New Zumo 340/350 GPS discussion

If all you want is a basic GPS to keep you from getting lost or find the nearest gas station, I’ve been happy with the Nuvi 500. It’s waterproof, sturdy, works with gloves, battery lasts all day, and the cost is about a third of a Zumo. It's nothing fancy, and there are tradeoffs for that price: smaller screen, no Bluetooth, etc. However, for a basic, cost-effective GPS, it works well. <?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-comfficeffice" /><o></o>

So, it appears that unlike the 66X units, we 350 users cannot import an externally created track (like an offroader might make in BaseCamp for navigating in areas with no mapped roads) and then view it on screen. This would be a really handy feature, and since they already have the code for it for the 66X units, I cannot imagine that it would be difficult/costly to add it to the 350. I can understand the 350 not having non-navigational features like playing MP3, but in my view there is no excuse for removing navigational features from their top motorcycle GPS.

I humbly suggest that anyone reading this go here (if you have a 350): https://support.garmin.com/support/searchSupport/escalateForm.htm

or here (if you do not have a 350): http://www8.garmin.com/contactUs/ideas/#container-form

And respectfully request that they add this feature to the 350. Perhaps if enough people ask for it, they will do it. At any rate, it does not hurt to try.

Thanks for reading!

Do these two units share the same mounts and power cords? I have the 550 hard wired to 4 bikes and have a couple of mounts for the 550.

They do not.

As I have several different GPS units, I did something to make it easier to swap out the wiring. I added insulated crimp-on spade connectors to the GPS power cords and to the wires on the bike that I connect them to. Now, all I have to do is pop off the side panel to access them and disconnect or connect the one I want.

Hardware and auto part stores carry these things along with the crimping pliers if you need them. Lowe's had a really good price on small boxes of them the last time I needed some.

Like this: http://www.oreillyauto.com/site/c/d....oap?ck=Search_N0214_-1_-1&pt=N0214&ppt=C0189

So now that the zumo 350 has been out for a while what do the people that have them think.
Was going to get the Nuvi 550 until I found out the screen was smaller (old eyes). I probably will not use a lot of the options it has but large screen and sunlight readable are big pluses for me.

Well... it is sooo close, but still needs a few fixes. In my opinion, it needs to 1) handle tracks, and 2) it needs to have the dashboard fields much more configurable, or the ability to turn them off, so you can see more of the screen. More like the Montana.


I like my 350, but I don't like it as much as my Montana. If they would just fix those 2 things...

Thanks,
Is the screen on the Montana as good in the sunlight as the zumo 350?
How do the two compare in screen size?
My use for the GPS would be the basic stuff that the cagers would use and the option to load gpx files from others.
Also I'm not a tech guy so the easier to use the better.

I haven't had my Montana long enough to have a strong opinion on how it is in sunlight, but it has seemed fine so far. The 350 screen is a little bigger than the Montana, and the 660/665 screen is a little bigger than the 350. Let me see if I can use the garmin compare feature to get a chart...

http://www.gpscity.com/compare/zumo660&zumo350lm&mont650t

660 350 Montana
<table align="center" bgcolor="#bbbbbb" border="0" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1" width="100%"><tbody><tr bgcolor="#ffffff"><td align="left" width="20%">Display size, WxH:</td><td align="center" width="20%">3.81W x 2.25H in (9.7 x 5.7 cm); 4.3 diag in (10.9 cm)</td><td align="center" width="20%">3.7W x 2.2H in (9.4 x 5.6 cm); 4.3 in diag (10.9 cm) </td><td align="center" width="20%">2inW x 3.5inH (5.06 x 8.93 cm); 4in diag (10.2 cm) </td></tr></tbody></table>
On a practical level, I can turn off the dashboard fields on my Montana and end up seeing more map than on the 350 even though the screen is smaller. Have not personally used a 660/665.

Thanks much,
Great info

It's interesting to see that all three are listed as 480 X 272 pixels in resolution, even though the Montana is slightly smaller. The real advantage of the Montana is that it can be used in Portrait or Landscape mode.

Here's an example of both.

What does the aquamarine line signify?

My track.

After I asked that question it occurred to me, it must be his Track. So, I went back and looked. It says your heading is west,
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Is the map City Navigator?

Either City Navigator or the Canada Enhanced Basemap.

I am surprised I don&#8217;t see any road names but I do use my copy of City Navigator at the highest detail level.
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Sorry for al my inane questions, the <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-comffice:smarttags" /><st1:State><st1lace>Montana</st1lace></st1:State> interest me and may be my next GPS unit but I am leery of it too.:eek1
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You have your <st1:State><st1lace>Montana</st1lace></st1:State> in the Nuvi configuration; can you move Next Turn down to the lower right hand field?
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Next Turn is generally all I care about when I am riding and I can see it better in that position in bright sun then in the upper left-hand corner.

No, in the Nuvi Dashboard the next turn is top left, and the lower right is a shortcut to the Trip Computer screen. You can change the lower left but only between Elevation, Heading and Time of Day.

Here's a screen shot showing the Nuvi navigation screen using City Navigator.

D'oh, forgot to mention that's Homer leading the way.

Thanks for taking the time to show me this stuff.

Here's a shot off a 350LM showing navigation and the next turn.

One nice thing that the 350 does is allow you to get fuel without losing the route you are following. You can be going along just following your route and then search for gas. If you select a gas station from the list and say to go there, the unit will ask you if you want to add it to your current route or create a new route just to the gas station. If you add it, then it takes you to the gas station and then puts you back on your existing route. I used this feature on a backroads ride in the Catskills last fall and it worked really well.

I just fired up the Montana and tried to figure out if I could do the same thing on it. My Montana skill/knowledge is still very low, so it might be there, but I sure as heck could not find it. Perhaps one of the Montana gurus can chime in, if I am in error. But, it seemed that on the Montana, I had to stop navigating the original route, navigate to a gas station, and then (I am assuming, sue me ) start the original route again, perhaps having to pick which waypoint to start at? Not sure.

Anyway, I tend to plan my route to be backroads that avoid cities, so I typically need to get off my route to get gas, so this one particular feature, is very useful to me, and is perhaps one small way that the 350 is more useful than the Montana. YMMV.

Regarding the zumo would I be able to copy a gpx route from someone else run it through BC and then import it in the zumo?
Will it give me exact turn by turn directions for that route?