Portable GPS with international maps?

motion · 05-04-2011, 09:08 AM

Anyone have experience with this? I'm getting really annoyed with being in new countries and having to rely on paper maps. A few weeks ago, I spent a week on a dirt bike in Costa Rica on mostly 4WD roads and was basically lost about 50% of the time. I'd love to have a good, portable GPS with a large screen that is battery powered and has international maps.

I have an iPhone, but the GPS feature only works with cell coverage or WiFi, so that's out. I have portable Garmins (60CSX), and could download maps, but the maps are expensive and the screen is too small. I wanted to download a Russian map a couple years ago, but it was a couple hundy.

The Garmin 1300 is on sale right now for $79, but the battery life is only advertised at 4 hours, which I'm assuming is optimistic. They have a nice 4.3" screen, so the idea is there, but the battery life sucks.

Garmin has a world map edition: https://buy.garmin.com/shop/shop.do?pID=662
Anyone know if the detail is acceptable?

It sure would be cool to be cruising around Nicaragua with a reliable electronic map. Any ideas?????

island911 · 05-04-2011, 10:38 AM

yeah, devices which the GPS feature only works with cell coverage or WiFi (to provide maps) suck. --out in the boonies (away from towers) is exactly where you need maps.

I recently traveled to Europe, where I didn't want to get a data plan ... so, Windows Mobile (Pocket PC) maps on my phone, and MSFT "AutoRoute" for my little 7" tablet PC. -done (cheaply)

jluetjen · jluetjen's Garage

I recently was in Malaysia and my "Crackberry" (Verizon service) correctly ID'd my location and supplied a map to go with it.

Rick Lee · Rick Lee's Garage

I bought a SanDisk card for my Garmin with 2010 Europe in it. It was a pirated version, but for $40ish, it was fine and worked very well. I'm sure you can find whatever countries/continents you need on eBay.

FWIW, Neil Peart wrote in his blog a few mos. ago about riding to all the Rush gigs in Brazil, Argentina and Chile and his GPS was lost a lot of the time with the updated maps.

svandamme · svandamme's Garage

Quote:

Originally Posted by jluetjen

I recently was in Malaysia and my "Crackberry" (Verizon service) correctly ID'd my location and supplied a map to go with it.

off course it did, it was downloading the maps off the interwebs from RIM.
Have you had your roaming bill yet? It can get real expensive , real fast that way.

LakeCleElum · 05-04-2011, 12:56 PM

I have an older Garmin Europe CD...Used to work great with my old Garmin III and V....Loaded the same map into may Garmin Quest for my last trip. It showed where I was, but would not "navigate" for me.....Said it couldn't get there from here......Since it loaded just fine, I didn't know there was a problem till I was there.

I've had 4 or 5 Garmins over the years, but next time to Europe, might buy something like a Tom-Tom that comes with a Europe map in it.......

Don't want to pay what Garmin wants for a Europe CD, costs almost as much as the unit itself.......G'luck...

motion · 05-05-2011, 06:00 AM

Tom Tom does have an international version, but every time I get a GPS that isn't Garmin, I end up being a bit disappointed. Plus, its only Europe and Mexico. Hard to beat Garmin and I have to guess their maps are probably the best. Seems like the 1300 with eBay maps might be the way to go, at least until a unit with better battery life comes out.

Joeaksa · 05-05-2011, 08:24 AM

TomTom has an international version as its a Dutch made GPS.

Almost all of the Garmin's can put an SD chip in it with maps of the world on them. I have the Chip for Garmins for Europe and loved it. Works great and the price is reasonable.

If you have a Garmin with a SD slot in it can loan you my Europe chip if you are going and give it a try.

turbo6bar · 05-05-2011, 08:25 AM

Can you charge the GPS battery from your bike?

What do the guys on advrider say?

RWebb · RWebb's Garage

which international maps do you need?

Kandahar?

Whackistan?

So. China Sea?

Christien · Christien's Garage

Does a bike not have a 12V plug that you could plug the adaptor into? Then battery life isn't an issue.

LakeCleElum · 05-05-2011, 12:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Joeaksa

TomTom has an international version as its a Dutch made GPS.

Almost all of the Garmin's can put an SD chip in it with maps of the world on them. I have the Chip for Garmins for Europe and loved it. Works great and the price is reasonable.

If you have a Garmin with a SD slot in it can loan you my Europe chip if you are going and give it a try.

Joe, How much for the Europe map these days? My 2 "Quests" have no SD slot, but could put on my computer and then download. My Wife's 245W does have the SD.

I agree Tom Tom is not the best quality. One was given to me and it died the first time it got wet on a motorcycle. Map and routing did not recognize the town of Dallas, Oregon, a small town of several thousand....Lame

motion · 05-06-2011, 06:10 AM

If I'm renting a bike somewhere, plugging into 12V is usually not an option, unless its a tourer, which I'm not going to be riding anyway. I'd really like the functionality for when I head out on foot, exploring a new city, in addition to general road maps. I guess the 4 hour battery life might be OK if I'm judicious about turning the unit off every time I use it, but what a pain. I can't believe something like this doesn't exist in today's world, seems like a no brainer. WiFi on a smartphone might allow you to download the local google maps, which would be held in memory, then you could zoom in/out/pan as needed during your stay. But, I've tried this with my iPhone in various international locations and it really hasn't worked. The maps application always wants a new connection to load data. Anyone confirm if this might work on another smartphone with a 4" screen?

motion · 05-06-2011, 06:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RWebb

which international maps do you need?

Kandahar?

Whackistan?

So. China Sea?

Anything I can get my hands on! I've been lost quite a bit in some strange places recently. Need maps!

Christien · Christien's Garage

Quote:

Originally Posted by motion

But, I've tried this with my iPhone in various international locations and it really hasn't worked. The maps application always wants a new connection to load data. Anyone confirm if this might work on another smartphone with a 4" screen?

This irritates the hell out of me, that google maps can't cache data on an iphone. Last time I was in the US, I called up maps of where I was going, in hopes it would cache. I don't have a US data plan, so data rates get expensive down there. No go. What a pain in the ass.

Joeaksa · 05-06-2011, 07:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LakeCleElum

Joe, How much for the Europe map these days? My 2 "Quests" have no SD slot, but could put on my computer and then download. My Wife's 245W does have the SD.

I agree Tom Tom is not the best quality. One was given to me and it died the first time it got wet on a motorcycle. Map and routing did not recognize the town of Dallas, Oregon, a small town of several thousand....Lame

Bob,

Look at Rick's post above and he found something for $40 or so. Direct from Garmin was usually in the $60 range back when I was doing a lot of European work.

Not sure how it would interface but might get a copy from someone and try, then if it works pay for the "latest greatest version" online.

RWebb · RWebb's Garage

DoD and even CIA have published map layers and GIS, believe it or not...

don't expect to get all the secret squirrel nut caches tho

LakeCleElum · 05-07-2011, 05:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Joeaksa

Bob,

Look at Rick's post above and he found something for $40 or so. Direct from Garmin was usually in the $60 range back when I was doing a lot of European work.

Thanks Joe - I really like 10 years ago, Garmin wanted like $195 for a Europe Cd, $40 is very doable....Thanks