best gps under $350 for long trips

[srini]

Hello,

I am planning a big trip in Feb or March along the entire length of east coast, this will alos include Iron Butt 1000. I am not at all good at directions and new to GPS, looking for basic GPS with good functions that help me do this trip.

Thanks in Advance,
Srini

[HotFix]

May I recommend the Garmin c320?

http://www.vtxoa.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=167977

[GADeputy]

If you want a unit that comes completely loaded with all the US maps (without having to put them on an SD card) plus the ability to play MP3's then I would recommend the Mio Digiwalker C310x. You can get it on sale right now at Frys for $198 and free shipping. I've got one for Christmas and it's a great GPS.
www.frys.com (http://www.frys.com)
Just do a search on their site for MIO.

[srini]

Thank you the replies, Hotifx and GADeputy. I looked at both and like them well. As my trip is 10 days from South Florida to NY, can I have all the information loaded before hand in these units as I probably will not have access to computer on the way.

Regards,
Srini

[rickb]

ok
I'm almost illiterate when it comes to these things, how do you mount on bike and get power to it
Is there special brackets for it?
looks like it would be handy while traveling. does it plug into cig lighter in vehicle also?
Thanks,
Rick

[PaulRH]

ok
I'm almost illiterate when it comes to these things, how do you mount on bike and get power to it
Is there special brackets for it?
looks like it would be handy while traveling. does it plug into cig lighter in vehicle also?
Thanks,
Rick

Try this place

http://www.ram-mount.com

I have one from them and it works great. Easy on/off. Most are chromed. Prices are reasonable.

[HotFix]

ok
I'm almost illiterate when it comes to these things, how do you mount on bike and get power to it
Is there special brackets for it?
looks like it would be handy while traveling. does it plug into cig lighter in vehicle also?
Thanks,
Rick

Try this place

http://www.ram-mount.com

I have one from them and it works great. Easy on/off. Most are chromed. Prices are reasonable.
2nd the RAM mount. They even make a powered cradle for the c320. As far as wiring it, you could plug it into a cig lighter or wire it in.

[bndmcd]

If you are not planning to hot-wire the unit to your bike (ie: planning to run on battery power only) and need it for long days of riding, then you might want to consider the Garmin Quest. An example comparison from the Garmin website is that the Garmin C320 battery life between charges is up to 8 hours, whereas the Garmin Quest is up to 20 hours. My rides don't tend to be too long, so I don't need 20 hours, but if you are doing some sort of iron man thing, then you might want to go with the longer battery use if you don't want to wire the thing to charge while riding.

[GADeputy]

Thank you the replies, Hotifx and GADeputy. I looked at both and like them well. As my trip is 10 days from South Florida to NY, can I have all the information loaded before hand in these units as I probably will not have access to computer on the way.

Regards,
Srini

With the Mio you don't need to load anything at all via computer. It comes pre-loaded with the entire US maps and POI's. It has an SD slot that you can use for MP3's.... or if you're like me, you can hack the unit and release the WinCE operating system and turn it into a handheld PC that you can use to watch full movies, play games, view pictures, and a lot more.

[Poser]

I would never consider a GPS for a bike that was not waterproof. Was not easy to remove and replace during stops. And could not be hardwired to the bike. I don't like changing batteries. I don't like trying to cover things up during a downpour.