GPS Rookie Question

[KYLT05]

First of all, yes I have read all of the posts in the GPS section.

In the past I have used a GPS V on my St 1300 (due to somewhat limited space) but would now like to upgrade to a better GPS system for my '05 LT. (My old GPS V will now go on my 650 V Strom).

Not wanting to plunk down $800-1,000 for a unit and finding the BMW Nav unit rather outrageous I am looking at Garmin factory re-furbished models. Right now a StreetPilot III is $324, a 2910 runs $499 and a 2620 runs $559 whcih are in my price range.

Here is my question(s). Is is really worth the $$$'s for a 2610 or 2620 over the Street Pilot III? What am I really getting in the process? I have the Voice II Comm system that I would like to tie in to for voice commands through my helmet speakers. I also plan to mount the GPS on a BMR shelf and tie power in through my map light.

Any and all suggestions or recommendations would be most welcomed.

[CWF]

I've had both the SPIII and now have the 2610. I think the 2610 was worth the price due to very fast recalc times vs the SPIII and the fact that you can buy a 2GB CF card for the 2610 and load ALL the U.S. maps onto the unit and practically never have to take it back to a PC unless you want to download a PC generated map or waypoint.

These are significant advantages to me. Many time in an urban area I'd miss a turn with the SPIII and before it could recalculate I'd already have missed it's recalculated route's turn!! I used to pull over to wait for it to recalculate because it was soooo slow. Not so with the 2610.

[Daman858]

I also have a V and am upgrading to a refurbished 2610. I don't use it enough to justify a larger unit but from what I have read, I should be very happy with my choice.

[dronning]

I had a III and as mentioned above the 2610 is much faster. The audio commands are spot on and the menus very easy to negotiate. I like fact that all the maps fit on a 2 gig card which can be picked up for under $100.

Dave

[messenger13]

Get the 2610. The speed difference over the SPIII is way worth it. Especially when you're traveling in cities where you've never been, make a wrong turn, and need to know RIGHT NOW what your next step is. The SPIII will make you wait. And that's not always a good thing (or a safe thing) when you're touring on a bike.

[jpalamaro]

Avoid the 2620. The internal hard drive (I believe the IBM Microdrive or Hitach ((same thing))) not conducive to motorcycles. Some have had success but I would avoid it . . . too risky.

[Woolly]

Avoid the 2620. The internal hard drive (I believe the IBM Microdrive or Hitach ((same thing))) not conducive to motorcycles. Some have had success but I would avoid it . . . too risky.

I have a 2gig microdrive on mine - supplied free by BMW UK - absoloutely no problems what so ever - the whole of Europe on one 'card', really fast re-calculation of routes, - I'm slowly working on travelling every country it holds (7 so far :sun: )

[messenger13]

When I bought my 2610, I was advised not to get a microdrive too. Of course, Joe being Joe, I bought one! :D It's worked flawlessly for thousands of miles. That's my story and I'm stickin' to it...

[jackd]

Here is my question(s). Is is really worth the $$$'s for a 2610 or 2620 over the Street Pilot III? What am I really getting in the process?

I have an SP III and it is good. Probably all I need today. However if I had to replace it I would need take into account the cost of data cards. The $175 difference between the SP III and the 2610 will be mostly chewed up in the cost of additional cards for the SP III (256 MB is largest available about $90) and you will have none of the advantages of the larger data storage. Each time they update the software you put more info on the data source. The SP III is going to hit a practical limit for anyone that uses it for more than a few states of map data. If you plan to take any long trips the 2610s Compact Flash open ended storage will make planning the trip easier. Buy the 2610 and don't look back.

[neodoc]

I have read all the posts in this thread and I wanted to add a question of my own. Most have recommended the 2610, but no one has yet commented on the other, newer products that are on the market, such as the Garmin 2720 and the 376C. Pricing issues aside, are there any benefits to these vs the 2610? This is going to be my next large $ purchase, and as most of you know, I research it all before making a decision.

[airborne]

I have the Nav II Plus and love it. I use it on my bike and in my cage. I do a lot of field investigations and drive about 1,000 miles a week. I used the Nav II the other day in a very remote part of Missouri. I took me cross country on unmarked gravel roads to the destination that I asked for....flawlessly.

[jpalamaro]

Living in Florida might be the problem. On both my 2610 and Nav II (same machine) the Microdrives would 'heat up' excessively to the point where an error message came up to shut down the unit for 'excessive heat'. Garmin confirmed that the Microdrive, while it would fit in the Compact Flash slot, would indeed cause problems in warmer climes. I was additionally told that the microdrive was not recommended for motorcycle use. I found their response somewhat cryptic since I believe the Microdrive was used in the 2620. Switching to 2 Gb compact flash cards I never encountered the error message about excessive heat.

The other reason I would avoid the 2620 is that while a 'bad' compact flash card can easily be replaced, the internal drive of the 2620 I am sure demands a trip back to the factory for repair. I could be wrong!

The 2730 faces some of the same issues but presume, don't know for sure, the internal 'drive' is probably a 2 Gb compact flash, and doesn't exhibit some of the ideosynchrasies of a mechanical medium such as a microdrive.

[jpalamaro]

Should you read the literature (Garmin's) and review some of the posts under GPS on this site, the 376C rocks! The only negative I can think of is Garmin's proprietary 'data card' over the compact flash. They are expensive and the have limited memory e.g. even a 512 Mb (very expensive for size) it will take two to cover the U.S.A. But then again, how often do you need the whole USA covered? Other than that, screen size/brightness, firmware, available XM Satellite Weather and Radio, are indeed showstoppers that to the best of my knowledge are not replicated by anyone else. Get the 376C, plain and simple!

[messenger13]

John, Your recommendation to stay away from microdrive-type CF cards (Type-II) is a good one. I should've stated that in my post. I bought one as a test, and it has passed the test, thus far. But I do not go anywhere without a backup Type I CF card. I am quite amazed, however, how 2 GB of data . . . and a moving leeetle HDD fits in that little casing. AMAZING!!!

[jpalamaro]

Me too Joe. I remember that they actually made the national news when they first came out i.e. the HDD/Microdrive. I don't hear too much about them anymore. My Nikon uses them, as do the Garmins, but some pro photographers I know never use them. According to them much too fragile (drop one and it's toast). So, I think backing yours up with a CF is a wise decision. And Ohio probably doesn't get as hot so you may not have gotten the error message(s) I got on TWO units.