[gravedigger]

Is it too much to ask, to get a good, high contrast, sunlight visible, large screen GPS unit to mount on my bike? I have used a Windows 7 Tablet PC which was good. It was a touch screen with a pen, and you could adjust the maps to high contrast or even black and white to make them easy to see.

An iPad is good indoors, but the maps are so ... milk toast... in their colors that outside under the sun, I believe it would be completely useless.

The small Garmin units ... too small for my tired old eyes to use.

This is so frustrating!

What is your solution?

Joe

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[balley]

I have a Garmin 770 mounted. They have a couple version, one for truck and another for RV's. Physically the same but software is designed for specific uses, truck or RVing. I have the truck version only because I found a refurb unit for $225.00 at GPS City. They do make a Ram Ball Mount case for it, however it is not waterproof. I either remove it or put a one gallon ziplock bag over it.

 

[ATCguy]

There’re expensive as ****... but the somewhat new BMW Navigator VI series gps units are very bright. It’s still only a 5” display, but it works extremely well on my bike. It’s made by Garmin, and is based on their Zumo units (so he software & user interface is similar)... but you can’t buy it from Garmin. Only from BMW, or find a used one.

As I tour the country with my RV, I also have a Garmin 770 unit in my truck... and, as balley stated, it’s also a very good unit. Has a larger 7” display, but I’ve never tried it outdoors, so can’t comment on its brightness.

 

[JW.]

I'm with you on the screen legibility issue, some folks say they have no problems but they must have different eyes to me!

I have the BMW unit but it is not a lot better than the Zumo 595 units. The issue for all these units is the touchscreen. The BMW version tries to get over this by having a glossy finish to the screen and it works - a bit. It's issue is it's glossy so reflects everything you don't want!

I have a solution but it's not touch screen so you have to go back to the old fashioned way of entering details one letter at a time. It is the Garmin 276cx it has a glass screen but the screen is multi-coated for anti reflection and it works a treat, it is also a sunshine reflective display so the brighter the light the brighter the screen becomes. It also uses buttons for its control so it's possible to zoom in and zoom out and have instructions repeated without having to touch an icon on the screen. Though the zoom buttons are rather small they are still usable with gloves. The maps are also a different colour scheme and very easy to read compared with the Zumo/BMW which often uses white roads on a pale grey background. Also, you can set the zoom level details which means that when you zoom out small roads don't disappear from your screen.

I love it as a navigator but the entering of names is tedious.

 

[cycledude]

The screen visibility on my Zumo 595 is awful ! And whoever came up with the idea of having to use the sliding keyboard should find a different job.

 

[Dan18960]

I have just the opposite experience of cycledude. I replaced my Zumo 660 with the 595LM and it works fantastic.

The issue with the 660 is the screen would completely be invisible when reflecting my hi-vis jacket from the sunlight. Installed the 595 - (1) larger screen, (2) road ahead and road traveling on when not on designated destination, and (3) able to see complete maps, roads, and the sidebar with my hi-vis jacket on in the sun.

 

[Hondaron]

go here:
http://www.gregrice.com/2012v2/2797/garmin2797.html


I use a Garmin 2797 with a 7" screen...in the article above Greg has up graded from the 2797 to a Dezl 770...the 2797 has been on a couple of 3 flags...works well
hth

 

[rd54]

NuShield

I've seen a product called NuShield DayVue antireflective screen protector overlay film on another motorcycle blog that helps screen clarity in full sun. May want to go to the web page and review product. I have not used this product.

 

[Sparky57]

A screen the size of a tablet AND high brightness/contrast? Yeah, ain't gonna happen. Yes, you are asking for too much.

It's kind of like toasters. Mfrs can build just about anything, (including a toaster that can actually toast and last 40 years, like your Mom's.), but the reality is that they will only build products that the masses with buy. Everyone wants small, and the cheaper the better. A large screen that is bright will require more power, which means more bulk, and it would be significantly more expensive. Tablets aren't designed to mount on a motorcycle, so they don't build them with the brightness that a motorcycle needs. If you go in the other direction, dedicated motorcycle GPS units like the Zumo are already outrageously expensive. Since the display is the most expensive part of the GPS, you would be looking at a unit that probably costs over $1000 to get the size you are looking for. Just look at how many motorcyclists balk at the price of the Zumo as it is.

Inexpensive car units don't need high brightness, because they are used,.. well,... in a car. So don't look for help there either.

Even many of the Zumo units are poor, and should be better. The 66x series is a joke as far as brightness goes. They should have left that unit in the development lab.

 

[Farmguy]

A little time learning to use the built-in one might be rewarded.