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Do any of the garmin handheld GPS give spoken directions?


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See title.

Do any of the Garmin hand held GPS units give verbal directions?

 

I am looking for a GPS to use for Geocaching and to give guidance to me whilst riding my motorbike.

Most car units are not waterproof enough for motorcycle use and it is dangerous to look away from the road for directions.

The motorcycle specific ones are ludicrously expensive; about twice the cost of a similarly featured car unit.

 

Cheers,

Phil

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Welcome to the Forums! :huh:

 

After installing the City Navigator maps to a Garmin like the Legend HCx, Vista HCx, or GPS Map60CSx, you will get directions, but not "verbal." There are beeps to let you know a turn is coming up and directions on the screen. I have both City Navigator and Topo maps on my Vista HCx. The auto-routing works very well.

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Thanks.

 

The eTrex Vista HCx was the model I was liking the look of.

Unfortunately I'm not sure how much use a non verbal unit will be to me on the bike.

Coming up to a junction is the least appropriate time to look away from the road and without headphones I'm not even sure I'd hear the beeps.

Shame, they do look really good apart from that.

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The beeps will not work on a motorcycle, trust me. I tried using my Legend HCx for navigating on my bicycle, and the beeps weren't loud enough to hear on that. Heck, I tried using the beeps for a proximity alarm while I was the passenger in a car, and even with the radio off, I didn't hear the beep. I haven't even bothered trying to hear it on my motorcycle, because I know there is no way in heck that I'll be able to hear it, even at a stoplight at idle. I haven't really tried using my HCx for navigation yet, but in a couple weeks, I'm going to be taking a trip out of town to a place I've never been, so it will be getting put to the test there. I know how to get most of the way there, but once I get close, I'll have to rely on visual indicators at stops. Hope it works!

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See title.

Do any of the Garmin hand held GPS units give verbal directions?

 

I am looking for a GPS to use for Geocaching and to give guidance to me whilst riding my motorbike.

Most car units are not waterproof enough for motorcycle use and it is dangerous to look away from the road for directions.

The motorcycle specific ones are ludicrously expensive; about twice the cost of a similarly featured car unit.

 

Cheers,

Phil

Possibly the Quest or Quest II would work for you.

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The beeps will not work on a motorcycle, trust me. I tried using my Legend HCx for navigating on my bicycle, and the beeps weren't loud enough to hear on that. Heck, I tried using the beeps for a proximity alarm while I was the passenger in a car, and even with the radio off, I didn't hear the beep.

Did you try other sounds for the beeps? I know you can change the sounds on a 60 CSx--surely the HCx does the same thing? There are several choices, some of them so loud and annoying that if you can't hear them in a car, you really need to have your hearing checked! :D

 

On a motorcycle, that may be a different story. However, the unit does flash to a large view of the map showing the direction of the upcoming turn.

 

My husband uses a 60CSx in his semi. He says it's sometimes a little hard to hear the prompts in the semi, but the turns are easy enough to see on the gps. It's no trouble in the car to both see and hear the 60CSx.

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After looking around I think I'm going to go for a Zumo.

 

The features I need are :

Waterproof

Bluetooth audio or headphone socket

Basemap covering UK

Ability to upload SMC topo maps (limits me to a garmin product)

Spoken directions.

 

The eTrex and similar don't do spoken directions.

Most Nuvi's aren't water proof and those that are do not have bluetooth or headphone socket.

Streetpilots aren't waterproof (and might be locked to road use?)

 

Only the Zumo's cover all my needs. It's like they planned it that way.

Unfortunately they don't come with 4.3" screens and cost about x1.5 the price of a similarly featured non waterproof model.

 

Ah well, it is only money.

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