GPS: To use one or not to use one ????

[DrewNJ]

I've used various GPS's for several years now and to be honest, it seems like stand alone units are dying off similar to CD players.
Anymore, I just use my phone as there are more features and I always have it with me.

Sent from my Nexus 6 using Tapatalk

[Highwayman2013]

I never could understand how someone could be led out into the middle of nowhere and up in a life threatening situation because their GPS told them to take some dirt road out in the wilderness or the desert. If I'm following my GPS to take me somewhere and it tells me make a left onto some goat trail, I'm going to immediately suspect something is amiss. I'm not going to continue to blindly follow it into oblivion. And yet you occasionally read of this very thing happening. SMH

Where I used to live in Pa we had 2 people in a year drive into the river because their GPS said there was a road there! Years ago it was a ferry, hence the name Whites Ferry road.

[kngfsh27]

If I am on a mission I mostly, but not always like to use my GPS. I don't always even like my GPS. If I am just riding around doing the Bronson thing, it is in the case in the trunk. I do always carry my paper maps and usually go through a couple every year. A lot of the time I just like to ride in the direction of where I may end at.

[PatriotRider]

I wouldn't mind having one, but for $1,000 I'd rather just use mapquest.

Pam

I recently bought off Amazon a factory reburbished like new Garmin Zumo 660 for under $350 complete. A used one with warranty from Amazon was $260. It's a top of the line motorcycle gps with lifetime maps. It's the one that comes with a RT Limited.

It's easy to get a setup quite inexpensively, even if it's a car gps for $100 that you wrap in a zip lock bag when it rains.

[murphybrown]

Why couldn't you order one from Washington?

That it was listed as having a feature that might "screw" with radar units!!...the sellers stated that they hoped to have that resolved later in 2016..Being a person of no patience I found the person to order for me...

[PistonBlown]

I never could understand how someone could be led out into the middle of nowhere and up in a life threatening situation because their GPS told them to take some dirt road out in the wilderness or the desert. If I'm following my GPS to take me somewhere and it tells me make a left onto some goat trail, I'm going to immediately suspect something is amiss. I'm not going to continue to blindly follow it into oblivion. And yet you occasionally read of this very thing happening. SMH

Seems to happen a couple of times a year over here with tourists.

Its not just into the wilderness - I worked in London in the UK it was when GPS systems where taking off. The office was on Knightrider Street near St Pauls. It had originally been a proper street but a gas explosion in 1939 had changed the layout so it was a deadend. However GPS units still had it as a through route and so every day there would be a succession of vehicles pulling into the narrow street and then having to do a 8 point turn to get out again. Suggesting the maps loaded into the GPS systems were pre 1939!

[Mazo EMS2]

I like to use my GPS when I have a goal to reach.....other than that, it stays in the truck. I just move my Garmin Nuvi 1450 from the truck to the bike when I need it. I have a second power cord and mount on the bike, so it's pretty darn convenient. When I'm going on a long trip, I like to preplan it on TYRE travel, and then download it to the Garmin. It's nothing fancy, but with lifetime map updater, I like it. If it looks like rain, I pull my sandwich bag out and it stays nice and dry, and I can still use the touch screen, with gloves on. Sure beats stopping and pulling out a map, then trying to remember which roads you looked at an hour ago....

[Bfromla]

I never get lost ,I'm just finding new routes. The gps helps track ones I've already seen. Is handy lil digital map that i do not have to fold, use a light, or marker Keeps up automatically. & as long as I keep updated & charged, it will stay handy. I particularly like when I do find and odd out of the way scenic location i want to share, it can give me an address or mark where I am so I can come back with friends I have even have just let a friend use it to go see same location when they had time, & i didn't. Don't ever need to depend on one but they are handy. Personally having more than one helps too, so you can compare accuracy, i like the satellite hybrid view on phone & smsmygps app I can just txt my friends where to meet via google maps

[guzzihack]

I've always used a combination of gps and maps along with a map. I've used a tank bag for years then picked up a Zumo 550. Not a lot of room for a tank bag on a Spyder though. And now my Zumo's memory is full and won't load updates. Looking like I may be getting lost on the way to Spyderfest.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Mazo EMS2]

I've always used a combination of gps and maps along with a map. I've used a tank bag for years then picked up a Zumo 550. Not a lot of room for a tank bag on a Spyder though. And now my Zumo's memory is full and won't load updates. Looking like I may be getting lost on the way to Spyderfest.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Nahhh, not lost, just "off the beaten path"

[gkamer]

That it was listed as having a feature that might "screw" with radar units!!...the sellers stated that they hoped to have that resolved later in 2016..Being a person of no patience I found the person to order for me...

So the sellers think Washington uses different RADARS than any other police department in the county......

[robmorg]

I think it's amazing how, out of all the cars surrounding you on a busy street or highway the GPS can pick out your vehicle.

It is amazing to think about.

A brief history of GPS Accuracy (for those interested): I remember when GPS first became publicly available at a "reasonable price" (sometime in the early part of the 1990s) the accuracy was only guaranteed to within about 100 meters. (And that was only when the government was not using what was then called "Selective Availability", which was essentially a way to voluntarily degrade the accuracy of the system. The DOD's use of SA was gradually reduced during the 90's and was permanently abandoned at the turn of the century.) In actual practice, under ideal conditions, the early Magellan and Garmin receivers in that era could pinpoint you to within about 25-30 meters.

At first, there were not many satellites in operation. It was not until after 1995 when the full constellation of 27 first-generation GPS satellites was in orbit. That caused accuracy to greatly improve, but still nowhere near the degree of accuracy we see today. Over the years since then both transmitters and receivers have greatly improved, both in accuracy and in speed. We are currently in the third generation of the GPS system. Unaugmented accuracy is now guaranteed to within about 7 meters, with actual results in unobstructed locations more around 3 meters or better, most of the time. (Even your phone can tell you which area of your house you are sitting in, if you are near a window and picking up even a small array of satellites.)

After about 2006 many better GPS receivers also received WAAS signals (Wide Area Augmentation System). Developed by the FAA, mostly for aviation use, WAAS signals are generated from ground stations located in most widely populated areas of North America. With WAAS, the accuracy is about 5x better than without it. (Parts of Europe and Asia also have their own augmentation systems apart from WAAS).

However, today most commonly available GPS receivers (including Garmin and other units we use in our cars and on our Spyders) have become so sophisticated that they can obtain very near the accuracy of WAAS augumented GPS receivers from the satellite transmitters alone. THAT is why today's GPS receivers can pinpoint almost the EXACT location of your vehicle on the highway in real time. And the average consumer price of these units keeps coming down year after year, while features and accuracy continue to go up.

Aviation grade GPS receivers today use both WAAS and Differential GPS which can pinpoint accuracy to within just a few centimeters near all but the smallest airports. The military today uses a completely different signal (transmitted from the same satellites) which is probably much more accurate than civilian GPS.

[cognaccruiser]

We do have a couple of GPS units, although not the top of the line units, one is fairly new. We do travel with a GPS but on the Spyder, it usually stays in the trunk plugged into the power source for occasional reference. I love paper maps and still use them to plan trips so I guess I'm a bit old fashioned. My wife is very adept at reading a map while sitting behind me on the Spyder. In larger cities GPS are great for finding specific locations.

They do have limitations in less traveled areas and can get also people into serious trouble. There are roads in Alaska and the Yukon territory that have been in existence for years that just don't show up on even current updates. We get a kick out of watching the vehicle icon moving along on the GPS screen where no road shows up. We call it off roading.

Of a more serious nature, there have been 2 situations that I no of where loss of life has occurred because people using a GPS were using "shortest route" planning. One was a local couple from where I live that were headed to Las Vegas for a trade show in their van in the fall a few years ago. They made the mistake of using shortest route while going through I think it was Nevada. They got onto a road in the mountains and got stuck in mud and snow. He tried to figure out where to go for help and left his wife in the van. There was a huge search for them. The search was called off but some hunters found the van with the wife 3 weeks later. She survived living off snacks and snow water. His remains were found over a year later by hunters.

In another well documented case a young couple and baby in Washington, I believe, were headed south in the winter and had not filled up with gas and were trying to get to the I5 corridor and used "shortest route" to get through the mountains. Again winter and inexperienced. They got stuck on a remote road. He died going for help and she and the child barely survived before being found. In both cases, family didn't even know where to start looking for them. They both made mistakes in judgement compounded by improper use of a GPS. Had they had paper maps they might have realized they were headed in a bad direction.

Sorry for a long winded comment.

Gary

[ARtraveler]

I never could understand how someone could be led out into the middle of nowhere and up in a life threatening situation because their GPS told them to take some dirt road out in the wilderness or the desert. If I'm following my GPS to take me somewhere and it tells me make a left onto some goat trail, I'm going to immediately suspect something is amiss. I'm not going to continue to blindly follow it into oblivion. And yet you occasionally read of this very thing happening. SMH

It's all about the short cut to save time and miles.

[murphybrown]

We do have a couple of GPS units, although not the top of the line units, one is fairly new. We do travel with a GPS but on the Spyder, it usually stays in the trunk plugged into the power source for occasional reference. I love paper maps and still use them to plan trips so I guess I'm a bit old fashioned. My wife is very adept at reading a map while sitting behind me on the Spyder. In larger cities GPS are great for finding specific locations.

They do have limitations in less traveled areas and can get also people into serious trouble. There are roads in Alaska and the Yukon territory that have been in existence for years that just don't show up on even current updates. We get a kick out of watching the vehicle icon moving along on the GPS screen where no road shows up. We call it off roading.

Of a more serious nature, there have been 2 situations that I no of where loss of life has occurred because people using a GPS were using "shortest route" planning. One was a local couple from where I live that were headed to Las Vegas for a trade show in their van in the fall a few years ago. They made the mistake of using shortest route while going through I think it was Nevada. They got onto a road in the mountains and got stuck in mud and snow. He tried to figure out where to go for help and left his wife in the van. There was a huge search for them. The search was called off but some hunters found the van with the wife 3 weeks later. She survived living off snacks and snow water. His remains were found over a year later by hunters.

In another well documented case a young couple and baby in Washington, I believe, were headed south in the winter and had not filled up with gas and were trying to get to the I5 corridor and used "shortest route" to get through the mountains. Again winter and inexperienced. They got stuck on a remote road. He died going for help and she and the child barely survived before being found. In both cases, family didn't even know where to start looking for them. They both made mistakes in judgement compounded by improper use of a GPS. Had they had paper maps they might have realized they were headed in a bad direction.

Sorry for a long winded comment.

Gary

All to familiar with both of these tragic situations. My son in law enforcement was involved with looking for the couple from BC..he asked that I get and use a SPOT at all times when traveling..whether on my Spyder or in truck. I have used my SPOT for years. I prefer the roads less traveled and 99% find those roads either on detailed map or by asking local folks. So if I could insist on a NECESSARY device for travel it would be the SPOT or similar (deLorme makes one) device. And use it!!!

[Jheck]

I never could understand how someone could be led out into the middle of nowhere and up in a life threatening situation because their GPS told them to take some dirt road out in the wilderness or the desert. If I'm following my GPS to take me somewhere and it tells me make a left onto some goat trail, I'm going to immediately suspect something is amiss. I'm not going to continue to blindly follow it into oblivion. And yet you occasionally read of this very thing happening. SMH

This very thing happened to the wife and I up in theWhite Mountains in New Hampshire! Got lost and turned on the Gps, Gps said " In .2 miles turn right- than turn right." So we turned right, to which my wife said" why are we going into a Campground?" So we turned right agin and stopped. Would have gone down then boat ramp and right into the lake! So we backed up and knocked on the door of the 5th wheel on the other side of the road. An older gentleman came to the door and said " you followed your Gps didn't you? Them things don't work up here" to which I replied "so this ain't the frist time I guess" lol. He gave us directions.

[Bob Denman]

Hi Rob,
Regarding your, "A brief history of GPS Accuracy (for those interested): "
Thanks!
I found it very interesting; although it didn't answer my single important question about these things:

How come it always wants me to take a road that I'd rather not travel on??

[robmorg]

Hi Rob,
Regarding your, "A brief history of GPS Accuracy (for those interested): "
Thanks!
I found it very interesting; although it didn't answer my single important question about these things:

How come it always wants me to take a road that I'd rather not travel on??

Thanks. I've always been interested in GPS technology - probably because I was an avid private pilot for many years.

As you know, there is more to today's GPS units than their ability to simply pinpoint their exact location on the face of the earth - a function most receivers do with amazing accuracy. However, their mapping ability is a function of the cartography data that is fed into it by humans (the maps and how accurately they were constructed and how often they are kept updated, etc.). You know the old saying about computers... GIGO. Likewise, the routing ability is a function of the routing algorithms that are built into the logic of the unit. Unfortunately some GPS manufacturers are much better at this than others. The reason I like Garmin is that while they have produced some "questionable" models over the years, IMO they seem to be consistently better at both cartography and routing algorithms than many other manufacturers. (Although some folks may disagree with me.)

Still, as you know, you cannot yet expect computers to "think" like humans, any more than you can expect one human to "think" like another human.

[Cavman]

I'm a Geocacher and I have two GPS units when traveling. Garmin Zumo 550 for getting to a specific address and a handheld Garmin GPSMAP 76CSx with maps so I can see where I am in relation to where I am in an area. Both are discontinued units. I had used a Magellan unit but it's not weather restaint like the Garmin. It has more accurate maps and is also a handheld for Geocaching. The Garmin 76CSx I also use in my truck.

[ThreeWheels]

Love all the discussions this topic brings up. To use a GPS or not to? Lots of arguments for both. Been riding my whole life and feel like having a GPS gives me more freedom. I am not one that enjoys wandering around lost.. too much stress, plus.....maps??? Still can't read one!!

So these are my REALLY good reason to have a GPS and some points on how to pick the right unit for you.

https://www.leadermotorcycle.com/blo...our-motorcycle

I haven't read all the responses to this thread, so I am probably repeating what others have said.

I'm the wrong guy to ask this question, I have a GPS for my car, another for my Spyder, and a third for my boat.
To me, this topic makes as much sense as asking the question "Should I live in a house with heat and running water, or should I live in a cave with no heat, no windows and no internet and have to take care of business outside in a hole that I first have to dig?"

I got a GPS for my bike for a simple reason. I love wandering around on a bike, getting lost, going to strange new locations, but after wandering for a few hours, when I'm tired, hungry, cold and I need to go to the bathroom, I want to go HOME and I want to get there by the quickest route.

I plan routes on my GPS, or if I've wandered around, I can upload my route and find out where I've been.

Just my opinion, I could be wrong.

[Commander]

I like my GPS.......It helps me find my way home from riding all day

[PrairieSpyder]

Yes & No!

I like to study a map and plan my general route. There may be roads I want to ride and the GPS would take me by a different route. But the GPS helps me navigate through towns and gets me to the road I want to take next. So I enter way-points to help direct the GPS to the route I want.

And, don't forget, if you decide to take a different road, the GPS will recalculate and accommodate your plan.

[Dennis in Lodi]

Washington and NY have anti radar dector laws. Their police vehicles have radar dectecting devices in their vehicles. Some versions of this GPS have built in radar dectors which can't be sold in WA or NY. I think the ticket is pretty hefty and a good revenue source for WA.
http://www.aliexpress.com/item/2015-...429371041.html
The IGO Primo software in this GPS is the top rated software in the world.

So the sellers think Washington uses different RADARS than any other police department in the county......

[Dan McNally]

Lots of comments, both pro and con. Here is mine. A GPS is a tool, nothing more, nothing less. If someone is so stupid as to drive into a river because the GPS thought there was a road, there, they are the same sort of idiot who will get in an accident for some other reason. No matter what the GPS says, the operator of the vehicle should be using two other tools, at all times - they are called eyes and a brain. When they misuse their tools, bad things happen.

I frequently take rydes down roads I've never traveled, before, just to see where they go - trust me, in West Virginia, you can easily get lost, especially when you have no destination in mind as you ryde, and keep taking turns, "just because" - at the end of a day like that, all I have to do is tell my GPS to take me home and it tells me how to get there.

My Zumo 660 lets me avoid highways, unpaved roads, seasonal closure roads - just a matter of pushing a button in settings. Sometimes I'm in a hurry and using highways is my choice (last September, I had to get home in a hurry and I was 600 miles away - the trip that took two leisurely days on back roads on the way outbound, had me home before dark using interstates.

When I was ryding back from Arizona, across New Mexico, Texas, and Oklahoma where gas stops tend to be farther apart, the neat little feature that told me how far, and in what direction the nearest gas station was, helped a lot - sometimes I'd top off the tank because my GPS said that the next gas station was 130 miles away, and I was at 3/4 of a tank - and I didn't want to take the chance to run out - and other times, I was reassured that a station was 50 miles down the road, and I could keep rolling.

I've used Google Maps and Waze on my phone, but my phone isn't waterproof, and my GPS is. Also, I'd rather be using the motorcycle power to run the GPS than be running down my phone battery using an app that requires GPS - yup - when you use your phone app, like Waze, you are using GPS. That sucks up the battery.

There is a subset of people who claim to not like the technology, so they swear by maps - I assume, that their grandfathers stuck to horses when motorcycles were first invented!

If you have a GPS, you don't HAVE to use it all the time - as I said, it is just a tool - but there are times, when nothing works better than a tool designed for a specific purpose.

Whatever you use to find your way around, it isn't right or wrong - it is what you want to use, and that is your right - it doesn't make other people wrong.

Enjoy the ryde.

[Fatcycledaddy]

I try to always have the GPS with me when I ride.
The GPS gives me the freedom to take any interesting looking roads when I am out and about, not having to worry about how I will get home from there, or where the next gas station is.
It frees me up to watch the ever changing beautiful country around me without worrying that I am going to miss my next road sign and miss my next turn.
I don't have to worry that the road I am on has no gas stations close by when I take a rout I do not know, one touch on the GPS will tell me where ant stations are with my route, or closest out of route leaving me free to wonder.
The other thing is that when I find a road that I would like to ride again, ot tell someone else about, when we are just wondering around, I can mark it on the GPS and get back to it from anywhere anytime.

Although I do not own a Harley, I do use their rout planner and think it is one of the best I have used. http://rideplanner.harley-davidson.c...idePlanner.jsp
I have the last six years of our annual trips saved in this app and can down load then to the GPS in about 30 sec. This assures me that when I go cross country, I will ride on the roads I want to ride on, not the ones the GPS automatically routes me on. It also allows me to route out my complete trip in the cold of February when the snow is deep and I can only dream of riding.

This years trip to Utah and our base camp at Zion National park is already planned out to and from destination on the rout planner. Different routes each direction avoiding freeways both ways. This then will leave us the freedom of day trips to any locations in the area that the locals recommend to us.

I have the factory Garmin 590 with the Sena 20s headset and love how it all works together.

And now after talking about the trip, I can't wait for June to get here!!!