GPS With reading glasses

[megajoules expenditure]

As I'm currently pondering biting the bullet and purchasing my first GPS it occurred to me that with a routesheet I can just enlarge it enough so that reading it on the move without glasses is ok but what do people who only need their glasses for reading do in this respect with GPS

[Bledlow]

As I'm currently pondering biting the bullet and purchasing my first GPS it occurred to me that with a routesheet I can just enlarge it enough so that reading it on the move without glasses is ok but what do people who only need their glasses for reading do in this respect with GPS

I need glasses for not reading. On bike rides where I use a GPS, I'm usually wearing my non-reading contact lenses. The passage of time has not been kind to my eyes, & I therefore carry reading glasses to use with my contact lenses. 

The sort that come in a tube are adequate. Fit in a pocket, or down the side of a bar bag, rack bag or saddlebag.

[numbnuts]

I wear glasses all the time and had a second pair for reading in the end I went for varifocals now I can see the GPS a lot better without straining my eyes

[megajoules expenditure]

So maybe a pair of bi-focals with a plain lens in the top section would work so that I could avoid the on off on off on off situation on the move with just my reading glasses?

(it's enough having the above similar situation with rain jackets when the rain keeps starting and stopping )

I wear glasses all the time and had a second pair for reading in the end I went for varifocals now I can see the GPS a lot better without straining my eyes

[PH]

I need reading glasses to see the map page clearly, but I can follow a route on the active route page without them.  This is on a Garmin Legend.

[inc]

I need reading glasses and discovered a few years ago that you can get safety glasses with bifocal bit at the bottom.They look just like cycling glasses and the yellow ones are great for all year use. I told Ross a friend of mine and he gets some from the states, you can see them here Audax Event Details. If you think they may be useful but he has run out let me know and I will dig out another supplier.

[kevinp]

I have the same problem reading my garmin,so after searching I found these safety glasses they might not be that stylish but they are anti fog and they work very well, plus they are cheap

[pdm]

Don't know about making a GPS bigger of itself, but last December, I bit the bullet and acquired a pair of Optilabs cycle specific Bifocals - pricey, but they are great!

[Sergeant Pluck]

When using routing, there are audible alerts in advance of turns so that could limit the amount of time you need to look at the screen. Also, in some display modes, you can have a fairly large direction arrow which is easy to see at a glance. Overall, I think careful planning of your route and waypoint names should minimise the issue, if it is an issue at all.

Some GPS devices have better screens than others in poor light conditions - overall, the Etrex HCx seems to be among the best for cycling purposes in this respect.

The HCx is very angle-sensitive so some experimentation with mounting it will pay off. You could also use a mount like a Minoura to bring the device up off the bars a bit and closer to your eyes.

[Ian H]

So maybe a pair of bi-focals with a plain lens in the top section would work so that I could avoid the on off on off on off situation on the move with just my reading glasses?

I just use the smallest lens reading specs perched on the end of my nose so I can see ahead over them. As someone described: the ones that come in a tube.

[PloddinPedro]

If you want wrap around cycling/sports glasses to keep the wind off your eyes, or want to use sunglasses ditto, and don't want to splash out on prescription glasses, you might look at these:- www.optxeurope.com

The idea might seem a bit fragile but I've used these for several years now and have had no problem with them - I find them ideal for the purpose.

One thing about GPS units though - depending on which unit you have, screen visibility isn't always up to the same as a routesheet. If you want tinted or sunglasses you may exacerbate this problem. Another reason for trying the Optix - if you try them on sunglassess and can't read your GPS, you can transfer them to plain glasses, which is what I have to use, for GPS legibility reasons.

[drossall]

I do struggle to read my HCx. That's one thing my original Etrex Summit had in its favour - just a big black arrow to follow, and none of these detailed maps.

I think I'll try some of the suggestions on this page.

[frankly frankie]

My near sight is shot to pieces, but its a bit better in bright conditions ie outdoors.
I just about get away with the Etrex HCx screen without glasses.  I suspect the monochrome displays of the cheaper types would actually be better for me - more contrasty - however the C (colour) models have lots of other advantages (eg much longer battery runtime).

It helps that a lot of the information is by way of confirming what you already know.  If following a route on a map display, the shape is pretty clear even if you can't read the map legends.  For example you know there's a Left coming up, you're just not quite sure where - the GPS can indicate this very clearly even to a blind bat in a snowstorm.  The zoomable map more than compensates for it being a pokey little screen not a lovely laminated sheet of OS.

One tip is to keep your waypoint names very short - 6 chars or fewer - more than 6 and the font size is reduced.
The sound prompts are very helpful.  And annoying to others, apparently.

You can get stick-on soft plastic half-moon lenses to stick into the bottom of any old pair of plain glasses - don't use them myself (yet) but the day will come - I know people who swear by them.

[andygates]

I do struggle to read my HCx. That's one thing my original Etrex Summit had in its favour - just a big black arrow to follow, and none of these detailed maps.

You've still got that follow-arrow.  It's just on a different page.

The maps reveal their true usefulness when you get lost.

[Manotea]

But whether its following a compass arrow, a line on a map or a zoomed display of a junction, the GPS display is always easier to follow then a routesheet when riding at speed at night in the rain with foggied up glasses...

[bikefish]

What worked for me...
Some while back in mapsource I increased waypoint font size, changed font and made text bold - when I transferred it to gps it seems to have stuck to whichever maps Im using. Cant see why it wouldnt work for other map detail....

[bikefish]

I wrote up thread about using garmins Mapsource on computer to change font to semething more legible. In V 6.13.7 - seems  i  can only transfer waypoint detail changes to gps- not town or streetnames. Mapsource  font options include chinese, arabic and thai - seems wierd that you can have different scripts on a netbook and gps...
If you dont want maps a b + w screen is much clearer.
The new touch screen garmins are v dim + hard to read - maybe a phone gps ?.