# Gps Navigational System??



## travel bug (Aug 23, 2007)

I am looking for input as to people that own their own systems and use them in a rental car.  Would like to use it when we travel to other cities and rent a car.  Going to Palm Springs in December so that would be ok but will be going to Portugal next February - would it be useless for that location.  When I looked at some consumer reviews it seems that the Garmin was at the top of the charts?  Would appreciate any tip in choosing a system and how easy they are to use in a rental car.  Thanks so much.


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## Luanne (Aug 23, 2007)

We have a a Garmin (I think it's from the Street Pilot series)that we use in rental cars.   We've been very pleased with it.  I got the model that requires software to be loaded as needed, in other words all 50 states are not already loaded.  That model was about $100 cheaper than the pre-loaded model.  Dh says the software loading is no problem.  I don't know what would happen if you need more than one state loaded at a time.  We'll find that out next month.


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## judy.f (Aug 23, 2007)

We have a Garmin Nuvi 660 which we have used in rental cars in the US and the UK.  It came with the US maps preinstalled - we had to buy the UK/Ireland maps separately, for about $150, I think.  The non-home-country maps are on a memory card which installs in the GPS - much like you'd do in a digital camera.  We love it.


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## Detailor (Aug 23, 2007)

I recently purchased a Garmin nuvi 360 through overstock.com at what I thought was a pretty good price.  This is very easy to use - plug it into the car power source, attach it to the windshield and turn it on.  Very easy to use by address, or selecting category of business and then a specific place.  Everything isn't exactly where the computer thinks it is, so if you're not familiar with an area you might get a little frustrated.  And it sometimes picks routes that aren't the most efficient, but they generally get you there pretty well.  I haven't gone anywhere that I've been unfamiliar with yet but have been mostly pleased with the results.

Dick Taylor


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## gretel (Aug 23, 2007)

*Magellan*

I love my Magellan RoadMate 760!  I used it in a Hertz car rental (Neverlost system) in southern CA several years ago, came back home and bought it!  I've been through a few models in the last few years (upgrading).  I bring it with me where ever I travel in the US and have had no trouble.  I often program in the timeshare address, restaurants and shopping and save it as a 2nd user.  Then, when we are there, all of the needed info is programmed and ready to go!


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## Shamrock (Aug 23, 2007)

I have the Nuvi 660 and I find it excellent I bought a card with the North America maps on it from www.proadvantage.com for $130, and I just slot the card in when in when in the U.S. and away ye go. You can buy the Europe map/card from them as well, but remember, if going to Portugal you obviously will be entering Portugese street/city
names, and if spelling is not correct then its as handy as having an ashtray on a motorbike


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## janapur (Aug 23, 2007)

gretel said:


> I love my Magellan RoadMate 760!  I used it in a Hertz car rental (Neverlost system) in southern CA several years ago, came back home and bought it!  I've been through a few models in the last few years (upgrading).  I bring it with me where ever I travel in the US and have had no trouble.  I often program in the timeshare address, restaurants and shopping and save it as a 2nd user.  Then, when we are there, all of the needed info is programmed and ready to go!



We love each of our Magellans, and have purchased off of ebay for each set of folks and our 18 yr old son.


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## dawg (Aug 23, 2007)

I have been reading a lot about these lately, I think the Garmin Nuvi 350 is the one to get.  I have seen them for around $370.  If you look at sites like cnet; www.gpsreveiw.net they have reviews and user comment about the different devices.  Good luck , there are several to choose from.

Dawg


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## Sooby (Aug 23, 2007)

*Magellan*

We have rented cars with both the Garmin and the Magellan.  Hands down I would buy and am looking at the Magellan.  Just got back from Portland Oregon and Budget refunded our money for the Garmin use.  It got us lost, could not fiqure out routes with all the oneways and was not able to locate our hotel until we were a few miles away ( a Hampton- one of three hotels right at the airport).  The same thing happened in Hawaii with the Garmin.  I will never rent with a Garmin again!     Sooby


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## Nancy (Aug 23, 2007)

*Nuvi*

We have a Garmin Nuvi and love it.  I also have a couple of Garmin handhelds.  Son has a Nuvi and another plus a handheld.  

Nancy


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## David (Aug 23, 2007)

travel bug said:


> Going to Palm Springs in December so that would be ok but will be going to Portugal next February - would it be useless for that location.



We own the Garmin Nuvi 670 which comes with both the UK and European maps built in.  We love it.

Be aware that some states (CA for example) do not allow anything to be attached to the windshield.


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## BILLVACK (Aug 23, 2007)

The garmin 350 and the 360 are the same unit, except the 360 is bluetooth compatable.  And you must have a bluetooth cell phone.  We have the 360, and, when our cell phone rings, the caller id (if that number is in your cell phone address book) shows up on the 360 unit.  You touch the screen, and the call is answered and communication begins, through the GPS as a speaker phone.  
Also, if you are driving and need to contact any of the points of interest included in the GPS, just touch the phone icon, and it connects you automatically. 
Very hands free...


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## Icarus (Aug 23, 2007)

Garmin makes models that come with both the North America and EU maps included, if that's what you're looking for.

The Nuvi 270, 370 and 670 come with both sets of maps.

Shop these around .. they are heavily discounted online. Instead of purchasing the EU maps separately, they've included them in the price, so these units will be more expensive than a similar model that only comes with one set of maps. With Garmin the x60 models will usually be the same thing as the x70 with only one set of maps included, but you can add the EU maps on later if you go that route. The list price on the EU maps is much higher than the list price for the N. America maps.

Personally, I don't feel the need to make/take calls, read books, view slideshows, or do anything non-nav related through my gps navigation unit. On the other hand, text to speech is a very useful feature. Instead of saying "turn right" it will say "turn right on Main Street". If you can afford the 360 or 370, that's probably the reasonable choice. The 270 is based on an older nav chip that's not nearly as good as the one in the 370 and 670. (That said, the 370 and 670 include all those features like bluetooth, etc, and they also include the FM antenna for receiving traffic updates if you want to pay for that service once the trial runs out.)

I have and use an ancient (in tech terms) Garmin Streetpilot 2610. As hard as I've tried, I can't justify replacing it, since it still works quite well. I've updated the maps on it twice. Newer models are more capable and capture the sat signals much faster, but my ancient 2610 still works just fine for my needs.

-David


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## Icarus (Aug 23, 2007)

amazon.com has the Nuvi 370 for around $450 with free shipping. That's a good price for a very good unit that includes both sets of maps.

-David


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## PStreet1 (Aug 24, 2007)

We've used Garmin for years--love it.  It's been all over with us, and we've never been lost.  We have a version that came with pre-loaded maps for the U.S. and Canada, and we've updated the map sets, which isn't difficult.  We never go anywhere without it.


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## dougp26364 (Aug 24, 2007)

Presently, we have GPS navigation service though out Sprint cell phone for $9.99/month. When we initially got the service I wasn't all that pleased with it. It would drop signal right at the wrong moment or not work worth a darn half the time. 

However they have seemed to get the bugs worked out of it in the last several months and it's been working very well. Well enough that I don't feel the need to spend additional dollars for a stand alone portable system. As a plus my wife's cell phone is not one of those popular items for theft as many GPS sytems are and, it's always with us. 

So long as I can pick up a Sprint signal I can access their GPS navigational service. So far it's worked out OK for us. I'm pretty certain that other providers offer similar service.


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## Denny Crane (Aug 24, 2007)

Both my wife and I have HP IPAQ HW6915 mobile phones/PDA's.
 This is the European version of the USA model (6945??)

On this we have TomTom 6 GPS and then I use wichever map I need on a Mini SD card.
I have used it in Portugal, Spain, France and the UK without any problems whatsover. I have also used it in Florida.

The advantage is that you can use it whilst walking around as well, and in Europe, the GPS only units get stolen from cars with great regularity.
With the IPAQ you remember to take it with you  

It also means that I am not carrying tow or three items all the time, with it being able to operate as a Quad band phone, WiFi/POP3 mail and Internet, and GPS


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## BocaBum99 (Aug 24, 2007)

Great thread.  I am in the market for one myself.

I remember using the Magellan when it first came out.  We called it the "ever lost" because it was horrible at that time.  It's good to hear that its gotten a lot better.

The navigation system I've like the most is the one built into Lexus cars.  My friend had one and it worked great.  Very intuitive.  Anyone know which one that is?

I'd like to have one with software downloads and one that allows you to detect traffic accidents and such.  Do they all provide that now?


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## travel bug (Aug 24, 2007)

Thank you so much for all the useful information.  Seems I will need to do a lot more research before I pick a system but appreciate all the comments.  So many times people will mention things that you just wouldn't think about.  The more I read about them the more excited I am to get one!!  Should cut down on the stress level in the car...


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## BSQ (Aug 24, 2007)

travel bug said:


> The more I read about them the more excited I am to get one!!  Should cut down on the stress level in the car...



oh I don't know.  BubbaQ and I have had several arguments with our "NavLady" as I've affectionally come to call the voice in my car (built in system).  :rofl:

but I do love having a nav system


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## Luanne (Aug 24, 2007)

BSQ said:


> oh I don't know.  BubbaQ and I have had several arguments with our "NavLady" as I've affectionally come to call the voice in my car (built in system).  :rofl:
> 
> but I do love having a nav system



We have a built in named "Mabel".  Dd's is "Sally". 

I don't think I'd ever buy another car without one.


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## Jaybee (Aug 24, 2007)

We have a Garmin Nuvi 360, and really like it.  It's our second Garmin.
The 600's have a larger screen, but they're also more pricey.  The Travel Insider has some good reviews of the Garmins here:  http://www.thetravelinsider.info/gps/gpsreviewindex.htm


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## Pat H (Aug 24, 2007)

I keep waiting for "her" to say - "I said turn right, Stupid. Don't you ever listen?".


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## Luanne (Aug 24, 2007)

Pat H said:


> I keep waiting for "her" to say - "I said turn right, Stupid. Don't you ever listen?".



We can tell that "Mabel" gets upset with us when we don't do what she wants.  I can hear it in her tone of voice. :hysterical:


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## Jaybee (Aug 24, 2007)

Am I the only one who can hear irritation starting to build in her voice when she says, "REcalculating!"?


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## Luanne (Aug 24, 2007)

Jaybee said:


> Am I the only one who can hear irritation starting to build in her voice when she says, "REcalculating!"?



She must be related to our Mabel.


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## Icarus (Aug 24, 2007)

The units we are talking about and the Nuvi's are all very small and weigh around 5 ounces. I don't think anybody would be stupid enough to leave a unit like that on the dashboard of their vehicle as an advertisement to "steal this gps".

I don't even leave my older, bigger, heavier streetpilot 2610 or it's sand filled base in plain sight when I park my vehicle. It only takes about 10 seconds to put it away.

-David


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## bltfam (Aug 24, 2007)

WE moved to ks from the east coast and the Christmas before we moved my husband gave me the Garmin 2720
I was sorta upset no diamonds but i use it daily Just get me a address and I'm there! i dont have to stop and ask directions so i feel freeer to travel Although I dont like it when i miss a turn and she tells me to drive another 2 miles to turn around when i could have done it sooner. My Kids new Phrase on roadtrips are RECALULATING!  My husband travels alot so he really doent know a whole lot of places so he got a portable one  I like the fact it will look up stores malls gas etc too.He started taking his portable one with him on trips and now he'll just order cars from hertz with them already in the cars .We did take it to fl.when we flew there last year Tey are great to have. My husband got ours at Costco If you watch they have sales and coupons for $ off. There recent coupon book has $100.00 offthe Germin 580its  Costco online. The portable ones come with batteries and the charger so if you are using it specificly for travel the portable would be better.
Lynda


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## cphelps (Aug 24, 2007)

Have a Garmin Nuvi 650 and love it.  It is accurate and does everything I need.  I travel a lot for business and amass alot of points.  I transferred a points from Priority Club to buy Best Buy certificates to lessen the blow to the wallet.

My wife did not want me to get it.  After our first trip she loves it.  Great tool.


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## dougp26364 (Aug 25, 2007)

Icarus said:


> .....I don't think anybody would be stupid enough to leave a unit like that on the dashboard of their vehicle as an advertisement to "steal this gps"......
> 
> 
> -David



You haven't met some of the Einsteins I've met then.  

There are PLENTY of people stupid enough to do just that and I believe the amount of GPS units reported stolen could go a long ways towards proving that point.  Heck, even some people who woudn't ordinarily do something so foolish can become so accustomed to that unit being there that they could get in a hurry one day (late for work maybe) and forget to take the unit out of the car.


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## PerryM (Aug 25, 2007)

*Mio H610*

Don’t forget your cell phone – if it has a GPS chip there is a fantastic program available, somewhere, that converts it into a voice guided system like all the hand held GPS units.

Check with your wireless carrier.  

I bought the Mio H610 for $300 from Circuit City – I love this thing. 
I have a 2GB memory card in it and watch movies and listen to music all the time with it.  I have it in my pocket on vacation and is very simple to use as a GPS.  The GPS reception is fantastic – I can be in buildings and it works great.

It has 3 million points of interest built in and you can create your own - finds anything you can think of.

P.S.
It can run 5 hours on it's own batteries and uses the mini-usb connection to charge it and interface with your PC - so I have just one mini-usb charger in my car and it can charge a lot of different things now.

You don't need to use the window mount - just put the thing in your shirt pocket and it tells you where to go without needing to see it.

P.P.S.
This has a "Walking" mode which is fantastic - we used it in Vegas.  It incorporates a magnetic compass and as you turn your body you see the landscape change on the screen - doesn't do that in "Auto" mode.  It will guide you between buildings and parking lots in Walking mode.


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## cirkus (Aug 25, 2007)

I have a Nuvi 350. Does anyone know if there is anything I can add to give me maps for the Riviera Maya area in Mexico?
Bill


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## MULTIZ321 (Aug 25, 2007)

Bill,

Check out http://www.bicimapas.com.mx/MexicGPSAtlasEn.htm


Richard


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## PStreet1 (Aug 25, 2007)

We bought the one for Baja; it isn't of much use.  We go through TJ all the time on the way to the border; she hasn't a clue really.....lots of "recalculating," and never any firm point.  She just re-calculates all the way through TJ until we hit the border, where she breathes a sigh of relief.  Perhaps other areas of Mexico are better, but ours was definitely a waste of money--and despite the "Garmin compatible," it wasn't very.


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## cindi (Aug 25, 2007)

Pat H said:


> I keep waiting for "her" to say - "I said turn right, Stupid. Don't you ever listen?".




I about laughed my behind off when I read this. I hadn't plugged mine into the radio, so it didn't know about a blockage of the road it wanted me to take home. I persistently didn't turn when she wanted me to, preferring to hit the interstate and go around the city to home. 

Only in my case, it would have been "I said turn left, stupid:"! :hysterical:


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## BSQ (Aug 25, 2007)

you haven't lived until you've [inadvertantly] turned it on while in a parking deck.  5 levels of "turn right" "prepare to make a legal u-turn"   "turn right" "prepare to make a legal u-turn"


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## Joe L (Aug 25, 2007)

I get a kick out of "recalculating" when we pull into a rest stop on the highway.  She once kept saying "make a u-turn,"  "make a u-turn," then  "when safe to do so, make a u-turn."  She then went quiet. I'm guessing she was thinking, you're on your own now.


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## henkc (Aug 25, 2007)

*Tom-Tom navigation 910*

We use the tom-tom 910 for our usa trip this summer, it works perfect. It comes withs us,canada and western europe maps. It is small and convenient.

Henk


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## irish (Aug 25, 2007)

i purchased my garmin nuvi 350 from buydig.com. they had the best price(at that time). liked the unit but not the windshield mount. so i purchased the "sand bag" holder at amazon.com and i like that soooooo much better.


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## Icarus (Aug 26, 2007)

BSQ said:


> you haven't lived until you've [inadvertantly] turned it on while in a parking deck.  5 levels of "turn right" "prepare to make a legal u-turn"   "turn right" "prepare to make a legal u-turn"



very cute. Some people might actually believe you.

-David


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## Denny Crane (Aug 26, 2007)

Icarus said:


> The units we are talking about and the Nuvi's are all very small and weigh around 5 ounces. I don't think anybody would be stupid enough to leave a unit like that on the dashboard of their vehicle as an advertisement to "steal this gps".
> 
> I don't even leave my older, bigger, heavier streetpilot 2610 or it's sand filled base in plain sight when I park my vehicle. It only takes about 10 seconds to put it away.
> 
> -David



many people have had their systems nicked from inside the cars as the theif has seen the mark on the screen from the sucker or they have left the cradle in show.
the little scrotes break in and hunt for the unit based upon that.


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## vlariano (Aug 26, 2007)

I had a Garmin with a "bean bag" attachment so that you could just set it and the dashboard instead of trying to attach it to the windshield and loved this feature.  One time after a few "recalculatings" she told us "There IS a better way"   LOL  We almost drove off of the road laughing. 

I now have an Avalon with a built in system and don't like it as well as the Garmin.  I decided to "listen to it one day instead of arguing with it and she took us from San Diego to Las Vegas via 215 and big bear!    Now for that trip I do what I know -- can't seem to get that route changed.  Oh well,  she's good in most other instances.


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## PerryM (Aug 26, 2007)

*GPS humor..*

I think the funniest thing a GPS did to us was the one built into our 4Runner.  We were in Orlando and my son had set a setting to avoid toll roads.  Well my wife and I went to dinner and I kind of knew the way and started down a toll road.  I realized that I was lost (of course I never admitted that) and switched on the GPS.

Well the poor thing went insane, at every highway overpass it told me to "Make an immediate right hand turn" - that would have meant crashing through the concrete guard rails and falling 50' to the highway below.

My wife and I laughed so hard and I didn't know how to get it off that setting that we just picked a restaurant from the highway and ate there.  It was a hoot.


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## BSQ (Aug 26, 2007)

Icarus said:


> very cute. Some people might actually believe you.
> 
> -David



I've stared at this response a few times now and am not sure how to take it except to say , 100% true.


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## Htoo0 (Aug 26, 2007)

We have the Nuvi 350 and consider it the best deal for the money. Below that they don't give the street name (which can be important as the distances tend to be off a bit much of the time). Above that you get bluetooth and road warnings (believe you have to pay for the service). Still, I find it frustrating as I've had the misfortune to run into several instances when it was wrong, misguided, or couldn't keep up. (And yes that "recalculatingly" is incredibly annoying.) Still, Garmin seems better than some others I've tried. To be fair I have NO experience with TOMTOMs.


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## nightnurse613 (Aug 27, 2007)

My OM bought me a Garmin GPS.  Something I3, I think.  Most of the time it works perfectly and has gotten both of us out of jams and to our destination.  We paid less than $200 for it, loaded our own maps.  I will say it does lose the satellite far too often and usually at a critical point or time.   Additionally, on our last trip, and I SWEAR this is true, it would say turn left while the map and the actual direction was turn right.   I NEVER travel without taking and reviewing a map.  I notice, for example, our street goes STRAIGHT to the freeway but it always suggests I take a street left instead which does the job but adds unnecessary directions. I am still amazed that it can detect a turn left or turn right most of the time to within a few feet.


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## Icarus (Aug 27, 2007)

BSQ said:


> I've stared at this response a few times now and am not sure how to take it except to say , 100% true.



Maybe I misinterpreted your first statement, but I took at as turning it on inside a parking structure and the gps tells you which turns to make to exit the parking structure. I don't know of any mapping companies that map garages, and you won't get sat reception inside a parking structure if you don't have a clear view of the sky. Did you mean something else?

It is true that GPS units can calculate your elevation if they lock onto enough satellites, so in theory, they could tell what level you are on in a parking structure. And some built-in units are capable of dead reckoning without being locked onto the satellites. So I suppose that it is theoretically possible, but I've never seen any that do that, unless I misinterpreted your post.

-David


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## BSQ (Aug 27, 2007)

you did indeed misintrepret it, giving it a bit more thought than was necessary.  

My unit does still receive signal inside our parking structures.  (I park two levels below ground with no view of daylight around).  This particular incident was in a mall type parking structure with open sides.  My GPS had me plotted (obviously) on the ground beside the main street. When I plugged in my destination the unit thought I needed to turn right to get to the main street. But as I drove the parking deck I think the navlady took it as if I was driving in circles, so every deck I came down it would say "turn right" as I hit the far side of the deck it would tell me to make a legal u-turn. 

There was no reading of elevations, it simply thought I was going back and forth beside the street it wanted me to be on, and saw that I kept "missing" the little side street to get to the main road.


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## seenett (Aug 27, 2007)

Check out WOOT.COM today...


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## janapur (Aug 27, 2007)

Jaybee said:


> Am I the only one who can hear irritation starting to build in her voice when she says, "REcalculating!"?



And "when possible, make a legal u-turn!"


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## Icarus (Aug 27, 2007)

BSQ said:


> you did indeed misintrepret it, giving it a bit more thought than was necessary.
> 
> My unit does still receive signal inside our parking structures.  (I park two levels below ground with no view of daylight around).  This particular incident was in a mall type parking structure with open sides.  My GPS had me plotted (obviously) on the ground beside the main street. When I plugged in my destination the unit thought I needed to turn right to get to the main street. But as I drove the parking deck I think the navlady took it as if I was driving in circles, so every deck I came down it would say "turn right" as I hit the far side of the deck it would tell me to make a legal u-turn.
> 
> There was no reading of elevations, it simply thought I was going back and forth beside the street it wanted me to be on, and saw that I kept "missing" the little side street to get to the main road.



I see. I still don't think you are getting sat reception inside the structure. GPS signals don't penetrate walls or buildings. They aren't strong enough. Your unit is probably capable of dead reckoning. That's my guess. Mine just says "Lost Satellite Reception" or "Searching for Satellite Signals" when there's no clear view of the sky.

-David


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## PeterS (Aug 27, 2007)

I love technology and gadgets and my friends swear I would love a GPS but I can't see a need for one.

I have heard stories of being directed by a GPS through areas you would not choose to drive through, directed throught contruction closed roads, etc...

I enjoy mapping a trip out and try to take a different route to and from a destination, just to "explore". When we get hungry, we look for a nice restaurant to try, not look for the closest chain restaurant we have back home.

When I am riding with someone who is using one locally, I find it very very annoying, and wonder if anyone needs a nagging voice to tell them how to find a local restaurant they have probably driven by 2-3 times a week...

For those that love then...

Do you really use it everyday or at least enough to justify the cost?
When do you find it the most useful?
No offense meant but for those that really like it... before having it, were you prone to getting lost? (some people have a better sense of direction than others..)

Thanks,
Pete


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## BSQ (Aug 27, 2007)

Icarus said:


> I see. I still don't think you are getting sat reception inside the structure. GPS signals don't penetrate walls or buildings. They aren't strong enough. Your unit is probably capable of dead reckoning. That's my guess. Mine just says "Lost Satellite Reception" or "Searching for Satellite Signals" when there's no clear view of the sky.
> 
> -David



if you say so.


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## Kay H (Aug 27, 2007)

PeterS said:


> I love technology and gadgets and my friends swear I would love a GPS but I can't see a need for one.
> 
> I have heard stories of being directed by a GPS through areas you would not choose to drive through, directed throught contruction closed roads, etc...
> 
> ...







I too am a gadget person and if I can get a gadget that helps me do something better, then I'm all for it.  I drive lots of places by myself and find as I've gotten older, watching the traffic takes all my attention so I find it harder to watch street signs.  I don't use it every day but I love it when I do use it.

I used to use mapquest for directions but found mapquest wrong more often than not. Mine is a Colby, not touch screen and a larger screen than the newer ones.


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## PerryM (Aug 27, 2007)

Icarus said:


> I see. I still don't think you are getting sat reception inside the structure. GPS signals don't penetrate walls or buildings. They aren't strong enough. Your unit is probably capable of dead reckoning. That's my guess. Mine just says "Lost Satellite Reception" or "Searching for Satellite Signals" when there's no clear view of the sky.
> 
> -David



I know my little GPS gets reception when it can't view the sky.  Apparently there are two types of GPS chips - Type I, the old original kind and Type II, the newest version that easily gets the GPS signal under steel roofs up to 30' from the edge of the building.

I easily get the reception within hour house and timeshare - its fun to find various restaurants and then plot the route before we jump in the car.  When we were in Vegas we easily got reception within the Marriott timeshare we stayed at.

My oldest GPS is a Type 1 and if you drive under a tree it would lose its lock, the newest ones easily work within concrete parking lots for hundreds of feet.


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## PerryM (Aug 27, 2007)

PeterS said:


> I love technology and gadgets and my friends swear I would love a GPS but I can't see a need for one.
> 
> I have heard stories of being directed by a GPS through areas you would not choose to drive through, directed throught contruction closed roads, etc...
> 
> ...



My GPS phone has the ability to find my location and bring up 50 of the closest the gas stations and sort them by price.  This is fantastic on long trips - I can get the gas prices 5 miles ahead and decide if we should stop or not.

This one feature easily pays for the GPS feature on the phone - we have 4 cars to gas up weekly.


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## BSQ (Aug 27, 2007)

PeterS said:


> For those that love then...
> 
> Do you really use it everyday or at least enough to justify the cost?
> When do you find it the most useful?
> ...



Mine is an on board unit that was a bit of a pricey dealer option.  I do not use it every day, because I too think it pointless to put in directions for places I know how to get to.     For me though, I've had mine 3 years and have lived in three states.  It came in VERY handy through the househunting and relocation process.  I do a lot of road trips, and I MUCH prefer setting my destination and getting directions along the way rather than having to read off of a piece of paper.  especially handy at night.  I like the glow from it too. Kinda like a driving nightlight.  

It has been invaluable when an interstate gets shut down because of an accident and I can just get off at the next off ramp and continue on, knowing navlady will pick up my route .. and it's not awalys driving along a service road that is beside the highway. 

In cities more than on road trips I was/am prone to getting turned around. Doesn't help when you live in cities where the major interstate goes in a circle. Once I've driven to someplace, I know how to get there for life.  So for me it's been more for the initial getting there. 

Another feature I like is if I break down and am not sure where I am, I can read my exact coordinates to the HP. 

I do use the look up features as well.


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## Icarus (Aug 27, 2007)

PeterS said:


> For those that love then...
> 
> Do you really use it everyday or at least enough to justify the cost?
> When do you find it the most useful?
> ...



I often travel to cities I haven't lived in, and take it with me on those trips. I pre-program the office addresses, hotels and airport locations on those trips. I can easily look up restaurants, etc while there and get taken right to them without needing to map out a route ahead of time. On leisure trips, I can pre-program the airport, hotels and attractions I plan on visiting and the GPS will take me there.

For local trips to a house or business I'm not familiar with, the GPS will take me right there without having to figure out where to get off the highway and where that street number is or what turns to make to get into that neighborhood.

It's definitely a great tool.

-David


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## Icarus (Aug 27, 2007)

BSQ said:


> if you say so.



I guess the newer units get better sat reception than the older ones.

But still, you said yours is a built-in integrated unit. One of the things that the built in units can do is have sensors attached to the vehicle (speed, distance, etc) so they can actually do a much better job at dead reckoning. No GPS is going to get sat reception in a tunnel under a waterway, or in an underground parking garage. (Well, as far as I know anyway.)

-David


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## pedro47 (Aug 27, 2007)

Ok!  What is the recommended GPS to purchase?


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## Luanne (Aug 27, 2007)

pedro47 said:


> Ok!  What is the recommended GPS to purchase?



It all depends on who you ask.


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## jlee2070 (Aug 27, 2007)

I prefer the Garmin Nuvi's...

Either Nuvi 660 (have Blue Tooth Support).  Nuvi 650 without.

Or, less $$$

Nuvi 350 or 360 (if you want Blue Tooth Support).


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## "Roger" (Aug 27, 2007)

Question for Garmin owners.  I was on a charter bus this Saturday and the driver had a Garmin (model unknowned).  What annoyed me is that we were going on a numbered state highway (eg. 49).  When we approached a turn, as often as not, the voice would say "Turn right on County Hwy. D"  Maybe Hwy D (or whatever) did follow the same route, but that was not the way the road was actually marked.  It was marked as Hwy 49 (and this was not a recent renumbering of the highway). Is this at all typical?


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## ownsmany (Aug 27, 2007)

*Tom Tom One*

I have a Tom Tom One.  The only problem was I couldn't figure out how to turn it on (you have to HOLD the on button down for a few seconds).

A fellow tugger steered me in the right direction (get it) on how to turn it on.

Love the tom tom.  Use it all the time.


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## Mom2MNEm (Aug 27, 2007)

we have a Garmin Nuvi 660 . just used it ona week long trip in Arizona. Got us everywhere we needed to go. We bought for it , a device that sits on the dashboard ( its weighted and has a non skid bottom). This is an alternative to mounting it on the windshield.   We originally had a holder mounted on my windshield and  hubbys. When It  came time to sell my car we had a heck of a time prying off the holder and it left a nasty black rubber ring to scrape off.

Besides sometimes getting routed through nasty areas the problems I have with it are

1. Hubby no longer believes me when I try and direct him-evben though I remember the routes.

2. It is sort of like the pre-programmed phone numbers--now I never remember peoples phone numbers. With GPS we rely on it to get us through unfamiliar areas that we never learn those areas. It used to be when we were on vacation, after a day or so we knew how to get around and still find the hotel. I feel like GPS removes the need to learn the routes.

Lisa


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## PeterS (Aug 27, 2007)

Thanks everyone for the insights...

I can see every one of your examples as great usage for the device... night driving, unexpected detours, house hunting in a new area, etc...

Still not sure if it fits my driving needs... 
I know you can pay monthly to have it on your cellphone but I wonder, for me, it may be cheaper to just pay as I go for the few times I would need it... of course buying a dedicated unit has no monthly costs... 

Does any of the GPS systems allow you to adjust your trip if you have a way you like to go?

Say NJ to Williamsburg... I like to go 13 down across the CB Bridge/Tunnel to Norfolk and back up to Wburg...

I would think any GPS would direct me down I95. If I said avoid tolls, it would avoid the CB Bridge/Tunnel...

Would I have to mark points along the way to force it to reroute me like say NJ to Salsbury, MD to Wbrg?

Pete


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## Icarus (Aug 28, 2007)

Just like with any navigation system, you can set up waypoints and plot a course using the waypoints. The easiest way to do it is on your computer with the software that comes with it, and you just download everything to the gps system before you leave on your trips, including the routes you planned out and the waypoints. Then when you start the trip, you just select that route and go. Or you can select a waypoint and go to it.

Before I travel, I set up waypoints for all the places I'll be staying and going to and download them to my old Garmin before I leave on the trip. If necessary, you can look up points of interests (airports, lodging, gas stations, starbucks, etc) in the car, and that works quite well also. You can pick "near here" or "near your route" when searching.

When I drove x-country, finding the nearest Starbucks was great. At one point, when I was in the middle of nowhere, the nearest one was several hundred miles away.

-David


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## Jaybee (Aug 29, 2007)

I don't think anyone has mentioned this, so far, but what I love about our Garmin is that she gives you plenty of warning when you're approaching an exit, and tells you to "keep right", or "keep left".  That makes driving much simpler for me, when I'm on an unfamiliar freeway.
I also love the speaker phone feature, so we don't have to mess with the cell phone when a call comes in while we're driving.


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## Htoo0 (Aug 29, 2007)

October Consumer Reports- (top down) Nuvi 660 ~$700; Nuvi 350 ~$500; TomTom Go910 ~$500; Magellan CrossoverGPS ~$500; TomTom Go510 ~$400; TomTom One ~$300 (bestbuy); Magellan Roadmate 2000 ~$250 (bestbuy); TomTom Go700 ~$500; Streetpilot c330 ~$300 (bestbuy) and continues with lesser known brands for another 8 units. FWIW


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## "Roger" (Aug 31, 2007)

This thread has gotten me to start researching GPS's.  I have one that is about seven years old and for a variety of reasons in need of replacement.  I found this site offers the most thorough reviews.  

gpsmagazine

Fair warning:  Unless you have begun to narrow your choices, the reviews are too thorough.  They walk you through pictures of what is in the box, what happens when you use the machine the first time (initial set up choices and procedures), etc. -- the whole nine yards.

I would recommend, before buying, take a good look at the reveiw of the one you are intending to buy.  This site is the one most likely to allow you to avoid an unintended surprise (oh, I just assumed that this would have feature x).

In general, tomtom seems to have the most features for the least price, but a terrible history of sending products to market with substantial bugs.  (I have gotten this impression from more sites than the one above.)  For that reason, I am leaning toward a Garmin product.  The one thing that I do not like about the Garmin products is that they do not display a turn arrow continually as to what will be your next turn.  On busy multilane roads, it is nice to anticipate which way you will be turning long before the turn arrives (and not just when you are given a verbal warning).


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## tanguayc (Aug 31, 2007)

We just purchased a Garmin Street Pilot C330.  Used it for the first time this past weekend to take our daughter to grad school.  We live in the U.P. of MI and needed to get her to Kalamazoo.  "Gladys" was great.  We had never been to Kalamazoo before and she got us through Milwaukee and Chicago with no problems.  What we really liked was that when we hit a closed ramp, I used the detour function and Gladys took us around and back onto the Hwy we needed.  
I like the unit because it was relatively inexpensive ($250.00 at WalMart) and has the functions we need.  I don't need to listen to music through it, I have a radio and CD player for that.  For a basic unit, I highly recommend it.


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## Jaybee (Aug 31, 2007)

In case anyone might be interested, "The Travel Insider" has just come out with a review of a surprisingly good entry level GPS.
http://www.thetravelinsider.info/gps/globalsatgv370.htm


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## x3 skier (Aug 31, 2007)

Another option is the HP iPAQ rx5915. Its a Pocket PC with Bluetooth, WiFi, compact versions of Word, Excel, Internet Explorer, an mp3 player and includes a built in Tom Tom GPS System.

I have used it in Alaska, Ohio, and on a trip to South Carolina so far. It came with a complete map of North America and you can get a SD card with Europe and other locaations from Tom Tom.

Works smoothly and also allows me to check email at a free WiFi spot.

I have voices for Clint Eastwood, "You have arrived, punk", John Cleese "Turn around so the direction you are facing is the opposite of the direction you were facing". Arnold Schwarzenegger and others.

I recommend it since it relives me from lugging my laptop on short trips.

Cheers


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## Lamini (Sep 1, 2007)

1. put laptop in car
2. put gps receiver near windshield and connect other end to usb port
3. turn on laptop
= $60.  take anywhere.

i dont know why they went with these little 4-5" screens in the usa.  japan did it right, 15 years ago, far better graphics and functions.  but you NEED it there =)


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## Jennie (Sep 2, 2007)

There is a ton of info (50 pages!!!) that covers this topic in depth at The Travel Insider Newsletter:
http://www.thetravelinsider.info/gps...troduction.htm

Make sure to click on the links to various reviews in the right hand sidebar next to the main intro article.


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## Icarus (Sep 2, 2007)

Here's the working link to The Travel Insider GPS page:

http://www.thetravelinsider.info/gps/gpsintroduction.htm

-David


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## roadtriper (Sep 2, 2007)

Just want to add a Plug for the TomTom Go 910,  has worked flawlesly for me. have used it in the Newengland area and Atlantic Canada  My favorite feature is the Bluetooth Connectivity with my cell phone. doubles as a hands free Phone device.  it also has a 20 Gig Hardrive that will store Mp3 music, and digital photos.  will also plug into and operate through the vehicles sound system.  I'm sure others have these features also.  we're headed to Brecenridge at the end of the month. Definatly taking TomTom.   RT


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## MULTIZ321 (Sep 2, 2007)

Jennie said:


> There is a ton of info (50 pages!!!) that covers this topic in depth at The Travel Insider Newsletter:
> http://www.thetravelinsider.info/gps...troduction.htm
> 
> Make sure to click on the links to various reviews in the right hand sidebar next to the main intro article.



The link Jennie provided didn't work for me.

I think this link takes you to their newsletter GPS article http://www.thetravelinsider.info/gps/gpsreviewindex.htm


Richard


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## Icarus (Sep 2, 2007)

MULTIZ321 said:


> The link Jennie provided didn't work for me.



See post #76

-David


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## skim118 (Sep 2, 2007)

Htoo0 said:


> October Consumer Reports- (top down) Nuvi 660 ~$700; Nuvi 350 ~$500; TomTom Go910 ~$500; Magellan CrossoverGPS ~$500; TomTom Go510 ~$400; TomTom One ~$300 (bestbuy); Magellan Roadmate 2000 ~$250 (bestbuy); TomTom Go700 ~$500; Streetpilot c330 ~$300 (bestbuy) and continues with lesser known brands for another 8 units. FWIW



Costco.com has a sale on Garmin StreetPilot C580 for $350.


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## PerryM (Sep 4, 2007)

*Fujitsu Loox N100*

Just bought a Loox N100 for $180 at Office Depot - fantastic little unit.

Wanted a second hand held GPS to have when on vacation.

I love this little thing.


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## Aldo (Sep 5, 2007)

I'm a Land Surveyor.  I've been working with GPS for 15 years.  I own about $70,000 worth of GPS, from real time kinematic sub-centimeter level, to the hand held WAAS units, and a few sub-centimeter  post-processing rigs.

I know all about OPUS, Geoids, error ellipses, VDOP, PDOP, GDOP, multipath, SA, Anti-Spoofing, and ionospheric interference.

In the car, I use a map.


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## cindi (Sep 5, 2007)

:hysterical: 





Aldo said:


> I'm a Land Surveyor.  I've been working with GPS for 15 years.  I own about $70,000 worth of GPS, from real time kinematic sub-centimeter level, to the hand held WAAS units, and a few sub-centimeter  post-processing rigs.
> 
> I know all about OPUS, Geoids, error ellipses, VDOP, PDOP, GDOP, multipath, SA, Anti-Spoofing, and ionospheric interference.
> 
> In the car, I use a map.



:hysterical:


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## PerryM (Sep 5, 2007)

Aldo said:


> I'm a Land Surveyor.  I've been working with GPS for 15 years.  I own about $70,000 worth of GPS, from real time kinematic sub-centimeter level, to the hand held WAAS units, and a few sub-centimeter  post-processing rigs.
> 
> I know all about OPUS, Geoids, error ellipses, VDOP, PDOP, GDOP, multipath, SA, Anti-Spoofing, and ionospheric interference.
> 
> In the car, I use a map.



I remember 5 years ago we flew into Philadelphia and took the wrong bridge and wound up in a neighbourhood with "folks from the hood" standing on every street corner - I was scared for my family's well being.  It was 2 AM since the airline's jet kept breaking down.

I vowed, on that day, I would never be without a GPS to keep me out of situations like that.

There is a GPS built into virtually every cell phone - you should, at the least, know how to operate that thing to get you out of situations that can turn a vacation into a nightmare.

My new $180 GPS I bought yesterday is going to go in my "Trip Bag" along with an old electric razor and other things I normally forget but really need.


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## vdavis08 (Sep 5, 2007)

I have the Garmin Nuvi 360, and found it very helpful that you could specify whether you are driving, walking, bicycling, etc., and it changes the directions to something more appropriate.  Very handy for locating points of interest too.


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## Blues (Sep 5, 2007)

Aldo said:


> I'm a Land Surveyor.  I've been working with GPS for 15 years.  I own about $70,000 worth of GPS, from real time kinematic sub-centimeter level, to the hand held WAAS units, and a few sub-centimeter  post-processing rigs.
> 
> I know all about OPUS, Geoids, error ellipses, VDOP, PDOP, GDOP, multipath, SA, Anti-Spoofing, and ionospheric interference.
> 
> In the car, I use a map.



I too have been using GPS since about 1990, when my employer put in on our ships.  I designed it into one of our first mooring systems in 1990, even before the GPS constellation was complete (the GPS receivers of the time could only calculate a position about 1/2 the time because not all the satellites were up).  I understood all your references above except OPUS.  Learn something new every day. 

In the car, I too use a map.


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## MULTIZ321 (Sep 5, 2007)

Blues & Opus,

I too learned something new - What is OPUS?


Richard


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## x3 skier (Sep 9, 2007)

Aldo said:


> I'm a Land Surveyor.  I've been working with GPS for 15 years.  I own about $70,000 worth of GPS, from real time kinematic sub-centimeter level, to the hand held WAAS units, and a few sub-centimeter  post-processing rigs.
> 
> I know all about OPUS, Geoids, error ellipses, VDOP, PDOP, GDOP, multipath, SA, Anti-Spoofing, and ionospheric interference.
> 
> In the car, I use a map.



:rofl: :rofl: :rofl: 

Amazing how people managed to get somewhere and back before GPS.

There is something to be said for getting lost on a trip in Europe and finding interesting places as a result. Unless you HAVE to be someplace at a certain time and are totally clueless about map reading, one can survive without a GPS. 

Cheers


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## PerryM (Sep 9, 2007)

*GPS to the rescue...*



PerryM said:


> Just bought a Loox N100 for $180 at Office Depot - fantastic little unit.
> 
> Wanted a second hand held GPS to have when on vacation.
> 
> I love this little thing.



Office Depot had a $20 coupon which reduced my cost to $160.  This is a totally fantastic unit - I love it.

We were in Daytona Beach last weekend and had to get up at 3 AM to make the 7 AM flight in Orlando.  I looked up the closest gas station to the rental car place and added it to the route.  There was heavy fog/smoke on the way and you could hardly read the exit signs.  The GPS got us to the gas station and then to the rental car place right on time.  I am positive I would have missed the gas station without the GPS and had to return the car with only 1/4 tank of gas - they would have really socked me.

I can not imagine vacationing without a hand held GPS in my pocket anymore - the benefits are worth the little they cost now a days.


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## Icarus (Sep 9, 2007)

abellee said:


> :rofl: :rofl: :rofl:
> 
> Amazing how people managed to get somewhere and back before GPS.



Yes, and they used to have to do the laundry in the stream, read by candlelight, lived without microwave ovens and Starbucks, walked 6 miles to go to school and went to the movies for a nickle. Progress sucks, doesn't it? 

-David


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## Htoo0 (Sep 10, 2007)

^Yes, yes it does!


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## PeterS (Sep 10, 2007)

PerryM said:


> Office Depot had a $20 coupon which reduced my cost to $160.  This is a totally fantastic unit - I love it.
> 
> We were in Daytona Beach last weekend and had to get up at 3 AM to make the 7 AM flight in Orlando.  I looked up the closest gas station to the rental car place and added it to the route.  There was heavy fog/smoke on the way and you could hardly read the exit signs.  The GPS got us to the gas station and then to the rental car place right on time.  I am positive I would have missed the gas station without the GPS and had to return the car with only 1/4 tank of gas - they would have really socked me.
> 
> I can not imagine vacationing without a hand held GPS in my pocket anymore - the benefits are worth the little they cost now a days.



Perry,

Was this on sale? Your link was to Office Depot and the price was $349...

Pete


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## PerryM (Sep 10, 2007)

PeterS said:


> Perry,
> 
> Was this on sale? Your link was to Office Depot and the price was $349...
> 
> Pete



I guess the sale ended.  You can attach a voice command to this GPS and save routes, e.g. Boston's Logan Airport to Trapp Lodge and save it as "BOS to Trapp Lodge" and assign a voice command like "Trapp Lodge from Logan".

Later you just tap the screen and say "Trapp Lodge from Logan" and it automatically brings up the route and finds your current location.

I love this little thing; especially when it was 1/2 price.


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## x3 skier (Sep 10, 2007)

Icarus said:


> Yes, and they used to have to do the laundry in the stream, read by candlelight, lived without microwave ovens and Starbucks, walked 6 miles to go to school and went to the movies for a nickle. Progress sucks, doesn't it?
> 
> -David



 

Still, for a few hundred bucks for a GPS vs a free map from AAA, I will survive but..... I WILL NOT GO BACK TO A SCREEN SMALLER THAN MY 42" HD DLP, especially during football season. 

BTW, to get to school, it was 6 miles walking uphill both ways in the snow carrying my 3 younger brothers.  

Cheers


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## PerryM (Sep 16, 2007)

*Big sales...*

Here is a big sale at Circuit City on GPS units.

We now have 2 hand held GPS units - one on the window to navigate and one to look up stuff as we travel - restaurants, up coming gas stations, rest stops, places to stay the night - all with phone numbers to call ahead for more information/reservations.  At least find out how long the wait is at the Cracker Barrel (which we just love) and pick something else if it's too long a wait.  Nothing like a warm fire while on a cold winter's trip.

Now we can't vacation without 2 GPS units!


The Mio 220 is just $180 - this is a fantastic unit.  You can order on-line and if will be ready in 24 minutes at a local store, or they will take off $24 from the order.  Shipping is free too.

P.S.
When we land at our vacation destination (flying) we always call the timeshare/condo/hotel the instant we land and let them know we would like to check-in ASAP - this works wonders on Maui.  GPS will tell you how long to get there.

I do this on the airplane just as the wheels are hitting the ground - I turn on the cell phone and GPS and it takes about 5 minutes to lock in the signal once you leave the airplane and get near windows in the terminal.  Just leave it on and by the time you walk to the baggage claim it probably has locked in the satellites to navigate.  Call ahead while waiting for your bags.


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## Transit (Sep 16, 2007)

How do the portables compare to the car manufaturers built in type?


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## PerryM (Sep 16, 2007)

Transit said:


> How do the portables compare to the car manufaturers built in type?



We have a dealer unit in our 4Runner - paid $1,200 to get it and have paid $250 for a new disk and should get another new disk for $250.  (updated charts and Points Of Interest)

I can buy a super hand held for less than $200 and it works great in rental cars and the other 3 cars that don't have a built in GPS that we own.

The hand held is just as accurate and when it's 2 years old just throw it away and buy something better and cheaper.


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## Transit (Sep 16, 2007)

In some cars nav systems are only avalible in the highest trim line .The cars I was looking at it would add 3k-6k for the hiighest trim level plus 1600- 2500 for the nav option.I think I'll go with a quality portable.Thanks all this was a great thread.


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## x3 skier (Sep 16, 2007)

Transit said:


> In some cars nav systems are only avalible in the highest trim line .The cars I was looking at it would add 3k-6k for the hiighest trim level plus 1600- 2500 for the nav option.I think I'll go with a quality portable.Thanks all this was a great thread.



Good choice. Mine was between a $2500 Built in and a $425 hand held that is also a Pocket PC with Bluetooth, mp3 Player, Pocket PC and other features. Sort of an easy choice.

Cheers


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## Werner (Sep 18, 2007)

After 4 years with a Magellan Meridian we just upgraded to a new Garmin nuvi 650 (wide screen, text-to-speech).  The change in technology over the 4 years is dramatic.  The screen and graphics are easily readible/interpretable on the windshield in bright sunlight, there is no longer a need to pre-set initial coordinates when you travel to a new destination (we recently flew from Vermont to Hawaii and it only took about 30 seconds to find us in the rental car lot in Kailua), and the text to speech is a big help in keeping you focused on the road, not the screen, at turn points.  

They are not yet perfect though.  It was often silent when passing through some complex intersections although the route was clear on the screen.  The technology is not yet to the point where you can just listen to the instructions and not pay some attention to the marked route on the screen.  It was also fun to listen to the text-to-speech voice pronounce the Hawaiian street names, until I realized that although the cadences were wrong it was doing a far better job of getting all the Hawaiian syllables into the name than I was.  

We picked the Garmin over the similar Magellan Maestro 4050 mainly because our in-store fiddling with both units revealed some issues with Magellan we didn't like.  The response to touch screen inputs was slow and/or insensitive, leading to multiple pokes and prods to get it to react.  Various GPS review forums reported significant numbers of problems with Magellan units out-of the-box and Magellan's non-existent customer service responses to them (which I have some experience with).  There are lots of things to like about the Magellan, especially the built-in AAA travel guides, but we concluded that the Garmin was a better piece of hardware/software.

After buying the Garmin, we found a hindsight reason for buying Garmin if you like to tinker with the units.  Garmin is the Microsoft of the GPS world with its enormous market share.  That means that there are many 3rd party products, some free, some not,  that you can use to enhance the functionality of the Garmins.  I was able to build a topo map of the entire island of Kauai from USGS data, along with some hiking trail data and install it on the 650.  In 2D mode the contour lines showed up on the street maps, in a unique color so as to not be confusing.  We used the map on a hike to track our progress.  Because the unit initializes so quickly on turn-on, I could turn it off while walking to save the battery, then turn it on to get oriented.  It would only take a few seconds to get a position and show it on the topo/trail map.


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## PerryM (Sep 18, 2007)

The Loox N100 offers lane assistance - when you get near a complex intersection it shows the lanes you should be in.  If there are 6 lanes and you should be in the middle two it will have those lanes indicated with arrows.

It doesn't have 100% text to speech but any highway number is says.  I actually find that when a GPS says a name of a street I stop paying attention to traffic and start to read the street names on the poles.

However, I returned my Loox N100 and went with the Mio 220 which is 100% compatible with the Mio 610 we have owned for 8 months now.  The 220 is now on the windshield and the 610 is used to watch movies and look up things while traveling.  Both units cost me a total of $480 on sale.


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## Strong1 (Sep 19, 2007)

*LG GPS Model*

No one has mentioned the LG system.  We purchased it and love it.  It has voice instruction, which is very handy.  It also has over 5 million "points of interest", so if you need to know where the closest gas station to where you are located is, you can find it with a couple pushes of a button - very handy when you are running on fumes in a strange city.  The screen is easy to use, and it lasts a number of hours on battery, so you can walk around with it in your hand.

It comes preloaded with North America, and you can purchase European maps if needed.


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## PerryM (Sep 29, 2007)

*GPS to the rescue...*

Was on vacation this week in Stowe Vermont.  Drove the 3 hours back to Boston and with 15 minutes to go the traffic stopped - 4 lanes of stopped cars as far as the eye could see.  2 hours and 15 minutes before our flight left.

OMG.  I'm starting to sweat bullets and we haven't moved 100' in 10 minutes.

No problem, clicked the GPS to detour 5 miles and we took the next off ramp and it has us going a parallel course and I chuckled as we passed up 5 miles of stopped cars.

Made it to the car rental and made it home just fine.

This one save had us avoiding $150 in changing our flights.

Thanks GPS.


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## radmoo (Oct 8, 2007)

*tom tom*

we love our tom tom gps.  Our version works US and Canada so I pack it in our carry on and plug into rental car.  It has NEVER failed us!:


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