Garmin Great GPS Best Navigator

Garmin Forerunner 405CX GPS Sport Watch with Heart Rate Monitor (Blue)

noreply@blogger.com (bestgps) — Thu, 26 Aug 2010 16:12:00 +0000

The Garmin Forerunner 405CX does everything that you would expect it to do. The heart-rate monitor easily connects with the watch and the GPS pickup is good. The bluetooth connection to the computer sometimes requires that the USB adapter be removed and replaced in order for the computer (I use an iMac) to recognize the watch. The touch bezel is very handy when you are on the run, but if you don't lock the bezel it can be annoying when you are finished your workout. The watch battery needs to be charged between uses, but that is no big deal since the watch easily can be stored while connected to the charger. Since I started using a heart-rate monitor with my workouts I can easily gauge the intensity of my workouts. All in all, I am very pleased with this workout watch. I'm a gadget freak and the Garmin Forerunner 405CX keeps me motivated to run.

Garmin eTrex Venture HC GPS Receiver : Great unit for geocaching!

noreply@blogger.com (bestgps) — Tue, 10 Aug 2010 03:43:00 +0000

I purchased this unit several weeks ago, have used it a lot so far, and I'm very pleased with its performance.

I began geocaching several months ago and had been using my Nuvi 350 Garmin nüvi 350 3.5-Inch Portable GPS Navigator with Text-to-Speech for that. It worked well (and is fantastic for driving), but I was afraid I would damage it or that it would get wet from so much outdoor use. I wanted a unit that was more durable, with an excellent satellite receiver, but economical. Therefore, I ordered a Garmin eTrex Venture HC, just to use for caching. (It would probably also work well for hiking, etc.; I've only used it for geocaching.) This is the current basic eTrex model that has the new receiver (H), color screen (C), USB connection, but no card slot (x).

This little GPSr has all the features I need for geocaching, and a good many that I've still not used.

*Small size, shaped to be handheld, has a lanyard, is lightweight and easy to carry, very convenient to use
*Waterproof and durable for outdoor use
*Easy to read screen in sunlight
*Simple to use, with lots of features
*Locks on satellites quickly and holds signal very well, very accurate
*Has geocaching mode with ability to mark caches as found (not a necessity, but nice)
*Two screen choices to look for waypoint/cache--map screen and compass pointer screen
*Batteries last a long time--I've just now changed out the first set of regular alkaline batteries. I've found a couple dozen caches, placed a couple, and worked with the unit at home a lot to learn its features, usually with the backlight on, on one pair of regular AA's.
*Connects to computer with USB cable, can send brief cache info directly to unit by clicking on "Send to Garmin" on geocaching website. You can also enter the info manually, and there is space for some brief notes.
*Great price--around $115 here the last time I checked.

I really can't think of any cons. I was afraid the screen might be too small on this smaller-size unit, but it's big enough and not a problem at all. I wish it had a setting to automatically turn the backlight on each time, but it's very easy to turn it on so that's no problem.

The maps are very basic without much detail (as on most of the "outdoor" units), but I use the Nuvi if I need driving directions. After parking, I use the eTrex to find the cache and haven't needed maps for that. I haven't loaded any extra maps (I don't do wilderness caching) or used any of the 24 MB of internal memory. Forums have indicated that this is enough space for loading a good many topo maps, but not for many driving navigation maps. If you want to buy & load City Navigator for driving, you'd need a model with a card slot. For me, the Nuvi 350 and Venture HC make a great combo to cover all bases better than a single unit would.

One of the friends that I often cache with has the more expensive 60CSx, and our units usually give almost identical information. I know there are technical differences, but the eTrex performs very well in comparison.

This is the Venture HC, not the older eTrex Venture model. The more expensive eTrex units (Vista HCx, etc.) have features like an additional electronic compass & altimeter and a card slot, but I haven't needed those. I think those are the major differences in the newest eTrex models, they basically work the same and have the same receiver. Garmin's website lets you compare features on different models, and you can read the manuals there.

If you need a great unit for caching, consider the Garmin eTrex Venture HC.

Garmin nuvi 3790T GPS : Crisp Display, Super Thin, Wonderful GPS!

noreply@blogger.com (bestgps) — Tue, 06 Jul 2010 17:02:00 +0000

I just got my Nuvi 3790 today and I must say it is by far the best GPS I have owned. I have owned Garmins, TomToms, Navigon, and Magellans.

The display is super crisp and bright. Even in bright sunlight. I had my Nuvi 1690 up next to it. The 1690 was washed out, the 3790 was very, very bright.

I transferred my favorites (waypoints) from the 1690 without a hitch. Also installed traffic cameras... no problem. I tried the voice command and it worked surprisingly well. I had used a TomTom with voice control and this was far superior. You get a list of commands on the screen and I had no problem activating the feature simply by saying, "Voice Command.' Picked me up without a hitch. Only once it seemed to freeze on me and for a minute I thought I would have to do a reset, but I said another command and it cleared.

The unit is super thin. In fact, I almost lost my grip on it a few times it is so thin. I bought the Garmin case for it and it fits very well. Easily fits in my shirt pocket.

I did a backup on the hard drive, which by the way is a whopping 8 GB, using a little over 4 GB -- room for expansion indeed. I couldn't select all on my mac and get them all to copy over, but I burned a DVD and pretty much everything was copied from what I could tell. It took about 25 minutes or so.

The unit did get pretty warm in use, perhaps because of the black back and the sun. I haven't used it at night to tell if that is it.

I live in northern Virginia and was not able to pick up traffic. My 1690 was showing traffic in the same areas. The 1690 is cell-connected, the 3790 is FM.

In comparison with the 1690 with most detail selected, the 3790 is pretty much about the same in many areas, perhaps a bit more in others. No complaints about that at all so far.

I do like the ability to rotate the screen. I didn't think I would but I like the portrait view. It gives me more of where I am going rather off to the sides. i will need to experiment with it.

Routing is a bit different than my 1690. I will see how it evolves in its learning my routes. Calculation seems quick. It did take a while to lock in after being powered off, but nothing appreciable.

I can easily pack this, or put it in my shirt pocket and take it most places.

A great GPS. Pricey, but wonderful. This is the iPhone 4 of the GPS world. Nothing comes close to the beauty of the 3790.

Garmin nuvi 1450 5-Inch Portable GPS : For the money, this is sweet!

noreply@blogger.com (bestgps) — Thu, 27 May 2010 02:09:00 +0000

Wonderful GPS. I have owned $600 Lowrance units and $200 Tom Tom's. But for the money, this 1450 Garmin is wonderful. The support online for updating the unit and adding some custom touches to the gps are really nice. BUT there are only two items that I don't like about this gps. First, is the "lane viewer" or what ever they call it sucks. (The feature that shows a picture of the signs that you will be seeing) I travel 6 states for business and drive through major cities; Chicago, Detroit, Cleveland, Cinci, Indianapolis, etc... I had it only show me the picture of the signs that show what lane to be in twice after visiting all these cities. This was a bonus feature for me, not a selling point. That's why I didn't have it affect the way I rated it. Second, is when trying to find a hotel or gas station, it shows them surrounding you. That is great, but I wish there was an option to see what is on the way to your destination. I want to see what is in front of me, not behind. This just makes it harder and longer to find what you are looking for. So once again, not a huge problem for me. Now, if you care about bluetooth or voice navagation, I don't so can't give you a review on that. I mute mine and just glance at it from time to time. But what I can tell you is the ease of finding your destination, the continued updating online, the fact you can rate a hotel or destination, the size of the screen, easy to use, and how you can add a destination or correct a current destination, are things I love about the 1450 Garmin. Great price and very happy with it. I recommend this product!

Thanks:
http://astore.amazon.com/garmin.gps.navigator.cheap-20/detail/B002RL8H1Y

GolfLogix Garmin GPS : Highly recommend this product

noreply@blogger.com (bestgps) — Tue, 27 Apr 2010 08:53:00 +0000

I've had my Garmin for a couple of weeks now and it's fabulous knowing accurate yardages (even when you need to play up an adjacent hole!)

I was undecided on the Garmin Golf Logix vs Sky Caddy choice, but went with the Garmin for their ease of use, customer support (I've heard it's very poor with Sky Caddy), and price.

I like that it's powered by 2 AA batteries (easy replacement of battery mid round (though I've played 4 rounds and the originals are still going strong)

It would be nice if you could track your last shot yardage and still toggle to the green/hazard yardage info to help your buddies (right now, it's one or the other option, not both), but for the price, I really feel I made the right choice.

Thanks:
http://astore.amazon.com/cheap.golf.gps-20/detail/B0015IV1Q8

Garmin Nuvi 885T : LOVE IT!!

noreply@blogger.com (bestgps) — Mon, 28 Dec 2009 05:38:00 +0000

I recently purchased the Garmin 885t after having owned the Streetpilot C340. I felt that I wanted an upgrade for a couple of reasons. First, I liked the idea of being able to be more "hands-free" if I needed to make changes to my routes while driving and second I was hoping that the blueooth was good enough that I could also use my phone through the Garmin. The purpose would be to streamline what I need to hook up in my car.

I own an iPhone original and have tried a couple of FM transmitters for hands free calling in the car. Though they worked partially with my phone, none were completely compatible. I was so pleased to see how the Garmin immediately recognized my contacts and they are all up on the Garmin screen. Second, even though the iPhone does not support voice dial, I am able to verbally navigate through the Garmin to make calls. This for me is important so I don't have to fiddle with the phone in my car.

After having used the Garmin for a couple of weeks, I can say that I so far am very satisfied. The Garmin's navigation works as expected and as I was accustomed to with my older Garmin. There are many POIs and I am amazed at to what you can find just by saying the place by name (the more popular places). I do appreciate the lane assist feature, which works well in my area. It gives you arrows in the upper left corner telling you the direction of your next turn. Very handy. Be aware, however, that the Junction View does not work with Lane Assist in every area. This is not a problem for me as this is only an "extra whistle" from my perspective.

The voice commands work wonderfully. I am amazed at how well it understands me. This function makes entering information so much easier. I also love how you can use Google Maps to directly send favorite places to the Nuvi, as well.

In regards to the Bluetooth, I find that the Garmin's speakers are better than the nuvi 360 that I tried a year ago. I sent it back because the speaker and sound were awful on it. On the Nuvi 885t, I am able to hear the people speaking well but was told that there was an echo on their end when I spoke. I purchased Garmin's external microphone and people I talk to now say that it sounds much better. I've talked several times on it with no problems.

The FM transmitter works just fine for me, especially if I am just tooling around town. As a matter of fact, I found a station in my area where the music that I downloaded to my Garmin sounds just like I'm listening to the FM radio. No static at all. I like using the FM option because I like having the ability to listen to my callers and Garmin commands through my car stereo. I will admit that when I travel distances, I will probably opt to use my aux. cable with my iPod due to the fact that the FM stations would change frequently on longer trips (which would be a pain).

The suction cup has been great. It hasn't fallen once and I've taken it down a couple of times. If you do have problems, though, put a little moisture on the suction cup and it should stay put!

I haven't had the chance to experience the MSN direct or the picture viewer (doubt I will ever use that) so I can't comment on those features. I would like to add that customer support at Garmin is wonderful. I had to call a few times with questions and they were extremely helpful, kind, and supportive. (My Garmin was originally shipped in the Russian language).

I have been experimenting with this unit and learning how to use the Garmin in the house while I don't have to concentrate on the road. Though it is user friendly, there is still a lot to learn. I also took it with me even if I knew where I was going to "practice" the features. I'd rather get a handle on how to use it when I know my route. As silly as it sounds, it does help!

Kudos to this unit! NO regrets, even though I felt it was more than what I wanted to pay for a GPS.

Thanks:
http://astore.amazon.com/garmin.nuvi.765t.gps.cheap-20/detail/B001N2MUD4

Garmin Portable Friction Mount : Works great, looks a bit strange at first but well worth buying

noreply@blogger.com (bestgps) — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 14:21:00 +0000

I knew I didn't want to install anything permanent in my car (like adhesive mounts) because it would look strange and be a pain to deal with when I sell it. And I live in California where it is illegal to attach a GPS unit to the windsheild, plus my windsheild is very slanted so it would be a bit too far away there anyway, unless I mount it way up high on the windshield.

This friction mount works well. It allows me to put the GPS on my dash or on my center console and I don't have to mount anything permanently in to my car. And if I'm going on a trip with someone else in their car, it's super easy to bring it along and put it in their car.

It's also good for if you have a passenger that wants to play with and use the GPS, they can just move the mount over to their side of the dashboard.

I recommend this friction mount although have to admit, it looks a bit strange at first (especially with no GPS mounted on it), but you get used to it.

Thanks:
http://astore.amazon.com/garmin.gps.navigator.cheap-20/detail/B000LRMS66

Garmin GPS 60CSx : Top of the line!

noreply@blogger.com (bestgps) — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 08:06:00 +0000

The first reviewer didn't really do his research before he purchased this or else he would know that it only comes with basemaps. The other fact he would know is that that's how all GPS vendors work. They want you to buy their maps separately and only their maps will work on their hardware.

Now, I previously owned a 60CS which I loved after trading in my Vista. With the newly upgraded 60CSx you get a couple of additional functions that make it much better than the 60CS. First, there's the SiRF III chipset. It is by far the best chipset out there right now. It's super sensitive and super fast. You can lock onto satellites even in your house in many cases! No longer will you loose reception in tricky situations. Most of the time you can even keep the 60CSx in your backpack and it will still track your movements.

The other highly requested function for many years is the expansion memory, now in the form of a microSD. Now you can load almost half of the U.S. into 512mb of microSD. Later, larger capacity microSD cards will be released that will allow you to loan the entire US! That's awesome!

Two things that you will loose by going to the 60CSx from the 60CS, the alarm clock, and the passive barometric tracking. Apparently, the new 60CSx no longer has a sleep mode so that these two things will not continue to work if you turn OFF the unit. The 60CS had a sleep mode so that the altimeter would still record your barometric after the unit was turned off and wake up to sound the alarm clock but not with the new 60CSx.

Most people don't use these functions anyway so I don't think you'll miss them. Also, the SiRF III and microSD more than make up for those two shortfalls.

Thanks:
http://astore.amazon.com/garmin.handheld.gps.cheap-20/detail/B000CSOXTO

Garmin Forerunner 305 GPS Receiver With Heart Rate Monitor : An Improvement

noreply@blogger.com (bestgps) — Sun, 04 Oct 2009 15:52:00 +0000

This is a definite improvement over the 301. I had several complaints with the 301:
(1) The heart rate monitor did not track well, and would often jump up to 240, which was a problem when looking at average heart rate later;
(2) The tracking was bad sometimes in the woods, where I run (it could vary half a mile on a four-mile course, and even worse, the elevation could spike 1,200 feet at times and completely change the profile of the run);
(3) The unit was not ergonomic, the buttons were difficult to push, and the screen was hard to see; and
(4) It took forever to acquire the satellites.

The heart rate monitor comes with a new sensor that is more flexible, comfortable, and offers more reliable data. The tracking is much better and more consistent. The unit is much more like a watch, the display is great, and the buttons are much easier to push while on the go. However, it still takes a while to acquire the satellite signal. It is a bit improved, and is not dissimilar from other Garmin products, so I'd have to say that it's OK.

The BIGGEST improvement is that this model is more like a typical GPS in that it offers many different modes and screens to track various types of information (one can toggle between three different screens). For example, on one screen, I have the current time, sunrise, sunset, and running time. On another screen I have the grade, altitude, average pace, and current pace. On yet another screen I have heart rate, calories, distance traveled, and heading. It is totally cool.

I use this Forerunner 305 for running, biking, rollerblading, mountaineering, skiing, and just about everything else outside. I am really happy that I spent the money for the upgraded version.

Thanks:
http://astore.amazon.com/garmin.handheld.gps.cheap-20

Garmin Nuvi 780 : Great Device and Easy to Use

noreply@blogger.com (bestgps) — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 00:55:00 +0000

This is my first automobile GPS, and I did a lot of research before settling on the Garmin 780. I live in the Washington DC Metro area, so all of the extra features work here. Upon its arrival, I downloaded and installed the latest Garmin WebUpdater v.2.41 and then updated my 780 from software version 2.50 to 2.90. I also updated the Bluetooth and other firmware, along with the languages that I use. This all worked flawlessly in a Windows XP virtual machine on a Linux host. FWIW, the 780 will charge off of the supplied USB cable.

The 780 acquired the necessary satellites in just a few minutes when first activated, and does so in less than a minute for subsequent activations. I found the screen brightness to be fine for both day and night. I'm using the 780 with the Garmin Portable Friction Mount. Smashing windows and stealing GPS devices is the sport of choice in the DC Metro area, so I wanted no evidence of a GPS extant when I left the car. The friction mount works perfectly on my Honda Accord dashboard and stores easily in the center console, leaving no trace of a GPS behind. Very cool. The 780 easily fits in a shirt pocket, so it's not necessary to leave it in the car.

I tested the 780 immediately by driving during rush hour to a residence across the river in a tangle of park roads off of the beaten track, then returning at night. The Garmin had no trouble creating a very fast route to the destination that bypassed most of the heavy traffic during rush hour. On my return, I bypassed a turn on its preferred routing. It recalculated a new route in less than a second which was the exact right answer. The new route wasn't a recapture of the original route, which wasn't possible from that location, but an entirely new route. The routes it picked were appropriate for the times of day traveled, which can be a daunting task here if you don't know which roads go which direction during the appropriate rush hour. DC is a notoriously difficult area to navigate, but so far the Garmin seems up to the challenge.

I found the volume of the internal speaker to be more than adequate even with the radio, air conditioning, and windshield wipers going. Voice notifications led upcoming turns by an adequate amount, and the voice prompts always helped me get into the correct lanes in plenty of time for upcoming turns. During a particularly tricky section where several major roads converge on a bridge, then diverge on the other side, the Garmin gave almost constant appropriate guidance to ensure that I took the correct forks and turns. I was quite impressed.

The Bluetooth paired quickly with my Motorola Razr V3. It even provided its PIN code at the appropriate time. The phone functions work great and it's easy to hear over the 780 speaker. The party on the other side of the phone said that I sounded like I was in a tunnel, which is typical for remote devices for autos. I have another BT hands-free device and it garnered the same comments. The Garmin's on-screen phone cues make hands-free easy.

Activation of the MSN Direct service was simple over the Net. On initial activation of your free 3 month trial, they offer a 6-month extension for $9.95 which gets you to 9 months of service total for less than $10--a very good deal. MSN Direct information took a while to load the initial information, but then it said that in the Quick Start pamphlet. Once loaded, the traffic, weather, and news worked great. Gas prices were behind by several days, which is an eternity these days. My favorite (and cheapest) station wasn't listed.

Overall, I'm very happy with the 780. I'll be working it out heavily in the coming weeks, including on a road trip to another city with MSN Direct service. I can't believe that I waited this long to take the plunge to a GPS device for my car. Even though I'm a master with maps, the Garmin suggested a clever routing that I did not previously discover on my own. From what I've seen so far, the 780 will be a highly valued addition to my road warrior kit bag. I can recommend the 780 without reservation.

Thanks:
http://astore.amazon.com/garmin.nuvi.780.gps.navigator-20

Garmin Nuvi 265WT : Best GPS I have ever Owned

noreply@blogger.com (bestgps) — Sat, 05 Sep 2009 06:43:00 +0000

I have owned quite a few GPS units all including Phone, Laptop and Dedicated. Flat out before I even get started the Garmin Nuvi 265WT is the best I have ever owned. Let me just make a couple of comments on the most important features.

Touch Screen Interface
Very intuitive and easy to use. Touch screen is responsive but not instantaneous. What I particularly like is the ability to switch to a top down view by touching the screen. Once done you can use your finger to drag the map around at any zoom point. Once done you can hit the back button and resume your 3D view.

Turn by Turn
You have two options here. You can use one of the Text to Speech voices or one of natural voices. The text to speech voices will give you more information such as street names. This is what I use and even though you can tell it's a computer generated voice its quality is superb. The 265WT does a good job at keeping you updated. Also at any time you can hit the turn Icon and it will speak the distance to the next turn, giving you street name as well as direction. The audio is quite loud and in my noisy little Scion I have no problem hearing the messages.

Maps
I have found the map accuracy quite good. I live in Northern virginal and it seems to be very well updated as many of the very new streets included.

Automatic Routing
Very effective. You can choose between the quickest or the shortest with options to avoid U-Turns, Highways, Toll Roads, Traffic, Ferries. The automatic rerouting is faster than my TeleNav phone and my Laptop computers.

Points of Interest
On my TeleNav phone GPS system I can enter any business in the national database and I can get directions, address and phone number. This is where the 265WT falls short. The TeleNav system has the advantage of searching online. Since the 265WT is limited to onboard memory there is a limit to the number of points of interest. A good example is I was looking for "Off Broadway Shoes" and the unit could not find them. However a search for "Payless Shoes" worked very well.

Traffic Alerts
The lifetime free traffic comes at a price. You will get popup adds. These are very small popups that supposedly only come when you are in the menu. This is not true. I have gotten them while in the navigation screen. For now they it seems to be once per trip but there is nothing to say they wont start getting more frequent. The other thing I don't like about the messages is that you have to hit them to continue and doing so takes you out of the nav screen to a kind of favorites screen. You have to hit the back button to get back to your navigations screen.
How well does the traffic system work. I live in Northern VA and have coverage throughout my area. The included radio fails to pick up a single signal without using an external antenna. Sadly you can just go down and purchase an FM antenna.. The Power cable has a 3/32" jack. What I did was to pick up a 3/32" plug from Radio Shack and soldered a 4' wire to the tip pin on the connector. Once draped out one of the windows I get very frequent traffic updates.
Once you start getting traffic reports I found them to be accurate and they do help. You can automatically avoid high traffic arias or do it manually as they accrue.
I am still debating if the popup adds are worth the effort.

Bluetooth Integration
This is my favorite feature. I can keep my keyboard locked Motorola Q in my pants pocket and use my 265WT to make and receive all my calls at a touch of a button. All my phone features are available on the 265WT. Phonebook, Call history, Voice Recognition. The voice quality is quite acceptable on both ends. As a matter of fact the echo I get on my Motorola is not there when using the 265WT as a hands free set.

Picture Viewer
I found this to be a very useless feature. If the photos are very big it takes forever for the 265WT to load them. This may be due to the slow access to the SD card slot.

There are other features like the ability to connect the 265WT to your PC and automatically add favorite locations using GoogleMaps. All in all I am very happy with my purchase and would purchase it again.

FYI the Nuvi 265WT is the same unit as the Nuvi 255W without the Bluetooth ability and the FM reliever cable (GTM 25). You can even purchase the GTM 25 from Garmin. If you don't want the Bluetooth feature and don't currently need the traffic feature you can pick up the Nuvi 255W cheaper.

Thanks:
http://astore.amazon.com/cheap.garmin.nuvi.265wt.gps-20

Garmin Nuvi 255W : Best In Its Class - Great For Traveling

noreply@blogger.com (bestgps) — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 09:53:00 +0000

If you spend much time driving in unfamiliar territory, especially if you rent cars in big cities, a good portable GPS makes an amazing difference. And the Garmin 255W is the best one I could find in the $250 - $350 range.

First this thing just plain works. I haven't had any issues with mine. It was easy to set up and figure out right out of the box, and it's easy to use. It never has had trouble getting sufficient signal unlike earlier and cheaper models.

I chose the 255W for several reasons: It uses some of the newest and best maps available. It has one of the more usable touch screens for entering destinations. It's fast to acquire satellites. And Garmin almost always comes out on top in reviews--especially in routing.

Ultimately, you buy a car GPS to get you from Point A to Point B as easily and efficiently as possible. And that's what the 255W does best. If you've ever had a "Brand X" GPS take you on some strange route that adds 20 minutes to your trip, has you turn the wrong way down a one way road, tell you to turn AFTER you've passed the street, frequently loses the satellite signal, or has old maps missing streets, you know how important this stuff is.

The 255W has a really clear display that's easy to see in any light. It's small enough to use on foot. The windshield mount works great and it's easy to toss in the glovebox when you park. It even tells you the speed limit on most roads. The "points of interest" feature works very well to find places to eat by type of cuisine, gas stations, etc.

The difference between the 255W and 205W is the 255 speaks street names and includes Alaska and Canada. The 205 and 205W will tell you to "turn right in 500 feet" which isn't as helpful or obvious as "turn right on Ivy Street in 500 feet". The "W" models are widescreen which makes entering destinations easier due to having a bigger "keyboard" and also lets you see more map area while driving.

All in all this isn't the cheapest GPS in its class but it's one of the best. My only gripe is you need an expensive add-on to get live traffic data--something that's included with the Magellan Roadmate 1430 which is close to the same price. But the Garmin 255W is a better GPS in every other way.

Thanks:
http://astore.amazon.com/garmin.nuvi.255w.gps-20

Garmin Nuvi 760 : Recommended over TomTom 920T and Magellan 4250

noreply@blogger.com (bestgps) — Sat, 22 Aug 2009 04:30:00 +0000

I feel a great amount of sympathy for consumers shopping for a portable GPS systems or any sophisticated electronic product for that matter. There is such a dizzying array of models/brands/functions that it is both a blessing and a curse. I am very tech oriented and enjoy researching and evaluating new electronic gadgets. After a few days of reviewing GPS brands and models, I narrowed my selections down to the Garmin 760, Garmin 680, TomTom 920T and the Magellan Maestro 4250.

I am not going to dive deeply into the features and benefits of each model because many of the reviews on Amazon and other websites do a great job of that. However, I will summarize my thought process for finally choosing the 760 as the best GPS for me. Let me start by stating that there is no perfect GPS system and therein lies the challenge. Every model that I looked at had strengths and weaknesses and there wasn't a product that made it a clear cut decision. What I did (and recommend) is to make a priority list of the features and functions that are most important to you and to pick the model that best fits your requirements. This sounds like an obvious approach but it was a lot harder than it sounds.

The single most important aspect for me was the accuracy and capability of the routing engine. That seems simple enough but when you throw in the all the other features offered in today's GPS models the decision making process becomes much muddier. In staying with my original strategy, I determined that the Garmin 7xx series had the best routing engine for North America. My conclusion is based on consumer and professional reviews, discussion boards, and my own testing. With that being said, the 760 is not perfect and I have experienced a few quirky directions but nothing that was of great concern.

How do I like the 760? For the most part, I am extremely pleased with the performance and functionality of the 760. Like most people I do have a list of my personal improvement and enhancements for the system but they are not deal breakers. When I first received the unit, I tested it on a trip to Palm Springs and Joshua Tree National Park. The directions to and from the Park and Palm Springs were flawless and the GPS recognized all the main roads within the park. We actually encountered some road construction on one of the main highways and the traffic receiver recognized the jam but gave us a strange recommendation. It directed us to go down the off-ramp and immediately get on the next on-ramp. We did this twice and it actually moved us ahead in traffic. I'm not sure how effective that strategy would be in other similar situations. The speaker volume could be louder but I could easily understand the commands traveling at 80 mph. I have also tested the system on several routes throughout Southern California and the system performed very well. All of the main features worked as published with a few exceptions noted below. The user interface is very well designed and I was able to operate 80% of the functions without reading the manual. In addition to the 760, I also purchased the Garmin Friction Dashboard Mount which I believe is superior to the glass suction mount provided.

So why did I only give it 4 stars? The one big annoyance for me was that if you directly input the POI name, the search can take a long amount of time (greater than 5 minutes)if it goes outside of your vicinity. This is extremely slow compared to our in-dash GPS system. The touch screen could be more responsive and is not that sensitive especially with the browse map option. The 760 bluetooth pairs consistently and quickly with my Motorola KRZR phone but the receiving and transmitting sound quality is very poor. The FM transmitter is unusable.

I really wanted to like the TomTom 920T especially with the voice recognition, user updates for maps and a long list of customizations. However, the routing engine seems to produce more inconsistent performance than the Garmin and I could not find enough information on their mapping data to understand how accurate it is today. The two main providers of map data are Navteq and Tele Atlas. Garmin and Magellan use Navteq and TomTom uses Tele Atlas. In the past, Navteq has been considered more accurate and complete for North America but Tele Atlas has made significant updates in recent times. Interestingly the 760 uses Garmin's 2008 North American maps but the source data is 18 to 24 months old which shows there is always a large lag in map information. Garmin has been very good at providing updates more frequently than the other manufacturers. My impression is that TomTom is much stronger with the European maps than the NA maps.

Here is a quick rundown of how I view the models:

Magellan Maestro 4250:
Pros: multi point destination routing with optimization, great address and text input system
Cons: questionable routing engine, outdated map data, inconsistent voice recognition, cumbersome POI interface, poor text to speech quality, poor customer support in US

TomTom 920T
Pros: voice recognition, enhanced positioning technology, map share, excellent customization options, multi-destination routing
Cons: questionable routing engine, outdated map data (although this is somewhat offset by map share), no routing optimization, cumbersome user interface

Garmin 760
Pros: routing engine seems very good, multi-destination routing optimization, good POI database, more map updates compared to competition, great user interface
Cons: touch screen is not very sensitive, outdated map data, FM transmitter is useless, expensive

Garmin 680
Pros: most of the same features and functionality as the 760 but with MSN Direct, louder speaker volume than 760, much better value than the 760
Cons: no multipoint destination, older look and feel than the 760

I have only listed a limited set of the pros and cons for each of the different models but these were the areas that stood out the most to me. When it's all said and done, I probably would have been happy with any of these models but if you can afford the 760 and routing directions in North America is your most important requirement then I would highly recommend the 760.

I have seen questions about whether the 760 comes with the SiRF Star III chip and the unit that I just purchased from Amazon did come with that chip. The SiRF is a high performance GPS chipset that can quickly acquire and maintain a lock onto satellite signals for position information. It is considered the chipset of choice for the higher end mobile GPS devices. All of the models I have described above have the SiRF chipset. I also have seen questions about how quickly the 760 can lock onto satellites. I updated my system firmware to version 2.6 and the satellite acquisition time is lightning fast. I have found in outside environments, my 760 can consistently acquire a signal in under 10 seconds even first thing in the morning.

There are a couple of other useful features that are not described in the instruction manual. If you hold down on the signal strength bar in the top left corner, you will get the satellite acquisition screen which shows the position accuracy. If you hold down on the battery indicator for a few seconds, this will allow access to the diagnostic screen which is where you can identify the GPS chipset among other information.

Thanks:
http://astore.amazon.com/cheap.garmin.760-20

Garmin Nuvi 765T : An Excellent GPS device

noreply@blogger.com (bestgps) — Sat, 22 Aug 2009 03:49:00 +0000

This Nuvi does several things very well, and I've yet to discover any serious shortcomings. My thoughts:

Navigation: Excellent, as is typical with Garmin units. On a couple of occasions the voice (right now I'm using Australian Karen) told me my destination was on the wrong side of the street.

Map: The map is clear, the refresh rate is fast, and all of the right information is provided on-screen, including details for upcoming turns and junctions, speed limit, and traffic alerts. It's annoying that I can't choose to switch the display of my current speed to some other piece of info. I already have a speedometer. The 3D buildings feature seems pretty gimmicky, and is implemented sporadically, even in downtown Boston. When there is coverage, most buildings are monochromatic blocks, and not the photo-realistic buildings seen in screenshots.

Lane Assist: This feature has been spot-on so far. It's nice driving in a new area and not getting flustered about being in the wrong lane. I have yet to see the full-screen 3D Lane Assist Junction View shown in the many 765t screenshots -- however, I've done very little highway driving, and I believe this screen requires that the user press the top-left (upcoming turn icon).

>>>>>UPDATE: After some highway driving, it turns out that the full-screen 3D Lane Assist Junction View shows up automatically before potentially tricky highway junctions. Very nice.

Traffic: As far as I know, I have not been re-routed because of traffic. However, it's very easy to bring up a list of major roads and their current traffic conditions, and to avoid them at will. The pop-up advertising associated with the "free" traffic is pretty subtle, and never distracting.

Bluetooth: I'm impressed with this feature so far. It mated with my phone (old Motorola RAZR V3) easily, importing all of my contacts in the process. The ability to instantly dial any point of interest (e.g., to check on store hours) is brilliant. The volume from the speaker is reasonably loud. I also tried sending the audio to my car stereo using an audio cable, and the output seemed a bit low (I had to turn my car stereo way up). I have not yet tried sending the audio to my car stereo using the FM transmitter. I called my voicemail, and the built-in microphone picks up my voice reasonably well with the engine running. I'm not sure how well it would work with highway speeds. I'm told that the cheap Garmin microphone (which plugs into the cradle, not the unit) improves voice quality.

>>>>>UPDATE: This is true -- the microphone is an improvement, though it adds yet another long cord to your long cord collection. Also, I've tried the FM transmitter. It works, albeit with a certain amount of static. I imagine this feature would intolerable if you are driving a long way.

Other features: I haven't used the SD card slot for anything. I haven't tried the photo viewer or the mp3 player, and I probably won't.

Build Quality: Seems solid. The unit has a certain heft to it, and it's covered in a soft, rubbery coating. I've also dropped it already (because I'm an idiot) -- still working beautifully.

Suggested improvements: Garmin doesn't make it easy to look up the actual coordinates (latitude and longitude) for favorites or points of interest. This information should be available at the press of a button.

Needless to say, I'm pleased with my purchase. The 756t is not cheap right now, and if you can live without the new features, you might be better off with an older unit. That said, if you're looking for a gps device with all of the latest features and compatibility, this seems to be a solid pick.

Thanks:
http://astore.amazon.com/garmin.nuvi.765t.gps.cheap-20