GPS

Its time for me to get a GPS for my 05 450. Looking for some input and recommendations on units, mounts and perhaps some good websites.

Thanks in advance,
Eric

a Have a Garmin 60 CSx

with a RAM mount, is perfect for the bike weather prof. a lot of maps and easy to interact with your computer.

RE: a Have a Garmin 60 CSx

There are 2 models that I would buy, 1 is the Garmin 60CSx
https://buy.garmin.com/shop/shop.do?cID=145&pID=310#
and 2, the eXplorist XL North America,
http://www.magellangps.com/products/pro ... rodID=1248

Have a look here for more info,
http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=144250

RE: a Have a Garmin 60 CSx

Check my gallery. I have a GPS V on a Ram Mount. GPS V has all the feature you want and there are plenty of them on eBay for around $100 and less.

They are black and white, have a tiny screen, you need to upload the maps, which makes them not too popular for car use, but when you ride, you almost never look at it, you use it when you're lost, to see your fastest speed, distance and riding time, as well as download your track to your PC.

It is a very sturdy GPS. I bought mine from a guy coming back from Iraq and it has the map of Baghdad loaded (I kid you not). I connected mine to the battery, on its one line (so it does not shut off when I turn off the ignition), make sure you add a 5A fuse. It can also be fitted with an antenna for woods and canyon riding.

Both the 60csx (or 60cs for a few less $) and V are the two best models for off-road use. I used a V for a couple of years, including on a 100-mile-plus singletrack trip across half of WA. All of the pluses are mentioned here. The 60 has a better antenna out of the box for trees/canyons and color. I sold my V along with Touratech mount and went to a 60csx mainly for color so I could distinguish features on the map better. Also the V's memory is limited to about 20 mb but the 60csx uses regular microSD cards. I can put a LOT more maps into the 60 on the 2 gb card ($25) than I could with the V. Check out www.cycoactive.com for more info on GPS usage with bikes. They sell all the mounts and units, put on an off-road GPS ride every year, and are generally very knowledgeable about what works well. The Touratech mounts sold by them are CNC artistry, but expensive. I took the plunge and bought one for my V. I might buy one again, but at over $100 they are spendy but the unit is damped from vibrations. Incidentally, when I got rid of the V I called them for some Streetpilot 2610 info and the guy told me just what I've said here... off-road wise the V is still the best, but for a few extra features go the 60 route. Make sure you hardwire the unit to your bike for optimal power use. Batteries vibrate and go bad which causes problems with your GPS. Hardwiring to the bikes battery (not straight to stator) gives a "cleaner" voltage which the unit's internal voltage regulator deals with better than the peaky power coming straight off the stator.

i have been using the garmin etrex legend or legend c for the last four years and am happy with it. i use a bicycle handlebar mount ($10) and to keep vibration from being a problem, stabilize it with rubber bands. been thru some horrendous crashes in the rocks and never lost it yet (yet). screen rather small for those presbyopics among us tho.

With all due respect to Frog and others using older units like the V, they are basically obsolete compared to what you can buy new. There is nothing wrong with them at all, they work great, but the new units have them beat at not much extra cash outlay.

I'd stick with a Garmin, because that is by far the most prevalent brand out there for what we are using them for. It will simplify everything.

The Garmin 60cs or 60csx, as already mentioned, are the Cadillac models for off-road GPS. They come with the SIRF chipset, which DRAMATICALLY improves reception, especially under heavy tree cover or in canyons, etc. They use Micro SD cards, and right now you can get a 2GB card for around 25 bucks. With a 2GB card, you can load the complete detail map of the USA and have turn by turn directions, etc.

The difference between the 60cs and the 60 csx is that the csx has an electronic compass and altimeter, whereas the cs uses the GPS to provide the same info (you have to be moving to get a bearing reading).

Thanks all for the great info. I found this pic in Powercells gallery. It looks like a very nice setup. I like the bigscreen. Can anyone ID the GPS? The photo is a few years old I believe.

Looks like a Garmin 276C. It's more of a Marine (boating) GPS due to the available features it has.

I use a GPS V because it is so cheap now to get a used one that if I scraped my unit I would not care.

Otherwise I did mention it was poor in functionality but really do you need your GPS to have that many functions? You'd use only the most basic functions, if you even use it. I just want to be able to find my way if I get lost in the desert, as well as download my track log or load a waypoint.

LeFrog said:

I use a GPS V because it is so cheap now to get a used one that if I scraped my unit I would not care.

Otherwise I did mention it was poor in functionality but really do you need your GPS to have that many functions? You'd use only the most basic functions, if you even use it. I just want to be able to find my way if I get lost in the desert, as well as download my track log or load a waypoint.

Click to expand...

Nice setup Nick.
Did you wire it directly to the battery as decribed in a previous post?

Yes, directly to DC, with its own fuse. Same line is used by the fan. That way I can turn off the ignition and still have my GPS and fan on.

I changed the connectors, too flimsy, I soldered the wired to banana plugs instead.

Note that I had a nice one yesterday (I think I had too much air in my rear tire and lost it in a turn), which wrecked my clutch lever, and the RAM mount took the shock nicely.

The little blemish on the screen is chemical burn, I forgot wtf I did.

LeFrog said:

I use a GPS V because it is so cheap now to get a used one that if I scraped my unit I would not care.

Otherwise I did mention it was poor in functionality but really do you need your GPS to have that many functions? You'd use only the most basic functions, if you even use it. I just want to be able to find my way if I get lost in the desert, as well as download my track log or load a waypoint.

Click to expand...

I wasn't trying to pass down an indictment on your GPS, Froggy. Just for the SIRF chipset, the new units are worth it. You can get a signal anywhere. In the mountains we ride under heavy tree canopy. I own a Quest myself, which is a compromise GPS as far as true off-road units go, and the new 60 csx pulls in a signal long after the Quest has lost reception.

I understand the improved reception is a great +, and I have added a Gilsson antenna which gives me a much better reception already. Without, I don't have reception in my garage. With, I have reception with 10ft accuracy.

Yep, that's a Garmin 276C with a custom mount. You can switch it from land to marine use - all it really does it change your marker styles and switch from nautical miles to terrestrial miles. It's a great unit the doesn't suffer from vibration or battey mount issues that most others do.

I have one on my 750, and another on the 950... wouldn't stray away from home without 'em...

husabutt said:

Thanks all for the great info. I found this pic in Powercells gallery. It looks like a very nice setup. I like the bigscreen. Can anyone ID the GPS? The photo is a few years old I believe.

Click to expand...

Johnf3 said:

With all due respect to Frog and others using older units like the V, they are basically obsolete compared to what you can buy new. There is nothing wrong with them at all, they work great, but the new units have them beat at not much extra cash outlay.

I'd stick with a Garmin, because that is by far the most prevalent brand out there for what we are using them for. It will simplify everything.

The Garmin 60cs or 60csx, as already mentioned, are the Cadillac models for off-road GPS. They come with the SIRF chipset, which DRAMATICALLY improves reception, especially under heavy tree cover or in canyons, etc. They use Micro SD cards, and right now you can get a 2GB card for around 25 bucks. With a 2GB card, you can load the complete detail map of the USA and have turn by turn directions, etc.

The difference between the 60cs and the 60 csx is that the csx has an electronic compass and altimeter, whereas the cs uses the GPS to provide the same info (you have to be moving to get a bearing reading).

Click to expand...

I agree on this. I've used both the Garmin V and now the 60Cx (You said 60cs, but meant 60cx 60csx,) and the 60 series is a big improvement. The main limitations on the V were the lack of memory and inability to upgrade, and poor reception. It also has a much slower processing speed, which is important for road use but not so much for offroad.

I use my unit a lot, and am currently helping to develop a new riding park so I'm using it with topo maps. With the 60cx, I can keep all of my road maps on the unit AND have huge areas of topo maps at the same time. I just switch back and forth as needed.

If the V's limitations are acceptable, then it's still a fine unit.

I would always recomend Garmin... They do not advertise it .But they have an almost lifetime garauntee on their kit. I have broke a few over the years and they have replaced them with upgraded GPS's everytime. I broke them by dropping one from a great height out of an onservation tower. The other split in similar cicumstances. I have a handheld 12XL that just gets cable tied to the nearest thing I can find. I have used it on a wide variation of vehicles and terrains! I think they are far more accurate, and faster, than magellan!