Again nation navigation has come a protracted, good distance from the times of utilizing a clunky handheld GPS bolted to your handlebars. Up to now dozen years, sat nav gadgets have advanced, that includes bigger shows with a touchscreen interface, and much extra built-in options to assist enhance your navigation capabilities. They will even know when the climate is unhealthy sufficient to remain dwelling. The GPS producers had no selection however to enhance drastically, as a result of cellphone-based navigation apps now mount a severe competitors. To combat again towards that encroachment, Garmin has simply launched its new Tread 2 again nation navigation unit. It’s supposed for vehicle-mounted use, with a 6-inch display screen, a number of helpful onboard apps; MSRP is $699.
Garmin despatched me a unit to check this fall. Right here’s what I’ve came upon to this point.
Garmin Tread 2: The Bullets
- Flip-by-turn routing on streets, highways, filth roads and trails
- No-subscription satellite tv for pc maps downloads
- Map set up much like older Garmin Tread/XT GPS gadgets
- Intuitive Interface
- Customers can management onboard cameras and music playback with the Tread 2
- Constructed for energy sports activities fans within the again nation, but in addition works as a road GPS for automobile or motorbike
Garmin Tread 2: Set up
The Tread 2 is designed to be hard-wired to your snowmobile, ATV or UTV or different car. As soon as put in, the Tread 2 runs off your trip’s battery and charging system, similar to your stereo or headlights do. A built-in battery will energy the Tread 2 when disconnected from the car, but it surely’s supposed to be linked to your onboard electrical system. The Tread 2’s mount can also be a charging cradle, with wires operating out that may be linked to your battery or one other energy supply in your machine. Garmin gives terminals that you will need to crimp to the wiring; in addition they present an inline fuse field you could connect, to guard your system from an influence surge.
The one actual difficult a part of set up is determining the place you need to run the ability provide wires by way of your car, from its car energy supply to, within the case of an ATV, your handlebars.
Garmin Tread 2: Software program & Maps
For years, Garmin’s Basecamp app for Home windows and Mac PCs was how Garmin customers interfaced with their GPS. It’s doable to make use of Basecamp with the Tread 2, however Garmin recommends the system’s homeowners use its free Tread app for Android and Apple telephones and tablets to handle routes, waypoints and tracks. This implies a studying curve for individuals used to utilizing Basecamp. Over time, I’ve discovered that studying to make use of Garmin’s software program and never their gadgets is usually probably the most troublesome a part of adopting a one in every of their new merchandise. Their telephone and computer-side software program simply isn’t nearly as good because the stuff baked into their {hardware}.
On different Garmin {hardware} that makes use of the Tread app, customers complained in regards to the importing course of for routes, saying their GPS routing modified between the factors alongside their route. There are normally easy options to hiccups like these, however mastering this software program can take some time. Some skilled Basecamp customers will not be enthusiastic about altering to the Tread app and having to re-learn the methods to planning routes and transferring to GPS with out issues. I put in the Tread app on my Samsung Tab S7+ and located this large-screen, high-performance pill was the right complement to this software program. I think a number of the different discontented customers are operating into hassle due to the {hardware} they’re putting in the app on.
The Tread 2 is an off road-oriented system, however comes with Metropolis Navigator maps in addition to OpenStreetMaps knowledge for unpaved roads and trails. It additionally gives entry to knowledge from the USFS Motor Car Use Maps, Garmin’s Journey Roads and Trails community, a campsite locator, topo maps and forestry roads. There’s even snowmobile-specific maps; that is necessary, as these routes usually are not essentially open year-round.
The Tread app lets you design or obtain routes with turn-by-turn navigation, even on unpaved roads and trails. Should you’ve paired the Tread 2 with a Bluetooth-enabled helmet comm, a voice on the comm’s speaker will let you know when to show down the following forestry highway/hearth path/no matter. That is house age stuff, in comparison with my previous handheld climbing GPS; it’s additionally an replace from the first-gen XT GPS I used for years, which relied on third-party providers for a few of this info (like iOverlander).
Using round my native stomping grounds, I used to be impressed to see that the Tread 2 had maps for a lot of the native trails pre-loaded—however not all of them. However in circumstances the place there have been public-land or private-land trails that weren’t on the usual maps, I used to be in a position to obtain a satellite tv for pc map that confirmed the path reduce by way of the forest. This satellite tv for pc imagery is offered with no subscription, which is able to hold thrifty riders glad. The photographs require a wi-fi connection to obtain, so be sure to’ve obtained this taken care of earlier than you permit dwelling.
In addition to all of the free maps, Garmin’s system and app additionally mean you can buy a subscription to Out of doors Maps+. This pay-to-play service offers you much more info that’s critically necessary to some outdoorsmen: avalanche threat reviews, slope angle particulars, looking info and extra. I didn’t buy this bundle, but when I used to be looking the mountains, or snowmobiling on the market, I’d think about it rigorously, particularly if I used to be in an unfamiliar space.
The Tread 2’s pre-loaded maps even have public land boundaries for BLM properties, nationwide forests and extra, in addition to non-public land boundaries and landowner info for properties which are bigger than 4 acres. Wish to know who owns the paths you’re interested by using? The Tread 2 may also help you discover that info, and possibly open new doorways for recreation.
Lastly, the Tread 2 additionally lets you share GPX information with your pals and even monitor them in actual time, with its new Group Ride2 cellular characteristic. I didn’t go on group rides, so wasn’t in a position to check this, however I can see its worth for ATV or snowmobile golf equipment. Nonetheless, word that this characteristic requires an lively Wi-Fi or cellular knowledge connection; should you’re in the course of the wilderness a thousand miles away from a cell tower, it received’t work.
The Tread 2 has sensors that interface with each the GPS and Galileo sat-nav networks, with 10 hz multi-gnss positioning continually analyzing your location in real-time.
In comparison with the joystick-and-button interface on my previous handheld eTrex Legend HCx, the Tread 2’s touchscreen menus are a lot simpler to navigate. Discovering the system’s built-in Climate or Climate Radar app, the Visitors app, turning the Monitor Recorder on/off, controlling the Music Participant (load MP3s to the system itself, or an SD card, or management a smartphone music app)—all straightforward. The Tread 2 even has an app for Garmin’s Canine Monitoring gadgets, and you may management your car’s mild bars and sound system from the system, or onboard cameras. As a substitute of getting to climb throughout your trip to show issues on and off, you may management them out of your Garmin, and that’s a really welcome characteristic today.
The one place I ran right into a hiccup was with music playback in my helmet comm. An older Sena 10U had hassle connecting; a more moderen Sena 50S linked with out an excessive amount of hassle, however the interface on the Tread 2 would acknowledge my telephone, and acknowledge the helmet comm, however wouldn’t permit me to manage the music playback.
This kind of hiccup is widespread with GPS gadgets and helmet comms; after I examined the Garmin XT (kind of an older first cousin to the Tread 2), I used to be instructed to watch out in what order I paired the telephone and helmet comm to the GPS unit, or it wouldn’t work correctly. I’m positive it’s the identical with the Tread 2; I simply haven’t had time to type out the main points, and I think an upcoming system replace will type the issue, if it’s a software program bug.
Numerous onboard tech
The Tread 2 has extra going for it than simply having the ability that can assist you discover your means. The system has a built-in barometric altimeter, and even a pitch-yaw gauge readout that helps keep away from rolling your ATV. Garmin additionally sells a wired-in handlebar controller (MSRP $149.99 )that may be added to the Tread 2, permitting you to scroll by way of the menus with out utilizing the touchscreen. With the GPS mounted on to my handlebar already, this wasn’t obligatory and certainly would have made issues extra sophisticated by lowering the room on my bars. When winter’s chill units in, I would need the controller, although—it could make it a lot simpler to manage the Tread 2 whereas sporting gloves.
On a sled or side-by-side with extra bodywork, this controller would allow you to mount the GPS in your line of sight and ahead of the handlebars, as you can handle it simply with the distant, as a substitute of reaching awkwardly for the touchscreen. That is the precise setup I would like on my Yamaha 1200 Tremendous Tenere motorbike—maybe I’ll give it a go when using season returns.
Construct high quality appears rugged
With an IPX7 waterproof score, an IPX6 dustproof score and most significantly for the clumsy consumer, a MIL-STD-810 drop score, The Tread 2 is a troublesome piece of package. The sides of its case are angled to keep away from harm to the display screen in a bump or tumble; the cradle mount affords a cosy click-in match, which doesn’t encourage confidence, at first. However, after utilizing the identical association over onerous miles on the earlier Garmin XT, I can say it labored effectively for me previously (and if you would like, you should buy beefier locking programs from the aftermarket, which additionally stop some potential thieves).
The one potential weak level I noticed was the charging twine itself. I managed to interrupt the conductive pins on the XT’s charging cradle, and after I grumpily ordered a alternative, I famous I wasn’t the one one who had this half break in what appeared like a brief period of time. It’s an identical design on the Tread 2. Nonetheless, the Tread 2’s energy cable does include a USB energy outlet, and the Tread 2 itself has a USB-C port. Presumably, if the ability cradle itself malfunctioned, you can strive the USB-C port as a backup (Garmin didn’t advocate doing this with the first-gen Tread). Additionally word that battery life is a claimed 7 hours, so even should you can’t cost whereas using, you may at the least get a superb chunk of throttle remedy in whereas solely counting on the Tread 2’s built-in energy cells.
That 7-hour battery life would additionally mean you can use this as an off-the-bike GPS should you wanted to navigate to a deer stand or again nation climbing vista or no matter, so long as you don’t thoughts carrying the bigger GPS as a substitute of a smaller handheld. With a 5.3×3-inch display screen (6 inch diagonal), and weighing 12 ounces, this isn’t made to take a seat in your pocket or be clutched in your mitts as you navigate a path.
The Tread 2 is an all-weather system
That is one space the place a devoted GPS with dustproofing/weatherproofing beats a smartphone for navigation. Whereas I wasn’t ready to make use of the Tread 2 as a snowmobile nav unit (it wasn’t winter, and I don’t personal a snowmobile,) I did use it in sloppy drizzle and had no points with the touch-sensitive interface on the 6-inch display screen. My Samsung telephone, alternatively, is sort of all the time troublesome to make use of as a nav unit as soon as the rain begins.
Moreover, the Tread 2 has only a few edges, holes or corners for mud to gather. Evaluate that to a smartphone, with audio system and digicam lenses and different orifices simply ready to gather fesh-fesh and clog up.
In closing
After enjoying round with it for a few weeks,I’ve solely scratched the floor of this unit’s potential.
In order for you the aptitude, ruggedness and energy of a devoted off-road GPS navigation system and you may afford its $699 MSRP, the Garmin Tread 2 is an effective get. You’ll discover it makes discovering your means by way of the backcountry extra enjoyable. It’ll hold you extra protected when you’re out on the paths, and get you dwelling on the finish of the day.
Should you’ve already spent massive bucks in your quad and also you need to push your self and your machine to extra journey, the Tread 2 may also help.
