M/C or car GPS??

[B.D.F.]

And just a little off- topic, what I think would make the ultimate GPS would be a 7" or 10" tablet running some form of Windoze and Streets & Trips. It would also function as an MP3 player and if blue tooth equipped, it may interface with a cell phone. It would have to be weatherproofed but with a touch screen it should be great as a real- time GPS (using a GPS receiver). The prices are dropping pretty fast so this may be an option to a true GPS before long.

Brian

[ZG]

OUCH, nice cable but over 1/3 the units cost.  How is the brightness?  Powerlet makes great cables so I am sure the brightness is the same as the Cig style Garmin.

Brightness is good when using the cable Alpha, much brighter than built-in battery only. The screen does show glare though if the sun is directly on it, but still very functional IMO and I'm usually listening to the direction turn prompts rather than looking at the screen anyways, a quick glance every now and then does the trick for me...

[ZG]

Powerlet makes great cables

Yep, quality products indeed! A little off topic, but I also have this powerlet cable that can charge my Scala G4 in use on my helmet while riding if need be... 
 
http://www.powerlet.com/product/micro-usb-standard-powerlet-charging-cable/484
 

[ZG]

Don't feel too left out; I have a Zumo and still think they are vastly overpriced. They also have a couple of quirks that are pretty annoying; the cradles tend to fail because (wait for it....) they are NOT WATERPROOF. Amazing but true- if you go to the start of a long distance rally and look in the parking lot the night before, you will see literally dozens of bikes with Zumo 550 mounts (empty mounts) covered with a plastic baggie! They are not waterproof when the unit is in the cradle either and the pins that make contact with the GPS itself eventually corrode away to nothing. Also, the electrical contacts on the bottom of a Zumo 550 are nothing more than an etched PC board- the discs that are the contacts are only about 0.002" thick. Eventually the pins on the cradle (before they rot away) dig holes through the copper discs on the Zumo and will no longer make contact. Garmin did replace a Zumo that did that on me at no charge but it was still inconvenient to have to do the mail exchange.

 
 
Wow Brian, I didn't know that, that's just messed up... 

[lather]

As far as the map colors, they can be changed on the Nuvis that I have seen. You can choose one of several maps (four I think) although the nighttime colors are really only useful at night in my experience. You may also be able to download other map styles from third party sources.

Brian

The 500 and 550 nuvis have three (really just two) color modes, day and night and auto. The secondary roads do show up better in nightime mode but as you say that does not work work well in daylight.

I was  not aware of third party map "styles". I do have several third party maps which are major improvements in some ways, unfortunately they are not routable. I am currently learning how to make my own routable maps but it is a daunting challenge for this old dog..

[556ALPHA]

Yep, quality products indeed! A little off topic, but I also have this powerlet cable that can charge my Scala G4 in use on my helmet while riding if need be... 
 
http://www.powerlet.com/product/micro-usb-standard-powerlet-charging-cable/484

I am probably adding a Powerlet socket on the left side to match the factory socket so these two cables may be future products on my list.  I can use the same cable to charge my Sena SMH-10.

[wally_games]

I use this to plug my 765T into my powerlet plug on my Heli risers.
 
http://www.powerlet.com/product/mini-usb-short-powerlet-cable/259

Less expensive = http://www.mountguys.com/product_p/mfx-10747-03.htm

[wally_games]

I am probably adding a Powerlet socket on the left side to match the factory socket so these two cables may be future products on my list.  I can use the same cable to charge my Sena SMH-10.

Any chance that one of these would work? I'm not sure of the current draw of a GPS and maybe a radar detector both going through the factory socket.
http://www.mountguys.com/product_p/mfx-2way.htm

[mkorn]

With the cost of the new Garmin Nuvi 40's at only $75 last week at Meijers ... i could not see have a M/C unit.

sucks that i cant upload routes ... but i mostly just aimlessly wander around till i am at half tank ... then turn the GPS on to find my way back home.

[ZG]

Less expensive = http://www.mountguys.com/product_p/mfx-10747-03.htm

That won't work for me WG, I have a powerlet plug.
Thanks anyway though... 

[Tactical_Mik]

might still probably be cheaper to buy the cable and cut off the end and put a male powerlet end on.  Could still come in quite a bit cheaper than 45 bucks.

[B.D.F.]

That would seem to be the perfect product for that kind of usage IMO. And if (or when) it stops working it will be extremely easy to replace and the next unit will probably be even better. Sort of a win- win situation.

Brian

With the cost of the new Garmin Nuvi 40's at only $75 last week at Meijers ... i could not see have a M/C unit.

sucks that i cant upload routes ... but i mostly just aimlessly wander around till i am at half tank ... then turn the GPS on to find my way back home.

[556ALPHA]

With the cost of the new Garmin Nuvi 40's at only $75 last week at Meijers ... i could not see have a M/C unit.

sucks that i cant upload routes ... but i mostly just aimlessly wander around till i am at half tank ... then turn the GPS on to find my way back home.

The 765T does routes and is not much more expensive..

[OCK913]

Yea, I used the USB with a USB to Cigarette adapter for the accessory plug on the C14 and my brightness was horrible.  I used the plug supplied by Garmin with the Cig style end and the screen was MUCH brighter.  I almost gave in and bought a Zumo but glad I figured it out.

Alpha, I currently have my 765T hard wired using an almost identical cable to the one linked below, except this one has a USB style plug for the Garmin. This cord however http://www.mountguys.com/product_p/ghs-b.htm uses the proprietary plug the connects to the 765T cradle which then attaches to the GPS unit itself. Is this the cable you are using, except with a cig lighter plug? I dont mind hard wiring a new cable if it will brighten my screen.... just trying to get a little reassurance before I drop the cash for it. The factory Garmin cig lighter plug would work, but I just dont like wrapping up a 3' cord for something that is about 8 inches away. The hard wired cord is just a cleaner install IMHO.

[BruceR]

Bad news for the guy with the 1490T.  It will pair with a cell phone but not with, say, a Sena SM10 headset. I do like the big screen, but I can't get the spoken directions while on the bike so it's basically worthless to me.

[556ALPHA]

Alpha, I currently have my 765T hard wired using an almost identical cable to the one linked below, except this one has a USB style plug for the Garmin. This cord however http://www.mountguys.com/product_p/ghs-b.htm uses the proprietary plug the connects to the 765T cradle which then attaches to the GPS unit itself. Is this the cable you are using, except with a cig lighter plug? I dont mind hard wiring a new cable if it will brighten my screen.... just trying to get a little reassurance before I drop the cash for it. The factory Garmin cig lighter plug would work, but I just dont like wrapping up a 3' cord for something that is about 8 inches away. The hard wired cord is just a cleaner install IMHO.

I use a RAM cradle and the end that attaches to the 765T is just like the end on the wire in your link.  I use the cig style as it is my backup to the 2710 and I want to keep the option of taking it on and off easy.

[MrPepsi]

The Garmin Nuvi 500 and 550 are both waterproof. less than 300.

Amazon, refurb unit, $189.
Thanks.

[martin_14]

holy resurrected threads, Batman! 

[MrPepsi]

I figured why not let people know.

[maxtog]

holy resurrected threads, Batman! 

  Much better than starting a new one, though!