Thread: Looking for a GPS to use on a my Snowmobile.

If you can find a decent one 2nd hand I'd recommend a nuvi 500 series (they've been long-discontinued and surprisingly not a lot were sold new). Water protected and multi-purpose. Automotive, off-road and even marine mode. Shows topos better than most nuvi devices. No problem using 3rd party maps such as snowtrails either.

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Joey G if you want to try a snowmobile map here is a free map for the all province of Quebec
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Giomen I You lost me a bit 2496 you said is good but what does accu mean? So the 200 or 250 are the ones you would recommend?

The 500 is expensive even used.

This is only something I would use when I go to a new place so Only once or twice a year otherwise I pretty much know where I am going.

Originally Posted by JOEY G

The 500 is expensive even used.

Yes, expensive they are ... unless you are lucky. I own two of them, both bought 2nd hand for less than US$40 however it not unusual to see lightly-used ones for over US$200 on ebay. The fact they are so expensive indicates they are sought-after by ppl looking for a weather-proofed multi-mode device. Name any other Garmin GPS handheld that commands up to two-thirds of it's original full RRP ten years after it was released? These things were only $300 new and could be bought for even less at discount outlets. The fact ppl are prepared to pay such high prices for a 10 year old device is confirmation of their desirability. Despite the comments (mostly true) about the screen and slow scrolling they are a very handy piece of kit for any off-road use. They're not particularly buggy in my experience, certainly no more that other older devices with slow processors and limited RAM anyway. They have a removable battery so you can carry a spare which can be bought from $10 plus for after-market and ~$20 for a genuine Garmin. Could be a lifesaver if you have a breakdown and need to walk back. Small 3.4in screen is not such a disadvantage on a MC or snowmobile where your face is close to the screen and it's the same sized screen as 200/205 which you mentioned. They have Driving, Walking, Cycling and Scootering (MC) modes and if you add a marine map that mode is also available. These things are the swiss-army knife of GPSs. I know a guy who owns a 40ft yacht fitted with $6000 chartplotter and he's got a nuvi 500 onboard as a backup in case his 16" GPSMAP breaks down.

Yes But I wanted to go on the cheaper side to try this to see if it is even something I would use. I have rode for 20 years and never used one before, I have always just used the trail maps. If it turns out to be something that I will use I will go overboard like usual and buy the best.

I ended up picking up a used Nuvi 205W. Now I need to mount it and find out which trail maps to use. and how to set it up.

GPSMAP 620 and the Zumo are very good.

They are rugged and can hold up to a lot of bumps and they are waterproof from rain and snow.

I would not take a 205 out on a snow or rain day.