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Dave & Teddy's Most Excellent Adventures 2012

The Garmin Zumo 665 was and is the very first GPS unit that I've ever had experience with, minus using the Nav app. on my Droid for the previous 2 years. The Droid actually worked very well, got Teddy & I all the way to Florida & back, to Cowtown once but died on our trip back from SpyderFest 2011. Since the phone wasn't water-proof I put it in a ziplock baggy with a rubber-band around it & that worked pretty well...

I've had quite a few GPS's built in and external, my favorite is the Zumo 550, although its showing its age not having lane assets and photo junction I still prefer it.

I got the 660 with the Sypder and although the screen is better (bigger) its not as responsive as the 550. The 550 has glove friendly buttons around the out side which are easy to find and click through, the touch screen on the 660 seems to lack something.

The 550 seems to redraw quicker and I prefer the user interface, I have the external XM30 xm radio but I canceled my subscription after they remove BBC radio 1.

I will use the 660 on the spyder as its fitted and works just fine, just odd things two steps forward one back sort of thing, but i do love the Garmin's.

On another note, I have Map Quest with the Zumo 550 and the new base camp is no where as good, making routes in Map Quest is really simple and you can edited them to your harts content, editing routes in base Camp is so difficult.

I have a support ticket in with Garmin about adding my Zumo 660 maps 2013 into Map Quest.

All in all two thumbs up for Garmin Zumo's

:2thumbs:


harry
 
OSR Saturday

Dave, I am going to do this ryde with you. I will have to leave here at 6 am to meet up with you. I have Teddy's ball and your tool that you left here. After reading your writings on your trip down here to help and teach me about the oil change and the every small detail about the evening was great. No way can I write such an outstanding story and knowing what was said and done I could not stop reading it. It was a pleasure to have You and Teddy as guest at our home and any time that you would like to come down for the weekend of touring or teaching we would be happy for you to stay with us. Thank you so much for your help. I will call you on Saturday morning when I get in the area so we can meet. If I can get to Frishes by 7:30 I will eat breakfast there, if not in time it will be Mc D.
Gene
 
Gene, just let me know, Teddy & I would love have breakfast w/u @ Frishes

:clap:Sounds like a plan:thumbup:

I didn't even realize I had left one of his balls down there, nor a tool :dontknow: Appreciate you bringing them along;) & I'm glad everything went well, minus the fact that Teddy insists on Smelling like :yikes:DEAD VARMIT:lecturef_smilie:

It was comical tho:roflblack: cause it was the first time ever that he's had a shower, & you shoulda seen him running in circles:trike: trying to get away from the water:helpsmilie: & he just couldn't do it:banghead: :gaah::banghead:*** :roflblack::roflblack::roflblack:

Appreciate the offer for a weekend trip as well, thinking I should post something for the CincySpyderRydersGroup & see if there is any interest in maybe making a day trip down with a group of us if you'd be kind enough to be our tour guide:bowdown: as you sure do have some beautiful country down that way:thumbup:
 
Seems Teddy has now become the Attraction for the Attractions

Got the oil changed late last night, around midnight, so of course, we had to head out for a ryde to make sure all was well. So we headed thru the streets of Mainstrasse & since it was a Thursday night & rather warm, many ppl were out at the neighborhood bars and sitting at the outside dining tables. As we rolled past a few of these tables and come to a stop at a red light, we're overwhelmed by three rather attractive young ladies, all three screaming in unison at the top of their lungs at the site of Teddy on the back of his Red Sled. I mean, I was actually started & twisted around so fast, I was worried I might re-injure my mostly healed incission. Seriously, like you would've thought Justin Beiber had just walked by them, all three of them S C R E A M I N G !!!!!! Luckily the light turned green before they could make their way out of their seets to get over to him, or I'm sure we would have been holding up traffic while they all posed for pics with him.

So on we went, to a little less festive of an area, down by the hotels and the Riverfront. Mind you, this is around 12:30 midnight now, and Teddy starts going nose crazy behind me. Being a dog (I swear, he really is a dog, he just doesn't know it-lol) he has a very keen sense of smell (hence all the rolling in dead varmit scenarios of late) & a hightened fascination with horses. Living rather closely to the city, you wouldn't think we'd have much contact with livestock like horses, but you'd be dead wrong, as every weekend, between Mainstrasse Villiage & downtown Cincy, I'd guess we have a total of about 50 horse drawn carriages that take tourists & locals out on date night for nice leasurely cruises around town. We've come to know many of them, and THEY ALL KNOW TEDDY, as we try to make the rounds on the weekends so Teddy can get his fill of the giant 4 legged creatures that just captivate his senses. Well, as I said, he started going "nose crazy" (nose straight up smelling rappidly, standing up on hind legs, bouncing back and forth from side to side) like someone was frying bacon up in a pan. Sure enough, at the next block, we end up coming upon a horse drawn carriage & its like an addict getting his fix, he's just transfixed by the horse.

Once the carriage driver sees us, he stops the carriage in the middle of the street, then tells the nice couple to turn their attention to the other side of where they were looking, and then proceeds to wave at us, while telling the couple all about TEDDY.

"And as you look on the left side of the carriage folks, you'll see one of the most Awesome sights you're likely to see anywhere. That there is Teddy, the Spyder ryding pooch and yes, thats right, what your seeing is real, folks. The dog actually does where sunglasses (their actually colored doggles, but whatever, its his speal-LOL) and you see that bright red mohawk atop his head, I assure you folks, its as real as the night is long, I've actually petted it myself & am proud to count Teddy as my personal buddy (oh really now, news to me, as we've only actually talked like 3 times, but whatever-LOL) Yes sir ree folks, and that their is his very own motorcyle, if memory serves, its called a Spyder & you can see there in the front, he has his very own cheauffer to take him wherever he wants to go. That dogs been from Florida all the way to upstate NewYork ryding just like you see him there. Isn't that just the greatest thing you've ever seen?" At this, the nice couple pull out their camera phones and ask if its ok to take a couple of pics, which we shockingly oblidge with a smile, still in disbelief.

I was at a loss & very impressed with the guides memory, as we have stopped to let Teddy smell & look at his horse a few times, when he had no customers & was just sitting and waiting. We've talked for a total of maybe 10 minutes, but all of what he was saying was true and accurate, was just the first time I had heard someone else besides me telling Teddy's tails to others.

:roflblack:Well if it don't beat all, the lil guys making it BIG TIME as a local Celibrity:roflblack:
 
...As for the XM music itself, I rarely use it, except for slow rydes. Not sure if I wired something incorrectly or what the reason is, but it seems the Volume when listening to XM music is about 1/2 that of all the rest of the audio output & at highway speeds, I can barely hear it. And yes, I've double checked ALL of the audio output settings (on GPS & RT) to make sure they are ALL at MAX & they are...

Dave, in addition to the master volume control, your 665 has separate audio volume settings for voice prompts, media player & phone by touching 'Mixer'. I know you have checked ALL the audio settings, but may not have thought of this one. If you have, please forgive my rehashing this same issue.

If that doesn't resolve the problem, you might also consider contacting Garmin directly. There may be an actual problem with the GPS or XM antenna/receiver units that need to be corrected. Give them a call.
 
After reading your response, I double checked & ALL were set at 100%

Dave, in addition to the master volume control, your 665 has separate audio volume settings for voice prompts, media player & phone by touching 'Mixer'. I know you have checked ALL the audio settings, but may not have thought of this one. If you have, please forgive my rehashing this same issue.

If that doesn't resolve the problem, you might also consider contacting Garmin directly. There may be an actual problem with the GPS or XM antenna/receiver units that need to be corrected. Give them a call.

And I listend to XM for a while, while riding 150miles yesterday & it wasn't as low as 50% just not as loud as listening to MP3s & I like knowing what I'm listening to while riding, so all is fine for me. But thanks for your suggestion :thumbup:
 
Its said that we learn more from failure than we do from success

And here I am trying to figure out my lesson from yesterdays failed OSR Group Ryde. Frustration over my current financial situation, coupled with a lack of knowledge & allowing the lack of funds & knowledge to ultimately lead to procrastination in not knowing what to do or how to do it to protect Teddy. Here's the issue at hand. A roughly 250 mile round trip group ryde with close to 25 other Spyder Ryders in upper 80 degree heat, with higher humidity causing it to feel like its in the 90s. Days like this, we usually ryde early or late, but rarely mid-day and pray for clouds and overcast. Teddy being a black dog & he overheats in direct sunlight within a matter of minutes if we're not moving and have good airflow.

We have an enclosed carrier with a zip on top for such needs, but he really hates ryding enclosed, drives him crazy trying to dig out & whining most the time & that just takes the fun & enjoyment out of the ryde. About a month or so back, we happened upon Kathy & Joes Cycle shop in Batavia Ohio & we had met them once prior at the Maggie Valley Owners Event & they totally remembered Teddy as soon as they saw him. I mentioned my quest to them for trying to figure out a way to keep Teddy protected from the harsh rays of the direct sunlight while out on nice sunny days & they actually gave us a smoked windshield for a moped that was extra with the hopes I could use it to come up with a solution for the lil guy. I've been working with different solutions of using it, but haven't come up with anything usable just yet.

Well, we got about 100 miles into the OSR History ryde yesterday, and I found myself begging for a cloud covered stretch of open road ahead, so the lil guy would have a little relief from the scorching sun. At stops waiting at stop signs or traffic, in the wide open sun dreanched roads we were travelling, I could tell he was getting overheated, even though I was making sure that he stayed hydrated. So, at our first group stop, I made the sad call for us to call it quits & to head back home, it was just the right thing to do since we were not properly prepaired for the conditions, even tho it was extremely frustrating to admit.

Now, after working with what I have, I do think I have it figured out with using a tripod approach using the shield and Ram Mounts, but I still have to wait to get my finances back in order, as I'll have to order 2 more of the 12" Ram Mounts to make it work. I'm thinking I can use 1 Ram ball mounted to the back of the Utopia backrest and then mounting 2 more Ram balls, one each on the left & right sides of the top of the rear trunk deck lid, in a triangle pattern. I found a 12" entension that can be used for the Ram Mounts & using 3 of them alltogether, I'm thinking it would give enough height & stabilty to hold the shield high above Teddy, so he could still ryde like he does now, sometimes laying, others sitting & much of the time standing and posing while providing shade from the scorching sun. When not needed, just untwist the Ram connections & just the Ram
balls would be left visible.

Any thoughts or suggestions from those interested and most probable more tallented in such things? Any suggestions or thoughts are much appreciated. Until I get it figured out for sure, we're just limiting our ryding to early and late rydes for now.
 
Yesterday was a good day for the most part, just wished we coulda ridden

Stopped by the (Local) cemetary to visit Mom & Dad & Sis and then off to Bob Evans to meet up with my 3 brothers. After breakfast, we decided it was time for a trip to the country. For us, that means going back to where my Mom was born, Breathitt County, KY. This is backwoods KY at its finest, you know, shot-gun weddings, barefoot & pregnant at 15 (if you were lucky) and all that stuff about kiss'n cousins. Well, yeah, that's where my Moms family hails from, so we go back once a year to place flowers on the graves. Us kids don't really know anyone back there, now that Mom has passed, we just make sure not to date anyone from around that area (LMAO)

Anyways, it was about 94 degrees and sunny, & this was a 300 mile round trip & without having a sun-screen for Teds Sled, there wasn't anyway I was going to attempt this & jeopardize Teddy going into heat stroke or something to that effect.

Have to admit, going on a 300 mile road trip in 90+ degree blazing sun, it was nice to have air conditioning and since my brother was driving, was nice to just kick back & relax for the long ride south. Tho, I kept looking at the beautiful country side along our route & wishing how it would be a great ride on the Spyder if it just wasn't so damn scorching hot.
 
I had a thought. They make those sun screens to put in the back window of cars to keep the sun off children. Might look at those. I think they run from $7.00 to $10.00. Might be worth a look at. We had rabbits and would put a frozen water bottle in their cage. Could put this in his carrier and as it thaws you have the extra benefit of a nice cool drink. How is he with water? Could you mist him periodically?

I know you'll find the right combo to keep him comfortable.
 
Thanks for the good suggestions, & we do use the ice one

I had a thought. They make those sun screens to put in the back window of cars to keep the sun off children. Might look at those. I think they run from $7.00 to $10.00. Might be worth a look at. We had rabbits and would put a frozen water bottle in their cage. Could put this in his carrier and as it thaws you have the extra benefit of a nice cool drink. How is he with water? Could you mist him periodically?

I know you'll find the right combo to keep him comfortable.
Last summer, I discovered those freezable modular chemical ice wraps & they work great. I just cut them down to the size of the bottom of his carrier, and then place his felt pad over it, so its like he's sitting on ice. I tell ppl allthe time, he's got it better than I do. As for misting, Ive not tried that, as I'm worried more with the direct sunlight causing his skin to burn, since he is kept pretty well shaven, mind you, not down to the skin, but about a 1/4 inch seems to work best. Thought about the car sun-shade, but the problem is with mounting anything so its usable and functunable and not flapping in the wind like Bob Denmans wife when she sees his next "mods wishlist" :roflblack: (luv u bob) So thats where having this smoked wind-shield from a mopped comes into play, as its rigid & made to stand up to the forces of 80+ MPH winds that we're likely to encounter at highway speeds. Biggest issue has been coming up with a strong enough mounting system, as to provide the height and rigid stability to withstand said wind speeds, and I'm thinking the Ram Mount approach just may be the winning ticket. Just wish I could go ahead & order the rest of the parts that we need, but just have to be patient for now, till I start getting paychecks rolling in since I'm now back at work finally. Thanks again for the suggestions. One more option I've thought of, is using those Evaporative gel-filled bandannas like we use at my work, I've found a company that makes them for dogs, and once we get the sun-shade mounted, I plan on giving it a try as well.:thumbup:
 
Is there any way you could set up a 'wading pool' type place for him in the backseat? It would need to be designed in such a way that the water level would be kept very low so he wouldn't be in danger of drowning if he decided to take a nap, but would allow him to roll around in the water for instant heat relief. Might incorporate an automatic pet waterer type of replenisher to keep the water level at the right height. A plastic liner (trash bag?) for the carrier to hold the water in place, a towel under the carrier to absorb any spillage and keep your butt dry. An attachment for a water bottle for the water supply. Might be able to fabricate something with very little cost. You may even have a waterer at home that you could take some design ideas from.

Just an idea to mull over...
 
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As for misting, Ive not tried that, as I'm worried more with the direct sunlight causing his skin to burn, since he is kept pretty well shaven, mind you, not down to the skin, but about a 1/4 inch seems to work best.


My daughter showed dairy goats for 10 years. She had to shave them anywhere from a week to a day before the show. The tip we were given was to put baby powder on them to keep them from burning. This actually does work as we missed a spot on one gal and she did in fact burn in that place. 'Course baby powder on a black dog might not look so well! :roflblack:
 
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Thanks so much for the tips & tricks

Is there any way you could set up a 'wading pool' type place for him in the backseat? Just an idea to mull over...
Great suggestion Mark, tho Teddy has an aversion to baths & being IN water so I'm not so sure how well he'd take to this idea. I have plenty of ways to help control his actual body temperature, from modular Ice pads that I put under his carrier liner to the evaporative gel bandana. My biggest worry & obstacle to overcome however is shielding him from the scorching rays of direct sunlight, than can cause him to burn. Thinking this shield idea I'm working with currently may just be our solution.

How about modifying something like this to protect Teddy's skin. Also you ever jell his head up with some SPF 50 sunscreen ?
Thanks for the research & the link, but Teddy NEVER rydes in the camper when traveling, just on the rear passenger seat, and usually wide open. Our camper only has torsion (none) suspension, so I'd be afraid he'd get his little brain scrambled if I were to actually try and ryde with him in there, as that thing bobs up and down on every little bump in the road. Afraid if I even tried it, since he couldn't even see me, it may turn him off to ryding, & that's not something I want to even chance. Thanks for the suggestion though. I haven't tried the sunscreen approach, as his vet advised it could cause sensitivity issues with his skin & fur when I broached this posible remedy with her & she suggested if I could find another approach, it would probably be best. Thats why I'm trying to work with this shield to put over-top of him & block the direct sunlight for the most part. Still a work in progress and again, thanks so much for your research & suggestions.

The tip we were given was to put baby powder on them to keep them from burning. 'Course baby powder on a black dog might now look so well! :roflblack:
That is a great tip & if Teddy were white or cream I just might give it a try, but since he's pretty much solid black, like you said, might not look so well, not to mention I'd be afraid of causing him skin irritation from the powder. Thanks tho for the tip & suggestion.
 
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3 words

Iron Man Armor. I will call Tony Stark and get him started on Teddy a set.
 
Teddy said not to forget the AC for summer & HEAT for winter OPTIONS on his new IMA

Iron Man Armor. I will call Tony Stark and get him started on Teddy a set.
:rolleyes:And I thought this dog was spoiled before:shocked:
:doorag:Man O Man:doorag:
:firstplace:Just wait til he gets his new IMA suit from Stark Industries:bowdown:
:roflblack:He probably won't even let me pick up after him:roflblack:​
 
First Report

Stark said he cannot get the suit this week, currently it shoots lasers when the test dog barks... Could cause issues in traffic.

When discussing it he calls it the "Bark-a-tron 5000"
 
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