Solar powered GPS for bike tour?

[[email protected]]

First off what's the best GPS for bike touring? Id want
some maps inside the unit. So that leaves out the Geko
models and Forerunner, correct?

And... its my understanding that GPS units eat up
batteries so is there any that are sun powered?

Also.... what abt using a separate GPS receiver and
Pocket PC or PDA? I'm assuming that's not nearly as
robust as an all in one Garmin for outdoor use.
Correct?

 

[Taka]

On Mon, 29 Aug 2005 16:18:23 -0500, [email protected] wrote:

>First off what's the best GPS for bike touring? Id want
>some maps inside the unit. So that leaves out the Geko
>models and Forerunner, correct?
>
>And... its my understanding that GPS units eat up
>batteries so is there any that are sun powered?
>
>Also.... what abt using a separate GPS receiver and
>Pocket PC or PDA? I'm assuming that's not nearly as
>robust as an all in one Garmin for outdoor use.
>Correct?

Hi,

I've seen the only solar powered model I know of here.
I have nothing to do with the company but have bought stuff from them
in the past.
They're very good.

http://www.globalpositioningsystems...=list&hp=Bluetooth,receiver=4&product_id=3626

Taka

 

[Bruce Graham]

In article <[email protected]>, [email protected]
says...
> First off what's the best GPS for bike touring? Id want
> some maps inside the unit. So that leaves out the Geko
> models and Forerunner, correct?
>
> And... its my understanding that GPS units eat up
> batteries so is there any that are sun powered?
>
> Also.... what abt using a separate GPS receiver and
> Pocket PC or PDA? I'm assuming that's not nearly as
> robust as an all in one Garmin for outdoor use.
> Correct?
>
it depends on your type of touring. If you want topo maps then a
separate PDA running OziExplorer or similar works well, at least for me.
You can get cheap metal jackets for the PDA which add little weight and
size (but are not waterproof) or there are things like the "otterbox"
(bulkier and more expensive). I have the metal "Innopocket" jacket which
works well for me. I get by with an old basic Garmin GPS which runs all
the time and I only power on the PDA when I need to, so PDA battery life
is not an issue. I have a cable connection from the GPS to the PDA for
transferring the day's track files, waypoints etc. The cable is a pain,
even though I cut down a standard one to make it small and light, so I
believe the answer is a bluetooth hook up. Trouble is I don't think
anybody has a good stand-alone GPS with a bluetooth interface yet.

I expected I would want the moving map display, but it is not necessary
for me. I stop the bike if I want to study a topo map and I don't need a
cable connect to identify my position.

When Garmin release a basic GPS with bluetooth I will probably update,
especially as my old GPS12 does not record altitude in its track log and
only has a 1000 point tracklog (3,000 is nice).

I did screw around with a solar AA charger for one trip. I don't bother
now as even with the old GPS12, I get 3 days touring out of a set of 4
AA's. I use rechargeables if I'm staying in hotels, alkalines if remote
camping. I think the newer hiking GPS's will do about the same on 2AA's.

BTW, I still print off A4 sections of maps covering my planned route,
showing the waypoints I load to the GPS prior to the trip. The maps are
prepared using the PC vesrion of OziExplorer and are much more useful
than the PDA, especially in bright sunlight. The PDA is still useful for
storing tracks, diary, instruction manuals etc. It is also great at
night reviewing the next days route while wife snoozes!

Bruce G

 

[Jasper Janssen]

On Mon, 29 Aug 2005 16:18:23 -0500, [email protected] wrote:

>Also.... what abt using a separate GPS receiver and
>Pocket PC or PDA? I'm assuming that's not nearly as
>robust as an all in one Garmin for outdoor use.
>Correct?

The GPS receiver itself won't have any problems, you can just put it in
your pocket under the raingear and it will connect wirelessly to your PDA
via Bluetooth. The rechargeable battery ought to last through an 8 hour
ride, so that shouldn't be too much of a problem. The Bluetooth connection
may interfere with wireless cyclocomputers/HRMs on your or someone else's
bike.

Pocket PCs themselves are not generally outdoor-rated, and the less said
about that probably the better.


Jasper

 

[yk]

I use Legend C too. It works great. Battery life has never been a problem.
If you need, you can carry extra AAs or buy them anywhere. The only
complaint I have is 24MBytes memory limitation. It may not cover multi-day
trip especially when you have to travel through a large city.
I tried PDA and GPS combination before Legend C. It never worked well.
Battery life was the biggest problem. I also experienced frequent memory
read error when map data is on a SD card. I don't think most of PDAs are
designed to operate under the road bike vibration.

 

[Mike A Schwab]

> And... its my understanding that GPS units eat up batteries so is there any
> that are sun powered?
You might give Ken Kifer's solar batteries a shot.
http://kenkifer.com/bikepages/touring/laptop.htm
His concept is to charge batteries while riding, then recharge the
device batteries from the solar batteries afterward.

 

[Andrew W]

Your assesment is correct. I have an e-trex legend, though other
models in the e-trex range would also suit.

Battery life is not such an issue, with 14 hours or so (real life
figure, not manufacturers claims) from a pair of NiMH AAs, you
shoudn't have too much difficulty with batteries.

If you want you can get small AA solar chargers cheaply (try a search
on e-bay) and charge a spare pair as you go.

I have ridden for hours in pouring rain with my e-trex. I wouldn't try
this with a PDA. The Garmin range is pretty much weather proof.

The maps can be handy, but bear in mind that the regular Garmin maps
don't have topographical information or paths/bridleways, they also
fail to clearly distinguish different classes of minor road (at least
not in Europe), so are of limited value for route planning. I use
separare software for planning (based on OS maps in the UK). On the
road a scrolling map is sometimes useful, but a pointer is usually
sufficient guidance to follow a pre-planned route (off road the Map
Souce Europe maps aren't a lot of use in any case).

Having said all that I find a GPS invaluable, the ETA function is worth
its wait in gold in ensuring that you get to the station in time for
the next train, while not having to stop to consult the map makes it
possible to plan much more intricate off road rides without hassle.

Andrew Webster.

 

[Booker C. Bense]

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In article <[email protected]>,
Andrew W <[email protected]> wrote:
>Your assesment is correct. I have an e-trex legend, though other
>models in the e-trex range would also suit.
>
>Battery life is not such an issue, with 14 hours or so (real life
>figure, not manufacturers claims) from a pair of NiMH AAs, you
>shoudn't have too much difficulty with batteries.
>
>If you want you can get small AA solar chargers cheaply (try a search
>on e-bay) and charge a spare pair as you go.
>

_ These do work, but the cheap ones take way more than 14 hours
of daylight to charge a pair of AA's and you only get about 5-6
hours of "chargeable" sunlight even on a cloudless day. For what
you would spend on a solar panel big enough to reliably charge a
pair of AA's every two days, you can buy a lot of AA's, even at
7-11.

_ A good pair of NiMH batteries is roughly 4 amp/hours at 1.2
volts. You need at least a 5 watt panel for daily charging,
and a 10 watt panel would work much better. This site has
plenty of info and some realistic estimates of charging times.

http://store.sundancesolar.com/porosepoposo.html

_ Booker C. Bense

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[[email protected]]

[email protected] wrote:

>I can't help on the solar powered question, but I use a Garmin Legend C
>for all my biking.

I just recently talked to an older gentlemen traveling
thru my hometown on a long distance tour bike.

he had the eTrex Vista mounted on his handlebars and
said it was the one thing he was glad he brought along.
Do you agree?

Sounds like the eTrex line is a pretty good "fit' for
bike touring. Yes? Small enough but still enough power
to have some maps stored inside?

 

[[email protected]]

[email protected] wrote:

> I get a lot of
>life out of the batteries (specs claim 30 hours).

Not bad.

So how do you keep it powered up when batteries die?
Do you have rechargeable batteries inside it and charge
when you camp for night?

 

[[email protected]]

Jasper Janssen <[email protected]> wrote:

>Pocket PCs themselves are not generally outdoor-rated, and the less said
>about that probably the better.

Point taken

Question.... for everyone.... how important is it to
have the GPS display so you can view it ALL the time as
you are riding? In the real world is that not such a
big deal?

This guy who came riding thru my town the other day had
his eTrex Vista mounted on his handlebars and on so he
could see display continuously.

 

[[email protected]]

>he had the eTrex Vista mounted on his handlebars and
said it was the one thing he was glad he brought along.
Do you agree?

My Legend C is my favorite cycling accessory. I love it for all the
uses I had in my earlier post. I'm a big fan of it, so yes, I do
agree.

>Sounds like the eTrex line is a pretty good "fit' for
bike touring.

Biking compatibility was a very important factor in my choice of the
Legend C. I also use it for hiking and driving. It does biking and
hiking very well, and is acceptable for driving (but they make very
nice driving-specific units). I couldn't find anything better for
biking.

There have been a couple of comments about battery life in this thread.
After thinking about it, I get at least 25 hours out of a set of
batteries. Some one mentioned 14 hours, but that's the monochrome
unit, not my color unit. I generally just use alkalines and keep an
extra pair with me. I get 3 full days of life out of them, so I don't
need to carry many. I get a "battery low" warning about 2 hours before
they die.

 

[[email protected]]

>how important is it to have the GPS display so you can view it ALL the time as you are riding?

As I said, I use my as a cycling computer as well, so for my use, it's
very important. Also, if you're counting on the unit for routing
directions, what use is it if it's turned off or not visable?

 

[peter]

m... wrote:
> Question.... for everyone.... how important is it to
> have the GPS display so you can view it ALL the time as
> you are riding? In the real world is that not such a
> big deal?

I use mine for three basic functions: as a cyclometer, as a navigation
tool, and as a means to record the trip. The last function requires
that it be on all the time when moving but it doesn't need to be
visible. But the first two functions do require that it be mounted on
my handlebars where I can see it at a glance. That may just be to
check the odometer reading to know about how far to the next turn,
check my speed down a hill, or to see the turn-by-turn instructions
when following a route. When touring I find it very helpful in finding
grocery stores, delis, bike shops, etc. and I then follow its
directions to get there.

 

[Bruce Graham]

In article <[email protected]>, [email protected]
says...
> Question.... for everyone.... how important is it to
> have the GPS display so you can view it ALL the time as
> you are riding? In the real world is that not such a
> big deal?
>
compass (route) display is nice normally, and when climbing I usually
switch to the nav page to display altitude (and lots of other stuff too
like track etc.)

Mine sits in a handlebar bag with a clear lid pocket. That provides good
shock absorb like a soft mount (eg RAM) but at no weight/cost.

 

[[email protected]]

"yk" <[email protected]> wrote:

>I use Legend C too. It works great. Battery life has never been a problem.
>If you need, you can carry extra AAs or buy them anywhere. The only
>complaint I have is 24MBytes memory limitation. It may not cover multi-day
>trip especially when you have to travel through a large city.
>I tried PDA and GPS combination before Legend C. It never worked well.
>Battery life was the biggest problem. I also experienced frequent memory
>read error when map data is on a SD card. I don't think most of PDAs are
>designed to operate under the road bike vibration.
>

Thanks

That is helpful info!

 

[[email protected]]

[email protected] wrote:

>There have been a couple of comments about battery life in this thread.
> After thinking about it, I get at least 25 hours out of a set of
>batteries. Some one mentioned 14 hours, but that's the monochrome
>unit, not my color unit

Do you think its worth getting the color unit since its
likely to use battery power up faster?

 

[[email protected]]

Bruce Graham <[email protected]> wrote:

>Mine sits in a handlebar bag with a clear lid pocket. That provides good
>shock absorb like a soft mount (eg RAM) but at no weight/cost.

That's a god idea cause when I first looked at the
handlebar mount my thought was it takes a lot of
beating mounted that way!

 

[Bruce Graham]

In article <[email protected]>, [email protected]
says...
> Bruce Graham <[email protected]> wrote:
>
> >Mine sits in a handlebar bag with a clear lid pocket. That provides good
> >shock absorb like a soft mount (eg RAM) but at no weight/cost.
>
> That's a god idea cause when I first looked at the
> handlebar mount my thought was it takes a lot of
> beating mounted that way!
>
If you want a handlebar mount, look at RAM mounts too. I don't have
personal experience with them but there is lots of good feedback in the
archives. The barbag with the clear top is OK but does suffer from
reflections (but not so badly that I have done anything about it in the 5
years I've had my GPS12!) I do plan on a Velcro external mount to my
next bar bag when the current bag becomes terminally worn. I might
change the GPS at the same time if I can get a good standalone GPS with
bluetooth to hook to the PDA (which sits in the bagtop also to keep it
out of the weather. Reflections from the bag cover and the screen
protector on the PDA make that pretty useless in the sun.)

BTW - I think that monochrome is best for the GPS on the bike. Sunlight
just makes the mono display brighter.

Bruce G

 

[peter]

m... wrote:
> >Mine sits in a handlebar bag with a clear lid pocket. That provides good
> >shock absorb like a soft mount (eg RAM) but at no weight/cost.

> That's a god idea cause when I first looked at the
^^ I don't think it quite required divine inspiration.
> handlebar mount my thought was it takes a lot of
> beating mounted that way!

I tried Garmin's mount for awhile but found that the plastic tab was
too fragile and broke from vibration. And I agree that the unit
received lots of shock and vibration.

So I went back to my rubberband mount. I place a piece of foam over my
stem held in place with a couple rubberbands. Then I place the GPS on
top of that and use rubbebands around the top and bottom to secure it.
The lanyard looped over the handlebars also provides a safety backup
but has never been needed. The rubberbands do suffer from UV
degradation but the paper delivery person brings replacements on every
sunny day (on rainy days he brings plastic shoe cover bags). The foam
pad stays on the stem and it only takes a few seconds to secure the GPS
on top of it. The system has been working without any problems for the
last 6 years and 50000 miles.