Garmin GPS - Garmin c340 Street Pilot questions

Author

Garmin c340 Street Pilot questions

alfred

2007-08-19, 10:35 pm

I just won a bid on the Garmin c340 Street Pilot GPS for the car on ebay
today. I saw the retail at BestBuy for 399.00 and above for this model. I
got it new for 264.00 USD.

I was wondering a few things...

1. Do you feel that the external antenna is needed aside from just using it
without?
2. Is there a high theft rate for these portable units (where parking
requires putting it under the seat etc)
3. Any user comments or complaints about this unit?
4. Would anyone recommend the Dash Mounted unit?
5. Exactly what can be updated with the included software?
6. Do I need to buy any cords for the computer hookup, power cords or
anything else from the store first?

Thanks,
Al

GeorgeB

2007-08-20, 10:40 am

On Sun, 19 Aug 2007 22:31:53 -0400, "alfred" <tomboy83@yahoo.com>
wrote:

>I just won a bid on the Garmin c340 Street Pilot GPS for the car on ebay
>today. I saw the retail at BestBuy for 399.00 and above for this model. I
>got it new for 264.00 USD.

You likely will not be able to get the new maps for which you would be
eligible buying it from an authorized dealer ... bet someone has
already used that serial number for their unit ...

$340 from www.tvnav.com, one of the very reliable internet sellers.
Pay the $60-$70 for the map upgrade ... or maybe you are lucky and DO
have it ... and price is fair but not exceptional.

>I was wondering a few things...
>
>1. Do you feel that the external antenna is needed aside from just using it
>without?

That depends on the vehicle. Some windshields are opaque to GPS, but
they are few. Others are quite vertical and getting a good sky view
is hard. I've the c330 and do fine 99% of the time in a minivan
mounted low on the glass with no external antenna. My car has OnStar,
equipment, but not in use; if I could figure out how to tap into that
antenna, I would.

>2. Is there a high theft rate for these portable units (where parking
>requires putting it under the seat etc)

It isn't as bad as it was with prices down. However, I don't
recommend leaving it in the hot empty car in the sun. Mine goes in a
console when I park except in my garage.

>3. Any user comments or complaints about this unit?

You'll like it. It has teh speak names feature my c330 doesn't which
I wish I had. It is larger than the nuvi 350 which would be my
current lower end choice. My sister wants to get one for my 2 nephews
for this years Christmas gift ... I've recommended the nuvi 350 or one
of the TomTom units; their One looks like a better price performance
point, but I've no experience.

>4. Would anyone recommend the Dash Mounted unit?

Some states don't allow glass mount. If I had an external antenna,
I'd go dash mount.

>5. Exactly what can be updated with the included software?

I don't understand the question exactly, but the firmware (Garmin
calls it "Unit Software") can be updated by connecting it to your
internet connected PC and making appropriate selections on the Garmin
website. This is like many USB devices ... install CD (drivers)
before connecting the unit.

There is a POI loader for it that is also available at no charge from
Garmin.

Mapping programs and maps are available at $$. A new unit sold by an
authorized dealer after new maps are released is eleigble for a free
map update; I understand than no eBay sales are authorized.

>6. Do I need to buy any cords for the computer hookup, power cords or
>anything else from the store first?

My 330 came with glass mount, sticky mount for states forbidding glass
mounts, a CD, a USB cable, and a cigarette lighter cable to the mount.
The battery can be charged from a properly configured usb port on a
pc.

>Thanks,
>Al

Any time!
George

Joel

2007-08-20, 3:43 pm

"alfred" <tomboy83@yahoo.com> wrote:

> I just won a bid on the Garmin c340 Street Pilot GPS for the car on =
ebay=20
> today. I saw the retail at BestBuy for 399.00 and above for this model.=
I=20
> got it new for 264.00 USD.
>=20
> I was wondering a few things...
>=20
> 1. Do you feel that the external antenna is needed aside from just =
using it=20

> without?
> 2. Is there a high theft rate for these portable units (where parking
> requires putting it under the seat etc)
> 3. Any user comments or complaints about this unit?
> 4. Would anyone recommend the Dash Mounted unit?
> 5. Exactly what can be updated with the included software?
> 6. Do I need to buy any cords for the computer hookup, power cords or=20
> anything else from the store first?

7. Just try to enjoy it when it's arrived then ask question later <bg>
=20
> Thanks,
> Al
>=20

alfred

2007-08-20, 10:33 pm

Hi George,

Thanks for the information. I live in the North East and there is no law
against window mounts here where I am. I have a Honda Accord so I guess my
windshield will be okay. About the serial number, I don't think it would
have been used because its brand new in the box, unopened.

Okay the other question I have is if I use the cigarette lighter adapter,
will that charge it quickly, or would it be better to get the home AC
charger so I dont have to plug it in all the time when driving?

Thanks again,
Al

"GeorgeB" <nospam@att.net> wrote in message
news:qu1jc3lhoi2c0v9
ie21bqhg9204c881155@
4ax.com...
> On Sun, 19 Aug 2007 22:31:53 -0400, "alfred" <tomboy83@yahoo.com>
> wrote:
>
>
> You likely will not be able to get the new maps for which you would be
> eligible buying it from an authorized dealer ... bet someone has
> already used that serial number for their unit ...
>
> $340 from www.tvnav.com, one of the very reliable internet sellers.
> Pay the $60-$70 for the map upgrade ... or maybe you are lucky and DO
> have it ... and price is fair but not exceptional.
>
>
> That depends on the vehicle. Some windshields are opaque to GPS, but
> they are few. Others are quite vertical and getting a good sky view
> is hard. I've the c330 and do fine 99% of the time in a minivan
> mounted low on the glass with no external antenna. My car has OnStar,
> equipment, but not in use; if I could figure out how to tap into that
> antenna, I would.
>
>
> It isn't as bad as it was with prices down. However, I don't
> recommend leaving it in the hot empty car in the sun. Mine goes in a
> console when I park except in my garage.
>
>
> You'll like it. It has teh speak names feature my c330 doesn't which
> I wish I had. It is larger than the nuvi 350 which would be my
> current lower end choice. My sister wants to get one for my 2 nephews
> for this years Christmas gift ... I've recommended the nuvi 350 or one
> of the TomTom units; their One looks like a better price performance
> point, but I've no experience.
>
>
> Some states don't allow glass mount. If I had an external antenna,
> I'd go dash mount.
>
>
> I don't understand the question exactly, but the firmware (Garmin
> calls it "Unit Software") can be updated by connecting it to your
> internet connected PC and making appropriate selections on the Garmin
> website. This is like many USB devices ... install CD (drivers)
> before connecting the unit.
>
> There is a POI loader for it that is also available at no charge from
> Garmin.
>
> Mapping programs and maps are available at $$. A new unit sold by an
> authorized dealer after new maps are released is eleigble for a free
> map update; I understand than no eBay sales are authorized.
>
>
> My 330 came with glass mount, sticky mount for states forbidding glass
> mounts, a CD, a USB cable, and a cigarette lighter cable to the mount.
> The battery can be charged from a properly configured usb port on a
> pc.
>
>
> Any time!
> George

2007-08-20, 10:33 pm

"alfred" <tomboy83@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:v27yi.153344$BX3.118924@newsfe13.lga...
> I just won a bid on the Garmin c340 Street Pilot GPS for the car on ebay
> today. I saw the retail at BestBuy for 399.00 and above for this model. I
> got it new for 264.00 USD.
>
> I was wondering a few things...
>
> 1. Do you feel that the external antenna is needed aside from just using
it
> without?

I have c320 mounted close to the ceiling. It works fairly well without an
external antena.

> 2. Is there a high theft rate for these portable units (where parking
> requires putting it under the seat etc)
> 3. Any user comments or complaints about this unit?

The screen can be hard to read with reflection. I recommend an anti-glare
film.

> 4. Would anyone recommend the Dash Mounted unit?

My unit is mounted on windsheild using a saction cup. It fell off from the
glass twice in the past 12 months both when I parked the car outside in the
cold night.
I have the unit tied with a extra safety string, so it never fell to the
floor.

> 5. Exactly what can be updated with the included software?
> 6. Do I need to buy any cords for the computer hookup, power cords or
> anything else from the store first?

No. All necessary cables come with the unit.
I cut off the cigar lighter adaptor and hard wired the base to a 12V
accessory circuit.
It turns on and off automatically with the ignition key.
This works great because I never intended to move the unit from one car to
another.

GeorgeB

2007-08-21, 7:33 am

On Mon, 20 Aug 2007 20:23:31 -0400, "alfred" <tomboy83@yahoo.com>
wrote:

>Hi George,
>
>Okay the other question I have is if I use the cigarette lighter adapter,
>will that charge it quickly, or would it be better to get the home AC
>charger so I dont have to plug it in all the time when driving?

If the 340 is similar to the 330, you'll get 3-8 hours on battery
mostly, I've read, depending on backlight setting. I have never run
mine dry, but after perhaps 2 hours on battery, low backlight, mine
"fully" recharges, off, in less than an hour.

Unless I am in my wife's car with it, or fly and carry it for a rental
use, I always leave it plugged in. On the Honda, I believe the power
goes off with the switch so you'd get no dead battery in the car; the
unit shuts off 30 seconds after power loss unless you acknowledge the
screen message otherwise.

>Thanks again,
>Al

You'll enjoy it!
George

2007-08-21, 7:33 am

On Mon, 20 Aug 2007 20:23:31 -0400, alfred <tomboy83@yahoo.com> wrote:

> Hi George,
>
> Thanks for the information. I live in the North East and there is no law
> against window mounts here where I am. I have a Honda Accord so I guess
> my
> windshield will be okay. About the serial number, I don't think it would
> have been used because its brand new in the box, unopened.
>
> Okay the other question I have is if I use the cigarette lighter adapter,
> will that charge it quickly, or would it be better to get the home AC
> charger so I dont have to plug it in all the time when driving?
>
> Thanks again,
> Al

I would think it would charge just about the same rate from the wall or
the car.
BTW, FYI, when I received mine, it would not locate itself while inside
the house, so I let is sit on the dash of car in the driveway plugged in
to cig liter for an hour or so and it has done fine since. The last
location when it was turned on and probably tested was in the far east.
Good luck and enjoy.
MR

willshak

2007-08-21, 10:33 am

on 8/19/2007 10:31 PM alfred said the following:
> I just won a bid on the Garmin c340 Street Pilot GPS for the car on ebay
> today. I saw the retail at BestBuy for 399.00 and above for this model. I
> got it new for 264.00 USD.
>
> I was wondering a few things...
>
> 1. Do you feel that the external antenna is needed aside from just using it
> without?
>

I operated my c340 on the dash for a while before I got an outside
antenna. I didn't notice any difference afterwards.
> 2. Is there a high theft rate for these portable units (where parking
> requires putting it under the seat etc)
>

Dunno. Where do you live?
> 3. Any user comments or complaints about this unit?
>

I had the c330 before this one. The only noticeable difference is the
text to speech feature that allows it to say street names. Street names
that are not common words can be interesting.

> 4. Would anyone recommend the Dash Mounted unit?
>

I haven't mounted it on the dash yet, but I am always suspicious of
gluing things to the dash. They always seem to fall off after a while.

> 5. Exactly what can be updated with the included software?
>

Most everything except the map.

> 6. Do I need to buy any cords for the computer hookup, power cords or
> anything else from the store first?
>

Dunno. What did you get with the unit. There are only two cords supplied
with a brand new unit; the cigarette lighter cord, and the computer USB
cable, which is needed to update the software, and also serves as a
battery charger.

> Thanks,
> Al
>
>
>

--

Bill
In Hamptonburgh, NY
To email, remove the double zeroes after @

willshak

2007-08-21, 10:33 am

on 8/20/2007 8:23 PM alfred said the following:
> Hi George,
>
> Thanks for the information. I live in the North East and there is no law
> against window mounts here where I am. I have a Honda Accord so I guess my
> windshield will be okay. About the serial number, I don't think it would
> have been used because its brand new in the box, unopened.
>
> Okay the other question I have is if I use the cigarette lighter adapter,
> will that charge it quickly, or would it be better to get the home AC
> charger so I dont have to plug it in all the time when driving?
>
> Thanks again,
> Al
>

You don't need an AC charger. The USB cable charges the unit.
>
> "GeorgeB" <nospam@att.net> wrote in message
> news:qu1jc3lhoi2c0v9
ie21bqhg9204c881155@
4ax.com...
>
>
>
>

--

Bill
In Hamptonburgh, NY
To email, remove the double zeroes after @

alfred

2007-08-21, 10:33 pm

I like the idea that you can charge it with the USB cable to the PC. How
long does it take to charge it from the PC?

I think another poster mentioned using a safety string for the window mount.
I think thats a good idea also. I'll probably do that anyway just in case.

Okay so you cannot update the map, but you can update POI's? Thats good if
places go out of business. I hope there is a way to get updated POI's since
this model if a year old now, and POI's have changed.

Does it even show things like city parks and landmarks? What about noises
and sounds for warnings?

I didnt see anything mentioned about it having a compass, but that would be
good if it has that. Maybe a heading indicator for the numeric readout ie,
340 degrees etc.

It seems like it will be fun to use. Its an alternative to spending 2000
dollars in the built in models

Thanks,
Al

>
> Dunno. What did you get with the unit. There are only two cords supplied
> with a brand new unit; the cigarette lighter cord, and the computer USB
> cable, which is needed to update the software, and also serves as a
> battery charger.
>
> --
>
> Bill
> In Hamptonburgh, NY
> To email, remove the double zeroes after @

willshak

2007-08-26, 10:33 am

on 8/21/2007 6:27 PM alfred said the following:
> I like the idea that you can charge it with the USB cable to the PC. How
> long does it take to charge it from the PC?
>

Don't know exactly. I rarely charge it from the computer since it is
always in the car. When I did charge it on the PC, I didn't time it, but
it wasn't more than an hour, if even that long.

> I think another poster mentioned using a safety string for the window mount.
> I think thats a good idea also. I'll probably do that anyway just in case.
>
> Okay so you cannot update the map, but you can update POI's? Thats good if
> places go out of business. I hope there is a way to get updated POI's since
> this model if a year old now, and POI's have changed.
>

Changes in mapping and locations come slowly. I've reported map
misinformation to Navteq during the last few years, and have been
advised that the info was acknowledged, but I see in the latest map
version that they weren't changed. Some were just street name spelling
errors.

> Does it even show things like city parks and landmarks? What about noises
> and sounds for warnings?
>
Landmarks and parks are not labled, but parks and greenswards are
usually shown by green areas. It does show rivers without names, and RR
crossings.
No sounds for warnings? What warnings would you need?

> I didnt see anything mentioned about it having a compass, but that would be
> good if it has that. Maybe a heading indicator for the numeric readout ie,
> 340 degrees etc.
>

No compass degrees, and there are only 8 compass points shown, and they are:
N, NE, E, SE, S, SW, W, and NW.

> It seems like it will be fun to use. Its an alternative to spending 2000
> dollars in the built in models
>
> Thanks,
> Al
>
>
>
>
>
>

--

Bill
In Hamptonburgh, NY
To email, remove the double zeroes after @

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