Car GPS

[bizlady]

Thanks Nodak. Great price indeed. My luck woth refurbished equipment however has not been great. I have narrowed my purchase to the Garmin Nuvi 1350LMT or the 1450LMT. Both have free lifetime maps and are under $200 with a little shopping around.

 

[nphx]

I have a Garmin but in the US i make the most use of the Google Map feature on my cell phone with navigation. The interface is coupled to the internet so a search fo a hotel or resteraunt in the phones browser can be come a click of find direction to... I even use it in walking around cities, its great to pinpoint a rail station or destination a few blocks away and decide not to take a cab and walk instead. When i travel abroad i do get a local map card fro my garmin. In China it was horrible (not all streets in library) in europe/uk... you are soooo confident in driving anywhere without blunder.

 

[braumeister]

I bought a Nuvi 1490LMT (lifetime maps & traffic) back in November for $199.99 and it has been the best GPS (out of many) I ever owned.

 

[braumeister]

One little tip:
It's illegal in a few states to use the suction cup mount on the windshield. I like the dashboard beanbag mount better anyway.

 

[Martha]

I've had a Nuvi forever. The voice known as "Jill" is my favorite. One of my great amusements is to piss her off by doing something that forces her to recalculate the route -- as she is thinking about it, she says "Recalculating.." with just a hint of irritation. It's great.

And you guys thought I'd be bored in retirement....


BTW - I love the Nuvi.

I use "Jill" too, but call her Mrs. Garmin.

Sometimes Mrs. Garmin has no sense and will want to take me a way that is so not the best. I wish she would tell me to take the tollway around Austin. I do anyway but she wants me to march right through town, motorhome and all. She also sometimes wants to abandon the faster freeway system and take me along a route that I am sure is shorter but not faster, even though I chose faster in my options. I've learned to plan my routes to at least generally force her in the right direction.

She is especially great for navigating unfamiliar city freeway systems. Or finding addresses in unfamiliar towns. Though the route there may not be the best route I always seem to get where I want to go.

 

[Rich_by_the_Bay]

I use "Jill" too, but call her Mrs. Garmin.

Sometimes Mrs. Garmin has no sense and will want to take me a way that is so not the best. I wish she would tell me to take the tollway around Austin. I do anyway but she wants me to march right through town, motorhome and all. She also sometimes wants to abandon the faster freeway system and take me along a route that I am sure is shorter but not faster, even though I chose faster in my options. I've learned to plan my routes to at least generally force her in the right direction.

She is especially great for navigating unfamiliar city freeway systems. Or finding addresses in unfamiliar towns. Though the route there may not be the best route I always seem to get where I want to go.

A tip: you can enter a new location somewhere near where you want to force her to take you (say an interstate exit). Do this shortly after you are en route. When you save the new location (as a 'favorite' for example) the Nuvi will ask if you want to set it as a brand new route or as a waypoint in your current route. Choose the latter and Jill will reconstruct your route to where you want it.

 

[Sam]

..., but you do get some popup ads to help pay for the free traffic.

What!? I have used Garmins for over a decade and have never heard of pop-up ads. Are you receiving signals other than the US gov GPSs? I don't think the US gov is selling bandwith to advertisers.

 

[braumeister]

What!? I have used Garmins for over a decade and have never heard of pop-up ads. Are you receiving signals other than the US gov GPSs? I don't think the US gov is selling bandwith to advertisers.

The reference is to the online traffic reporting.

These Garmin units have an extra radio receiver built into them that receives a special FM radio signal alerting you to traffic congestion ahead on your route.

That's what the popup ads are paying for. They're very unobtrusive and I hardly even notice them.

The traffic signals are only in major metro areas, I think.

 

[Texas Proud]

A tip: you can enter a new location somewhere near where you want to force her to take you (say an interstate exit). Do this shortly after you are en route. When you save the new location (as a 'favorite' for example) the Nuvi will ask if you want to set it as a brand new route or as a waypoint in your current route. Choose the latter and Jill will reconstruct your route to where you want it.

But... But... But... why can they not program this into the system


I mean... the other day while on vacation we were going from one place to another... we were on a minor 'highway'.... lets call it 66 for fun... we come into a SMALL town and they want us to turn right... I tell my wife who is driving at the time "ignore her"... we go up a mile or two and the highway turns to the right... the GPS route would have put us maybe one mile up right there on the same highway we were on...


It seems that if you cut through this neighborhood you might shave a few seconds off the time... I have seen it happen a good number of times that do not make any sense...


One time they wanted us to drive minor highways in Florida instead of the main interstate highway that runs down the middle... we got caught in a number of small towns etc. until I ignored 'her' advice and just drove to the interstate...

But, there are no options to say 'use major highways as much as you can' or 'don't take a side route if you are going to come back to this highway in the next 10 or so minutes... heck, at all'....

 

[Gotadimple]

But, there are no options to say 'use major highways as much as you can' or 'don't take a side route if you are going to come back to this highway in the next 10 or so minutes... heck, at all'....

There should be a preferences tab on your system that will allow you to set the route to the fastest route. That should keep you on the interstates.

-- Rita

 

[braumeister]

Normally, you should be given multiple choices in the prefs like Fastest, Shortest, or Scenic. Just be aware that fastest and shortest may be very different, so think about it. Personally, I prefer fastest.

The newest Garmins (pricey!) claim a little AI feature that lets them gradually "learn" your preferred routes and modes of travel. Looking forward to reviews from those who will be purchasing them.

 

[Nodak]

There should be a preferences tab on your system that will allow you to set the route to the fastest route. That should keep you on the interstates.

-- Rita

A friend has a car with factory GPS and it has options for fastest, shortest, avoid interstates, and avoid turnpikes. I'm assuming that turnpike refers to a toll road.

 

[waltwill8]

two reasons:

1. Keeps peace in the family (my navigator gets lost easily)
2. Safety. It tells you where to go, so you can concentrate on traffic instead of trying to figure out where you are.

We bought a refurbished Garmin with case, beanbag mount, and power cord for about $120 on Amazon I'm sure if you sign up with them, they will email the sales. We're quite happy with it.

 

[Katsmeow]

I have a Garmin and really like it. Works very well.

That said....

Last weekend, DH and I were going to look at a model home of a builder we were interested in and we dutifully followed the route (this was in the next county over). It took on what was not the most logical way to get to a certain area and then on a long, winding road tells us to turn right on this street. However, there was no street! We drive on and eventually it tells us to turn left (if you go off the course it will send you another way usually) and we do all this and after going 10 miles out of the way it...sends us back to the non-existent road.

I finally pulled out my iPad, put the address in there and the map finds our destination and gives us a nice logical route to get there (totally different from what the Garmin was recommending). We followed the iPad and got there easily.

Not sure why the Garmin was so off...we have the most recent maps.

 

[JakeBrake]

I love my GPS, but I never leave home on a multi-state trip without my hard copy Rand McNally Atlas from Walmart. You can get free state maps at the welcome centers on the interstate, but the Rand McNally is more convenient, except for the exteme back roads.

Using the GPS I feel like I don't really know where I'm going or where I've been. I do like the GPS for detailed addresses for motels, restaurants, elevation, and other points of interest.

 

[Meadbh]

I love my GPS, but I never leave home on a multi-state trip without my hard copy Rand McNally Atlas from Walmart. You can get free state maps at the welcome centers on the interstate, but the Rand McNally is more convenient, except for the exteme back roads.

Using the GPS I feel like I don't really know where I'm going or where I've been. I do like the GPS for detailed addresses for motels, restaurants, elevation, and other points of interest.

I don't have a GPS. I use Poynt on my Blackberry to locate businesses, restaurants, hotels, etc. Free app, simple to use, very helpful.

Poynt is a free local search application for your iPhone or BlackBerry smartphone.

 

[Martha]

There should be a preferences tab on your system that will allow you to set the route to the fastest route. That should keep you on the interstates.

-- Rita

I have found that Mrs. Garmin frequently does not chose the fastest route, even when instructed.

 

[jazz4cash]

Normally, you should be given multiple choices in the prefs like Fastest, Shortest, or Scenic. Just be aware that fastest and shortest may be very different, so think about it. Personally, I prefer fastest.

The newest Garmins (pricey!) claim a little AI feature that lets them gradually "learn" your preferred routes and modes of travel. Looking forward to reviews from those who will be purchasing them.

I have an older Magellan and it apparently has this feature. It works pretty well too. When I leave my subdivision, my first turn is either right or left depending on time of day (eg rush hour). It "remembers" my last route even though it cannot interpret the time of day factor.

 

[FinanceDude]

I have an older Magellan and it apparently has this feature. It works pretty well too. When I leave my subdivision, my first turn is either right or left depending on time of day (eg rush hour). It "remembers" my last route even though it cannot interpret the time of day factor.

SHortest route distance-wise, tends to send you off into the boonies. I pick fastest when I am trying to get somewhere, and shortest when I am out wandering around in no rush. Maybe $4 a gallon gas will change that............

 

[Gotadimple]

I have found that Mrs. Garmin frequently does not chose the fastest route, even when instructed.

Yeah, 'Giz' can be a little unpredictable at times. I am especially aware that sometimes she has me turning before the actual street -- but I blame the satellite for that.

-- Rita

 

[Texas Proud]

There should be a preferences tab on your system that will allow you to set the route to the fastest route. That should keep you on the interstates.

-- Rita

Not quite... sometimes it does not even get you to the interstate.... and then the cities...


When we drove through San Antonio a few weeks ago, it got us of I-10 to go on some loop... which was not the best as there were sections of single lane roads that got back up with traffic... if we had stayed on the interstate like I wanted (wife drove and I was dozing)... we would have been fine..


But, it is the other highways that cause more problems.... and I do have it on the fastest route...

 

[Texas Proud]

I decided to post an example of the problem with 'fastest'... here is the layout... hope it looks good enough..


\......................................./
.\................................... /
..\ ................................/
...\ ............................./
....\ .........................../
.....\ ........................./
......\ ______________/



OK... you get the idea... the U shape is the highway at 65 mph... but the dashed line is a minor road at 35 or 40 mph... if the U is big enough, then getting off the highway, taking the 35 mph street and getting back on is 'faster' per the calculations (also, it is shorter)... Now, they do not tell you that there are 20 stop signs or lights or that this street is only two lanes and gets backed up etc. etc...


Most everybody I know would stay on the main highway... the GPS seems to always pick the side street...

As I said, there is no 'stay on major road' options.. Now, I know that I can choose to not show minor streets and it would calculate it without this minor street... but then I do not see all streets... and also, this might not be that minor of a street... so I still have the problem...

And as people have mentioned.... usually Yahoo maps or Mapquest never give these streets as an option...

 

[M Paquette]

We have some long stretches in northern and central california where roads connecting Highway 101 and Highway 1 are few and far between. You have to be really careful with GPS options, or you could find yourself trying to drive your Class C over some roads that are a little too interesting. Even if it is '3 hours shorter...'

 

[JOHNNIE36]

Just got back from a trip to Houston to pick up a boat that my son purchased. He drove from Naples to pick me up and it was 1000 miles from my home to Houston. I have a Garmin that I suggested we use. He says, "I've got one too Pop, but my phone is handier". He has one of those new fancy cell phones that's more like a computer, called a "droid". Got it through Verizon. Neatest thing I ever saw. Beats the Garmin. After seeing all that phone could do, I told him that when I was starting out in my career, our IBM 1410 computer took up a whole room in the building and it couldn't do what this phone was capable of doing.

 

[LauAnn]

Be sure to buy one that announces the street names. I don't even know if they make any models any more that don't. But you definitely want one that does, IMHO. I love my Garmin! It's the best invention ever!