Jump to content

...GPS


Speedball

Recommended Posts

Anyone have experience using one made to take on the road in an automobile?

I've been looking at Garmin and they seem pretty simple. I wonder if it would be handy to pull it out of the console, punch in a search word to find some local entertainment in a town.

I can't really see using it while driving but if it is full of good stuff maybe it is worth a hundred and a half or so. Are these things outdated maybe? My significant other is going on a driving trip by herself a couple hundred miles and I wondered if she could make use of it. In the past we always used a Rand McNally Travel Atlas.

Any experiences good or bad would be appreciated.

Thanks Guys.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I've been driving for almost 40 years. When I was in my late teens, I'd drive from NY to FL on my own. I've always been a map guy and never really got the fascination with GPS. One Christmas about 5 years ago I got my oldest 2 kids each a Garmin. They absolutely loved them. On a whim, I borrowed one for a trip and was hooked. I even ordered one built in to my current vehicle. The best feature to me is being able to go off course during a trip if there's an accident or other obstructoin to traffic and not have to worry about getting lost.

My wife and I went to San Antonio a few weeks ago. We just typed in an address and off we went. Once in San Antonio, my wife decided that she wanted to stop in a restaurant in Austin on the way home. Boom, type in the address and go. I put off buying a cell phone and computer in the same manner, guess I'm just old school. Once I got one of each, I wondered why I waited so long.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Enterprise rents them out for $10/day, so they must be useful. A friend has one, and I use it all the time for traveling either around town (Boise, right now) or out on the road. I would not be without it!

Garmin is very flexible and easy -- type the town, the street no., and then the street, and press GO. It shows a map with street names, that shifts the scale automatically as you get closer or farther away. If you've programed a destination, it gives turn-by-turn voice commands (volume adjustable) and displays how far to the next turn and what street or route you're supposed to turn onto. It even tells you if the destination is on the left or the right.

You should probably update it on your computer (for a fee), especially if the roads have changed much. Garmin's big feature is the computer updating instead of paying for a DVD (in OEM installations) that's already out of date.

The obvious advantage is you don't have to hold a map and Mapquest directions in one hand and find turns with your other eye while driving. This kind of outsourcing of one's intellect is increasingly necessary as we drive to more and more complicated places.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I've been driving for almost 40 years. When I was in my late teens, I'd drive from NY to FL on my own. I've always been a map guy and never really got the fascination with GPS. One Christmas about 5 years ago I got my oldest 2 kids each a Garmin. They absolutely loved them. On a whim, I borrowed one for a trip and was hooked. I even ordered one built in to my current vehicle. The best feature to me is being able to go off course during a trip if there's an accident or other obstructoin to traffic and not have to worry about getting lost.

My wife and I went to San Antonio a few weeks ago. We just typed in an address and off we went. Once in San Antonio, my wife decided that she wanted to stop in a restaurant in Austin on the way home. Boom, type in the address and go. I put off buying a cell phone and computer in the same manner, guess I'm just old school. Once I got one of each, I wondered why I waited so long.

Off subject.... Where did you eat in Austin?
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Get a Garmin. Make sure the model # ends with LM or LMT. Being lifetime maps and lifetime maps and traffic. I could do without the traffic option which warns of upcoming traffic jams. But lifetime maps is essential. They pretty much all have spoken turn by turn directions at this level. Don't spend more than 139 or 149 for these options. With more people just using their cell phones for GPS prices have dropped for these products. I refuse to play with my phone when I drive.as you all should. Its relaxing to go on a trip and not worry about missing a turn. If you do it will recalculate automatically. Its cheap and you just leave it in the car till u need it.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I recommend Garmin.

I am on my second one.

I got one 5 years ago for my wife because I kept getting calls from her asking directions to another part of Dallas Fort Worth area.

Once, I used it to pick up a pair of EPIC CF-1 speakers. This place was out in the boonies. To get to the sellers house the GPS took me over 6 cattle guards and many back roads to get there. I felt like a poineer. I could not have gotten there on my own using the sellers directions. Since then, I have trusted it completely two more times successfully when I was LOST.

Now, I do not get any calls for directions from the Missus.

And they are pretty inexpensive as compared to 5 years ago.

At a minimum, you will be glad you have it when you need it.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I've always driven by the seat of my pants (and not been shy about asking for direction if ...lost...)

Moved to Jacksonville for the new job... largest city in America kinda thing.... for Xmas, my wife sends me a GPS which I thought was interesting but, woudl have never bought for myself.

It's been handy dandy at times.

She bought the version that had the lifetime map update and it's updated a couple times. Since I'm virtually lost in this city having moved here cold turkey, it's come in handy when I've bought a couple things on Craigslist and/or, one night when I evidently was having a kidney stone problem, helped me find the emergency room.

I was clueless to the location of a hospital.

I think it gets top vote (or ties it) for best Xmas gift from wife.

I still don't use it 95% of the time but when it's functions have been needed, it's been really handy to have.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Garmin, Garmin, Garmin, Garmin, Garmin.

I have had several Garmins and I love them.

Garmin is by far the best in my opinion.

I recently got a new Toyota Tacoma and got the built in Navi made by JBL.

The JBL uses GPS software that is based off the Tom-Tom.

I absolutely hate it.

The Garmin software is so easy to use compared to the other brand.

And I say this as someone who uses one at least 5 times a day.

It saves me a lot of gas driving around in circles looking for peoples houses.

You can get some good deals on amazon.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

My wife's niece gave us a Garmin Nuvi (can't remember which specific model...) last Fall when we visited her in Virginia Beach. She had gotten a newer model. I'm like Coytee in that I've always been good with maps and directions, but it's pretty neat to have. Sometimes it takes a half hour to locate satellites, but it works well other than that.

Bruce

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Geeze Coytee, you didn't drive home for Christmas?

Nope, bottom man on senority list. My way around that? (realize that wife works retail and is never at home during Xmas season)

I went home the 2 weeks prior to Xmas! Spent more time with her, nobody at work wanted that time off and it worked like a charm.

Oh, and I [ap]...............

[Y]

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Oh Geez, Boxx.[^o)]

I picked up a Garmin 50 w/ lifetime maps and it's charging now.

Boy, I hope this thing turns out to be a winner, It feels like a a solid piece of electronics in hand. I'll probably pick up a case for it somewhere to store it and protect the large..ish screen and hope it doesn't get misplaced like someone else may have done. [;)]

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I especially like the Google function on my TomTom. It's really slick for finding restauraunts, hardware stores or any type of business in general. It's come in handy for me quite a few times when I wasn't in my neck of the woods. [Y]

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...