Thinking about getting a GPS unit

[suzuki joe]

I am thinking about getting a GPS unit and not sure which ones are "best".

The main thing I am looking for is getting "real speed", but any other benifits you have found would be good to know.

So, which devices should I be looking at?

Thanks!

Joe

[B rock]

Garmin E-Trex (the yellow one), less than $90, many features, reads speed, elevation, sun-up sun-down times, retains highest speed attained until you reset. Water proof, simple to use, no map you follow the indicated pointer.

Had one for three years love, don't have to dig out a book to use it.

[tlwisner]

I like my Garmin GPS V. I use it on my bike and in my car. It will run on a 12v plug or for about 30 hours on 4 AA batteries. It does all of the mapping / routing things and also interfaces nicely with your PC to load maps, routes, etc. It's nice to see what the name of the road you are approaching is when you're going somewhere new. A simple handlebar RAM mount works well, here's an old picture of it on my GZ250:



On a C50, your speedometer is reading about 4 - 6 mph faster than you are actually going.

[fjm3rd]

Garmin GPS V here also you can get a handlebar mount and wire it directly to the battery or to the tail lights which I did so it's only on when the bike is running.

[moccasin]

Whatever you can afford is the "best" GPS. They all work, and thanks to modern space technology, they all work very well. I had a Garmin GPS-V for a few years and finally upgraded to the 2610, which blows the V away in features, user friendliness and super fast feedback. Of course they will all get you lost, and they all come with a long term learning curve! HAHA!! But what a kewl thing to have to make your rides even sweeter!!

Nothing really beats the simplicity and usefullness of a paper map, but the GPS sure makes a great companion for them!

[Clint]

Originally Posted by B rock

Garmin E-Trex (the yellow one)

That's the most basic of GPS units. I highly recomend getting a step up so you can load either city street maps or topo maps (which show the streets but don't name them all). I find that level of detail to be a requirement. I have an eTrex Legend, btw, but I'd spring for the Vista with 24MB memory if I did it again.

[Rickster]

There is a lot to be said for simple operation.

[Clint]

The operation of the two models is the same. It's the level of detail on the maps that make the upgrade worthwhile.

[kyro2000]

do you have to pay any fees to use these or get maps?? or do you just pay for the device and you're ready to go?

[DrBob]

I am watching this thread with interest...I have been playing with the idea of getting a GPS myself. A buddy at a rally in Texas has a cool one, with a good sized screen, county road level map of the country, three display modes, enough spare memory to store hundreds of hours of music, and some good sounding headphones. Cost about $1500 though, so I was thinking about something more basic.
I am undecded though- sometimes getting lost is half the fun!

[Clint]

Kyro, each manufacturer has its own software for maps. Garmin software costs around $100, but you get all of North America for city streets and the US for topo. It comes on CD and you load the areas that you want in your unit.

[gunslinger92557]

I have an eTrex Legend that I use for hiking and when I go on trips. It came in very handy last year when I decided to explore the backroads of Texas. I would have got lost without it, a few miles out of town and at night everything is pitch black and I got real disoriented quickly. It saved my butt. I have a GPS that plugs into my laptop and uses software that has maps of virtually every square inch of the US that is awesome and I use on long drives in my truck. It talks and even would tell me what restaurants, motels etc that were in the area.

[Rickster]

They are cool, and they are mobil, so you can use them for many different activities. I use mine in my truck, motorcycle, bicycle, ATV, dirt bike, hunting, x-country sking, ect, ect.
(KYRO2000) No you don't have to pay to use them, they are like a radio, you just take the signal out of thin air (so to speak). They can be hard on batteries, if you are in a remote area, and you are counting on the GPS to get you home , carry spairs.