GPSr Advice?

[Supertrunk]

Hi, and thanks in advance for any advice you can give........................

 

I race off road motorcycles, and help verify, setup, and lay out off road racing courses out here in Las Vegas. I've been using either Garmin's eTrex Vista and Legend so far, but would like to move up to a little bit nicer unit. Durability is as important as the features, since most of what I do is either recording a track (to submit to BLM / Forrest Service for their various approvals) or following a pre-programmed route (to mark the course just prior to a race). I like to have the topo maps loaded, but they are really just a luxury rather than a necessity. I'll also use the unit a little for city and highway navigation while traveling.

 

I've settled on three potential units, and would like to get your thoughts on these, as this forum has so much more "collective experience" than anywhere else I've been!

 

The units are the Garmin 60CSX (good non-moving compass, excellent reputation, and I'm used to Garmin), the Magellan XL (I like the bigger screen, it's a little bit easier to read while moving), and the Delorme PN20 (this unit seems to have the best selection of topo maps, plus photographic imagery in color).

 

Also, would there be any other units that I've missed that would fit the bill?

 

Again, thanks for your thoughts..................

[Glenn W]

I use the 60CSx with a RAM mount on my street bikes. Works great and I strongly suspect that it would also work well for off-road use.

[+media601]

The Garmites seem to be more vocal here than the Magellites. The Delormites are fairly new because the PN-20 just came out. I have a Venture Cx (Same as Legend CX but ships without cable and microSD) and 60Csx and I don't see a lot of real world difference as far as accuracy goes. The 60CSx is a easier to use when affixed to a vehicle because it has more dedicated buttons and they are right on the front of the unit. The 60CSx also acquires faster and claims to hold a lock better in tree cover (although accuracy is decreased as it would be with any unit.)

 

For comparisons between 60 series and Delorme, try here.

Edited April 24, 2007 by media601

[Supertrunk]

Oh!

And Glen W brought up a point I forgot............

I'm using a RAM mount now, but am looking at the vibration damping Touratech mounts to protect my "investment", and the availability of a good mount would be a plus too!

[+Renegade Knight]

For your use, make sure the track logs of each type are up to snuff.

Garmin tends to be more accurate in track logs than Magellan. I don't know about the PN-20, but it's maps may work better for you.

[+gnbrotz]

The Garmin 76CSx is almost a fraternal twin of the 60CSx. It has a different form factor, but the same insides and can usually be found for about $30 cheaper then the 60CSx.

[wurthless]

The Garmin 76CSx is almost a fraternal twin of the 60CSx. It has a different form factor, but the same insides and can usually be found for about $30 cheaper then the 60CSx.

But IMHO,, it does not compare in durability to the 60CSx,

[+gnbrotz]

But IMHO,, it does not compare in durability to the 60CSx,

 

In what regard? I've dropped and banged mine a few times and have had absolutely no problems with it.

Edited April 25, 2007 by gnbrotz

[+Kewaneh & Shark]

If you are planning on using the GPSr exclusively on your bike, I'd look at a few of the other Garmins such as the Quest, Zumo, or Street Pilot series units. They've been used on many offroad motorcycles with great results. If you plan on using the unit off the bike too, a Garmin 60CSX would be up to the task. I'm a Magellan fan, but I would suggest going with a Garmin because of the support, both by the company and by aftermarketers.

 

No matter which unit or company you decide to go with, if you're going to be in any serious off-road courses (very technical or with high speeds) a Tourtech mount would be a better choice for a mount. A RAM mount is excellent (My Magellan Meridian is attached to my R100GS with a RAM) but as tough as they are, they are plastic. The Touratech mounts are aluminum, and they have vibration dampers and are lockable.

 

One thing to consider as well, is hardwiring your GPSr to the bike's power supply. Every GPSr is susceptable to vibrations. Vibrations can cause the batteries to momentarily lose contact and occasionally crash the unit. I've had it happen a few times when my GPSr was on the bike using internal batteries, but never when when it's been hardwired. My Magellan has seen about 20,000-25,000 miles attached to the bars of my bike.

 

A good place the check for GPS units and offroad motorcycle uses is in the Adventure Rider Forums. ADVRider.com is a site devoted to dual-sport & offroad motorcycles and they have a large sub-forum devoted to GPS units. They also trade tracks (in Garmin format).

 

Hope this all helps.

 

- Kewaneh