Garmin Zūmo 660 GPS

One for the road, the zūmo 660 isn’t the “perfect” navigation device yet, but it has enough enhancements over the zūmo 550 and competitors’ products to make it a contender.

The zūmo 660 is larger, brighter and the very crisp display is one of the best features for me.

Outside of the odd time-out when processing, the system is darn fast and responsive, especially when drawing the maps and features, including 3-D mode.

But newer is not always totally better and depending on what the individual consumer or user is looking for, the 660 will be just about perfect, or seen to be lacking certain necessities.

The choice is yours.

I do not regret buying one and even though it does not have everything on my adventure-touring requirements list, I hope Garmin will see fit to evolve it to the extent possible….
Part 1: Introduction

Garmin has come a long way since an informal beginning in 1989, although its goal, “to create navigation and communication devices that can enrich our customer’s lives” has remained unchanged.

Their innovative and comprehensive product listing provides something for virtually every application and lifestyle imaginable and their user base is truly global in nature.

The extremely popular zūmo (Spanish for “juice” or “squash”; i.e., to get the most out of something) products are marketed under Garmin’s “On the Road” category that covers automotive, motorcycles, trucking and traffic services.

The GARMIN ZUMO 660 is the latest in the Garmin motorcycle GPS lineup; for almost three years, the zūmo 550, later joined by its now discontinued younger 450 sibling, occupied this unique user territory.

Garmin touted the zūmo 550 to an eager audience as having been designed specifically for ‘bikers”, aka motorcyclists.

In very short order the 550, along with one or two other competitors, became the navigation standard for motorcyclists and so many other powered transportation enthusiasts and all for good reason.

Between the box contents, the device features and an ability to survive prolonged periods of rough use, the zūmo models remain complete packages.

They were truly made for life on the road — either mounted on a motorcycle, used in a four-wheeler or dismounted for portability.

But in fast-forwarding to the latter part of 2009, the zūmo line (or rather some of its features, depending on user requirements), became limited and ‘long in the tooth’.

And with the 450 discontinued, the 550 remained the only motorcycle-specific model offered by Garmin in a continually expanding market.

Last year there was a fair amount of confusion over whether the zūmo line was going to be extended or if something from the Garmin nüvi product line was going to be pushed forward.

Trying to find out and figure out what Garmin was up to proved to be somewhat frustrating. In the end however, we were presented with the zūmo 660.

Garmin’s extensive nüvi GPS line is relatively mature and it is upon this baseline that the zūmo 660 is built. Leveraging newer technologies have resulted in a more modern device with lots of enhancements, albeit more evolutionary rather than revolutionary.

Building it to withstand the rigors of motorcycle use makes it unique.

Anyone familiar with navigation devices, especially those built for motorcycle use will quickly recognize the Garmin zūmo 660 for what it is. Opening up a zūmo 550 box was a give-away in determining its intended use; opening up a 660 kit does nothing to change that.

All the basic bits-n-pieces needed to install the device on most motorcycles and get the user navigating out of the box are still there.

From a user perspective, some key features of the zūmo 660 include lane assist, 3-D building view, photo navigation, Where Am I?, Bluetooth wireless, vocalization of street names and optional FM traffic alerts.

The kit also includes preloaded street maps for North America.
A Rocky Start

My initial experience with a zūmo 660 was not exactly positive.

Anxious to get an early look at one, I had borrowed a fellow BMW club member’s unit for a couple of days earlier this summer, just to see how/if it was going to work with the Bluetooth Communications Systems that I was evaluating at the time.

This initial effort ended quickly when the Bluetooth feature disabled itself after my initial pairing attempt with the Biker Com Control Box (review) and refused to come back.

Resetting the zūmo 660 didn’t work and it finally took a “Clearing User Data” reset to recover the system, with some resultant loss of data.

A “Clearing User Data” reset is engaged by holding a finger on the lower-right corner of the screen while turning on the device.

Keep the finger pressed on the screen until the query message appears, touch “Yes” to clear all user data. Note: this deletes all user-entered information and all original (factory) settings are restored.

Strangely enough, this experience finally drove me to order a zūmo 660 for myself. Five days later I had my own unit to try and break. I repeated the initial pairing attempt — with the same result.

Even with the system restored, it refused to pair with any of the sets on hand, even though I knew it worked with the Cardo Q2 system (review),, as that is what the club member was using.

While the zūmo 660 saw the devices, a secured connection could not be established…hmm. But to be fair, the unit was fresh out of the box and I knew that Garmin had been busy releasing updates on a regular basis.

A few minutes of letting the Garmin WebUpdater application work away brought the zūmo 660 up to the latest baseline.

What a difference! The device ran appreciably faster and best of all the Bluetooth feature performs comparatively or better than the tried and true zūmo 550 and Navigator III+ devices. A new ball game begins…
Uniqueness Counts

The first thing I noticed about the zūmo 660 is its weight…it feels heftier even though it is actually close to the same weight as the 550.

Its svelte 16:9 shape, symmetric case and understated styling makes for a good first appearance; having lots of new worth-while features doesn’t hurt either.

Although relatively new to market, the Garmin zūmo 660 may be on its way to joining its older sibling as a highly desirable device. This will be due in large part to its design, build and durability.

These traits are important, especially when the device is exposed to the elements for prolonged periods of time. A tradeoff of sorts is that the device tends to be slightly larger and typically heavier than other less qualified units.

Motorcyclists are typically an ingenious lot.

As such, many have adopted other navigation devices of all types for use and, the accessory market has been pretty quick in responding to providing innovative solutions to help these devices cope with the elements.

Part of this situation comes about due to the limited market for motorcycle specific devices and the additional costs associated with designing, producing and marketing said devices.

COLEMAN WEATHERMASTER 6-PERSON SCREENED TENT

Right now you are probably looking for a great tent to fit all of your needs. The COLEMAN WEATHERMASTER 6-PERSON SCREENED TENT might be just right for you.

It has all the best features and can make your camping experience much more enjoyable.

Many of us have probably been in a tent that we had to crawl around in or it was hard to stand up in. That is not the case with this tent. You will have room to do anything you need and be able to walk around freely.

And as a bonus, this tent is good for most weather conditions. This tent is not so good for cold weather and can easily let cold air in. So winter is not an option with this tent. But what this tent can handle is heavy rain, wind, mud. When it gets hot, the ventilation is good enough to keep the tent as cool as possible

There are more reasons to why the Coleman Weathermaster tent is one of the best family tents.

What does it have?

It has two large rooms that everyone can comfortably fit inside. So you will no longer have to fight for space as you will all have enough. This tent also has a nice center height of 6 feet 11″ so everyone will be able to walk around.

This tent is ideal for a family of 4-6. If you have less than 6, you will all have so much room to enjoy and not ever have to worry about space. Even if you bring your supplies inside the tent, along as they are neat, you will still have plenty of room to walk or sleep.

There is two huge doors on each side of the tent. They each have a zipper that you pull to open. Then you can easily leave or walk into the tent.

There is even a floor less screen to allow for all the extra ventilation you need to guarantee that you won’t get hot. So if ventilation was a worry for you, this tent does a great job of taking care of it.

The Coleman Weathermaster has a huge storage space that you can put any needed things inside so you can have all the room inside the tent, dedicated to you.

How long does it take to set up the Coleman Weathermaster

It is quick and simple thanks to the two color coded poles and continuous pole sleeves:

• shock-corded fiber3d poles
• an exclusive pin-and-ring design
• InstaClip attachments.

What should you expect

1. No rain. This tent was made to be waterproof with a special Weathertec system. The most important parts of the tent is leak-proof so rain will never get inside the tent. This tent guarantees that you will have a dry camping trip if you start to experience rain.
2. Easy and fast setup. Your first time setting up this tent will take you longer. But that is expected with all tents. The more you do it, the faster you will become. This tent will only take an average of 5-10 minutes once you master it and have somebody helping you.
3. Big Rooms. This tent is huge and has all the room that you could possibly need. You can fit to queen sized air beds and still have room to move around in. Just know, that space will not be an issue with this tent
4. Safe from most weather conditions. You will be safe from everything besides cold weather and snow. But besides the winter season, this tent is simply outstanding for everything else. It will handle rain, mud, an winds in the fall, It will easily handle the heat from summer and spring.
5. Stable enough to handle tough winds. Tough winds will not knock this tent down. This tent is sturdy enough to be held into place so you don’t have to worry about losing this tent.
6. Nice cabin like feel. Since this tent is so large, it has a nice cabin like feel to it that you can enjoy. So if you like cabins, you would like this feature as a bonus.

 Advice

 You should have at least one other person helping you build. But if you are by yourself it is still doable. Everything is easier with a partner or two. But if you have to do this by yourself, don’t worry about it because you can do it.

 If you use your Rain Fly then you will be 100% safe from the rain. The Coleman Weathermaster is already made to be waterproof and stop rain. But with the rainfly, you will have 2x the protection which will guarantee that you have a dry camping experience.

Buy a set of real stakes since this only comes with plastic stakes. The plastic stakes will be alright but if you want to be sure that your tent stays glued to the ground then you will need some stronger stakes.

 Features

• polyester
• Made in USA and Imported
• Two-room tent sleeps up to six campers comfortably thanks to 17-by-nine (W x D) footprint and 6 ft. 10 in. center height
• Floor-less screened room provides extra ventilation on warm days, great place for meals and gathering, rain or shine, and protected storage space
• Proprietary WeatherTec System with series of interworking features guaranteed to keep you dry and comfortable
• 75-denier polyester taffeta fly, 68-denier polyester mesh inner tent, and 1,000-denier polyethylene floor; 11-millimeter fiber3d poles
• Includes limited one-year manufacturer’s warranty

Bonus – Coleman Elite Weathermaster 6 Person Tent With LED Light

This is another version of the Coleman Weathermaster 6 Person Screened Tent. If you like lights and want to glow in the dark then you should check out some of its following features.

• polyester taffeta 75D
• Imported
• Illuminated wall switch lets you select between high, low and nightlight modes without getting up
• Runtime: 26 hours (high), 65 hours (low), 81 hours (nightlight)
• Screen room for bug-free lounging
• WeatherTecTM system – patented welded floors and inverted seams help keep water out

Are You searching The Best Power Banks?

We have seen a tremendous advancement in phone technology in recent years with newer, faster phones launching every day. Although it is observed that phone-makers seem to have forgotten to improve the battery life of these new phones. This along with battery draining apps (Facebook, Snapchat, Instagram etc.) we have to face constant power drain which often leaves us in sticky situations when phone battery dies in the middle of the day. To add to our woes batteries come with a limited shelf life and will degrade over a period of time.

Power banks (for example: GOAL ZERO YETI 150 SOLAR GENERATOR KIT ) have emerged as the rescuers to help us with our woes. The BEST Power Bank is an incredible tool which is now used more and more by mobile and tablet users to keep using their gadgets on the move throughout the day.

While the purpose of power banks and external battery packs is the same the sheer variety of options available in the market can leave us confused.

How to Choose the right power bank?

There are a number of things to consider while choosing the best power bank to fit your use. Some of the factors are

• capacity,
• weight,
• size,
• charging speed,
• Passthrough Charging
• etc.

The size of the power bank is usually directly proportional to its carrying capacity. Some compact power banks can charge your device once while larger battery packs may charge your device as many as 10 times. The amount of times the power bank will charge your phone will depend on the Capacity (mA) rating. This is usually indicated on the side or back of the power bank. Although no power bank is 100% efficient as some power is dissipated as heat generated by voltage. Most top power banks give up to 90% efficiency.

While some power banks may be equipped with a display which tells you the remaining power in the battery before it needs to charge most have four LED lights each indicating 25% of the power. The newer models of power banks come with an auto on/off feature to ensure functionality and lowers wastage.

To choose your best power bank consider the amount of recharges your gadget needs and the size and weight you can carry comfortably.  Here is our guide to simplify your experience while choosing the best power bank for you.

We have brought the new & updated list of  “TOP 10 Best External & Portable Power Banks in 2017 ” for our beloved readers. Power banks are very important to keep your smartphones and devices alive outdoor. Choosing right one with high quality is a tough part. Well, we have made it easy for you ! We have reviewed the Best portable chargers available in the market and the list is here. Feel free to comment your views ! Also, we keep on Updating this list per month so that you will get latest great power banks. The list is Updated for Christmas gift shopping.

Battery charging and battery chargers – how to do it properly

Battery charging and battery chargers ( for example: SUNJACK USB BATTERY CHARGER ) are often misunderstood – causing batteries to die before their time. This article explains why and how to avoid it. Batteries charge by applying a voltage that is higher than that existing. The greater the voltage difference, the faster and deeper it will charge. That voltage must, however be tightly controlled. If, too high, it damages or wrecks batteries.

Historically, vehicle alternators generated 14.2-14.4 volts. Cheap battery chargers still do.

As the battery charges, its voltage rises towards the charging voltage. The voltage difference between the battery and the charger thus constantly reduces. Charging rate falls accordingly.
Battery charging and battery chargers – like filling one tank from another that’s much bigger

Charging is like filling a small tank from a huge one (of similar height) via a hose between the bottom of each. The water level in the small tank slowly rises until levels equalise. As with ponds, alternators need not know battery state of charge. The charging battery simply rises in voltage. As it does so, charging tapers off. Eventually, voltages are equal. Charging then ceases.

Many RV batteries charge this way. They take many hours to fully charge. Most never do. Given many days continuously, however, they may even overcharge.
Battery charging and battery chargers – starter batteries

A starter motor draws surprisingly little energy. Following engine starting, the alternator replaces it within two to three minutes. Such charging is crude but cheap and simple. It works well enough for starter batteries, but less so for RV auxiliary batteries. These are limited to slow charging. Few reach full charge.
Constant current charging

Serious battery charging is done at constantly increasing voltage. This maintains a constant rate of charge current throughout 80-90% of the charging cycle. A final stage is usually done at constant voltage. There are variations. All, however, work much as below. Conventional lead acid, gel cell and AGM batteries are similarly charged.

Lithium-ion batteries, however require a different regime. This is described later in this article).
Battery charging and battery chargers – boost stage

The initial ‘Boost’ stage constantly increases charging voltage as battery voltage rises. Its intent is to keep charging current at the battery’s safe maximum. For a lead acid deep cycle battery that’s typically 20% of its amp/hour capacity. For large batteries, that limit may the charger’s ability to do so.

Boost typically continues until battery voltage reaches about 14.4 volts. That battery is nevertheless not yet fully charged.
Battery charging and battery chargers – absorption stage

Battery charging is an electro-chemical process. Like many such, it is slow. The charge, in effect, is held within the water/acid electrolyte. At this stage, however, the ‘charge’ is uneven. It is concentrated in and around the battery’s plates. Evenly distributing the charge requires ‘absorption’.

Absorption is typically at voltage ensuring charge current is about half that previously. It typically require two or so hours.

Don’t spend anything on marketing until you’ve read this

Marketing where your competitors do is expensive, especially if they’ve raised a bunch of money. You’ll both constantly bid up prices and there will always be at least one other player in your potential customer’s consideration set when they are evaluating your product.

When you’re working to get your first 1,000 customers, you want every advantage you can get. If your product is compared side-by-side to your competitor’s, it will probably lose:

• They have more features
• They can undercut you on pricing
• They have a big customer success team
• They have strong partnerships

How to Create a Social Media Marketing Plan From Scratch

When I went rock climbing for the first time, I had no idea what I was doing. My friends and I were complete newbies about ropes and rappelling and every other bit of jargon and technique that goes with climbing. We saw others doing it spectacularly well. We were thrilled at the thought of reaching the top of the climbing wall; we had no idea how to get there.

I’d imagine that a social media marketing plan could feel the same way.

If you’re starting from square one, it might feel equal parts thrilling and overwhelming. You know what you want to do and why. You can see that others have climbed the social media mountain; you’ve got few ideas how to get there yourself.

It’d help to have a plan.

We’ve shared before about different parts of a social media marketing plan — the data and research and personal experience behind what works on social media.