GPS tech (Garmin, Hammerhead, Wahoo, RWGPS, etc)

Wrong forum I know - but I need to buy a Sat Nav for a driver. Anyone know one that's decent and idiot-proof (cost not an issue) or are they all a much of a muchness these days?

Has anyone used the Garmin Extended battery pack? Got any comments?

Got any pics of it mounted with an 800?

Does anyone know about wrist-mounts for the Garmin Edge 200?

This guy does it with a 500: http://www.dcrainmaker.com/2009/11/garmin-edge-500-in-depth-review.html#scid:5737277B-5D6D-4f48-ABFC-DD9C333F4C5D:917b978a-ec59-47b0-93d9-2688429c2c66

I think he uses this kit: [ame="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0009PUJV6?ie=UTF8&tag=dcr07-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B0009PUJV6"]Amazon.com: GARMIN 010-10615-00 Quick-Release Mounting Kit: GPS & Navigation[/ame]

Anyone tried that with a 200? And do you know how it does with running? I don't need 100pc accuracy, but if I can get an adapter for a few quid that lets me use the Edge while running it seems silly not to.

I've just picked up my Edge 200 and although it works really well once it's found a signal, it's a chore getting to that stage. Today I left my office for a run and it wasn't until 10-15 minutes later that it found a signal. I waited for a few minutes first, but it was clear that nothing was going to happen so I set off. I'd covered some distance before it kicked in, which defeats the whole point of it.

I'm sat at home now trying to get it to work and it won't find anything at all. My iPhone is doing just fine from the same spot. Is this a defective one, or is the Edge 200 just rubbish? All the reviews say it finds satellites pretty quickly. Confused.

First lock slow, next should be quicker. Is it consistently slow? This is about phones but same shit could apply
[ame="http://talk.maemo.org/showthread.php?t=31756"]A suggestion that could speed up GPS lock - maemo.org - Talk[/ame]

Hmm, interesting. I'll wait a while and see. Thanks Hippy.

I've just picked up my Edge 200 and although it works really well once it's found a signal, it's a chore getting to that stage. Today I left my office for a run and it wasn't until 10-15 minutes later that it found a signal. I waited for a few minutes first, but it was clear that nothing was going to happen so I set off. I'd covered some distance before it kicked in, which defeats the whole point of it.

I'm sat at home now trying to get it to work and it won't find anything at all. My iPhone is doing just fine from the same spot. Is this a defective one, or is the Edge 200 just rubbish? All the reviews say it finds satellites pretty quickly. Confused.

They're all like that.

My 705 actually finds It's self very fast. If you miss the route and it recalculates it'll take a little while though.

Yep, my 705 finds locks on quick as well, the wrist mounted one (305) not so much.

I used the Garmin etrex with maps to get to Watford the other day. Turn-by-turn does work although I can't hear it beep when it's in my jersey pocket.

I've not used turn by turn on my 705- always set a course and followed the line on the map.

What's the advantage of turn by turn- that it gives an audible warning, and will recalculate?

It beeps and tells you to turn.

Anyone know how to increas the volume on an etrex Vista HCx?

This says no but is there a firmware update or hack to allow it?
http://forums.gpsreview.net/viewtopic.php?t=4931

Hidden menus...
http://www.noeman.org/gsm/garmin-tutorials/141052-secret-startup-commands-hidden-menus-garmin-devices.html

Mine was faster today. I've also found one windowsill where I can get a signal. I then hit start and get ready and head out of the door. It complains that it's lost the signal, but at least it has a start point. Then a little way down the road it finds it again and it looks accurate, leaving from my house. I think there's some truth in the story Hippy pointed to, in that they learn where the satellites should be and do some maths to compensate for their drift over time. Having said that, to compensate for drift it needs to know the time, and the Garmins automatically set their time on GPS signals, so it must have to find one satellite before it can use that trick and lock on to the others faster.

I've just got used to the first 10 minutes of my run being "MIA"

Can someone help me with this track.
http://connect.garmin.com/course/639907#

My problem is that it has too many trackpoints for my etrex.
Can someone copy it to mapmyride, bikely etc as a shared route so that I can download and edit the gpx file directly. Probably needs an edge series 800 or so to do it.

Garmin have agreed to loan me an Edge 800 with accessories.

I'm going to review it, who else wants to?

I'm looking for someone to review it with an off-road ride in mind... most of your route and use should be off-road.

Then I want someone to review it with road in mind... you really should do a route you wouldn't normally, and long enough and out there that without it you'd get lost. If you're training and can use the cadence and heart rate features too... all the better.

You'll have it for a week.

I contacted them asking for a review because reviews on this unit I've read have been crap. Mostly, if you've already got an Edge 705 or something... and you've found some aspects limiting (off-road mapping)... then does the Edge 800 deliver?

And if it does deliver on the off-road, is it still up there for the on-road? Did it give additional functionality without compromising existing functionality?

Quite simply, is this the best it could be, the one and only GPS unit you need... and if not, where are the shortfalls, what remains to be improved?

The reviews are to be done within the next month.

Anyhow, volunteers line up here... it is NOT first come first served, I will choose based on my belief that you'll be able to put the unit through it's paces.

Oh, and I'm popping out so won't respond until much later.

Damn... running late.

Someone catching a train out to somewhere rely on the GPS to get back home? Take a phone just incase you get lost?

I'm off to Afan for a week of mountain biking next month, but reviewing technology was my job for a long time and I don't really want to start doing it here. Still, nice idea.

I'd give it a go. I have a 605 and was thinking about upgrading. I also use my iPhone, with and without handle bar mounts, in conjunction with the 605, as a kludge to get over some of the 605's shortcomings.

I'm training and one of the main reasons for upgrading would be to get access to cadence and HR.

Should the reviewer do both the off-road and on-road sections? Happy to do either or both.

I'm not too bad at reviewing, either. Here's a very old example.

PM-ed, road use for me, mud be damned.

I'd give it a go. I have a 605 and was thinking about upgrading. I also use my iPhone, with and without handle bar mounts, in conjunction with the 605, as a kludge to get over some of the 605's shortcomings.

I'm training and one of the main reasons for upgrading would be to get access to cadence and HR.

Should the reviewer do both the off-road and on-road sections? Happy to do either or both.

I'm not too bad at reviewing, either. Here's a very old example.

Howard, are you able to do predominantly off-road or a 50/50 split?

So far, for off-road I've been using an Edge 705 loading with Open Street Maps for the detail of off-road terrain. This is mostly contour information, but I find the problem is that the extreme level of detail led to some very slow refresh time on the screen, and would clutter the screen with noise (too many items for quick reading) in lesser areas.

I've also always felt that the route highlight colours were never good enough. The map colour scheme itself used most of the colours, and the contrast of the route line was never enough to see it... they compensated by making the route line bigger, which would sometimes obscure data on some maps.

So I'm looking forward to seeing whether the Ordnance Survey maps would really make as big a difference off-road as you'd hope they would.

PM-ed, road use for me, mud be damned.

6pt, if you can do the road and training aspect in detail that would be great.

I liked the training ability of the Edge 705, I guess the thing to see here is whether it's been improved and adds anything extra. Hopefully you use these features more than I so know where the short falls are on it. I wasn't the heaviest user of that side... when I was done with criterium racing 5 years ago I told myself I'd quit the scientific measurement of my riding and enjoy it more. The only thing I do like to see is average cadence... so I'm trusting that you actually have more demands on these features than I do.

I'm off to Afan for a week of mountain biking next month, but reviewing technology was my job for a long time and I don't really want to start doing it here. Still, nice idea.

That's a shame, that's exactly the kind of terrain in which I really want to know whether it works fine. Might have to get a train to the Brecons and ride up something on my own to figure out how good it works on the trail.

Do a lot of virtual partner bollocks and I even regularly use on-device workouts with my 705 sigh. I think I'm down with the training nerdery.