MegaSack DRAW - This year's winner is user - rgwb
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too much choice, your suggestions please.
Default is I suppose, the Garmin 800. 810 way OTT, it talks to phones, mine is hard wired to the house.
what I need is this. Ability to add maps some how, card or memory. colour screen, ability to let me follow my chosen, preplanned journey showing me realtime location.Milions of devices do that. Cycle specifics needed included trip, total distance, average, time elapsed etc.
Cadence and HRM etc interesting but not worth paying for.
Stem mount please, not too hefty, preferably not a fixed battery as they don't last for 2 days riding IME
Price : low please 😆
I bet a lot of things are out there, help me narrow it down.
They almost all have fixed batteries now.
How about a 605/705? Not the latest model but has all the functionality you're after.
Get a non-bike specific one like the extrex 20 or 30.
Uses AA batteries. I'm sure you can get them a lot cheaper than this link too...
http://www.gooutdoors.co.uk/garmin-etrex-30-gps-p191379?gclid=CK-B9pa8obYCFXHLtAoddkEAOA
If its the function of the 800 but the battery life worries you, Duracell make a rechargable and very small and light power booster jobbie. Also, dim the 800 screen to save power. Think they will run for 15hrs continuously...
you can get the 800 bundle on run out these days. http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=58077
Not really the battery life although that's an issue. I want one for tours thus maybe a week with no mains power.
Also I think I would be paying more for things I do not need.
Are things like an Etrex 20 specific as to which maps/software you can add on a SD card. I have most of the UK as another program. It talks to Garmin enough to use it on the laptop, plugged to an older GPS, as a satnav. ie live. Really just a OS spec big screened satnav.
Dakota 20 does all that you want including using AA batteries. It's designed for "walkers" but will also use the cadence and HRM monitors if you feel you want them later.
Edit: you'll need to install a different map set to the one you already have. All the companies do their own proprietary format.
Edit 2: (just read your post on another thread) you can install your own maps on the Dakota if you are prepared to calibrate them using google earth
How about a 605/705? Not the latest model but has all the functionality you're after.
+1 If you're not bothered by the latest touch screen & phone connectability, get a 705.
I picked one up real cheap recently from someone who was upgrading to an 810, and there's still new ones offered on Ebay at much cheaper prices than the 800/810
It looks like openstreetmaos and opencyclemaps will go on a Garmin no bother. So there's a free alternative to OS mapping.
Etrex 20. With maps from talktoaster. Oh and get trawling through the ctc forums for threads on GPS there.
Do those show to OS level? 1:50,000 is fine
Satmap Active 10 is awesome. Big screen which is easy to read whilst riding, buttons instead of touchscreen.
I use one all the time and it's excellent.
I have an extra one which I bought to get the 1:25k maps that came with it which I'm about to sell - Active 10 Plus with li-ion battery, charger etc plus a pack of new Lithium AA's and AA battery holder to use as a back up. It comes with North of England (basically from just north of Sheffield to Scottish Border), Borders and Central Scotland 1:50k OS maps. Looking for £180 posted.
It doesn't come with a bike mount but you can get them seperately. The mount is very good and can be bar or stem mounted (as long as your stem is long enough).
Garmin 450t will do all your bike needs, large screen, replaceable batteries and I have one for sale in the classifieds if you check my profile.
Even if you don't buy mine they would do all you need but not just bike specific so when you're out about you can still use it. Rugged enough to not worry about a spill but light enough so it doesn't feel like you're carrying a brick around.
Garmin Dakota or Oregon models are ideal for all round use. Had a Dakota 20 which was a nice size for biking, but the screen doesn't show much map area. Now got a Oregon 450 which is a bit bulkier, but the screen is a much more useful size. Paid about £270 for it including full UK OS mapping. The etrex models have similar features, but without the touch screen.
Either model will pair to a heart rate monitor or cadence sensor if needed, and both run on AA batteries.
Using Garmin Basecamp software on my Mac which is free to download and utilises the maps in the GPS unit. I've copied the maps off the SD card to my harddisk, so I've got full UK coverage on the Mac for route planning.
I've been using various Garmin models for biking, walking and motorbiking for years and wouldn't bother with anything else.