Author |
Message |
Natexlh1000
| Posted on Wednesday, September 01, 2010 - 08:56 am: |
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Anyone here solved the steel handlebars interference issue? perhaps an electronic compass with a remote sensor? I'm not yet ready to get a GPS but if the solution is more costly than sat-nav, it's not worth it! |
Ratbuell
| Posted on Wednesday, September 01, 2010 - 09:52 am: |
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How about one of those inexpensive ski jacket zipper pulls? Compass on one side, thermometer on the other. Stick it right on top of your airbox if the bar interferes too much. (says the guy with the cheap Garmin Quest II) |
Etennuly
| Posted on Wednesday, September 01, 2010 - 10:05 am: |
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I have been looking into this for some time. Before I got a GPS I was looking for one that would work. At one point my GPS failed on a trip when I became confident enough in it to not back up it's input on paper. I found just the one I wanted that was made to mount on a boat. It was big enough to see, small enough to be out of the way and on clearance. I hesitated, I went back a few days later and they were all gone. I found some close enough but regular price is about $40 and the sale was in the $9 range. I still have not got one, but I have a much better GPS unit. There are good boat compasses that will work, lots of angle shifting won't bother them. The one that I missed was liquid filled and came with a bar type mount also. It even had a little LED back light(I shouldn't have hesitated). |
Itileman
| Posted on Wednesday, September 01, 2010 - 10:32 am: |
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$2.00 Held for a while, then I put a small screw through the Laminar Lip and mounted it there without the pad. Has held up all summer and over some nasty terrain. |
Natexlh1000
| Posted on Wednesday, September 01, 2010 - 01:12 pm: |
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That's far enough away so that the bars aren't interfering? One of those ball ones would be just what the doctor ordered! I'm not doing surveys on the thing, right? I just want to know when I hit a cross road, generally where It's headed. |
Uly_dude
| Posted on Wednesday, September 01, 2010 - 02:20 pm: |
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Itileman, I bought that same compass at target, about the same price, put it on in May and it's worked flawlessly. It even looks good I think. Who needs GPS when you can go old school? |
Itileman
| Posted on Wednesday, September 01, 2010 - 02:56 pm: |
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It's actually quite accurate. I still use it and a map rather than put blind faith in my GPS. It's also far enough to read without cheaters. (Message edited by itileman on September 01, 2010) |
Ourdee
| Posted on Wednesday, September 01, 2010 - 06:49 pm: |
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I had that compass on mine. I looked down after a few thousand miles and the shaft had broke leaving me with the black plastic ball and suction cup. It is still on my wind screen. |
Midnightrider
| Posted on Wednesday, September 01, 2010 - 08:16 pm: |
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I have used cheap compasses in the past. After several weeks with one, I was sure I was heading north ( i was on Rte number something NORTH) but the compass was clearly showing my direction as south. Double checked it against a good quality diving compass when I got home and sure enough, somehow the compass got remagnetized or something and it was consistently 180 degrees wrong. I figured it was a fluke, bought another cheap Pep Boys auto compass and the same thing happened. It was true for a few weeks then somehow flipped itself. Often I head out for a ride with no idea where I'm going - just take roads I've never taken before to see where they go. Problem is I would rarely check it when yI'm on familiar ground - I only checked it when I was lost. Some folks swear its the vehicle radiation scanners I pass through when I occasionally ride the bike to work. At about that time I got a GPS as a gift. Can't say either way what caused the compass to flip-flop but that would be my caution against cheap ones |
Blk_uly
| Posted on Wednesday, September 01, 2010 - 08:52 pm: |
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You all might try getting one from a marine supply store. They'll have more to choose from |
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