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gpspassion
93402 Posts |
 Posted - 19 juil. 2006 : 17:09:23
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Updated December 7th
We should probably start a "review thread" at some point, but in the meantime here are some comments and pictures I took after receiving my test unit yesterday.
PICTURES
The zumo 550 in good company
The screen is brighter thant it looks in that picture
Compared to the Rider - front
   
Compared to the Rider - back
   
External MCX antenna plug, USB, 24 "pin" connector, "top plate"
   
A strong holder, note the "clip" on the top
The full Bike kit
Permanent bike wiring and 2A fuse
  
A nice casing and a "bottom plate"
COMMENTS
- Nice overall feel and look, made to last
- Car holder with loudspeaker and TMC connector make it a full car system
- Software derived from the SP550 series, that means no one-tap "2D/North Up" (although two taps will get you there with the route list) and no satellite status screen. If you can't see the route liste by tapping in the instruction at the top, update to v2.30, that did it on mine that arrived with 2.20
- Nice track recording feature split by session that is converted to .gpx upon connecting to a PC, can be seen in Google Earth easily or gpsvisualizer.com. Can be converted to a route too - need to spend more time on that
- Innovative keyboard designed for "gloves", not as fast as standard keyboard but will help avoid mistakes:
- Problems found :
- shuts off when I try to set "km per tank" - still there after update to v2.30
- [gimmewhiskey] : audio out is mono on bike holder
[*]TBC
Updated September 15th : close encounter with the zumo -> >> HERE <<
http://www.garmin.com/products/zumo/
Original Post by RFtinkerer
On offer :
-SiRFstarIII
- Bluetooth Handsfree
- Amplified car holder
- Trafic Information via RDS or XM
- IPX7 waterproof grade
- $1,076 MSRP
Not sure where to put this, but Garmin's released the Zumo, a GPS for motorcycles.
http://www.garmin.com/pressroom/mobile/071906.html
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gpspassion
93402 Posts |
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magus
37 Posts |
Posted - 19 juil. 2006 : 22:22:41
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Why the zumo will be a TT Rider Killer:
- says street names
- US weather and traffic
- fuel limit indicator
- pre-ride route planning!-
- better integration with applications such as www.motionbased.com
- should be better support for accesories like car mount, battery cables etc... |
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gpspassion
93402 Posts |
Posted - 19 juil. 2006 : 22:26:00
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We shall see...in the meantime I wonder how this fuel limit indicator can work, is it just an estimate ? I doublt it comes with a "dipstick" of sorts ;-)
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Discounts and Assistance/Réductions et Assistance (Club GpsPasSion) / Où commencer? |
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Jon_GWG
901 Posts |
Posted - 19 juil. 2006 : 23:16:28
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| I would imagine the fuel estimator program is similar to what Streets & Trips uses: manually entered mileage for highway and city roads as well as the bike tank capacity and then calculate the fuel remaining based on these values. If it was based on current actual speed and not the rated speeds for the roads (like they appear to do for the arrival times) it will be more functional. |
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raaaaaa
USA
315 Posts |
Posted - 20 juil. 2006 : 01:59:19
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I don't think it will be a rider killer because rider is comming out with version 6 that has some of these features.
a. says street names (version 6 does this)
b. weather & traffic (version 6 does this but it is extra butit is also an option on the Zumo)
c. fuel indicator (version 6 does not do this but niether does the zumo 550. It will basicly ask you what size gas tank & how many miles you get per gallon and do a calculation)
d. pre route planning (version 6 does this with "home")
e. car mount (an option on the rider & a sucky one at that)
f. bluetooth headset ( standard on the rider not even an option on the zumo)
this is my openion. I am in the market for a bike GPS having used my friends rider I would consider the zumo only because it is really the only comp. but for a $1000 when the rider can be had for 720.00 might be tuff |
Edited by - raaaaaa on 20 juil. 2006 02:09:17 |
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OWG
Canada
5 Posts |
Posted - 20 juil. 2006 : 03:12:42
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quote:
this is my openion. I am in the market for a bike GPS having used my friends rider I would consider the zumo only because it is really the only comp. but for a $1000 when the rider can be had for 720.00 might be tuff
Garmin units rarely sell for the suggested retail. I would expect to see it retail in the 800's. |
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meyerweb
USA
62 Posts |
Posted - 20 juil. 2006 : 05:50:51
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The new TomTom would have to be a MAJOR improvement for me to even consider it. I'd choose (in fact I DID choose) any current waterproof Garmin over the exising Rider.
Bob Meyer
I don't suffer from insanity... I enjoy every minutes of it. |
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va7bc
Canada
10 Posts |
Posted - 20 juil. 2006 : 21:17:30
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I was just about to purchase a Nuvi today when Garmin announced the Zumo. The Zumo intrigues me with its off road capability. If it had an integrated speaker, it would be my choice over the Nuvi for car use.
This makes me put off my purchase decision (yet again) until I see if any the Zumo features (re off road) become integrated into the Nuvi
Greg
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admin_0
1 Posts |
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NanaimoRick
Canada
7393 Posts |
Posted - 18 août 2006 : 00:52:41
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Originally posted by TAZ-Man in the Nuvi forum
While the Zumo looks promising in many areas the lack of internal speaker is a non starter for me if I read that correctly somewhere. It appears the speaker is in the automotive mount. Would suck to use on my bicycle. It also looks a little bulky too. I already bought a RAM mount for my Nuvi. The mount must weigh 3 times what the Nuvi does!
The Nuvi with a REAL interface would be a great product. As it is now...well to I am disappointed is an understatement. It was priced as a prosumer product and its options aren't cheap. Lets keep up the pressure on Garmin tech support and keep them moving along!!!! |
Rick James - Nuvi Forum Moderator
Nuvi 350 - Nuvi 760 - Nuvi 1695LM - Nuvi 3790LMT (with ecoRoutes HD) - Nuvi 2460LMT - Nuvi 3597LMTHD (with ecoRoutes HD) also TomTom 540S for side by side comparison >> Here <<
2010 Golf Wagon 2.0 TDI Clean Diesel
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NanaimoRick
Canada
7393 Posts |
Posted - 18 août 2006 : 00:55:09
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Originally posted by TheOfficeMaven in the Nuvi forum
Hi Taz,
Yes, you are correct in that there's no internal speaker on the Zumo. The reason for this is because the unit is water proof (for use on a motorcycle) and so there's no way to have a speaker on the unit itself. Garmin put the speaker in the power cord (or on the mount itself) instead. Kind of a bummer in my book too.
I could live with this if there was at least a 3.5 mm audio out jack on the unit, but unfortunately, that's on the mount as well. Thus, it look like the only way to use the Zumo on your bike is with a silly Bluetooth headset. How weird is that!!! |
Rick James - Nuvi Forum Moderator
Nuvi 350 - Nuvi 760 - Nuvi 1695LM - Nuvi 3790LMT (with ecoRoutes HD) - Nuvi 2460LMT - Nuvi 3597LMTHD (with ecoRoutes HD) also TomTom 540S for side by side comparison >> Here <<
2010 Golf Wagon 2.0 TDI Clean Diesel
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NanaimoRick
Canada
7393 Posts |
Posted - 18 août 2006 : 00:58:43
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Originally posted by TAZ-Man in the Nuvi forum
Yet another blown opportunity I think. A little stereo mini-plug for audio out would have been easy to do and still be pretty water resistant if you put it under a plug. It works for my weatherproof radios just fine on my boat. I hope that Garmin gets other people involved in their design process of focus groups than they currently have. I think they are operating in a vacuum. I ride motorcycles a lot so I'd be interested in this but it looks like it might have fatal flaws too for me.
As for the BT headset, most of them have such low volume as to be mostly unusable if the environment is even slightly noise. I have gone through a bunch of them for my phone and only one Plantronics is moderately loud. I can hear it in my helmet on my motorcycle at 70-80 mph but none of my Motorolas are audible over 40. I don't have any loud exhausts either. I could hear my TTGO when mounted on my bike pretty well.
The Nuvo BETTER have speed sensitive volume control or a lot of people WILL hate Garmin. Nothing worse than having a headset that is way too loud when you come to a stop on a motorcycle except for maybe a bee, hornet or wasp flying up the sleeve of your jacket while going at a high rate of speed. How many people want to bet against me that Garmin WON'T have speed sensitive volume control. Based on my past Garmin experience it won't be on it and will definitely need it.
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Rick James - Nuvi Forum Moderator
Nuvi 350 - Nuvi 760 - Nuvi 1695LM - Nuvi 3790LMT (with ecoRoutes HD) - Nuvi 2460LMT - Nuvi 3597LMTHD (with ecoRoutes HD) also TomTom 540S for side by side comparison >> Here <<
2010 Golf Wagon 2.0 TDI Clean Diesel
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gpspassion
93402 Posts |
Posted - 16 sept. 2006 : 02:22:16
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Look at what I bumped into yesterday :
Pictures and comments here : http://www.gpspassion.com/fr/articles.asp?id=202&page=2
"The big news on the zûmo is the route menu of course that many have missed since Garmin launched the new UI on the C320 in early 2005. I wasn't able to check the format of these routes, but I would assume they are created/compatible with the ubiquitous MapSource, whih would of course require Garmin to ship the zûmo with CD/DVDs of the maps, something they have unfortunately stopped doing concurrent with the launch of the new UI. The screens above show that the "active log" can be used as a route, the old "trackback" feature I suppose, but I didn't find a menu to control the way the log is recorded." |
Discounts and Assistance/Réductions et Assistance (Club GpsPasSion) / Où commencer? |
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gpspassion
93402 Posts |
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z3bum
35 Posts |
Posted - 07 oct. 2006 : 22:03:49
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I want a Speed/direction/odometer screen like the Zumo for the Nuvi! Come on Garmin, add some more Nuvi options!
Mike
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Trimble Ensign -> Magellan -> Garmin GPS III+ -> Garmin Etrex Vista -> Garmin GPSMAP 76s -> Garmin Quest -> Garmin Rino 530 -> Garmin Nuvi 360 |
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[TOPIC] Garmin Zumo 550 for Bikers - Reviewed
