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Garmin Edge 705
I'm looking at purchasing a GPS system in the near future and the Garmin Edge 705 seems to be an ideal solution from :
http://www.ryda.com.au/ProductDetails.asp?Produc...
Can anyone let me know what comes with the unit in terms of maps or how I would get the maps / routes on there e.g. Manly Dam to record my times etc ?
Is it worthwile getting the cadence component as well ?? and does the unit work fine if it's in my camelbak or does it need to be mounted ideally ??
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As far as I know these units come with only the most basic of base maps. Major roads and that's about it, so out of the box they are pretty much useless for turn by turn navigation which IMHO is a scam as that's supposed to be one of their selling points. You have to purchase detailed maps separately (City Navigator Australia & New Zealand NT for example). There are alternates to the Garmin road maps, GPS-OZ does a bundle for example:
http://www.gpsoz.com.au/garmin/outdoor_adventure...
[ Side note: GPS-OZ price for the unit alone seems to be cheaper than Ryda right now. ]
As for getting trails posted on this site on your device, apparently you can import GPX files and there's a discussion on grabbing all the tracks here:
http://nobmob.com/node/10324#comment-36734
Although you don't need to do any of this if all you want to do is record where you ride (eg. Manly Dam) and keep a record of your performance. Just start the unit when you start and stop when you've done. Then connect to you PC and upload to http://connect.garmin.com/
Cadence unit probably isn't useful off road. The wheel magnet is supposed to keep distance measurement more accurate though, although I can't tell if it actually does or not. These units work perfectly in a backpack but it's much better to be able to see them
Especially if you care about things like heart rate, time, etc. so mounting on the bars is better. Word of warning - the included mount is a bit flimsy and couple of people have lost their Edge units in the bush so be careful and perhaps fix a safety strap or similar.
Topographic maps here - http://shonkylogic.net/shonkymaps/
I have downloaded them but not installed them yet as it requires some extra garmin software.
I'd prefer to have the unit mounted on the bars so you can see maps or speed or Heart rate etc..
riding alone in brisbane convinced me i needed a gps ... i was tired and completely lost riding in bunyaville forest ... instinct told me to turn left ... i had a friends car gps in my backpack and as it turned out car was less than 1km to the right ...
why 705 with cadence ... because it had the lot (i.e. colour screen, heart) and cadence was only a few $$ more ... i also like the idea of uploading and download / sharing trail directions ... looking at the garmin site, the new 500 looks ok too if you don't particularly want colour ...
from a fashion perspective, the dakota (there is a cadence option) and oregon looked nice too ..
Hi all
I've recently been through the experience of trying to load the Garmin and Shonky maps (plus others) onto Edge 705 units and am happy to help if required.
The Garmin MapSource software is 'very' average in terms of user interface (and availability) but once you know how it works it gets pretty easy.
I've also been experimenting recently with exporting maps from Garmin Connect and loading onto the Edge as Courses to follow, plus tracks from other sources and can assist there too
They're a great device, but I believe hampered by non-user-friendly software and a cludgy interface.
I'm still discovering new ways of using mine, and new features of interest. (Still a relatively new 705 owner of a few months.)
As you mention a GPS is a great help on new tracks and can definitely help prevent you from getting lost!
Cheers,
Loki
All.
First off I have a association with this seller.
http://stores.shop.ebay.com.au/GeekDeal__W0QQ_ar...
I ordered an Edge 705 with cadence and heart monitor, AUD$460 landed, unit was refurbished but I could not see how it differed from new, unit has preformed flawlessly for 3 months. Shipping was stupid quick from the US, ordered Tuesday night had the unit Friday Morning same week.
Could not fault the service. As others have said getting maps on the edge is a little tedious but not impossible.
I did find the forum GPS Underground really "good"
Any questions let me know
Cookie
Loki,
I'm also thinking of getting a Garmin 705 but not sure about the maps. Do i need to get the Garmin Topo or is shonky maps OK to use. The shopowner was mentioning that you don't get turn by turn directions. Can you still upload tracks from this web page and navigate? What's the difference?
Link below seems to be good value
http://www.octapc.com.au/prod141.htm
Chrs,
K
http://nobmob.com/node/11805
b.