Newspaperguy

Does anyone here use a GPS device? If so, why?

biffstephens

I do.....I like the data I get from it personally...

And I like the clean install...no wires

Brian T

Yes, I do to. I use a Garmin Etrex legend Cx. loaded with useful tools and color display.

Old Hammer Boy

Yes. I have an H.P. Ipaq 5915 hand held computer with built-in GPS, using Tom Tom software. I found it very helpful on my recent Souther Tier crossing. While I didn't have it on but a few times, it was very helpful locating camping sites, resturants, motels, etc., using its built-in data base. It also helped me from getting lost on (especially) Mississippi unmarked roads. I'm really pleased with it and was happy to have had it with me.

gpsblake

Ditto. Love downloading tracks of my rides and looking at them on Street Atlas or Delorme Topo. I also like to combine all my rides for the year, it makes a very interesting map, quite often with dozens of tracks over the same road. Pretty neat.

Takara

I use one at work and have used one sailing. Would not take one on a bike. They're in the category of what I'm trying to get away from when I'm touring.

stevesurf

Exactly
I turn on the Garmin, which stays in my backpack and tracks the ride. I upload to Motion-based and the catalog 'em - very useful. I even used it for boating this past week.

Here's \my link

Newspaperguy

That's why I'm considering going with a GPS. Tracking rides is useful for future reference, especially if I'm trying out rough back roads.

I've been starting to look around at GPS units, but I'm on a Mac computer. Will I have a compatibility issue?

Brian T

The Paperwork that came with my Garmin says it is not compatible with Mac.

chrisch

I just got back from a weekend tour in an unfamiliar area. I'm not good at reading maps, so I plotted the route into Google Maps and saved it into my GPS. It was great! It saved me so much time because I never got lost or had to stop and check the map. I also like having a record of the ride that I can plot with Google Maps and embed into my blog.

valygrl

Can anyone recommend a GPS that acutally helps you find somewhere to camp while touring?

I just tried & returned a Garmin Nuvi.

Old Hammer Boy

See my post, above.

spinnaker

Most do but require additional software / maps (sometimes it comes as a package with the GPS.). On the Garmin this is City Navigator, City Select or Metroguide with City Navigator the newest and Metroguide the oldest.

All but Metroguide provide routing with turn by turn using the GPS. To get turn by turn routing on Metroguide you have to use the PC then download the routes to the GPS. Or get 3rd party software that gives turn by turn to Metroguide.

All have a find feature that shows various POI with camping being one of the POI types. You even (in most cases) get phone numbers and other useful information.

The GPS of course, will not find all camping or lodging for you. It is only good as the data entered in to it.

I recommend the Garmin 76 series. While technically a GPS for marine use, it's form factor makes it perfect for the bicycle. IMHO, the eTrex has too small of a screen to be useful.

IMHO the Nuvi, Zumo and Quest series are horrible choices for touring. They are rechargeable. I don't want to have to worry if I have enough battery power for the day. I like the piece of mind of being able to pop in a couple of AA batteries and get my 76 up and running.

spinnaker

The issue is not the GPS but the USB driver. As far as I know Garmin does not yet supply a USB driver for the Mac. Any Garmin GPS that has a serial port should work with the Mac.

Brian T

Trips and waypoint manager is not compatable with Mac.

spinnaker

They have been promising a Mac version for some time now. I am surprised that they don't have one yet.

Brian T

Looks like there is a software download from garmin.

https://garmin.blogs.com/my_weblog/applemac/index.html

wrafl

Prior to acquiring the cyclocomputer, I use GPS to collect all the data on my ride. One day I had the GPS and cyclomputer side by side and at the end of my ride, I compared the distance I travelled and the cyclomputer record showed I did 50 miles while the GPS recorded 40 miles. On the max speed, computer recorded 24.9 miles and the GPS recorded 99 miles. That disparity made me drop the use of GPS on my ride and only use it for direction and mapping purposes.

spinnaker

So what makes you think it is the GPS and not the computer? A GPS will never be as accurate as a properly adjusted computer but it is not going to be 10 miles off over 40 miles.

The GPS must rely on sampling; it has to record your current position every so often. It is not going to be able record every wiggle your computer might. I would also suspect that changes in altitude might have something to do with accuracy when it comes to distance.

The max 99 mile speed could very well been a result of not resetting the trip computer on the GPS.

A computer is a far better tool for recording distances than the GPS. I use both.

mike

This might sound crazy, but I don't use GPS for the simple reason that I don't really need it, and mostly because it takes some of the adventure out of the tour.

I have been massively lost while back-country camping - mistakes that put us into the bush a week longer than we had planned. And I marvelled at highly skilled orienteers who could read a map and a compass and head straight into the jungle and find hidden items.

When road touring, if it weren't for stopping to ask directions, or getting lost from time to time, many of my best adventures and friendships would have been missed.

Odd though it may seem, I think that GPS is just one more bit of technology that helps us live inside our little bubbles - going directly from point A to B without any human or natural interaction in-between.

littlewaywelt

I use a garmin forerunner 305 for workout data and am borrowing a nuvi for long rides. The nuvi lasts 4-8 hours depending on screen brightness/use. I'm going to pick up an external battery for it as well.

wrafl

I wonder that myself. The bike path I ride is parallel to the power line and at some section, the same power
line goes over the trail. Electromagentic interference from the power lines with the GPS signal could be the culprit. The bike computer is wired so it can't be an electrical signal transmitted from the computer that would cause erratic behavior of the GPS. I rely more on the computer data than the GPS. Some part of the trail is covered by trees that the GPS was not getting GPS sateliite signal.

jjones

I have VZ Navigator on my cell phone from Verizon as a backup. It will show you campgrounds, motels, restaurants, stores, etc. It worked very well for me, without investing in another device.