GPS Advice

[merv]

On the faking it thread a few mentioned using GPS as an accurate measure.

My problem is every time I go into a shop and look at the things or read about them on the internet I'm still left wondering what is the model I should shell my cash out on?

I would like one that does all the biz and has decent maps of NZ on it so you always know where you are or where to go.

Tell me what model do you reckon is the best - easy to use, weatherproof if you are talking about it being used on the bike etc etc?

[jrandom]

Tell me what model do you reckon is the best - easy to use, weatherproof if you are talking about it being used on the bike etc etc?

I should point out that I work as an R&D engineer for Navman (www.navman.com) so I'm a bit biased but I can also answer your queries pretty good

BMW have just started factory-mounting a waterproof Garmin GPS navigator on some of their tourers, but I'm not sure if it's separately available. In any case it would be stonkingly expensive and NZ maps would *not* be available. Apart from that there's nothing on the market that's road-bike specific. If you want to use GPS offroad, there are plenty of low-cost MTB-oriented GPS products that would transfer easily to trail riding etc.

Now, in terms of GPS, you can have basic positioning, or you can have positioning plus electronic maps, or you can have both of the above with the inclusion of street routing, which figures out paths through road networks, etc and guides you along, intead of just having a 'map image' that it plots your position on. That's the *real* sexy application for it.

Unfortunately the only cheapish, waterproof and portable (ie, bike-mountable) GPS units you'll find in shops right now are targeted at the low-end marine and tramping market and don't have any concept of road mapping.

Assuming you want the sexy street routing option, which is the only one that really helps on the road, your best option might be to use a PDA (like a Sony Clie or a Pocket PC) loaded with navigation software and a Bluetooth GPS unit. Bluetooth GPS units (like the Navman GPS4400) are weatherproof, battery-powered (eg, 30 hour life for the Navman one) and come with magnetic mounts. It'd work well on the tank. The PDA could be put in a wee plastic baggie or a waterproof pocket, and since the mapping software (eg, Navman SmartST Pro) provides voice guidance instructions ("In 400 metres, turn left... turn left now... enter the roundabout and take the third exit") you could run the audio to a headphone in your helmet.

Merv, PM me if you'd be interested in having a play with some of this stuff, that goes for any other KBers too.

[Drunken Monkey]

Merv, PM me if you'd be interested in having a play with some of this stuff, that goes for any other KBers too.

Damn, now you tell me...I just ordered a CF GPS for my iPaq the other day. 3 hours of reading reviews and tech specs and I'm still not 100% sure of what I'm getting into. All part of the fun of being a techno-pioneer I guess...

The current goal is: SysOn CF GPS receiver, iPaq 2210 and WinFast Navigator software (at least to start). I'll chuck it in the tank bag when I get it, go for a few runs and report back in this thread if anyone's interested.

[sAsLEX]

Talk to Jrandom as this is his kettle of fish!
And maybe wait a wee while to something better hits the market

[sAsLEX]

I should update me threads a bit more often I think

[toads]

Hi we have a garmin etrex, it's little portable and waterproof, it apparently doesn't float however, so I guess being waterproof is only an advantage if it doesn't fall into the sea!!, we use it for tramping and for using in the boat, and on car trips, it's quite user friendly and affordable, it does chew the batteries though so I have plenty of spares whenever we use it, we use it in conjunction with tumonz software which is very reasonably priced and informative, it reads speed and distance quite accurately but takes several seconds to respond accordingly, so far we have never had a problem locking onto sattlelites either, go to www.dse.co.nz to check out what they have available, a good read up is there on each model, and www.tumonz.co.nz also has a lot of guff about their mapping software. cheers L

[jrandom]

SysOn CF GPS receiver, iPaq 2210 and WinFast Navigator software (at least to start)

Look forward to hearing your opinions DM.

[NordieBoy]

eTrex Legend + handlebar mount with BrentC's NZ street maps.

You can get all of NZ in the Legends 8mb.

Don't leave home without it.

I use the slightly older map with just streets/roads and it updates in realtime and is excellent for navigation on the fly.

His newer maps have searchable streets as well.

PS. My speedo cable broke about 6 months ago and I just use the GPS.

[jrandom]

eTrex Legend + handlebar mount with BrentC's NZ street maps.

Just to clarify the difference, the PDA stuff I mentioned earlier is differentiated from the eTrex by the PDA software's ability to calculate routes to destinations and issue voice and on-screen guidance instructions in relation to your current position.

If you don't care much about assistance in finding your way from A to B, but just want to locate yourself on a map, the eTrex is a pretty good choice, although it's about the same cost as a PDA. You're swapping the routing ability for the waterproofing and rugged case.

[NordieBoy]

Just to clarify the difference, the PDA stuff I mentioned earlier is differentiated from the eTrex by the PDA software's ability to calculate routes to destinations and issue voice and on-screen guidance instructions in relation to your current position.

Voice guidance on a motorbike?
Speak up I can't hear you!

You're swapping the routing ability for the waterproofing and rugged case.

Routing ability?
As long as I've got the petrol I like tiki-touring
Waterproofing is also good.

[FROSTY:Me]

Holey cow --is it actually possible to get lost in godzone.

[Milky]

Holey cow --is it actually possible to get lost in godzone.

I believe it is sir... didn't you post something about this just before the spanner evening mk1? or is this not the sort of 'lost' you are thinking of?

[Ghost Lemur]

Holey cow --is it actually possible to get lost in godzone.

I've tried. And the answer is a definite NO.

[jrandom]

Routing ability?
As long as I've got the petrol I like tiki-touring
Waterproofing is also good.

Yup. The whole routing thing is pretty much a cage idea. Pity, really.

Making something do the same job on a bike is much less easy... it's noisy and wet and you're wearing big fat gloves and you can't push twiddly little buttons.

[jrandom]

As mentioned above, here you go:

http://www.garmin.com/products/bmwNavigator/

As far as I'm aware it's the only bike-specific product out there, and of course it doesn't do NZ. And, of course, I am deeply humiliated to report that at the moment, Navman doesn't do a motorcycle-oriented product, in spite of the fact that the land navigation division's vice-president rides a V-Rod and an F650, and one of the directors of our American parent company is also on the Harley Davidson board...