Additional functionality on my Zumo

[johnlt]

Went for a ride today and noticed that I have "new functionality" within the XM on my Zumo. for the first time, I can select any of the following functions: XM radio, local weather including forecast, weather map, traffic. Those option were never there before, only the XM radio. Anyone else seen this?

[Karp]

I belive that XM is giving traffic/weather to all XM subscribers for a month for free in hopes that you will subscribe to it after the free period runs out.

I am already paying for it - does that mean I get a discount for a month?

[Firefight911]

It's a free trial through June 7. Of course, in hopes that you'll subscribe.

 

I do on my Zumo but not for Jamie's.

[xbubblehead]

here I thought I just got lucky and got em free.

[RiceToy]

I just added weather $3.99 per month, billed monthly. Today was my first time using it (happened to be on the bike), and noticed a window keeps popping-up that says there is a weather update available, do you want to see it? Yes/No. The first couple times this popped-up, I chose "Yes", and the next window says "No updates available". This continued to happen about every 5-10 minutes over an hour or so riding today.

 

For those with XM Weather, does this annoying window keep popping-up forever? If it does, weather's gonna be cancelled.

[TonyT607]

Yep - I get the same weather warnings and when I try to look at them, there's nothing.

[Karp]

I have gotten them on occasion as well. Doesn't happen often, but I believe that when it does, it is because you are travelling into an area that brushes the fringe of a weather advisory area but then when you go to check it you have already left the area.

[Krakken]

I noticed the traffic info when I went down to Rancho Cucamonga on Friday. When heading back home at 11:00 am, Memorial Day weekend traffic was already building up heading out of the valley for Vegas and the deserts. I was cruising along I-15 North at 75 in moderate traffic when I noticed the yellow diamond with a ":06" up ahead. Sure enough, as soon as I got to that spot on the map, traffic slowed dramatically. Being the good California motorcyclist that I am, I immediately began to split lanes and take advantage of the pavement.

 

It was interesting to note that the yellow diamond kept popping up ahead of my route with different delay times. Traffic remained slow for several miles until the bottleneck was relieved, then the diamond disappeared.

 

I was impressed with this feature, and have opted to pay for this service. I don't head down into the LA area nastiness too often, but it's nice to know where the delays are and how to get around them.

 

Two weeks ago I had to detour around a traffic accident that had Hwy 395 completely closed in both directions. Traffic was diverted through Victorville during morning commute time and it was a complete PITA. Had I known about the detour ahead of time, I could have taken an alternate route (other than the one everyone was being funneled into) and saved myself the 30 minute delay driving through town.

 

As far as the weather service is concerned, I haven't experienced it yet. We're coming into summer here in the southwest, and it really isn't a big deal right now, but I'm curious to see how it'll work as I make my trips to the great northwet where they actually have weather....

[SageRider]

What weather info are you getting with the Zumo?

Doppler radar?

Wind speed?

etc...

 

Does the weather overlay the map page used while driving?

 

(I currently have a 376C which gets a much more expensive version of weather data (XM Weather), and am wondering how much I'll give up going to a Zumo (XM NavWeather.)) XM website is very vague on what NavWeather provides.

[johnlt]

Michael, there are three weather functions on my sample. One is a "current weather" for the area you are located and the second is a "weather forecast" for that area. The format is similar to weather.com. The third is a "weather map" but it was not showing much possibly because in Tucson, it usually clear and nothing shows up on radar so don't know if it includes radar or not but it is a weather map.

[cali_beemer]

I think I would consider the weather on the 665 zumo since it now gets radar. Bu the weather package on the zumo/2730/2820 just seems prettly useless. Has anyione really found this helpfull? Maybe its becasue i have an iphone can I can access all of that when I pull over and take a break. My new to me 2730 is on its way and I have toyed with the idea of the weather. Here in California the traffic feature almost seems even more useless since lane splitting and lane sharing are legal. If the traffic stops, I dont. Not really sure its worht the price for the limited time I ride out of state where lane sharing isnt leagal.

[SageRider]

Thanks, John.

Can anyone else provide input as to what weather information is displayed on the weather map , and if the weather map is on the main navigation page (so one doesn't have to change screens between route map and weather map)?

[allikanbe]

Thanks, John.

Can anyone else provide input as to what weather information is displayed on the weather map , and if the weather map is on the main navigation page (so one doesn't have to change screens between route map and weather map)?

 

I had the cheap version of weather (the same freebie that XM is offering now) on my Zumo. The weather alerts were on the main nav page, but the weather map was on a separate page. The weather wasn't radar, but rather a cloud or lightning or whatever. It really wasn't necessarily "real time" either. I now have a Droid phone and I use that for weather.

[Firefight911]

Thanks, John.

Can anyone else provide input as to what weather information is displayed on the weather map , and if the weather map is on the main navigation page (so one doesn't have to change screens between route map and weather map)?

 

It's basically watching your local news highlights for weather, Michael.

 

Yes, you have to select the page which means you navigate away from your map page.

 

The detail weather gives you barometer, temp, conditions. You can select it locally or scroll the map and select a destination.

[tobyzusa]

Michael,

 

I played with mine yesterday, only after seeing this thread.

 

There were scattered thunderstorms in the area where I was riding yesterday. When you selected the XM button it took you to a map that showed your position, your route if you had it plugged in, and in my case, there were cloud icons to my south. I could visibly see thunderstorms and lightening off to the south, so the weather appeared reasonably accurate. You could zoom in and out using the nornal method.

 

Now in the evening, there were little moon icons scattered about. I wasn't quite sure what that was supposed to be telling me - that it was nightime perhaps???

 

On the home screen, it placed the local temperature at the top of the screen. This clearly changed with my position. For a time it was reading 96, but when I went through an area that had had a thunderstorm, it dropped to 77 in a short period of time. I could feel the temperature change, so I know the temperature readouts were again reasonably consistent with what I was experiencing. It seemed to be pulling from a reasonably local weather station.

 

 

This isn't something I'd pay for, but it was fun to play with.

[Alan D]

I rode 2400 miles this weekend and I had the free weather running.

#1) The weather alerts became annoying. When I answered YES to the question "Do you ant to view the alert?"I saw "Severe t-storms warning for XYZ county"

Flash flood warning for ABC county"

I had no idea of what county I was in, but I could look in the sky ahead of me and see the weather.

#2 The screen said it was 72 degrees where I was. My RT said 90 degrees. Judging by how much I was sweating, I think the RT was correct.

#3 The current country weather map was nice, but would the weather be like depicted when I got there?

I don't think I would pay for this service.

[markgoodrich]

I have a 376c, and usually in the summer I turn the Nexrad service on through the XM puck, which shows essentially live weather radar. This time (turned it on last week) it's been driving me nuts, with a long rinnnngggg every now and then, or every few minutes sometimes. Only thing I can think of is it's this warning deal y'all are talking about. There is absolutely nothing on any of my screens, other than the usual route info and rain radar overlaid on the route map. Maddening.