GPS / Satnav.

[Cal Price]

Does anyone have a bike-mounted GPS system and how does it stand up to the outdoor envirnment?

I have been toying with the idea of getting one for a while, I notice the cops and paramedics Honda ST1300s have them but i am not sure what type.

The Europeans are busy chucking up satelites for a civilian system called "Gallileo" supposedly it will be cheaper to use than the U.S. Military GPS system, hopefully a bit of competition should bring down access charges all round, is it worth waiting another year ??

[mike_mike]

there's handlebar mounts for a bunch of garmin products.

Most GPS units that are intended for outdoor use are waterproof, and will work perfectly in all motorcycling conditions.

They're battery operated, so you'd have to find a cable to hardwire it into the bike - ebay and gps specialty shops have these.

I have a garmin geko, i don't use it on my bike. i use it in the car, with a 12v adapter.



If you do a lot of stuff outdoors, personally i would go with a handheld style GPS so you can use it for other things. The road navigation ones are neat, but not really something you could take hiking, or camping.

[Lee from Toronto]

I had a Garmin Streetpilot 2610 mounted on my GS500F. I used the Garmin Motorcycling Mounting Kit along with a RAM Mount. It was hardwired to my battery, so I had a plastic cap on the exposed power terminals, and it's sat through rain-storms without blowing the fuse. The SP2610 isn't waterproof, so when it rained, I put a clear showercap over it, the elastic helped hold it in place. Here are some pictures:


Field-tested in wet and rainy conditions


RAM Mount. Notice the plastic cap over the power terminal when the GPS is not in use

[Rema1000]

GPS is free to use.  One big difference is that the US can turn-off GPS (or deliberately futz with the data) anytime it is felt to be necessary (such as during time of war).  That could mean late delivery of baguettes in Paris, Bratzen in Hamburg, and pizza Vera Nepolitana in Naples.   Imagine Ost Prussland ohne ordnung! This makes some people uncomfortable, due to their uncertainty over US foreign policy.

Another is that enhancements like DGPS are only available in some countries, and are not uniform at sea-level versus flight-level.
So... Gallileo to the rescue.

[mike_mike]

GPS is free to use.  One big difference is that the US can turn-off GPS (or deliberately futz with the data) anytime it is felt to be necessary (such as during time of war).  That could mean late delivery of baguettes in Paris, Bratzen in Hamburg, and pizza Vera Nepolitana in Naples.   Imagine Ost Prussland ohne ordnung! This makes some people uncomfortable, due to their uncertainty over US foreign policy.

Another is that enhancements like DGPS are only available in some countries, and are not uniform at sea-level versus flight-level.
So... Gallileo to the rescue.

really? 'GPS' as we know it for civilian use around the world is controled by american owned satelites?

[arcsecond]

yep, GPS is an american military invention. Just like the internet. Gallileo is going to be a fee-based service. Even if you have the reciever you still have to pay to decode the signal.

I have a Garmin iQue 3600 which is nice as it's also a PalmOS based PDA. The GPS receiver folds into the back of the unit when not in use. Haven't mounted it on a motorcycle yet. But had the idea that if you and a bunch of friends had GPS units, and could network them together somehow, you could play your own real-life version of Tron light-cycles.

Hope this helps.
-James

[mike_mike]

yep, GPS is an american military invention. Just like the internet. Gallileo is going to be a fee-based service. Even if you have the reciever you still have to pay to decode the signal.

I have a Garmin iQue 3600 which is nice as it's also a PalmOS based PDA. The GPS receiver folds into the back of the unit when not in use. Haven't mounted it on a motorcycle yet. But had the idea that if you and a bunch of friends had GPS units, and could network them together somehow, you could play your own real-life version of Tron light-cycles.

Hope this helps.
-James

neat - here's the nitty gritty details

http://www.navcen.uscg.gov/archive/2001/Oct/FinalReport-v4.6.pdf

[budget speed demon]

yep, GPS is an american military invention. Just like the internet.

what? the internet is not an american military invention.

[ajgs500]

yep, GPS is an american military invention. Just like the internet.

what? the internet is not an american military invention.

I thought Al Gore invented the internet lol

[mike_mike]

yep, GPS is an american military invention. Just like the internet.

what? the internet is not an american military invention.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ARPANET

[brembo]

The European Union is planning on launching their own GPS style satelites in the future. Partly so the US can turn off their ones, and GPS will still work.

I currently use a PDA w- CF gps card, and tuck that in my tank bag, but lately I've been looking at a Garmin Quest gps unit, very similar to Lee's 2610 but it's a little smaller, and waterproof so it's perfect for use on a bike, and there's a special motorcycle mount made specially for it.

[Cal Price]

Thanks people, just what I needed and some food for thought.