Do I Really Want a Garmin? The GPS on my cell phone is pretty good...

I'm debating if I should get a Garmin, or not. I've used the sat nav function on my cell phone and it works great. I can find gas stations, calculate mileage etc. As far as I know the only bonus to having the Garmin is that fact that it is weather resistant. If it starts raining I need to put the phone away. The Garmin may be easier to use while rolling, but I don't see that as being much of an issue.

My phone delivers music via Pandora and XM radio while the GPS is running.

I'm hoping some of you with Garmin experience can offer some guidance.

Thanks!

Brent

 

It is personal preference. I think you already answered your own question though. You didn't state where you live, what type of riding you do, how often you ride your bike, what kind of weather you ride in, if like to ride around with a fat chick on the back....well, maybe the latter doesn't matter.

The issues that I see are as follows:

1. You beat up and prematurely wear your expensive and more delicate phone.
2. You leave it out in the elements.
3. Phone buttons are more difficult to use at speed, if not impossible with gloves on.

Pluses with a GPS:

1. Your GPS gets the wear.
2. Buttons easier to use.
3. You can leave it out in the elements (if it is a waterproof one) and not feel bad. I will tell you, it does suck having to try to rush to put a phone or non-waterproof phone away as it rains and you still need navigation.
4. If you get certain GPS', you have a bluetooth option for answering your phone, and sometimes installing music and radio on it.


Negative:

1. The cost pretty much.

 

There is nothing my Motorola Atrix Smartphone can't do for me. It has replaced my laptop (I use the super lightweight lapdock), the stereo in the car and is a FANTASTIC GPS unit. It can connect to a bluetooth headset and you can hear turn-by-turn in your ear. You can setup different modes/profiles so that it doesn't answer a call when navigating and it uses Google maps as it foundation so it will always be current. I only use it in my car though, so I can't speak for how well it would work in a motorcycle application. I can say that the windshield suction cup mount is SOLID and works great. The phone switches to a large icon, vehicle mode. The menu's/screen are very visible, but REALLY bright sunlight can be an issue. If it was mounted on my bike, I think the smoked windshield would help a lot with that.

I don't ride far enough away to not know my environment, so I haven't needed the GPS. Maybe I should test it just for giggles.

Jose

 

Pretty much covers the mains reasons, ie the right tool for the right job.

Have had my Zumo 550 for 3 years through all kinds of rain storms, snow and high Temperatures and can't see me using anything else while riding. With its glove friendly buttons listening to MP3s are easy to change modes on the fly ie podcasts on main highways, changing music styles with moods on open country backroads. My smart phone with GPS goes into "Flight Mode" and safely into my waterproof jacket pocket. Also find the accurate fast updating Digital Speedo is in visually better position to track exact speeds with than my Gen 5s Speedo when navigating speed traps and the like.

 

If I lose signal with my phone, it's bye bye GPS.

My phone doesn't have a true GPS. *sigh*

 

Smiley is correct, the phone is using the signal from the towers and using the map software on the phone. Weak signal or no signal the GPS funtion on the phone will not work. Your GPS will get you home regardless where you at. I was going to put my Zumo 660 for sale but then I might need it if I am off road some where in Mexico or some where with no phone service.

 

I'd buy one if it could replace my 15" plasma TV that I watch Oprah on. I am also having some racks fabricated to house the dual subwoofers.

All that shit takes my mind off paying attention when I ride.

 

Bummer, smiley. My Atrix has true GPS and works off network. On drives down to LA and through the desert it keeps right on chugging, although I know I lose some of the fancy data features. Now that I think about it, I should test it all out and see exactly what does and doesn't work when I lose cell signal. Many of the current generation of phones actually have real GPS.

Oh yeah, what you have is called AGPS. It triangulates based on cell towers.

The glove friendly issues would probably be a good reason to go look at a pure GPS unit. My phone (and A LOT of others) use capacitive screens, which don't like gloves. You can doctor your favorite pair to work for about $25, but with a nice GPS you don't have to bother.

Jose

 

You are correct about the AGPS. I wasn't aware of that when I bought the phone and I found out the hard way, which was inconvenient. ha!

 

I have the 660 like Long. It has neat fetures. Blue tooth through the Chatterbox and phone blue tooth throught the GPS into the Chatterbox. But I find that you cannot use the phone anyways when you are riding. Far too much wind noise even at lower speeds. The music can be heard somewhat if riding under40 MPH but any faster, and you don't hear anything. Going to try the earbuds from my cell phone instead of the supplied speakers and mic from Chatterbox on an uncomoing trip to see how that works.

The 660 is as expensive as hell. If you want updates after the initial update, it costs you another 100 bucks for lifetime updates. If I had to do it over again, I would buy a cheaper waterproof GPS but not neccessarily the 660. Managed fine with out either for a couple years of riding for that matter. Had people draw me maps on restaurant napkins.

 

If you don't need the phone capability have found the Sennheiser cx 300 ii sound good and isolate wind noise well but are times fiddly to fit my ear "just" right, the cheap Sony MDREX50LP fit better though not quite as good at wind noise isolation but most of my OzVFR riding friends ( all regulars who tour have Zumo 550s or 660s ) seem to prefer the more expensive Etymotics ER6i.

 

If ET had had all that shit, he'd have been home in the first ten minutes of the movie or probabbly run over by some asshole on a Harley that was dyslexic.

 

LMAO..................as always. Thanks for the laugh

 

Or perhaps a Kenworth Prime Mover driver watching DVDs on his dash mounted wide screen TV like this nit wit charged recently ?

 

Aha! Another Oprah fan. I wonder if that might be a touchscreen?

 

That's facing the passenger seat. Well it would be if the steering wheel was on the correct side.

 

If not mistaken didn't the Canadians have the steering wheel on the " Right " side at one time ? :wink:

 

That is totally news to me. Even in car shows I don't recall seeing any antique cars here with the wheel on the right side. I know we used to use levers against the front wheels to steer not long ago. We then advanced to a rope tied to either side for the steering axle just 10 years ago.

 

Here's the answer:

http://vfrworld.com/forums/general-vfr-discussions/38090-your-iphone-you-tale-tragedy-triumph.html

I have a Garmin eTrex or some such thing. It's 10 years old, is B&W and has no fancy features. But it just keeps going even through heavy rain and basically gives me the "where am I at" info when I'm on a long trip. From that I figure out where I need to go and don't rely on turn by turn instructions or audio. These older positioning GPS devices can be had for about $10 on eBay. I'd like to have the Garmin motorcycle specific unit but it's low on my priority list.

 

It's dudes like you that have to call the wife or SO for directions how to get home from WalMart. How does it feel to be electronically challenged?

On this ocassion may I submit a texting shorty that might fill the need for one of those fancy rigs that put lots of zeroes in one's accounts.

CFHAWBH The pronunciation is roughly akin to the word "cough" .