New Garmin Zumo... 590LM

[BigOgre]

Learn something everyday right? Thanks guys, will definitely look into it.

 

[PhilJet09]

Took a drive today and uncovered a bit of Nanny behavior. It warns me as I'm about to enter a school zone and another while I'm in it with pop-up messages. Shows speed limit as 20 MPH. One might complain but I know Deputy Dawg likes to stalk us in these locations.
Happened at two different school zones and coincided exactly with the locations of the speed limit change signs.

That feature might actually interest me. Over the past couple of months the two counties here on L.I. petitioned the state for permission to install school zone speeding cameras citing safety concerns. (OMG! THINK OF THE CHILDREN!!) Of course years of history show minimal accidents at these locations and even the pols finally admit it's really just a cash grab but the state approved it anyway a couple of weeks ago. One camera (so far) per school district for about 125 total. Looks like it'll be a $50 minimum fine not including surcharges, fees, etc.

Now if Garmin could do the same for each of the intersections with red light cameras I'd be buying one tomorrow.

You can download the proximity alerts for every red light and speed camera in a couple ways. Garmin sells a product called Cyclops that gives you warnings for every intersection with a RLC. www.POIfactory.com will give it to you for free if you are an active contributor, or for $5.00 if you just want to buy it, with 6-months of free updates. You use the free Garmin POI loader software to put it on the GPS, or send me a PM with your email.

Cool!

 

[Iris]

I rode with my new 590LM today and found absolutely no issue with reading the screen in direct sunlight and it was bright and sunny all day today. In fact, when I got home, I realized that the brightness was only on 80%. !!
The only thing I had a hard time with was trying to figure out how to navigate a route that I transferred into the unit from my computer. I probably just need to learn more.

 

[ionbeam]

I had a chance to bench run a 590 yesterday and liked several of the ways the 590 operates over the 550 I have. Scrolling the map with your finger is way better than the 550.

Brightness isn't an issue and perhaps there is better anti-glare coating on the screen.

The 'octopus' harness does not look like a good idea, it sure gives you a lot of cables that you have no choice but to deal with, even if you don't use them. The harness could be bothersome depending on where you want to mount the GPS.

The back of the GPS has two small USB ports to confuse a new owner, one for a car mount and another for the computer hookup.

 

[RichDoyle]

The back of the GPS has two small USB ports to confuse a new owner, one for a car mount and another for the computer hookup.

??? There's only 1 USB port on the 590 I have. There is a USB port on the car mount itself - for connecting to the car power.

The Octopus is a problem to deal with. It's the same approach as a 660. On that unit, since I only used the power leads, I cannibalized it into only those leads, making it about 8 inches long. In this case I'm using two leads - the USB lead and the power. I may simply cut the other 3 off at the octopus head, but for now I've got them stuck down behind the left cowl.

 

[Iris]

^^^

Yeah, I only remember 1 USB port also. I'l have to look.

The gaggles of wires are somewhat of a nuisance (I agree), but I found a place under the seat to wrap and tuck them in rather than eliminate them by clipping. I may decide later to use the extra cables.

 

[GalaxyBlue]

I pulled the trigger on the 590LM with TPMS.

 

[RiderX]

Took a drive today and uncovered a bit of Nanny behavior. It warns me as I'm about to enter a school zone and another while I'm in it with pop-up messages. Shows speed limit as 20 MPH. One might complain but I know Deputy Dawg likes to stalk us in these locations.
Happened at two different school zones and coincided exactly with the locations of the speed limit change signs.

That feature might actually interest me. Over the past couple of months the two counties here on L.I. petitioned the state for permission to install school zone speeding cameras citing safety concerns. (OMG! THINK OF THE CHILDREN!!) Of course years of history show minimal accidents at these locations and even the pols finally admit it's really just a cash grab but the state approved it anyway a couple of weeks ago. One camera (so far) per school district for about 125 total. Looks like it'll be a $50 minimum fine not including surcharges, fees, etc.

Now if Garmin could do the same for each of the intersections with red light cameras I'd be buying one tomorrow.

You can download the proximity alerts for every red light and speed camera in a couple ways. Garmin sells a product called Cyclops that gives you warnings for every intersection with a RLC. www.POIfactory.com will give it to you for free if you are an active contributor, or for $5.00 if you just want to buy it, with 6-months of free updates. You use the free Garmin POI loader software to put it on the GPS, or send me a PM with your email.

+1

Well worth the five bucks and reading through the threads on POIFactory. While I use American Jill for normal GPS voice, I set up RLC and speed cams with a British chick, "caution! Red light camera ahead". The speed cams in MD and DC used to drive me batty. No brainer.

 

[Fairlaner]

I love mine.....way better than the 665. even tells you when u are in a school zone.

R

 

[TomInPA]

Got mine installed yesterday. I routed the "octopus" wires to the seat area where I can hook into the Autocom with the audio out, mic and audio in wires. I have a BT headset as well, but still prefer the wired autocom for now.

 

[TomInPA]

For those with the 590LM, I'd like to hear feedback on the SmartLink app, especially weather and traffic which cost extra to install. Are either of these upgrades worthwhile? I get real-time radar on the iPhone, and along with other weather apps, it's hard to believe Smartlink brings much to the table other than on-screen display. Traffic can be useful in urban areas, depending on whether the service is accurate and timely. Any experience?

Music is great on the 590. I get Pandora and the iPhone music library via Bluetooth and wired headset, and can change stations on-screen. Sound quality is excellent. This is way beyond the sound quality I have gotten on other GPS units. The new "Samantha" voice is better and less bitchy than Jill.

 

[SkooterG]

How much for the SmartLink app?

 

[TomInPA]

The app is free and does some pretty strange things, like using your GPS to find nearby people broadcasting a FourSquare location. It has a button to access your contacts and navigate to their locations. Mostly, the "free app" seems to be a front-end to sell more expensive software and apps like the Garmin smartphone app for $49.

Live Traffic is $19.99 to add on,

Advanced Weather North America is $4.99 provides weather alerts and displays NWS warnings on the map along a route

$4.99 PhotoLive North America provides real-time connection to traffic cameras...mostly useful for urban interstates.

Unless I hear some pretty good reviews of the traffic and weather apps, I'm probably not going to get it.

 

[GalaxyBlue]

yeah, I doubt I will subscribe to any of those services. it's somewhat intrusive also. probably going to uninstall it from the phone.

 

[Fred W]

That is disappointing to read. I was hoping that the weather overlay would be something like what was once available on the Streetpilot models that supported XM weather. Not just the cartoon overlay, but an actual weather radar map like this: Clicky Being able to enable and disable an overlay like that would be awesome.

 

[TomInPA]

On the other hand Fred, I have RadarScope which has really useful NEXRAD imagry in real time, and the Weather Channel and WeatherBug for macro weather. Most of all, I can see if it's likely to rain and then assuming I have a data signal, I can look and make a decision to go or not go, or divert for weather. Smartphones are great. Still, I agree it would be cool if the application was like RadarScope and showed your current position relative storm cells and their movement.

 

[Fred W]

Yeah, and shown on the GPS is big (to me). If it's raining, or quite likely to rain, the (dumb) smart phone is hidden away from the elements.

And yeah, I already have a Lifeproof water-resistant (not proof) case for my iPhone, but it makes using the phone jacks and stuff more difficult. I supposed for a long trip I'd put up with that little foible to have weather info.

 

[RichDoyle]

The SmartLink app, I've found, will tell you when there are updates available and possibly other stuff without the add-ons. Data network availability is so spotty away from cities out here in the West I don't see it being all that useful for me. There may also be a problem combining using the app in conjunction with things like the iPod integration. I have an inquiry in to Garmin and have turned off the SmartLink for the time being to see if that is true.

 

[TomInPA]

So far the most amazing part of the new unit is the display. It can be read in full sunshine with the sun coming over your shoulder directly onto the screen. It's surprising how readable the screen is in full sun, and I've never had any other unit come close.

I used the Pandora app to stream music the entire distance from Espyville, PA (Lake Pymatuming) to home in Murrysville, PA and never had a break in coverage. I used the stored music on the way up. Sound is good. XM used to break up with lots of over hanging trees or hillsides.

I used a combination of curvy roads, direct route, fastest route, and found curvy roads would try to take you significantly out of your way for no tangible benefit. It is very similar to using the older units with avoid Major Roads turned on. Garmin routing can be quirky, so it's useful to have some sense of where you are, and where you are going.... but then that's why we use a GPS, right?

The on-screen information identifies the current road, the upcoming turn and distance, speed, speed limit, and the usual choices of ETA, Time, Distance to destination, elevation etc. Voice directions are more precise.

 

[RaYzerman19]

Tom, curious as to the menu structure..... on the 550 menu structure was Where To, Routes, then pick your pre-planned route.... 660 series you have to search through a couple of pages to find your routes, way too many distractions trying to navigate that while on the fly..... I like that the smaller screens have higher resolutions.......