GPS Help

[Dan Filetti]

IMHO, the higher the better.  Having to drop your eyes so low as to the handle bars will have your eyes off the road too long, especially dangerous in traffic.

My $0.02.

Dan

[PaulG]

I rode the entire width of Canada with cellular data turned off...for no other reason than it was crazy expensive for international roaming (even with a temp plan).  In much of my remote exploration in Canada, I wouldn't have found a signal anyway.

My 2¥ worth.... I confess I still use paper and sun precisely for the above reason.     No really, the sun actually works!  Hasn't deviated in 4 billion years, so it's quite useful.  Also in Canada we have the highest data and roaming rates in the world.  Coverage outside of main corridors,towns, or more populated rural areas is sketchy to non existent, so I think GPS units would be more useful for anyone going beyond the shopping mall. The other guys up here are better informed on this, but it sounds like a lot of them prefer GPS from reading the thread.

At present I also don't have the pleasure of extended time off - actually I do have the time, just can't afford it - that would make any of this stuff useful.  On my trip to Texas 2 yrs ago, we only got significantly lost once in two weeks.  Though I confess again a GPS unit would have been welcome.  I did buy a temporary data plan but didn't have a clue as to how to use it properly. I only reluctantly got a cell phone less than 3 yrs ago, so all this techy stuff is a good education. Eventually the tide of technology will sweep over me, and I'll probably buy a GPS unit - I was already eying them up at Costco a few weeks ago....

I'll keep this thread in mind once I make up my mind to guid me to a conclusion.  Maybe some of us local FJ members can get together for a navigation workshop when the riding season winds down later this year?

Anyhow, great info once again.

[ribbert]

I rode the entire width of Canada with cellular data turned off...for no other reason than it was crazy expensive for international roaming (even with a temp plan).  In much of my remote exploration in Canada, I wouldn't have found a signal anyway.

 ....... Coverage outside of main corridors,towns, or more populated rural areas is sketchy to non existent, so I think GPS units would be more useful for anyone going beyond the shopping mall.

Paul the good news is the GPS signal is free and world wide, being beamed from satellites in space. Mobile (cell) phone signals are transmitted from land based towers and you pay for it and reception is limited, especially in remote areas.

Cap'n Ron was using a Nav app on his phone, hence the expense and dodgy coverage.

Once you have purchased the GPS unit, that's it for cost and no such thing as being out of range.

If you are somewhere that can't get satellite coverage, you are either underground or have been abducted by aliens.

Noel

[ribbert]

As a long time, and constant user of GPS, can I suggest that how you end up using it is not necessarily how you imagine you will use it.

Once the novelty of the new toy (and the need to constantly look at it) has worn off, you will find an occasional look is all you need and once familiar with it, you eye will go straight to the relevant info on the screen. In my case "distance to next turn" I don't use the audio, or "arrive in ....(distance to destination)

It is no more distracting than a speedo check, you glance at it, not stare at it.

I have mine mounted somewhere near your lower mount so that from the seated position it sits immediately u der the speedo.

IMO having it mounted above your instruments is unnecessary and you may tire of having it in your face the whole time.

Anyway, if both your mounts are attached and operational give them both a good trial, everybody's different.

Many (most) things fitted to my bike and cars are no longer where I initially imagined they would work best.

Noel

[Dan Filetti]

I used a GPS last summer to great effect.  I was headed to the a particular point in southern Virginia.  I knew there were great roads between here and there, but the GPS wanted to take me only on the majors.  -Near as I can tell, there's no 'route me on the best motorcycle roads' option, but that is a great idea...  Anyway, I have a knack for meandering and finding great roads, but it's really the antithesis of actually getting somewhere.  So I would turn the GPS off, get lost in the general direction I wanted to go, then once completely lost, turn it back on to get me going sort-of in the right direction again, then turn it off...  I turned a 4 hour highway slog into an 8 hour, completely enjoyable ride this way.   

Worth a thought.

Dan

[Dan Filetti]

Once the novelty of the new toy (and the need to constantly look at it) has worn off, you will find an occasional look is all you need and once familiar with it, you eye will go straight to the relevant info on the screen. In my case "distance to next turn" I don't use the audio, or "arrive in ....(distance to destination)

It is no more distracting than a speedo check, you glance at it, not stare at it.

I have mine mounted roughly where your lower one is and when I'm using it to get somewhere, I look at it a for more information than I need typically in a brief glance.  More than once I wished it was higher up.

Take note how you use your GPS in the car.  How much time do you look at the screen, what sort of information are you getting from it?   With a full-face helmet, understand you need to rotate your head down pretty far because of the chin-bar to look at that spot and also, that your peripheral vision forward is completely restricted.  It personally makes me a bit uncomfortable to ride and try to get anything more than a very brief glance, too breif look at it sometimes requiring a second or third look, especially at speed.  I have found for instants, when I wanted to check the accuracy of my speedo, I was pretty darn uncomfortable rotating my head that far down to look at my actual speed. 

To Noel's point if all you want is a single piece of information that can be had in a glance, the lower location is probably OK, it's just going to depend on what how you want to use it. 

Dan   

[Firehawk068]

I personally like the turn-by-turn voice directions, especially if I'm in an unfamiliar area.
I can focus on my riding, and on the traffic and other dangers around me, while still getting the information I need to make my next turn. I don't have to look down at my GPS.

In a rural or sparse area, this is not as important to me, and I glance at it for speed and other relevant info.

If I find myself really wanting to fiddle with it, or find some more detailed info on it, I'll just pull off to the side and stop.

I certainly am glad I made the purchase. I find myself using it all the time on trips, both on 2-wheels and in our other vehicles.

[fj johnnie]

I used a GPS last summer to great effect.  I was headed to the a particular point in southern Virginia.  I knew there were great roads between here and there, but the GPS wanted to take me only on the majors.  -Near as I can tell, there's no 'route me on the best motorcycle roads' option, but that is a great idea...  Anyway, I have a knack for meandering and finding great roads, but it's really the antithesis of actually getting somewhere.  So I would turn the GPS off, get lost in the general direction I wanted to go, then once completely lost, turn it back on to get me going sort-of in the right direction again, then turn it off...  I turned a 4 hour highway slog into an 8 hour, completely enjoyable ride this way.   

Worth a thought.

Dan

Awesome. That is the best way to travel.

[Capn Ron]

Cap'n Ron was using a Nav app on his phone, hence the expense and dodgy coverage.

Noel

[Rant on]  I really don't know how much clearer I can make this.  Yes, I USE a nav app on my iPhone.  It DOES NOT use cellular data.  There is NO expense.  There are NO coverage issues.  It uses the same GPS satellites I've been relying on since the 90's on the sailboat.  ALL map data is "canned" on the phone requiring ZERO data coverage.  It's EXACTLY the same as a dedicated GPS unit.  Well, that's not exactly true...A dedicated GPS unit will set you back $150.  The app for the phone you already own is $19.

I really don't care what you use as long as it's the right fit for you.  It's the mis-information that I find so bothering. [/Rant off]

[ribbert]

I knew there were great roads between here and there, but the GPS wanted to take me only on the majors.  -Near as I can tell, there's no 'route me on the best motorcycle roads' option, but that is a great idea...  Anyway, I have a knack for meandering and finding great roads, but it's really the antithesis of actually getting somewhere.  So I would turn the GPS off, get lost in the general direction I wanted to go, then once completely lost, turn it back on to get me going sort-of in the right direction again, then turn it off...  I turned a 4 hour highway slog into an 8 hour, completely enjoyable ride this way.   

Worth a thought.

Dan

Dan, this surprises me coming from you. I would have thought you of all people would embrace the this technology.
The GPS takes you to those remote roads in the first place, not just back from them.

Google maps finds roads you could never hope to stumble across and is the exploring tool, the GPS just takes you to them.

I have been travelling frequently to a coastal town (Apollo Bay) a few hundred Kms away for forty years, most folks, inlcuding me, would tell you there are only two roads to choose from. the ones I used for 40 years. In the last few years I have found about a dozen variations I didn't know existed in roughly the same time and distance frame. I found them all on google maps and navigated to them with GPS.

You don't always want to double your travelling time but you do want to make a regular trip more interesting.

I have said many times here, I have discovered more roads in the last 5 years than I ever found with maps, getting lost or a road atlas in the previous 40.


Noel

[ribbert]

Cap'n Ron was using a Nav app on his phone, hence the expense and dodgy coverage.

Noel

[Rant on] ....I really don't know how much clearer I can make this. 
It's the mis-information that I find so bothering...... [/Rant off]

I was wrong, my appologies.


Recalcitrant Ribbert's Repentant Reply to Ropeable Ron's Raging Rant

[ribbert]

I knew there were great roads between here and there, but the GPS wanted to take me only on the majors.  -Near as I can tell, there's no 'route me on the best motorcycle roads' option, but that is a great idea...  Anyway, I have a knack for meandering and finding great roads, but it's really the antithesis of actually getting somewhere.  So I would turn the GPS off, get lost in the general direction I wanted to go, then once completely lost, turn it back on to get me going sort-of in the right direction again, then turn it off...  I turned a 4 hour highway slog into an 8 hour, completely enjoyable ride this way.   

Worth a thought.

Dan

Dan, this surprises me coming from you. I would have thought you of all people would embrace the this technology.
The GPS takes you to those remote roads in the first place, not just back from them.

Google maps finds roads you could never hope to stumble across and is the exploring tool, the GPS just takes you to them.

I have been travelling frequently to a coastal town (Apollo Bay) a few hundred Kms away for forty years, most folks, inlcuding me, would tell you there are only two roads to choose from. the ones I used for 40 years. In the last few years I have found about a dozen variations I didn't know existed in roughly the same time and distance frame. I found them all on google maps and navigated to them with GPS.

You don't always want to double your travelling time but you do want to make a regular trip more interesting.

I have said many times here, I have discovered more roads in the last 5 years than I ever found with maps, getting lost or a road atlas in the previous 40.


Noel

Ignore this post in it's entirety, it is incorrect and I missed the "Modify" time window.

Noel