strsout
Dec 26th, 2006, 7:14 pm
After my trip to Baja this weekend, I had a chance to try my new Zumo.
the overal for the product is 6 (1 to 10) and the major faults are:
As a long timer Garmin GPS user, I just bought a new Zumo. I've had many Garmin models, like SPIII+, 76, 76 color, SPIIIcolor and now Zumo.
This weekend I had my first trip with this new model and after that I have to say I'm a bit disappointed with the product. Looks like it's a less capable version of all other Garmin I had. Maybe some issues are because I'm not able to find how to do, and as soon as I learn if it's possible (or not), that will not be an issue any more.
Please, do not take it wrong, I'm a die-hard Garmin user and only what I want is a good motorcycle product.
My issues are:
1) Zumo doesn't show the tracks log on the screen, like every other product. For a MC (motorcycle) it is a big thing, since some times we want to back track quickly to some place and seeing the track logs makes it easy. Can I have it enable?
2) Zumo doesn't show Waypoints, unless it's in the route. I went to Mexico, and I'm using the Garmin World Map to trace my route. So it's much easier if I upload all my waypoints that I want to go/see and decide where/when to go as I pass by it. Zumo doesn't show those waypoints. Only if it's on the route, and even there, when you pass by that point, it desapear at the first recalculation.
3) which brings the 3th. point: the recalculation occurs as soon as you are 20, maybe 30 feet from the route. It's totally unaceptable. Garmin has good maps, but even they are very inacuratly (the border from Tecate, CA and Tecate, Baja California shows w/o roads, and it's not true. You can cross borders there). So every few seconds the zumo recalculates. can it be more under control? Like only recalculates after xxx feet from the route?
4) The turn-by-turn is great for MC on the SPIII, showing the turn with a zoom screen, that makes easy to read. Zumo only shows a small white arrow, that if you are at an very busy freeway intersection, it's hard to decide where to go. That SPIII feature (and others) is a must for Motorcycle and it was removed from Zumo. can I have it?
5) For a MC rider, the altitude is even more important then the speed. How can I see the current altitude with zumo?
6) talking about show info, there are too few information on the Zumo screen. On the GPSIII+ and on the 76 one can customize the display and that is very useful.
Honest I don't care how many minutes I was stopped during my trip.
How long to the next turn (it's there),
how long to the end of the trip (it's not there so easy. You have to press the down arrow many times until you get the mileage to your final destination),
how is the current average speed (it's not there),
What is the ETA (it's there, very easily).
The speed, all motorcycle that some one uses to a trip has it. The same with that useless gas estimate (there is no use at all for that icon unless to amuse the rider). I would like to have the Altimeter there.
7) The back colors has no contrast with the road colors, neither visual indication of paved and unpaved roads. That's a big fault. In neither mode (day or night) the rider can't see the roads in a distinct manner. The pale yellow against the fade yellow... who's idea was that? How can I change those colors?
And for a MC GPS, why not have distinction between freeways, highways, paved and unpaved roads?
8) at the and of the day, the whole log is break in many sub-logs, unlike the previuos Garmin models, where you can save the full day log in one track log. Can it be fix?
9) why I cannot see the Garmin World Maps on my Zumo? I try it, but doens't show. Only the original base maps that came with it. I load the World Maps on a SD card.
10) How can I 'pan' the map, to see what is head or behind my current route, w/o zooming out? I try to move the map with my finger, up/down/left/right, but it only works if I'm the process to create a route. I would like to do it during my route, to see what is in front of me.
Please again, understand that I like the whole idea of Zumo. The size, the format, the weight, the mount accessories, the buttons, many features, etc, but as a long time garmin user (since 1999) and longer time MC rider (over 100K miles on the last 22 years), I was expecting something much better from Garmin, and I'm afraid that I just bought the wrong GPS.
You can see the trip report at:
http://www.viajareua.com/Baja_California.html
Thank you
the overal for the product is 6 (1 to 10) and the major faults are:
As a long timer Garmin GPS user, I just bought a new Zumo. I've had many Garmin models, like SPIII+, 76, 76 color, SPIIIcolor and now Zumo.
This weekend I had my first trip with this new model and after that I have to say I'm a bit disappointed with the product. Looks like it's a less capable version of all other Garmin I had. Maybe some issues are because I'm not able to find how to do, and as soon as I learn if it's possible (or not), that will not be an issue any more.
Please, do not take it wrong, I'm a die-hard Garmin user and only what I want is a good motorcycle product.
My issues are:
1) Zumo doesn't show the tracks log on the screen, like every other product. For a MC (motorcycle) it is a big thing, since some times we want to back track quickly to some place and seeing the track logs makes it easy. Can I have it enable?
2) Zumo doesn't show Waypoints, unless it's in the route. I went to Mexico, and I'm using the Garmin World Map to trace my route. So it's much easier if I upload all my waypoints that I want to go/see and decide where/when to go as I pass by it. Zumo doesn't show those waypoints. Only if it's on the route, and even there, when you pass by that point, it desapear at the first recalculation.
3) which brings the 3th. point: the recalculation occurs as soon as you are 20, maybe 30 feet from the route. It's totally unaceptable. Garmin has good maps, but even they are very inacuratly (the border from Tecate, CA and Tecate, Baja California shows w/o roads, and it's not true. You can cross borders there). So every few seconds the zumo recalculates. can it be more under control? Like only recalculates after xxx feet from the route?
4) The turn-by-turn is great for MC on the SPIII, showing the turn with a zoom screen, that makes easy to read. Zumo only shows a small white arrow, that if you are at an very busy freeway intersection, it's hard to decide where to go. That SPIII feature (and others) is a must for Motorcycle and it was removed from Zumo. can I have it?
5) For a MC rider, the altitude is even more important then the speed. How can I see the current altitude with zumo?
6) talking about show info, there are too few information on the Zumo screen. On the GPSIII+ and on the 76 one can customize the display and that is very useful.
Honest I don't care how many minutes I was stopped during my trip.
How long to the next turn (it's there),
how long to the end of the trip (it's not there so easy. You have to press the down arrow many times until you get the mileage to your final destination),
how is the current average speed (it's not there),
What is the ETA (it's there, very easily).
The speed, all motorcycle that some one uses to a trip has it. The same with that useless gas estimate (there is no use at all for that icon unless to amuse the rider). I would like to have the Altimeter there.
7) The back colors has no contrast with the road colors, neither visual indication of paved and unpaved roads. That's a big fault. In neither mode (day or night) the rider can't see the roads in a distinct manner. The pale yellow against the fade yellow... who's idea was that? How can I change those colors?
And for a MC GPS, why not have distinction between freeways, highways, paved and unpaved roads?
8) at the and of the day, the whole log is break in many sub-logs, unlike the previuos Garmin models, where you can save the full day log in one track log. Can it be fix?
9) why I cannot see the Garmin World Maps on my Zumo? I try it, but doens't show. Only the original base maps that came with it. I load the World Maps on a SD card.
10) How can I 'pan' the map, to see what is head or behind my current route, w/o zooming out? I try to move the map with my finger, up/down/left/right, but it only works if I'm the process to create a route. I would like to do it during my route, to see what is in front of me.
Please again, understand that I like the whole idea of Zumo. The size, the format, the weight, the mount accessories, the buttons, many features, etc, but as a long time garmin user (since 1999) and longer time MC rider (over 100K miles on the last 22 years), I was expecting something much better from Garmin, and I'm afraid that I just bought the wrong GPS.
You can see the trip report at:
http://www.viajareua.com/Baja_California.html
Thank you