Planning with a gps

So here's the deal...

I've always used my GPS as a backup to a paper map in areas I am familiar with and many I am not. That's to say I have used waypoints I store inside the GPS to point me in the right direction when I get lost (like walking out of the boonies in pitch black last hunting season). But I never leave the main roads without a compass and a paper map.

So do any of you guys really rely on your GPS when you're in the boonies or flying down a back country forest road? I mean really "route" something in the GPS, or do you put waypoints in it and just point yourself in the right direction?

I don't have a roll chart and I have not attended an iron butt rally so not too sure how you would pass a route to guests.... Catch my drift?

I'm asking because I want to start refining my summer ride files to share them but I don't want to publish them if they're completely useless. This whole GPS thing is kinda like a "what tire is best" or "what oil is best" or "what dual sport do I buy" kind of thing to me.

I just started using mapsource, and although I love the topo base map, setting up a route is way harder than printing out a google map or the like.... I'm pretty good at manipulating files and the like, so conversions are no problem (bablefish or whatnot).

What is your primary use for GPS?

I just realized we need a few more members before these polls will drop out of 100% range, LOL

I wasn't going to post in here, because my GPS is a car one that I sometimes ziptie to the bike. Then I noticed that you had an option in the poll just for me. Speedometer!!!! yeah.

Inspector wrote:

I wasn't going to post in here, because my GPS is a car one that I sometimes ziptie to the bike. Then I noticed that you had an option in the poll just for me. Speedometer!!!! yeah.

OMG how do you think I mount put mine on the bike! zip ties baby!!! And that's after I got the roadmate 2200T refurb model, paid another $79 bucks to upgrade it's guts into a crossover magellan. It paid for itself first time I got lost in the woods at night with no visible reference points.

You can't hear those little buggers talking to you when you've got ear plugs in and are flying down a dirt road!!

I rely heavily on my GPS unit when on long ADV trips...the maps are my backup that rarely come out of my pack. They are handy around camp though.

I plan the ride in advance on mapsource as much as possible, I really try and collect a bunch of peoples actual tracks ahead of time, then cut/piece/modify them together to cover the route I want to take. That way I have actual tracks that I know will make it through where I'm headed. I add additional waypoints ect as needed from there. On the route I follow the pre-layed tracks and do free lance riding at the same time, if I want I can always fall back on the tracks.

I'd be lost without mine.....I've just got to used to it

Hodakaguy

just got mine mounted, have not had the chance to use it off road. cant wait. mine is a older garmin that i used when i had my boat, its a legend C . i have map sorce but i am kinda lost exept for exporting maps to it !

Inspector wrote:

I wasn't going to post in here, because my GPS is a car one that I sometimes ziptie to the bike. Then I noticed that you had an option in the poll just for me. Speedometer!!!! yeah.

Whatever works, right?



Ran out of money before I could finish bars, risers, damper, cables and controls. Surprisingly, I'm afraid to hard mount the GPS now because I've had no problems with it for about 800 miles of use. Being leveraged on the end of the mount and strapped to the foam crossbar probably absorbs a lot of the vibrations/harmonics coming up through the bars that would normally kill a unit.

griz

I'm planning a 4 day ride this year using mapsource then emailing route to buddy on the wet side of the mountains. We will use the GPS as a help guide only- (if the trail calls I will follow). I will be tracking my rides this year so if any one wants one of them routed in mapsource I will be glad to do so. They will all start and stop in or aound Wenatchee.

I always take my GPS 60CSX I do a lot of exploring for new routes and download to my comp. Also watch my fuel millage never go past half way if I do not know my way out, so I can always back track. I would never go a lot of places I have been without it. It saves me a lot in the heavy forest. DCHFIRE

DCHFIRE wrote:

I always take my GPS 60CSX I do a lot of exploring for new routes and download to my comp. Also watch my fuel millage never go past half way if I do not know my way out, so I can always back track. I would never go a lot of places I have been without it. It saves me a lot in the heavy forest. DCHFIRE

Kewl, thanks for stopping by!

I just mounted up a new Trail Tech Voyager. Pretty impressive unit. It does not show roads like a car one but it tells you more about what your bike is doing though.

HydroDog wrote:

I just mounted up a new Trail Tech Voyager. Pretty impressive unit. It does not show roads like a car one but it tells you more about what your bike is doing though.

Saw that in a mag. Looks very cool.

Inspector wrote:

I wasn't going to post in here, because my GPS is a car one that I sometimes ziptie to the bike. Then I noticed that you had an option in the poll just for me. Speedometer!!!! yeah.

Still works too...

you forgot an option for the pole: mechanically declined cuz uses his to get us completely lost

Woo Hoo!



Almost a full year later, up to eleven votes!

Inspector wrote:

HydroDog wrote:

I just mounted up a new Trail Tech Voyager. Pretty impressive unit. It does not show roads like a car one but it tells you more about what your bike is doing though.

Saw that in a mag. Looks very cool.

The thing works great for me. You can ride down the road and operate the buttons with your gloves on and toggle through the different screens, fairly simple. I think if I was on an long roadtrip/trail ride I would put my car garmin in my Giant Loop tank bag for the road sections.

[quote="HydroDog"][quote="Inspector"]

HydroDog wrote:

I just mounted up a new Trail Tech Voyager. Pretty impressive unit. It does not show roads like a car one but it tells you more about what your bike is doing though.

can you export maps to it ? the pics on line looks like it has grey scale maps .

[quote="Shane"][quote="HydroDog"]

Inspector wrote:

HydroDog wrote:

I just mounted up a new Trail Tech Voyager. Pretty impressive unit. It does not show roads like a car one but it tells you more about what your bike is doing though.

can you export maps to it ? the pics on line looks like it has grey scale maps .

Thats what they say. It has a micro-SD that you can download your maps to and install into the GPS or export. I have not figured it out yet ( and have not tried yet) but its not the fault of the GPS. I'm not quite the sharpest knife in the drawer when it comes to doing computer stuff. I'm not sure what you mean by grey scale but if you are refering to the cooler of the screen, yes it is only gray with black lines.

yea, the color of the map. i was looking at that and really like it. i wounder if a colored version is comeing. you probably will have to buy a map source program and either buy or piriat maps to export to it. unless it came with something.

planning on getting the garmin 60sc. cabellas has them for around 200. anyplace on-line want 225 or more. i have discovered acme mapper2.0 as well. they have everything from sat to topo and more. i havent figured out all features yet but its fun to play with. i believe you can load routs created into garmin but i am still trying to figure that one out.