Garmin Zumo tips ???

[Todd]

I good friend of mine shipped me his Zumo 450 to take to Custer. I have always been kind of a non-believer in GPS systems especially on a bike, but figured riding across the US and having the option to pick a new faster, or new slower, route on the fly would be nice.....and, I dont have to worry about remembering my way.

So, all I had to do was buy a "ball mount" and a Zumo power cord....all about $40. Wired the thing up this weekend, put in my Custer route...then went out riding locally listening to mp3's and following directions....kinda cool.....learned to look for food/fuel/lodging/atms/etc.

So my question.........Any tricks that you folks that own these things can share with me?

[trevwales]

Don't always go with what it says! If you know better go your way, it will re-calculate!

[ringadingh]

You can set it to avoid toll roads, stay on paved roads only, fastest route, most scenic, etc. depending on your mood that day. The way it shows on its own isn't always the best choice, at least not in my neighbourhood.

[lonewolf]

its nice to have, but can also be a distraction. wait til you pull over to do any real " putzing" with it. i use one in my semi every day, i put my destination and waypoints in before i move.

[petenomad]

Here's a few uses of the hard buttons on the left side of the unit.

Press +/- keys on map to zoom.
Use square key to switch between several screens. Press from anywhere in the menu to jump to the map.
Press the volume key to activate volume (then use +/- to adjust).
Press and Hold third key to popup screen brightness adjustment (then use +/- to adjust).
Press and Hold volume key to announce the current turn instruction.

On popups + acts as OK, - as Cancel.
On MP3 player + will advance to next song, - to prev song. Hold to act as FF/Rev.
On Compass and Trip Computer pages +/- act as More button.

If you downloaded a route from your computer and don't want to deviate, you can also turn off route recalculations or set to prompted so you have a choice when you want it to automatically recalculate.

www.zumoforums.com (http://www.zumoforums.com).

[nighthawk700]

Use it around town, on roads you know, for a while. You can learn to do very minor things without looking directly at it. You also learn to take information in in a quick glance. But as lonewolf said, if it's something major, you should wait until you are pulled over (or at a red light, etc.) But by getting experience with it before hand, you'll know how to do things quickly so you are in and out of the system.

And as trevwales said, sometimes we humans know better. The final judgment as to which route to take is always ours. That said, my GPS has taught me about new routes in areas I thought I knew well.

[trip]

Todd,
All of the above are good suggestions. Did he send you the software to map your routes with? Probably didn't. I'll be glad to map you a route from Greensboro to Custer and back that you can upload to the Zumo. Just say the word.

My only suggestion is to sometimes use your gut feeling. A GPS is great to have, but there will be times when it will send you on a wild goose chase and bring you right back where you started. Then, other times it will enlighten you and send you down an excellent road.

Trip

[Todd]

Thanks for all the suggestions...definitely things about it I did not figure out yet, and I need to be on a short learning curve here.

Trip, yes I did get the software and everything with it and already have my map to Custer saved on it. Thanks for the offer.

[borto1990]

I have the nuvi and the quest and LOVE them. doesn't get used for much more than a clock and speedometer in town but for trips I'll draw up the scenic route I want to take and upload and go. my first year on a bike I didn't have one and I couldn't believe how easy it was to blow by a side road that you needed in an area your not familiar with.. they are not so evasive now.. makes my riding much more enjoyable not having to worry what the map in the trunk says!

[refugio]

One thing that I have found after using GPS's for a few years now is that I can hardly get anywhere without one. I have been spoiled by them. Don't get me wrong cause they are a great tool to use. I have found that when I follow my GPS...that I don't actually "learn" how I got there. If some one were to ask me for directions of how to get where I'm at....I cannot tell them very easily because I had used the GPS.
Some things I really like about the GPS though is like when you are riding through fog and the road is twisty and unfamiliar....you can see if the road is straight or if another curve is coming up. Same thing when riding at night and unfamiliar. Also the thing I like best is that the GPS can tell you your arrival time (estimated) or let you know how much further the next town or turn is. Really nice to know when running down a long strecth of highway (for hours) and you are wondering just how much damn further it is cause you have not seen a highway sign for miles.
I really like my GPS

[Todd]

That's good point Refugio.....I like the fact that I can find a gas station (as long as it hasn't closed since the map update) and not have the anxiety of wondering if I am gonna run out while traveling to the west...I hear in some section the stations are few and far between.

Refugio, I do the same. I set it to show about 1/4 mile ahead so I know what is coming up before I get there. I like that ability more then any. Being able to find gas stations is also nice.

Hmm, Todd, figured the one feature that might interest you would be the ability to find places to EAT. :)

[refugio]

Yes.........Places to eat is good too....POI features are great for getting hotel phone numbers to check for room availability...... no matter where they may be.

[Todd]

Refugio, I do the same. I set it to show about 1/4 mile ahead so I know what is coming up before I get there. I like that ability more then any. Being able to find gas stations is also nice.

Hmm, Todd, figured the one feature that might interest you would be the ability to find places to EAT. :)

Look Dude, you've met me in person...........do you really think I need a GPS to find places to EAT :-/ :-/ :-/

no, actually neither of us do. :)

[Top Cat]

Refugio, I do the same. I set it to show about 1/4 mile ahead so I know what is coming up before I get there. I like that ability more then any. Being able to find gas stations is also nice.

Hmm, Todd, figured the one feature that might interest you would be the ability to find places to EAT. :)

Look Dude, you've met me in person...........do you really think I need a GPS to find places to EAT :-/ :-/ :-/

Now that's funny http://s2.images.proboards.com/grin.gif

[Top Cat]

I'm still trying to figure out what GPS to buy. I'm thinking the zumo 550 but in the specs it says;
Where Am I? feature (find closest hospitals, police & gas stations, nearest address & intersection):..........................no
I kind of want one that will tell me where the next gas is at. Some of you guys have gps that will. what do you have?

[Yellow Jacket]

The Zumo 660 has that feature according to the specs.

[jastearns]

I used our Garmin Quest 2 for the first long trip last weekend when we went to Sioux Falls to see OP and it led me up to his front door (remember the house number as it didn't tell me that), it also led me to the Harley Dealer where the Poker Run started and later, thr KOA Kampground.

We then went into Iowa and I had a route planned which led me to our friends house (same routine, remember the house number). We also deviated from our route home to get off of the interstate so we used a old fashioned map and put in a few waypoints that I was familiar with and drove thru southern and central Minnesota without mishap. If you put in shortest route, you might end up on some county roads.

Now if it could detect construction zones, detours, slow drivers......