tomgdaly

Anyone got a recommendation for 'cheap and cheerful' earbuds for navigation with a Garmin 520?

Bigbus

Dollar Tree for a buck if you don't mind a cord or on the Bay you can find lots of BT for under $10. that are sweat proof. I love my BT buds and would never go back to wires. I rubberbanded a BT dongle on my older Garmin so I can also use the dongle on my old MP3 player too so I don't have to take my newer gear into 'unsafe' conditions. IE: canoeing, skiing, climbing, etc. HTH

rumrunn6

wired or wireless?

unterhausen

does the 520 have some mechanism by which you can use earbuds? I have some Airshox conduction earphones that would work great. But I didnt think garmin devices would work with something like that. OTOH, if I could get RWGPS navigation to work without killing my phone battery, headphones would be a great idea

tomgdaly

Wireless

njkayaker

No, not directly.

The devices can use Garmin Connect on the phone to speak the turn guidance. I'm somewhat surprised the 520 can do this.

UniChris

Careful there. Not being able to hear surroundings is both a practical risk, and a primary ticketable offense in some jurisdictions. And those tickets actually get written.

Probably better to use something near but not actually in your ear, if it actually has to be an earbud then only one, and make that something you can clearly prove, for example tape the other back up the cord or even cut it off. Or for wireless keep the other in the case in a saddle bag or pocket.

john m flores 

I run with a pair of Plantronics Backbeat fit headphones that I got 33% off (refurbished). They're designed to let in ambient noise; I can be listening to music waiting for the light to turn green and hear the car idling beside me.

This is the current version of what I have: https://www.plantronics.com/us/en/pr...kbeat-fit-2100

They're not cheap but perhaps you can find a refurbished pair like I did.

njkayaker

The OP is talking about hearing turn instructions periodically. You don't need to use both ears for that. There's nothing about the stated use that necessarily leads to "not being able to hear surroundings".

The likelihood of a cop noticing (or even caring), especially where brevet rides are typically done is very low.



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UniChris

Indeed. Which would be why I already argued for using at most one earbud.

njkayaker

​Sure, that's not unreasonable. I wasn't complaining about that.
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UniChris

It's hardly "melodrama" when you've read numerous first hand accounts of people who were ticketed and seen video of someone riding blissfully unaware under their headphones to their death. Sure, the driver was found at fault. That doesn't make the cyclist any less dead. Personally I'd like to know that bus was there and have a chance to dodge, even though it's not my legal obligation to.

Facts are facts: in many places, wearing two headphones on a bike is a primary ticketing offense - you can be stopped for that alone. And even where it is secondary, there are many things short of a "collision" which can lead to an additional ticket being written for that. Don't believe the obvious and illogical falsehoods below.

njkayaker

Definitely melodrama.

You many have seen a few. "Numerous" is too vague to base any sort of risk assessment on and it's likely a tiny fraction of the total number of people using headphones. That is, your "numerous" is, almost certainly, still rare. So, you have to be in a collision to get a ticket (something you failed to mention).The "blissfully unaware" people were likely listening to music (probably, at a loud volume). That's nothing like the OP was considering.

unterhausen

it's legal and safe to ride a bike while hearing impaired. I see no reason for these laws, but they do exist in most states. However, let's not get too sidetracked down that road please. If you want to argue about it, we can start a thread in electronics. Maybe the "bright headlights and earbuds argument thread."

Okay, I wasn't clear. Discussion of laws and arguments over safety belong in the Advocacy and Safety forum, not here. I will delete further conversation about that I find in here.

njkayaker

There's this thread addressing similar things:

https://www.bikeforums.net/road-cycl...-riding-9.html

tomgdaly

But, I didn’t ask for opinions on whether I should or shouldn’t wear an earbud, and I’m not a bit interested in such opinions.
So, getting back to my question, if anyone has a recommendation I’d appreciate that (and not patronizing advice on what’s best for me).

tomgdaly

You can do it with 520 plus at least, via smartphone - instructions in manual.

njkayaker

??? I didn't give any opinions about whether you should. That thread gives some ideas of things that other people tried. Which might be useful for other people (if it doesn't happen to be useful for you). Feel free to ignore the stuff you are not a bit interested in.

Homebrew01

I like my Plantronics M70 Bluetooth. I don't use it on the bike, but it would probably work well. It has a hook over the ear so it won't fall off. And it's only 1 ear, so you can hear surrounding noises in the other ear.

BillyD

No, my friend, it's called staying on topic. And if the OP asks to stay on topic then that's what you do. Thank you.

njkayaker

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I posted the link because there was information in it that might have been useful to him.

The OP liked the post you are complaining about (but didn't even read carefully).


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balrog687

check on aliexpress for a replica of aftershockz, bluetooth bone conducting headphones.

It's way more safe and really cheap

kingston 

For work I use a plantronics voyager 5200 and have been using voyager headsets for years. The voyagers are great, but you pay a lot for the microphone. If I were in the market for a bluetooth earpiece for navigation, I'd look at one of the cheap voyager knockoffs.

StanSeven

The thread got cleaned up. Let’s discuss without resorting to insults.

David in Maine

Not really budget, but I like using Aftershokz wireless headphones. They conduct sound through the cheekbones, so you can still hear traffic and ambient sound.

David