KDXRIDER.NET

Any comments/suggestions on GPS units? One of the places I ride has 100's of miles of trails and while there is a map, it really only shows 1/10 of the trails available to ride. I have been to this place a couple of times and did get lost each time. While it wasn't a bad situation, it would be nice to do some more exploring without worry.

I currently have an old Garmin 12 that still works but is a dinosaur. It is big, and not very user friendly. It also requires 4 batteries that last about 8 hours max. To mount this on the KDX will require about another $45.

this particular place and many other in MN are wooded, some heavily. Being able to "see" the satellites is a must.

Thanks guys -

Mark

Hi Mark. I use a Magellan Platinum. It has the ability to have a smart card added and so mine has a 256MB capacity. With that, I also bought a software program called TOPO! and can upload topographic maps to the gps as well as have the TOPO! program installed on a regular or laptop computer. When I hit the trails, I turn the unit on in what I call " breadcrumb" mode. That's where it will mark, every few seconds, your trip. It also can tell you distance travel, and speed information, like current, average and highest speed. If I go into a heavily wooded area, it will "guess" the route I've taken until it picks up the sattelites again. When I'm ready to head back, I change it over to "retrace" mode and have the screen display a large arrow pointing the direction I need to be heading in. It uses 2 AA batteries and will usually make it for a 5 hour loop, but I always carry a couple of spare batteries with me. I use recahargable NMh with a 1200mah rating. I strap it to my bars with a piece of velcro and a saftey lanyard tied off to my bars, just in case the velcro fails me. When I get back home, I can upload the day's ride into my home computer and view the trip via my TOPO! software program there. I lay one trip over the other and then even design my own trip and download to the Magellan as well. I can also then print out my topo maps complete with my route and in full color. With a little clear 3"wide tape, I can laminate the map and take it with me to review the overall area while on the trail. My only wish is that it had a color display.

I have been comparing them here:
http://www.gpsdiscount.com/home.html

Great site Inda...

http://www.gpsdiscount.com/products/index.html?p=763

This is what I'm saving for

Trev, I clicked the "your price" button for the GPS you are wanting and it is only $301.48 and that includes the shipping.

I think that is a great price.

Hey, I just looked more at that site Inda posted (Thanks Inda!!) and that RINO unit has a built in 2 way radio AND you can see where your riding buddy is!!! How cool is that?!?

And a PAIR is less than $300 shipped.

That's the unit I have been eyeing... GPS plus communication!

What really separates the Rino from the rest of the FRS herd is the ability to "beam" your exact location to another Rino user within a two-mile range using the FRS spectrum. This important feature is called Peer-to-Peer Positioning

Cool I didn't see those ones. The colour ones over here are still close to $1000AU. My mother is going to Hong Kong next month so I told her to keep her eye out for a good colour one, Magellan or Garmin.

Imagine the ransom customs would charge me on a $400 GPS shipment

Here ya go... enter to win a Rino!
http://www.gpsdiscount.com/drawing.html

They'd still probably hit me with the same fees at customs if I won.

skipro3 - do you have a pic of your bike gps mount? I have a Magellan Pro and can't figure out a godd, safe way to mount it.

Thanks!
KC

I'll see about taking some photos tomorrow and post them up. Be patent though, I'm pretty slow on photo stuff.

Inda, I have the Rino... I carry it in a fanny pack which is not that convenient, and does not get used much. I'm going to make a mount for it soon. I have had no problems with the Rino... wish the screen was a tad bigger.
If you buy a Rino, try to talk one of your buds into buying one also.

Mark W if you buy a GPS make sure to get a mount with it. Better yet if you can make one for it.

Check out some dualsport forums. There is some good hands on info there.http://www.thumpertalk.com/forum/search ... hid=239220

Here is some Rino info http://www.tvnav.com/rino120.htm

Hey Jerry I see you have the Magellan platinum, I'm looking at the colour model you speak of wanting. Do you know if the platinum and colour have the same features except the colour screen or are there other features I have missed ?? Cheers Trev

The platinum and the color differ in a couple of areas. The platinum has an electronic 3 axis compass which means that you do not have to be moving for the compass to be working and it has a barometer that can plot the verticle up's and downs you travelled that day.

Mark

Great info thank you. I was looking at the platinum over the colour one to begin with but can get a good deal on the colour one.

The ones with communication and location identification look great for those of us who also snowmachine, snowboard or hunt with others in the back country. Who hasn't been wondering where your buddy is while waiting at the top of a ridge or down in the valley?? Price looks good too.

Note to self - Father's day is not far off - drop hints to wife.

I was given a platinum and am wondering if I want to trade it in for a color. I think the color would be easier to see in bright sunshine and I like that color show lakes and streams as blue, not gray.

I don't know what I need more, the 3 axis electronic compass which is a real nice feature, or the color screen? The barometer that comes with the platinum I don't need.

Oh, the platinum's are really coming down in price. I can pick one up locally for approximately $230 - 250.

Mark

I have read on an Austrailia site that the colour one chews the batterys quicker and the colour screen in difficult to see in bright sunlight. I'm going to go with the colour one I think as I can get it $100 cheaper than the platinum.