radio man 7.262
terre haute in u.s.a.
Senior Member
Joined: 09/14/2003
View Profile
 Offline
|
We had a "MAGELLAN 360" (3 yrs old) and was not very pleased with it so i gave it to my daughter and went shopping for a new one. We went to "STAPLES" and they had a good selection so i told the salesmen that i wanted to try several out in their building if they had an outside antenna, and he said they did not have an outside antenna but told me to buy one and try it out and keep bringing them back if i did not like them for any reason for a replacement or money back. Well, i tried out 4 different very popular units(very expensive as i thought that more expensive units would be more accurate, "WRONG",) over a 4 week period and decided i do not like all the bells and whistles because all i wanted was accuracy from point "A" to point "B" and did not want to pay for nothing but accuracy, so I finally purchased the "TOM--TOM 1" ($250.00 list price for $200.00 Very pleased with it and would buy another unless something better comes along in the future due to advanced technology Bob
* This post was
edited 04/18/08 01:47pm by radio man 7.262 *
|
wsfurrie
Arizona
Full Member
Joined: 09/14/2007
View Profile
Offline
|
One option not mentioned so far is the laptop bases GPS. Assuming you travel with a laptop and have a place to put it while driving, it can be a superior GPS system. It will have voice navigation and recognition (you can ask it "are we there yet"). The screen is much larger and has many more details. Of course you can't take it outside and hike around with it. It depends on your own personal needs. One nice bonus is being able to save your trip files for reference in the future.
Good luck.
Wayne, the old curmudgeon
Wayne, the old curmudgeon
|
baywoodbill
California
Senior Member
Joined: 11/10/2005
View Profile
Offline
|
jmaul wrote:If you're looking for a no frills GPS, CHECK THIS OUT. Can't beat the price and it has the 'text to speech' that glassgirl mentioned. By the way, ordered one 2 days ago, delivery on Tuesday.
Jeff
So.... when your battery wears out you get a new GPS?
|
baywoodbill
California
Senior Member
Joined: 11/10/2005
View Profile
Offline
|
GizmosMom wrote:She says "re-calculating" quite a bit when we exit or make an unplanned stop and then we just mock her.
One good thing is that she came with a switch not commonly found on men or women, by which you can turn the voice off and still have all the attactiveness to look at.
|
rbrogan
Perrysburg, Ohio
Senior Member
Joined: 12/05/2003
View Profile
Offline
|
I have the Garmin Street Pilot has been great except once in Eastern PA it had me exit the Interstate and go thru a small town then back on the same Interstate. I did as told but from then on I let my good sence guide me.
 Rbrogan@hotmail.com
|
|
|
sergeant76
New Bedford, MA
Full Member
Joined: 04/28/2004
View Profile
Offline
|
Hi Wayne,
Would like information on the laptop bases GPS that you mentioned.
I have a RoadTrek and have a table upfront between the driver and passenger seat which I have my laptop sitting on the table.
I have a Dell computer, how can I rig it up as a GPS?
If you wish you can send information to me: E-mail: RRCRT@aol.com
Ron Cabral
Leisure Time at Cape Cod Canal,
Bourne, MA
Ron & Rose Cabral
New Bedford, MA
2002-Dodge-2002-RoadTrek-190-Popular
FMCA:303873
~K1RRC~
E-mail: RRCRT@aol.com
|
rv-n-agin
Western Michigan, USA
Senior Member
Joined: 02/15/2003
View Profile
Offline
|
We have an LG 9900 cell phone and service with Verizon that offers 'Navagator' for 9.99 per month or $2 per only the days you need it. It works just as good as our Garmin 18 on the laptop and it is always with us. It automatically refreshes new data as it becomes available. We often use it as a phone book when we find "nearest places" in different towns that are unfamiliar. It only uses 'airtime' on the initial navagation search (a minute or so) and the rest of the trip is stored in memory and used as you go unless we do not obey her commands and she has to recalculate.
Don 92 RT Independent
|
Andy Pat
Cottage Grove, Mn.
Full Member
Joined: 10/10/2001
View Profile
Offline
|
Especially to sergeant76, If you have the room (and a lap top) a lap top is the way to go. I have them both. I put my lap top on the engine dog house, secured with Velcro, It is so much easier to view, lay out a route, save a route and the program options are so much better. Those small hand held Garmin type units are little computers. If you already own a lap top why add another? Great mapping programs & GPS pucks can be purchased for less than $100.
Andy
|
ARcruiser
Benton, AR USA
Senior Member
Joined: 12/19/2001
View Profile
|
RE: Laptop Computer as GPS
Seems like this was running about a hundred bucks last fall, but...
Microsoft Streets and Trips 2008 with GPS is currently
$60.49 at Amazon.com.
Includes ... ultra-compact GPS device with SiRF star III technology. It's 10 times more sensitive than previous models, finds your location faster, and has the power to locate you even in most buildings or a crowded city. All-new USB adapter provides the flexibility to travel cable-free! Just plug the included GPS receiver and adapter into your notebook PC and go.
....Connect the included GPS receiver right into your computer's USB port and travel cable-free with the new USB adapter Windows VISTA and XP friendly
The software only version (without the GPS receiver) is $36.99 at Amazon.
Both currently qualify for free shipping...
2 Big Cruisers, The Little Man, and Bailey / ARcruiser's Class B's (the first 8)
Rig #8 Under Construction! / Here's the Project Thread - I'm actually working on it again!
|
Travelin' Bill
Vancouver, WA
Senior Member
Joined: 07/27/2004
View Profile
Offline
|
Something to think about regarding using a laptop/notebook computer for on-the-move GPS:
The GPS should be mounted at eye level (or nearly so), not blocking any part of the drivers field of view (ahead and to each side)so that the driver can view the GPS without loosing sight of the road and what's around - like other cars and trucks and people.
Using a laptop/notebook computer mounted on the doghouse or a table requires the driver to look away from the normal field of view and down. For the time the driver is looking at the laptop GPS he/she is not looking at the what we should be looking at while driving. If any manipulation of the GPS is required the time looking away and loss of attention to driving is even longer. It doesn't take long to get into serious trouble if one is not watching or paying attention to driving.
Of course if one has a "navigator" who can operate the GPS without driver intervention this problem goes away, but, it would be very hard for me, as a driver, to not look at the GPS.
The reason the Garmins and Magellans and such have those smaller screens is so the unit can be mounted on the dash, within the natural line of sight as the driver looks across to the right to the right-hand outside mirror but the unit is small enough so not to block any part of the natural field of view ahead or to either side.
My Garmin 2620 StreetPilot has a 3.5x2 inch screen. At first I thought this would be too small to see much. It's not. Even with my mid-sixties eyes there is no problem seeing what I need to see on the screen by adjusting contrast and font size.
Something to think about when considering using a laptop/notebook computer for in-motion GPS.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Please keep your expectations fairly low . . . I'm an engineer.
2002 RT 190P Chev
|
|
|
