Which GPS To Buy?

[broodwich]

I just found zumoforums.com today. I found it through a post on ADVRider. There is a pretty big community of GPS and more specifically zumo users on that forum. It's a good resource. I am also looking for a GPS. I was talking to a friend of mine yesterday about his GPS, a Garmin 2820 and he was telling me about some of the limitations / complications of route planning with MapSource.

I'm a big fan of planning routes on Google Maps and before Google maps I planned all my routes in Microsoft Mappoint. One of the biggest issues with planning a route on the computer or in a GPS is getting the software to take you on the backroads that you want. This is always done with waypoints (Garmin calls them Via points).

One of the advantages of the zumo with MapSource and the 3.0 firmware update for the zumo is that you can create "shaping points". These are just via points but they don't get announced. They are just used to "shape" the route. I guess with regular waypoints the Garmin units will announce all your waypoints as you ride through them. The more waypoints you place the more announcements and the more annoying. The shaping points seem to be an important feature for anyone that is going to be planning routes in their computer and transfering them to the GPS. People are also calling these PONIs, Points of Non Interest.

I guess there is some voodoo to getting a point to become a shaping point. It sounds like the point has to be on an intersection of two roads. There is some good information on this over on vfrdiscussion.com in a thread called Tales of Zumo.

As far as I can tell, only the zumo supports this feature.

 

[jwhite518]

I just found zumoforums.com today. I found it through a post on ADVRider. There is a pretty big community of GPS and more specifically zumo users on that forum. It's a good resource. I am also looking for a GPS. I was talking to a friend of mine yesterday about his GPS, a Garmin 2820 and he was telling me about some of the limitations / complications of route planning with MapSource.
I'm a big fan of planning routes on Google Maps and before Google maps I planned all my routes in Microsoft Mappoint. One of the biggest issues with planning a route on the computer or in a GPS is getting the software to take you on the backroads that you want. This is always done with waypoints (Garmin calls them Via points).

One of the advantages of the zumo with MapSource and the 3.0 firmware update for the zumo is that you can create "shaping points". These are just via points but they don't get announced. They are just used to "shape" the route. I guess with regular waypoints the Garmin units will announce all your waypoints as you ride through them. The more waypoints you place the more announcements and the more annoying. The shaping points seem to be an important feature for anyone that is going to be planning routes in their computer and transfering them to the GPS. People are also calling thes PONIs Points of Non Interest.

I guess there is some voodoo to getting a point to become a shaping point. It sounds like the point has to be on an intersection of two roads. There is some good information on this over on vfrdiscussion.com in a thread called Tales of Zumo.

As far as I can tell, only the zumo supports this feature.

Hm. I've never heard of shaping points before. How does it work? I saw that someone has written some custom software that does something magical to your via points to make them unannounced. Is that what you're talking about?

 

[James Burleigh]

Jerry's got a nice one for sale for $200!

 

[jwhite518]

Jerry's got a nice one for sale for $200!

Nerp. It's sold!

 

[broodwich]

Hm. I've never heard of shaping points before. How does it work? I saw that someone has written some custom software that does something magical to your via points to make them unannounced. Is that what you're talking about?

No that's an extra. I also read about that yesterday. It seems like that software takes all the intermediate via points out of your route but somehow keeps you on the correct path. The main advantage with that software seems to be that your zumo screen won't be littered up with a bunch of orange flags. On the zumo the destination is marked by a checkered flag and the via points are marked by orange flags.

I found this information on a site yesterday comparing Streets & Trips to MapSource but there is some good information in here about the shaping points.

Well, the advantage that MapSource has over both of them as far as being used with the Zumo is that the Zumo was designed to take the route from MapSource and not recalculate it. Most previous GPS units (even Garmins) recalculate the route once it is sent to the unit which often results in the route taking a different path than was planned. Now in a car, this might not matter much. But for most motorcyclists using it to plan trips, we want to go a specific way down specific roads in a specific order. So not recalculating the route is a HUGE deal. The way that users of previous units got around this was to put TONS of waypoints in the route so that the route was forced to go the way you wanted. With the Zumo and MapSource, this isn't necessary. The critical part is that the maps must be identical. So it's imperative that the unit and MapSource are using the same version of the maps. The routes will WORK if the maps aren't the same, but there's a chance that the route WILL be changed if the unit encounters data in the route that isn't contained in the unit. Also, using MapSource is easier (to me) because there are fewer steps to get the route to the unit. Simply create the route and click the "Send to Device" button and you are done. No exporting, no converting.
And the Zumo is also designed to work with what Garmin calls Shaping Points. These are points that serve only to force the route down a particular road. But if they are placed properly, they won't be flagged on the map screen nor announced by the navigation prompts.

I found this information here, https://www.poi-factory.com/node/10052

About midway down on the page, the post is by Motorcycle Mama, who I assume is the same Motorcycle Mama that is very active on zumoforums.com.

 

[jmdaniel]

Can anyone who has looked at the zumo 550, and has the short arm syndrome, (as in they can't hold things far enough away to read), tell me about how legible the screen is? I wear cheaters, (2.0 correction), but don't want to be forced to wear glasses while on the bike.

This is a great thread, including the info on the low price resellers.... :clapping:

 

[ShawnKing]

The Zumo's accept data cards but the 2720, 2730, or 2820 do not accept data cards but not sure how important data cards are?

I have the 2720 and, in my opinion, you don't need data cards. Everything you need is already preinstalled and, if you want to add your own maps, you can do it via software and a USB cable.

 

[SPORT]

This is going to be a real "for what it's worth" comment, but you can sure spend a TON of money of some of these units, so I think it's worth it to take a minute and really think about how you'll be using it, and for what. I bought a Garmin C330 "Street Pilot" some time back for the car and it's great for the needs I have (cost about $200). I decided I'd like a unit for the bike on some trips, and ran up against that ugly price thing. Sheesh! So thinking about it, I won't be riding along watching the screen, won't be typing instructions into the gadget as I ride, don't listen to music while I ride, don't talk on the phone when I ride. Can't really hear the voice commands over the engine and road noise through the helmet. Frankly, all I really need is to be able to stop and check which way to go next or find my way back to my course. So I bought a mount for the C330. Snap it off and put it in the bag or a pocket if I leave the bike or if it rains.

yep. I too am currently using the c330. Been pleased with Suzy; but would like to hear her tell me where to go, :blink: make phone calls, create multiple POI/waypoint trips, keep a log/track of where I've been, and several other features the c330 does not have. Maybe next year when the prices drop again. However, $550 for a Zumo 550 is a darn good price!

 

[Scab]

Just another FWIW comment; For those of you with a C330 or such, it is very easy to disassemble, add an earphone jack, and reassemble. Radio Shack has the shitz needed for just a few bucks.

I had a C330 on the Feej before I killed both. The C330 actually survived the crash intact, but the mud-bath inhibited its ability to hold a satelite lock. I use a Zumo450 now.

 

[feejer222]

The Tomtom 'Rider' is excellent. We decided to buy one just as they were taken off the market 2 years ago. No-one could tell us why they wern't available. Tomtom reckoned they were....but they wern't. I wanted to stick with Tomtom as its the one I have in the car and at work.

We bought one still boxed from Ebay. The mount/charger never worked from new. I spoke to a dealer who said it was a waste of time getting it changed as they were all the same. I decided to buy a car charger for it for £10. Hard wired it in and it works fine.

A new version was launched a couple of months ago, (looks exactly the same). I assume the charger works on this one.

 

[Fred W]

Buy.com has the refurbished C330's marked down to $129 w/ free shipping. At that price they are disposables...

Linky

 

[cougar8000]

Should I worry about buying a garmin Zumo from a not authorized dealer? What is the down side.

Thank you

 

[Fred W]

Should I worry about buying a garmin Zumo from a not authorized dealer? What is the down side.
Thank you

It might be counterfeit? You might not get a real warranty? You might get it for a ton cheaper?

 

[cougar8000]

It might be counterfeit? You might not get a real warranty? You might get it for a ton cheaper?

What do you mean counterfeit? How can that be with the GPS. Not like you can build one in the basement? What am I missing? What should I ask then?

Thank you Fred.

 

[Fred W]

It might be counterfeit? You might not get a real warranty? You might get it for a ton cheaper?

What do you mean counterfeit? How can that be with the GPS. Not like you can build one in the basement? What am I missing? What should I ask then?

Thank you Fred.

I was being facetious.

What outfit are you considering buying from? Maybe someone has experience with them...

 

[cougar8000]

I was being facetious.
What outfit are you considering buying from? Maybe someone has experience with them...

:yahoo: :yahoo: :yahoo: You got me there.

Here is the seller https://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewI...cTODAY.m238.lVI

and it looks like she is a dealer.

 

[Fred W]

I was being facetious.
What outfit are you considering buying from? Maybe someone has experience with them...

:yahoo: :yahoo: :yahoo: You got me there.

Here is the seller https://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewI...cTODAY.m238.lVI

and it looks like she is a dealer.

I think you can do better than that price. I seem to recall that $600 was the bottom price available (non-eBay).

 

[cougar8000]

I think you can do better than that price. I seem to recall that $600 was the bottom price available (non-eBay).

REALLY??? WHERE???

She said it has a 1 year warranty. I just looked it up on Garmin and it says that you need a sales retailer receipt to claim the warranty.

 

[VTXEDFJR]

I use a Garmin Nuvi 660. You can get a motorcycle cradle for the Nuvi 660 then it mounts to the Techmount. Very nice but not water proof. Cyclegadgets.com carrys everthing I mentioned.

Steve

 

[Fred W]

I think you can do better than that price. I seem to recall that $600 was the bottom price available (non-eBay).

REALLY??? WHERE???

She said it has a 1 year warranty. I just looked it up on Garmin and it says that you need a sales retailer receipt to claim the warranty.

Here:

Link

This web site lists 2 places that have them at $560. I don't know what kind of shenanegans they will play on you to get that price. A lot of these camera type places have very aggressive sales people that try to up sell you from whatever you are ordering. And they don't complete the order untilk you run through their phone-sales gauntlet.

Or here: Link