GPS recommendations ...

Midastouch

Well-known member
Now that my Grand Canyon is ordered :D I have been looking at items that would certainly be an asset to have in the TV while traveling. Can those of you give me some recommendations on a GPS ... brand, model, etc... and why. I won't be on the road much but I do travel and would like to have one ... certainly don't want to go overboard with a unit not used all the time but I would like to have one that could be used occasionally without all the bells and whistles I don't need. I'm all about "Keep It Simple"!!!!!!
 

jgilbert

Well-known member
Lynne,

We just completed a 3500 mile trip from Texas up through Missouri, Ill., Indiana, Michigan, U.P., Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa and back home. Before leaving I purchased a Garmin Nuvi 350 GPS. I got it for just over $600 off ebay. My wife was a little concerned because $600 is a lot of money to us, however, we hadn't finished the first day of the trip when she decided that this was a GREAT purchase! She (and I) were amazed that it takes you right to wherever you are going. It knows where you need to go. Type in an address, and it takes you right there!! The NUVI 350 announces turns by saying the name of the street. Some of the earlier GPS models don't do that. They only say turn right, not turn right on Main Street.

On edit: One of the reasons the wife thought it was such a good purchase is that she found that she and I no longer "fought" about where the turns were or what the name of this highway. or how many miles it was to the next town. We had a much more peaceful trip thanks to the Nuvi 350. We nicknamed ours "Jill".

We love ours.

Joe
 

Midastouch

Well-known member
:D Sounds like a great investment! I was also concerned that the unit I get would have everything I needed ... not a unit that I had to buy add'l accessories, downloads, etc... to get it to work! I'll look into that model ... was just on ebay too! ;)
 

jgilbert

Well-known member
This one comes with all you need. I also includes a slot for an SD card to play MP3 music and also the same SD slot can show pictures through a slide show also.

Joe
 

jpmorgan37

Well-known member
Lynne;
I've got the Magellan 760. Love it and don't even think about going anywhere without it. I got it just before I went to Knoxville to pick up my GC and have hardly looked at a map since. I bought it on ebay and got what I consider a heck of a price. Friends have Garmins and love them too. Magellan (Thales Navigation) is pretty close to you.
 

BigBlue

BigBlue
Lynne
We have a Garmin 60CS and use it with an HP laptop. The Garmin is handheld so you can take it with you when hiking. The Garmin could be used by itself but we hook it up to the laptop to see a large map.

Besides navigating to where you want to go, the find feature is really great to find where the post office is or where the nearest Italian restaurent is.
 

phranc

Well-known member
DeLorme

We have the 'DeLorme Blue Logger'.. This is not a stand alone unit , you must use it with your laptop. It's bluetooth connected and has it's own battery.It does work well but.. I think the learning curve on the software is too steep.The laptop is in the way unless passenger holds it.The battery does not last long enough ,forcing you to use the 12V adaptor and plug it in.And the bluetooth is a royal PITA to get to handshake(connect).
If I was to buy this product again I would get the USB model. Cheaper ($79.00), simpler, easier to connect.. Microsoft has a similiar product also,about the same price..:(
 

Flatop

Interested Member
Gps

Well Lynne, I own the Garmin Road TECH GPS system and find it to be one of the industries leaing affordable units. I have used it to travel shorts distances and to plan backroad trip to Knoxville and back. We found it only once put us astray and that was because TDOT had changed a road sign at the exit not allowing us to turn right, the reat of the time it was right on. The voice promps at times can be annoying. When we searched for dining, hotels or fuel it was right on the money. I made the counrty side driving a nice experience. Will use it to plan out our next trip. Kinda nice when you get home to look back at the log and see where all you had been. Anyway Garmin Road TECH is my choose definetly thumbs up.
:)
 

katkens

Founding Illinios Chapter Leader-retired
we have a Lowrance i way 500c we really like it have not had it long but it has helped us alot. We got it on the internet I think it was 499. and it has alot of gismos on it :)
 

roazo

Sundance Owner
Gps

If you already have a laptop the only way to go is the Garmin GPS 18 USB. you can get it through WalMart.com. It is priced at just over 100.00. We have used ours for two years now.We dont leave home without. our yongest son was so impressed with it he just bought one from Walmart.com. Has many features like turn by turn voice instructions and abilty find any near by places while traveling.
 

jbeletti

Well-known member
Like roazo, I also use the Garmin 18 GPS antenna. I have one on the truck and one on the car.

Note though that to use the Garmin 18 antenna with non-Garmin software, a GPS data stream software gateway is needed.

I use Franson Technologies GPSGate. I am an affiliate.

Here's a link to the GPSGate website for more info.

Here's a link if anyone is interested in buying it. Purchases from this link supports this forum.

Many other GPS antennas output a standard NMEA data stream. Garmin outputs it's own proprietary data stream. In no way am I trying to take anything away from Garmin's product. It's the only one I use!

I just like to use it with other software as well. Typically, I run MS-Streets and Trips when I want more street level detail and Garmin's nRoute for RV travel navigation. And at times, I run them both at once.

Jim
 

DougLynne

retired Alberta Chapter Leaders
We use MS Streets and Trips (2006). We take our Laptop along on trips so make use of it for GPS as well. A bit large but I built a table I put on the floor in the center and it works good. Must say on our trip up into the Arctic this past summer the mapping was a little out, according to GPS we were off in the tundra instead of the road but close enough..../Doug
 

Ron Schoner

Tin Star
I also use the MS street and Trips. I like the big screen of my laptop, its is much easer to see. I built a table, and it fits in the center seat area and I use the center seatbelt to hold it in place.

Once your at a campground the laptop goes inside and is used for e-mailing.
 

ct0218

Well-known member
I use Microsoft and a laptop also, but have a mount for the laptop like police use. Very adjustable, and I also use it for business, not stuck in an office for email, etc. I like the Microsoft program and GPS, and I also have the Delorme software for travel and their topography software for both work and play. I found that though Microsoft and Delorme are both good, sometimes I can find what I'm searching for on one but not the other.
 

Eduardo37

The Grand Patriarch
Just Traded Software

I have been using the Delorme GPS on my laptop. I also have the mount like the police use. The combination has served me well for several years now. I originally had software from 2002, upgraded to 2006 when it came out, and just three days ago ordered "Co-Pilot" from ALK. To get a discounted price for the co-pilot I had to send in my Delorme software. I hope I didn't make a mistake. They'll refund your money if you're not satisfied with the product, but don't return your old software. I guess I'll have to upgrade the Delorme if I don't like Co-Pilot.

I found several recommendations on another forum for the Co-Pilot product. One of the things people liked was the truck routing and the by-pass routing for low underpasses. While I found a database for low underpasses for my Delorme, it cluttered up the maps considerably.

Just as an aside, I used the Delorme software while traveling in Mexico. It had me in the right area, but sometimes as much as a half mile to the side of the highway I was actually on. Just looking at the website I don't even see any mapping software for Canada and Mexico anymore. Since it was only highway level anyway I don't guess there's much of a loss. :eek:
 
J

Jim_1899

Guest
ordered a GPS

After looking and reading about all the different GPS's I finally ordered one. There are a lot of really nice ones that come with live traffic updates, mp3, photo's and blue tooth.

I purchased a kind of plain one a Garmin C330 which does not have the bells and whistles but will get me around better. I paid $265 for a brand new unit and it came with the window mount and power cord.

When I walk on trails through the woods I really do not know where I am and would be lost if I wondered off the marked trail. However when in the woods hunting I have have to know where I am so I can make it back out. I know I will be dependent if following the directions but oh well ... maybe I should get a hand held device for hunting too.
 

trdeal

Past North Carolina Chapter Leader
After looking at several different brands, the wife finally decided on a Garmin c550. She liked the blue tooth capabilities. She borrowed her brothers Garmin 660 for a few days. It is smaller and has more bells, but was about $400.00 more.The c550 is on sale at Circuit City for $499.00. The two units were almost the same.We could not see paying that much extra to get a smaller package and some extras that she probably would never use.
 

DennisZ

Well-known member
Terry
Sears just put the C550 on sale today for $499 plus a $50 instant rebate in store... Just for info. Im' thinking about the same unit, or maybe waiting for the C580.
 

navyAZ1

Well-known member
I bought the CoPilot9 software to use on my laptop since I have to carry it for work anyway. Works okay but not real user friendly and their mapping records are out dated, my home roads name was changed 22 years ago and the old name is the only name that CoPilot recognizes.
 

Princess Kathleen

Well-known member
We bought a TomTom....I don't remember the model, but went online and checked out ebay and gps websites....went to Best Buy and got the best deal The TomTom can hook up to your cell phone, blackberry or ipod....it can give you road constrution, planned trips....very nice and since we have had it we have not gotten lost

PK.
 
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