[loren]

i need some info on a gps purchase.

i want a hand held unit so i can move it between my two bikes and my car. i dont want to mortgage the house for one, so i want a reasonable one that works well.

i also see all these extra cds that are avaible for magellan. i plan only to go in the us. i just want to find my way in cities ,country roads,and parks. any suggestions on which software would fit that need.

also does anyone have a preowned or copied magellan software cds for sale.

thanks loren

 

[WinginHunk]

I am no expert, but it sounds like maybe a Garmin III+ or E-Map might do for you. I have the III+ and now the Street Pilot III. The III+ and the E-Map both have the basic highway system and are small enough to carry with you hiking or boating. Even if you are out in the woods, just let it leave a cookie trail and if you get lost you can find your way back to where you started.
Here is some links for more info:

GPS Information, Mehaffey & Yeazel, about all the GPS info you need
http://gpsinformation.net/

TVNAV GPS Solutions more info, and they sell them
http://www.tvnav.com/index.html

Cyco Active more info, mounts, and ideals
http://www.cycoactive.com/

SMC mounting solutions
http://www.smc-corp.com/Merchant2/merchant.mv?Screen=SFNT&Store_Code=S

Garmin GPS The Garmin web site
http://www.garmin.com/

Good Luck

 

[dougt805]

Garmin V

The Garmin V replaced the III+ several years ago and is the perfect unit you are looking for. I have one and love it. It does autorouting like the Streetpilot III. It does have a limit of 19MB of memory so you may not load an entire cross country trip at one time. I live in the SF Bay Area of CA and it will hold the entire Bay area maps and most of the roads to Lake Tahoe. I just took it on a trip in my cage from Raleigh, NC to Erie, PA and it worked great. I use it on my Bicycle, my Honda, and all my cages. It can be purchased online for less then $400.00.

 

[Black Wing]

I just ordered the I que 3600. Info at:
http://www.garmin.com/products/iQue3600/
I Travel for business and this unit will slip in your pocket and runs on a rechargeable battery. It has a SD expansion card slot so memory is expandable with cards that are cheap. They throw in a PDA for free. You can call up an address from the PDA and it will plan the route.
I like the 2610 also, but it is more expensive and doesn't run on batteries.

 

[Tom Finch]

GPS

I have a Garmin GPS V and my next will be a Garmin 2610.

The GPS V and other small units have a limited memory, so the reason for multiple data sources like CDs is to load the GPS with the information in the area you will be using it.

For instance, The Garmin GPS V has 19 megs of storage. It has the United States down to the local highway level, but does not have back roads nor some fairly major local highways.

I use the GARMIN MapSource Roads & Recreation disk because it is a good source of back roads. There are others as well. The GPS V is very rugged and very high resolution screen. You can get extra power cables and have one in each vehicle. The internal batteries are a real pain. Just take them out and use only vehicle power to run the GPS. Make sure the power is hot all the time and fused with 2 amp inline fuse. that way, you don't have to reboot each time the engine is shut down. I believe the GPS V is the best bet for the budget minded because it is weather proof for the bike use. MY GPS V survived a 75 mph crash that totaled the bike. I still use it. It was used for 90,000 miles on the 01 wing, 23,000 on my old 93 Wing after the crash, and 11,000 on my 04 Wing. It is never turned off. I just turn the backlight illumination off when I put the bike to bed.

If you are going to spend more than enough for the GPS V, don't stop until you have the Garmin 2610. You will end up with one anyway, so dispense with the inbetween steps and go for it.

The 2610 has a large colored screen, a big plus. It uses the removable Flash Card for memory and that is the biggest plus of all. That is cheap memory and available everywhere. You can get the Flash Card now at one Gigabyte, that is 500 times as much memory as the GPS V.

http://www.memorysuppliers.com/ibmmic1gbwtr.html

What's more, you can have several of them if only a gig is not enough.

It is really frustrating to be enjoying a great new back country road on a trip only to run out of the area that you down loaded before you left.

It will not take you long to become addicted to the GPS if you get a good one. Most serious tourning riders will agree that a GPS receiver it is the greatest single accessory you can put on a touing bike.

Getting caught out in a rain storm with only a paper map to find your way is hazardous while just following the instructions on your GPS works in all weather.

OK, I am addicted. It is habit forming. I can hardly go the the bathroom without a GPS.

 

[Wayniac]

Re: Garmin V

The Garmin V replaced the III+ several years ago and is the perfect unit you are looking for. I have one and love it. It does autorouting like the Streetpilot III. It does have a limit of 19MB of memory so you may not load an entire cross country trip at one time. I live in the SF Bay Area of CA and it will hold the entire Bay area maps and most of the roads to Lake Tahoe. I just took it on a trip in my cage from Raleigh, NC to Erie, PA and it worked great. I use it on my Bicycle, my Honda, and all my cages. It can be purchased online for less then $400.00.

Where can I get one for $400? I looked on the popular sites for them and $700 still seems to be the going price for a SPIII. I promised myself I'd buy one if I could get a new one for $400 when the price comes down because of the new 2610. TIA
Wayne

 

[IR Harry]

Agree with Tom 100%. I have the GPS V, it travels between three cars and 3 bikes. Beanbag mount for the cars, VP for two of the bikes. Like the compact size, but big enough to read. Auto routes, and is going for 350 more or less on eBay.

But, next one will be a 2610 mostly because of the WOW factor. Bigger, more memory, bigger bells, more whistles, color, voice, coffee maker....you get the picture.

Besides, I have lots of Garmin CD charts - City Select, Road and Rec, Blue charts, Topography, etc. Now need to find a machine I can store the whole hemisphere in.

 

[Tom Finch]

2610 GPS

It seems I am hearing the mid $700s for the 2610. Like I said, get the GPS V, or go straight for the 2610. No reason to stop at the SP III.

The GPS III is a different and older, less capable version of the GPS V and not to be confused with the SP III.

The 2610 is the replacement fo the SP III, as I understand it.

http://www.cyclegadgets.com/Products/Ga ... rod=SP2610

 

[DaleC]

<Where can I get one (SPIII) for $400?>

Wayne - I hate to burst your bubble, but for $400. it just ain't going to happen - yet.... Price for the SPIII just hasn't dropped that much, as yet even with the release of the new Garmin 2610 and it's improvements. Maybe later this year, but I'd be supprised if you could touch one (a good one) for under $500. SPIII is still a great unit with a lot of life yet.

DaleC

 

[loren]

there is actually a garmin gps iii right now on ebay thats brand new for a buy it know of $ 250.

the problem is that some folks assume that the gps iii is actually the sp iii.

i my research i did find a source for the garmin v deluxe for $ 321 shipped in the us brand new.

there are so many choices out there and all do this or that. i still want a portable.

i have two leading choices right now.

garmin ique palm pilot at $ 440 with color screen, large display, and will take a regular sd camera card.

or

lowrance ifinder plus package at $229 shipped. comes with usb connection reader, software, and takes a regular sd memory card. also is water resistant.

both can hold a lot of maps

the lowrance will load in a fraction of the time because of the usb connection.

anyone have some feedback or experience on these two units

loren

 

[DaleC]

<I still want a portable>

Loren - all the Garmin GPS units are portable including the SPIII and the new 2610. I can change my SPIII from my Wing mount to my SUV mount in a matter of a couple of minutes and have full audio in both without changing cords or power connections. If your going to use the GPS for both car and motorcycle, then I would certainly keep your eyes on all of the Garmins. It's also great to have the ability for larger memory to load more map data for trips and routes so a 128 meg chip is nice.

Perhaps some have successfully setup the two units you are focusing on now, but I haven't seen any yet. I feel more comfortable if I saw other setups of the unit your going to get, at least on a motorcycle, and got positive feedback from current owners who successfully used them.

Good luck,

DaleC

 

[Papa Gene]

Hey Tom,
I agree with your choice, but http://www.gpsdiscount.com/products/index.html?p=769 has them for about $100 less. I got that link when Bulldog talked about buying his.

 

[OrangeCrush]

I can add another vote for the Garmin iQue 3600. I use the Palm PDA functionality every day, and I use the GPS functionality whren I travel. With the 256mb SD card I've installed, I have a phenomenal amount of info on the 10 states I've loaded - heck, now I can find some of those remote restaurants I've heard about ... LOL.
The only problem I have with it so far is battery ... using it as much as I do, I see pretty low battery "life" .... but I have the dock/recharger here on my desk and the 12v cord switches from vehicle to vehicle to bike ... so battery use is rare. Still, I am planning to ask Garmin why the life is so short ... although I want to wait until I've finished testing out the new patch which addressed battery life.
The iQue works well in the RAM PDA mount on the bike, and sits on the dash (on a rubber "mat" in the various vehicles ... voice directions are outstanding and routing is excellent.

 

[DaleC]

One of the reviews of the IQue I read said:

Despite its poor battery life, this Garmin is a powerful PDA and an accomplished GPS device.

The good: Fast processor; large, high-res screen; integrated GPS receiver; includes extensive, detailed maps.

The bad: Disappointing battery life; minimalist software bundle (aside from the maps).

DaleC

 

[OrangeCrush]

Dale ... I'm not sure what the "minimalist software" stuff is all about .... I use all the same Palm software I've used with my 3 previous Pilots ... and there's a TON of freeware and shareware out there. The iQue software that comes from Garmin has:
Cities Addresses Intersections All Points of Interest Food & Drink Lodging Attractions Entertainment Shopping Services Transportation Emergency & Government Land Features Water Features and Manmade Places ..... so much stuff that it chokes an SD card pretty quickly. I had anticipated that a 256mb card would be able to hold half or more of the US .... not so .... I'll need to go with a 1 gb card or better to stuff everything in!
And it has nifty features like being able to use the addresses in my address file, etc.
I have about 60% of the core memory (32mb) filled with apps ... including a gas log program, a handy shopping program, a half dozen different database apps, Tom Pickett's Canadian conversion program, a bunch of games, my calendar - which gets updated from the MS-Outlook program each day, a mini-version of Word and of Excel, and a host of GPS programs I haven't even looked at yet - GPS, Routes, Map, Tracks, Trip and Turns. (I know what they're for ... just haven't looked at them. I even have a graphics package loaded so I can show off pictures of my bike when the weather (6 inches of snow in the last couple of days) doesn't allow me to show off the real thing.
All of that stuff was what persuaded me to go iQue instead of a standard Garmin package .... plus it didn't hurt when my wife said "that's sounds like a pretty comprehensive package, you should get it ...."

 

[Guest]

plus it didn't hurt when my wife said "that's sounds like a pretty comprehensive package, you should get it ...."

Well you sold me! I passed the info on to my wife and she said pretty much the same thing. Only difference was she added "How long do you think it will take you to save up that much from your allowance?" Maybe my rich uncle will feel generous on April 15th and give me some of my money back. :wink:

 

[OrangeCrush]

JJCob

she added "How long do you think it will take you to save up that much from your allowance?

LOL .... hey, can't fault her logic.
One thing I forgot to mention, since I haven't used it yet ... if you feel the need for music, it also plays (via files stored on the SD card) MP3's ... and you can use it as a voice recorder if you have that need. HMMM ... bike black box??