GPS QUESTION, WHAT TO BUY

[cowling]

I've used a garmin 340 (about £200) for user defined off road trails. Its easy enough to fit. I would say you have to really throw yourself into the user experience and get to know how any GPS you have works especially if you are going to go off road. Garmin stuff is good because you can use other peoples maps not just their own.

I did quite a few of Chris Scotts routes in Morocco with it as well as a few of my own. It takes some time to get used to the software (Basecamp)involved too. I found it to be pretty clunky and not all that fantastic visually. However, once you know what you are doing it works and gets the job done.

If I were on it more often, I'd probably be much better at it!


I have a 340 for road use, when I bought it I assumed as it has a memory slot I could put an os map on it.
Never tried as advice on here says it can't be done. When you say user defined off road trails, are they trails
You have found on base camp, and made a route up, then transferred to the 340 unit. I've planned a road route
On base camp, then transferred the 340, but found it very long winded. I'd love to be able to use it for off road
Stuff, can it be done???

cheers

[chrisjk]

If you insist on a dedicated satnav device, then a Garmin Montana is the clear choice by a mile. I switched to using a waterproof Android phone, currently this one. It's rugged, lasts all day while navigating and costs £120.

There are dozens of navigation apps and I use Locus Map Pro which is vastly more capable than the Montana software. For pure road navigation, there is a multitude of capable apps.

[Grahamkevinbutler]

You will not pay £500+ For the Montana now, a recon units are about £300 with years warranty, if you check out the different forums I've seen them as little as £220,
Good look

[Whippet]

(thumbs) Thanks very much to you all for your advice, seems like the Montana has it by a mile, I'd better start saving up, I also like walking running and cycling so it will come in handy. All I need to do now is learn how to use it properly hmy:

[1200Rallye]

Montana 610 heavily discounted on Blacks Outdoors £400 with full GB OS-50K mapping.
http://www.blacks.co.uk/equipment/21500 ... undle.html

[cowling]

Yep, I'm the same as Chrisjk
Garmin 340 from Aldi for road work.
Sony waterproof phone in a case with
Viewranger app on it, great os maps.
For the off road stuff.

Works good for me, just curious if
I could use my 340 for off road, I
Know a few people have tried who are
Much more savy than me with satnavs
So I ain't bothered yet.

[oldoak]

I've never tried to load an OS map onto the 340. Again remember I am not massively tech savey.

I've always worked with OSM maps. Once you have run out of displayed roads you can enter way points and navigate like that. Its fairly long winded and unless you do it regularly a bit clunky on basecamp, but it does work.

[Morseman]

I have a Garmin Zumo 340LM, which is OK.

The problems I have with it are these...

1. The power lead seems to push the unit away and the power gets disconnected (I'm using the RAM bracket) as there seems to be a plastic bar that does something about the connection for the DC, but also seems to push the unit away. This gets on your nerves after a while.

2. It only seems to connect to my Sena headset as a phone (The Sena has two ways to connect) so, if I connect the Zumo and then link to another rider via Bluetooth, when the Zumo tells me something, the BT link is lost and has to be manually reset. That is anoying.

3. As has been said, Basecamp is nowhere near as good as MapSource, in my opinion.

So, I think that when I can afford, I will be looking for something else to replace the Zumo...

[Morseman]

Does the Montana allow connection to Bluetooth, it doesn't seem to say in the blurb. Thanks.

[Morseman]

I've started to use my mobile phone for GPS as well. Don't know what happens with the BT connection to other riders yet, so will see.

Turn by turn guidance seems OK (with a temp bike I couldn't really fit any permanent brackets or cables) and having the phone in an inside pocket seemed less of an issue than with the Zumo, which seemed to switch to other modes if it was touched by the inside of my jacket, or something in the panniers.

If I can find an app that allows me to upload waypoints and routes, I might abandon the dedicated GPS, but only if it doesn't disconnect other BT connections on the Sena...