Garmin on the RX3...The Chinariders way!

[SpudRider]

Originally Posted by rjmorel

http://www.ebay.com/itm/5-Motorcycle...AAAOSw5VFWOYhx

your welcome, rj

Thanks for posting the link, RJ.

[fjmartin]

The latest thing I learned for using the Nuvi on the bike is the use of waypoints in an interesting fashion. Waypoints let you mark a spot on the map, say a gas station, and provide some details. In BaseCamp if you open the properties of a waypoint you can add a couple of things there are useful. You can add a distance Proximity in ft or mi and will be alerted on the GPS display when you are close. You can also add a Category for a series of waypoints. With these two things done you can download and install the free Garmin POI Loader. It will add the waypoints into the GPS in a special way that allows you to easily search for them and see the details along with the proximity alerts. Very cool and when combined with my direct routing script will tell me when I am close to scenic areas, gas stations, camping, hotels, etc. this is coming together nicely.

It's first full test starts on July 2nd when I leave with a buddy for a 10 day trip. We are heading from the Seattle area up to Hyder Alaska then to Telegraph Creek and then Nugget City in the Yukon, east to Fort Nelson, down the glacier parkway to Jasper and Banff and then back into Eastern WA and home. Anyone else been to Alaska on an RX3 yet? Hoping I am the first to plant that flag.

[rjmorel]

"Anyone else been to Alaska on an RX3 yet? Hoping I am the first to plant that flag. "

Neener, neener, neener Joe. Well not Alaska, but Canada which is kinda close. I took mine up last year thru Banff, Jasper then over to Nakusp, BC to the Horizon Unlimited Rally. You'll love the views. RX3 perfect bike for Canada trips. This pic taken at Columbia Ice Fields somewhere in Jasper, rj

[jbfla]

Originally Posted by rjmorel

Mine do that also both Garmin and Magellan. It has always been the 12v cig lighter type socket vibrates apart and looses contact. Pushing it back in works till the next bump. I ended up putting electrical tape on the male plug to make it a tighter fit between the socket and plug. Works so far and still able to take it apart. rj

Thanks RJ.

I checked the cable for continuity, and wiggled both ends of the connection, but could not get the GPS to restart on command.

Then I plugged the GPS into the cigarette lighter port, and I thought the problem was solved.

However, on a two hour ride, the GPS restarted itself 4 times. That was better than the dozen of more times when plugged into the USB port.

What are the chances that both ports have a bad connection?

For a final test, I used the GPS on only the internal battery.....and during a two hour ride......no restarts....

So it seems like the problem is in the cable or usb/lighter ports, not the GPS.

Think I will wire the GPS directly to the battery, and see what happens.

jb

[BlackBike]

Originally Posted by jbfla

Thanks RJ.

I checked the cable for continuity, and wiggled both ends of the connection, but could not get the GPS to restart on command.

Then I plugged the GPS into the cigarette lighter port, and I thought the problem was solved.

However, on a two hour ride, the GPS restarted itself 4 times. That was better than the dozen of more times when plugged into the USB port.

What are the chances that both ports have a bad connection?

For a final test, I used the GPS on only the internal battery.....and during a two hour ride......no restarts....

So it seems like the problem is in the cable or usb/lighter ports, not the GPS.

Think I will wire the GPS directly to the battery, and see what happens.

jb

It s the lighter port. I used a tie rap to hold it down but still periodically looses power when I get rambunctious. The hard wire is the foolproof way. Still nice to have the cig lighter for the $7 harbor freight air compressor , tip...buy one for every vehicle you own to keep in it.
https://www.harborfreight.com/12V-15...ator-4077.html

[BlackBike]

Originally Posted by fjmartin

The latest thing I learned for using the Nuvi on the bike is the use of waypoints in an interesting fashion. Waypoints let you mark a spot on the map, say a gas station, and provide some details. In BaseCamp if you open the properties of a waypoint you can add a couple of things there are useful. You can add a distance Proximity in ft or mi and will be alerted on the GPS display when you are close. You can also add a Category for a series of waypoints. With these two things done you can download and install the free Garmin POI Loader. It will add the waypoints into the GPS in a special way that allows you to easily search for them and see the details along with the proximity alerts. Very cool and when combined with my direct routing script will tell me when I am close to scenic areas, gas stations, camping, hotels, etc. this is coming together nicely.

It's first full test starts on July 2nd when I leave with a buddy for a 10 day trip. We are heading from the Seattle area up to Hyder Alaska then to Telegraph Creek and then Nugget City in the Yukon, east to Fort Nelson, down the glacier parkway to Jasper and Banff and then back into Eastern WA and home. Anyone else been to Alaska on an RX3 yet? Hoping I am the first to plant that flag.

Since you are a guru of the Garmin I hope you will post a route map of your upcoming trip for all us shut-ins.

[rjmorel]

Originally Posted by BlackBike

It s the lighter port. I used a tie rap to hold it down but still periodically looses power when I get rambunctious. The hard wire is the foolproof way. Still nice to have the cig lighter for the $7 harbor freight air compressor , tip...buy one for every vehicle you own to keep in it.
https://www.harborfreight.com/12V-15...ator-4077.html

I think the spring loaded contact pin in the male cig lighter constantly pushes the plug out. Under normal operation works fine but throw in a few bumps and it wants to wiggle out . A piece of electrical tape ran down both sides of male plug to take up slop has kept mine reasonably tight for several trips now. rj

[fjmartin]

I'll do that once finalized with gas stations, food, camping POIs.

I have a cig port with a voltage/temp device plugged in. I ended up putting some rubber from a bicycle tube around it so it was nice and sticky in there. It doesn't pop out anymore.

I watched a video on a repair of a Nuvi's USB port. the socket is surface mount soldered to the motherboard and wiggling will break it. I'm thinking of opening the case on mine and putting some epoxy around it to help protect it.

Sorry RJ, but I'm calling your ride to Canada as close but not close enough!!! We are coming down through the area you posted with the glacier pic. It's going to be awesome!

[rjmorel]

"Sorry RJ, but I'm calling your ride to Canada as close but not close enough!!! We are coming down through the area you posted with the glacier pic. It's going to be awesome!"

So Joe as your coming down thru Jasper just before the Columbia Ice Fields I think, There is one of those glass walkways hanging out over a deep crevasse like the one at the Grand Canyon. If you have time to stop and walk out on it and some take pics that would be uber cool. It's on the RH side of road when traveling south which would be west side of highway I think. I went by it before realizing what it was or how to get to it.
Then you can add "1st RX3 to glass overlook thingy in Canada "to your list of bravados. rj

[fjmartin]

I'll look that up and tag it for the trip! Thanks!!!

[fjmartin]

Found another free tool for the Garmin Nuvi series. Since the Nuvi's don't support tracks and are somewhat limited in the size of routes which limits detail, there is a tool that takes various tracks and waypoints and generates a transparent map. The colors will match the colors in the tracks and the waypoints will have the icons you select. Being transparent means you can activate a standard map and one of these transparent maps and you'll see the nice big line of your track color choice to follow while still seeing the map details from the standard map. This worked really well at the Touratech Rally. The maps are very small and the tool creates an installer so they are available in BaseCamp. The tool is IMGfromGPX by Javawa.nl

[Chucho]

I plan on buying a refurbished Garmin 2589LMT for about $85, but noticed that there are no Ram Mount brackets to hold it...would the X-Grip work well with this (or other) GPS?


Thanks,


Chucho

[fjmartin]

Maybe this could work for that Garmin.

https://www.amazon.com/ChargerCity-W...waterproof+ram

[RockyDS]

Originally Posted by fjmartin

IOpenStreetMaps is an open/free platform with awesome worldwide coverage for roads, topo and marine.
Joe

Excellent information on GPS Openstreetmaps.

I blatantly plagiarized that part and re-posted on my local dualsport forum for the benefit of others after updating the maps on my old Nuvi.

Thanks Joe!

[fjmartin]

No problem! Glad it was useful!

Joe