Which GPS system is best for Thailand???

[irishbri]

Im sure this subject may have been brought up before but as technology changes at such a rapid pace i would like to know users opinions on which system might be good for Thailand.
The system will be mounted on a CRF250l and needs to be quite detailed as i like to explore the lesser marked routes. It will be used all around Thailand and must not be afraid to get wet or shook to destruction.
I never thought i would use a GPS as i like map reading, but have found that a lot of road junctions just refuse to follow the orderly lines on my maps & this is fustrating when its getting dark & i just want a shower & cold beer
Thanks in advance for any current info...

 

[dellboy218]

This link might help to show you what is available in the way of hardware.
http://gpsinformation.net/
This should tell which ones are water or splash proof without the aid of a watertight case. I have a Garmin GPSmap60CSX that is water proof to 1m for half an hour so I would imagine the newer 62 model would be the equal or better. I would imagine that the Garmin website would give you that information from their downloadable manuals.
I know some of those that go off road with their bikes do have a highish rate of failure of their units, mostly on the screen I believe, not surprising I suppose.
I have Route 66 and Sygic (Tom Tom) on my phone but I still prefer the Garmin map that is on my GPS receiver. There is another Garmin compatible map by a local amateur map maker, Rotweiler - http://rotweilermaps.com/maps.cfm but he tells me that he is finishing at the end of this year, there are also a couple of Topo maps for Thailand which maybe of use to you. These can be combined with a road map to make them more useable.

 

[irishbri]

Thanks for that Dellboy. Theres a world of info in that link.

 

[Johnsy]

Hey Irishbri,
I have a CRF250 and after a sh#t load of research I went for the Garmin Montanna 650t GPS along with the optional rugged mount for the handle bar. The 650t has a 5mp camera that auto waypoints your photo's a great way to see the impotent places on your map. I've done 8,000klm around western Thailand so far, quite a bit of off road and it has performed really well. I did buy the northern Thailand off road mini SD card maps too which is pretty good on details. The Garmin SE Asia SD card is utter crap, half of Thailand's lakes, rivers and roads are incorrect or non existent, plus place/town/city names on their maps don't even match the names on the ground, Garmin really needs to get their shit together, that SD card is a waste of money!
Cheers,
Johnsy

 

[irishbri]

Hi Johnsy,
That sounds very interesting as you've obviously put the unit through its paces.
Did you buy the unit, (good) SD card and mount in Thailand or is it an internet purchase??
Thanks for the info,
Bri..

Johnsy;286935 wrote: Hey Irishbri,
I have a CRF250 and after a sh#t load of research I went for the Garmin Montanna 650t GPS along with the optional rugged mount for the handle bar. The 650t has a 5mp camera that auto waypoints your photo's a great way to see the impotent places on your map. I've done 8,000klm around western Thailand so far, quite a bit of off road and it has performed really well. I did buy the northern Thailand off road mini SD card maps too which is pretty good on details. The Garmin SE Asia SD card is utter crap, half of Thailand's lakes, rivers and roads are incorrect or non existent, plus place/town/city names on their maps don't even match the names on the ground, Garmin really needs to get their shit together, that SD card is a waste of money!
Cheers,
Johnsy