gps shopping

[trimmantom]

well guys I've been looking on e-bay at all the different gps's for sale and would probably like a 2600 or 2700 series model preably a 2720.I don't really need all the xm,bluetooth stuff.

If I get a used model I can get one for about Half price of a new one.

What typically goes wrong with these?I'm not real familiar with these animals.

One other question is the units with voice prompts,for car use they've got the external speaker which won't work real great on a motorcycle.Is there some kind of earphone hookup to hear voice prompts while on a bike? Thanks for anyones input or opinions.

 

[Ignacio]

Etymotic ER-6 are both earphones as well as earplugs that are comparable to the foam orange ones, and they fit under a helmet fine. About $100 although one can maybe find them for around $80 on eBay. Good product.

I think less goes wrong with the GPS unit more than they get outdated. The 2820 came out and that means they want to clear inventory out of the older units. I bought a 2730 for around $800....and then the 2820 came out the week after.

I think the critical piece on GPS choice is to not get one that has a hard drive for MP3 storage. Solid state ones won't vibrate to death. ...But do look at a vibration resistant mounting setup like Touratech.

The 2700 series does have the 3D map over the 2600 series that is easier to use and understand while moving in my opinion and the screen is substantially brighter in all but the brightest summer days.

You should also use the Search button with +2610 +2720 and similar searches to look at a trove of discussion on GPS units here.

 

[JimLor]

Don't know what typically goes wrong.

I bought the Garmin motorcycle mount kit with the 2720, it comes with the mount, electircal connection, and audio connection. To be honest, I haven't tried the audio, but it "should" work.

Jim

 

[Rickster]

if you're not interested in the XM fancy stuff... you may want to look at a 376/378. They are both no-frills, and are true garmin 'marine' grade. There is no touch screen.

Garmin told me that they've had problems with motorcycles using the 27xx/28xx models. I had mine fog up within the first 90 days. The replacement is starting to show signs that it may also fog up.

They fog up between the display and the touch-screen membrane.

I've had a Quest 2 for years -- never a problem (also not touch-screen)

 

[vmaxed]

[quote name='Rickster'

They fog up between the display and the touch-screen membrane.

The same thing happened to my 2610,I bought the Zumo.I hope it doesn't have the same problem

 

[Bike Effects]

My 2730 has worked well for me. I use all of the features (Mapping, MP3 and XM) through my Starcom. There are some good buys around because the 26XX and 27XX form factor has not sold well for Garmin. These are good units and you can find very attractive prices.

 

[trimmantom]

Thanks for the responses guys.

I shoulda used the search feature,thanks Ignacio.

 

[bramfrank]

The 2800 series is NOT a replacement for the 2700. It simply adds Bluetooth to the mix.

Here is a link to a chart of the various bike-appropriate current Garmin units on the market today.

Note that the 276/376/378/478 has the highest resolution of any of the units.

 

[chornbe]

well guys I've been looking on e-bay at all the different gps's for sale and would probably like a 2600 or 2700 series model preably a 2720.I don't really need all the xm,bluetooth stuff.If I get a used model I can get one for about Half price of a new one.

What typically goes wrong with these?I'm not real familiar with these animals.

One other question is the units with voice prompts,for car use they've got the external speaker which won't work real great on a motorcycle.Is there some kind of earphone hookup to hear voice prompts while on a bike? Thanks for anyones input or opinions.

I just recently upgraded from a Garmin Quest/2 to a Garmin 2610.

Pros:

Much bigger screen.

Much faster redraw.

Much faster re-calcs.

Touch screen!!!!!!111

Only $369 refurb from Tiger Direct.

Version 8 update disc is free.

Cons:

No battery power like the Quest/2

Needs a minimum 1gb compact flash card to be really useful. I sprung for the 2gb so I don't have to keep reloading map regions and can leave the whole of USA on it all the time (this isn't really a Con, it's just not made immediately clear how big a card you'll *really* need).

 

[Grumpy]

Does this mean that my StreetPilot III is a little out of date?

jim

 

[radman]

Does this mean that my StreetPilot III is a little out of date?jim

Out of date, maybe. But considering it's large screen, map update ability via the DVD's, and the low price one can find complete units at, not obsolete. The memory card prices are absurd, but most units come with at least 64 meg, enough for most purposes.

 

[leebunyard]

Got a Quest 2 a month ago, with the Garmin cradle and Tourmount center stemnut mount for mounting on my '04 FJR. It works great on the FJR--the rubber insulated mounting system makes it vibration free even at high speeds and on rough roads (the Quest does not use a hard drive anyway, so no worries about mc vibration), screen is VERY visible even in direct sunlight and the centerstem mount does not interfere with reading the other dash gauges and is easy to read, the audible directions work great either with my Platinum 900 radio communication system or with just a set of simple Sony earphones worn inside my helmets (no trouble hearing the driving directions even when wearing my open face rather than my fullface helmets). Plus the Quest 2 uses buttons for input rather than touchscreen--I find using the touchscreen units annoying. I've also used the Quest 2 in both of my cars and my truck and during a four hour offroad hike and it's been flawless. Very fast route recalculations. Since I have zero interest in XM or traffic info broadcasts, it's perfect for me. I took an REI class in compass reading and GPS a year ago and the instructor advised making a list of what your needs are before you buy a GPS. For me, it was a unit that was very small, battery powered, highly visible screen at night and even in direct sunlight, with audible instructions, no touchscreen, no hard drive, that contained detailed street maps of the entire USA, that could be used on my street and offroad motorcycles, bicycles, cars, truck and for hiking. I evaluated a lot of different GPS units and found that the Quest 2 would best meet my needs. One caution--the small screen could be a problem when used on a motorcycle for anyone with less than perfect vision. Not a problem for me since my Lasik eye correction surgery 8 years ago but I've talked to several riders who have had trouble reading the Quest clearly, particularly when mounted off to the side rather than with a center mount.

Lee in the Mountains of Northern California