Ping the Nuviisti.

I've finally joined the 21st century & bought a proper satnav - a Nuvi
1490T. Are there any 'must do' things or 'must have' bits of software
for such a beast? A waterproof case & handlebar mount are on their way,
so that's covered.

 

Couldn't you have just bought a waterproof satnav with a handlebar
mount, or would that have been too simple?

 

if you want to have legit mapping then they do a lifetime subscription for
a not too dear fee

if you want to be a thieving pikey then http://gpsunderground.com/forums/
is the place to go. I'm in this camp as Garmin no longer support my old
school 2610.

 

Ensure that the handlebar mount is very secure.

Turn off bluetooth to increase battery life.

Register with Garmin to get a free month of camera updates and check that you
have the most up to date maps.

 

I could, if I'd wanted to pay 130+ quid more for less functionality & a
much smaller screen.

 

Ta. Doubt I'll need to worry about updates for a while but handy to
know.

 

Lighter sockets on the bikes so not an issue.

Cheers.

 

Not really fussed about sound on the bikes tbh.

It does come with a car one, but again, not fussed about that on the
bike. I might feel differently if I had a gurt big bulky tourer.

 

I know my TTR2 has fewer features than a similarly priced car-based
model, and the screen's a bit smaller, but it still does everything a
satnav actually needs to do, it's waterproof where it counts and it came
with everything necessary to attach to a bike.

I guess this is a bit like buying an off-the-shelf PVR. I'd rather not
have to dick about, so I can waste my money on unnecessary road trips
halfway across western Europe instead.

 

It's nothing like comparing a home made HTPC to a PVR. The only extra
bit I have to do is put it in the case (which cost 20 quid). I've got a
RAM bar mount anyway, but bought another (10 quid) to make it easier to
switch between bikes. So I'm still 100 quid up compared to the cheapest
Zumo, & have standard mounts on two bikes that I can use with my other
RAM bits (waterproof phone case & Emap mount).

 

Which case?

I was actually leaning towards using a Givi S850.

 

Can't imagine using one with velcro straps. There's nothing to strap it
to on the MV, & it'd be way too low for convenience on t'other bikes.

 

That's rather spiffy.

Are you using the standard fag lighter plug? Is it sufficiently
moisture proof?

Having seen this, the Givi can wait.

 

Gissa chance, it only arrived today! It won't be waterproof but I've
always found somewhere dry to hide such things in the past. I'm about
to look for a suitable place on the Raptor.

 

I sorted myself a brand new Zumo 500 with the latest European maps on
a CD for £274 including the mount.

I'd just about had enough with the TomTom Rider2 and decided that it
was throwing money away getting it fixed again. It'll sit in a box
doing **** all and I'll just keep it as a spare and charge it off the
mains if I ever need it. Maybe the Garmin will die once I bury it in
snow but at least the contacts have a rubber cap to protect them which
is something that was sadly lacking on the Rider.

Do I blame myself for not taking the mount off when I parked up? Yes,
but you learn from your mistakes and I'd strongly suggest than anyone
using one of these either takes a plastic bag and cable ties it over
the mount or removes the mount and covers up the power lead if they
suspect that it might rain or snow when the bike's parked up.

 

Yeah, don't waste your money on a 1490TV, just get the 1490T.

Oh, you've got that sorted already...

 

I bought a second hand Zumo 400 about two years ago. Added European
maps on a card, about 70 quid, and I have been very happy with the
result. Used it twice at the elefant with no issues.

 

And now I know how they made the Raptor so small - there's not a spare
mm of space anywhere apart from under the seat. Not ideal but it'll do,
especially if I get an extra power lead.

Note though, that case is too small for the 1490T despite what it says
in the blurb. It will just about fit, but only in the middle of the
case so it's hard to use the screen. So if you're thinking of ordering
one, check the actual dimensions rather than relying on their list of
models.

They do a bigger one, but it's twice the price & doesn't appear to
include a RAM ball (although says it's compatible with one) -
http://www.buybits.com/product/sku_7619.aspx

 

I did email them saying it was too small, & they replied saying the
pics on their website show the case with a 1490 in it. They don't, they
show it with a TomTom. So 'clueless' would appear to sum them up.

They do however seem to have lots of bits that others don't, at good
prices, so I shall persevere. Especially as they're not far from L's
house, & L's best mate owns the unit directly underneath them. Bummer
they're not open 'til 6.30pm weekdays though.

 

Ah. That's an order of magnitude of cluelessness greater than I
expected.

They run the online shop (and a couple of others, I believe) daytime
and have quite a successful business going. This is their first
venture into real-life retailing, so they do it after hours, as it were.