95 replies to this topic

[GrahamI]

YES you can enter postal and postcode searches on the device and it will calculate a route to it. it will find on partial address information too. also enter road junctions/intersections or waypoints.you dont need to carry a PC with you. really handy when collecting ebay stuff

2) No postcode search. On these units Garmin has this weird way of searching for addresses which to be frank, sucks big time. It often means you are better off finding the location on the supplied PC software (MapSource) and then uploading the waypoint to the device which can be a PIA.

So now I am confused, one person says you can do postcode search, the other says you cannot - anyone got one and can clarify if I can just jump on the bike, type in a postcode and it will take me there?

Cheers

[TonyDevil]

So now I am confused, one person says you can do postcode search, the other says you cannot - anyone got one and can clarify if I can just jump on the bike, type in a postcode and it will take me there?

Cheers

i'll let you know when it arrives....was too good a price to turn down.

[dbninja]

as i said..
you can search using first line of the address and the postcode (on the garmin, not the pc) eg......

123 anystreet
ab1 2

it usually finds a match!

the more you give it the more chance it has of finding a match eg...

123 anystreet
anytown
ab1 2ab

the latest verion 8 software has "enhanced postcode search" whatever that means but it did this type of search on my original version 5 software.

it wont search using JUST the postcode, sorry if thats what you thaught, i did say "postal, postcode" meaning address.

entering the address and postcode is dead easy, if you can send a text message on a mobile phone you can use the search function, it even has a predictive text feature to speed up your searches, type in alex and it will go to alexander etc. enter the street name and it will give you... road, close,avenue,lane, etc etc so you dont have to type the whole line, just flick down to the correct choice. same with the postcode, it holds postcodes that exist.

its easy to enter a new search at the roadside it only takes a few minutes!

sorry if i didnt make it clear
dbninja

[GrahamI]

Ahhh, it all becomes clear!!

Sorry, didn't understand the postal, postcode bit, thought it was a typo - oops!

That har made it all a lot clearer though, thanks, just need to check with she-who-must-be-obeyed if this is suitable as she will be using it as well as me, think it might be a goer though

Cheers

[dbninja]

Graham
to give you some idea of how to use it, go to the photos i posted and look at the one of the unit fitted on my bike.......

to search an address or a waypoint or whatever.......... press the "find" button, this brings up an option screen
then using the "big black button" press it up or down, left or right to navigate the options on the screen, in this case select the "search by address" option, press the "enter" button and you are away

scroll with the "big button"......... select with the "enter" button!

pressing the big button up/down selects the individual character abc 123 etc. left/right moves the cursor to the next character or next line and so on, you do most things just using the big button and the enter button, make a bollix of it......... press the "quit" button

its easy once you have used it a couple of times, way easier than programming the video recorder


dbninja

[ringting]

Well all this has convinced me and the order is in.

Thanks for telling us about this Dave.

[viper_biker]

Has anyones arrived yet?

[TonyDevil]

the site states that "Due in end of May- all back orders welcome!", so not expecting it to arrive for a week or so yet

Edited by Toneski, 30 May 2006 - 10:59 am.

[Nosaj]

Has anyones arrived yet?

Perhaps theyve GOT LOST in the post

[GrahamI]

Having looked around and found used ones going on eBay for over £150, decided it would be daft not to get one since could probably sell it for near what I paid if I dont like it - sooooo, another order added

You know, we should have thought about this before hand and seen if we could have got a group discount....

[TonyDevil]

Having looked around and found used ones going on eBay for over £150, decided it would be daft not to get one since could probably sell it for near what I paid if I dont like it - sooooo, another order added

You know, we should have thought about this before hand and seen if we could have got a group discount....

esp as i ordered 3
1 for parents (old and always getting lost)
1 for sis (young,female and only just passed so also always getting lost)
1 for me (coz i'm lazy and cant be arsed to read the map)

[Nosaj]

esp as i ordered 3
1 for parents (old and always getting lost)
1 for sis (young,female and only just passed so also always getting lost)
1 for me (coz i'm lazy and cant be arsed to read the map)

any chance of an introduction to your sis toneski ???

[viper_biker]

Having looked around and found used ones going on eBay for over £150, decided it would be daft not to get one since could probably sell it for near what I paid if I dont like it - sooooo, another order added

My thoughts exactly, if I don't like/want it I should get my money back on it. I've seen them go for £230 in some cases.

[TonyDevil]

any chance of an introduction to your sis toneski ???

yeah if you want, she's all yours.
Non-returnable tho.....

[dbninja]

ok
i dont know if you new Garmin owners would like a few "exercises" to get you used to using em? well here is a simple one that should be really usefull ...please dont be put off if it sounds long winded, just print this off and sit in front of yer sat-nav in the car at your house and do the following

Marking HOME on the sat-nav

plug it in and turn it on, it will take a few moments to find the satelites(searchlight graphic shows)
its on and functioning when the screen diplays a map of where you are and a little arrow cursor in the middle.

press and hold the ENTER button to mark a waypoint (wherever you are you can save it as a waypoint)
this displays the WAYPOINT MARKED box
ROUTE TO IT should be highlighted yellow
in the top left hand corner of the display will be a three digit number, 001 or 002 etc this is the identity of the waypoint you have now marked. if your at home change this number to the word HOME (if your at work change it to WORK)

changing the waypoint number to a name..
using the Big Button scroll up untill the waypoint number is highlighted yellow
press ENTER
this will highlight the first digit yellow
scroll up.down till the letter H is highlighted
scroll left to the next digit
scroll up/down to the letter O
scroll left to next digit
untill you have the word HOME
press enter
and quit

now drive a mile up the road and pull over
let the sat-nav take you home

how to get Home

press FIND
scroll button to highlight WAYPOINTS yellow
press ENTER
list of stored waypoints appears
scroll to "home" and select using ENTER
press ENTER to highlight "route to it"
will then ask route preference
select one
sat-nav will now calculate a route back to your house and should give first voice and map detail back to your house.

so wherever you are in the uk or europe you can now find your way home by using the last bit

you can now mark anywhere you want to save to the sat-nav as a waypoint and name it accordingly

it sounds far more complicated trying to explain it than it really is, you are basically doing everything using the ENTER and SCROLL buttons and thats a lot less buttons than your mobile phone or video recorder

if you want any more info please ask, i will try to help!
if i am confusing you.... tell me and i will shut up!


dbninja

[sidestand]

I assume(hope) they'll come with an instruction book

[GrahamI]

I just hope it turns up at all - xpected end of May, that will be today then, wonder when they will post them out...



Just checked their web site again:
"All backorders to 30th May, 2006 now being despatched "
Good news for you lot, not sure where I stand as I ordered on the evening of 30th May - doh!

[dbninja]

heres another exercise to play with...

find an address

press FIND
scroll to ADDRESSES
press ENTER

first line (number) is highlighted yellow
press ENTER
first digit is highlighted yellow, scroll up/down to select correct number
scroll left for next digit then up/down to change digit when you have correct house number
press ENTER, this highlights the line solid yellow
scroll down to "street" and press ENTER you can now type the street name scrolling up/down and left/right for each digit, when its done press ENTER till its back on the find address screen and "street" is highlighted solid yellow.
scroll down and enter city(town) using ENTER and SCROLL buttons
then lastly enter postcode using ENTER and SCROLL buttons when you have completed the address and you have the postcode highlighted solid yellow SCROLL down to FIND and press ENTER.
it will now search for that address and will come up with its best match, the first address will be highlighted solid yellow if its a good match then press ENTER
it now gives the choice of SAVE AS WAYPOINT, SHOW MAP, or ROUTE TO IT, select your choice with the SCROLL button and press ENTER

save as waypoint..... saves it to your sat-nav
show map............... displays a map of the address
route to it................ select this and it will calculate a route to it

thats the basic search and address finding function..............SCROLL....&...ENTER.......easy eh!

happy sat-naving

dbninja

[dbninja]

just a thaught
if you intend using your sat-nav on yer bike you will need a helmet speaker which probably isnt included.
the speaker supplied is fitted in the cig lighter plug and is not waterproof, its fine in the car
there is an external speaker jack on the Garmin, this uses a standard mono 2.5mm jack plug so if you have an intercom or similar you might be able to use the helmet speaker off that!
alternatively there is a speaker on ebay item number.... 8070089675
dont get into a bidding war as there is a constant supply of em on ebay.

dbninja