(another) Garmin 800 Q

ddraver

Hi all

I'm thinking of asking Father Christmas for a Garmin 800 this year but I have a problem

*I ride both on/off road in the UK and Holland
*I have an ANT compatible HR strap from Suunto - would this work or do i need to buy a Garmin Strap
*less interested in Cadence really but is it useful on road?

Now - which version should I buy? Is the basemap in the unit good enough for normal road riding? (altitude variations are pretty moot in my part of Holland.) If so then I reckon I should get the trail version in order to get the UK OS mapping which is pretty expensive to buy on CD

However, it appears that this is supplied on an SD card if you buy it as a package, rather than a CD. Could I put UK or BeNeLux data on the unit then or would I need a new SD card? How easy is swapping the maps on and off the unit, is it a major issue?

Any help greatly appreciated!
DaveK

Wrath Rob

ddraver wrote:

*I have an ANT compatible HR strap from Suunto - would this work or do i need to buy a Garmin Strap

This should work with the Garmin

ddraver wrote:

*less interested in Cadence really but is it useful on road?

Only if you're trying to change it as part of a training regime

ddraver wrote:

Now - which version should I buy? Is the basemap in the unit good enough for normal road riding?(altitude variations are pretty moot in my part of Holland.) If so then I reckon I should get the trail version in order to get the UK OS mapping which is pretty expensive to buy on CD

The built in map has major roads only, no side roads and a very poor level of detail. Given that its likely to be the case that you'll be trying to avoid these kinds of roads, you can't really use the unit like this.

ddraver wrote:

However, it appears that this is supplied on an SD card if you buy it as a package, rather than a CD. Could I put UK or BeNeLux data on the unit then or would I need a new SD card? How easy is swapping the maps on and off the unit, is it a major issue?

Yes you can copy maps onto a single SD card or load multiple maps onto the same card. Its easy to access the SD card. The Euro Navigator maps go to a low level of detail for the whole of Europe through, so if you have this its unlikely you'll need to swap the cards or the maps.

It sounds like you need the base unit plus the city maps and you're good to go. Check out the DCRainMaker blog for reviews and also the Garmin 800 Forum for more help

ddraver

Wow! Stunning service! Thanks

ddraver

Hang on - does European Cities do the bits in between the cities...?

RoadyForever

I got a edge 800 earlier, the base mapping is moreless useless. It even me plotted on the wrong side of the motorway - not a good start!

There is loads of Open Street maps data about. Like this (first download in the table). Just create a folder called 'Gaming' on a microSD card, drop the .img file in there and select the map. VERY detailed and free.

ddraver

Ok, Thanks - but assuming I want to play the game properly - does European cities cover country roads - I think the BeNeLux card would be good anyway as many of the best bike paths in NL are not next to roads and the goshdarn ANWB does nt let you have em for free!

rickwiggans

Yes, city navigator does all the bits in between. I think you will find that Suunto belts are ANT. Garmin stuff is ANT +. they are not compatible. At least, mine aren't.

ddraver

Good, Darn....