Satnavs.

[Steve_M]

Having encountered a few problems with the Motorrad Navigator IV on my bike during our tour I’m looking to replace it with a dedicated satnav (not an app on my phone, that’s not an option).

 

I don’t want anything too complex - most of the features I see on the current crop of satnavs are wasted on me.  However, in reading the specifications I haven’t been able to identify two facilities that are key to me. 
 

1. Ability  to turn off the voice without having to navigate through menus (my Garmin 350LM has this)

2. Ability to connect to my iPad via Wi-Fi or (last resort) Bluetooth to facilitate downloading of routes from MyRouteApp. 
 

I’m wondering if anyone knows of a satnav that has these capabilities. 
 

 

 

 

[Pie man]

Have you looked at the Garmin Zumo XT. I'm certain it has those features. 

[Gerontious]

I don't use sound at all. I use my Garmin XT purely as a visual aid. it connects to my iPad. Phone and Mac by BT - I've never tried it with wifi. and though I tried myrouteapp. I didn't get on with it and went back to using Basecamp. and for sending routes to the unit at home, I use the cable and the app. (drive) when touring and I'm somewhere I never expected to be.

 

my satnav is permanently muted.. I guess is my answer simplified.

 

I have the XT.. this has now been superseded by the XT2.. so can be picked up at a significant discount. 

 

The XT2 is slightly larger and a tad more clever, but neither is enough for me to swap.

Edited September 17, 2023 by Gerontious

[Stu]

Zumo XT here too and can easily send routes from Myroute App via bluetooth 

 

I have mine muted too and its easy to turn back on if need be 

 

The Zumo does come with a couple of routing issues though but they are easily rectified and once you figure out its quirks you won't want to throw it in the nearest river 

[Steve_M]

37 minutes ago, Gerontious said:

I don't use sound at all. I use my Garmin XT purely as a visual aid. it connects to my iPad. Phone and Mac by BT - I've never tried it with wifi. and though I tried myrouteapp. I didn't get on with it and went back to using Basecamp. and for sending routes to the unit at home, I use the cable and the app. (drive) when touring and I'm somewhere I never expected to be.

 

my satnav is permanently muted.. I guess is my answer simplified.

 

I have the XT.. this has now been superseded by the XT2.. so can be picked up at a significant discount. 

 

The XT2 is slightly larger and a tad more clever, but neither is enough for me to swap.

Useful info’ thank you.

 

 

[Steve_M]

16 minutes ago, Stu said:

Zumo XT here too and can easily send routes from Myroute App via bluetooth 

 

I have mine muted too and its easy to turn back on if need be 

 

The Zumo does come with a couple of routing issues though but they are easily rectified and once you figure out its quirks you won't want to throw it in the nearest river 

Thanks.

 

I’ve found there are times when a voice prompt reminds me to check the satnav. Usually that’s backed up by my pillion but, for example, the junction and signposting at the end of the San Bernardino pass proved to be less than idiot proof for this idiot.
 

However, I don’t need it on all the time… eg.  being reminded to turn sharply left or right on a series of hairpin bends (as my current satnav does) gets a little annoying. I don’t want to have to stop and scroll through menus to find the “shut up” button. 

[Stu]

6 minutes ago, Steve_M said:

Thanks.

 

I’ve found there are times when a voice prompt reminds me to check the satnav. Usually that’s backed up by my pillion but, for example, the junction and signposting at the end of the San Bernardino pass proved to be less than idiot proof for this idiot.
 

However, I don’t need it on all the time… eg.  being reminded to turn sharply left or right on a series of hairpin bends (as my current satnav does) gets a little annoying. I don’t want to have to stop and scroll through menus to find the “shut up” button. 

 

Press back then hit volume and turn it down/off from there simple then its back then view map to get back to the navigation 

[Steve_M]

32 minutes ago, Stu said:

 

Press back then hit volume and turn it down/off from there simple then its back then view map to get back to the navigation 

That’s an improvement on the Nav IV … ideally I’d prefer a mute button on the map screen as the 350LM has but I can work with that.

[Stu]

2 minutes ago, Steve_M said:

That’s an improvement on the Nav IV … ideally I’d prefer a mute button on the map screen as the 350LM has but I can work with that.

 

I think you can put one on but I don't believe it works that well! 

[Steve_M]

46 minutes ago, Stu said:

 

I think you can put one on but I don't believe it works that well! 

Time to go look at one. If only I lived nearer Sportsbikeshop. 

[Stu]

3 minutes ago, Steve_M said:

Time to go look at one. If only I lived nearer Sportsbikeshop. 

 

Just get one delivered! if you don't like it then its free returns 

 

£350 at the min for the first one 

https://www.sportsbikeshop.co.uk/motorcycle_parts/content_prod/497156/#/27907,3203,1186

[husoi]

My vote goes to the Zumo XT

Have it for a while now. Did some long trips with it and never disappointed.

Probably the satnav is more disappointed with me  Getting lost or just ignoring instructions.

 

[Steve_M]

Bike booked in for service, MoT, cruise control repair, and…

 

satnav upgrade. I can now blame you lot if doesn’t meet end user requirements

[Mickly]

I got a cheap Garmin Zumo 590, it’s worked well so far.   … but I need to find out how to turn off the ‘Fat B*stard’ setting, i.e. it bleeps ever time I go near a cafe & it clutters the screen with eatery icons

[Gerontious]

1 hour ago, Mickly said:

I got a cheap Garmin Zumo 590, it’s worked well so far.   … but I need to find out how to turn off the ‘Fat B*stard’ setting, i.e. it bleeps ever time I go near a cafe & it clutters the screen with eatery icons

 

I would LOVE that feature. especially if cake is involved. However its sadly lacking from the XT. woe woe and thrice woe.

 

#woe

[Steve_M]

2 hours ago, Gerontious said:

 

I would LOVE that feature. especially if cake is involved. However its sadly lacking from the XT. woe woe and thrice woe.

 

#woe

I have a pillion that fulfils that function. 

[V650]

Bear in mind that there is now a Zumo XT2 so support for the zumo XT may not be for much longer I think they have been around about 3 years now 

 

I have the Zumo XT and find it ok there are some issues with Bluetooth but If you don't use the voice guidance that wont be an issue for you

I also use Myroute app and I find it works well on the Zumo

I can create my route on MRA on the pc & and email it to myself then open the email on the phone and transfer the route via Bluetooth works a treat

 

^You may find this site useful

https://www.zumouserforums.co.uk

Edited September 18, 2023 by V650

[Gerontious]

4 hours ago, V650 said:

Bear in mind that there is now a Zumo XT2 so support for the zumo XT may not be for much longer I think they have been around about 3 years now.

Support will go on for years and years.  I’ve had Garmin Zumo devices for quite a long time and just prior to giving my old 660 to @Snod Blatter a device which came out in 2009, there was a firmware update. Long term support isn’t a worry with Garmin. These things go on and on and on. Back in 2018 it ran out of internal storage for map updates and after an email back and forth with their support centre in Southampton I returned it to them and they sorted it out. Not expensive either. They even replaced the battery which to that point hadn’t given me any problems. Though to be fair I never relied on it.

Edited September 18, 2023 by Gerontious

[Steve_M]

14 hours ago, V650 said:

Bear in mind that there is now a Zumo XT2 so support for the zumo XT may not be for much longer I think they have been around about 3 years now 

 

I have the Zumo XT and find it ok there are some issues with Bluetooth but If you don't use the voice guidance that wont be an issue for you

I also use Myroute app and I find it works well on the Zumo

I can create my route on MRA on the pc & and email it to myself then open the email on the phone and transfer the route via Bluetooth works a treat

 

^You may find this site useful

https://www.zumouserforums.co.uk

Handy info’ there. I tend to develop routes on my iPad using MyRouteApp and, to date, export it to  my satnav using my laptop via the usb port. I’m hoping to do away with the need to carry the laptop by exporting using either Bluetooth (AKA a dark art) or Wi-Fi. So far it seems that the Bluetooth is the only option

 

That forum link looks useful. I’ll have a meander around.

 

Many thanks. 

[Ronnie]

11 hours ago, Steve_M said:

Handy info’ there. I tend to develop routes on my iPad using MyRouteApp and, to date, export it to  my satnav using my laptop via the usb port. I’m hoping to do away with the need to carry the laptop by exporting using either Bluetooth (AKA a dark art) or Wi-Fi. So far it seems that the Bluetooth is the only option

 

That forum link looks useful. I’ll have a meander around.

I too use My Route App to make up detailed routes on my Windows PC.  I also have the mobile MRA on my smartarse phone along with Garmin Smartphone App.  So I can carry all my routes on my phone and easily transfer them to my Garmin Sat Nav using the Garmin Smartphone app.  No need to carry your laptop !

[Gerontious]

21 minutes ago, Ronnie said:

I too use My Route App to make up detailed routes on my Windows PC.  I also have the mobile MRA on my smartarse phone along with Garmin Smartphone App.  So I can carry all my routes on my phone and easily transfer them to my Garmin Sat Nav using the Garmin Smartphone app.  No need to carry your laptop !

I do all that before I leave. Only difference is that due to reading - admittedly a few, reports of routes stored in the devices memory being corrupted. I store all my routes on a micro SD card in the unit. I use a 32GB card. This way protects me from any issues as I can simply reload the routes. I only use the app in those rare instances where, usually due to changing weather, I end up somewhere I didn’t expect to be. And if I come across someone else’s gpx that looks interesting I might download it and give it a try. Though often it’s more rewarding to just look at google maps and create a route ‘on the fly’ using the unit itself. Just create a destination and then shape the route to take in roads and so on that look interesting. I’m not a huge fan of using other peoples routes as their road choices don’t always coincide with my own preferences. There are exceptions, obviously.

 

Basecamp, which I use at home can see both the units own memory and the SD card I have installed. And that’s where my own routes reside until required. Safe and protected from any mishap.

[curlylegend]

Talking about Garmin, has anybody had the frustrating experience of trying to update a set of maps from garmin and being told it will take about 10 hours to download ?

Have any TomTom users had experiences like this ?

[Steve_M]

9 hours ago, curlylegend said:

Talking about Garmin, has anybody had the frustrating experience of trying to update a set of maps from garmin and being told it will take about 10 hours to download ?

Have any TomTom users had experiences like this ?

It’s managing expectations…

 

I used to just let my old Zumo 350LM update overnight so never knew exactly how long it too. My new Zumo XT said 5hrs 45Minutes for its 1st update… it took an hour and a half. 
 

Much better that way than the interminable MS Windows updates that claim an hour and keeps increasing the estimate for the next hour…

[Stu]

10 hours ago, curlylegend said:

Talking about Garmin, has anybody had the frustrating experience of trying to update a set of maps from garmin and being told it will take about 10 hours to download ?

Have any TomTom users had experiences like this ?

 2-3 hours here! 

 

It estimates it off your connection speed 

 

Mine then proceeds and takes about 10 mins from start to finish  

[billy sugger]

Occasionally my TomTom up updates go weird and it just seems to stall, then up pops the error message TomTom not responding so you have to start all over again. I've ended up deleting all maps and only loading GB and Ireland so it takes less effort