Garmin 810 Maps

robthehungrymonkey

Hey there,

I'm considering buying a Garmin 810, for the navigation. Being able to ride new routes and longer journeys without having to stop and get my phone out or carry a little bit of paper.

What I don't fully understand is the maps. What comes with the unit? What are available? What scale should I be looking for?

Bar Shaker

If you are happy renaming and loading up map files onto sd cards, then get one with no maps.

If not, look for Garmin City Navigator maps to be included. For the extra cost (approx £50) and the hassle free way the maps then work with the Garmin OS, this is the way I prefer to buy GPS units.

The maps are fully scalable on the display.

ben-----

robthehungrymonkey wrote:

I'm considering buying a Garmin 810, for the navigation. Being able to ride new routes and longer journeys without having to stop and get my phone out or carry a little bit of paper.

I've just recently bought a Garmin Edge 200 for exactly that purpose. And, so far as that capability goes, I'm really happy with it, I think it's great. You have to do the route at home, in advance, on a website (eg ridewithgps.com) because it doesn't have any maps in it. So it can't re-route when you're out and about. But if you're happy with being tied to just a handful of routes (it can store a number of routes) after you set out, I'd recommend having a look at it. So far as allowing you to keep cycling and not keep stopping to look at a map I find it great. Here's a video which shows how it works:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V9NQNcdtxZU

It was that video which made me realise that that low end model was absolutely good enough for me (and it's smaller and simpler than other later/better ones, and obviously cheaper).

mtolhurst

I have the 810, with no maps pre-installed. I downloaded from one of the various places you can get the maps for free, I have a feeling the first map I tried didn't work. I installed a version on the SD card and job done. Not had any problems with it. A bit of searching and you'll find how to do it. I can't quite remember where I found the links, had mine for nearly 2 years now.

To add to the mix, I am sure the 510 does an identical job. Most of my club still use the 500 which has navigation on it. £219 for a 510 vs £277 for the 810 (includes HRM and cadence).

The premium HRM is shocking, got a life span of about 5 months. No end of people in the club moan about it. If your top is too lose, heart rate goes up, old strap (heart rate goes up) ...

The package I got had cadence and hear rate monitor with it. I was reluctant to pay extra money for the maps when you can get it for free. No need to get a bit SD card, a mistake I made. Each map is about 1MB, and most recordings are the same or less. You'll never fill up a 32GB SD card. However, I can't remember how big a map it. Doubt it is a Gigabyte, worth checking.

Good luck with it, I have a love hate relationship with mine. Does stupid things from time to time, but has allowed me to go to lots of random places without getting lost.

robthehungrymonkey

mtolhurst wrote:

I have the 810, with no maps pre-installed. I downloaded from one of the various places you can get the maps for free, I have a feeling the first map I tried didn't work. I installed a version on the SD card and job done. Not had any problems with it. A bit of searching and you'll find how to do it. I can't quite remember where I found the links, had mine for nearly 2 years now.

To add to the mix, I am sure the 510 does an identical job. Most of my club still use the 500 which has navigation on it. £219 for a 510 vs £277 for the 810 (includes HRM and cadence).

The premium HRM is shocking, got a life span of about 5 months. No end of people in the club moan about it. If your top is too lose, heart rate goes up, old strap (heart rate goes up) ...

The package I got had cadence and hear rate monitor with it. I was reluctant to pay extra money for the maps when you can get it for free. No need to get a bit SD card, a mistake I made. Each map is about 1MB, and most recordings are the same or less. You'll never fill up a 32GB SD card. However, I can't remember how big a map it. Doubt it is a Gigabyte, worth checking.

Good luck with it, I have a love hate relationship with mine. Does stupid things from time to time, but has allowed me to go to lots of random places without getting lost.

I think i definitely want the 810. The draw for me is proper navigation, not just breadcrumbs. I have a more basic gps one at the moment (bryton) and a friend had a garmin 500 and recently gone to the 810. its cemented my feelings on it. It does seem that its not worth paying for the maps and open street maps lool the best bet. Also dont need the hrm (i have an ant+ one already) and i have a madone, trek do a speed/cadence sensors that are internal on the seat stays. The 810 is £227 at wiggle atm, which seems a good deal.

Thanks for the comments, it has definiteyly helped.

Fishboyz

I just bought an 810. I asked 2 dealers if I don't buy the maps option will it still be useful as a sat nav? they couldn't answer and had no idea. I switched mine on and set a destination for a main city and it didn't recognise ANY of the roads by me so it basically useless. I paid £8 for a micro sd card from maplin and followed the free maps here. I've only downloaded UK but works perfectly, points of interest, shops etc etc all the functionality of the 810 as expected..

This guy here:

http://www.dcrainmaker.com/2013/05/down ... 00810.html

Pokerface

Fishboyz wrote:

http://www.dcrainmaker.com/2013/05/down ... 00810.html

I ride all over the world. And wherever I go, I just download the local map as per the DC Rainmaker article and job done. For free.

freezing77

This is the level of detail that you get with the basemap, all mapping garmin units come with this.


Here is a comparison of the free openstreetmaps and city navigator europe, same area same zoom level

kingstonian

As soon as I get my @rse into gear and order an 810, I will be straight online to follow DC Rainmaker's instructions and downloading the free maps.

Fishboyz

Best deal at the time was wiggle with performance bundle, btw the other thread talks about the new Garmin sensors which are a big step up looks wise at least...especially the speed sensor now just neatly wraps around the hub. Have no fear on the maps side...the instructions are a cinch, pop the memory card in and job done. Don't bother with the ones off eBay as basically someone's done exactly what you can do yourself

jamin100

I recently brought the 800 when it was on offer at Amazon for £160. I'd already got the HRM and cadence bits from my 310xt.

Anyway the base maps are pants and I wouldn't bother. I aquired the city navigator maps and they are excellent. I plan routes on ridewithgps and it's very easy to follow.
I've also used the postcode search to navigate back home when we took an unexpected detour