# GPS?



## mickwood (22 Jan 2009)

Hi folks!

I'm just thinking about whether there are any bike mounted GPS/Mapping systems? I'd like to do a bit of biking in the various places I go around the UK so think it may be a worthwhile purchase but just wouldn't know where to start!? I'd want -

Map for the whole of the UK (not just one area)
Programmable for a chosen route
Small enough not to be a hassle!
Easy to read - colour screen
Waterproof
Oh and cheap as chips!! lol! (although I'd guess to get a good one would not be cheap!?)

Anyone used the Nokia N95 with the gps thing in it?

Cheers

Mick


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## Will1985 (22 Jan 2009)

Garmin is a popular choice - 605 or 705. Mapping is expensive, but the open source maps are good from the one ride I used them before the crash.

Unfortunately I don't think you'll find anything 'cheap' which satisfies all your criteria: £150 minimum unless you have an N95.


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## mickwood (22 Jan 2009)

Will1985 said:


> Garmin is a popular choice - 605 or 705. Mapping is expensive, but the open source maps are good from the one ride I used them before the crash.
> 
> Unfortunately I don't think you'll find anything 'cheap' which satisfies all your criteria: £150 minimum unless you have an N95.



'Mapping is expensive' does that mean you have to pay for mapped areas? i.e. buy the peak district map.

'open source maps'? are they a basic map provided free of charge??

sorry but I know nothing of GPS at all - just beginning to think they may be good on the bike!


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## gavintc (22 Jan 2009)

I got a Garmin 705 road bundle for Chrimbo and it came with a very good road map of Europe. It was not cheap and adding the 2nd sensor for the 2nd bike added even more cost.


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## Will1985 (22 Jan 2009)

mickwood said:


> 'Mapping is expensive' does that mean you have to pay for mapped areas? i.e. buy the peak district map.
> 
> 'open source maps'? are they a basic map provided free of charge?


Yes - for a 705 you can expect to pay circa £220 for a basic model, then £250 for the next model up with a cadence meter. Including the nice Europe map, you'll be paying over £300!
But you can save yourself a lot using the open source maps which have as much detail as the add-on maps. I've not done a full test yet to see if route planning on the device is the same.


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## mickwood (22 Jan 2009)

Are they worth the money do you think? or is that a 6 million dollar question!?


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## Cranky (23 Jan 2009)

mickwood said:


> Are they worth the money do you think? or is that a 6 million dollar question!?



If you just want to find your way around, the cheapest Garmin Edge and bikeroutetoaster.com is probably the way to go (no pun intended). The more expensive devices have extra functions like cadence, heart rate monitor etc which you may not need.

I'm still using the old Edge 205 and it's taken me on several long tours around the UK with no problems. Worth every penny!


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## andym (23 Jan 2009)

Get a Garmin HCx plus a handlebar mount (£140 altogether from Amazon). The 705 is designed to be a training aide - great piece of kit but a lot more than you need for touring. 

The HCx comes with non-topographic mapping. If you want built-in topographic mapping If you want mapping you could buy the Garmin UK topographic mapping at £149 but I'd say put the money into a decent PC mapping software from Memory Map/Tracklogs/Anquet/Quo. Use the software to output the route and waypoints to the GPS and print out route maps. 

There is open source mapping around - especially for the US. Never seen any for the UK, but that doesn't mean they don't exist.


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## xpc316e (23 Jan 2009)

Visit the Satmap site. TheSatmap comes with road mapping for the UK as standard, but OS maps of various scales for cycling/walking can be bought as desired for different counties/National Parks. Cheap it isn't but it is good and does exactly what it says on the tin.


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## yello (23 Jan 2009)

I have an Edge 305. It's a cracking bit of kit but, in all honesty, it is NOT what you want - nor is any of the Edge range - if you're primarily after GPS/mapping. The ONLY Edge units that do true GPS mapping, as is commonly understood by the phrase, are the 605 & 705 - and they are significantly more expensive than other suitable options - like the HCx mentioned above. 

Don't get me wrong, the Edge units are great but their battery life and screen size alone do not make them suitable as a touring GPS navigation device.


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## Rob S (23 Jan 2009)

With the exception of 'cheap as chips' it has to be an Satmap Active 10. Bloody brilliant it is!!


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## samid (23 Jan 2009)

I got a Garmin Vista HCx and am pretty happy with it. It can do turn-by-turn directions, is water-proof, rather rugged (at least seems so), small enough to be handlebar-mounted and not look too goofy. Also, a VERY big plus is that unlike some other units, Vista uses plain old AA batteries rather than rechargeables - very handy when you're on a tour.


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## yello (23 Jan 2009)

samid said:


> Vista uses plain old AA batteries rather than rechargeables - very handy when you're on a tour.



Exact-oh-bloody-lutley. Rechargables have their place, especially if they are swapable with std alkalines, but buying a pack of duracells is always possible when touring - finding somewhere to plug in to recharge is both not as easy nor as convenient.


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## andym (24 Jan 2009)

> With the exception of 'cheap as chips' it has to be an Satmap Active 10. Bloody brilliant it is!!



Great piece of kit if you only want to tour in the UK.


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## mickwood (24 Jan 2009)

So would you suggest the satmap over the garmin 606/705?

what about maps for them? look costly for the satmap...any free 'pirate' maps available? ie. downloadable from websites etc?


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## snorri (24 Jan 2009)

mickwood said:


> Are they worth the money do you think? or is that a 6 million dollar question!?


It depends on your style.
To me, satnav is an item which I would have to be careful not to lose, it would be attractive to thieves, recharging or buying batteries is just an inconvenience I can happily live without whilst on tour, in other words more worry than it's worth. 
Getting lost on tour for a few hours is no big deal, it gives you a good opportunity to speak to the locals, and you can find yourself in some interesting places when lost.
I'm quite happy to tour with a cheapo paper map and my hand bearing compass on my belt.


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## Rob S (24 Jan 2009)

andym said:


> Great piece of kit if you only want to tour in the UK.



Or Holland.


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## RedBike (24 Jan 2009)

I used to use this http://www.viewranger.com/ on my Nokia phone. (I also had tomtom installed). I now use a Garmin Etrax £30 new off ebay. 

The viewranger was great. The maps were far clearer and with a lot more detail on than the ones on my Garmin. 

You can't really read the maps as you ride along. They're too small. You can just about make out where you are in relation to the route you want to follow but if you want to start navigating by them then you'll probably have to keep stopping to read them. 

The tomtom worked just like it does in a car. "Turn left in 100yrds". 
It allowed you to just type in a postcode and it would automatically plot a route there. It would also autocorrect when you went wrong. Neither the Garmin or the Viewranger would autoroute and when you go horribly wrong they very helpfully just stop telling you which way it is. 

The Nokia did have a few BIG disadvantages (Which is why I brought the Garmin). 
The battery life was poor. We're talking under 2hrs running tomtom with the backlight on so that you could see the map. I always found changing batteries mid way through a ride to be a pain. It wasn't waterproof!

The nokia was ideal for just switching on for a few seconds. Looking which way it is then switching it back off and sticking it back in your pocket. It got be back on track on several Sportives last year! It was no good for navigating all day by.


btw I used a Krussel case / bar mount for the Nokia.


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## samid (24 Jan 2009)

RedBike said:


> I now use a Garmin Etrax £30 new off ebay.
> *...*
> The tomtom worked just like it does in a car. "Turn left in 100yrds".
> It allowed you to just type in a postcode and it would automatically plot a route there. It would also autocorrect when you went wrong. Neither the Garmin or the Viewranger would autoroute and when you go horribly wrong they very helpfully just stop telling you which way it is.


I'm using a Garmin _eTrex Vista HCx_, and with Garmin City Navigator maps, it does work more or less like a car GPS, with the exception that it does not actualy *say* it - but it beeps when you approach a turn, and shows exactly which way you need to turn (I usually have no problems seeing it even though I cannot read without the glasses). And, if you make a wrong turn it automatically recalculates the route and starts navigating again. In fact, it even knows such details as when the A1 becomes off-limits to bicycles when approaching Edinburgh. One thing it could not do was, it could not plot the whole route from Slough to Mussleburgh at once - my guess is that the complexity of the task got out of hand due to it having to avoid highways. Another very nice thing is the ability to look at your route *after* the tour, by uploading the tracks to a computer. So, ultimately, I would not say that a GPS is a replacement for paper maps - but a great compliment for sure.


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## RedBike (24 Jan 2009)

I'm using the Legend. It's an older / lower end model. It never makes a sound and it doesn't autoroute. 

I purchased the garmin to navigate me around sportives / audaxes. It's used more as a reasurance that i'm still on route than as my main way of navigating.


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## andym (24 Jan 2009)

RedBike said:


> I'm using the Legend. It's an older / lower end model. It never makes a sound and it doesn't autorout



There are different Legends. The Legend HCx does do autoroute.



Rob S said:


> Or Holland.



Indeed - and Norway too by the looks of it.

Mickwood

If you want the best quality and range of maps then at the moment the main alternative is a phone or PDA running Windows Mobile (and oh do I wish SatMap could run it).

You might also want to check out the Garmin Oregon which, I think I I remember reading, will run proper OS mapping. But I may be wrong on that. also I've heard conflicting views on whether the display is bright enough to read in sunshine.

Digital mapping isn't cheap - but when you compare to the costs of paper maps it is very good value.


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## mickwood (24 Jan 2009)

andym said:


> Digital mapping isn't cheap - but when you compare to the costs of paper maps it is very good value.



Well...I get waterproofed maps for a fiver and have a load of them so.....it's just gonna be an additional and quite unnecessary expense...but gadgets are just bloody brilliant! lol! 

It's the ability to set a route and essentially not have to stop and map read en route!


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## Rob S (24 Jan 2009)

andym said:


> You might also want to check out the Garmin Oregon which, I think I I remember reading, will run proper OS mapping. But I may be wrong on that. also I've heard conflicting views on whether the display is bright enough to read in sunshine.



Not sure about the mapping quality of the Oregon..looks pretty crap to me, heavily compressed and people seem to have a problem with unwanted autoroute overlays.

http://www.pocketgpsworld.com/modul...opic&t=73252&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=0


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## Rob S (24 Jan 2009)

mickwood said:


> Well...I get waterproofed maps for a fiver and have a load of them so.....it's just gonna be an additional and quite unnecessary expense...but gadgets are just bloody brilliant! lol!
> 
> It's the ability to set a route and essentially not have to stop and map read en route!



It's not just that...it's having ALL your maps with you, at the touch of a button and you don't have to decide which ones you'll need in advance....that means you can change your mind about where you want to go (in my case if train connections are late and I decide to do a ride somewhere completely different instead of waiting an hour for the next train..


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## andygates (24 Jan 2009)

Mapping is not _always _expensive. I have a weekly-updated Garmin UK streetmap with contours, from the OpenStreetMap dataset (see openstreetmap.org) free here: http://www.ravenfamily.org/andyg/maps - also check out OpenCycleMap for a bike-lane specific version.


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## aqaleigh (25 Jan 2009)

I'm glad you asked this question - I have been looking for a while for a turn by turn sat nav with a good battery life and had decided on the 705 (fantastic piece of kit) however the day before i was going to buy it, i read a couple of reports that it had frozen on people
As it is fairly new, i decided to wait and get a bit more feedback 

For me the 705 is the best thing out there - if they prove reliable in the long term

HAS ANYONE EXPERIENCED THIS FREEZING PROBLEM?


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## gavintc (25 Jan 2009)

aqaleigh said:


> I'm glad you asked this question - I have been looking for a while for a turn by turn sat nav with a good battery life and had decided on the 705 (fantastic piece of kit) however the day before i was going to buy it, i read a couple of reports that it had frozen on people
> As it is fairly new, i decided to wait and get a bit more feedback
> 
> For me the 705 is the best thing out there - if they prove reliable in the long term
> ...



No, not me. Still love mine and still exploring it's options and features. I think I have only used about 30% of its capabilities so far.


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## yello (25 Jan 2009)

aqaleigh said:


> sat nav with a good battery life and had decided on the 705



Eh? Do you mean you can recharge the battery loads of times before it claps out? Because, for me, battery life is one of the biggest draw backs for using an Edge for touring.


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## Cranky (26 Jan 2009)

yello said:


> Eh? Do you mean you can recharge the battery loads of times before it claps out? Because, for me, battery life is one of the biggest draw backs for using an Edge for touring.



The battery life on my Edge is still excellent after 2.5 years and several tours and day trips in all conditions. Admittedly I only use it for directions so it's not used every trip.


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## yello (26 Jan 2009)

Okay, around in circles we go! 2.5 years? That's a 305/205 then. So NOT really a GPS like the OP is asking for, i.e. one with auto-routing capability. The Edge with auto-routing, the 705 is by not "cheap as chips", as the OP asked for. 

As for battery life, I think we are at cross purposes. How long does your Edge last from switching on to running out of batteries? Then you have to find somewhere to plug in to recharge it! (Unless you have a PowerMonkey kind of thing) Something like the Garmin Legend/Vista/Oregon is auto-routing, has a longer run time before 'recharge' (2 times an Edge in some cases) AND runs on standard AA batteries. Factor in the cost of the 705, and the Legend et al is pretty much a no-brainer preference! 

Again, don't get me wrong. The Edge units are brilliant. I have a 305 and love it to bits. I reckon it's brilliant. Personally, I wouldn't use it for touring because I prefer maps. So I wouldn't bother with a GPS at all!

BUT, for the OPs stated requirements, I personally really really don't think an Edge is appropriate.


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## Cranky (26 Jan 2009)

yello said:


> Okay, around in circles we go! *2.5 years? That's a 305/205 then.* So NOT really a GPS like the OP is asking for, i.e. *one with auto-routing capability.* The Edge with auto-routing, the 705 is by not "cheap as chips", as the OP asked for.
> 
> As for battery life, I think we are at cross purposes. *How long does your Edge last from switching on to running out of batteries? Then you have to find somewhere to plug in to recharge it! *(Unless you have a PowerMonkey kind of thing) Something like the Garmin Legend/Vista/Oregon is auto-routing, has a longer run time before 'recharge' (2 times an Edge in some cases) AND runs on standard AA batteries. Factor in the cost of the 705, and the Legend et al is pretty much a no-brainer preference!
> 
> ...



Yes, it is a 205, I said that in my original post.

I also recommended he look at bikeroutetoaster which has autorouting and is free.

My Edge 205 has never run out of power during a day's touring (8-10 hours). Yes, I do charge it up from the mains at the end of each day.

I don't have experience of the other brands/models being suggested but my suggestion met all the criteria of the OP, other than colour display (which I have never felt I needed).

Thank you.


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## yello (26 Jan 2009)

Cranky said:


> I also recommended he look at bikeroutetoaster which has autorouting and is free.



And carry a laptop with GSM for auto-routing when on the road? 

Cranky, it's only an opinion. If the 205 works for you then cool. As I said, I reckon they're excellent units. If you want to recommend the 205 as an answer for the OP then that's cool too. No problems with that but I would disagree with you. 

Starting with a blank sheet of paper, & looking at the OPs requirements, can you really say you'd stick an Edge on the short list? I wouldn't.


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## Cranky (26 Jan 2009)

yello said:


> And carry a laptop with GSM for auto-routing when on the road?



No need, I plan my routes in advance and, yes, I realise that everyone does not do this. People have different approaches to touring, as with everything in life.

I think we've worn this subject out now, yello, but I'll leave you to have the last word if you must.

Cheers.


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## bleakanddivine (26 Jan 2009)

andygates said:


> Mapping is not _always _expensive. I have a weekly-updated Garmin UK streetmap with contours, from the OpenStreetMap dataset (see openstreetmap.org) free here: http://www.ravenfamily.org/andyg/maps - also check out OpenCycleMap for a bike-lane specific version.



Is that just for loading onto Garmin mapping devices like the 605/705, or can it be used in Training Centre as well?


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## yello (26 Jan 2009)

Cranky said:


> I realise that everyone does not do this.



I'm glad you realise that not everyone would plan their touring in advance. Might be workable for a few days away but not really my idea of a 1 week plus tour... AND also having to plan for places to recharge the Edge! 

That, in a nutshell is why the 205/305 is not suitable for touring, imo. It puts constraints upon you when you really should be able to just go where you want and as you feel.



> I'll leave you to have the last word if you must.



No need to be like that. We can simply disagree with each other. I have no problem with that and I don't take it personally.


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## mickwood (27 Jan 2009)

Now now...cranky - Yello....spread the love! Each to their own, I'll check out ALL suggestions and pick the one I feel is best when the time comes

but for now....love not war my friends XXX


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## yello (27 Jan 2009)

Nah, bollocks. There's a man on the internet and he is wrong... I have to fight the fight


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## mickwood (27 Jan 2009)

yello said:


> Nah, bollocks. There's a man on the internet and he is wrong... I have to fight the fight



LMAO!!  Well...who am I to stand in the way?


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## summerdays (27 Jan 2009)

I have a PDA, memory map and then a separate gps receiver. I wanted the ability to look at OS maps, and log my route that I have travelled. I haven't yet mounted it on the bike... normally its in a pocket and I just stop to look at it occasionally (I'm quite good normally so don't need to look very often). I am intending on getting a bar bag and then mounting it on top that that so that I can read it as I go along. Charge wise it usually lasts all day, and then recharge in the evening.


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## mickwood (27 Jan 2009)

summerdays said:


> I have a PDA, memory map and then a separate gps receiver. I wanted the ability to look at OS maps, and log my route that I have travelled. I haven't yet mounted it on the bike... normally its in a pocket and I just stop to look at it occasionally (I'm quite good normally so don't need to look very often). I am intending on getting a bar bag and then mounting it on top that that so that I can read it as I go along. Charge wise it usually lasts all day, and then recharge in the evening.



Hi Summerdays, I'm interested in the PDA route - seems way cheaper! (£40 on E-bay) but I'm a bit clueless to what a PDA actually is? A seperate GPS receiver? Is that needed in all PDA's? Can a PDA be used as a phone - i.e. pop in your sim and that acts as a phone and poss GPS receiver???


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## summerdays (27 Jan 2009)

Err you are probably asking the wrong person... I basically told Mr Summerdays I wanted to see maps and log routes he came up with the end result. No I can't use it as a phone... whether there are some that you can I don't know. It's a Dell Axim now several years old ... and the gps receiver thing is just a little box with flashing lights that talks to it via blue tooth.

The memory map bit was expensive... I went for the whole of the UK 1:50 000 but would like to add some other maps at 1:25 000 though. Don't know if other packages would work on the PDA... but nice big screen. 

I don't think it would be that waterproof ... one of my Xmas pressies was a fancy bag to keep it in after trying to keep it dry when I was doing the Devon Coast to Coast.


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## mickwood (27 Jan 2009)

Thanks summerdays! I've been nosing around and yeah you can now get them with a GPS receiver in built and can be used as a phone!....I may....make....a.....purchase......just don't tell Claire (OH) she may not understand


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## andym (27 Jan 2009)

mickwood said:


> Hi Summerdays, I'm interested in the PDA route - seems way cheaper! (£40 on E-bay) but I'm a bit clueless to what a PDA actually is? A seperate GPS receiver? Is that needed in all PDA's? Can a PDA be used as a phone - i.e. pop in your sim and that acts as a phone and poss GPS receiver???



I have a PDA as well - but battery life isn't anything like as good. Also they aren't waterproof and the display isn't as readable in sunshine.

An HCx backed up by a PDA would be a good combo. The Memory Map PDA software is pretty good.


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## mickwood (27 Jan 2009)

What is the average PDA battery life then??


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## andym (27 Jan 2009)

I'd say four hours of continued use - but it depends on the state of the battery, screen brightness etc. More if you switch on and off (I use mine when I want to refer to the route on a map).


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## mickwood (27 Jan 2009)

Cool, I'd say that's more than enough for me at this stage. If it works out that I'm really using it a lot then it would justify the expense of the Satmap system.


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## summerdays (27 Jan 2009)

My PDA will certainly record longer than 4 hours of a journey... I think I would expect 6 hours .. although I think I do remember changing the battery one day on the road... - I have 2 spare batteries... so that if we are away camping don't have the recharging problem. (I now also have an in-car charger too). I leave my on with a dim screen - it brightens when you touch it.


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## summerdays (30 Jan 2009)

I had my PDA/GPS going today... and recorded from 8.40 through to now (3.50), and according to the PDA I have 53% battery life left... though I doubt I would get another 7 hours worth. It is a large battery mind you - the case projects backwards at the back to accommodate it. I was route recording rather than using it lots to forward plan the route so that would require less batteries.


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## andym (30 Jan 2009)

summerdays said:


> I had my PDA/GPS going today... and recorded from 8.40 through to now (3.50), and according to the PDA I have 53% battery life left... though I doubt I would get another 7 hours worth. It is a large battery mind you - the case projects backwards at the back to accommodate it. I was route recording rather than using it lots to forward plan the route so that would require less batteries.




I think the key issue is how much you want to use the on-screen mapping - as the display uses the most energy.


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## summerdays (30 Jan 2009)

The display was on but on the low setting as I wasn't touching the screen... if you touch the screen it comes up to the full brightness. I have the dim screen setting quite low when I am using it in this mode. I can just see the map in the low setting but wouldn't be able to read it whilst cycling along in that mode.


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## RedBike (31 Jan 2009)

There's no longer seems to be much (if any) difference between PDAs and Smart phones. 

Just find the software you want, memory map, viewranger, garmin mobile whatever then find look at all the devices it will run on. 

If you've already got a Nokia 95 then your half way there. 

The battery life / run time varies dramatically between phones / PDAs. You'll probably find that most will have a run time of less than 4/5 hours when running a GPS reciever and keeping the backlite on so that you can read the map.


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## clownfishrob (1 Feb 2009)

I've just bought a Road Angel 7000 for £100 on eBay which can be mounted on a bike and you can also upload memory maps to it as well it plots your progress using GPS and it can also be used in your car/motorbike/walking. Seems quite substantial but not had chance to road test it.


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## andygates (24 Feb 2009)

New awesomeness has been added to the Openstreetmap Garmin export, and after wrangling it for the evening, the latest map at my download spot will be turn-by-turn routable. It'll be up by one AM.


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## mickwood (24 Feb 2009)

clownfishrob said:


> I've just bought a Road Angel 7000 for £100 on eBay which can be mounted on a bike and you can also upload memory maps to it as well it plots your progress using GPS and it can also be used in your car/motorbike/walking. Seems quite substantial but not had chance to road test it.



I'd appreciate it if you can fire back some feedback on how it performs!


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## amaferanga (24 Feb 2009)

I've been reading around on various forums and websites and just purchased a Garmin Etrex Legend HCx. My needs were pretty similar to the OP's and I didn't come across anything anywhere near as suitable as this. The clincher was without a doubt the AA batteries. And the price of £117. I intend to use Openstreetmap so total cost should be £117 + about £15 for a bike mount. Absolute bargain IMO. I already own an Edge 205, but having a GPS with maps is just better for navigating, plus I will know where I am, not just that I'm on route.


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## jay clock (26 Feb 2009)

I am interested in more feedback on the Garmin Etrex Legend HCx and how you use it in conjunction with openstreetmap (which looks excellent by the way)

My needs are mainly for day rides pre-plotted on Tracklogs or mapmyride or similar, then uploaded to a device that prompts me like a car satnav.

Does the Etrex legend do this with Openstreetmap and how easy is it?


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## amaferanga (26 Feb 2009)

I'm new to openstreetmap and just got my Legend HCx so I could be missing something. I've just loaded openstreetmap onto my legend HCx and I must say I'm extremely disappointed with a) the appearance of the maps and  the coverage in and around sheffield. I was expecting a proper looking map like you see on the openstreetmap website, but what I see on the GPS is extremely poor. I also loaded andygates routeable maps, but the coverage around sheffield then was virtually non-existent. 

Is there something I need to do to get the mapping to look reasonable? So far I've just been taking .img files of the whole country and loaded them onto the device directly in mass storage device mode. I haven't used mapsource - can I somehow combine maps in mapsource and improve coverage and/or appearance?


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## clownfishrob (4 Mar 2009)

Well had the road angel 7000 now sold it. Biggest problem was memory map software is a real pain to use and the unit only has 8 hrs battery life. You can't easily charge it if you are camping either unless you want to carry a mains charger or some other specialist charging device like a power monkey. In the end I've opted for tracklogs software and printing out the maps as it's easier to use and the print functionality is better than memory map. Still undecided about whether to bother with a gps (my iphone has one anyway) at all or stick to a good old compass when needs must.

The Road Angel does have some good points though if you can live with the battery life and only cycle on roads. You don't need any extra maps for the uk and it will also autoroute for you just like your tom tom for the car. You can set it up and tell it you are on a bike or walking.


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## Will1962 (4 Mar 2009)

clownfishrob said:


> Well had the road angel 7000 now sold it. Biggest problem was memory map software is a real pain to use and the unit only has 8 hrs battery life. You can't easily charge it if you are camping either unless you want to carry a mains charger or some other specialist charging device like a power monkey.



I've got a Road Angel 7000, and recently bought one of these http://zzing.de/English_Zzing/ to charge from my SON dynamo hub. The Road Angel connects via USB to the Zzing for charging, while the internal batteries in the Zzing are charged from the dynamo. I'll have to wait a few months before I can test it on a camping tour.

Will


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## andym (4 Mar 2009)

I'm intrigued by the dynamo charger, but unfortunately I get a 'suspected malware' warning from that site. Is it just me?


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## Will1962 (4 Mar 2009)

andym said:


> I'm intrigued by the dynamo charger, but unfortunately I get a 'suspected malware' warning from that site. Is it just me?



I don't get any such warning. I'm running IE7 with the phising filter on, and McAfee Security Center. What is giving you that message?

Will


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## andym (4 Mar 2009)

Google Safe Browsing:



> What is the current listing status for 193.111.244.0?
> This site is not currently listed as suspicious.
> 
> Part of this site was listed for suspicious activity 1 time(s) over the past 90 days.
> ...



The German language part of the site seems to be OK.


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## andygates (4 Mar 2009)

jay clock said:


> I am interested in more feedback on the Garmin Etrex Legend HCx and how you use it in conjunction with openstreetmap



Upload a route (GPX format) and it'll calculate from place to place. I find that over-detailed, and prefer to put in a few points, letting the Etrex work out the detail (you can set it to calculate for bike, so it will avoid motorways, but as with any routing, it can sometimes be utterly mental  ).

>>I've just loaded openstreetmap onto my legend HCx and I must say I'm extremely disappointed with a) the appearance of the maps and  the coverage in and around sheffield.

The OpenStreetMap project is about where wikipedia was in 2004 - the framework is there but the detail is still being filled in. The difference is that Joe Punter can fill it in. Otherwise you gotta wait for locals to do the mapping! Devon's villages are present but just as names, and it's one of my projects for the spring (along with others). 

The ugliness is the same for the Garmin bought maps, it's a feature of the device. Try the "bright" map instead for different styles (I think they're gaudy: triathletes love them  ). Etrex mapping isn't beautiful because the device isn't a global superbrain.


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## andrew_s (4 Mar 2009)

andym said:


> I'm intrigued by the dynamo charger, but unfortunately I get a 'suspected malware' warning from that site. Is it just me?


I get the same.
Try here via google language tools, and stay clear of the English flag.

Cost €80 plus p+p
It's got an internal NiMh 5xAA power pack which it charges from the hub dynamo, and uses to charge whatever you plug into the USB port.


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## andym (5 Mar 2009)

andrew_s said:


> I get the same.
> Try here via google language tools, and stay clear of the English flag.
> 
> Cost €80 plus p+p
> It's got an internal NiMh 5xAA power pack which it charges from the hub dynamo, and uses to charge whatever you plug into the USB port.



Andrew - thanks. Fortunately the pictures are in English.


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## Plax (20 Apr 2009)

I'm going to hijack this thread if I may.

Basically I want something to act as a "training aid" - to log milage, heart rate, candence, speed etc. 
I want to use it on my commute so it needs to be able to be used everyday and be waterproof.

I also want some kind of GPS for my weekend jaunts. I'll be looking at doing 50-100 mile day rides. I'm hopeless at map reading (must be a girl thing ), so something easy to use for incompetant map reading numpties. 

I was thinking something like the Garmin Edge 705. Would this fulfil my requirements (or the 605 - can't see that much difference between them to be honest).

Or would I be better off getting a mounting bracket and "borrowing" Mr Plax's satnav (Garmin Nuvi 250 with option for cycling) and looking at an alternative kind of training aid?


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## andym (20 Apr 2009)

The Edge would do pretty much everything you want. The Edge is a bit less well-suited to long distance touring where you might want to store loads of trackpoints - but for what you want that's not an issue.

Bear in mind that it comes with a rechargeable li-polymer battery. Personally I hate the things because you end up having yet another charger and usually the batteries have to be replaced long before the gizmo itself has had its day, but I think you may be able to get an accessory that means you can power it with AA batteries.

The Edge 705 costs £245; you could get a decent eTrex Legend HCx, plus a cycle computer that will measure cadence, plus a qood-quality heart rate monitor for under £200. A lot of people would argue that it's worth paying £50 for the convenience of having everything in one box (and its also great for downloading all of your statistics to a computer), but if it goes wrong then everything goes wrong.

Bear in mind that if you want the full benefits of routeability (not sure if that's the right word - but being able have directions - eg 'turn left in 100 metres') you need to spring for the Garmin City Navigator software (someone may correct me, but I think this is the case). Personally I paid extra for the DVD version so I can plan routes on the PC and then download to the GPS. (Get it direct from Garmin - they are a lot cheaper than anyone else).


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