My Garmin Street Pilot GPS 2720: "Aarrghh!"

[Phil Tarman]

It's been telling me since late July that it was time to update the maps. I had purchased the "lifetime" map subscription so decided that New Year's Eve was a good time to do it.

Took me a while to get everything downloaded that I needed to do the job, but finally it was underway. IIRC, downloading the maps took about 70 minutes, preparation took five or six, then loading the maps took 89 minutes. After all that, it told me the maps were downloaded to my device.

But then, when I tried turning on the GPS to see if I could spot any map changes, it wouldn't finish the start-up process. I'd see a red line along the bottom of the screen, and then it would shut down and start all over. When it was plugged into my computer, I kept getting the little "ding" that tells you the computer has detected a new device or the removal of a device just about every five seconds.

I tried resetting the GPS, losing all my landmarks in the process, but it still does the same thing.

I emailed Garmin and I'm sure that they'll sort it out for me -- at least if all the stories I've heard about their customer service are true -- but in the meantime, I'll be without my GPS for probably three or four days. I hope I can manage to find my way around Ft Morgan (pop: 11,000+/- and I've lived here for 15 1/2 years, so maybe I'll be OK) until it gets back online.

Any suggestions from the peanut gallery?

 

[Phil Tarman]

Simba is correct. Power source is always external; in this case it is the Garmin external AC converter power source. There was no instruction to "unmount" the GPS from the computer before restarting.

 

[Phil Tarman]

Garmin said that since I was using their map downloading software when the fault occured, that they would replace my unit free-of-charge. But they suggested that I try a "reset" and told me how to do that. But it wouldn't reset, just kept "power-cycling" (their term, not mine).

So today I got a Return Merchandise Authorization number and an address from them and the promise that the turnaround would be 10-14 days (I've heard reports of a 3-4 day turnaround. So, my 2720 goes in the mail tomorrow.

Good service! Now if we could just get 'em to make a Zumo-sized GPS with a bit more motorcycle functionality -- restoring some of the screens that have disappeared: Sunrise/Sunset, Moonrise/Moonset, voltage, and some others -- I guess at least a couple of stopwatches and timers would be nice -- I'd be a happier camper.

 

[Phil Tarman]

My impression is that it will be a 2720, probably a reconditioned one. I got another email from someone else in the customer service department before I got the return authorization number telling me that they could fix it for $99. That would have been a better deal than a Zumo (maybe). I think as long as I have a 2720, I've got lifetime maps. They told me to send only the GPS unit, none of the cables, map CDs, etc.

Into the mail first thing in the morning! (Before they change their minds!)

 

[Chucksklrst]

Just for info sake, I had to send my Zumo 550 back one month before the warranty ran out. I received a reconditioned on back. Looked and operated like new, but it had a reconditioned sticker on it. I really like the Zumo 550 because my bikes do not know how to run with out music.

 

[Phil Tarman]

My Street Pilot 2720 was delivered to Garmin yesterday morning at 9:20 AM. I'll bet I get a reconditioned one by the end of the week.

 

[Phil Tarman]

You may be right, Guy. I hadn't even thought about that possibility.

 

[Phil Tarman]

Matt, I am fairly unique. I don't use a GPS to navigate, just to create greater awarness of opportunities for route deviations. I've been lost a grand total of twice in my life. The first time was in Temple, Texas in 1963. I could see Scott-White Hospital and a big road going in that direction and figured I'd take a shortcut. My big road went into a brand-new subdivision. No street signs, no lights, no houses. It was an overcast night and the subdivsion was down in a hole and I could no longer see the hospital. Not one of the roads was straight and I wandered around for about 20 minutes before we got out of the maze, onto a dirt road that ended up in a farmer's front yard. We turned around, got back to the subdivision, wandered around for another 15 minutes before getting out the way we had gotten in.

Second time was in northern California in 1978 while I was doing my long solo-cross country for my private pilot's license. I had taken off, climbed to about 7500', and passed directly over the top of Mt. Helana, a 5,000' mountain just north of Calistoga and by far the highest thing around for 50-60 miles. My 2nd checkpoint was Mysterious Valley Airport, 12 miles northeast of Mt Helena. I started looking for it 5 minutes after passing Mt Helena. No airport. By 12 minutes, still no airport. Since the Cessna 152 was cruising a little over 100 knots (115 mph), I knew that I should have seen the airport. My thought process went something like this: "Oh, my gosh! No Mysterious Valley Airport! Am I on course? Yes? Has enough time passed to get there? Yes -- I've got to be past it! I'M LOST!"

But then I realized that out my left window I could see a 2200' Loran navigational tower that I drove right by a couple of times a month. Out the rear window of the plane I could see Mt Helena, right where it was supposed to be. So, I started flying to the next checkpoint, the Williams VOR radionavigational beacon. Got there just fine, right on time. Went on up to Red Bluff, landed, got gas, then went to Modesto, landed, got gas, and flew back to Sonoma County Airport in Santa Rosa.

I walked into the flight office and my instructor was sitting there. "How did it go?" he asked. "Fine." "Any problems?" "No." "Uhh...did you hit all your checkpoints?" "Yep." "Really? What about Mysterious Valley?" "Flew right over it." "Did you see it?" "No. That's why they call it 'Mysterious Valley."

He started laughing and told me that there really is an airport there (I saw it a couple of months later when I watched a DC-3 jump plane land and disappear). It's a camaflouged airport that is used exclusively by sky divers and they don't want anyone disrupting their jumping activity by landing to drink a coke. I was the first student he'd ever had who hadn't gotten worried and circled around looking for it. Nobody had ever found it. He was teaching the lesson that things that show up on the map don't always show up from the air. I had picked the checkpoint myself (as did everyone else) because airports are always easy to spot.

At any rate, I have a constant sense of orientation on the face of the globe. When I went to Europe 2 years ago I rode 3800 miles, about half of it by myself, with no anxiety, and with paper maps that I'd gotten at AAA in Greeley, CO. Not all the roads I rode were on the map, but at every town and crossroads there would be signs pointing to town and cities that were on the map.

I study paper maps all the time. But I can't say that I particularly miss carrying them.

 

[Chucksklrst]

I always have my maps with me. I like the Zumo 550 because of the MP3 ability and to be able to route me thru when I am in a strange city. I also run an old 3+ for the stats. Top speed, elevation, volts, etc. But I like the paper maps because during stops I can see the big picture with them. Where am I in relation to....
The GPS does not give me that sense. Also the GPS can break. I have never seen a paper map stop working, and one can get them anywhere if need be. Together the Map and the GPS are a great tool.

 

[RedLdr1]

I always carry paper maps as well. I taught map reading in the Army and for me it is just the easiest way to navigate on the road. I also prefer being able to sit down and look at the "big picture" and alternate routes in a scale that makes sense. No three to five inch GPS screen can give that perspective while retaining details.

That being said I run with my orphan Magellan 4250 GPS to be "told" when my turn is coming up via Bluetooth. But I plan my route on paper, or on a 27 inch monitor attached to my tower PC, and move it over to my GPS.

I enjoy "getting lost" occasionally, some of the best places and roads I've ever ridden / driven were "found" while I was "lost"...:smile: And I have been "lost" in North America, Central America, Europe, and Asia so I've gotten good at it!

 

[bish79]

Maybe I'm old fashioned but I have never owned a GPS unit and I still have no intentions of owning one. To me it takes the "thrill" out of traveling and feeling self sufficient.

Instead what I do if I am going to a new/unfamiliar place I will study (and I mean STUDY) google maps of the area until most people would have gone insane. I look at street views, alternate routes, places to eat, read the reviews of the places to eat, etc. etc. etc. So far, every time I have gone somewhere new, I feel like I have been there already.

My fiancee is amazed by my determination and ability to retain it all. Also, she was amazed at the months (not kidding, it was months) that I spent planning our trip out to Oregon in 2009. I created an itinerary which included waypoints, places to eat, places where we would need to stop and get gas, bio-breaks, approximate times that we should be hitting certain waypoints so we could keep track if we were ahead or behind schedule, etc.

The best part is, google maps is free. All I ended up buying was a US road atlas and a book called "The Next Exit" ( http://www.thenextexit.com/ ). Plus, I just know that if I had a GPS and relied on it at all, it would quit working in the middle of nowhere and I would be completely lost. Or maybe I just have OCD?

 

[Phil Tarman]

Matt, I understood that you were kidding...most moto-friends are pretty good "kidders."

 

[Warren]

One of my favorite weekend rides is to just point myself in a direction and take off. I turn down what ever road seems interesting with no destination planned. Once the sun starts to go down and I decide its time to head home, rather than pulling out the maps to figure out where I am, I just turn on the GPS and hit the home button. It of course never takes me back home the same way so both the way out and way back are both interesting but with the GPS I don't have to stop every 10 minutes to see where I need to turn next. I have found all sorts of interesting places that I never would have found any other way and I can maintain that spirit of adventure that I so much like with motorcycling.

 

[Phil Tarman]

Guy,

I guess I forgot to follow through. They were great. They took the 2nd one they'd sent me back, even though I probably caused the difficulty by not understanding how to download files to the GPS. They sent me a 3rd one and their software support tech called me and talked me through downloading the latest maps. I was only out postage for sending three packages to Garmin.

They even had corrected some of the disparities between roads which showed on the maps and roads which really exist.

 

[elizilla]

I'm running a Nuvi 550 as well. Cheap, functional, and waterproof, what's not to like?

 

[Chucksklrst]

Like I said for those of us who can't afford a 1K GPS it's a great option that works Great! I love mine! I have MCL ball mount, 1 inch Ram mount riser and a RAM Nuvi 500 craddle. It works great.......

Does the Nuvi 500 have mp3 capabilaty like theZumo 550?

 

[elizilla]

It has only an external speaker for audio, so if it did play MP3s they would sound wretched.

 

[1TRAK]

I'm running a Nuvi 550 as well. Cheap, functional, and waterproof, what's not to like?

Hi Katherine. A friend is looking at the Nuvi 500, any idea how long it runs on just the battery? Could you post a pic of the mount you use for it? Thanks!

 

[elizilla]

Steve, I just got a Ram mount.

Have you used Ram mounts before? The way they work, is you buy a plastic holder that the GPS snaps into - it doesn't increase the size of the unit by much, and they sell them for every device imaginable. Then you buy a ball that screws to the back of the holder, and another ball that attaches to your bike somewhere (they have dozens of kinds that mount in various places). And an arm of whatever length you prefer. The balls are like little tiny trailer hitches. You move the arms to hold the device at the angle you prefer, then you tighten them down and they hold in place. No one piece is super expensive, and most of them are generic, so I bought more pieces than I needed, a few extra arms and balls, so I could try different configurations until I decided which was best for me. I saved the extras instead of sending them back - I'm sure they will be useful for future gadgets and bikes.

I don't know how long it runs on the battery. I've never had it run out, but I've never used it on battery for more than an hour or two. When it's not plugged in to the bike, the screen dims to save power, and becomes hard to see in sunlight. So I mainly use it on battery, only when I carry it in to a restaurant to play with over lunch.

 

[CoolNT]

Hey Katherine,
Does the 550 allow for nav announcement over BT? I don't think it does unless you hook up via external jack correct?