GPS - What are you using?

jbeletti

Well-known member
Hi all,

When Nancy and I saw Jeff's Magellan Roadmate 500 GPS, we knew we wanted a GPS. I'd been playing with the idea for some time anyway. Well, I recently purchased a Magellan Roadmate 700 GPS at a great price and have had a great time with it, learning it and roaming around the Chicagoland area with it - all in preparation for the 2005 camping season (is it spring yet!).

Now that we are at a point where we need to buy a larger tow vehicle to pull our 'yet to be ordered' Heartland Landmark (Mt. Rushmore floor plan), I have some decisions to make in the cab area on how I want to go about placing and interfacing my travel electronics (stereo system, GPS, satellite radio, LCD monitor for rear camera, iPod MP3 player etc.).

I am toying with several configurations but I want to hear from others as to what GPS systems you are using and what kind of luck are you having with them. Please indicate brand, model and type (factory in-dash, aftermarket in-dash, external on-dash etc.).

On one hand, it would be nice to not have the Magellan on top of the dash and be able to use an in-dash unit (factory/oem or aftermarket). But I just don't know how good the factory units are (from firsthand knowledge). I have read that factory (the auto manufacturer's OEM unit) units are not that great.

Love to hear from you all. Take care,

Jim
 
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drcarver

Member
Gps

If you already have a laptop computer a great GPS system is the DeLorme Earthmate. Here is the web address: http://www.delorme.com/default.htm

I got mine at the Office Depot. It works great. If you plug in a cheap headset to your computer it will even respond to voice commands.
 

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jbeletti

Well-known member
Thanks for the reply Charles.

For me, my laptop is an Apple Powerbook - so I am limited there on compatible GPS programs and antennas. But still, I don't want to use the laptop in the cab of the truck.

I say that now - before I have a more spacious cab - but still, it's just a larger foot print than I want and it would be a lot brighter in the cab at night than an in-dash LCD or the LCD on the RoadMate.

I hear ya though - a lot of people go the laptop route as I've read on other forums and now here.

Take care Charles.

Anyone else out there have input on GPS units? Especially in-dash systems?

Jim
 

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nemo45

Well-known member
Jim,

I also have a Delorme earthmate which I use with my Dell laptop. The software and the GPS receiver were $130 together. All you need is a laptop with a USB connection and your set to go. Works great! After you map out your route you can see exactly where you are on that route. It will tell you when you have to make your next turn, etc.. I highly recommend It.

Don :)
 

Papaw

Papaw--------(Jack)
GPS configuration

I don't know if it permissible to put a link to another forum here or not but TexatDurango had an interesting thread on this in the RV.NET. Well, I can't get the link to work, but anyone that is more computer savy than I could probably post the link. Otherwise you can visit the RV.NET and go back in history about 3 pages to get his post. He uses a PC bought off e-bay for about $100 and has it set up to access his back up camera, GPS and MP3 using the 8" touch sceen and the notebook is in the back of the cab. The pictures are impressive also----Tex uses very impressive illustrations in his post and has contributed lots of information. (and I can't even make a stupid link work and am still looking for the spell check symbol at the top of this thing:eek:

Jack
 

jbeletti

Well-known member
Don (nemo45),

I can't use that GPS software as I have an Apple laptop. I am pretty happy with the Magellan RoadMate 700 but I see alot of advantages to using the PC (larger screen, route taken is saved etc.).

Jack (Papaw),

I remember reading that thread and looking at those pictures a couple months ago or so. He did an awesome job. Thanks for the reminder!

Thanks for the link Jeff.

Jim
 

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fireflipper

EX-Travel Bug
Hi Jim
Well at the present time I do not have a working GPS. I had my lap top hooked up with the Belkin GPS system and it worked great for about two weeks. Than things started to interfere with other things ( thats cpmputers for ya ) I also did not like listening to the wife complain about it taking up so much space in the cab. I am looking into a PDA, the screen may be a little small for me to see but my wife does the navigation stuff any way. That way I can keep my eyes on the road. Dell has the Axiam for about three hundred bucks, and the GPS program with a Bluetooth reciever is about one fifty. Give it a look, and let me know what you think.

Thanks
 

jbeletti

Well-known member
Hi fireflipper,

I am using the Magellan RoadMate 700 system and I am happy with it. I have seen the PDA based systems. I agree - small screen size - not sure of the value of it unless the screen really works for you (or your navigator).

Jeff just went to a laptop PC platform using Microsoft Street and Maps (I think that's the one) and a Bluetooth GPS antenna. He uses a Jotto Desk to keep the laptop out of the passenger's way. Looks great in his truck.

Best of luck to you,

Jim
 
C

Charles_c

Guest
We use the Pioneer NAV1. It replaces the regular radio and has a screen that comes out to view the route, or plat dvd's. It also has XM radio and a backup camera.
 

rosco

Active Member
gps

Hi Jim, I am using my new labtop, it took me two days to figure out how to operate it.. so a GPS is way out of my league.. Ha Ha..I just looked up the web site Jeff gave us and I couldn't understand what the heck he was talking about Ha Ha.. anyways have you seen the pioneer gps, dvd etc system... I saw a demo its very nice and fits in place of the truck radio and the monitor pops up..but it about 2000.00.....but it does everything including vehicle systems analysis and can figure out incline degrees etc..... anyways just my 2 cents , I just enjoy talking with you guys.... have a great day all of you... None
 
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jbeletti

Well-known member
Rosco,

I have seen the Pioneer that Charles_C is using. Very nice. The AVIC-2 is out now too I believe.

Charles_C,

Do you find the touchscreen on the Pioneer in-dash unit to be stable. That is one concern I have with it. Since you control the GPS/Routing via touchscreen input, I am concerned that I will get the out of alignment punching it with my fat fingers!

Jim
 

rosco

Active Member
gps

Charles C, I didn't see your post before I sent mine to Jim..Duh...To follow up on Jim's reply, how do you like it ?? I would appreciate if you could give me all the good and the bad if any.... My daughter has a factory installed gps in her Ford Expedition..boy its the greatest .. It's simple to operate and the detailed instruction are great but they dont offer it in the super duty trucks...If they did, I would order it in a split second.. please let me know. Thanks None
 
C

Charles_c

Guest
We love the Pioneer. Had bought the unit from Navman and took it back within 2 weeks.

The screen on the Pioneer is adjustable so you can tilt it if the sun interfers. No problem with touching the screen, only takes a very light touch and the large screen makes it easy for these old eyes to see what is going on, although the voice keeps you abreast of what is coming up. We got it with the voice commands, there is a tiny mike mounted on the steering wheel and you can use that rather than touching the screen. We also have a small remote controll that can be used to switch radio stations and screens. We love the XM radio, on long trips your not having to search for new stations every 100 miles or so. DW wants me to put one in all our vehicles.
 

rosco

Active Member
gps

Hi Charles, thanks for the quick response... I replied earlier but did not post. i must be doing something wrong with my new lab top...I'm still new at this ... Is it true that installation is complicated??. Is the XM buildt in ... must be nice ... Thanks NoneNone
 
C

Charles_c

Guest
I don't think install would be to difficult, however;ours was installed by the dealer.


Yes the XM is built in and it also has regular am/fm
 
re: What GPS?

We are using the Delorme Earthmate LT-20, purchase price was 89.00 on ebay, software, gps antenna the whole shootin match.
It's a great unit, accurate and with a little bit of use very easy to program and operate. You can search for you starting and finish points then have the computer calculate the route. It will give you a rough map which you can zoom in to street level on any point from beginning to end. I can tell you that we would have been lost a few times without it, and many times it helped us to find locations that we had no previous knowledge about. One of the features I particularly like, if you want to know where the local Walmart is it will find it for you. It will find, grocery stores, truck stops, movie theatre's and I am continually suprised at how much detail the mapping software will show. We use it with a Dell lap top. The GPS antenna uses one usb port to interface to the mapping software. I use a small inverter to power the laptop charger from the 12 v. receptacle on the truck.
 

davebennington

Senior Member
We too use the Delorme Earthmate LT-20, in combination with our Dell Laptop. The inverter setup works very well for us also. One of the Problems we have had with the Delorme is sometime it takes you the long way around to get to where you want to go. Then maybe we haven't learned all of the features yet. I found a site that has some interesting add on's to the Delorme GPS Discoveryowners.com/cginfolinks.htm. So far we are happy with with our Golden Gate.

Dave:)
 
re:GPS Long Way Around

Hi Dave and all other members,
I've noticed that if you aren't careful with the Delorme it will take the long way, but I ususlly compare a few different routes prior to getting underway. That seems to be a good chore for the night before or during morning coffee. If I don't like the first route that the computer suggessts, I look at the trusty old road atlas and tell it to go via a city on another route and it will adjust. Most of the time, though, I've found that my route has always been the longer time wise but not always by mileage. One thing I can definately say is that the soft ware is not able to detect dirt roads, it's tried to correct the course a few times when I've done a pit stop and wanted to take me down a dirt road or an alley. That is one thing to definately be aware of and watch for especially when your towing. One other thing I noticed is that the GPS not being a differential unit is not able to detect that your on a skyway when there are city streets below you and will get confused at times. You just have to adjust to it make a couple of corrections and it will get back on track. Like I said in the other post, a little time behind the keyboard and it's easy to operate. Don't be afraid to push buttons, you can always close the program and start over if you get off in left field. (been there done that) (HA) Other than that it's been a great program and very helpful. There is also, the shortest/quickest setting on the bottom right of the screen. Thanks for the tip for the add on's, I'll take a look at that later on today.
Dave
 
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