Portable Nav unit suggestions

[kanyonkitty]

OK, here are a couple of not so good night pics of my NUVI 350.

This is in the night mode to make viewing easier on your eyes.


This is trying to show you the location of the GPS using the window suction mount.

Will try to take a daylight picture tomorrow.

[Mark]

Here is a nice review of GPS's from CNET:

http://reviews.cnet.com/best-gps/?ta...CarouselArea.1

[HappyCampers]

I have a Magellan Maestro and have been pleased with it. I did have a Garmin Nuvi, but after the trip to NH to get the fiver I took it back to the store. It gave me more headache than help.
Also someone was asking about the Truck route feature. The truck route feature will steer you clear of all weight/length restricted roads. I'm not sure about the height issue bridges.

[Mooney]

Brother Ghettomedic has a TomTom, and I am not 100% sure he likes it.

I have multiple Garmins now, a Nuvi200 I use for work (big rigs) and play, and a Vista HcX for play.

The Vista also has offerings for road use, but I like it for geocaching and trail biking...

The nuvi is EASY to get around in, it also takes coordinate information, intersections, etc. It has settings for avoidances such as interstates and ferries (but no truck route info), off road nav (straight line info, follow the trail and it'll keep you going in the right direction).

They are both very accurate, but the nuvi has only let me down a couple times when searching for numbers, off by about 1/4 mile in rural areas but only 3 or 4 times... but once you figure out it was worng, you can easily detour back to where you need to be.

It is a couple years old, but is accurate for the most part (I have not bothered with the updates yet) as to POIs and such.

From my research, most everyone is happy with the Garmins (except that VOICE! which can be changed...) and they seem to be the best bang for the buck.

OH YEAH, the BEST THING about the nuvi is that it has a self-contained battery- it'll go for a couple hours if you need your lighter/ power socket for something else, or if you want to take it for a walk.

eta: battery charges itself when plugged in too....no replacing AAs...

[Hematite]

I'm finding that the Garmin units, in general, seem to have the most satisfied users. It doesn't mean they're the best but they seem pretty good. Different people do have different expectations of a GPS unit so every brand of GPS has its own appeal.

What I'm finding bewildering is the number of features that are present in increasing number on the ever more expensive units. My decision is going to be based on how many features do I REALLY need, not how many would I like. I was originally looking at the Nuvi 760 but now I'm thinking that it is probably overkill. Added to the difficulty in deciding is the new Nuvi xx5 series that was just introduced. The Lane Assist feature is appealing but, of course, only available in the more expensive units. I guess I've got a lot more deliberation before I can make a decision.

[chuck & lori]

Lori's daughter got us a Garmin Nuvi 205 for Christmas. It is the same one she has. We borrowed it a couple of times (must be why she got us one of our own ). It worked great, taking us several places we had never been before without a problem. It does not speak the actual street name, but you can see that with a quick glance.
I have found that the 205 gives me pretty much the same directions I get using Mapquest. If I am going someplace new I will use Mapquest so I have some backup
FWIW-My brother noted the 205 was faster than his TomTom in recalculating after missing a turn.

[Viking]

I did a fair amount of checking prices and comparing before we bought a GPS.
We had used Microsoft Streets and Trips on our lap top connected to an external GPS receiver / antenna, and that works fine when you are two, and the navigator is awake, although a little cramped in a small car like our PT-cruiser, or even worse, the 1974 VW Beetle. No problem in the truck!
The biggest motivator for getting a "pocketable" unit was the hassle when taking the lap top on airplanes.
I had borrowed my son's Magellan and my father-in-law's Garmin.
I thought they were both great, however, neither was perfect. None of the GPS units are, but I find the technology fascinating!
Garmin and TomTom are the two biggest in the GPS business, but by all means don't discount the other lesser known players. Take a look at <www>.
I found that for comparable features, you'll most of the time pay significantly more for a Garmin than for a TomTom
So, we bought a TomTom Go920. We found a "factory refurbished" unit for about $225, and that I thought was a great price for one that came with maps of both North-America and Western-Europe. It has a lot of features that we have yet to explore, but it has been great so far.
Some day we'll get around to running both at the same time and do a comparison.
FWIW
Roar

[Viking]

What is going on here?
It dropped out and disappeared again!
It looked fine when I previewed it.
I'll write it differently and see what happens.
www.gpsreview.net

[Viking]

I noticed what seems like a decent price on a major brand GPS.
Buy.com has a refurbished Magellan RoadMate 2200T for $59.99 after rebate.
It has maps of 50 states and Canada, which hardly any of the basic models do. It also speaks street names, although it has the smaller 3½ inch screen.
I bought a refurbed GPS and a refurbed digital camera, and both have worked great, so I would not worry about that aspect.
60 bucks for a well known brand looks like a good deal to me.
Just thought I'd let you know.
Roar

[Viking]

For those of us with less than perfect eyesight and/or larger tow vehicles, a GPS with a larger screen could be of interest.
I noticed yesterday (Friday, February sixth) on "www.edealinfo.com" a Pioneer GPS with a 5.8 inch screen for 200 bucks and a Sanyo with a
7 inch screen for 174.
The Pioneer covers U. S. and Canada. The Sanyo did not specify but worth looking into, may be.
Roar

[Viking]

Hi all!
Just ran across what really seems like a fantastic deal.
If you already take a lap top computer on the road, "Buy.com" has a Delorme Earthmate with Street Atlas 2008 on sale for $17.99, with free shipping.
The map software has U. S. A. and Canada, as well as major roads in Mexico.
As I said, this is to be used with your own lap top for the display, as it does not include its own screen.
Before we bought a TomTom with European maps, we used our lap top wit Microsoft Streets and Trips. The lap top sits fine on the console in the front seat , and this set up worked well. The Delorme should work similarly.
Heck of a deal, I think!
Roar

[Gene]

That is a real good buy (no pun intended) I have that and did use it a little when I had a Jeep GC but there was no good place to put the laptop while on the road. My Toyota 4runner has a 7 inch GPS screen in the dash but I often pull out the Earthmate and laptop to put a flag on my Delorm map to mark campsites or point of interest I have visited.

http://www.buy.com/prod/delorme-eart...211203582.html

[dkasten39828]

I just purchased a netbook (ACER 10.1) with the idea of using it as a travel computer and GPS. The larger screen would make it easier for my older eyes to see than our current Garmin 3.5" Street Pilot.

This is the BEST price I have seen for one of these USB "hockey puck" GPS units. I'm gonna order one. Let you know how it works.

[webzine]

Originally Posted by dkasten39828

I just purchased a netbook (ACER 10.1) with the idea of using it as a travel computer and GPS. The larger screen would make it easier for my older eyes to see than our current Garmin 3.5" Street Pilot.

I bought a Acer 10.1 at the beginning of the camping season and I use it in my TV with Microsoft Streets & Trips. I'm very satisfied.

The only thing to watch is the screen resolution (1024 x 600) this is not a standard resolution. Some software like Microsoft Streets & Trips need to have a few options adjusted to be able to see the whole screen.

You also need a external cd or a network to install programs that are on cd.

For the rest it's a very nice computer. I prefer to use my Acer on the road instead of my big portable.

Good luck with the new computer
Normand