GPS - Looking for my first GPS

Author

Looking for my first GPS

MaryL

2007-08-27, 4:33 am

I am planning to buy a GPS in the near future -- my first. Amazon currently
has a greatly reduced price for Garmin Nuvi 350, and I had almost settled on
that (although the screen is smaller than I would like). However, I have
read a number of reviews that indicate the maps are out of date. Moreover,
this unit will only permit the user to enter *one* stop along a route, and
that makes it completely unacceptable to me.

Can anyone make some suggestions? As a first-time user, I would like
information about a GPS that is easy to set up but has flexibility to enter
a number of stops. I would like to be able to store several favorites. I
have also read about some units that can automatically trace a return route.
That would be a nice "extra" but is not essential. I am only interested in
the GPS for basic navigation -- not music, etc. -- but I definitely want one
that will "speak" directions and would like one that will recalculate a
route fairly quickly.

My maximum budget is $400.00, but I would hope that I could find a good
basic unit for less than that.

Any ideas?

Thanks,
MaryL

Don B

2007-08-27, 7:33 am

Boomer

2007-08-27, 7:33 am

"Don B" <buroker@charter.net> wrote in message
news:EcxAi.116$ej.100@newsfe04.lga...

> If you can still find one check out a Street Pilot 2610 I have been told
> there are still some to be found. It is a model that Garmin discontinued
> and replaced with models that have xm radio, mp3 players etc. I think the
> 2610 was the best auto-routing gps Garmin ever made, it's too bad they
> dropped it in favor of all the yuppie models.

I considered the Street Pilot 2610 before I got my Nuvi 350 but it's size
doesn't make it very easy to carry in my pocket on vacation. I really would
like to have more than 1 stop along a route but it's something I'll do
without until a new model comes along. The screen size could be a little
larger but I suppose it would decrease the battery life.

Jack Erbes

2007-08-27, 7:33 am

MaryL wrote:
> I am planning to buy a GPS in the near future -- my first. Amazon currently
> has a greatly reduced price for Garmin Nuvi 350, and I had almost settled on
> that (although the screen is smaller than I would like). However, I have
> read a number of reviews that indicate the maps are out of date. Moreover,
> this unit will only permit the user to enter *one* stop along a route, and
> that makes it completely unacceptable to me.

A large screen GPS and your budget are mutually exclusive. I can
understand the desire to have a larger display. But, in use, you'll
find that the smaller displays will work well because of the the way
they use visible and audible maneuvering prompts.

The nuvi are intended for auto navigation. They have been "dumbed down"
on navigation features and capabilities (from previous auto navigation
units) to make them cheaper and give them an appeal to an wider, less
technically minded, market. They fact that they will run on an internal
battery for a few hours does not make them good candidates for use out
of an auto.

> Can anyone make some suggestions?

A handheld GPS receiver will probably meet your needs and be much more
versatile than a unit intended for dash mounted use in an automobile.
And more specifically, a mapping handheld would probably suit your
purposes best.

Some will argue about the use of a handheld for auto navigation, but if
you are new to GPS and want to explore its usefulness and capabilities
in different environments and learn the use of all the basic navigation
features, techniques, and capabilities, a good mapping handheld will do
that. An auto mount unit like the nuvi will not.

> As a first-time user, I would like
> information about a GPS that is easy to set up but has flexibility to enter
> a number of stops.

What you describe is a route, the "stops" are waypoints.

When you have a GPS receiver that will choose and follow map vectors
that represent the shapes and paths of existing highways, it is called
autorouting.

When you can control the selection of the vectors by selecting specific
points along the vectors you want to pass through or stop at, that is
called multiple destination routing (or multiple destination
autorouting). Some of the good handhelds will do multiple destination
autorouting, the nuvis will not.

> I would like to be able to store several favorites. I
> have also read about some units that can automatically trace a return route.

Think of "favorites" as waypoints. A typical modern handheld will store
500 or 1,000 waypoints. Those can be placed in routes, the handheld
will lead you to the waypoints in sequence, thereby giving you your "a
number of stops" control.

The waypoints can be placed and routes can be built from the GPS or from
an application on a PC. The data from the PC can be uploaded and
downloaded to and from the handheld GPS. The nuvi will not do that, it
will only allow you to upload Favorites to the GPS.

The typical handheld will will also records tracks (a collection of
lat/long locations that represent you path of travel). Those can be
saved (manually or automatically) and can be used as the basis for a
route (either from the handheld or from a PC).

> That would be a nice "extra" but is not essential. I am only interested in
> the GPS for basic navigation -- not music, etc. -- but I definitely want one
> that will "speak" directions and would like one that will recalculate a
> route fairly quickly.

Your interest in one that will speak directions runs at cross purposes
with your wanting a unit for "basic navigation". The auto mounted units
that won't do all the navigation stuff you want to do are, generally
speaking, the models that can speak turning directions. I'd suggest you
give that feature up for now.

Giving up audible turning prompts is not a great sacrifice. I have a
mapping handheld (Garmin GPSmap 76Cx) that does an excellent job when
used in a car for navigation. It sounds an series of audible alarms as
you approach turns and it also zooms in on the map detail and has larger
and easily seen icons and pop up images that clearly communicate the
impending maneuver at a glance.

> My maximum budget is $400.00, but I would hope that I could find a good
> basic unit for less than that.

You would need to buy both the mapping handheld and an optional at extra
cost mapping package for that money. Also, the handhelds are rugged,
waterproof, and use AA cells for cheap and readily available anywhere
power.

> Any ideas?
>

Look at the Garmin mapping handhelds on this page:

https://buy.garmin.com/shop/shop.do?cID=145

I would recommend any of the Garmin models on that page that have "Cx",
"HCx", or "CSx" in their model names.

The models with the "x" in their names will use microSD cards to store
additional detail mapping and they will all do the things I describe
above. I consider that to be an essential feature.

Any of the models with "H" in their model names or any of the Cx or CSx
models will have later high performance receivers in them. That is a
recommended feature if it works with your budget.

To narrow it down to specific models, I'd set the eTrex Vista HCx as the
minimum acceptable and if rebates or sales prices allow, I'd prefer to
have the GPSMAP 60Cx or 76Cx.

For the additional street/highway mapping I'd recommend City Navigator
2008. If your interests are more to recreational things and off road,
U.S. Topo 2008 might be a better choice for additional mapping. Or you
can buy and use both if you'd like. If you buy both, you can have kinds
of detail mapping on the GPS at all times and select either one for use.

Factoring in "street prices" you should be able to get started with a
good handheld within your budget or maybe a little more. You'll
probably find that, in the long run, you can't get everything in one GPS
receiver but that one of the better handhelds will meet more different
needs and be more versatile.

If you become fully addicted to GPS, you'll probably want to own a
second unit for auto use eventually.

Jack

Larry

2007-08-27, 10:33 am

On Mon, 27 Aug 2007 03:55:32 -0600, Don B <buroker@charter.net> wrote:
>If you can still find one check out a Street Pilot 2610 I have been told
>there are still some to be found. It is a model that Garmin discontinued
>and replaced with models that have xm radio, mp3 players etc. I think
>the 2610 was the best auto-routing gps Garmin ever made, it's too bad
>they dropped it in favor of all the yuppie models.

Try http://www.tvnav.com/, I recently bought another 2610 from them. I
was thinking about upgrading and found that Garmin does not currently
make anything that I think is better (for me) than the 2610. So I
bought another to keep as a spare, just in case the current one goes
south. It looks to me like Garmin is currently looking to sell toys,
not upgraded navigation systems.

Larry

Dan Anderson

2007-08-27, 12:33 pm

Jack Erbes wrote:
> Any of the models with "H" in their model names or any of the Cx or CSx
> models will have later high performance receivers in them. That is a
> recommended feature if it works with your budget.

The eTrex models with "H" in their names have a "high performance"
receiver chipset. The eTrex models with "Cx" not preceded by "H"
have the standard Garmin receiver chipset whereas the 60 and 76
series with Cx have the high performance SiRF III chipset.

So any model with just "Cx" in the name does not necessarily
have a high performance chipset.

--
Dan
(email change 2001 to 2004)
(www.gpsmap.net)

MaryL

2007-08-27, 10:33 pm

<Larry> wrote in message news:lal5d3pb94sj3ao
mc77592splo6km8bmuv@
4ax.com...
> On Mon, 27 Aug 2007 03:55:32 -0600, Don B <buroker@charter.net> wrote:
>
> Try http://www.tvnav.com/, I recently bought another 2610 from them. I
> was thinking about upgrading and found that Garmin does not currently
> make anything that I think is better (for me) than the 2610. So I
> bought another to keep as a spare, just in case the current one goes
> south. It looks to me like Garmin is currently looking to sell toys,
> not upgraded navigation systems.
>
> Larry

That does look pretty good. I didn't find it at the location you listed,
but I was able to find information after a brief search. Thanks!

MaryL

MaryL

2007-08-27, 10:33 pm

"Jack Erbes" <jacker@midmaine.com> wrote in message
news:46d2bedd$0$1109
6$4c368faf@roadrunne
r.com...
> MaryL wrote:
>
> A large screen GPS and your budget are mutually exclusive. I can
> understand the desire to have a larger display. But, in use, you'll find
> that the smaller displays will work well because of the the way they use
> visible and audible maneuvering prompts.
>

A large screen is not vital. I only mentioned that because I thought it
would be easier to input information (locations and intermediate stops).

> The nuvi are intended for auto navigation. They have been "dumbed down"
> on navigation features and capabilities (from previous auto navigation
> units) to make them cheaper and give them an appeal to an wider, less
> technically minded, market. They fact that they will run on an internal
> battery for a few hours does not make them good candidates for use out of
> an auto.
>
>
> A handheld GPS receiver will probably meet your needs and be much more
> versatile than a unit intended for dash mounted use in an automobile. And
> more specifically, a mapping handheld would probably suit your purposes
> best.
>
> Some will argue about the use of a handheld for auto navigation, but if
> you are new to GPS and want to explore its usefulness and capabilities in
> different environments and learn the use of all the basic navigation
> features, techniques, and capabilities, a good mapping handheld will do
> that. An auto mount unit like the nuvi will not.
>

I am not interested in the auto mount feature, and I think a handheld might
be ideal. However, it *is* essential that the unit be able to "speak"
commands. I do a lot of driving when I am alone in the car, and I want to
be able to hear information about upcoming route changes -- I don't want to
have to take my eyes off the road to try to scan a map. I drove from Texas
to Ohio this summer and then did some vacationing with my sister. We went
into some areas with lots of small twisting-and-turning streets, and that is
the type of driving I have in mind for the GPS. Conversely, we drove in
some high-traffic city areas. She had an inexpensive GPS with her at that
time, and it gave better directions than the overhead street signs! The
overhead signs would direct us into one lane, then require us to cross
several lanes of traffic to get to our exit, while the GPS positioned us in
the correct lane!

>
> What you describe is a route, the "stops" are waypoints.
>
> When you have a GPS receiver that will choose and follow map vectors that
> represent the shapes and paths of existing highways, it is called
> autorouting.
>
> When you can control the selection of the vectors by selecting specific
> points along the vectors you want to pass through or stop at, that is
> called multiple destination routing (or multiple destination autorouting).
> Some of the good handhelds will do multiple destination autorouting, the
> nuvis will not.
>

I guess this is really what I am looking for. I make some trips where I
know specifically what route I want to follow, but it would help immensely
if I could receive spoken commands to warn me when a change of route is
approaching.

>
> Think of "favorites" as waypoints. A typical modern handheld will store
> 500 or 1,000 waypoints. Those can be placed in routes, the handheld will
> lead you to the waypoints in sequence, thereby giving you your "a number
> of stops" control.
>
> The waypoints can be placed and routes can be built from the GPS or from
> an application on a PC. The data from the PC can be uploaded and
> downloaded to and from the handheld GPS. The nuvi will not do that, it
> will only allow you to upload Favorites to the GPS.
>
> The typical handheld will will also records tracks (a collection of
> lat/long locations that represent you path of travel). Those can be saved
> (manually or automatically) and can be used as the basis for a route
> (either from the handheld or from a PC).
>
>
> Your interest in one that will speak directions runs at cross purposes
> with your wanting a unit for "basic navigation". The auto mounted units
> that won't do all the navigation stuff you want to do are, generally
> speaking, the models that can speak turning directions. I'd suggest you
> give that feature up for now.
>
> Giving up audible turning prompts is not a great sacrifice. I have a
> mapping handheld (Garmin GPSmap 76Cx) that does an excellent job when used
> in a car for navigation. It sounds an series of audible alarms as you
> approach turns and it also zooms in on the map detail and has larger and
> easily seen icons and pop up images that clearly communicate the impending
> maneuver at a glance.
>
>
> You would need to buy both the mapping handheld and an optional at extra
> cost mapping package for that money. Also, the handhelds are rugged,
> waterproof, and use AA cells for cheap and readily available anywhere
> power.
>
>
> Look at the Garmin mapping handhelds on this page:
>
> https://buy.garmin.com/shop/shop.do?cID=145
>
> I would recommend any of the Garmin models on that page that have "Cx",
> "HCx", or "CSx" in their model names.
>
> The models with the "x" in their names will use microSD cards to store
> additional detail mapping and they will all do the things I describe
> above. I consider that to be an essential feature.
>
> Any of the models with "H" in their model names or any of the Cx or CSx
> models will have later high performance receivers in them. That is a
> recommended feature if it works with your budget.
>
> To narrow it down to specific models, I'd set the eTrex Vista HCx as the
> minimum acceptable and if rebates or sales prices allow, I'd prefer to
> have the GPSMAP 60Cx or 76Cx.
>
> For the additional street/highway mapping I'd recommend City Navigator
> 2008. If your interests are more to recreational things and off road,
> U.S. Topo 2008 might be a better choice for additional mapping. Or you
> can buy and use both if you'd like. If you buy both, you can have kinds
> of detail mapping on the GPS at all times and select either one for use.
>
> Factoring in "street prices" you should be able to get started with a good
> handheld within your budget or maybe a little more. You'll probably find
> that, in the long run, you can't get everything in one GPS receiver but
> that one of the better handhelds will meet more different needs and be
> more versatile.
>
> If you become fully addicted to GPS, you'll probably want to own a second
> unit for auto use eventually.
>
> Jack

Thanks very much for the detailed help!

MaryL

rich

2007-08-28, 7:33 am

"MaryL" <stancole1@yahoo.comTAKE-OUT-THE-LITTER> wrote in message
news:46d36f4a$0$4020
$bbae4d71@news.suddenlink.net...
>

(snip)
[color=darkred]
> I guess this is really what I am looking for. I make some trips where I
> know specifically what route I want to follow, but it would help immensely
> if I could receive spoken commands to warn me when a change of route is
> approaching.
>

(snip)[color=darkred
]
(snip)[color=darkred
]
>
> Thanks very much for the detailed help!
>
> MaryL
********************
********************
*****

I have the Nuvi 350 and find it ideal ...for my purposes... I think that I
could get around the "only one waypoint" issue by pre-programming in the
extra stops as "favorites".......then going to my first stop; then telling
the unit to take me to my next "favorite"..... and just continuing along
that way...I think the spoken instructions are outstanding. I find the
Australian lady's voice far easier to understand than the US lady's voice,
though. Lots of choices there.

But, as has been pointed out here..... every choice is one of trade-offs.
What you want may not be what you can afford. What's new? Rich

blog.4.profits@gmail.com

2007-08-31, 10:33 am

On Aug 26, 9:23 pm, "MaryL" <stanco...@yahoo.comTAKE-OUT-THE-LITTER>
wrote:
> I am planning to buy aGPSin the near future -- my first. Amazon currently
> has a greatly reduced price for Garmin Nuvi 350, and I had almost settled on
> that (although the screen is smaller than I would like). However, I have
> read a number of reviews that indicate the maps are out of date. Moreover,
> this unit will only permit the user to enter *one* stop along a route, and
> that makes it completely unacceptable to me.
>
> Can anyone make some suggestions? As a first-time user, I would like
> information about aGPSthat is easy to set up but has flexibility to enter
> a number of stops. I would like to be able to store several favorites. I
> have also read about some units that can automatically trace a return route.
> That would be a nice "extra" but is not essential. I am only interested in
> theGPSfor basic navigation -- not music, etc. -- but I definitely want one
> that will "speak" directions and would like one that will recalculate a
> route fairly quickly.
>
> My maximum budget is $400.00, but I would hope that I could find a good
> basic unit for less than that.
>
> Any ideas?
>
> Thanks,
> MaryL

Mary,

I did a search online for the Garmin Nuvi 680 and found they are
selling for in the $625 range at various online store fronts. I know
it is out of your budget but you might want to look at it's features
and compare and perhaps that will persuade you to upgrade to the Nuvi
680. You can read a little review of the specs here <a href="http://
www.scheerwholesale.com/high-tech-g...n-nuvi-680.html</a>Garmin
Nuvi 680</a> and see if it has the features you are looking for.

LinkBot