Lets see your GPS system

GPS even a basic one, has it all over using a map

 

With the Zumo, were you in a city or on a steel bridge, the leaping from one place to another sounds like your signal was being bounce around, which happens with any GPS system. Otherwise the Zumo is normally pretty spot on.

You do not have to go with a GPS designed for a bike, that is a relatively new development. Almost any "car" based/designed one can work on a bike, and it is unlikely you would be the first to use it on a bike. Most of the mount makers make a mount for any of the GPS units.

The accelerometers, if they worked in a car, they can work on a bike. But keep in mind that the units that use such things use them only as backups, to getting a GPS signal. If you have a valid GPS signal, that is what is displayed, not what the unit thinks you are doing from the accelerometers. Those are only for back up in a tunnel, or parking garage, or for short losses in a city where you might not get a signal. Also, with many units, like my old StreetPilot, StreetPilot Color and StreetPilot III, you can plug in an external antenea to increase signal strength if you need to. I haven't tried to do that with my Zumo, because I haven't had any problems.

Generally speaking the Garmin units are rated higher than the Tom Tom ones, except for a few years ago when TomTom and Magellen caught Garmin asleep on thier laurels.

 

I promised some pics...


Dash View...


Dash View -GPS


Side View...


Side View -GPS...


Inserting Into Stem...


Whats its made of...


This is basically the base/ suction cup removed from the stem. A bolt is then put through the stem and pieces of rubber were cut out about the diameter of the hole (if not a bit wider). I was lazy so i took a crappy socket and ground the edges sharp and just hammered it through the rubber like a punch to get the shape. Then i put some washers at the end with a nylock nut. Left it loose to shove it down there and then tightened it with a socket and many extensions. it expanded the rubber and makes it stay in there pretty tight. As i've said it has a bit of side to side play but i think that good as it acts as a bit of a shock absorption for the GPS. Definitely wont pull out unless you are deliberately trying to. All in all $46 and some ingenuity and im pretty frickin happy with it. ENJOY!

-Dent

 

Very clean and professional looking mount Monk. I like it.:thumbsup:

 

Hey uber, how about a quick review of the 660. That ones been on my mind for a while now. Curious why you went with it over the 550.

 

Knife, I find your avatar sort of disturbing...

 

Me, too. I'll change it when I get home tonight. Makes me gag every time I see it. I put it up as a tribute to vfrbear.

 

I've got BOTH - a stem mount AND a tank mount:



And I just received my Autocom Active Plus, FRS/GMRS radios, and all the wiring to get the Zumo, the Roady XT, the B2B, and Blackberry all talking to each other.

 

Here is mine on a 4th gen.

Zumo 550
V1
Both using a Tech stem.
Both units wired to a fuse box under the seat.

 

I had my GPS and Sirius Radio mounted exactly the way you have your stuff mounted. Worked well, but I wanted to be able to see the idiot lights, speedo, temp gauge, voltmeter, tach, etal at a glance, and I couldn't with that set up. I just the other day mounted these two devices on reservoir mounts with short RAM arms. I can see everything at a glance now. I'll see how it works on the road the next time I get out.

 

I appreciate that bro...I was just gonna close my left eye, lol! :thumbsup:

 

Right now, what appears to be the best arrangement for the least (150-250) money as far as newest roads and most accurate directions (don't mean to thread jack)?

 

Close, it's a 260. The mount is a RAM Mount Fork Stem Mount. The pic is of the prototype of my mod, identical to the one on the VFR. Want it?

 

Not to go too far off topic, but do you find the Autocom Active Plus a good buy? Have you used other headsets previously? The reason I ask is because I am a little confused on the features/quality/usage of the headsets available out there.

Anyone wiht suggestions/comments on which headset to buy/avoid?

 

Will this work for mounting my Garmin 350 to the tank bolts?

RAM Motorcycle / Bike Mount for GARMIN NUVI 350 360 370 on eBay.ca (item 400066027902 end time 02-May-10 19:17:42 EDT)

 

About the Garmin vs TomTom vs Magellan, etc debate, each one will work differently in different parts of the world. There are not only differences in the routing engines, but also differences in the maps they use. For example, Navteq maps are the best for the US, but TeleAtlas maps are better for Europe. Garmin is said to have the best package for the US right now, though only slightly. Some GPS like those that use Igo8 can use Navteq or Teleatlas maps.

My setup is a Clarion EZD580 with Windows CE core. I currently have it set up to run my choice of four different navi softwares; Garmin XT, Magellan, Igo8, and Navigon. I prefer Igo8 with Navteq maps. It also has built in MP3 player and bluetooth. I didn't buy a mount yet, I just stick it in my pocket and listen to the directions in my bluetooth helmet.

 

I used the RAM fork stem mount... it's the first RAM product that I'm not entirely thrilled about. The rubber should have been much softer to allow better compression. I was not able to get a tight fit in the hollow stem, and as such had to wrap it in some electrical tape. When I get a chance I'm going to put a piece of rubber on there and make my own compression fitting.

I have a Nuvi 750, and use it on both the VTX and the VFR. I have a handlebar u-clamp mount for the VTX (more handlebar real estate available than on the VFR), a short arm on the VFR and a long arm on the VTX. I have a power cable hard wired on both. I just take the GPS in it's RAM cradle and swap between the VFR and VTX as needed.

I really like the Nuvi 7xx series since they will do custom routing, allowing me to draw the routes with MapSource on the computer and load it into the GPS. No more "fastest route" or "avoid highways" etc etc. I pick exactly the roads I want to go on, draw a fun route, and it keeps me on track. I would not recommend a GPS without this feature for motorcycle use.

 

I'm intrigued about this Win CE unit!!! Do you have any pics? I wonder if it can run ArcPad ...............

 

Yes, it was a decent buy. Everything I have (Garmin [Zumo Nav + MP3], XM Radio, IPOD/MP3 player, and 2-way radio) all goes back through the Acive Plus. Helmet speakers mounted right in the pockets of my Arai, and the noise-cancelling microphone works great. I've actually organized an "electronics tag bag" - everything is organized in my RKA tankbag with a single power lead for everything (goes back to a 4-place fuse block I installed under the seat). It's not dirt cheap, but I'd buy it again.

 

I can't tell from the picture, but as long as the spacing between the holes on the mount (for the u-bolt) are OK, you should just be able to discard the entire u-bolt and use the rest. Remove the two tank bolts, put the mount on, and replace the tank bolts. You might want to replace the tank bolts with longer bolts, but that's up to you. Ask the seller what the part number is OR the distance between the u-bolt holes.