[mellen_mpz]

Hi guys,
I just bought a Garmin Nuvi 500 and cant seem to figure it out. I cant seem to get any detail when I zoom into the trails I will be riding on. I have heard other guys here say that all the trails are loaded into this thing but I sure cant get them to come up. I have tried different things and all I can get it to do is zoom into the landscape but it doesnt show any markings at all. I dont know what I did but now I cant even get it to zoom in without the screen turning blue. What gives???

 

[truggyboy]

with mine the trails only show up if they are on a topo map or are a numbered trail. A lot of the trails that I ride on are not on there. I mainly use it as a gps and it will make trails as a blue line when its on and Im riding.

 

[Johnny]

I ordered one up too because of all the talk here im not to thrilled with it ..

 

[im4seven]

Seems to work better off rd if you turn the street maps off. I used it last weekend at tug hill and most of the main trails were on the map. I did add the optional NE 24k topo map to the gps though. I don't know if they were on the std topo map.

 

[dunitic]

I also bought one because everyone said they are great. I tried it once and it is useless. Or I am to stupid to figure it out. It just sits in my desk draw.

 

[Vinman]

I mainly use it as a gps and it will make trails as a blue line when its on and Im riding.

How do you save the trails? I see you can create a track by selecting a start & finish point but a lot of the trails I have no idea where they go and would like to map them.
If I don't know where I'll end up at it seems useless.

I sure miss my old Garmin III plus.

Vince

 

[truggyboy]

I ordered one up too because of all the talk here im not to thrilled with it ..

well then your going to have to make some cool UTV INC. mount then

 

[rzrshopping]

I love my 500..shows all the forest roads here in AZ, backtrack feature and download to Google earth to view the route overlay on the satellite image. The free topo maps downloaded from gpsfiledepot are pretty good. Detailed enough for my needs....... sorry you guys don't like it. What features are you looking for?

 

[truggyboy]

I love mine

 

[Race Face]

So, Does anybody have any experience using this software to load ROUTES to the Nuvi 500 ??? Says it will...

Discover Hidden Garmin nüvi 500 Tricks You're Missing. 28 Tips From the GPS Experts!

 

[mellen_mpz]

wow....sounds like this thing is a POS!!! Can I at least load a waypoint into it and navigate right to it with the compass arrow like my E-trex Legend?

 

[im4seven]

So, Does anybody have any experience using this software to load ROUTES to the Nuvi 500 ??? Says it will...

Discover Hidden Garmin nüvi 500 Tricks You're Missing. 28 Tips From the GPS Experts!

Haven't used that but it sounds a lot like the FREE software available from Garmin called Mapsource. I just started playing with the software last night so I really don't know the ins and outs of it yet.

I bought the unit primarily to get me home when I get lost which it certainly does. If you are trying to navigate off road where there are no marked trails I would zoom out a bit so you can navigate using the terrain features.

I think the only thing that sucks about the unit are the operating instructions, or the lack there of. Sure you can eventually figure it out by playing with it, but you shouldn't have to. To cumbersome to use the built in instructions.

 

[HioSSilver]

I can't say I'm thrilled with mine either.

 

[FJK]

So, Does anybody have any experience using this software to load ROUTES to the Nuvi 500 ??? Says it will...

Discover Hidden Garmin nüvi 500 Tricks You're Missing. 28 Tips From the GPS Experts!

Haven't used that but it sounds a lot like the FREE software available from Garmin called Mapsource. I just started playing with the software last night so I really don't know the ins and outs of it yet.

I bought the unit primarily to get me home when I get lost which it certainly does. If you are trying to navigate off road where there are no marked trails I would zoom out a bit so you can navigate using the terrain features.

I think the only thing that sucks about the unit are the operating instructions, or the lack there of. Sure you can eventually figure it out by playing with it, but you shouldn't have to. To cumbersome to use the built in instructions.

Here's a link to the manual http://www8.garmin.com/manuals/2650_OwnersManual.pdf

 

[Shep]

I can't say I'm thrilled with mine either.

I found that if you use it in walking mode it shows the trails better but I have additional topo maps in mine also. I like mine, They are hard to learn how to best use them. Keep playing with it. Shep:camorzr:

 

[hdd-max]

I used mine on the Taylor Park ride and loved it! It showed all the trails we road and I could punch in coordinates and it took me right up to cross mountain. It did take me a bit to figure it out because as stated the instructions sucked. I am still playing with it and learning. We went on a night ride and that GPS is the only reason I made it back.

 

[mnrzr-s]

If any of you are fed up with your Nuvi 500 to the point of wanting to sell it let me know. I'd be interested.

opcorn:

 

[jmattor]

If any of you are fed up with your Nuvi 500 to the point of wanting to sell it let me know. I'd be interested.

opcorn:

x2, I want a couple more.

 

[8ball_99]

I like mine.. Does what its suppose to do. Not sure what you guys are wanting it to do.. If the trails in your area aren't already on it then just find them online.. If no one anywhere has them (Im sure someone does) Then you can save your tracks as routes and can even put them on the computer and clean them up ect. Haven't played with mine a whole lot since I just downloaded the trails I planned on going to.. I also downloading the better topo maps for free from GPSFileDepot - Custom Maps, Ximage hosting, tutorials, articles and more for your GPSr.
If your trails are not on the GPS then all its going to do is show you where streams, mountains railroad tracks ect.. Even with the better maps it doesn't show you super high detail of the land. Now you can go into settings at set it to walking and detail High an that will help. I like it because at a glance I can see what trails I've been on and what ones I haven't.. I can also find my way back if I get lost..

 

[Race Face]

For the $$ it's not a horrible GPS, the TOPO maps are a neat feature. All the trails for Utah are available and I'd like to add to it. I have put the ROUTES on an microSD card, and they show on MapSource, but they do not show as ROUTES on the unit itself... For myself I've found uploading the trail intersections as WAYPOINTS is as close as I can get. So far that's the best I've been able to do.

Hey Garmin, there's plenty of RAM on a MicroSD card... Do a firmware update to allow routes to upload!!