How many here are using an on-dash GPSR?
What kind are you using and why?
What price range are they?
Where is the best place to buy?
I know it is alot of questions but I am thinking of buying one. I will be covering 6 counties and think it will be worth the purchase.
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Replies
GPSR?
If you are referring to a GPS device, I've been pretty satisfied with newegg.com. Bought two Garmins for the sons for Christmas, and just bought a factory re-certified Magellan for ourselves ($64.99 with free shipping) for ourselves. Still like the Garmins better, but they have those factory recertified, too.
For the money, I would go with one that speaks the street names, and the Garmin does that best, IMHO. Some models let you program your own points of interest (
POI), and that can be handy if you have a vacation home in addition to your primary residence. Some models have only one entry for home address, and that can be limiting.
A particularly nice feature of the new Magellan, though, is the ability to simulate a trip, which our old Garmin (Nuvi 250) did not offer.
Bob
Thanks BobI will be looking up that site.I am using a Garmin Nuvi 250 now, borrowed from my SonILR in GPSR = receiver
I am using a Garmin Nuvi 250 now, borrowed from my SonIL
My son gave me a Nuvi 250 for Father's Day 2 years ago - unfortunately, it stopped being able to find satellites shortly after the warranty expired. Garmin wanted $175.00 (flat rate) to repair it, but offered a factory refurbished unit for, guess what, $175.00...
I put off the repair, and, just last week, I found the factory re-certified Magellan 1212 for $64.99. It's pretty good, but I still like the Garmin better. If you need a map update for the Garmin (2008, I think), let me know. I got the update CD from Garmin for free, but the GPS died before I had a chance to install it...
Magellan wants $79.00 for their map update...
Bob
ThanksIf I need it I will let you know
Buy a cheap one. More expensive units say "turn right on Main Street" rather than "turn right 500 feet". To me it wasn't worht the money. Buy from a place with good turnover, or check the mfgr date before you buy. Older units have older maps, and that makes a really big diffeence.
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Thanks EddiePrice is going to be a big factorI have not made a penny in 7 weeks due to shoulder surgeryI will be starting a part time job soon that will work into full time as soon as shoulder is up to it. (3 to 4 months)
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LOL, I read that too fast so my eyes saw "Back Passenger", which my mind interpreted as "Back seat driver - MIL" so I was thinking WTF?! That ain't no Marital aid! More of a Martial aid.Sip of coffee and a few eye clearing blinks and a nice sloooooww re-read and I'm OK now.
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We have a Garmin Nuvi 885T series. Excellent, and operates from voice command as well as touch screen. Very compact.
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Jeff
Edited 7/22/2009 10:08 pm ET by Jeff_Clarke
Thanks JeffSounding like Garmin is the way to go.
walmart sells them Boss can get a discountI hear on the radio Tom TOm as one that will tell you where the cheapest gas is.
Edited 7/22/2009 11:04 pm by brownbagg
Man it's a toss up. I have a Magellan and love it. A couple guys at work have Garmins and love it. Seeyou has a Tom Tom and loves it. DanT has some off brand one and loves it. They are all compatible. I like all the features of the Magellan but that's what I'm used to.
If you are just using it to find jobs etc. Local then I wouldn't worry about getting one with great points of interest features. Myself I use the heck out of POI and love it.
The one thing that Seeyou pointed out about his Tom Tom that I liked was that it has the ability to learn your preferred routes. That takes some of the annoyance out of using a GPS. Because they will tell you A way to get to a place. It might not be the way that you would normally take for different reasons. It naturally doesn't know any better. But with the ability to learn which way you prefer it will figure out that you don't like going certain ways to something and will take the way you normally go.
Expert. Since 10:00 A.M.
I just got a Magellen a couple weeks ago. Wife had to drive her parents to some function in out in bfe - thought it might be handy for the trip.
Haven't even opened the instruction manual yet. Just from playing with it, it seemed to learn preferred routes also, unless it was just a fluke thing.
Are the maps and poi able to be updated?
Thanks
Mike
Yours is probably a newer style. I have the Maestro. I have had the update cd for about 6 months and have been too lazy to update it. But yes you can do that. I'm not for certain but I believe they come out every couple of years.
Expert. Since 10:00 A.M.
OK, I figured (hoped) there was some way to update them.
I probably need to read the book one of these days - I'm sure there are some cool things I haven't discovered yet. For the most part tho, you can take them out of box and get them running pretty easy.
Thanks
Mike
I think that's why they are so popular. There's nothing to them. Point and shoot.
Expert. Since 10:00 A.M.
"They are all compatible. "So you had them all snuggled up with each other on the dashboard like kits in a newborn litter and they didn't start a fight about where to stop for ice cream?
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Compatable? I meant comparable. Great poof reading.
Expert. Since 10:00 A.M.
you're trying to make me go cross-eyed with smelting errors now
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Sowy.
Expert. Since 10:00 A.M.
Get a 4.2" (the larger size) it will be easier.
I went from a handheld to a road-map, so that has been a major change.
I went from relative motion plotting--like the charting tables I grew up with, to "follow the map." It's been a change. But, I have a decade in the handheld, it's only a question of when, not if, soemthing breaks.
Now, my Magellan has cool features, like Points of Interest already on the map. but, there's a limitation--those can be a couple years' out of date. I need to buy the Spring '09 update, but $80 will buy a lot more groceries right now (and is way more than half what I would up in the unit for to date).
Nuvi will show where you have been, and the newer versions even show the speed limit on the road you are upon. But, I'm not usre if it has an on-screen deal you can just poke which shows gas stations and coffee places and eateries and the like. I know there's a screen to find them on the nuvi. But, on my magellan, they are right there 9if they've not moved or closed <sigh>).
If you can, try out as many as you can side by side. Actually use the features. Punchi in an address somewhere out of town you know and see what the unit gives you. Bad part about the store display in bestbuy or the like is you can't drive with a given unit.
Mine will tell you to U-turn, unless you are on a shorter route, then it recalculates on the fly. If you have a street address, it works out the whole way to that. You can choose four options, shortest time; shortest distance; most/least use of freeways.
I was given a sweet deal on one that was an eBay deal--but, I'm very happy with it. Mine is in pure-flat 2D, and the split screen is off, as is the graphic of a big arrow for turning (I can work that out fro mthe 2d display). I'm 50/50 on the voice instructions.
My only gripe is that you cannot make a true Route on my Magellan. So, you cannot make a route that starts at A and goes through B, C, D, etc. to get to E. You can put in, go to BCD, sort that, but, you are just making four individual trips to places until you do the DE trip. With the handheld, if I charted waypoints into a Route, I would have data on distance & bearing tothe next waypoint as well and the overall trip--things we ancient sea-navigators "do" reflexively. Is what it is.
I was about to buy a GPS for the car, but then I had to upgrade my cellphone to a Blackberry. It has the ability to act as a GPS with the added benefit of being able to connect to the Net to pick up additional info about local eateries, etc. (I assume an i-phone would also be able to do this.)
I was pleasantly surprised at how well this setup works and I'm no longer in the market for a stand-alone GPS unit. (One less gadget to charge can't be a bad thing!) It finds addresses, plots routes, announces turns -- pretty much everything a stand-alone unit will do. It has the added benefit of being able to check the Net for local information, like eateries, gas stations, etc. Pretty slick. I've even used it while walking in unfamiliar cities -- something that wouldn't be practical with a stand-alone unit.
Mike Hennessy
Pittsburgh, PA
Everything fits, until you put glue on it.
I have Crackberry Curve and it is a reasonable GPS but the Tom Tom 920t I have is much easier. This one has Bluetooth and will work with the Curve , also has a remote. I am amazed at how easy and fairly intuitive the TT is. Still wanting to get a newer Tahoe with nav, I saw one on ebay with the factory nav and another one attached above it, not a good sign.
Wife's friend was telling how bad GPS theft is in Atlanta, they look for the suction cup rings on windshields and brake windows. Unreal, darn things are so cheap (at least lower-mid ones). Then it could be an urban myth.
I use it more for time and distance than directions. We make a run to Augusta, GA frequently with a route going thru many little towns, it helps to keep the times clear. I normally turn off the nagging though.For those who have fought for it Freedom has a flavor the protected will never know.
I use mine for stats more then finding places. That's one of my favorite things.
Expert. Since 10:00 A.M.
I cannot believe what this has evolved to. Back in 82-87 when I worked in the development of GPS for military use this would have been beyond our wildest dreams.
Our box for the troops was about the size of an ammo box. The input was nothing like the touch screen devices and the intuitive choices presented. And oh by the way 25-40 grand.
One down side to the TOM Tom is no elevation info (at least that I can find). TT does guarantee the latest map so you do get one free download. I am thinking about getting the traffic and gas price add-ons. Since I have the B'Berry and unlimited data it might be worthwhile. Have a $10 coupon that would make the gas thing $10 out of pocket.For those who have fought for it Freedom has a flavor the protected will never know.
????
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GPSR = Good People Stopped Reading(maps)?OK it's not that good but it's the only thing I could come up with.
GPSR
Greedy Perimeter Stateless Routing (wireless networking protocol)
GPSR
Global Positioning System Receiver
GPSr
Global Positioning Satellite Receiver
GPSR
General Purpose Switch Room
GPSR
Global Product and Services Registry
http://acronyms.thefreedictionary.com/GPSR
Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming<!----><!----><!---->
WOW!!! What a Ride!
Forget the primal scream, just ROAR!!!
"Some days it's just not worth chewing through the restraints"
Thanks to all for your repliesI just bought a Garmin Nuvi 260 on EBAY new with 1 year warranty for $106 and free shippingBest price from local stores I could find was $115+tax for a Nuvi 205Should be here next weekThanks again to All
FWIW, I've been using MS Streets and trips w/ gps on my laptop for about 6 years. Doesn't talk or "recalculate" but OTOH I don't have to listen to "recalculating" every time I take a slightly different route, and I can print out maps for myself before setting off for the day.
I have a "desk" over the passenger seat where the laptop lives when in the car....
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Doesn't talk or "recalculate" but OTOH I don't have to listen to "recalculating" every time I take a slightly different route, and I can print out maps for myself before setting off for the day.
I went back to the paper route maps for a while after my first Garmin decided to stop 'finding' satellites. On one of the first trips, everything went well until I was just minutes from my destination and discovered that the last highway exit was closed due to construction. That classic Garmin 'recalculating' would have been welcome that day.
I'm not sure that I would have wanted to be tweaking my route on a laptop while trapped in the crawling traffic that resulted from the closed exit, either.
Bob