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Author Topic: A good GPS navigation system Jason Black Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1723 From: Myrtle Beach, SC, USA Registered: Nov 2000 posted 01-20-2008 05:18 PM                        I've owned both a Magellan, Roadmate & maestro models, and also a Garmin Nuvi. Used a TomTom and my Magellan side by side on several trips to/from NJ... My preference is the Nuvi hands down. Sat pickup is much faster, rerouting is quick, if needed. Check your local Costco for a great deal on either the Maestro or Nuvi... i just picked up another Nuvi 650 for $300!  |  IP: Logged David Stambaugh Film God Posts: 4021 From: Eugene, Oregon Registered: Jan 2002 posted 01-20-2008 08:33 PM                        I actually bought a TomTom widescreen before I got the Garmin. Don't remember the TomTom model. I didn't like it at all, returned it and got the Garmin which I've been very pleased with. Circuit City wasn't happy about taking that return either but they did. Someone explain to me how a widescreen GPS is better. What good is seeing more side streets off to the left and right of your route, if you're mostly driving straight ahead and can see your upcoming turns just fine without a widescreen. The short time I had the TomTom widescreen, I could see no advantage to it at all. Maybe it's just me.  |  IP: Logged Paul Mayer Oh get out of it Melvin, before it pulls you under! Posts: 3836 From: Albuquerque, NM Registered: Feb 2000 posted 01-21-2008 03:16 AM                        On the scooter I use a Garmin eTrex (about $90 online). It's very small and packaged for outdoor use - the case color matches the bike. I use it to give me accurate speed display since the bike's kph/mph indicator is beyond useless. Ditto Louis' observations about Garmin in planes. It's what we taught and used for GPS navigation at the college (395 MAPs in class and 460s in the simulator), and it's what we use on some of our MD-80s at Allegiant Air. Have a good trip Michael. I hope to be returning to SoCal shortly.  |  IP: Logged Andy Muirhead Master Film Handler Posts: 323 From: Galashiels, Scotland Registered: Dec 2000 posted 01-21-2008 07:45 PM                     Well I bought the TomTom GO 520 today, and I'm very impressed. Actually came in handy on the trip home, came across what seemed to be a very serious accident, so headed up a back road I've never been on before. The widescreen actually helped, as the sat nav was sending me a different route, but I could see that I could get back on my original road. The FM transmitter seems a little weak, you really have to turn the volume up. Loads of options etc. Has all the Sat's from startup, in fact sitting indoors, it still has a good lock.  |  IP: Logged Joshua Waaland Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 800 From: Cleveland, Ohio Registered: Dec 1999 posted 01-21-2008 09:02 PM                     quote: Googling c330 actually brings up this Garmin model, but no Magellan: Your right Michael. It is a Garmin. Sorry, I don't know what I was thinking. So I used my GPS last night and remembered another thing about it that is annoying. When you are on a freeway it will tell you to take an exit. If there is another split right after the exit you can sometimes miss your turn because it doesn't tell you in time to get over. For example... I was driving southbound on I-77 through Akron, Ohio. The GPS told me to take the next exit which was I-76 which runs east and west. It said stay to the right for I-76 Youngstown/Barberton. Youngstown is east and Barberton is west. I stayed to the right but right after I exited there was an immediate split. I needed to go to the left (east Youngstown) but since I only had seconds from the time the display changed from stay to the right to stay to the left I had to cut across lanes of traffic to go left. If the display would have initially said exit right and then go left to take I-76 east to Youngstown, that would have saved me the headache. But instead it said stay to the right and take I-76 to Youngstown/Barberton not telling me which way I was going to go immediately after the exit. I can't tell you how many times I have missed a split because of this and had to waste fifteen minutes driving to the next allowable exit to turn around. My point is, all-in-all they are useful but don't expect any of them to be completely dependable or not have their share of glitches.  |  IP: Logged Chris Slycord Film God Posts: 2986 From: 청주시, 경북도, South Korea Registered: Mar 2007 posted 01-21-2008 09:11 PM                     quote: David Stambaugh Someone explain to me how a widescreen GPS is better. What good is seeing more side streets off to the left and right of your route, if you're mostly driving straight ahead and can see your upcoming turns just fine without a widescreen. The short time I had the TomTom widescreen, I could see no advantage to it at all. Maybe it's just me. If the road you are on is backed up you can see side streets to use if you know where you're going decently well. Granted, most GPS systems have a "detour" calculation.  |  IP: Logged Jack Ondracek Film God Posts: 2348 From: Port Orchard, WA, USA Registered: Oct 2002 posted 01-21-2008 10:36 PM                        Garmin's GNS-530W is probably the best way to go... especially if you might be travelling on instruments.  |  IP: Logged Mike Heenan Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1896 From: Scottsdale, AZ, USA Registered: Mar 2000 posted 01-21-2008 11:06 PM                     If you're a cheapskate, buy whatever's available at costco, and take it back when you get to Boston if you don't intend on using it anymore.  |  IP: Logged Michael Schaffer "Where is the Boardwalk Hotel?" Posts: 4143 From: Boston, MA Registered: Apr 2002 posted 01-22-2008 12:24 PM                        I do intend to use it there because that whole area is completely new for me. I have only ever been there for 4 days last month. Boston itself is a very complicated city to drive around in. That will be a very good field test for the unit. I had leaned more and more towards the Magellan Maestro 4040 but since the overwhelming majority here recommended Garmin and some reviews I read suggested that the Magellan's extra features look better on paper than in real life, I ordered the Garmin nüvi 260. What's the point in asking for tips if you don't listen to them?  |  IP: Logged Sam Graham AKA: "The Evil Sam Graham". Wackiness ensues. Posts: 1431 From: Waukee, IA Registered: Dec 2004 posted 01-22-2008 02:39 PM                        I ended up using the Hertz "Never Lost" (Magellan) unit in a rental in Las Vegas (not because I wanted it, but because you had to get it if you wanted a car with a sunroof). It actually got lost trying to find the Hertz return facility at the airport, which I found amusing (as did Hertz, actually). Anyway, I've been using a Garmin GPS-72 handheld non-mapping GPS for about five years now, mostly for statistical information like direction, altitiude and speed. In looking at some of these new navigation units, it seems none of them display this information. Anybody familiar with a color navigation unit that will display these things, as well as maybe a date/time stamp (to the second)? Ideally, I'd have the highway map in the middle with information bars at the top and bottom that let you customize the fields.  |  IP: Logged David Stambaugh Film God Posts: 4021 From: Eugene, Oregon Registered: Jan 2002 posted 01-22-2008 07:39 PM                        My Garmin Nuvi 350 has a trip computer screen that displays, among other things, elapsed time, remaining time to reach destination, estimated arrival time, current exact speed, average speed, average moving speed, time spent not moving, and maybe more that I'm forgetting. No altitude though. No date/timestamp feature that I can recall.  |  IP: Logged Phil Hill I love my cootie bug Posts: 7595 From: Hollywood, CA USA Registered: Mar 2000 posted 01-23-2008 03:12 AM                  I have an Initial GM-510 I'm totally happy with. I also have some model (# escapes me) of a TomTom that is crap that I'll be soon putting on eBay.  |  IP: Logged

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