Anybody using GPS?

[hdwizard]

Not really sure where to put this, so if this isn't right, could one of the mods please move it to someplace more appropriate? TIA ...

I was wondering who here was using GPS on your treks in the Sky, and if so, what sort are you using? Portable, in-dash, as part of your mobile phone/PDA, etc.? What brand, and do you like it? What are it's pros and cons, etc., etc.?

I'm still using an old portable Magellan that I've had for ages, and am looking to upgrade. I'd like to try to make some sense of all the choices out there these days before I drop several hundred dollars on a new one. Besides, it'll occupy some of my spare time time whle I wait for the new Sky to arrive ...

Any info/opinions will be appreciated.

[Texas Red Line]

Originally Posted by hdwizard

Not really sure where to put this, so if this isn't right, could one of the mods please move it to someplace more appropriate? TIA ...

I was wondering who here was using GPS on your treks in the Sky, and if so, what sort are you using? Portable, in-dash, as part of your mobile phone/PDA, etc.? What brand, and do you like it? What are it's pros and cons, etc., etc.?

I'm still using an old portable Magellan that I've had for ages, and am looking to upgrade. I'd like to try to make some sense of all the choices out there these days before I drop several hundred dollars on a new one. Besides, it'll occupy some of my spare time time whle I wait for the new Sky to arrive ...

Any info/opinions will be appreciated.

I use a Garmen Nuvi 350. I just finished a 3,975 mile vacation and it worked outstanding. All the way down to finding me a Starbucks in the mornings. I have it suctioned to the piano plastic in the center of the dash.

[lostcause]

I just bought a tomtom one yesterday. Still haven't used it but will be using it next week for the dragon run.

I also have a program called delorme street atlas on my laptop which interfaces with a gps. It's a great program and I'll be taking my laptop and using it for any advanced or complicated planning or routing since it's a full screen and has tons more features than the tomtom but I got the tomtom so I wouldn't have to drive with my laptop open the whole way.

I figure the tomtom will be good to get me from point A to point B, but for the advanced stuff and being able to look at a full map, I'll use my laptop with the delorme software.

[nomead]

I just recently received the Garmen Nuvi 650.
Love it. Easy and obvious / intutitive to program, big display that is easy to read and all control it right on the pressure sensitive display.
I also suction it to the plastic area in the center of the dash - I keep it to the left side so the display is just behind and above my hands on the wheel.

[hdwizard]

I've heard good things about the Garmin units in general. Are they reasonably portable, and could I get topo maps for them? Would be nice to also be able to use it for 4WD/hunting/hiking/camping/etc., but it would need to be light and small enough to lug around all day on one's person along with a short ton of other gear ...

I've heard of TomTom as well, but don't know of anyone who actually has one. Would be interested to know how it works.

I had DeLorme Street Atlas on an old laptop of mine eons ago, but that was before reasonably priced GPS receivers were commonly available. Would be cool if they worked together ...

[Chemist]

I'm in a Solstice, but...

I've been running a Garmin c330 for over a year now. I would not leave town without it.

[lostcause]

Originally Posted by hdwizard

I had DeLorme Street Atlas on an old laptop of mine eons ago, but that was before reasonably priced GPS receivers were commonly available. Would be cool if they worked together ...

I got the whole delorme kit with software and gps antenna included for like 99 bucks. I started using it about 6 years or so ago and took many many road trips with it. It's by far the best mapping/gps software I've used. The major competitor to it at the time was a microsoft gps program and I didn't like that one one bit. It was also much better than yahoo maps and mapquest and all of the other internet map sites. I'm hoping I'll be as happy with the tomtom when I use it next week but I'm taking my laptop just in case.

If delorme made a portable gps unit I'd buy it in a heartbeat.

[billyharless]

I use the HP Ipaq 5915. It runs Windows Mobile has WiFi and Bluetooth AND runs the Tom-Tom software. Has the classic suction cup mount like all the rest of them.

I am also in a Sol but I love you Sky folks!

[Dan12R]

I've been looking into a Bluetooth GPS receiver I can set up with my PDA phone (UT Starcom's Verizon XV6700). I've got a great (free) program from Microsoft called Live search. It does maps, traffic conditions of select large cities, and bunch of other stuff. It's nice because then if I look up say a nice diner, I can select them from the menu and click to call them all from the same device.

[Z03]

I use a Garmin Nuvi 660.

This is my third Garmin and I have had great sucess with them. This one has Mp3, Bluetooth and traffic in addition to the navigation. I didn't think I would use the bluetooth, Mp3 or the traffic beyond the 3 month trial. I was wrong on all of them. Use all of them daily.

The unit is just over 6 oz and has battery capability up to 7 hours depending on what features are being used. The screen is large and easy to see and is viewable in full sun. Topo maps are available.

Bill

[billyharless]

Originally Posted by Dan12R

I've been looking into a Bluetooth GPS receiver I can set up with my PDA phone (UT Starcom's Verizon XV6700). I've got a great (free) program from Microsoft called Live search. It does maps, traffic conditions of select large cities, and bunch of other stuff. It's nice because then if I look up say a nice diner, I can select them from the menu and click to call them all from the same device.

Take a look at the HP Ipaq 5915

[GetAboutRL]

Garmin c340 ... mounted left side dash of driver by the small round vent. I like it because it speaks the street names and directions in addition to map view and millions of points of interest ... like fuel-food-lodging and golf.
But what is really nice is its size. It is the size of a baseball and this car needs to keep things to scale!

[Cheers]

Originally Posted by Chemist

I'm in a Solstice, but...

I've been running a Garmin c330 for over a year now. I would not leave town without it.

Solstice and Garmin too. Just finished trip throughout Canada (starting and ending in SE VA) great help all the way. Not only help in finding your way, but help in finding places to stay, eat, play, shop. Works great in rental cars too -- have taken it on a number of trips when I was forced to fly -- in an aircraft that is .

[carlintexas]

Garmin Nuvi 670! Got it after the Solstice Nationals in Nashville. One of the guys in our caravan located a pizza buffet in Texarkana - that sold me!

We've named her Isabell - She dings every time she gives you a direction.

[stonebreaker]

Here's a site that reviews all the gps units:

http://gpsinformation.net/

[BlackSkyPilot]

I use a NUVI 350 as well. It works great. For mounting, I stick the antenna into the center console vent. It wedges on top of the knobs just fine, but not so tight that you can't use the knobs. Haven't tried plugging it into the radio just yet.

[GetAboutRL]

Originally Posted by stonebreaker

Here's a site that reviews all the gps units:

http://gpsinformation.net/

================================================== ======

Great unbias information.

[SKY HAWK]

Originally Posted by Texas Red Line

I use a Garmen Nuvi 350. I just finished a 3,975 mile vacation and it worked outstanding. All the way down to finding me a Starbucks in the mornings. I have it suctioned to the piano plastic in the center of the dash.

This is my third GPS and for the money ($363 on-line) it's the best.
Really love the way it mounts on the piano black - keeps the entire unit below windshield level...

[stevemr2]

I use the MIO Digiwalker. Works great for me....and it was only $200.00.

[hdwizard]

Originally Posted by billyharless

I use the HP Ipaq 5915. It runs Windows Mobile has WiFi and Bluetooth AND runs the Tom-Tom software. Has the classic suction cup mount like all the rest of them.

I am also in a Sol but I love you Sky folks!

I'm a Sky person in waiting, the RL is due in September sometime ...

I'm really curious about this approach. I use a Treo 700w w/WinMobile, and adding GPS to it has a certain appeal, but there are a few things I wonder about.

For instance, if you are tooling along, listening to directions, and you suddenly discover a great Sushi joint down the road and decide to call for reservations, what happens if the GPS needs to tell you to make the next left while you're on the phone with the Sushi joint? Does it still tell you while you're on the phone? Do you just miss your turn until you hang up? Does it switch to visual mode only? Inquiring minds and all that ...

Another ... I usually use a Bluetooth headset while I'm driving, how do they interact? Will the GPS receiver (which I gather is also Bluetooth) work with the headset? Or does it have to be one or the other?

Originally Posted by stonebreaker

Here's a site that reviews all the gps units:

http://gpsinformation.net/

Great site, thanks! After reading through this, plus browsing through the Garmin and TomTom sites, I'm getting the idea that these days, you really need seperate units for driving and outdoor stuff. I've got my old Magellan pretty well set up with topo maps for this region, so I should be OK for a while with it yet as far as that goes. I'm thinking I'll probably concentrate on a driving-centric unit for now. If I can also get topo maps for it, well that's just gravy.

Originally Posted by lostcause

got the whole delorme kit with software and gps antenna included for like 99 bucks. I started using it about 6 years or so ago and took many many road trips with it. It's by far the best mapping/gps software I've used. The major competitor to it at the time was a microsoft gps program and I didn't like that one one bit. It was also much better than yahoo maps and mapquest and all of the other internet map sites. I'm hoping I'll be as happy with the tomtom when I use it next week but I'm taking my laptop just in case.

I may go this way as well. For an additional $99 bucks, it'd be worth it to have the more detailed mapping capability. I could do a lot with it here at home, and I could always bring the laptop with me in the truck on 4WD expos. Not sure I'd really want to bring it with me on long trips, not real sanguine about leaving it in the car or hotel room, especially in some of the places I've been, and laptops and bikes do NOT travel well together (don't ask me how I know)

Garmin is looking pretty good, just wish there weren't so many models to choose from. I'm really curious about integrating something with my Treo though, that might be interesting ...