GPS audio

[richmayn]

Like a lot of people, I use a car sat nav in a waterproof handlebar mount, which means you can't really hear the directions. So I was interested to see this - anyone tried it? www.ridermount.com/home/categories/gps-audio/

[m40man]

I use a pukka TomTom Rider2, but have the audio off by choice, so I'm not too interested in this gizmo .

[gsteinert]

I use my mobile phone. Google maps navigation isn't the best but it does the job and the audio is sent via bluetooth to the headset in my helmet along with my music. Just need to add a 12v socket for charging purposes and it'll be perfect

Gary

[DahDit]

As discussed in an earlier thread, there are free satnav options for mobile phones such as the imaginatively titled "Navfree" that allow you to have whole country maps installed, so no data connection is required in use.

[max900]

I dont bother with the sound on sat nav even on the odd occasion i use one in the truck i always find the voices very annoying
so mute it and simply pay attention to whats on the screen the only downside to this can be these waterproof covers can give very bad dazzle from the sun so you cant always see whats on the screen but then i just go with the flow as the sat nav is there to get me out of trouble not get me into it

[Welsh Ade]

I used a Garmin Zumo 550 it comes with all the mounts for both bike and car. This is connected to a Starcom and feeds up into the Helmet so you can have the audio for directions, listen to MP3's or if you so wish blue tooth the phone to the Garmin and answer calls.

I prefer not to blue tooth.

The above set up has taken me to Scotland, Lakes District, Normandy, Ardennes just to name a few places.

The Garmin has a number of features and records your route, monitors distance travelled so you get a warning to refuel and it comes up with petrol stations that are close.

[ridermount]

Jun 13, 2013 18:07:45 GMT richmayn said:

Like a lot of people, I use a car sat nav in a waterproof handlebar mount, which means you can't really hear the directions. So I was interested to see this - anyone tried it? www.ridermount.com/home/categories/gps-audio/

Hi richmayn,
I came across your question about GPS audio and thought I'd point out that we offer a money back guarantee on the product. I had the original idea for it and have spent a lot of time riding around the Suffolk countryside (in the winter) testing it and we are happy to stand behind it as a product.

Hope that helps, not trying to advertise as such just reassure.

Cheers, [e-mail]
 

[Pops]

I have just bought a ridermount so will report back here when I have tested it out with my TomTom start.
Keith

[kissofdeath]

i use navman on my mobile with a bluetooth headset

[Pops]

Please note this is just my opinion referring to the use of a RiderMount unit with a Tom-Tom Start model.

IMHO I would not recommend the RiderMount if you plan on using it with a 3.5inch Tom-Tom Start in a 5.5 inch waterproof gps case. I personally found it too fiddly and took a lot of messing about cutting the foam to try and get it to fit neatly along side with the TT. It is also a tad fiddly when you want to turn the TT on/off with the unit moving about when you unzip the case to get to the TT power button. Other then gluing the foam in place (I ended up with several smaller pieces of foam being used to wedge it in place) I might have to buy a bigger case. I suppose you could bury it at the back underneath the TT but volume buttons would not be accessible.

After saying that the piece of kit itself appears to be very well made and is extremely good at what it is supposed to do as I nearly blew my ears off when I first turned it on with the volume full on.

Anybody know where I can buy more foam

[richmayn]

Jun 24, 2013 19:43:04 GMT ridermount said:

Jun 13, 2013 18:07:45 GMT richmayn said:

Like a lot of people, I use a car sat nav in a waterproof handlebar mount, which means you can't really hear the directions. So I was interested to see this - anyone tried it? www.ridermount.com/home/categories/gps-audio/

Hi richmayn,
I came across your question about GPS audio and thought I'd point out that we offer a money back guarantee on the product. I had the original idea for it and have spent a lot of time riding around the Suffolk countryside (in the winter) testing it and we are happy to stand behind it as a product.

Hope that helps, not trying to advertise as such just reassure.

Cheers, [e-mail]
 

Thanks for that!

[ridermount]

Jul 7, 2013 9:10:13 GMT Pops said:

After saying that the piece of kit itself appears to be very well made and is extremely good at what it is supposed to do as I nearly blew my ears off when I first turned it on with the volume full on.

Anybody know where I can buy more foam

Hi Pops,
Let me have your address by email and I'll send you some foam FOC.  What I found in testing regarding volume setting, was that I could achieve a good setting for 0-80mph. If you need it louder then there are volume controls to fine tune volume on most helmet speakers.

[Pops]

Jul 10, 2013 19:43:26 GMT ridermount said:

Jul 7, 2013 9:10:13 GMT Pops said:

After saying that the piece of kit itself appears to be very well made and is extremely good at what it is supposed to do as I nearly blew my ears off when I first turned it on with the volume full on.

Anybody know where I can buy more foam

Hi Pops,
Let me have your address by email and I'll send you some foam FOC.  What I found in testing regarding volume setting, was that I could achieve a good setting for 0-80mph. If you need it louder then there are volume controls to fine tune volume on most helmet speakers.

View Attachment

thank you Colin, email sent.
Keith


Thank you Colin, I received it today,(Saturday) many thanks. I will have another go at fitting it.

[richmayn]

I have now made my own for next to nothing. All you need is a Tronic H3050 intercom - about a fiver on eBay, or Lidl sometimes have them. Simply take one of the microphone booms, remove the windshield and bend it small, and sit in in your sat nav cover, underneath the GPS unit positioned next to the speaker. Plug that into the intercom's passenger socket, plug a pair of headphones into the rider socket and behold, you can hear the directions. Total cost, with a pair if cheap headphones and an extension cable from Poundland? The princely sum of £7.

[richmayn]

Well, my efforts at fabricating a home-made version of this having failed miserably, (nothing but engine noise screaming in my ear), I finally got round to purchasing this device from Ridermount for our most recent trip to France - and it works brilliantly.

I originally bought the Bluetooth version, but couldn't get it to work with my ageing Scala Rider Teamset intercom. After working through a number of possible causes with Colin at Ridermount, we concluded that my Scala was not compatible, owing to its age. No problem - Colin simply refunded me the cost of the Bluetooth part of the package. Having recently bought a secondhand replacement headset on Fleabay, I was able to connect the Ridermount audio to that via a cable, thus complying with the French regulations that now ban you from using in-ear headphones, (speakers in the helmet are fine).

It works really well. It only kicks in when the sat-nav issues an audio instruction, so there is no extraneous noise, and you can hear it loud and clear. I had a few teething troubles which have now been cured by fitting a proper Scala curly cable, also supplied by Colin at Ridermount, to replace the cheap rubbishy one I'd bought on Fleaby which was the source of the fault. (I had taken a spare cable to France so that was not a problem).

I would really recommend this bit of kit, and also Ridermount, who are only an email or phone call away if you get a problem, unlike some internet sellers. My next purchase will probably be a better mount for the sat-nav unit with a sun shade on it, also from Ridermount.