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Navigation - Maps, Compass, GPS How to find your way - traditional map, compass and road signs, or GPS and more
Photo by Ellen Delis, Lagunas Ojos del Campo, Antofalla, Catamarca

I haven't been everywhere...
but it's on my list!


Photo by Ellen Delis,
Lagunas Ojos del Campo,
Antofalla, Catamarca




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  #1  
Old 17 Nov 2009
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New to GPS. What's the go?
G'Day,

I was thinking about getting a GPS for a trip around Europe and Morocco i'm doing next year. I'll be on a VFR800 so won't being going too far off-road...

I don't have much money so i'd be looking for something cheap to supplement paper maps etc.

Should i bother with one?
Is there anything i should be particularly aware of when getting a GPS?
What brands should i look at?
If i buy one online from the the UK or Europe will it come with different maps pre-loaded (free??) than if i get one here at home(Australia)?

Any suggestions will be appreciated.
Cheers.
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  #2  
Old 17 Nov 2009
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IMHO the best thing about an up to date gps in europe is guided navigation around or through any big populated areas with minimal stress. In the country on less trafficed roads it can still be handy, but with alien one way systems, multiple lanes, weird priorites, hidden and unhelpful signs are all easier with your handlebar mounted guide, allowing you to concentrate on riding through all that a great deal more.

With a two week big mile trip you don't want to explore every backstreet on the way to your destination, you want time when you're there! GPS assists that. If you have all the time in the world it can help in understanding the info on your map, but on a slower trip the getting lost may be the best bit? A cheap one in your luggage would at least confirm where you are if you get lost, but isn't really essential if you don't mind being lost?

A European Garmin 2010 map will be the same wherever you buy it, but perhaps cheaper when you get here?
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  #3  
Old 17 Nov 2009
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I also highly recommend getting a GPS that gives audio directions, great on the bike because you don't have to spend as much time looking at the little screen...I think this is a great safety feature.
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  #4  
Old 17 Nov 2009
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Yeah i am going to be on a longer trip (few months or more) and i realise there are certain benefits of having a GPS. I think just having one in the luggage is what i'll do 'just in case'. Its just that they seem pretty expensive for something i might not really use.

I see the Garmin ones are fairly popular on this website. They also look to be the more expensive brand, but in saying that, you get what you pay for probably.

If i go down to the local electrical store to get one, are there any brands or issues i should be wary of?
...Maybe secondhand.
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  #5  
Old 18 Nov 2009
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Garmin seems to be the only one for which there are third-party maps, a lot of them for free. That's why they are popular. If you are taking one get it mounted and wired on your bike or it will be next to useless. It needs to be weatherproof, so that will make your choice a lot easier.
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Peter.

Europe to NZ 2006-10
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  #6  
Old 18 Nov 2009
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If you're only going to Europe and Morocco, and mainly on-road, you certainly don't "need" a GPS, so I don't know if I would buy one just to keep in my luggage.

On the other hand, I think GPSs are a great tool and highly recommend getting a decent one, with good maps, and mounting it on the bike. With the right settings ("shortest distance", etc.) they can really take you over some great little roads that would be much harder to identify and find with paper maps.

Even if you get a GPS I also highly recommend having good paper maps to get the lay of the land and plot out routes for entry into the GPS. Also, if the road you're on isn't on the GPS map (happens a lot, at least in Russia), having a paper map helps me get oriented.
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  #7  
Old 22 Nov 2009
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I am also a new gps user and would like a small earphone in my helmet that would be a wireless connection. I find that looking at a screen in heavy traffic in a new enviroment is just plain dangerous, and the sound from the gps speaker is drowned out.
So far the zumo 550 is the only one I can find that says there is a headphone jack/ audio line out. Dont know if it is bluetooth capable or not .
Does anyone have any more info.
Thanks Bill
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  #8  
Old 22 Nov 2009
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A quick look here, clicking the bluetooth search box shows 13 Nuvis and, on a different page, both Zumos, have bluetooth;


https://buy.garmin.com/shop/shop.do?cID=134
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  #9  
Old 22 Nov 2009
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bluetooth would probably be great, but I use wired earphones (Etymotic ER-6i) with my Zumo (music and directions) and it works great.
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  #10  
Old 1 Mar 2010
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ear buds, mp3, etc
none of the zumo info really talked about a headphone jack but I assumed it must have one. My question is.. how easy is the mp3 to load, change, and most importantly... access on the road while riding.. also, how is the sound quality and how much and where did you folks buy yours?
First Post.. thanks so much
Joel
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  #11  
Old 1 Mar 2010
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I had a Zumo- Nice Kit
I had a Zumo; I’ve now sold it but, that’s another story. I had my maps and mp3s loaded on a 2 gig SD Card. Plugged the card in the sd-slot on the Zumo, plugged my headphones in, job done. It has a build-in music player, nice bit of kit!
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  #12  
Old 1 Mar 2010
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Quote:
Originally Posted by grizzly7 View Post
IMHO the best thing about an up to date gps in europe is guided navigation around or through any big populated areas with minimal stress ...
have to agree with grizzly7.

having said that, I'd use paper maps for planning routes always, and carry them too.
I used an old Garmin Quest since end of 2005 (now kaput) found it very usefull..
never used the Audio, never missed it.
on the hunt for a fleabay Streetpilot 2720/2820.

as already posted, on a VFR you won't be venturing into the wilderness much, so you will not really 'need' a GPS, but very handy.
(wouldn't bother though, if it was just to be packed away with the spare socks )
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  #13  
Old 2 Mar 2010
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Gps
Hi.
There are lots of points of viiew regarding types of gps, voice prompts,blue tooth ect.
I have used a few types on bikes over the last few years, with and without voice and ear pieces ect.
On the whole, I found the voice prompts annoying at times and problems with charging the blue tooth on longer trips a pain. I now use a hand held unit (gpsmap 60 csx) with no voice that can be powered via the bike or with 2xAA batteries. Most of my battery stuff uses AA now so avoiding loads of dedicated batteries and chargers, It's very handy when on foot (to get back to your campsite or hotel) and not on the bike for a while.Mostly I use it more as an aid on the bike instead of following it turn by turn.
There are morocco maps available for the unit.
Hope this helps. Dave.
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  #14  
Old 2 Mar 2010
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Hi all
For street use especially in big cities ZUMO is excellent even with earplug (decent BT = $$$).You can find it in EU for 300 eur (second hand).
On the other hand for half the price you can finfd 60 cx.Small screen,no voice guidance but can be very useful as well.If you have young eyes and you are short of $ go for it.
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