Garmin GPS - Re: Suggestions for car GPS?

Author

Re: Suggestions for car GPS?

Ramon F Herrera

2006-12-08, 7:33 am

joe.emenaker@gmail.com wrote:

> Ease of updates. My first handheld GPS was a Garmin. However, when it
> came time to expand the memory, I found that the Garmin memory cards
> were proprietary and, as such, cost about 2x-3x per megabyte than
> generic flash memory. That's when I switched to Magellan, which takes
> plain SD cards. My worry is the same about the car GPS's. If I someday
> want to get the latest map data into my unit, which ones support some
> kind of flash update.... and which ones require that you go by a whole
> other unit?

Recent Garmin units come with the whole USA (or Europe) preloaded in an
internal disk. The next to last generation is the StreetPilot 2xxx
which doesn't have flash memory cards. The latest & greatest Garmin is
the n=FCvi family which comes with an SD slot. For updates you use the
USB port, a free Garmin DVD and a paid unlock code.

-Ramon

Mitchell Regenbogen

2006-12-08, 7:33 am

"Ramon F Herrera" <ramon@conexus.net> wrote in
news:1165578061.220378.168670@80g2000cwy.googlegroups.com:

> joe.emenaker@gmail.com wrote:
>
>
>
> Recent Garmin units come with the whole USA (or Europe) preloaded in an
> internal disk. The next to last generation is the StreetPilot 2xxx
> which doesn't have flash memory cards. The latest & greatest Garmin is
> the nüvi family which comes with an SD slot. For updates you use the
> USB port, a free Garmin DVD and a paid unlock code.

Or you can most of the same features, including all of the important GPS-
related ones, on the less expensive also-latest-and-greatest c550.

Steve Calvin

2006-12-08, 7:33 am

> joe.emenaker@gmail.com wrote:[color=darkred
]
>

I have a 2G Sandisk memory card in my 76CSx. Works just fine.

--
Steve

Jack Erbes

2006-12-09, 12:33 pm

<snip> The latest & greatest Garmin is
>
>
> Or you can most of the same features, including all of the important GPS-
> related ones, on the less expensive also-latest-and-greatest c550.

We don't seem to have a commonly agreed on list as to what is a full and
accurate list of "important GPS-related features".

But in my experience, I have no interest in and do not want to own any
GPS receiver that does include the following features:

1 - Multiple destination routing.

2 - Saves a full track history with lat/long positions, date/time, and
elevations.

Why? The first is the only feature that will give you full control of
your routing when you want it. The second is to have a visual display
of where I have been in this session and save that trail for historical
purposes. I want to keep records of my travels so I can review them
and/or find places later and a track history is the easiest way to do it.

There are also a bunch of other features that, if left off, would also
be "deal breakers" for me. But fortunately none of the GPS makers have
started leaving those features off yet.

So where you have two guys above claiming the nuvi family and the C550
to be the "latest and greatest", I would not consider buying either of
them because then will not do multiple destination routing (they do
allow adding a single stop to a route) and neither will display and save
tracks.

So when you look for inputs on what GPS to buy it is better if you can
list the features wanted.

Jack

--
Jack Erbes in Ellsworth, Maine, USA - jackerbes at adelphia dot net
(also receiving email at jacker at midmaine.com)

Mitchell Regenbogen

2006-12-09, 10:33 pm

Jack Erbes <jackerbes@adelphia.net> wrote in
news:RKednXrePL55d- fYnZ2dnUVZ_r2onZ2d@a
delphia.com:

>
> <snip> The latest & greatest Garmin is
>
> We don't seem to have a commonly agreed on list as to what is a full
> and accurate list of "important GPS-related features".
>
> But in my experience, I have no interest in and do not want to own any
> GPS receiver that does include the following features:
>
> 1 - Multiple destination routing.
>
> 2 - Saves a full track history with lat/long positions, date/time, and
> elevations.

I agree that those are desireable features, and for some, like you, deal-
breakers. Others, like me, don't need their GPS to provide a historical
record of their travels, certainly not at a cost of several hundred
dollars extra, and generally travel to one destination at a time. By
"important GPS-related features" I meant only accurate maps, ability to
acquire and maintain a satellite connection, and get you to most
destinations accurately. I mentioned the c550 since I was responding to
a post about a nuvi, which is in the same general ballpark.

Steve Scott

2006-12-13, 10:33 am

I bought 2 C530 units. One for myself a month ago. I liked it so
well I bought another for my son for Christmas. Great unit. I
happened to get mine on eBay. Right around $400 delivered.

On 13 Dec 2006 00:25:02 -0800, "None" <phymur@rogers.com> wrote:
[color=darkred]
>Recently, the Source (used to be Radio Shack) had the Garmin C530 on
>sale which worked out with the discount for opening their credit card
>plus the A/C adapter to about half what I would have paid to get the
>Nuvi 660 which I was almost ready to go with. While the C550 does give
>"turn at Reagan Road" I don't find that as necessary as I had once
>thought now having had the opportunity to use the C 530.
>
>I have obtained a Roots camera case and can carry the C530 on my hip
>when wandering around a town and wanting to return to my automobile
>which normally I never could remember where it was parked and I have
>added another set of power cable and ball socket to our second
>automobile and find that the units work well connected to the
>ball/socket and then placed in the cupholders.
>
>The unit is accurate and while it may not take me the route I might
>normally use, it gets mw there and is very quick to recalculate a
>route.
>
>The sensitivity of the C530 is outstanding and as long as there is a
>window, I can be a dozen feet away and it still has 5 bars up for
>satellite reception.
>
>Prior to obtaining the C530, I have tested about 6 other brands and
>they are absolutely no competition to the Garmin unit.
>
>MW
>Mitchell Regenbogen wrote:

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