A back to basics Garmin

Wapping

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I am a big fan of Garmin GPS units. I am though very much less enamoured with the way they are morphing into some crazy overblown home infotainment system, without which nobody seems to be able to go on a motorcycle anymore.

It was a joy to use Garmin’s stripped down GPS device, as used in small’ish trucks and motorhomes. No bells, no whistles. No ‘must have, must do’ extras; all much closer to what a GPS device used to be and still should be.

They are not waterproof *, as they do not need to be. But if anyone is looking (as in previous threads, some are) for a large screen GPS device that is simple to use and can find a way to mount it onto their bike, I’d recommend they look at one. The device has an SD card slot, so it is possible to create bespoke routes, if you want to.

Maps and software updates over wi-fi.

Bluetooth enabled.

Garmin Camper 770 LMT-D Sat Nav

Cheaper than a bike device, too.

* It should be within most bod’s ability to hunt out a suitable bag or case.
 
That's a coincidence I was looking at those in Halfords today nice big screen does what it says on the box and nearly £300 cheaper than a Nav 6.
 
basic GPS.

A few months ago Tom Tom wanted some customer feedback, so I suggested making a basic motorcycle GPS that just takes you from A to B. with Bluetooth. European map.
I don't want music or phone. I don't own a smart phone just a telephone in my pocket in case I breakdown. life is complicated enough. :rob
 
Back to basics Garmin??.......................never left, still using a 2610;)
Like a Streetpilot 111 perhaps?
i would be happily using mine - if i could get the bastid data card to be 'seen' by my p.c. :mad:
Untouched for years as i only used it when bimbling down unknown back roads until i decided to use it for this years little holiday as i dont like borrowing a friends modern all singing and dancing thingy, which i've cheekily done for years.
So i go to load up some maps ...
BUT for some reason it now refuses to connect. :( - yes i have tried everything known to me, Garmins website and the combined efforts of two 'proper' i.t. techies in the job here.
... *sighs* it's not been the same since we gave up windows XP. :blast:D
ANYhow - call me a Luddite, i dont care. Basic Is Best! :p

Whinge over. Not even a rant - i haven't got the energy for a rant! :rolleyes:
 
A few months ago Tom Tom wanted some customer feedback, so I suggested making a basic motorcycle GPS that just takes you from A to B. with Bluetooth. European map.
I don't want music or phone. I don't own a smart phone just a telephone in my pocket in case I breakdown. life is complicated enough. :rob

I have been in correspondence with Garmin on the same thing.

The problem is that they have listened too long to the, “We want twisty roads, we want hilly roads, we want awesome roads, we want music, we want weather, we want pictures, we want texts, we want phones, we want.. we want... we want... not to do anything ourself” brigade for so long that they have forgotten what it was they, Garmin, used to be good at. Now it’s all about coms (to use the vernacular) and being ‘In touch’ when one of the main appeals of a bike is to get the rider away from all that ‘must have’ stuff.
 
Like a Streetpilot 111 perhaps?
i would be happily using mine - if i could get the bastid data card to be 'seen' by my p.c. :mad:
Untouched for years as i only used it when bimbling down unknown back roads until i decided to use it for this years little holiday as i dont like borrowing a friends modern all singing and dancing thingy, which i've cheekily done for years.
So i go to load up some maps ...
BUT for some reason it now refuses to connect. :( - yes i have tried everything known to me, Garmins website and the combined efforts of two 'proper' i.t. techies in the job here.
... *sighs* it's not been the same since we gave up windows XP. :blast:D
ANYhow - call me a Luddite, i dont care. Basic Is Best! :p

Whinge over. Not even a rant - i haven't got the energy for a rant! :rolleyes:

Did anybody try connecting it to an XP installation in i.e. VMware?

Damn how times change......

 
Unfortuantly we are in the age where we dont want a master of "one" device,

so we end up with a "poor" jack of all trades

Some of the problems are our own doing, wanting this, wanting that,

and others are the OEM's with there update, refresh, make bigger, continous changes for profits.

Some things work, others dont.

I like music and i like navigation, and the ability to make/ recieve calls is great so those options combined for me is a godsend.

Unfortunatly the people who make and design these units have no idea how they (software & hardware) should work together

They forget how the human brain works and how it does things - think monphonic vs polyphonic

The oems all "willy wave" and want to be top dog, often turning a great app or hardware into a rubbbish app, or hardware in there desire to be

number one.

Or they dumb down to the lowest denominator to cover the biggest demographic. This give the impression of a great piece of soft/hardware

but the "added non optional" extras then ruin it -

Unfortunatly no mainstream manufacturer is going to give you the flexibility or freedom that you want.

Which then gives rise to the homebrew approach - Operating systems with all the features unlocked or added -

New OS's which allow freedom to choose what you want , not what some corporate bean counter thinks you want.

Unfortunatly it wont change, who in there right mind would give you what you want? after all who's going to shoot the golden goose. ;)
 
I am a big fan of Garmin GPS units. I am though very much less enamoured with the way they are morphing into some crazy overblown home infotainment system, without which nobody seems to be able to go on a motorcycle anymore.

They are basically the replacement of the TFT screen present in many cars or motorbikes. AKA "the 5th screen".

I have to say the 590 is still decently basic though. You can remove a lot of the notifications and works decently well.
 
I've a big birthday coming up near the end of the year. Mrs Og has offered to get me a shiny-new-top-of-the-range Sat Nav.
Nice :) but i'm not sure i actually want one that much :nenau FFS - i could go away for a good weeks holiday for the price! :eek:
.... i'm seriously considering going on a 'Retreat' - a week or even two out of touch with this Modern World to detox from all such things.

It would seriously improve my calm and peace of mind / but it's also true that following a sat navs instructions to ones hotel in a strange town abroad also does wonders for ones calm and peace of mind! :blast :D
 
the main manufacturers already make several different models of GPS. so why can't they make a simple basic model for old buggers like me, and a all singing & dancing twisty road, music playing, phone calling. complicated one. surely it's not just me that doesn't do Facebook or online fekin banking.
 
Like a Streetpilot 111 perhaps?
i would be happily using mine - if i could get the bastid data card to be 'seen' by my p.c. :mad:
Untouched for years as i only used it when bimbling down unknown back roads until i decided to use it for this years little holiday as i dont like borrowing a friends modern all singing and dancing thingy, which i've cheekily done for years.
So i go to load up some maps ...
BUT for some reason it now refuses to connect. :( - yes i have tried everything known to me, Garmins website and the combined efforts of two 'proper' i.t. techies in the job here.
... *sighs* it's not been the same since we gave up windows XP. :blast:D
ANYhow - call me a Luddite, i dont care. Basic Is Best! :p

Whinge over. Not even a rant - i haven't got the energy for a rant! :rolleyes:

Who is this friend with the all singing/dancing yoke? Maybe I could borrow it off him as well. If you embarassed asking him again then maybe you could borrow my old(very old) 550 again. :p:comfort
 
I look back fondly with memories of my 2610 and Mapsource, which was a joy to use over Basecamp on my current Garmin unit.

I wish I'd kept my 2610 in a drawer. If there had been anyway of updating the maps / software and running it on my Mac I'd have kept it. Folk who are cleverer than I will probably have worked something out :blast
 
Who is this friend with the all singing/dancing yoke? Maybe I could borrow it off him as well. If you embarassed asking him again then maybe you could borrow my old(very old) 550 again. :p:comfort
I been sussed. :blush
Ahem - Ta. um... yes, Thanks.
:D

I look back fondly with memories of my 2610 and Mapsource, which was a joy to use over Basecamp on my current Garmin unit.

I wish I'd kept my 2610 in a drawer. If there had been anyway of updating the maps / software and running it on my Mac I'd have kept it. Folk who are cleverer than I will probably have worked something out :blast
I wish they'd tell me. :D

Funny what we value in hindsight isn't it? ;)
 
Totally agree with the sentiments here. I dint want to connect my bloody phone to my sat nav. If some one calls or texts they can wait until I am off my bike. I don’t want to listen to music either. Why get on a bike and then disconnect yourself from the environment.


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