Thinking about getting one, Just few questions
1, are they any good for using off road in the Peak District
2, will i get all i need in the box or will i have to start paying silly
money for a new OS type of map to use off road
3, will it stay put on the handlebar mount on the bumpy stuff
4 is there any other gps units worth looking at
5, should i stick to a nice paper OS map
Cheers
Andy
The 705 is more of a training device than a pure navigation GPS, that said I find the navigation side of things perfectly acceptable.
Depending on which option you went for you may or may not get most of what you need in the box, but you will need some form of mapping on your PC for planning and transfering routes.
I've never had a problem with the mounts on mine and I do a resonable ammount of offroad stuff.
If you don't need the training functions there are several other Garmin models;- eTrex, Dakota, Colorado, there's also the Satmap and Memory Map are doing an Adventurer 2800 (or something like that).
Maps are a pain in the arse.
Have a look at the Garmin 705 forum:- Garmin 605/705
It comes with a basemap installed, but if you want all the detail you'll need the map on microSD card that Garmin sell (either the road one or the countryside one). If it's as good as the 305 for courses then no problem for Navigation, though I suspect it will be better.
Cheers for the info
If the unit comes with "Topo GB DVD" will that map give me the same detail as a OS map with bridleways/footpaths and let me plan a off road route with waypoints and send that to the garmin unit to follw on a ride ?
If the unit comes with "Topo GB DVD" will that map give me the same detail as a OS map with bridleways/footpaths
Hi,
I was blessed with one, by the wife for xmas. In answer to your questions.
1) Mine's fine for using in the Welsh mountains. I live in Aberystwyth. I can't see why the Peaks will be any different.
2) Mine's a 705 Topo so came with a maps CD. They're not OS but are fine to navigate by and aren't that different to French maps. (Well not IMO)
3) The stem mount is spot on. It clicks positively into place and kept mine in place around the Tarw at Coed y Brenin last weekend. There's not many more rocky and bumpy at a trail centre.
4) Haven't tried others. Was advised by a prominent 24hr racer that the 705 was all I needed.
5) Much less faff than paper OS maps, but you don't get HR monitor and bike computer with an OS map. On the flip side an OS map, a reasonable bike computer and an equally reasonable HR monitor could be yours for less than the cost of a 705. The difference is convenience, portability and battery life's surprisingly good.
As Dibbs says, you can't differentiate between Paths and Bridleways. Around here, it's pretty obvious the difference and a bit of common sense should be applied.
I hope I've been of some help.
The Dakota 20 is worth looking at too
Proper OS mapping on the screen
I woud like something like this too, but i am moving to the US this year. Do you think there be maps available for over there too?
Do you think there be maps available for over there too?
Absolutely sure of it
As uplink says. Yes they are available..
Check the link above - not sure if it gives you all of the detail you want but its a good alternative. I think quite a few on here use them
Cheers for the info,,Silly question time now
What would happen if i missed a turn on the GPS ? would it be a case of back tracking until until i got to the turn i missed ??
And is there a limit to the amount of waypoint you can use
one more (sorry) If you find links on web sites to gps bike routes is it just a case of copy and paste to the garmin, or are some files for garmin and some not/other makes of gps unit
thaks again
Andy
Andy Check out a site by a chap called Frank Kinlan he is an expert on the 705. Google him.
I find the OpenStreetMap stuff to be better than garmins own, and its free.
For route planning, i've used http://www.bikehike.co.uk before, you can just download a route straight to the device.
For navigating, its fine for a pre-planned route, but if you want to go exploring and make up routes as you go along you need an OS map, either a real actual paper one, or one displayed on a satmap/PDA/dakota etc..
Theres two route planning modes, off-road (list of waypoints with straight lines connecting them) and on-road (like TomTom). The on-road re-routes if you make a mistake but its slow, the off-road means you have to backtrack or pick up the trail later on.
I find the OpenStreetMap stuff to be better than garmins own, and its free.
Not wishing to hijack the OP but Ive seen a Garmin 305 watch for sale locally on gumtree for £60. I just want one for tracking my miles and routes , Is this any good.
I just looked at the OpenStreetMap stuff for the Quantocks, I'll stick with the Topo GB thanks
In case you only looked at the OSM website, you do get contours on the GPS, but not on the OSM site.
I use OSM mapping on my 605; it does the job. Also ace is that I recently went to Dubai and Sydney and with just a quick download had full mapping of those places on it too... 
Thanks phiiiiil, does OSM show all the Quantocks Bridleways, it doesn't appear to on the website.
Not if they're not on the osm site, 'tis just the contours that aren't on the website but are on the gps.
Will the memory map OS maps go onto a garmin and then you should be able to see the bridleways as well as the footpaths ?
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