Garmin Edge 605

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bonj2

Guest
Selling my garmin edge 605
look here
https://buy.garmin.com/shop/shop.do?pID=10884#edge605
for the details.

Used but perfect condition. Comes with bike mount, box, instructions and charger/USB cable (it charges via USB).

Please note that it doesn't come with the detailed maps, you will have to buy this extra. (CityNavigator)

It does have a base map on it however.

£100 posted, ono.
 

Steve Austin

The Marmalade Kid
Location
Mlehworld
Just out of interest. Why are you selling?
 
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bonj2

Guest
cos i want one with removable batteries steve
i think i've sold it to somebody on yacf anyway
 

Sittingduck

Legendary Member
Location
Somewhere flat
Bonj

What areas do the base maps cover and do you have any link to what they look like (you mentioned they are not the detailed variety)?

Cheers
SD
 
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bonj2

Guest
They cover all of the uk but only major roads. I think A-roads and some B-roads.
Personally i found it largely inadequate for cycling.
I haven't got a picture but for example on the brief look i had at it when i first got it (before quickly deciding to buy the detailed) looking at the peak district it had the A623 on, but not some of the minor roads around bakewell, and not some of the B-roads. Certainly not all of the roads you would require to do an audax.

That said, you can perfectly well navigate without roads - just using track-based navigation. I PRESUME (but don't know) that this is when you get to a junction, you just have to look which shape the line bends in, and work out which exit from the junction to take from that, rather than getting an actual instruction flash up.
It's entirely possible that in some situations this might be more reliable/preferable, i don't know. I think ColinJ uses this type of navigation on his.
 

ColinJ

Puzzle game procrastinator!
bonj said:
That said, you can perfectly well navigate without roads - just using track-based navigation. I PRESUME (but don't know) that this is when you get to a junction, you just have to look which shape the line bends in, and work out which exit from the junction to take from that, rather than getting an actual instruction flash up.
It's entirely possible that in some situations this might be more reliable/preferable, i don't know. I think ColinJ uses this type of navigation on his.
(My ears are burning! :smile:)

Read this excellent article.

I prefer to use the breadcrumb trail feature rather than the navigation arrow because you can see the turn, roundabout whatever, way before you come to it.

I found myself getting confused when I tried using the arrow. Sometimes the GPS 'thinks' it is a few metres away from it actually is (personal devices have errors of 5-10 metres even when they have a good view of enough satellites), and that can lead to the arrow pointing the wrong way as you approach a junction, and then it corrects itself. Exactly the kind of thing you don't want to think about in traffic in unfamiliar surroundings.

The breadcrumb trail would show that you needed to turn right (say) 50 metres down the road. It is extremely rare that you get junctions closer together than the error of the GPS so it is very easy to spot which turn you need to take. If you do make a mistake, it would be obvious very quickly, unless the two roads were parallel and very close together.

As the article I linked to indicates, you can give yourself extra clues by choosing how you label your waypoints. If you have a complicated roundabout to navigate round, just label it something like 045 E3 (waypoint 45, take Exit 3). You see that on the screen before you come to it and you just count the exits.

Using this system, I've only made about 10 navigation mistakes in 3,000 km and I spotted all of them within about 50 metres and quickly got back on track.
 
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bonj2

Guest
ColinJ said:
I prefer to use the breadcrumb trail feature rather than the navigation arrow because you can see the turn, roundabout whatever, way before you come to it.

I found myself getting confused when I tried using the arrow. Sometimes the GPS 'thinks' it is a few metres away from it actually is (personal devices have errors of 5-10 metres even when they have a good view of enough satellites), and that can lead to the arrow pointing the wrong way as you approach a junction, and then it corrects itself. Exactly the kind of thing you don't want to think about in traffic in unfamiliar surroundings.

so what does it display on the screen then, just a line with a dot for the position where you are, which is normally (if you haven't gone the wrong way) positioned somewhere on the line?
 

ColinJ

Puzzle game procrastinator!
bonj said:
so what does it display on the screen then, just a line with a dot for the position where you are, which is normally (if you haven't gone the wrong way) positioned somewhere on the line?
The route you are following is shown as a solid line on the screen, twisting and turning to represent the shape of the route you've programmed in.

You are represented by a little walking man icon, always centre-screen (no cyclist icon available, but I'm sure that someone somewhere will have hacked the firmware to do that!).

You can set the Etrex to always have north at the top of the screen, but that feels counter-intuitive to me. I prefer the other option, which is to show where you are heading towards at the top of the screen (and an arrow to show where north is). As you turn, the display rotates the breadcrumb trail round to keep the icon marching in the right direction.

If you programmed a very accurate route in, the icon would pretty much be on the line all the time. I just program in all decision points (junctions, roundabouts etc.) and enough 'via' points to give a reasonable approximation to the shape of the road. If I programmed in the climb from Mytholmroyd to Blackstone Edge, I might just plot a straight line between the 2 points because it is one road for 6 miles. It might twist and turn, but I can ignore that and stick on the road until the junction at the top, which will be clearly marked.

You can zoom the display scale in and out, but you can't pan it. Your position is always shown centre-screen. I don't like that because it means that you can only examine the route in detail where you are. The only way to see somewhere off the screen is to zoom out and all detail is lost.

It's a really simple system, but I like it because it is easy to take in at a glance when riding.

The one thing about the basic Etrex that I don't like is that there is no audible warning that you are approaching a turn. A little warning box pops up on the screen saying "Turn Ahead" but that seems stupid to me. If you are looking at the breadcrumb trail, you can already see that. If you aren't looking at the screen you won't see the warning box either! I'd like the thing to beep at me to remind me to look down at the screen when I need to. In practice, you do get into the habit quite quickly. I've only missed a couple of turns because I was talking to someone, but I've always noticed soon afterwards. Some models higher in the range do have audible warnings.
 
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bonj2

Guest
ColinJ said:
The route you are following is shown as a solid line on the screen, twisting and turning to represent the shape of the route you've programmed in.

You are represented by a little walking man icon, always centre-screen (no cyclist icon available, but I'm sure that someone somewhere will have hacked the firmware to do that!).

You can set the Etrex to always have north at the top of the screen, but that feels counter-intuitive to me. I prefer the other option, which is to show where you are heading towards at the top of the screen (and an arrow to show where north is). As you turn, the display rotates the breadcrumb trail round to keep the icon marching in the right direction.

If you programmed a very accurate route in, the icon would pretty much be on the line all the time. I just program in all decision points (junctions, roundabouts etc.) and enough 'via' points to give a reasonable approximation to the shape of the road. If I programmed in the climb from Mytholmroyd to Blackstone Edge, I might just plot a straight line between the 2 points because it is one road for 6 miles. It might twist and turn, but I can ignore that and stick on the road until the junction at the top, which will be clearly marked.

You can zoom the display scale in and out, but you can't pan it. Your position is always shown centre-screen. I don't like that because it means that you can only examine the route in detail where you are. The only way to see somewhere off the screen is to zoom out and all detail is lost.

It's a really simple system, but I like it because it is easy to take in at a glance when riding.

The one thing about the basic Etrex that I don't like is that there is no audible warning that you are approaching a turn. A little warning box pops up on the screen saying "Turn Ahead" but that seems stupid to me. If you are looking at the breadcrumb trail, you can already see that. If you aren't looking at the screen you won't see the warning box either! I'd like the thing to beep at me to remind me to look down at the screen when I need to. In practice, you do get into the habit quite quickly. I've only missed a couple of turns because I was talking to someone, but I've always noticed soon afterwards. Some models higher in the range do have audible warnings.

ok that sounds good. I've sold my 605 on yacf and am getting an etrex vista hcx.
Breadcrumb navigation sounds ok though.

I think you should definitely get onto garmin and demand a cyclist icon.
 

ColinJ

Puzzle game procrastinator!
bonj said:
ok that sounds good. I've sold my 605 on yacf and am getting an etrex vista hcx.

Breadcrumb navigation sounds ok though.

I think you should definitely get onto garmin and demand a cyclist icon.
Hm, the Vista HcX looks good! Nice colour screen, the beeper that I suggested, better sensitivity, faster signal lock, accurate compass when stationary, the maps of course...

I'd like one of them, but I don't actually need one. ;)

Why not write a review once you've had it a while?

As for new icons... seek, and ye shall find!
 
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bonj2

Guest
I've ordered it, hopefully i'll have it working in time for everybody rides to skeggy on 9th of may so I will do a review after that!

I'm thinking the inbuilt compass might solve the problem of not knowing which way to head out of a control as well!
 
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