Has anyone tried the Garmin Edge 800?



longcyclehome

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Oct 19, 2011
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I Just recently purchased a Garmin Edge 800.Has anyone had experience using this for a long distance? I mainly want it for cycle navigation and not the heart rate or ride information. I dont want to open the box yet but from what I can see the GPS system is not as clear or as detailed as the one on my phone, Which I couldnt use all day of course

If anyone has any feedback on this product then I would like to hear from you what you think about the product. I am thinking about refunding it
 
I have been using the Garmin 800 for about 6 months and the 705 before that.
You will have to get the maps in order to get detail. I purchased the maps preloaded on the SDmicro card, but there are free versions on the web if you want to buy a micro card and then load.

I cannot promise you will like it better than your phone. I have used my iphone on the bike with a Wahoo case, but my preference is the Garmin 800.
 
You can get maps that are better than the Garmin maps for free. As an added bonus, the Garmin 800 only uses its battery when you're cycling. The phone uses its battery when you talk and do everything else that you do on it, in addition to cycling. The net result is that you'll get longer rides out of the Garmin than you will your phone. Likewise, the GPS in the Garmin tends to be more accurate than that of the one in phones, or so say a lot of folks who have mapped with both.
 
I've written a few blog posts about mapping options on the Garmin Edge 800, with some video tutorials thrown in too, so you can actually see what the differences are.
It's useful to compare the OS discoverer maps with the free OSM maps such as VeloMap and TalkyToaster.

See my blog at www.scarletfire.co.uk

http://www.scarletfire.co.uk/2012/02/osm-maps/ - comparison of OSM versus OS discoverer
http://www.scarletfire.co.uk/2012/01/tutorial-how-to-install-free-osm-maps-to-your-garmin-edge-800/ - how to install a free OSM to your garmin device

hope someone finds it useful :)
 
Cloudmade is a great resource for finding free OSM maps for many places around the world. Free, routable maps are available here, and here's a wiki on OSM maps for Garmin GPS units.
 
Thank you for the replies! I have now used the Garmin a few times on some test cycles and I am enjoying using it. A days cycling is bad enough but getting lost and adding some extra miles is certainkly not what I need. I have found the screen a little dim but the basics are very easy and most of the time I can set a route in the morning and not hasve the added stress of getting lost

I am cycling from Gothenburg, Sweden to Copenhagen, Denmark on the 24th and 25th this month so I can give it a proper road test then

Also thanks for the heads up on cloudmade

I found smartphones great for Bike mapping apps but with around 8 hours battery it is only good for a short trip
 
stoofa said:
u can turn the brightness up if u wish
you certainly can, just briefly press the power button and you'll see the screen where you can adjust the brightness. Be wary of holding the power button too long, as you could accidentally turn the unit off. Bear in mind that increased brightness will affect battery life, so it's a good idea to set the backlight timeout to a fairly low value.
 

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