Mio P560 User Manual download pdf (Page 2)

august/september 2009 cycle 45

maps), and so displays less information

about the area you’re cycling through.

For use outside Great Britain you are

limited to using Garmin’s vector maps,

ViewRanger on a Symbian device, or

MemoryMap’s Pocket Nav software running

on a Windows Mobile device.

Going digital

Mobile mapping has no additional cost if

you already have a suitable Windows Mobile

device and Anquet, Quo or MemoryMap

on your PC. You simply install the mobile

version of the program and copy the maps

across. Users of Tracklogs will have to invest

in new digital maps to take them on rides.

Owners of Symbian mobile phones with

GPS receivers, such as the Nokia E71, can

buy ViewRanger software and maps to use

with it. The software costs £15, and mapping

prices are comparable to the desktop

programs, the whole of Britain costing £150.

Dedicated mapping devices currently cost

in the range of £250 to £400, depending on

the features and accessories that they come

with. The Satmap Active 10 costs around

£300 with another £30 for its well-designed

bike mount. The Garmin Edge 705 costs

around £370 including bike mount – but

there are cheaper Garmin models available.

Reading Maps

All the devices have screens much smaller

than even a folded Ordnance Survey map.

This isn’t a problem if you just want to see

the map of the immediate area as you cycle

along, as the GPS location will move the map

as you move. But being able to zoom out is

useful to get a feel for the overall route, and

to move around the map quickly.

There are two screen types in these

devices: the Garmin works without its

backlight in bright conditions, and is

very clear even in direct sunlight. The

other devices rely on the backlight in all

conditions, and are difﬁcult to read in direct

sunlight even with the backlight turned

up to its brightest level (which reduces

battery life). Shading the screen with a hand

improves visibility, but isn’t easy on the bike.

The larger screens aren’t necessarily

clearer: the Satmap, Mio and the smaller

E71 all have the same 320 by 240 pixels

with which to display maps and data. Maps

appear sharper on the E71 because its pixels

are smaller, but long-sighted riders may

prefer the larger screens.

Following routes

None of the devices will give turn

instructions like a car-based satellite

navigation system, unless you use Garmin’s

automatic routing system. This potentially-

useful feature has a reputation for planning

routes that aren’t very good for cycling.

The programs tested will indicate the

direction and distance to the next waypoint,

but you aren’t told which way to turn at a

junction until you are actually there – unless

you place waypoints just before junctions,

which looks odd and takes a lot of work.

A major beneﬁt of having a GPS device

that can display maps is that you can follow

highlighted routes. This gives a much better

feel for where you are, and where you

need to go next. The Satmap, Garmin, and

ViewRanger will even rotate the map so that

the direction you are heading in is at the top.

Dedicated devices

The dedicated devices tested are the Satmap

Active 10 and the Garmin Edge 705. Both

are designed for outdoor use, and have

well-designed bicycle mounts available.

The Satmap unit is the largest and heaviest

of all the devices here, while the Edge is

the smallest and lightest. Both devices are

rugged and waterproof.

The Satmap has a large screen, and

displays Ordnance Survey maps that have to

be purchased for the machine. The Garmin

also has its own maps, but these are not OS

ones and the lack of detail may be missed by

some. Neither displays maps bought for use

with PC mapping software.

Top, L to R: Anquet, MemoryMap, Quo. Bottom, L to R, shows Anquet, MemoryMap and Quo at maximum zoom. Like

ViewRanger the zoomed out MemoryMap is still useful, whereas Anquet and Quo show small areas badly pixelated

Main image & overleaf: courtesy of www.satmap.com

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Mio P560 User Manual Page 2

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