I want to upgrade my GPS to a unit I can upload routes to.
But I'm a cheap bitch. I've been using a TomTom I got for $40 on Black Friday three years ago and the thing rocks. The only time it's ever "lost" me is when I've been on a goat trail. I just pull it when it starts raining more than a drizzle.
So I want the cheapest unit I can get away with that allows uploading routes but I'm not smart enough to figure out how to determine that from the websites.
I have used a Tom Tom XXL550( Lifetime Maps) with the tweaks this article talks about for 2 years now.(How to get more menu options on models with 'Easymenu')
The 550 works great with Tyre. And you can get one cheap.
For a rainproof solution that you can use anywhere on the planet, and for which free upload able maps are widely available try a Garmin etrex 20 or 30, or 62s. Also etrex Legend or Vista HCx, or 60CXs if you can still get one.
Caution, you need a wee bit of tech skill to find and load the maps, there are no voice commands, and the screens are small. But, they are robust, lightweight, and great do handheld round the city or in the bush.
Photo shows bush mechanic mount for etrex 30 on a Wee.
And with device mounted:
For a rainproof solution that you can use anywhere on the planet, and for which free upload able maps are widely available try a Garmin etrex 20 or 30, or 62s. Also etrex Legend or Vista HCx, or 60CXs if you can still get one.
Caution, you need a wee bit of tech skill to find and load the maps, there are no voice commands, and the screens are small. But, they are robust, lightweight, and great do handheld round the city or in the bush.
Photo shows bush mechanic mount for etrex 30 on a Wee. View attachment 27538
And with device mounted: View attachment 27546
I got a Garmin 765T for about $99 on Amazon. Not waterproof but works fine with a ziplock bag as a rain bonnet held on with a twist tie or rubber band. Accepts uploaded routes. I use Streets and Trips program for route planning. The Harley ride planner website works well also.
I considers routes to be a required feature and I won't use a gps that does support them. Also, the Garmin gpx file extension is widely used. You can find routes on the internet. With the Garmin Communicator plug-in, you can build a route in MapQuest and then transfer it directly to your gps ( if your gps supports routes ). This is how I have been building routes for the past 7 years.
The Nuvi 760 isn't water-proof, but a sandwich bag and a rubber band have served me well over the years.
This has been a frustrating challenge for me too. I have a Garmin Nuvi 1390 which doesn't allow me to upload routes to it. When touring, I like to plan out the roads I want to take, and then not have to worry about remembering all the different names of streets. So far have not found an iPhone app that will allow me to do this easily or cheaply either. I'd hate to have to buy a new GPS unit just to have this feature, partly because I'd rather carry one device (the iPhone) than two (iPhone + GPS).
Any iPhone app suggestions? Or should I bite the bullet and upgrade the Garmin? Voice prompts and a big screen are nice, but I don't need their very expensive motorcycle specific unit. I'll put a ziploc baggie over mine, thank you very much.
Thanks to all for the suggestions. My spring ride is in three weeks, maybe I can make one of these happen before I pull out.
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