Hey,

My OLD Garmin GPS has failed.  Should I bother getting a new GPS unit, or just get a mount for my phone.

Suggestions please on GPSs and phone mounts.

Cheers,
Ross

  GPS versus phone. They both have positives and negatives. Look to a rebuilt one from GPS City in Calgary.

Plus one on GPS City, when I was using a GPS almost daily, the ones I bought from there were perfect, and inexpensive.   Now, the phone does the job.

Doesn't that Honda come with a Nav package?  Mine does!

https://www.aerostich.com/analog-gps.html

Aerostitch has an analog GPS that would be right up your alley. Even has a handlebar mount.

  Electricity free operation. Cool!!

Yes, I have one of those, but I’ve lost the log tables that go with it.

The Nav package for my Honda is a massive biological unit that sits on the seat.  The upper portion of that is housed in a thick boned casing.  Those internals have deteriorated too much from age and chemical abuse that it needs electronic assistance, hence the need for a modern GPS unit. 

Gpa city has a refurbished DriveSmart 66 for $159.99 + $9.99 shipping.  Not a bad price.  Amazon.ca has a refurbished one for $220. 

Huh.  So I was in the garage this afternoon pondering the CB750.  The petcock was really difficult to maneuver the lever.  Drained the fuel and disassembled the petcock.  Lubed the o-ring with silicone grease.  Now works really slick. Hope it lasts.

Figured I’d better revisit the GPS power connections.  It seemed like one of the crimp connectors at the battery wasn’t crimped well enough.  I re-did it an and checked for power circuit at the “Battery Tender” USB adapter.  Got power.  Plugged the GPS in, still no worky!  Damn.  Plugged in my phone, no worky.  Huh.  I plugged in my other “Battery Tender” USB adapter.  Huh.  Everything works.  So…it seems that the old Garmin Nüvi 1350 is still functioning.  It’s the power adapter that failed.

Anyway, yesterday when the GPS stopped functioning, I was over in Sannich to attend a celebration of life.  I’d gotten to the event by following my wife in the car from Oak Bay.  I needed the GPS to guide me back to the ferry.  So I used electrical tape to tape on my phone to use as a guide.  I still made a wrong turn.  Barely made the ferry sailing.  I paid at the booth, rode to the front of the line, waited about 4 minutes and boarded.  Whew! 

It may well be time to upgrade from the old Nüvi.  From looking at the DriveSmart 66 on the interweb, it seems pretty good but physically it’s quite thick.  Hmm.

I know a guy  8) who has a couple of excellent condition Garman Montana series GPS's for sale.  Perfect for a motorcycle as they're waterproof and have external charging contacts, so no cables to fiddle with or break.   Not cheap though  ::)

I’m all about cheap.

ÅW SHUCKS GUYS. I'm all about READING a map, and stopping into Tourist Offices in unfamiliar areas. NOT that I'm doing much of that anymore.

Me too, but only when I'm buying   ;)

Ya, I like that as well.  But it’s not so good trying to get to, or from, a destination in an unfamiliar city.

GPS in messed up cities is still messed up.

We were following directions in Portland, got to a 5-way intersection and the GPS said "Turn right".

Ok, WHICH RIGHT?

I took the wrong right and ended up on I5 again.

  That’s your problem!!!! Travelling through/to  Portland. The original  West Coast S#*t hole. Avoid at all costs!! Leftist brain death is infectious there!  GPS units get totally confused  in S#*t hole cities.