wemtd Posted July 1, 2011 Share Posted July 1, 2011 I am an automotive GPS novice (but am familiar with handheld models). I'd like to get something primarily for the Mrs. and to assist my navigation of back roads in the Birkin. For those of you touring the twisties: Do you have any preferred brand/models of gps (not Se7en since all are exemplary). Ideally i'd like something that allows me to easily program a route, possibly from my PC, and record where i've driven. These consistently are my two greatest navigational challenges: turning on the correct back road, and trying to figure out where the heck i went after missing a turn. thanks paul Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ruadhd2 Posted July 1, 2011 Share Posted July 1, 2011 Could not find my way out of a paper bag without my two Garmins. The newer ones display the actual speed limit and your mph so you know how bad you are speeding and are great as a replacement for a non-calibrated speedometer as found on many kit cars. Also I have camera alerts, traffic updates etc. which you can get as lifetime subscriptions. Actually the fat older ones seem to have easier to read screens like the 550c which also has an mp3 player and bluetooth. Get all the bells and whistles and you might enjoy them later, except the mp3 player which sounds crummy and is kinda dumb. Also the picture viewer. Give me a break. At the minimum get bluetooth, traffic alerts, and camera alerts. Paid for themselves in gas, time and frustration from sitting in traffic many times over. I just pull one of them out of one of my real cars and suspend from a suction cup on the windshield of the 7 when I drive it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kitcat Posted July 1, 2011 Share Posted July 1, 2011 Unless you have a 12v outlet in your se7en, battery life is critical. Get the max and if adding extra is an option, do it. I have an older Garmin and it is great. On loooong trips I take my small portable battery charger and plug into its 12 v outlet. It is helpful on unknown roads for alerting you to upcoming, and unanticipated, sharp turns. I don't think it is possible to program from PC or record past travels onto PC, tho. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
powderbrake Posted July 1, 2011 Share Posted July 1, 2011 I regularly program all my road trips into the Garmin from my PC. I use Microsoft Streets & Trips to plan the route, then it can save as a GPX file, which can be downloaded into my Garmin. This allows me to pick and choose the roads that I want to travel. You must buy the Garmin that has the downloadable routes feature, and it isn't on the lowest cost models. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jbanker Posted July 1, 2011 Share Posted July 1, 2011 I like the Garmin Nuvi series even the lower cost devices will post the speed limit on the road that you are driving. The higher cost units will also give current traffic and weather advisories. I have installed a 12VDC outlet under the dash to plug in the GPS or any other 12 V accessory. The Nuvi is flat and can quickly unplugged and stick in your shirt pocket. Jerry's idea of purchasing the PC programable devices is a very good feature. My wife and I drive a lot of back roads and just returned from the Smokies and NC Mountains. Our 2 year old Garmin Nuvi performed flawlessly in the hinterlands while driving our 12 year old Miata. Did trips in Minnesota, Wisconsin and Georgia last year in the Stalker with the same GPS unit. Jack Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jimrankin Posted July 1, 2011 Share Posted July 1, 2011 I have previous experience with an older garmin and it was great, except that it was always telling me I missed a turn if I was really moving quickly and there were a lot of streets intersecting. It was old so the newer ones probably are much faster.It got replaced with a Tom-Tom that works well also except that the speaker is no match for the noise in the 7. Since they are all using the same basic technology it comes down to ease of use so for a 7 go for the biggest, brightest screen, cause unless you run it through your bluetooth you aren't going to hear it, and easy to use/understand control buttons/touch screens. T Don't get what you don't need because there are so many apps available to pack on the various units that you can get lost while your trying to get back to the "where the hell am I" screen. LOL. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HOTTTCAR Posted July 1, 2011 Share Posted July 1, 2011 I agree with Jack. Love our Garmin Nuvi. Get a good one loaded. You will b surprised what you use. Life time traffic actually takes you around a traffic jam before you know its ahead of you. An 8 gig chip stores all our music, books, pictures which it plays alone, in your head phones or picks a channel on your radio. The speed limit thing is very useful also. Gale Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Proj217 Posted July 1, 2011 Share Posted July 1, 2011 Wife got me a Garmin streetpilot(?) a couple of years ago when I didn't have a car with nav. Now that I do it really just sits around gathering dust, but I will say the Garmin is a much better GPS than the factory nav from GM. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dvl Posted July 1, 2011 Share Posted July 1, 2011 I highly recommend the Garmin Nuvi 3790LMT. It was given to me as a gift (luckily, because it is a bit expensive). The multi-touch screen interface is incredibly easy to use. The most useful features for me have been the real time traffic data and red light camera notification (stops me from trying to make yellow lights). The rerouting feature to avoid traffic has sent me on some fun and interesting new roads and areas around LA. There is also an optional OBDII adaptor, for monitoring fault codes and real time data. The OBDII adaptor has been really useful in cars other than my Seven, specifically for monitoring fuel effciency and trouble shooting. I hope this helps in your selection. Dave Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blubarisax Posted July 1, 2011 Share Posted July 1, 2011 I also like the Garmin Nuvi 3790. It is nice and thin and best of all the suction cup mount sticks nicely to my Caterham's dash and includes a decent speaker. You can even route your cell phone calls through it via the bluetooth. https://buy.garmin.com/shop/shop.do?cID=134&pID=87930 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WestTexasS2K Posted July 1, 2011 Share Posted July 1, 2011 I like the Garmin Nuvi 550. It is for motorcycles so it is water proof just in case you get caught in the rain. It handles vibration and is easy to operate. It comes with multiple mounts so you should be able to find something that works for you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eraser-X Posted July 2, 2011 Share Posted July 2, 2011 Don't any of you guys carry a cell phone? I use this app with my iPhone and they cover Android and Windows also. When using my phone to listen to books on longer drives Navigon will even pause the audio to offer it's instructions. This application and the others like it have been digging into the sales of Garmin and Tom Tom so seriously that Garmin just bought Navigon. http://www.navigon.com/portal/us/produkte/navigationssoftware/index.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rzempel Posted July 2, 2011 Share Posted July 2, 2011 I find the cell phone screen too small to be especially useful while driving--I prefer to look at the map, rather than listen to the whiny bitch tell me to make the first available U-turn when I decide to go around an obstacle instead of through it. Depending on why I'm using the GPS, I sometimes use my 7" tablet PC with internal GPS chip set. That's big enough to see enough surrounding roads to keep my happy, and I can run a topo map program when I go off-road in my Jeep. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DeanG Posted July 2, 2011 Share Posted July 2, 2011 What is the feature called that allows you to program routes from a PC and load them to a GPS? This is the feature that I want in a new GPS. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jimrankin Posted July 2, 2011 Share Posted July 2, 2011 It's a bit clunky to use but you can usually pick your own way to get somewher by using the "alternate route" option. You can also pick way points along the line that will get you to the end point using the route you want by picking stops along the way. I'm sure there are easier ways to do it by using my PC tp preprogram the TomTom but I never think about it in time, usually just turn it on when I don't know where I am anymore. LOL. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
turboeric Posted July 2, 2011 Share Posted July 2, 2011 Don't any of you guys carry a cell phone? There are huge chunks of the area I drive in where there is no cell coverage. For me, it's a useless waste of money. A GPS works virtually everywhere. I have an older Garmin, which we used when touring northern France. Hearing it try to pronounce Rue General Eisenhower as a French word reduced us to giggles. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slomove Posted July 2, 2011 Share Posted July 2, 2011 (edited) What is the feature called that allows you to program routes from a PC and load them to a GPS? This is the feature that I want in a new GPS. That has been around forever in Garmin GPS even before the Nuvi times. I have used it extensively to plan all my Seven tours including this year's Black Hills tour. However, Garmin decided to leave the route load feature out of the lower cost Nuvi devices, probably for marketing reasons and making them useless for me. Also PC software did not come with the package, you had to separately request it. I have not looked if the newer low-cost Nuvis still have this limitation; they come out with new models all the time. You need to check the specification having at least 10 or more "routes" and in the past that meant you could create them on the PC and download to the GPS. Edited July 2, 2011 by slomove Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eraser-X Posted July 2, 2011 Share Posted July 2, 2011 (edited) There are huge chunks of the area I drive in where there is no cell coverage. For me, it's a useless waste of money. A GPS works virtually everywhere. I have an older Garmin, which we used when touring northern France. Hearing it try to pronounce Rue General Eisenhower as a French word reduced us to giggles. The Navigon app does not require cell service or data access to work. It also is integrated with your contacts list allowing to quickly input destinations. You can set your route profiles up to take scenic routes and input routes for drives. Edited July 3, 2011 by Eraser-X Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
powderbrake Posted July 2, 2011 Share Posted July 2, 2011 Also PC software did not come with the package, you had to separately request it. You need to check the specification having at least 10 or more "routes" and in the past that meant you could create them on the PC and download to the GPS. I highly recommend Microsoft Streets & Trips, as it has a conversion from the route to a GPX file which downloads into the Nuvi that accepts the routes. It sells for $25 direct from Microsoft. If you have it on your laptop, and have a gps receiver, It functions as a live Nav program. I used to use it like that, but found the Niuvi with the downloaded program to be less of a hassle than a laptop with it's power supply etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
turboeric Posted July 3, 2011 Share Posted July 3, 2011 The Navigon app does not require cell service or data access to work. It also is integrated with your contacts list allowing to quickly input detonations. Wow, Homeland Security will be interested in you and your planned detonations! :rofl: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now