GPS - Garmin vs Bryton

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poseidon47
Posts: 4
Joined: 1 Mar 2012, 10:18am

GPS - Garmin vs Bryton

Post by poseidon47 »

Thinking of getting a GPS for road and trail use. Bryton offers good value but some reviews (on Amazon) give the software a mauling. Anyone use the Bryton and how have you found it?
Justin
Posts: 223
Joined: 7 Feb 2008, 8:19pm

Re: GPS - Garmin vs Bryton

Post by Justin »

Not used a Bryton, but my Garmin Forerunner 305 does the job superbly, used most days over the last two years.
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andrew_s
Posts: 5795
Joined: 7 Jan 2007, 9:29pm
Location: Gloucestershire

Re: GPS - Garmin vs Bryton

Post by andrew_s »

Experienced Bryton users will be rare, as will any assistance from other users.

One of the advantage of Garmin is that there are lots of users who can give advice, all the problems with importing free OpenStreetMap (or other) data has been sorted out etc.
Sort of like PCs really - Garmin are Windows, Magellan are Mac, and then there's "others" that you've got to get involved with rather than just using.

It may be that Bryton offer OpenStreetMap data for download themselves - it would be sensible. Even so, you would be stuck with the default symbols and line styles etc rather than having a choice.
aide555
Posts: 17
Joined: 6 Nov 2009, 12:13pm

Re: GPS - Garmin vs Bryton

Post by aide555 »

I've had a Bryton 50 for only two weeks but so far so good. I really didn't want to pay a huge amount so I went for the base model without heart monitors. It took a little while to get up and running (mostly down to me!) but I like the fact that you can manage your rides on "Brytonsport" very much like plugging your Ipod into I tunes. As mentioned the major difference is in the maps. Garmin I believe uses OS maps you don't get anywhere near that detail with the Bryton but it suites me fine. Hope that helps a bit
poseidon47
Posts: 4
Joined: 1 Mar 2012, 10:18am

Re: GPS - Garmin vs Bryton

Post by poseidon47 »

Thanks Chaps... More research required methinks...
Ayesha
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Joined: 30 Jan 2010, 9:54am

Re: GPS - Garmin vs Bryton

Post by Ayesha »

Correct me if I'm wrong.

What you get when you spend your money on Garmin Discoverer maps is....

A pretty picture with topographical information supplied by Ordnance Survey; with NAVTEQ road cartography underneath.

Ordnance Survey's topographical information will be up to date, unless the British Isles has had a crustal upheaval.

NAVTEQ's road cartography won't be up to date. It will be about two years out of date. The NAVTEQ road cartography you have will not be updated for several years, so you will wait for Garmin's next offering in 2016 to get roads that were newly built last year.

You will not be able to find missing roads until you ask for an Autorouting route because the OS pretty picture covers over what NAVTEQ doesn't have.


I shalln't be wasting my money on a Garmin again.

Mind you. For anyone who knows exactly where they are going and requires data logging of their performance round the known route, Garmins are second to none.
Cycle tourists and Audaxers who want a reliable navigation tool, don't touch them with a barge pole.
LollyKat
Posts: 3250
Joined: 28 May 2011, 11:25pm
Location: Scotland

Re: GPS - Garmin vs Bryton

Post by LollyKat »

Ayesha wrote:I shalln't be wasting my money on a Garmin again....

Cycle tourists and Audaxers who want a reliable navigation tool, don't touch them with a barge pole.

What would you recommend instead? So far I have held out against GPS systems but realise that sooner or later I'll succumb.
stewartpratt
Posts: 2566
Joined: 27 Dec 2007, 5:12pm

Re: GPS - Garmin vs Bryton

Post by stewartpratt »

I'm keeping my eye on the Motorola Defy Mini. Using an Android phone totally removes you from any tie-in to purchased maps or any one set of (often flawed) functionality, as well as doing other things like letting you upload in real time rather than faffing at home (if you're into that sort of thing). It's an almost unlimited platform rather than just a GPS that does what Garmin have deemed it appropriate for a GPS to do. The small screen and slow processor should be beneficial to battery life (though I worry less about that as I have a dyno USB charger) - the main issue is going to be finding a good bar mount for it.
Ayesha
Posts: 4192
Joined: 30 Jan 2010, 9:54am

Re: GPS - Garmin vs Bryton

Post by Ayesha »

LollyKat wrote:
Ayesha wrote:I shalln't be wasting my money on a Garmin again....

Cycle tourists and Audaxers who want a reliable navigation tool, don't touch them with a barge pole.

What would you recommend instead? So far I have held out against GPS systems but realise that sooner or later I'll succumb.


What are you going to use it for? Navigating or logging data?
LollyKat
Posts: 3250
Joined: 28 May 2011, 11:25pm
Location: Scotland

Re: GPS - Garmin vs Bryton

Post by LollyKat »

Ayesha wrote:What are you going to use it for? Navigating or logging data?

Navigation.
The Mechanic
Posts: 1922
Joined: 23 Jul 2010, 1:38pm
Location: Scotland

Re: GPS - Garmin vs Bryton

Post by The Mechanic »

Ayesha wrote:Correct me if I'm wrong.

Please stand corrected

What you get when you spend your money on Garmin Discoverer maps is....

A pretty picture with topographical information supplied by Ordnance Survey; with NAVTEQ road cartography underneath.

Ordnance Survey's topographical information will be up to date, unless the British Isles has had a crustal upheaval.

NAVTEQ's road cartography won't be up to date. It will be about two years out of date. The NAVTEQ road cartography you have will not be updated for several years, so you will wait for Garmin's next offering in 2016 to get roads that were newly built last year.

You will not be able to find missing roads until you ask for an Autorouting route because the OS pretty picture covers over what NAVTEQ doesn't have.


I shalln't be wasting my money on a Garmin again.

Mind you. For anyone who knows exactly where they are going and requires data logging of their performance round the known route, Garmins are second to none.
Cycle tourists and Audaxers who want a reliable navigation tool, don't touch them with a barge pole.


Not true. I have seen numerous audaxers and tourists with Garmin GPSs. Not sure if they are using Discoverer maps though. I use City Navigator and the maps are generally accurate if not particularly pretty to look at.
Cancer changes your outlook on life. Change yours before it changes you.
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Audax67
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Location: Alsace, France
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Re: GPS - Garmin vs Bryton

Post by Audax67 »

I've used an Etrex Venture Cx for navigation & logging for a good while now. I usually plot my course in advance on one of the sites and then download it to the device, so following it is fine and doesn't use any onboard route-finding. As long as you don't filter the track down to half-nothing it's fine. On-board route-finding can be a bit weird, probably because whoever set it up didn't know that some bikes ran only on tarmac. Mine will quite happily tell me to fork off onto a trail fit only for fools & horses. If you tell it you're a car instead you can end up looking at a motorway slip-road. Nonetheless, a game I play is to pick a town within 50k, tell it to find me a route and then try to follow it. You end up going over hills you didn't know existed - good training.

I never heard of Bryton, except as the Japanese translation of Noddy. "I wish you away, Mrs. Bruin!"
Have we got time for another cuppa?
johnb
Posts: 793
Joined: 28 Jun 2007, 8:05am

Re: GPS - Garmin vs Bryton

Post by johnb »

Ayesha wrote:Correct me if I'm wrong.

What you get when you spend your money on Garmin Discoverer maps is....

A pretty picture with topographical information supplied by Ordnance Survey; with NAVTEQ road cartography underneath.

Ordnance Survey's topographical information will be up to date, unless the British Isles has had a crustal upheaval.

NAVTEQ's road cartography won't be up to date. It will be about two years out of date. The NAVTEQ road cartography you have will not be updated for several years, so you will wait for Garmin's next offering in 2016 to get roads that were newly built last year.

You will not be able to find missing roads until you ask for an Autorouting route because the OS pretty picture covers over what NAVTEQ doesn't have.


I shalln't be wasting my money on a Garmin again.

Mind you. For anyone who knows exactly where they are going and requires data logging of their performance round the known route, Garmins are second to none.
Cycle tourists and Audaxers who want a reliable navigation tool, don't touch them with a barge pole.



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