Got a GPS unit

[javafool]

I finally broke down and bought a GPS unit. I bought the Garmin C530 after I read a lot about functions of the various units and over 100 owner reviews for the C530 plus others.
We took a short trip over the Fourth and it got its trial run. I pretty much knew where I was going but when I got off the interstate for an emergency pit stop, I found out I got off at an exit with a McDonalds pit stop but with no re-entry back onto I-4. So after taking off on my own just knowing that I knew better than some womans vioce squaking at me from a box, and running parallel to the interstate for 5 or 10 miles without finding an on ramp, I let Garmin do its thing and it did. A few miles of back roads and back on the interstate I was.
The wife wanted to go to a furniture store today, so I programmed the address into the GPS just for fun. This time I did know my way around but I didn't know exactly where the furniture store was located on the street. This time I picked the streets on the way and Garmin just kept calculating the new route. When I turned onto the correct street, Garmin told me exactly how far I had to go and which side of the street the address was on. When we arrived it said to turn left into destination. Pretty darn cool.
Anyone else have any better stories or experiences to talk about?

 

[CLHC]

Great!

I got me a Garmin Nuvi 660 along with the Garmin StreetPilot C330 and this thing's awesome to be sure. I've used this one around my neck of the woods (which I already know). Have gotten around Oregon and Washington up to Victoria BC with it as if I already know where I'm going. . .

Did some playing around with the Nuvi.660 and enjoy using the hands-free Bluetooth in conjunction with my cell. Going to be using this one when I get to LAS.NV in the next two (2) weeks.

Enjoy!

 

[javafool]

I thought about one that announced street names and might be sorry I didn't move up for that. I have Onstar, so I had previously added my Envoy as another Verizon wireless phone for $9.99 a month and my wife and I can both talk hands free when we are on the road. The larger screen is probably pretty nice too.
I got mine for $300, which was all I wanted to spend until I found out if I would really use it much. I can tell already that I will.

 

[bobisculous]

I have a Garmin StreetPilot 2720. Its a great device. I want to get a Nuvi of some sort, they seem really neat.
I also have a Garmin GPSMap 60CSx(for caching), Garmin GPSMap 60, and just picked up a Lowrance iFinder Go. The Lowrance is ridiculously slow getting satellites, and can't stay locked. I found it on clearance, brand new, dirt cheap and could not pass it up.
Whats funny is that I have 4 GPS's now, and I am not done. I want to get a bluetooth one for my PDA too, soon.

-Cameron

 

[knot]

I like to travel along where the pavement ends. One night I got lost and could not find my way back to civilization and I was running out of gas. I ended up on private property behind a locked gate and had to call Weyerhaeuser (forest products) security to let me out. After a four hour wait, I finally was able to make it to a gas station. Would a GPS have avoided this problem?

I hear the Tom-Tom is a good GPS. Is this true?

 

[bobisculous]

knot,
Some maps on GPS are old. That can be both good and bad. Bad in that, some streets are old, not even there. Or they do not continue on, on your GPS as they actually do since they have been expanded. But on the other hand, they can show roads that were planned, but never actually built.
I frequently see dirt roads and grown over paths on my GPS as roads. If nothing else, a GPS with maps would show you in the direction of actual roads.

I am not a fan of Tom-Tom GPS. Last I checked, they used Mapquest maps, and I just am not a huge fan of their layout. If you go with Garmin, you are going to get NAVTEQ, which is what Google Maps uses. Carbon copy on my Garmin StreetPilot 2720. You can get a good Garmin unit for so cheap nowadays.

-C

 

[knot]

On Fifth Gear they tested some Sat Nav and the TomTom One won "Jon's overall favourite"

My main concern is price and not getting lost.

 

[TedTheLed]

I too am very interested in getting a gps for car driving and have been putting it off for lack of information, but thanks to this thread, probably not for long, thank you!

I know I want that voice telling me where to turn..
and i want to be able to enter addresses..
this gizmo is going to have me driving more, I'm afraid..
especially at night when I can't see where the heck I am..

what's the bluetooth connection for?

 

[bobisculous]

Hehe, Bluetooth will allow you to connect your cell phone to your GPS.
You see, all GPS's have either an external speaker or can broadcast directions over the FM waves to your speakers. So you connect your phone to your GPS, you get a phone call, it pops up on the GPS screen. You then, on the GPS screen, say answer. It will wirelessly broadcast your call onto your speakers. Then a built in mic on the GPS is used as well to hear you speak to the caller.

Also, with Bluetooth you can connect a laptop to your GPS and use it for Microsoft Streets and Trips, or whatever you like. I bet there is more uses than this as well.

-C

 

[tvodrd]

Last week I was in the Boston area on business and our Quality Director rented a car with some species of Garmin, not shown on their site. We decided to play tourist downtown by the bay, and that sucker talked us in to the public parking without an address, and after a few wrong/missed turns, it just said "recalculating." It only lost signal a couple times between the high-rises, and was fast regaining it! Shortly after returning, and after a little research, pulled the trigger on a Nuvi 650. I eagerly await it's arrival!

Larry

 

[ernsanada]

I finally broke down and bought a GPS unit. I bought the Garmin C530 after I read a lot about functions of the various units and over 100 owner reviews for the C530 plus others.
We took a short trip over the Fourth and it got its trial run. I pretty much knew where I was going but when I got off the interstate for an emergency pit stop, I found out I got off at an exit with a McDonalds pit stop but with no re-entry back onto I-4. So after taking off on my own just knowing that I knew better than some womans vioce squaking at me from a box, and running parallel to the interstate for 5 or 10 miles without finding an on ramp, I let Garmin do its thing and it did. A few miles of back roads and back on the interstate I was.
The wife wanted to go to a furniture store today, so I programmed the address into the GPS just for fun. This time I did know my way around but I didn't know exactly where the furniture store was located on the street. This time I picked the streets on the way and Garmin just kept calculating the new route. When I turned onto the correct street, Garmin told me exactly how far I had to go and which side of the street the address was on. When we arrived it said to turn left into destination. Pretty darn cool.
Anyone else have any better stories or experiences to talk about?

Is there a service charge per month on the GPS? If so how much?

 

[bobisculous]

Service charge? No such thing! Its great! Free and clear

You buy the GPS and maps. Thats it. I guess gasoline will cost you...

The only costs on GPS's is the rare, but occasional map update ~$100, or upgrade for a better GPS. The upgrade of a better GPS can get you faster than the map updates. ;D

 

[reptiles]

I love my Nuvi 660. I always used Garmin and like their products.

Regards,

Mark

 

[knot]

$ 428.56 USD for garmin. You've got to be kidding. Isn't there a cheap model with voice that will get me A - B? Like around $100.




I had a girlfriend 20 years ago that didn't know how to read an analog clock because she grew up in the digital age. I wonder how many kids won't be able to read a map (or use a compass) with sat nav now.

 

[Reaper]

I believe TomTom uses a mapping company different from that used in Garmin and Magellan (Navteq) which are more correct and precise for addresses in the US and Canada. At least that's how I find them to be. I borrowed a TomTom, a Garmin and a Magellan 6000T and much preferred the Magellan overall (though there are little things of the Magellan that I nitpick at). One of the things that I like about the Magellan 6000T is that it comes preloaded with maps of the US, it's territories and Canada so there's no other maps for me to buy (unless it's a newer map upgrade with newly constructed streets and malls of course). Open the box, plug it in, and take off. I liked it so much that I received one for my birthday.

 

[JAS]

I suppose that it really bears mentioning that the GPS hobby can easily be every bit as addicting as flashlights, in fact in many way probably more so.

That having been said I bought a second hand Garmin StreetPilot 2730 last year. I also have experience with the Garmin Nuvis and others as well.

Here are several URL for GPS websites that I happen to like:

http://www.gpsinformation.net/

http://www.gpspassion.com/forumsen/default.asp

http://www.poi-factory.com/

The first two are great for helping you select a receiver and learning more about its features. The third one is great for downloading free POIs. (Points Of Interest). Say, for example, you want to create a POI file of stores that carry flashlights that you like, you can create the file and share it with others. There are POI files for restaurants, electronics stores, parks, lakes, etc. As an aside, some of the stores that I like for flashlights can also be saved as favorites. Stores like Cabelas, Gander Mountain, Target, Super Wal-Mart, Menards, Mills Fleet Farm, etc. Also, I have as favorites or POIs the police equipment stores that carry flashlights like Streichers, Uniforms Unlimited, Keeprs Uniforms, Bills Gun Shop, etc.

 

[bobisculous]

Dang, the more and more ya'll talk about Nuvi's you make me want to upgrade. I really need to resist. JAS is right. It really can be addicting, and for some reason I dont know why. I mean, why would you need more than one? Much less 4, soon 5, like me.

Thanks for the third link, JAS. I knew those websites exsisted, but never really investigated into the matter. And now that red light cameras are getting more and more popular it will be useful. I am in NE Houston, and I just heard that in the city I work in, red light cameras are going to be popping up soon. I hate that.

-C

 

[bobisculous]

$ 428.56 USD for garmin. You've got to be kidding. Isn't there a cheap model with voice that will get me A - B? Like around $100.




I had a girlfriend 20 years ago that didn't know how to read an analog clock because she grew up in the digital age. I wonder how many kids won't be able to read a map (or use a compass) with sat nav now.

I am not sure which one you are looking at, but no Garmin will get you what you want for $100. I dont think you will get anything brand new for that price. You may get something for ~200, but I promise it wont be as nice as your average Garmin, Magellan, TomTom. Plus, don't go by what Garmin says is the price on their site. On their site, it says the Garmin GPSMap 60CSx is $482, but it can easily be had for $380 on Newegg, and even cheaper on Amazon IIRC. Plus there are occasional mail in rebates through Garmin for $50.

Stick with a name brand, check online reviews. And I must say, stay away from Lowrance. This one I just bought, their most basic model me thinks, is pathetic. Perhaps I just haven't used it enough, or I am just so used to my 60CSx, but its so incredibly slow at aquiring satellites. Then it frequently thinks I am moving around at speeds of more than 2-3mph, when I am clearly not moving at all. The menu system sucks It very well might just be because its such a cheap device, but I know Garmins cheapest device is not this bad! But hell, I paid $9.88 for it, on clearance, at my local Academy Sports and Outdoors! Couldn't pass that up.

-C

 

[Lite_me]

I have the Garmin Nuvi 350. The wiff and I like it alot. It can save your arse.

 

[javafool]

Is there a service charge per month on the GPS? If so how much?

There is no service charge unless you want to subscribe to real time traffic alert features. Garmin updates their maps every 12 - 18 months, and the download update is free to registered owners.