Any comments on my Navigation Preference?

[bikerbillone]

I find using my 'old' iPhone on my 20 RTL is a better navigation choice than my 'old' Garman Nuvi which has a failing battery and does 'like' an external plug in battery. Any comments pro or con on the choice? I'm aware of BRP Connect, but that is a total distraction I'd rather not deal with.

 

[AVBIZ]

I find using my 'old' iPhone on my 20 RTL is a better navigation choice than my 'old' Garman Nuvi which has a failing battery and does 'like' an external plug in battery. Any comments pro or con on the choice? I'm aware of BRP Connect, but that is a total distraction I'd rather not deal with.

The down side of using a phone is possible loss of cell coverage. You can mitigate that by down loading the area you plan to ride to your phone for “off-line” use when/if you loose cell coverage. Google maps will automatically pivot back and forth between off line/ cell use as needed. From a safety perspective you are smart to use a 2nd phone or gps for navigation vs. your primary phone which should be on your person just in case you have an “off” and separate from your bike involuntarily.

 

[ARtraveler]

I now use a Garmin DriveSmart 65. I purchased it new in 2019 for our move to AR from AK. Now that I am getting it figured out I use it in both my car and on the 2019 F3L.

 

[bikerbillone]

Does it have free updates?

 

[ARtraveler]

Does it have free updates?

Yes, as far as I know. Just go to the web site and fill er up. :yes:

 

[bikerbillone]

:cheers:

 

[MONK]

I now use a Garmin DriveSmart 65. I purchased it new in 2019 for our move to AR from AK. Now that I am getting it figured out I use it in both my car and on the 2019 F3L.

Can I assume this is NOT waterproof? Is the suction cup mount the only mount available for this? Can it be BT'ed to a helmet or does it have to go through the bike? I'm seeing refurb units for just over 100 bucks. Might be worth my time to check one of these out for $120 or so. If I don't like it, I'll sell it and won't lose much money.

 

[blacklightning]

I don't travel a lot of places that I don't plan out in advance. So I am old school and use a map. Then I use my phone for some locations such as finding a place to eat or a particular place of interest.

 

[Arion]

I must be old fashioned. I prefer to use a GPS for navigation as I prefer to use a camera for taking photos. In my mind (rather elderly and probably fading) it's something like multitasking which I tend to view as switch-tasking, a process in which more than one thing is attempted simultaneously resulting in none of those things being done as well as if done alone. For what it's worth.

 

[ARtraveler]

Can I assume this is NOT waterproof? Is the suction cup mount the only mount available for this? Can it be BT'ed to a helmet or does it have to go through the bike? I'm seeing refurb units for just over 100 bucks. Might be worth my time to check one of these out for $120 or so. If I don't like it, I'll sell it and won't lose much money.

These are made for "automobile" use, so I would not use it in the rain. I run the power cord into the plug in the glove box. I have both a suction cup mount and a handlebar mount (purchased very reasonable from Amazon). If you can get a Garmin for $120 or so...it would be worth it, IMO. :thumbup:

 

[ARtraveler]

PS: also old school with the maps. Part of the fun of planning a trip is to pull out the maps. Once I figure out the basic route, then I would input the information into the GPS. Have not done any of the "exotic" programming yet. I use known destinations, and have taken a couple trips in "known" country. The Garmin is right on...everything pops up where it is. It's great for finding locations of businesses that I have not been to before.

 

[RayBJ]

Before I got the waterproof Zumo I used a Nuvi and wrapped it in a zip-lock bag & rubber band if rain was a threat.

 

[JKMSPYDER]

The problem I see with using a cell phone for navigation is that it uses data. Depending on your data plan your minutes might run over by using the phone navigation on a long trip. Also, if you come to an area that requires a detour, such as downed power lines, wreck, etc, your phone might not be able to reroute you if there is no cell service. This has happened to me before. So I use a Garmin 595 for navigation. The possibility of losing satellite reception would be rare.

 

[MONK]

These are made for "automobile" use, so I would not use it in the rain. I run the power cord into the plug in the glove box. I have both a suction cup mount and a handlebar mount (purchased very reasonable from Amazon). If you can get a Garmin for $120 or so...it would be worth it, IMO. :thumbup:

I don't have a 12V power outlet (aka cigarette lighter socket) anywhere on the bike. It looks like it's not RAM compatible but only has one of those snap-the-ball-in-the-proprietary-socket type mounts on the back of the unit.

I'm not necessarily concerned with rain. I own multiple sized plastic bags. Mounting it securely and being able to power it up are things that might concern me. It appears it only has about a (1) hour battery life.

The non-Alexa version is about $130 and the Alexa version is about $145. Sounds like a good deal for a newer model Garmin but I'd have to be able to power it up from the bike and be able to solidly mount it.

 

[ARtraveler]

I don't have a 12V power outlet (aka cigarette lighter socket) anywhere on the bike. It looks like it's not RAM compatible but only has one of those snap-the-ball-in-the-proprietary-socket type mounts on the back of the unit.

I'm not necessarily concerned with rain. I own multiple sized plastic bags. Mounting it securely and being able to power it up are things that might concern me. It appears it only has about a (1) hour battery life.

The non-Alexa version is about $130 and the Alexa version is about $145. Sounds like a good deal for a newer model Garmin but I'd have to be able to power it up from the bike and be able to solidly mount it.

EDIT: I remember you got the 21 RT without the trunk. I thought they had the mounting sockets in the glove box. Mine has a cig plug and a USB plug.

 

[Possible]

I'm old school and like maps too. The thing is, I like my maps to be digital rather than paper. It's very tough to zoom in on a paper map, and
get a good idea of the general "lay of the land". Paper maps work okay for very general planning, but when you get down to looking at county
roads and such, the lack of ability to look closer is a minus, IMO.

 

[EdMat]

Love paper maps. The welcome centers at state lines still give them out for free. Nothing like spreading out on a table and having a look.

No way i am going to use them on the road. GPS all the way with the phone as a backup or secondary as needed.

I'll date myself, first one was Delorme Street Atlas running on floppies in a laptop on the passenger seat of car using a remote GPS antenna on a 5' cord.

 

[Valkrocket]

Factoid: GPS is built into all smart phones. You do not use any data when using a maps app. If you are worried, just turn the ‘mobile data’ off in your settings and you'll see your map apps. (Google maps, Maps, etc.) are still working fine. I have a 2021 and use the phone map apps all the time with the phone plugged into my glovebox so the battery doesn't wear down. GPS signal is a real battery drain on cell phones. I also have a TomTom GPS that can be mounted on the handlebars using my Lamonster Spyder Cuff, if I want to change things up.

 

[Possible]

Love paper maps. The welcome centers at state lines still give them out for free. Nothing like spreading out on a table and having a look.

No way i am going to use them on the road. GPS all the way with the phone as a backup or secondary as needed.

I'll date myself, first one was Delorme Street Atlas running on floppies in a laptop on the passenger seat of car using a remote GPS antenna on a 5' cord.

Yeah, we used a laptop with a GPS disc too. Problem was Peggy was the navigator, and she was really not very good at it. That's why the stand alone GPS is a
godsend.

 

[MONK]

EDIT: I remember you got the 21 RT without the trunk. I thought they had the mounting sockets in the glove box. Mine has a cig plug and a USB plug.

The 2020+ RTs (base and Limited) have gone completely to USB for power. The Limited has a couple USB ports in the trunk. All 2020+ RTs have a USB port in the glove box. Nothing in the frunk anymore. I'd need to figure out a way to either hardwire or find a compatible USB to GPS wiring harness.