Is anyone using a 7 inch screen GPS? My 61 year old eyes aren't adjusting from the road view to my GPS view and back quick enough. I think that's a recipe for disaster. I'm thinking about one of those trucker models but it might not show those skinny little back roads that are so importat! Help!
Maybe consider getting something like a Google Nexus 7. Not waterproof, so you would need to get some sort of case for it, but has full GPS with BT headset integration, plus the benefits of a tablet when off the bike.
Not for moto use, but one StreetPilot I bought on the 'Bay then sold same way was the (discontinued) SP7200: https://buy.garmin.com/shop/shop.do?pID=6389 Similar to the smaller SP2730 (I now own 2 of those), it mates with GXM30 with an XM subscription and also has a connector port for a back-up monitoring camera (this unit is for big rigs and/or large RVs). I bought it with intentions of using when towing my small travel trailer but found the large display and overall unit size "too much of a good thing" on my p/u truck dash. IMO, it would be even more so on a moto in closer proximity to your eyes. Be careful what you wish for...
Lowrance Elite is what I use for pre running and around town on my 450x and 950 Adventure, has a 5" screen that works really well...not cheap but worth the money. PM me and I'll send some pics.
Guys, thanks for your feedback. I'll keep everyone posted. My generation of declining close up vision and and aging prostates still likes to ride and explore!
big screen GPS? check this one(s) out: in France (and in French http://www.globe4x4.com/gpsglobe850/index.html
I've been looking at the elite 5 baja. It seems like a rugged unit but I have seen some folks who have said they can't get good maps with detail for it. Can you tell us your experience in regards to mapping and traveling to new locations with this GPS? Thanks
i'm using a five inch screen and wouldn't want a gps unit bigger than that. you'll need to make sure it has a very bright screen. e.g. if you were looking at the 7 inch chinese ones for cars, the screens are very dim even on full brightness. they are just okay inside a car but useless in direct sunlight.
Streetpilot 7200 on a BMW R1150GS. It was great because it was over two feet from my face and did everything I needed.
I use a Google/Asus Nexus 7inch Android (Jellybean) based tablet running Sygic for onroad and OziExplorer for offroad. Very high quality screen relative to conventional purpose built GPS hardware so good for aging eyes (mine included) plus you get all of the functionality of a tablet as well. Not ruggedised or waterproof but sits in the map pocket of my tank bag which works well (I dont need to constantly refer to the GPS). Cheap enough (at <$300) to lose - I have felt the pain losing an $800 purpose built GPS when it took a dirt nap! IMHO a 10 inch tablet is too big, 7 inches works well (so the girl said) and combined with the high(er) quality screens you get with tablets, seems to be an optimum mix between screen real estate and portability.
Hi 'buddy' As requested I have uploaded some images of my Google/Asus Nexus 7 (7 inch tablet) sitting in the map pocket of my stock KTM tankbag mounted on a 2011 KTM 990 fitted with 40L safari tanks. The first 2 images are sort of distance shots and the last 2 shots show the view ~while seated. Hopefully this gives a feel for how this setup works. Note the map pocket on the KTM tank bags (which are complete rubbish by the way), to put things in perspective, are a little smaller than some of the others, they do not take an A4 sheet (others like the Touratech tank bags seem to) but is a little smaller/less bulky across the top which I like. View from seated position.
Looks workable. Re your handlebar mounted SPOT, I've seen comments before and wonder your take...shouldn't the SPOT be in your pocket? It's for you - not the bike...what if you have a serious off and can't get to the SPOT to request aid?
I think there is a raging debate running on this issue somewhere here in advrider. I take the view that the SPOT gets good satellite coverage mounted there, I can see it, and if I do come off so badly that I can't crawl back to my bike, than I am unlikely to be compos mentis enough to activate one in my pocket anyway. I guess you could envisage any crash scenario, even one where a bike mounted one would work while a pocket mounted one wouldn't, and vice versa.
Sy, I have now broken two Garmin GPS' and the thought of throwing out anther couple hundred on a small screen kinda bugs me. I like your set up- but I still have some questions - heat and direct sun- how much does this affect your ability to have the GPS running while you are riding and even being able to see the screen. - Have you considered a RAM mount with a waterproof case around the tablet mounted so that glare would not be an issue? - Vibration- It killed two of my GPS' and a tablet is not even made to handle that level of vibration, in your tank bag I think it isolates the tablet from the vibration- but do you think it might break/breakdown if subjected to vibrations over a long trip? The reason I am asking all of these questions is I think you have something here. I have an Ipad mini and an iPhone. I plan on bringing both of these on my travels when I go multi day, I also had planned on bringing a GPS- but If I could eliminate that device I would- IF THE TABLET OR THE PHONE could get the job done. Thanks for posting and in advance for any questions you can answer. and yes there is a raging debate about the SPOT on the bike versus on you somewhere......... BH
1. heat and sun - good question, this particular tablet is untried and unproven, however, I did use the same bag and setup for my previous 5 inch PDA based GPS (my $800 dirt-nap) and had no problems and that was in warmish temps (ambient 25'C) whilst travelling across the central Australian outback and had no problems. 2. RAM mounts and water proof boxes - see above answer! The reason I ended up with my previous GPS in my tank bag map pocket was while mounted up against the windscreen in a box on a RAM mount, the damn thing near shook itself to pieces whilst on the above trip, hence the transfer while on-route to the map pocket of my tank bag. A moment of genius borne out of desperation. I had a water proof soft box mounted via a short arm RAM mount to a Touratech GPS mount fitted to the dash board of my KTM 990. Needless to say the thing shook so much I couldn't read it anyway. The cheap (ebay special) box fell apart on the second day of the trip! and the GPS itself threatened to shake itself to pieces. Once transferred to the tank bag no further issues (note to self - test setups thoroughly before setting off on a big trip). 3. vibration - no problems whatsoever in the tank-bag - lots of problems while on a GPS mount. One issue I had with my PDA based GPS was that the side mounted micro USB power charger on a landscape GPS unit was pushed hard up against the side of the map pocket and the bumps and vibration destroyed 3 of these during the course of the trip. The Nexus has a bottom mounted USB charging port and I have purchased right-angled micro USB cables which don't stick out of the tablet as much and look more robust, but will keep a few spares with me. One other point is that these tablets (the iPad included) need 2 amp USB power so make sure you have one of these - easy to find dual 1 and 2 amp cig light to USB chargers on ebay).
Really interesting idea. What program are you using, the one that is visible on the unit in the tank bag? Is tracking based off of cell phone signal, or GPS? If I wanted to use google earth with it, couldn't I just plan out a route, on my mac or pc, email it to myself, then open it up in google earth on the tablet and be off and running? Seems way easier to me than basecamp, 20 track limits, etc. etc. that I had with my 60csx that I broke in half last weekend.