Help a technidiot with a GPS choice
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Road Master
Joined: Jan 2011
Posts: 755
Likes: 5
From: Tallahassee, FL/Blue Ridge, GA
Help a technidiot with a GPS choice
Well, the wife wants to get me GPS for Father's Day, but she wants me to choose my own so we get it right. Problem is, I don't know anything about them.
I have a Tom Tom One, which I have bitched about here many times. All it can do is get me from point A to B, and sometimes it isn't very good at that. I can't pre-plan routes on my PC and then upload them to the Tom Tom, which is probably the biggest feature I want. I like planning on the Harley Ride Planner and then riding that plan, so that is a "must-have" on my next GPS. Other than that, I don't do blueteeth and I don't even like voice directions. I don't need it to call my friends and I don't need it to keep my coffee warm. I don't drink the stuff.
With that in mind, I don't know what I do "need", though. Are there any suggestions for a reasonably priced GPS or suggestions for features that you particularly appreciate? I'm currently looking at the Garmin Nuvi series.
I have a Tom Tom One, which I have bitched about here many times. All it can do is get me from point A to B, and sometimes it isn't very good at that. I can't pre-plan routes on my PC and then upload them to the Tom Tom, which is probably the biggest feature I want. I like planning on the Harley Ride Planner and then riding that plan, so that is a "must-have" on my next GPS. Other than that, I don't do blueteeth and I don't even like voice directions. I don't need it to call my friends and I don't need it to keep my coffee warm. I don't drink the stuff.
With that in mind, I don't know what I do "need", though. Are there any suggestions for a reasonably priced GPS or suggestions for features that you particularly appreciate? I'm currently looking at the Garmin Nuvi series.
Tourer
Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 401
Likes: 11
From: Escondido, CA
I have a TomTom 720 that holds hundreds of mp3 tunes on an SD card if you like, you can upload Google maps data/routes and I can hear the instructions through the aux jack in my radio to my helmet speakers. The screen is not very readable in direct light but you don't want to be looking at that for directions anyway as you will surely kill yourself if you don't keep your eyes on the road at all times. I got mine for 75 bucks on eBay and it works great for me. The Garmin Zumo seems to be the GPS of choice for many but I'm too cheap to spend that kind of money when a cheap TomTom does the job just fine.
VR
VR
Road Master
Joined: Mar 2011
Posts: 809
Likes: 45
From: WA
If it's for your bike, and if you can afford it, I highly recommend the Garmin Zumos, esp. the 550. Or to save money, get the cheapest Garmin your local Costco sells and put it in a plastic bag. Either way, you get a great unit.
Tourer
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 444
Likes: 1
I have a Garmin 765. Fairly good unit. Fairly. I can get several states away, door to door but it gets confused between my house and 30 miles away sometimes. My biggest complaint is thawhen there is any sunshine, the glare makes it unviewable. The best it has performed for me was in an all day downpour with a ziplock bag over it-I could see the screen clearly. These units do so many things that doing anything between settings, screens, etc can get confusing. I still take maps.
Elite HDF Member
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 3,927
Likes: 5
From: Midwest
I like my Zumo. I have had a 450 for about 4 years, purchased back when having bluetooth wasn't a big deal. Now I'd like a 550 so that I could see when a call is coming in, but it's not worth the price difference to me to upgrade, especially since I also have GPS on my phone. I don't have experience with any other type so i can't say any one is better, but the Zumo has worked for me.
Tourer
Joined: Jul 2010
Posts: 381
Likes: 1
From: East Coast
I think the cheapest option that has the features you want is the Nuvi 550. Zumos are nice but very pricey. I don't have need of bluetooth, MP3s or any of that other stuff either - have other means to get my tunes and I turn my phone off when on the bike. I'm not that important that I have to be available at all times. But I'd like the ability to preplan on the computer and download those routes to the GPS. The Nuvi 550 does that and is waterproof. Don't know if it can take the data from HD route planner. Right now have a most basic Nuvi 200. I think my upgrade will be the Nuvi 550 as you can buy 2 or 3 of them for the price of a Zumo that, as far as I can tell, won't give me anything extra that I'd use.
Thread Starter
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Road Master
Joined: Jan 2011
Posts: 755
Likes: 5
From: Tallahassee, FL/Blue Ridge, GA
I think the cheapest option that has the features you want is the Nuvi 550. Zumos are nice but very pricey. I don't have need of bluetooth, MP3s or any of that other stuff either - have other means to get my tunes and I turn my phone off when on the bike. I'm not that important that I have to be available at all times. But I'd like the ability to preplan on the computer and download those routes to the GPS. The Nuvi 550 does that and is waterproof. Don't know if it can take the data from HD route planner. Right now have a most basic Nuvi 200. I think my upgrade will be the Nuvi 550 as you can buy 2 or 3 of them for the price of a Zumo that, as far as I can tell, won't give me anything extra that I'd use.
I think we're doing the Vulcan mindmeld on that. That Zumo is impressive as hell, but I'd spend over five bills for a bunch of toys I'd never use.
Now, the H-D ride planner isn't the only ride planner, but it's the best one I've found so far. Any ideas on what WILL work with it? Or else provide some software that works as well?
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