Wait...there is no media controls at all on the Rider 550?!?!
Toronto_Paul
Posts: 5 [Apprentice Traveler]
in RIDER
So my Rider 550 just arrived and I'm setting it up and applying updates. I've got it paired to my Pixel 3 phone but I'm going though all the menu's on the device but I can't find any media controls at all.
I'm coming from Garmin Zumo that has always had media controls for bluetooth devices. I could pause/play volume up/down my phone from the GPS screen. Can that not be done on the Rider 550?
I'm coming from Garmin Zumo that has always had media controls for bluetooth devices. I could pause/play volume up/down my phone from the GPS screen. Can that not be done on the Rider 550?
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Superusers
@Toronto_Paul Sorry 'NO'
ATB YFM
Satechi Bluetooth Media Button
i use one of these velcro to my clutch or brake cover. it works well for me, since i don't use bluetooth coms, works very well, but not waterproof.
just placed an order yesterday, plus 2nd cradle and wiring harness and case.....
have had a tomtom for 15 years or so, should be interesting switching teams... never had a garmin before... my 40/400 had condensation issues, felt slow, and had to put a sandwich bag on it several days on my last trip.... had 2 options on roads to get back, looked at the sky, thought i picked right, and got drenched.... cars pulled over and everything... oops... the live weather will be nice as well.... 5.5 tft screen will be amazing..
my 40/400 setup, i had the car adapter, both bikes wired with mounts to make it easy... had the gps 4 years, snow so i don't ride in the winter, and have almost 98000 miles on it... definitely got my moneys worth..
Here a small list off issues with the Zumo XT;
Route from track doesn’t follow the exact track sometimes without a reason.
The Garmin Basecamp routing software is bruuuuutal (IMHO). Not intuitive at all and the tools can drive you nuts. I've always found the maps reliable for North America but again I'm on secondary roads, not dirt roads.
The lack of media controls was an unexpected deal breaker on the Rider 550 though. I'm usually listening to a podcast or an audiobook on multi-day rides so I need to be able to pause/play easily.
Since sending the Rider 550 back and waiting on the ZumoXT I've forced myself to sit down and do a deeper dive into Basecamp. It's still a bit of a pain to use but I'm getting better results and throwing my mouse less often.
You can still use modern routing tools like TomTom MyDrive web, kurviger, routeyou and my personal favorite MyRoute App (Gold) to create a track. With Explore or Drive put it on the XT.
But Drive has a issue of draining your phone’s battery.
On small roads recalculation will not work and you will be rerouted to the nearest big road.
The TomTom Rider likes the small curvy roads.
And you can use Google now for media controls.
i have been a myroute lifetime gold member for many years,
the screen is no comparison, every person said AWESOME on the XT condensation reported still in the 550, still unable to have a set of desired roads to ride with a stop in the middle. sure i can do a to and a from.
spending $300 for the same rider i have had for the last 4 years didn't make sense to me.. thus trying something different..... right , wrong, time will tell. mine still works, and does well with how i use it.
i am the only person i know and have riden with, that has a tomtom.... whatever that is worth..
also will have to see about dirt. seems every time i change route type on the rider, it changes to include dirt.... nope, still have avoid dirt, want to avoid dirt now and always... this has been an issue for years... click avoid, recalculating again, off we go, first turn , small dirt road, nope, next another small dirt road.... stop, clear route, check settings, rinse repeat.... it says no route possible, what ?? i know 12 different ways around the dirt, and i don't live there..... the 40/400 was a step back from the rider 5, i always felt, but made the best of it.
i'm a simple user, but routing is the most important, i'll see how that goes.
i still don't use coms, just custom in ear monitors, wired to my phone, that is always in my pocket. often i don't have the tomtom app running on my phone if i don't care about traffic, like riding in the mountains, so i can do that...
thanks you guys for you insight... should be interesting for sure.. i will be playing with it routing the fun areas around the country i ride, i'll see how it does.
the 50/550 would be the easiest swap, unbox, insert into existing cradles... lol
the new Zumo Xt arrived and i tried playing with the adventure route. not impressed to say the least, vs the rider one.... i entered a few destinations around here, 50- 100+ miles or so, the garmin picked some very unimpressive roads, even on its best setting. the tomtom, sure i would ride that, knowing all the roads, options, things like that...the garmin is more like the middle bendy setting on the tomtom, on its 4th and best setting....
that alone may be a deal breaker for me and reason to stick with my 40/400 or try the 550. if the gps is a step back, or several for the fun random roads then that is a ginormous problem for me. i can build some great routes, but when i pick a waypoint in the mountains, and take a great random ride to get there, that is awesome for me...
also the music controls work, but no volume control, so i can't replace my remote control completely...
so i will have the 3 to play with.... interested to see the 40/400 vs 550 hardware changes,
I know two solutions to fix the routing on te XT.
Yes, the routing protocol and recalculation works 10x better on a Rider 550.
i had a great day with my XT yesterday. 1st day i didn't swap in my 400, but i had it with, just in case.
Decided, im keeping my old 40/400 and the new XT, returning the 550. the XT did awesome!!
i loaded a track, then it converted in trip planner, worked perfect, just like tracks on the tomtom. that was a plus for me, I had the same journey in the gps 3 ways, they all worked great. going off path, and going off path and restarting for testing..
my issues previously was due to my lack of knowledge, i can admit that... drove around the neighborhood with a few desired paths of travel to see how it works, what it likes, and how it does what it does.
i still love my rider, it just always has done what i wanted, and aside from the condensation, has been a great unit for me.