks for posting this, by the way. It helps a lot.

I am all for the KISS approach where and when possible and have simply used the outlet in the glove box for a power source. I run the power cord out on the box like so.

Because of the heaver power cord, I position it here in relation to the latch mechanism so as to put as little pressure on the latch as possible and give the lid the opportunity to flex as much as possible. The heavier power cord on the 765T holds up very well in lieu of getting pinched and worn as it is squeezed by the pressure of the lid. One additional plus is that the glove box has a ridge/flange at the top as it comes in contact with the lit when closed to keep water out. I have been known to ride long distances and many hours in windy/rainy conditions and even with the lid closed on the power cord and it not closing completely, the ridge keeps any rain water from entering the box itself. What small amount that may enter simply gets channeled away by design.

There are a number of other options for a more permanent/better method of gaining power which I am sure others will offer up. Mine is but one and I find it works very well for my needs.

The Aquabox folks have thought of everything to facilitate running the power cord into the box. Of course there is the center knock-out. Around the knock-out are two flanges/ridges at different diameters around the knock-out hole. When you dry fit your ball mount plat to the back of the AB, depending where you position the cord there are small knock-out in these ridges that when cut our knocked out, you can simply lay the cord in them and attach the plate with the ball. Hope that makes enough sense to get you started. It's really very simple. The only time I remove the GPS from the Aquabox is to enter new routes and of course the power cord remains in the box.

The Aquabox is removed in a matter of a minute at the most. I never have a reason to remove it but it is very simple and easy to do.

This is the mount manufatured by one of you own forum members. 08FJR4ME

You can find info here

Whats been my experience with the 765T on the bike? I get everything I need from it and more. It is used exclusively on the bike. Matched up with the SENA SMH10 Bluetooth headset, I have everything I need. You should know that the SENA SMH10 is designed to work exclusively with the Zumo 550 and not the Nuvi. But do to the ability to pair the SENA with my phone and the 765T separately, I enjoy all the features of the Zumo with the exception of managing calls through the GPS. However, my Samsung manages my incoming calls very nicely paired to the SENA

For me not having the phone paired to the Nuvi is not an issue as when I am on the road I prefer not to be on the phone and when it in important to be on the phone I simply touch the phone button on the SENA and speak into the mic and make my call hands free. When a call comes in I here the phone tell me I have a call and who it's from if they are in my contact list, and with that I can decide if I want to answer it or let it go to v-mail. I simply say hello and I'm connected. "Not all phones are created equal!"

The SENA does a great job of prioritizing the functions so that one does not interfere with the other. The sound quality is very impressive (A2DP) and the MP3 player built into the 765T is just an added bonus.

Given I always use the 765T with the SENA I rarely need to worry about the brightness of the day making it hard to see the screen on occasion. When I must, it's a simple matter of shading the GPS with the gloved hand and I'm back on track. 90% of my miles are long days in the saddle and not a lot of in town travel, thus I find the voice navigation prompt are what I depend on the most.

To each his/her own. For the investment and for what I need from a GPS this works as well as it needs to. I just wish it would give me Bambi Alerts. :angry:

Hope this helps.

Keep Going!

 

[isuftin]

Is the power source for the GPS unit coming from the trickle charger lead to the battery or from somewhere else?

I'm curious as to what you did in the back there.

Is the wire from the lead going through a metal backing plate and into the aquabox unit?

How difficult is it to remove the aquabox itself when not in use?

Does it just pop off the ball joint?

You'd mentioned you purchased this: https://www.amazon.com/Mounts-Double-Socket-Replacement-Standard/dp/B0012TUPRQ/ref=pd_bxgy_e_img_c

(one of the three items frequently purchased together) -- Where did you hook this up to and how? I see it's hooked on to a metal stem in the pics, but what is that metal stem? What are some of my other options for attaching to the bike itself?

Finally, I have a 765T that I use for the car. What's been your experience with it on the bike?

Thanks for posting this, by the way. It helps a lot.

I am all for the KISS approach where and when possible and have simply used the outlet in the glove box for a power source. I run the power cord out on the box like so.

Because of the heaver power cord, I position it here in relation to the latch mechanism so as to put as little pressure on the latch as possible and give the lid the opportunity to flex as much as possible. The heavier power cord on the 765T holds up very well in lieu of getting pinched and worn as it is squeezed by the pressure of the lid. One additional plus is that the glove box has a ridge/flange at the top as it comes in contact with the lit when closed to keep water out. I have been known to ride long distances and many hours in windy/rainy conditions and even with the lid closed on the power cord and it not closing completely, the ridge keeps any rain water from entering the box itself. What small amount that may enter simply gets channeled away by design.

There are a number of other options for a more permanent/better method of gaining power which I am sure others will offer up. Mine is but one and I find it works very well for my needs.

The Aquabox folks have thought of everything to facilitate running the power cord into the box. Of course there is the center knock-out. Around the knock-out are two flanges/ridges at different diameters around the knock-out hole. When you dry fit your ball mount plat to the back of the AB, depending where you position the cord there are small knock-out in these ridges that when cut our knocked out, you can simply lay the cord in them and attach the plate with the ball. Hope that makes enough sense to get you started. It's really very simple. The only time I remove the GPS from the Aquabox is to enter new routes and of course the power cord remains in the box.

The Aquabox is removed in a matter of a minute at the most. I never have a reason to remove it but it is very simple and easy to do.

This is the mount manufatured by one of you own forum members. 08FJR4ME

You can find info here

Whats been my experience with the 765T on the bike? I get everything I need from it and more. It is used exclusively on the bike. Matched up with the SENA SMH10 Bluetooth headset, I have everything I need. You should know that the SENA SMH10 is designed to work exclusively with the Zumo 550 and not the Nuvi. But do to the ability to pair the SENA with my phone and the 765T separately, I enjoy all the features of the Zumo with the exception of managing calls through the GPS. However, my Samsung manages my incoming calls very nicely paired to the SENA

For me not having the phone paired to the Nuvi is not an issue as when I am on the road I prefer not to be on the phone and when it in important to be on the phone I simply touch the phone button on the SENA and speak into the mic and make my call hands free. When a call comes in I here the phone tell me I have a call and who it's from if they are in my contact list, and with that I can decide if I want to answer it or let it go to v-mail. I simply say hello and I'm connected. "Not all phones are created equal!"

The SENA does a great job of prioritizing the functions so that one does not interfere with the other. The sound quality is very impressive (A2DP) and the MP3 player built into the 765T is just an added bonus.

Given I always use the 765T with the SENA I rarely need to worry about the brightness of the day making it hard to see the screen on occasion. When I must, it's a simple matter of shading the GPS with the gloved hand and I'm back on track. 90% of my miles are long days in the saddle and not a lot of in town travel, thus I find the voice navigation prompt are what I depend on the most.

To each his/her own. For the investment and for what I need from a GPS this works as well as it needs to. I just wish it would give me Bambi Alerts. :angry:

Hope this helps.

Keep Going!

Exactly the info I needed. Now I'm well on my way to doing this exactly. Thanks!

 

[olsonm3915]

You should know that the SENA SMH10 is designed to work exclusively with the Zumo 550 and not the Nuvi. But do to the ability to pair the SENA with my phone and the 765T separately, I enjoy all the features of the Zumo with the exception of managing calls through the GPS.

...

The SENA does a great job of prioritizing the functions so that one does not interfere with the other. The sound quality is very impressive (A2DP) and the MP3 player built into the 765T is just an added bonus.

I just got my new Zumo 550, after having returned my Nuvi 765T (wanted less bulk and waterproofness, plus left side buttons, etc.)

The Sena SMH10 works far better with the MP3 player function of the Nuvi 765(T) compared to the Zumo 550. As you say, the Nuvi supports Advanced Audio Distribution Profile (A2DP) and Audio/Video Remote Control (AVRCP). This means the Nuvi delivers high quality stereo audio to the Sena, plus, the Sena can turn MP3 playback on/off, and select the next or previous song by using the jog dial. When the Sena is paired with a Zumo 550, you don't get high quality stereo sound, only mono, and none of the jog dial functions of the Sena do anything to the Zumo's playback. And of course the 765T's voice navigation directions do get sent to the Sena just as the Zumo's voice guidance does. And as you point out, if your phone has good voice dialing and answering features, the Sena does a great job of handling a bluetooth phone simultaneously with the Nuvi, and prioritizing them.

So, I cannot agree with your statement "You should know that the SENA SMH10 is designed to work exclusively with the Zumo 550 and not the Nuvi". If your primary interest is MP3 audio, and you can live with the non-waterproof nature of the Nuvi 765, it is far better suited to pairing with the Sena SMH10. On the other hand, if having the phone integrated into the GPS (caller ID, onscreen dialing functions, etc) while routing the phone audio to the Sena via the GPS, the Zumo 550 is the choice for you. The Zumo 550 does not have A2DP, so the bluetooth audio output it sends to the Sena SMH10 is lo-fi mono. Not a big deal for me since I don't normally listen to music on the bike.

 

[Fred W]

Yep, all of that is true.

If you need (want) A2DP stereo audio via bluetooth the you'd need to go to the Zumo 6XX series of GPS.

I'm not sure why having the ability to control the GPS' MP3 player via the headset's jog dial is so desirable when you'll have the MP3 controls on the front of the GPS, but that feature would be also available on the 6XX series. The 550 is from a generation before all those features were added. The nuvi 765T is much more like the Zumo 6XX series in that regard.

 

[olsonm3915]

I'm not sure why having the ability to control the GPS' MP3 player via the headset's jog dial is so desirable when you'll have the MP3 controls on the front of the GPS, but that feature would be also available on the 6XX series.

Short answer:

Being able to control MP3 playback from the SMH10's jog dial is desirable because it is quick and direct, and does not require looking at the GPS.

Extended answer:

If you're already displaying the MP3 player, switching tracks is easy and positive, you use the + and - buttons, which does not require looking at the GPS. But to control play/pause you have to touch the screen in a particular area. And if you're not already on the MP3 screen, you have to press the page button until you get there, and look at the screen to see when you've gotten to the MP3 player.

The SMH10's jog dial is big, and easy to manipulate without having to poke at a particular location on a touchscreen, or to look at the screen while pressing the page button to see when you've gotten to the MP3 player, both actions require you to take your eyes off the road, albeit briefly.

 

[garywayne]

Well I got the 550 the other day and have it mounted on the bike (comes with everything you need to mount it) (not had a chance to use it on the road yet). Still figuring everything out but so far I think I'm going to like it. Have about 700 somgs loaded on the memory card and it workg good (I don't use a bluetooth set up but it sounds fine with earbuds). Made some routes on mapsource and figured out how to load them on the memory card (thanks to the Zumo forum) so the 550 will see them. I think its going to be a good unit but for what the darn thing cost it should.

Gary

 

[Fred W]

Well I got the 550 the other day and have it mounted on the bike (comes with everything you need to mount it) (not had a chance to use it on the road yet). Still figuring everything out but so far I think I'm going to like it. Have about 700 somgs loaded on the memory card and it workg good (I don't use a bluetooth set up but it sounds fine with earbuds). Made some routes on mapsource and figured out how to load them on the memory card (thanks to the Zumo forum) so the 550 will see them. I think its going to be a good unit but for what the darn thing cost it should.

Gary

You'll want to learn how to load the routes through the Mapsource upload tool. That will retain the advanced routing features of the Garmin proprietary format routes. When you save the route to .gpx file (for transfer to the SD card) you lose some of the nifty stuff that is embedded in the .gdb format

 

[garywayne]

Well I got the 550 the other day and have it mounted on the bike (comes with everything you need to mount it) (not had a chance to use it on the road yet). Still figuring everything out but so far I think I'm going to like it. Have about 700 somgs loaded on the memory card and it workg good (I don't use a bluetooth set up but it sounds fine with earbuds). Made some routes on mapsource and figured out how to load them on the memory card (thanks to the Zumo forum) so the 550 will see them. I think its going to be a good unit but for what the darn thing cost it should.

Gary

You'll want to learn how to load the routes through the Mapsource upload tool. That will retain the advanced routing features of the Garmin proprietary format routes. When you save the route to .gpx file (for transfer to the SD card) you lose some of the nifty stuff that is embedded in the .gdb format

Problem is there is almost no memory left in the unit after I did the new map update. I couldn't even load Canada on it (got not enough memory) message.

Gary

 

[TomInPA]

Gary, have you gone through and deleted the unneeded language files? Also, check the Garmin directory and make sure you don't have multiple map image files loaded (gmapsupp.img). A complete map set should be around 1.3 GB.

 

[Fred W]

Well I got the 550 the other day and have it mounted on the bike (comes with everything you need to mount it) (not had a chance to use it on the road yet). Still figuring everything out but so far I think I'm going to like it. Have about 700 somgs loaded on the memory card and it workg good (I don't use a bluetooth set up but it sounds fine with earbuds). Made some routes on mapsource and figured out how to load them on the memory card (thanks to the Zumo forum) so the 550 will see them. I think its going to be a good unit but for what the darn thing cost it should.

Gary

You'll want to learn how to load the routes through the Mapsource upload tool. That will retain the advanced routing features of the Garmin proprietary format routes. When you save the route to .gpx file (for transfer to the SD card) you lose some of the nifty stuff that is embedded in the .gdb format

Problem is there is almost no memory left in the unit after I did the new map update. I couldn't even load Canada on it (got not enough memory) message.

Gary

Try loading just the eastern (or western) US & Canada. If you are headed cross country on a big adventure you can load the remaining maps on an SD card.

 

[olsonm3915]

I had the same problem with my new Zumo 550, trying to install the City Navigator 2011 maps for all of North America. I don't want to have to keep reloading maps piecemeal every time I go somewhere, so I simply installed all the new maps to a 4GB SD card. I've gone through a rather lengthy look at this, and assuming that what Windows reports as the size of the internal flash drive is correct, the size of the new maps after they are installed would take up all but 4MB of the internal flash drive, which wouldn't leave enough room for even one set of language files, which are about 15MB for American English (Jill) alone. G: is the internal flash disk, H: is my 4GB SD card.

When I check the installed maps, the 550 says I have both, but only 2011 maps are checked, which is how I want it, of course. If the 2011 map data on SD gets corrupted I will still have the 2009 maps in the unit as a backup. So other than having to keep that same SD card in there while navigating, I guess the downside is pretty minimal. And I have verified that I can copy that set of maps from the 4GB SD card onto other SD cards and they also work when placed into the 550. So I know I can even carry a backup of my supplemental maps along with me.

Total internal flash disk size 1,298,829,312
            Size of 2011 maps 1,294,505,040
============================================
Space left for other stuff         4,324,272

G:\Garmin
>chkdsk g:
The type of the file system is FAT32.
Volume GARMIN created 5/22/2006 11:35 AM
Volume Serial Number is 4471-E859
Windows is verifying files and folders...
File and folder verification is complete.
Windows has checked the file system and found no problems.

1,298,829,312 bytes total disk space.
       4,096 bytes in 1 hidden files.
      40,960 bytes in 8 folders.
1,279,586,304 bytes in 132 files.
  19,193,856 bytes available on disk.

       4,096 bytes in each allocation unit.
     317,097 total allocation units on disk.
       4,686 allocation units available on disk.

H:\
>dir garmin
Volume in drive H is 4GBSANDISK
Volume Serial Number is 48D1-2EC4

Directory of H:\garmin

03/05/2011  11:22 PM    <DIR>          .
03/05/2011  11:22 PM    <DIR>          ..
03/06/2011  12:20 AM     1,294,499,840 gmapsupp.img
03/06/2011  12:20 AM             2,600 11f6095f-46a2-47c7-9754-f1fd81ee18da.gma
03/06/2011  12:20 AM             2,600 6e4c8267-275d-4a99-9060-43e3df3c6f89.gma
              3 File(s)  1,294,505,040 bytes
              2 Dir(s)   2,662,285,312 bytes free

G:\Garmin\voice
>dir eng*
Volume in drive G is GARMIN
Volume Serial Number is 4471-E859

Directory of G:\Garmin\voice

04/20/2010  03:04 AM        15,953,920 English_American_Jill.vpm
05/01/2006  03:27 AM         1,119,488 English_American_.vpm
05/04/2007  03:59 AM         1,176,576 English_British_.vpm
06/29/2010  06:39 AM        13,905,920 English_American_Jack.vpm
03/31/2007  06:59 PM                 4 english_american_.sum
03/31/2007  07:00 PM                 4 english_american_jack.sum
03/31/2007  07:00 PM                 4 english_american_jill.sum
03/31/2007  07:00 PM                 4 english_british_.sum
              8 File(s)     32,155,920 bytes
              0 Dir(s)      19,193,856 bytes free