Automotive GPS

[OldePharte]

Re: Automotive GPS

Not to change the subject, BUT, does anyone remember how to read a map????????

Be being old school, I used to use maps (since retired). I was a road warrior for over 30 years (safety guy), traveling 7 Midwestern states. That's one reason why I joined AAA. When DeLorme started to produce state gazetteers, I got those as well. These are almost to a county level with back roads shown.

A GPS wouldn't help much for some calls that called for "go past the third stand of pine trees and turn left. At the gray barn, turn right and keep going until the road almost ends, and turn left again. Go through the tree line and you'll see us."

Besides, I like the sense of the hunt to get from point A to point B.

 

[arboldt]

Re: Automotive GPS

Not to change the subject, BUT, does anyone remember how to read a map????????

I'm one who still uses maps, and I'm still over a year from turning 60. When we travel (ok, not a lot) we try to stop at the different states' welcome centers to get their official maps, to keep my stash current. We also have a 10-year-old atlas.

I recognize it's not fashionable to depend on printed maps, but I've never had a wrong turn or gotten lost using a map.

I have tried friends' routing programs and/or GPS, and quite often they route the longer, more difficult, congested, or convoluted way. Yesterday I had to drive to a place 75 miles away. Mapquest and Google maps both routed me on 2-lane roads that would have taken at least 30 minutes longer than interstates that added less than 5 miles.

When I visit my family, going from SW Michigan to S central Minnesota, all the routing tools take me through the middle of Chicago, over tollways, through Wisconsin. I go through Iowa and up. I figure it costs me about 30 miles and saves me over 2 hours due to less congestion. And it's *much* easier on me!

So I guess I'm skeptical on any routing algorithms.

 

[wuttja]

Re: Automotive GPS

If you are looking for a decent entry-level GPS, this one always is rated well by Consumer Reports and is $160 at CompUSA.
TomTom ONE XL

 

[Scooch_2]

Re: Automotive GPS

My first automotive GPS was TomTom One Second edition. I have had it for a year and a half and have liked it. My only regrets with the unit were the screen size and the fact that it did not have the text to speech capability (it will tell you the name of the road/street you are turning on rather than "turn left") that the higher end models have. It does some annoying things like telling you to stay in the left lane and then tells you to take the exit on the right. I'm guessing that is related to the maps I have on the device.

I recently purchased a Garmin Nuvi 770 for the larger screen and text to speech functions. I travel to Germany for work so I wanted the model that had European maps (I had purchased them for the TomTom). I haven't taken any long trips with it yet, but so far I like it.

I would be comfortable purchasing a TomTom or Garmin. My only requirements are the larger wide screen and the text to speech functionality.

 

[Benny1963]

Re: Automotive GPS

i have been useing tom toms cheapest version ,but bought a navman from radio shack way better than my tom tom 99$ 30 days to upgrade or get money back

 

[rwise]

Re: Automotive GPS

Well, now that I have used the Tomtom go one, it is hands down the worst gps I have used! It gets lost, takes you out of the way (23 miles past the destination at one point before "do a U turn asap" ) it could not find addresses in Kissemmee FL or even my own street address, or points of interest such as cocoa beach. The audible prompts say stay right when the visual shows left. It claims to be able to use any USB to do updates but can only use it IF it has windows or mac OS, so no updates for me.

I would only recommend this unit to my X wife!

 

[Dunaruna]

Re: Automotive GPS

Maybe it's a country thing - dunno, but my tomtom with bluetooth is great, I've used it on back back back roads in the middle of nowhere and it never got me lost. Plus, she has kinda of a sexy voice

 

[kenmyfam]

Re: Automotive GPS

Maybe it's a country thing - dunno, but my tomtom with bluetooth is great, I've used it on back back back roads in the middle of nowhere and it never got me lost. Plus, she has kinda of a sexy voice

I agree. Our TomTom has never let us down. We have been in the middle of nowhere and it has always found the way. By the way we now have the "Mullet Man" directing us. Some really great phrases used.