Frozen in time: British expats losing out on pensions in Thailand

[113johnn]

Hi,

Can you get Sat nav's designed for motorbikes in Bangkok? If so, does anyone know where I can get 1 and roughly how much?

Thanks in advance

John

[jdinasia]

you can get mobile phones with GPS (starting around 16k baht) I have used the TouchPro and it works fairly well even on tiny backroads in BKK.

[bazmlb]

Our sponsor Eagle GPS has a few options and supplies for a lot of bikes - Eagle GPS

[113johnn]

Thanks for the info.

Do you know if you can set them to avoid the Toll's and over passes etc where motorbikes are prohibited?

[robblok]

Thanks for the info.

Do you know if you can set them to avoid the Toll's and over passes etc where motorbikes are prohibited?

I got a garmin nuvi .. you can set them up to avoid tolls but it does not always work. It works most of the time, it does not work on all overpasses unfortunately.

You can get a holder from gadgetrent in bkk so it wont fall of your bike and it works good.

[BigBikeBKK]

Our sponsor Eagle GPS has a few options and supplies for a lot of bikes - Eagle GPS

I see Eagle GPS is located in Chiang Mai but the OP is looking for retail stores in Bangkok.

Try Gadgetrend- good selection of Garmin GPS and accessories: http://www.gadgetrend.com/

Store 1: Amarin Plaza-Ratchaprasong

Store 2: Ramkamhaeng 24 (next to ABAC)

There are also a few shops in Pantip that sell various brands of GPS and GPS-enabled smart phones.

Happy Trails!

Tony

Edited January 18, 2010 by BigBikeBKK

[clickblade]

Garmin nuvi, get them from any good computer accessory shop around 10,000 baht.

I use mine on my bike using a cigaret lighter for power, and in the car and you can set them for a walking mode there brilliant

[LivinLOS]

The nuvi isnt weatherproof tho.. Not good for rainy season..

I prefer the 60csx to the Zumo range of bike GPS's.. I dont like the size and no battery option they come with. 60csx on a handlebar mount is really about right for me.

[husskydog]

Garmin zumo for me with v9 map (free on internet)+++++ good robust system for the bike and fine in thee car...

[jdinasia]

This is what I have used in BKK

http://www.htc.com/www/product.aspx?id=49518

Smartphone ... touch screen .. pretty awesome and easy to protect from the elements

[MarcoH]

Garmin zumo for me with v9 map (free on internet)+++++ good robust system for the bike and fine in thee car...

Zumo 550 is made for Bikes with Left handed buttons and glove friendly touch screen, it's waterprrof and also shake and oil proof,, not that any one would sunk it in to oil,,

i have used Zumo550 abt 20K in my bike and get nice gradal from gadget trend for it.How ever if you want to use few extras i.e. Fuel calculator what is in 550, you need to have zumos own gradal and connection cable for 12v, recomemded but darn expencive here in LOS, i got mine from US and installed V9 there by my self.

[ttakata]

Personally I just got a RAM mount for my iPhone 3GS and use the Google maps.

It doesn't direct me but lets me know where I am on a map real time.

Works great around Bangkok, but it wouldn't work in Pattaya and it's an official TRUE mobile phone.

When it rains, I have to cover it in a bag, lame.

I used to have a TomTom on my old bikes but it couldn't handle the vibrations.

So I'd recommend the Garmin Zumo too.

"Prepress" has one with the power cradle and it works great.

You can program it to avoid tollways, upload routes via PC, and there's a headphone output.

You'll still get lost sometimes as the tollway is often above the regular freeway but I feel no GPS can solve this problem.

It's the only bike rider specific GPS I know of as mentioned above.

It rains a lot so you may as well get one designed to handle this.

[MaiChai]

Anyone used a bluetooth headset with a gps or gps phone? I would have though the voice instructions should be sufficient?

Only problem I have found with gps on a phone (or any apps for that matter) is that they run the battery on the phone down pretty quickly. Also gps chips in phones are often not that good; the one in my Imate 8502 can take a while to get satellites. The Garmin Nuvi however gets them pretty quickly, so on the whole I think dedicated gps devices work better than gps phones (akin to a camera in your phone and a dedicated camera; camera takes better pictures).

I have yet to get round to trying Garmin XT on my phone (benefit here is no need for a gprs connection for Google Maps plus loading the maps on my Nuvi into the phone including the excellent ESRI and Garmin maps). My phone does have an 8Gb MicroSD so can put loads of maps and apps on the phone (subject to the battery lasting long enough).

[dave_boo]

Anyone used a bluetooth headset with a gps or gps phone? I would have though the voice instructions should be sufficient?

Only problem I have found with gps on a phone (or any apps for that matter) is that they run the battery on the phone down pretty quickly. Also gps chips in phones are often not that good; the one in my Imate 8502 can take a while to get satellites. The Garmin Nuvi however gets them pretty quickly, so on the whole I think dedicated gps devices work better than gps phones (akin to a camera in your phone and a dedicated camera; camera takes better pictures).

I have yet to get round to trying Garmin XT on my phone (benefit here is no need for a gprs connection for Google Maps plus loading the maps on my Nuvi into the phone including the excellent ESRI and Garmin maps). My phone does have an 8Gb MicroSD so can put loads of maps and apps on the phone (subject to the battery lasting long enough).

I use the Cardo Scala2 set with my Zumo 550.  Works really well; the voice prompts come over the speakers and pauses the music being played off the SD chip.  However, for some reason (most likely my stupidity), I can't get the phone paired to the GPS to be broadcast onwards to the headset; thus the phone is paired with the headset and I lose the display of caller id on my GPS....

[prepress]

This is my Zumo setup for Yamaha Nuovo.

The adapter is connected to the battery. It works like a charm. I don't go without it to new places. It saves me gasolin and time

[jrbkk64]

Interesting combination prepress: a 40k THB bike with a 40k THB navigator????

[dunder]

Interesting combination prepress: a 40k THB bike with a 40k THB navigator????

hahaha.. Rock on! But hey - it saves gasoline!

Edited January 25, 2010 by dunder

[basjke]

Anyone used a bluetooth headset with a gps or gps phone? I would have though the voice instructions should be sufficient?

Only problem I have found with gps on a phone (or any apps for that matter) is that they run the battery on the phone down pretty quickly. Also gps chips in phones are often not that good; the one in my Imate 8502 can take a while to get satellites. The Garmin Nuvi however gets them pretty quickly, so on the whole I think dedicated gps devices work better than gps phones (akin to a camera in your phone and a dedicated camera; camera takes better pictures).

I have yet to get round to trying Garmin XT on my phone (benefit here is no need for a gprs connection for Google Maps plus loading the maps on my Nuvi into the phone including the excellent ESRI and Garmin maps). My phone does have an 8Gb MicroSD so can put loads of maps and apps on the phone (subject to the battery lasting long enough).

I use the Cardo Scala2 set with my Zumo 550.  Works really well; the voice prompts come over the speakers and pauses the music being played off the SD chip.  However, for some reason (most likely my stupidity), I can't get the phone paired to the GPS to be broadcast onwards to the headset; thus the phone is paired with the headset and I lose the display of caller id on my GPS....

For connecting your phone to the zumo you will have to pair them the first time.Enable bluetooth on your phone with the setting "discoverable" clicked and let the zumo search for a phone connection.It will ask for a security code which is 1234 and which you have to enter first on your zumo screen and after that your phone will ask for the same code to be entered.After you have paired each time you start up the zumo you will have to confirm on your phone to allow the connection.Hope this helps.

[MaiChai]

Just ordered two bike fittings on ebay for nuvis' 99p each plus 99p p&p from Hong Kong. These replace the ball bit of the ball joint on the standard nuvi holder and you attach it to the handle bars. Just wonder if anyone has hit a pothole and had their nuvi jump out of its fitting?

I should have bought a nuvi with bluetooth. Oh well, will try out the bike fitting from ebay when I am back in LOS. Hopefully biking around BKK will be much easier than doing lots of forward planning and stopping to look at maps. At least you have plenty of time stuck at red lights to look at the nuvi

[dave_boo]

Anyone used a bluetooth headset with a gps or gps phone? I would have though the voice instructions should be sufficient?

Only problem I have found with gps on a phone (or any apps for that matter) is that they run the battery on the phone down pretty quickly. Also gps chips in phones are often not that good; the one in my Imate 8502 can take a while to get satellites. The Garmin Nuvi however gets them pretty quickly, so on the whole I think dedicated gps devices work better than gps phones (akin to a camera in your phone and a dedicated camera; camera takes better pictures).

I have yet to get round to trying Garmin XT on my phone (benefit here is no need for a gprs connection for Google Maps plus loading the maps on my Nuvi into the phone including the excellent ESRI and Garmin maps). My phone does have an 8Gb MicroSD so can put loads of maps and apps on the phone (subject to the battery lasting long enough).

I use the Cardo Scala2 set with my Zumo 550.  Works really well; the voice prompts come over the speakers and pauses the music being played off the SD chip.  However, for some reason (most likely my stupidity), I can't get the phone paired to the GPS to be broadcast onwards to the headset; thus the phone is paired with the headset and I lose the display of caller id on my GPS....

For connecting your phone to the zumo you will have to pair them the first time.Enable bluetooth on your phone with the setting "discoverable" clicked and let the zumo search for a phone connection.It will ask for a security code which is 1234 and which you have to enter first on your zumo screen and after that your phone will ask for the same code to be entered.After you have paired each time you start up the zumo you will have to confirm on your phone to allow the connection.Hope this helps.

Getting them to pair is not the issue...it's having the Zumo forward the audio that's stumping me...don't exactly know the cause.  To reiterate, I can pair it with the Zumo and it will show the caller id (and actually work in the hands free cradle mounted in the truck!) but it will not broadcast the sound from my phone onwards to my headset when in the motorcycle mount.  Luckily I can pair the phone with the headset....

[LivinLOS]

Anyone used a bluetooth headset with a gps or gps phone? I would have though the voice instructions should be sufficient?

Only problem I have found with gps on a phone (or any apps for that matter) is that they run the battery on the phone down pretty quickly. Also gps chips in phones are often not that good; the one in my Imate 8502 can take a while to get satellites. The Garmin Nuvi however gets them pretty quickly, so on the whole I think dedicated gps devices work better than gps phones (akin to a camera in your phone and a dedicated camera; camera takes better pictures).

I have yet to get round to trying Garmin XT on my phone (benefit here is no need for a gprs connection for Google Maps plus loading the maps on my Nuvi into the phone including the excellent ESRI and Garmin maps). My phone does have an 8Gb MicroSD so can put loads of maps and apps on the phone (subject to the battery lasting long enough).

I use the Cardo Scala2 set with my Zumo 550.  Works really well; the voice prompts come over the speakers and pauses the music being played off the SD chip.  However, for some reason (most likely my stupidity), I can't get the phone paired to the GPS to be broadcast onwards to the headset; thus the phone is paired with the headset and I lose the display of caller id on my GPS....

For connecting your phone to the zumo you will have to pair them the first time.Enable bluetooth on your phone with the setting "discoverable" clicked and let the zumo search for a phone connection.It will ask for a security code which is 1234 and which you have to enter first on your zumo screen and after that your phone will ask for the same code to be entered.After you have paired each time you start up the zumo you will have to confirm on your phone to allow the connection.Hope this helps.

That fact your missing is hes needing to 3 way pair the devices..

The phone needs to pair the caller ID.. And the Zumo needs to FWD the paired audio... On to the headset..

Its more then simple 2 device pairing with phone GPS and headphones.