Garmin Sat Nav

[freestyler_onli]

https://www.mynewcheap.co.uk/products/details/garmin-zumo-500-uk-bike-satnav/10422/

Bit of a stupid Q but:

Does this include a Bluetooth headphone thing or do i have to get a separate one???
Ie - it says there's a voice thing, but do you have an earphone in your ear or is the noise emitted from the device itself?

[DEN MONKEY]

Hey there, sorry to leave ya hangin so long. Just spotted ya thread.

No it doesnt come with a BT headset.
So you would need to purchase one.
There are a number of Bt headsets made for bike helmets, so just have a google to look for one. Not cheap though.

A voice thing ? not much of a researcher are we

Ok where to start.

The unit itself as per the link you posted has no speakers, mic or outputs for those items.
So while you can use the item on foot you wont get any audible instructions.
Still ive used it as such and because you're not exaclty moving at a rate of knots you can manage just fine without them.

The only time you get audio out of the unit is when you have it in either the bike cradle or car cradle which are both included in the kit.
I was impressed with that. But you do pay for it.

When in the car if you can hook up your BT mobile phone to it and it works as a hands free car kit.
Pretty nifty this.
So you can just stick you phone in the console and dial, receive and talk through the Garmin on the wind screen.
Its so good at this, that I had a friend driving along beside me in the car at about 60km/h and carrying a conversation with someone I had on the phone over the GPS. He was on the passanger side with his drivers window open and I with mine open.
Both the caller and friend in his car were able to hear each other quite well.
Was quite chuffed

When on the bike you have can connect the phone the same way and either use a BT headset or have a wired one.
The bike cradle has output/input for a headset and a mic.
They are seperate plugs.
I understand though that the BT headset even if it has two speakers will not give you stereo output.
Which is a bit of a pisser when using the mp3 player on the unit.

I just use a good set of earplug type headphones and dont worry about making calls.
I can still see when and who is calling and if need be I just pull over and return the call.
I did get a mic wired up but it doesnt work at all.
I think the mic itself is shit but havent got around to trying another yet.

If you do go for a wired headset/mic combo be aware that most will come with one plug.
So you will need to be specific if you order one.
Unless you're nifty with a soldering Iron and want to split it yourself when you get it.

Hope that helps. If you have any more questions dont hesitate to ask


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meh

[freestyler_onli]

Yeah ta.

I dont care about anything other than the route planner thing and being able to hear it in my ears.

[iooi]

[freestyler_onli]

DOH!

Ta for that but i already ordered a Garmin one plus headset.

[McJamweasel]

[Misc]

[mr.z]

https://www.bikechatforums.com/viewtopic.php?t=77763&highlight=garmin

This is worth a nosey if your interested in the i3
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>RidingSkills<->Tech Tips<->MyBikes<

[DEN MONKEY]

Hmm they look pretty cool.
The garmin while being a lot more expensive is specifically made for bikes.
So its shock rated and water proof under something like 3m of water for 30 minutes. Which i thought was impressive.
If ya bike is under that much water for that long the last of ya worries is ya gps.

Not to mention the size of that little thing and the ability to use it on the run.
The Garmin screen changes size when in the car mount or bike mount. To make it easier to use with gloves on.

And I love the mp3 on it.

If you're after a cheaper option I think those would be nifty but I just wanted something that was made to so what I needed it to out of the box.
I'd have to say the garmin has done that job very well
____________________
meh

[KTM Gordo]

I've had a Garmin GPS V for five years, and I'm very pleased with it. However things have moved on in the world of GPS, and there are newer, better units available.

The Garmin Zumo looks great, but I have reservations about touch-screens and gloves (you're never quite sure which "button" you've just pressed - especially when wearing winter gloves of the lobster claw variety). It's also expensive, and whilst the Bluetooth facility might come in handy, why do you need a MP3 player and picture viewer...?

As an alternative, the Garmin Quest 2 is also weather-proof, cheaper and still covers the whole of Europe.

If you're considering a TomTom Rider, then be aware that the mounting brackets seem very fragile and I know of quite a few people who've had to fork-out for replacements or had them replaced under warranty.

I'm sorely tempted by the Zumo 550 - anyone know of somewhere doing a good deal on them...?
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Change is inevitable - except from a vending machine.

KTM 990 Adventure | KTM EXC 250 Racing | Land Rover Freelander SE Td4

[DEN MONKEY]

Hey Gordo. I was thinking the same thing as you with the mp3 function but its probably one of the functions I use the most now.

I used to use my phone from time to time but it was a pain in the arse to change songs with it in your pocket etc.
So with this right in front of your face its a much safer and easier to use option.

Not sure how you would go with the all in one gloves but with normal 5 finger gloves it works fine.
When you place it in the bike cradle the touch screen buttons enlarge to allow use with gloves.

While I have managed to input a route on the go I wouldnt recommend it for obvious reasons.
You find you take way too much attention away from what you should be doing.

Its the price point which is its worst enemy.
If it was more competitive there would be no other option but to get one in my book.
____________________
meh

[coolfox1]

[quote="iooi"]
Also Tesco are having a offer on