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GPS shopping...

6K views 50 replies 13 participants last post by  IndyX 
#1 ·
I'm looking for a GPS.

Garmin Zumo 595LM is a 5" screen $699 :eek:
Garmin Zumo 396LM is 4.3" screen $399.

Anyone have experience with these models?

Reviews seem mixed across the Garmin line with many complaints about daylight visibility but others say it's fine.

The 396 loses a few features compared to the bigger version but it's stuff like Garmin tpms which Garmin apparently is abandoning. (396 is newer).

No audio harness on the 396 either but I can probably work around that when saving $300.
 
#2 ·
first.. WHY a motorcycle Garmin ??

yes all GPS is weak viewing in the sun. car, bike, truck, hiking, boating...

I have a Garmin 2597LTM on my "F" over 6 years now... in all kinds of weather..

if you have bluetooth speakers.. Garmin can bluetooth...
 
#3 ·
Yes the little one is only Bluetooth which I would need to adapt for my needs. I have a little Bluetooth adapter on the way to test that.
 
#4 ·
Whatever version you get... be sure to get lifetime maps. I have a Nuvi 40, and (2) 50's. I've used them all on the bike. Have everything I "need".... which is basically.. "How do I get home"- without having to ride dirt roads? You can buy these now for under $100...

I don't need traffic (my phone can do that)... or it to talk to me (or me- to-it...) YMMV

You just have to decide what YOU want.

I would NOT spend much on a GPS....
 
#5 ·
With the modern cell phone having most of the capabilities of a GPS unit, why not save the money and just buy a mount for your cell phone :)
 
#6 ·
Not a fan of having a phone mounted like that.
 
#11 ·
.
maybe you missed it Indy.

my Garmin 2597LMT is a car gps. 5 inch screen

been on the bike over 6 years... been in many Heavy Rains. its been so wet the power plug is rusting..

I do NOT turn it OFF in the rain... and NO windshield to protect it..

also there is a place that sales on Amazon.. in Los Vagas "reman" Garmin with the same One year warranty..
I got my Garmin Dezl 770HDLTM ( Trucker ) 7 inch screen, that way.. guaranteed like New... just a plain white box... saved over $100.00 on it. I have had this one for 3 1/2 years.

both Garmin's are Life Time Maps. ( LTM )... I download the new maps twice a year.
 
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#12 ·
Yeah I'm looking at refurb unit and a case to put it in on the bike for water resistance under $100. I just need to look into features I want something with audio out.

For those using phone that's great but phone signal doesn't work everywhere. Sucks when Google maps loses internet and gets confused.
 
#14 ·
FYI, google maps has offline maps. If you know the area you will be going, you can force download the maps (they do expire, and you have to redownload them).

I got an offline GPS unit as part of my stereo in my Batwing Fairing. To me, this is the ideal way to go.
 
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#13 ·
Finding something that will give me a dedicated audio output doesn't seem to exist in the car GPS world. They all use the built in speaker which is useless to me. The point in having a GPS is going places when I don't know where I'm going.
I really am not fond of having to keep looking at a screen when I'm riding and having it talk to me would be useful.

So I'm back to the dedicated motorcycle GPS units.
 
#15 ·
Ended up ordering a TomTom 550. Overall better reviews than the Garmin units with a better mounting system that is actually removable. Being on sale on Amazon for $100 off just makes it an easy choice.
 
#19 ·
Cell phones get GPS from satellites, and may improve accuracy using cellular, but in no way need cellular for location. What they do need are maps. Most free map apps (Apple, Google, Waze,...) download maps and get traffic data via cellular data. So, if you do not pre-download maps and you lose cellular data, you end up with a dot with no map behind it.

Most free GPS apps let you download offline maps in advance, but they usually expire. There are paid offline maps you can download to your phone, then you don't have to worry about cellular downloads.
 
#22 ·
.
my issue with a smart phone....

is the price difference......

my garmin 2997 was $150.. with tax... over 6 plus years of service.. almost free..
new Free maps ( all of the USA ) , twice a year...

what was a smart phone price... more then ??????????

weather, vibrations ... wind... wear...

__________________________________________

really glad we are not talking about Magellan GPS.... 5 units over 4 years.... good warranty .. poor reliability
. but then that was over 6 years ago..
 
#24 ·
Most of us now view smart phones as a necessary tool to have so using it as your GPS is a zero added cost feature. Of course, if you are one of the rare persons who do not have a smart phone, then the cost of said phone should be compared to a GPS when making the decision on which option to pursue.
 
#46 ·
Re-railing this topic... :icon_mrgr

For those of us who pay for our own phones/plans, using its GPS feature eats into the data plan...so we have to factor that into our costs. My wife and I do use the GPS feature quite often when around town looking for directions, though, because our shared data limit is pretty high with the plan we have. But I do use a regular car Garmin GPS with LMT when on long trips (bike or cage), and I put it in a waterproof case that mounts to a RAM ball dead center on my bars. It's hard-wired to the bike, so it costs nothing to use.

Land vehicle Motorcycle Vehicle Motorcycle accessories Fuel tank
 
#25 ·
I have limited knowledge about smart phones..

a few on Verizon are cheaper ( $10 a month ) version ( mine ).. or $40 dollars a month version..

I have an issue of hanging a $600 or more phone on handlebars..
and some of the holders I have seen.. are not that solid..

for the record... I receive about 10 calls a month.. make calls even less.. 1 or 2 text a month...

and most calls are from the wife.
most of my verizon use is the internet. I have a 8 inch tablet for that.. ( wifi ) for laptop.
 
#26 ·
I have used my cell phone in the past as a GPS, I have it as a backup now (using Waze). It will send audio to my batwing GPS head unit.

For no work related things, I get <10 calls a month. Everything is emails and text messages (imessages since I'm in the Apple ecosystem). The least important thing about a smart phone these days is the voice call capabilities.

You can see the slide in mount on my batwing, if my phone slides out of this mount, I have bigger problems than worrying about an insured phone:
 
#27 ·
I am fortunate that my smart phone is paid for by my employer so I don't even see the monthly bill. Like most things of value in life, phones can be insured. Like all insurance, it is a statistically bad "bet" against yourself. However, for most folks, the high cost of replacing the item being insured makes it worth the bad bet and the small periodic payments. I have very large annual insurance costs due to the large number of things insured and have had only two very small claims (two minor car fender benders - neither of which were our fault) so it galls me when I see the many thousands of dollars we spend each year on insurance. I am toying with the idea of dropping all insurance on homes and vehicles except liability. I would, effectively, become self-insured other than liability.
 
#29 ·
Well, you are the one who chose to have all of that bike and car insurance for all those years. You would have been one of the majority of persons who would have come out ahead in the long run had you NOT had any vehicle insurance.
 
#30 ·
One never needs insurance, until they do... When you do need it, and have it, you will be very grateful that you do, if not, you risk losing personal assets through law suits.

The more you have, the more you have to lose.
 
#32 ·
No Chuck, you are not stupid, just working within the system! If you don't have insurance the DMV will pull your registration (at least here in the great state of stupidity), on the other hand, if you happen to have $50,000.00 lying around doing nothing, that you are willing to put up and if you are willing to stake everything else that you own or will ever own again, and you agree to their terms, you can live without paying for insurance!!!!! After all, it is just another spin of the dice!!!!!
 
#33 ·
The state rules are why I indicated that I was considering moving to nothing but the required liability insurance and dropping all collision, fire, comprehensive, etc. coverage on vehicles. I would also consider that for our houses if it is possible. Effectively, I am considering self-insuring against all but liability claims.
 
#34 ·
Short of being independently wealthy you have to have insurance anymore and the more of it the better!! I scrape out a meager existence and one “bad day” could have me working for someone else’s life until the day I die!! We pay it because we have no choice, not because we had a choice brother!!!
 
#37 ·
Related to vehicles, you have to by law in most (not all) states have liability insurance. You do not have to have collision or comprehensive insurance. Think about the value of a VTX1300 or 1800. Is it worth it to insure it for collision/comp? Of course, this is an individual decision and depends at least in part on the yearly cost of said insurance. As long as you have the same liability insurance you have now, a "bad day" with the insurance coverage that I am describing would have no affect on whether or not you are "working for someone else's life until the day you die". Rather, the worst change from full coverage to liability only coverage would be the loss of that vehicle. For a 1300 or 1800 that is likely between $2000 and $4000. This is certainly not chicken-feed but is not enough to cause the calamitous impact you describe.
 
#36 ·
Well this turned into an insurance discussion quickly.
 
#39 ·
I apologize since I must not be explaining myself well. I am proposing dropping ONLY the collision, comprehensive, fire, theft, etc. and maintaining the EXACT same liability insurance we currently have on vehicles, houses, and our personal $4M umbrella liability policy. In this scenario, my liability exposure in the event of a claim is unchanged from its current state. All I am doing is, effectively, self-insuring for my own losses. I would have to eat the cost of a vehicle or house loss or repair in the event of a claim.
 
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