How often do you change GPS
 

I am preparing for a new trip and was curious about how often do you upgrade you gps gear. I use a 76csx for many years and i am still happy with it but maybe I am missing out on some really much better technology. I am in a rush to spend $$$$ And no i don t care about taking pictures with my gps ...
Hendi

I have a 60Cx - about the same vintage as yours.
While the 'technology' has improved, the human interface has not. And the satellite reception also has not improved. I think the only thing missing is the display of raster maps.
I am not replacing mine untill it really fails.

When my old 60csx broke after excessive abuse, I replaced it with another 60csx.

Ive had a couple of eTrex units and then the 60c, 60cs and then a 60csx which I used for South America (with Open Street Maps) and Ive been very happy with them, last year me and a buddy wanted to do the British Columbia section of the TCAT and the mapping software (Backroads Maps) is not compatible with the older 60 series, so I upgraded to the 64s which mapping wise is a lot better than the older 60csx. But I find that the user interface is not as good as the older 60csx. For example now when you press 'menu' on a particular page you get a lot less options and you have to go to other pages to find what used to be at your fingertips. Another annoyance was that the odometer (not the trip meter) cannot be reset, so at the start of a big trip you would have to 'reset the unit' to get it to zero (I emailed Garmin and asked them). As a GPS unit it is certainly better, the display and maps are better and Basecamp is better than Mapsource and if you had not used a 60 series you would never know, but they have taken a step backwards in certain areas IMHO.

Just in case though, I have a Brand New North American 60csx still in its box - which I got as they were being phased out for a great price!

If you can make you older units last, do so for the time being :)

Not very often at all. I use a Zumo 550 for road navigation (I have just updated the 12-year old map) and a Map60 cs/cx/csx for trail and route plotting.

My riding mates have had various different GPSs over the years but none are as rugged and straightforward as the 60 series. It has the buttons on the front so you can see them and you can use it wearing gloves. Yes, the newer ones have prettier mapping and touch-screen and you can sync them to your fridge if you want but that's about it.

I would be very happy if someone could recommend a replacement for my Map60 because I've yet to be convinced by any on the newer stuff.

GPS
 

Ok I guess I am not going to change anything , I have two 76CSX and love their robust build and ease of use. I would appreciate a bigger screen but its not worth $600 to me .

Same here. Ive got a 62s with a Europe roadmap. It works fine and i cant see why i should pay a small fortune for a Zumo. A bigger touch screen would be nice, but for now the 62s gets the job done.

Entering adresses and scrolling through the map can be a slow affair, but it works and is robust, and i won't cry a river if it breaks or gets stolen.

I sold the GPS and mount on E bay, bought the phone app, took my wife out for a rather squiffy meal and still had change. No other reason change IMHO.

Andy

GPS
 

I understand and agree partially for me a GPS is just a basic moving map , I do not do much playing around and will not spend creasy time on it so I occasionally do some way point to find specific road , back track or spot but I do not care for much else. As far a integrated camera I always travel with two DSLR and I am very picky about quality of my pictures no need for much more ..

GPS? Obsolete now in my opinion. The chipset that's used now is so common, that there is no need. Never had any issues that Bertrand believes are updated. The best garmin I've had is the 60CSX. Love the dedicated mark button and the 4pin charger connector is the most stable Garmin ever used. Had a rino after that and Garmin touch screens suck imo. Lost my 60CSX in the bush, but probably would be replaced by now by an android phone. Then you only change when you upgrade your phone. Way more options and never had it drop out on me in the bush either. The only gripe is that you need to ensure good contrast on the map because the screen protector does reduce visibility in direct sun light. No issue for me as I use scanned maps and drawn route lines. Second is the use of the mini USB connector. It's not designed for use during movement. Best is a hardwire-able case which are rare but do exist for Galaxy S4's at least. I'm expecting a wireless charging case soon, then all problems on that are solved.

Hendi:

I've used over a dozen different GPS units for motorcycle riding over the past 15 years (I used to beta-test them for Garmin). If you are generally happy with what you have now, I can only think of two possible reasons why you might want to buy a new unit:

1) To get better cartography and/or directions. Newer Garmin units use maps that are compiled in a different format than what is used by your 76. These maps are updated 4 times a year, free of charge, and contain many additional road attributes that your 76 cannot take advantage of, such as lane restrictions, medians, speed limits, the ability to support 'lane guidance' during routing, etc.

You may or may not find the additional data - and more precise directions that the additional data enables, such as voice messages like "Turn left at the traffic light" or "Turn right at the Mobil service station" to be useful.

2) To take advantage of new features such as traffic, weather, etc. I'm just finishing a 7,000 mile coast to coast and back tour. The GPS device I have now (a Zumo 590) delivers live weather radar for North America. I didn't think much of this feature before this trip, but after having used it to dodge thunderstorms - and stay dry - during a particularly rainy week going across the prairies, I now consider live weather radar to be indispensable.

Really, though, the decision ought to be based on how far away from home you are going, what kind of riding you are doing (on or off road), and how much value you attach to the newer features available (phone support, live weather radar, live traffic information, 'up ahead' features, and so forth). A 'feature' is not a benefit unless you make use of it.

Michael

GPS
 

Thanks Michael , appreciate your tech feedback

I'm surprised to read about drop outs. Can't say I've ever had those.

Sent from my SM-G920W8 using Tapatalk

Some GPSes when they loose lock assume that the previous course continues untill they regain lock. So you may not notice the lack of lock unless you look closely.

Hi Bertrand:

I think you might be confounding the improved speed and performance of the newer GPS hardware with benefits that may (or may not) arise simply because the newer hardware also receives the GLONASS signals.

In other words, I think the performance improvements you are reporting are almost entirely due to faster processors, other improved physical components, and better software in the newer units that - coincidentally - also have the capability of receiving the GLONASS signals.

I say this based on my experience testing TSO specification aircraft flight management and navigation systems in two different configurations: first using only the American GPS satellite system, and second using both GPS and GLONASS. I carried out these tests during a series of intercontinental ferry flights. I did not notice any appreciable improvement in position accuracy, speed of lock-on, or system integrity with the dual-mode configuration. The only benefit that I thought significant was that if either of the satellite operators intentionally degraded or spoofed their signals, I'd get an alert based on the position difference noted between the two systems. That matters for air navigation, especially in conflict areas, but is not a consideration for road navigation.

My guess is that if you were to compare two automotive navigation units of similar quality and similar (recent) year of construction, one that is single-mode and one that is dual-mode, you would not see any significant performance difference.

Michael