Anyone know about GPS?

[Piglet822]

I've been looking at different manufacturers but am totally ignorant about these units.
I was thinking about getting one for DBF for Father's Day and was hoping some of you might be able to offer some advice.
Thanks :D

[ElenitaB]

I got a Garmin Nuvi 660 a few months ago from Costco. I got it more than anything to help me find my way around the wilds of New Jersey. I love the unit though I'm sure the feeling isn't mutual (one day it's going to yell at me instead of saying "recalculating").

Be sure to look for one with an ample map database that you can download frequently.

[Polynesian Dweller]

If you are looking at a car GPS, the Garmin Nuvi line consistently wins over the other manufacturers for its routing engine. That's what you are really buying, a GPS routes you efficiently and correctly to your destination.

Within the Nuvi line you can go low with a Nuvi250W or 260W which will give you a top of the line routing GPS. Or you can move up through Nuvi's with built-in traffic monitoring (a subscription service), mps player, bluetooth for autodialing from the Nuvi (i.e. it will have your Disney hotel number in its point of interest, really it will and it can dial it for you), picture player and so on. That's really where the differences come in between the Nuvi series. But for a basic routing GPS you won't go wrong with the 250W.

[Piglet822]

But for a basic routing GPS you won't go wrong with the 250W.

I think that's the one I was looking at. You're the 3rd person to recommend a Garmin so I guess I'll lean in that direction.
He would probably be using it on the bus as well since we do a lot of charter work and don't find out our information until the night before.
Thanks to both of you for the advice :)

[2Epcot]

I had an older Magellean GPS that worked very well. It was stolen from my car so I eventually replaced it with a Garmin Nuvi 760 since they get such high praise. While it works great most of the time, it lacked a lot of "basic" GPS features that I have seen on other GPS units. I like to know in miles how far I have to go, instead of the arrival time. On Garmin you have to go to a different screen for that information. On most other GPS units this is the default information. I also don't like that it doesn't give me a "ding" when I'm at my turn or next exit ... also a very common GPS feature. Also missing is the ability to exclude a certain street or highway. I used that often when I know I don't want to go a certain way.

The Garmin, while it may pick the best route (most of the time) seems to be slow to recalcuate when you deviate from the navigation compared to the Magellan I used, and the GPS unit in my wife's Honda.

I would have replaced my older Magellan with a newer Magellan unit, but I had read a about a lot of problems with the newer units freezing up, and had first hand experience of that when I replaced my older Magellan with one of the newer units ... It froze up after 2 days. I sent it back and went to look at some at the store, and 2 similar units were frozen on the same screen ... So I went with the Garmin.

Overall the Garmin works well, I just don't like not having some of the features I see on most other GPS units. The live traffic information works well. There are a lot of points of interest in the unit, but many times the Garmin search is very slow. I still prefer the menus and operation of the Magellan and hope they get the bugs worked out of the newer units.

[KineGirl]

We also have a garmin nuvi though I couldnt tell you the model #. I know its a mid range ($$) model, voice prompted, has points of interests and overall is fantastic! Now my hubby cant even drive to the store without it :rolleyes: Whenever he calls me on his way home from work he now gives me his ETA via the GPS

[wdwgrl377]

I went on a road trip this past weekend to Virginia with some friends. They used the same GPS system that others are recommending (Garmin). I thought it was great! I am not all knowledgeable on these GPS systems either and now after taking this trip I want this same kind for myself!

[Piglet822]

Ok, I have two more questions.
2Epcot, I had looked at the Magellan website as well but couldn't find information about updating the info in the unit itself. I did find where updates (for maps, I think) were availabe every 12 - 18 months. With the Garmi it looked like you can update when you need, not when the manufacterer says you can. If you could explain that part to me it would help alot.

KineGirl, is there anyway you can find out the model #? The features on yours sound similar to what I'm looking for.

Oh yeah, one more question on the Garmin units. I went to their website and find similarly numbered units, one will have a W in the model number and one doesn't. What's the difference?

[CanadianWDWFan]

Hi Jeanne, :hi:

I believe that the Garmin "W" is for wide screen.

I have a Garmin Nuvi and my Dad has the same one. They are the 350 Nuvi. We both swear by them. We travelled to WDW in March with nothing but the unit. I wanted to try it on a really long trip. Well let me tell you it worked out GREAT. We didn't get lost once! :D It even had construction notices on the routes and offered alternate routes.

I for one am glad my DW got me this "toy" for Christmas.:thumbsup:

[TheDuckRocks]

I got a GPS system for my DH for Christmas and I'm the one that uses it the most!:blush: I absolutely love the thing. We have a TomTom after seeing a segment on the Today Show, as I had no clue as to what to buy him.
I have now taken 2 road trips in addition to the normal running around town directions we use it for. The first road trip I took it on I wasn't sure if I should "trust" it or not so I also had AAA trip tickets that I printed from the computer. Didn't need to use them once. On that trip with my daughter, she named "her" Lillith after Frazier's ex-wife. You know the cold, impersonal, snotty, always right one!:D

[tink'72]

On the way to the Jersey Shore last summer I kept getting lost so I pulled over ar the nearest Target and purchased what they had in stock with was the Magellin (not sure of the model I paid about $250.00). I ended up getting where I needed to get but with much diffculity. I thought it was just because I really didn't know how to use the machine and I was in an area I had never been in before.

When I got home I noticed that it was off about a 1/4 of a mile. I ended up returning it and getting a TomTom which I LOVE!!! That thing takes me anywhere with ease!

[ElenitaB]

I forgot to mention that my Nuvi also serves as a Bluetooth for my cell phone and it loads up my address book as well so I can dial right from the unit, and has the road detour service as well. I do wish that I could tell it to avoid certain highways (I do NOT like driving on the Long Island Expressway) like the Magellan apparently can. Mine does ding when it's time to make a turn... I wonder if it's in the settings somewhere.

The feature that makes me giggle is the ETA. Apparently it's not familiar with Manhattan traffic patterns where it takes twenty minutes to go around one block. Theoretically, I can make it to a certain building by the time it says, BUT I need to give my car to the valet across the street. You can't quite make a U-turn on 34th street. ;) I wil say though that when driving in the suburbs, it's pretty spooky that when we make it to our destination at the time they say.

P.S. Lillith is a GREAT name for the GPS. DS named our "Jeepies" just like a certain someone used to call her jeep. It makes me smile whenever he says it because it reminds me of this friend. :cloud9:

[2Epcot]

I had looked at the Magellan website as well but couldn't find information about updating the info in the unit itself. I did find where updates (for maps, I think) were availabe every 12 - 18 months. With the Garmi it looked like you can update when you need, not when the manufacterer says you can. If you could explain that part to me it would help alot.

On my old Magellan they had a download for map updates for a while, but then I believe it became a CD that you order. I know I did a firmware update online from Magellan while I had it. I have not had a single GPS long enough to need map updates, but I believe the Garmins do have updates more frequently. I think you have to wait a while then buy and update for Magellan.


I do wish that I could tell it to avoid certain highways (I do NOT like driving on the Long Island Expressway) like the Magellan apparently can. Mine does ding when it's time to make a turn... I wonder if it's in the settings somewhere.


That was another thing I didn't like about my Garmin over my Magellan, and other GPS units I've used. Garmin hides the "avoid highways" in a seperate menu that you have to navigate to if you don't want to use highways. It can be done, but on Garmin (at least mine) you have to go into the menu for "avoidences" and check highways. Hey Garmin ... this is a feature people use a lot!

Most GPS units have that upfront and easy to access as you are putting in a destination ... They will asks, how do you want to get there ... Most use of Highways, Least Use of Highways, Fastest or Most Direct, or Shortest Distance. This is also something that can, and should be able to be changed easily even while in mid trip.

As far as the "ding", that doesn't seem to be a feature on the Nuvi 760. It can talk in over 50 languages, but can't ring a bell when you need to turn.

[Piglet822]

DS named our "Jeepies" just like a certain someone used to call her jeep. It makes me smile whenever he says it because it reminds me of this friend. :cloud9:


Um, it's Yeepy and I still call it that :blush: Jim calls it Jeepy.