Receiving GPS Instructions

[The Breeze]

First off, let me say that I have never used a GPS.
(I've always just printed directions and used the lid of my CL-300.)
But my love for gadgets is overpowering my wallet.

How well do you hear the instructions when using it's external speaker?
I see some with FM transmitters and a select few will transmit instructions via bluetooth. (I have the Scala Q2 rider set.)
Or do you just keep an eye on the screen and ignore the voice?

I don't think I need to go movie screen big (like Lamonster:2thumbs, but I wonder how useful a 3 1/2 inch screen can really be.

Thanks for the input

 

[bjt]

The Zumo 450 3.5 " screen is plenty good for me.

 

[The Breeze]

The Zumo 450 3.5 " screen is plenty good for me.

How are you receive it's audible guidance?

 

[Lamonster]

I never use the audio but if I did it would work just like my XM, through my earbuds.

 

[davepick]

I have not mounted my GPS on my Spyder yet but I have used it for over 10,000 miles of touring on other bikes. Mine has a pretty small screen (2 inch) and it’s not a problem, a bigger screen would definitely make it easier but I bought mine a few years ago and there weren’t any larger ones available that were waterproof etc. I use mine without any voice commands and again, its fine for me, I just keep an eye on the distance to the next turn and don’t have a problem.

 

[The Breeze]

I never use the audio but if I did it would work just like my XM, through my earbuds.

I don't mean to seem dense, but, how would you get the GPS audio output to share your ear buds with the XM radio?

 

[The Breeze]

I have not mounted my GPS on my Spyder yet but I have used it for over 10,000 miles of touring on other bikes. Mine has a pretty small screen (2 inch) and it’s not a problem, a bigger screen would definitely make it easier but I bought mine a few years ago and there weren’t any larger ones available that were waterproof etc. I use mine without any voice commands and again, its fine for me, I just keep an eye on the distance to the next turn and don’t have a problem.

Thanks!

 

[bjt]

I never use the audio but if I did it would work just like my XM, through my earbuds.

I don't mean to seem dense, but, how would you get the GPS audio output to share your ear buds with the XM radio?

Its one or the other, GPS or XM or, in my case, iPod unless you hooked the GPS up through some type of sound system interagtor alnong with the XM radio, etc. I only bother listening to the GPS voice instructions if I'm listening to MP3s that I've stored on the GPS. I've found that sometimes those voice instructions mess you up in a congested area. For example, sometimes the voice command "Turn Left" means turn left in 1500 feet and other times it means turn left in 100 feet. :sour:

 

[The Breeze]

Its one or the other, GPS or XM or, in my case, iPod unless you hooked the GPS up through some type of sound system interagtor alnong with the XM radio, etc. I only bother listening to the GPS voice instructions if I'm listening to MP3s that I've stored on the GPS. I've found that sometimes those voice instructions mess you up in a congested area. For example, sometimes the voice command "Turn Left" means turn left in 1500 feet and other times it means turn left in 100 feet. :sour:

Thanks for the response.

How is the trip software to work with?
i.e. - If you want to plan a 'trip to no where' - nothing but backroads, around your home state, how easy it to program that into the GPS?

 

[NancysToy]

I can listen to the voice through my comm system, if I wish, but I seldom bother. The turn directions and distance are a different color and quite large on my Lowrance XOG. The software brand to brand and model to model is a bit variable. Some are easier to set for rural roads, and some are more forgiving if you get off route and will calculate a new one readily instead of trying to bring you back.
-Scotty

 

[bjt]

Thanks for the response.

How is the trip software to work with?
i.e. - If you want to plan a 'trip to no where' - nothing but backroads, around your home state, how easy it to program that into the GPS?

Like external trip software? Its not super easy. I've never done it (meaning if it was super easy, I would have at least tried it once). One reason is that the mapping software that came with the Zumo was Windows only and I'm a (mostly) Mac only person. I think I can create a route on Google Maps and download it to the GPS but, once again, I've never done it to know how or how well it works. For general navigating, I can select certain types of roads to avoid like expressways, toll roads, u-turns, highways, etc. right on the GPS.

 

[Trickie Dick]

I don't think your zumo 450 comes with bluetooth capability.(one of the differences in the 450 and 550) So you could get a bluetooth converter? to allow it to be paired up with your scala headset. The 450 should have come with garmin mapsouce which will allow you to plan your route on your computer and transfer it to the 450.

 

[The Breeze]

Like external trip software? Its not super easy. I've never done it (meaning if it was super easy, I would have at least tried it once). One reason is that the mapping software that came with the Zumo was Windows only and I'm a (mostly) Mac only person. I think I can create a route on Google Maps and download it to the GPS but, once again, I've never done it to know how or how well it works. For general navigating, I can select certain types of roads to avoid like expressways, toll roads, u-turns, highways, etc. right on the GPS.

Thanks for the response.

I think I'm sold on the idea that I don't need to hear more voices in my head and watching for the next turn will be enough.

However, the idea of planning a trip exclusively on the GPS sounds like a pain. So, planning on a PC (yes, I'm a PC) and transferring that info to the GPS will be what I'm looking for.

 

[bjt]

I don't think your zumo 450 comes with bluetooth capability.(one of the differences in the 450 and 550) So you could get a bluetooth converter? to allow it to be paired up with your scala headset. The 450 should have come with garmin mapsouce which will allow you to plan your route on your computer and transfer it to the 450.

Yea but its Windows only software. I use Macs.

 

[bjt]

Thanks for the response.

I think I'm sold on the idea that I don't need to hear more voices in my head and watching for the next turn will be enough.

However, the idea of planning a trip exclusively on the GPS sounds like a pain. So, planning on a PC (yes, I'm a PC) and transferring that info to the GPS will be what I'm looking for.

Though I'm sure its possible, I would definitely not try to plan a big trip on the GPS. I think Google maps is wonderful for that stuff. I have done a Google map trip and printed the directions, then put the destination into the GPS with the proper avoidances set, then compared the route the GPS calculated to the Google route and either go with one or the other. Usually, if I want a scenic ride and I set the Zumo to avoid highways, expressways, gravel roads and toll roads, it works pretty well.

 

[John in PA]

You said you have the Scala rider setup for your helmet. If you do, the Garmin Zumo 550 and 650 will connect to both your helmet and your cellphone at the same time. You will clearly hear routing instructions, and if your cell rings, you can answer and talk (briefly, I hope!!) directly while wearing your helmet.
If you rely on the internal speaker on the GPS, you will not be able to hear it due to engine noise, and wind noise. They do work fine in the relatively quiet environment in a car (assuming car radio is not loud)

Alternative to bluetooth is a wired earphone from the GPS, but that's a bit of a pain.

GPS warning to the un-initiated: The databases for ALL the GPS's do NOT know 100% which roads are dirt vs paved! Occasionally they will send you down a dirt road that the unit thinks is paved. This occurs even if you choose the setting that says "avoid dirt roads!"

 

[dragonheart]

I have the Zumo 550 and Scala Q2. I don't use the audio as it interferes too much with conversations between H and me. I can easily glance at the screen and see when a turn is coming. The phone coming through the headset is great, so I just set the Zumo to phone only.

We have used Mapsource to plan a ride and it is somewhat easy - can be a little not so user friendly.

What I have done for the cross country trip out to California in June is get all of the coordinates of our planned stops and input those into the Zumo. As we found on a recent trip to the Draggin' Jeans outlet in North Carolina, there are several "10th Streets" in the Hickory area and when I input the address, we wound up at a nursing home! Once we arrived at Draggin' Jeans there were two other riders there and when we explained what happened, they said same thing happened to them last year, and they just input the coordinates - great idea.

There is a free link that you can use to plug in an address and get any coordinates: http://www.gpsvisualizer.com/geocode. I have used this quite a bit. Of course, once you get to a destination and you want to remember it, you can save your location so you can return at any time.

 

[Trickie Dick]

Though I'm sure its possible, I would definitely not try to plan a big trip on the GPS. I think Google maps is wonderful for that stuff. I have done a Google map trip and printed the directions, then put the destination into the GPS with the proper avoidances set, then compared the route the GPS calculated to the Google route and either go with one or the other. Usually, if I want a scenic ride and I set the Zumo to avoid highways, expressways, gravel roads and toll roads, it works pretty well.

This site http://bit.ly/garmin_gps_tricks has alot of good ideas and instructions on how to do things with your garmin. One section deals with transfering google map routes to the gps. Most of it deals with Nuvis but I also think alot of it is applicable to the zumos as well. hyea:
Dick

 

[bjt]

Thanks for that link. I'm going to check out some of that information when I have the time. I was surprised by the amount of information in there as I was scrolling down through the tips and, after about page 6, saw it kept scrolling down. I looked at the browsers scroll bar on the right of my screen and saw I wasn't even a quarter of the way down... :shocked: I bookmarked the page so I can go back at my leisure. :thumbup: