Hi all. I'm looking to invest in a sat-nav for my 2011 1200S Touring. Read good and bad reviews about both the Garmin and Tomtom offerings. So I'm looking for some advice from people on here who have experienced either of these brands. Thanks for any advice!! Chris.
I have a Garmin 390 and i must confess its not the easiest thing to use when setting up your desired route. I have no idea if the Tomtom is any better though. Why they cannot just let you devise a route in Google maps and then import it, I have no idea.
I've had a number of Garmins, the latest being a Zumo 390 LM, I find them more intuitive than the Tom Tom
Chris if you are interested , Steve on this site has a TomTom rider2 complete with the Scala headset and mounting brackets for sale for about £150. I can pm you his contact details if you like.
In my experience, TT`s are easier to use, some Garmin`s have multiple functions (MP3 player phone connection etc). I also found the TT`s maps more accurate in their road depiction (what type of corner is approacing) but routing wise there is probably nothing in it. Do you want a BT connection or hard wired ? Another benefit is the on PC routing available for Garmin, however Tyre has bought this functionality to TT as well. as indicated above, what you have used before may be a factor in ease of use.
For what its worth, the TomTom App on my iPhone, tied in with UltimateAddOns fixings works well on my 1198. Well enough to tour france. It does not require data roaming to be on or owt.
+1 for iPhone-based solution. My app of choice is Navigon, which has the added advantage of being able to plan routes using RouteConverter, then copy them to the phone using DiskAid This makes a better and more intuitive combination than the Garmin offerings, IMHO.
Ill check out that Navigon. I like the idea of planning routes and pasting it in. The only real shortcoming of the tomtom app.
I opted for the Garmin 660 - great piece of kit. It hasn't let me down yet (on the bike or in hire cars) and the interface between it and my Scala G9 is excellent. Mounted on a Navihalter above the dash makes it easy to view as well: Here's a link to a previous thread which discussed the best Sat-Nav a while ago which might give you a few more options to consider: The Best Current Sat Nav For The Mutli | Ducati Forum
There used to be a 'Send to' option in Google maps that allowed you to send to a GPS device, sadly now gone, rumour has it to force more users in the direction of Google's Android devices.....shame as Google Maps is my fave. However you can still produce routes online and send to your Garmin ;-) ..... MapQuest Maps - Driving Directions - Map Michelin route planner and maps, traffic news, weather forecast, restaurants and hotel booking .....I'm sure there's probably other sites.
Thanks for all the advice folks! I'm curious about the iPhone option as it would be a quick way to get into the satnav lark without spending a few hundred quid. Just hope the waterproof case etc is really waterproof. Will probably give that a try first. Chris.
