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Post by Chicago Jake on Mar 19, 2008 1:04:52 GMT -6
Okay, a couple quick and possibly stupid questions. I'm a cheap bastard, so I'm interested in some of the possibly hidden costs.
a) Is there any sort of monthly fee for the service to run these things? Those GPS satellites don't run themselves, I don't figure. If it's like a Tivo where you buy it, but then keep paying month after month after month, I'm not going to be happy.
b) How about map updates? Things ch-ch-change all the time. Do you have to pay for updates? Or is it like Windows XP, where it updates itself for free, even if you don't want it to?
Thanks again, everyone. Lots of good stuff here.......Jake
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Post by dave on Mar 19, 2008 9:38:34 GMT -6
Jake,
No there is no fee. Just plug and play.
The Garmin Nuvii 250 does come pre-loaded with all of North America not just the USA. It seems to be a pretty accurate map so far. Updates are available on their web-site as they become available. There is no fee. You can buy Maps of other countries on an SD card but they are expensive. As I am a cheap bastard as well, I would not spend the extra money unless I frequent that country alot.
As I stated before, the Garmin is easier to use than the Tom. The Garmin also has JPEG viewer which can be nice when travelling to show off pics.
Dave
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Post by Chicago Jake on Mar 19, 2008 9:42:48 GMT -6
Thanks, Dave! That's just what I needed to know......Jake
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Post by bigdog8088 on Mar 20, 2008 18:16:08 GMT -6
Hey Jake...I bought Gail a Garmin street Pilot 330 There simply Marvelous..Easy to use and full of Features...I think the software thats loaded on them has something like 6 millon points of Interest...Need gas, Food, a Bank. or a place to sleep..The street Pilot will find it... Tap the screen and the machine will give you a travel log..Milage,Time,Max speed. Avg speed etc. Also if you miss a turn..The Machine can recalulate your route in about 10 seconds.. Come across an Accident..The machine can find a detour around it...I think you can find Garmins starting out at 200..I hope this Helps...Say Hello to Ishtar and the rest for us.. Have a great Vacation.................G & G
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Post by Chicago Jake on Mar 20, 2008 23:52:50 GMT -6
Thanks, George. Are you and Gail going to be joining us this April? Sounds like not, from your post. It won't be the same without youse guys......Jake
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Post by bigdog8088 on Mar 21, 2008 2:17:17 GMT -6
Thanks for the Kind Words Jake..We are passing on our April trip this Year.. I've takin the time off next Dec..Hopefully we Will see ya then..
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Post by Chicago Jake on Mar 22, 2008 19:24:03 GMT -6
Well, it was a horse race between the TomTom One 3rd edition and the Garmin Nuvi 200, and it looks like they would both have been excellent choices. But I picked the Garmin, mostly because (according to several websites that did head-to-head comparisons) it generated better routes. Also, of course, based on recommendations right here. It was also slightly cheaper, and I am after all a cheap bastard. Got it for $150 at Amazon (with free shipping).
Now comes the long slow wait for the new toy to arrive!........Jake
P.S. - thanks for all the advice!
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Post by ♥ COVID-19♥ on Mar 23, 2008 15:12:42 GMT -6
... and I am after all a cheap bastard. ... And then some.
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Post by Chicago Jake on Mar 23, 2008 22:03:48 GMT -6
... and I am after all a cheap bastard. ... And then some. Head or gut?
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Post by ♥ COVID-19♥ on Mar 24, 2008 16:36:07 GMT -6
Thanks for the offer, but you're not the person I'd want head from (as much of a shock as that may be to you).
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Post by Chicago Jake on Mar 31, 2008 23:35:22 GMT -6
Jake, I have only used a land based GPS once (and don't remember the brand) and only had one flaw or option I wish it had. I was sitting in a parking lot perpendicular to the road and punched in an address, the response was "continue for .7 miles...." I'm sitting perpendicular to the road, continue in which direction? If the response had been "continue East" and given me a small compass (or for that matter my truck has a built in compass) things would have been great. As it was I started to work my way out of the parking lot and the GPS told me several times I was going in the wrong direction and tried to re-calculate the directions, by the time I got to the exit I still didn't know which way to turn onto the main road and of course picked the wrong way. It took about a block before the GPS finally re-calculated and told me I was going in the wrong direction. Short answer: The GPS I used was a "narrative only" inexpensive one and mapping or at least compass reference points would have been a great option. Hank P.S. My marine GPS gives me a compass heading and all I do is point the boat and go. Hey, Hank, I've found that my unit does the same thing. But it kind of makes sense. It is based on satellites, and unless you are moving, it has no way of knowing which way you are heading! It knows where you ARE, but that's it. I've found that I need to pick a road, and a direction, on my own. After I've done that, the unit can make an intelligent decision about what I should do. But just sitting in a parking lot, it has no idea where I am facing. So far, I'm having lots of fun with the unit! More news as it develops.......Jake
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Post by Ardbeg... innit on Apr 1, 2008 5:26:12 GMT -6
Actually, there is always a little bit of signal drift, due to small inaccuracies in the signal, OR in urban areas, multipathing (the satellite signal taking a longer path to your unit due to bouncing off buildings). These small inaccuracies can be interpreted as movement, and hence, assigned a direction.
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Post by Hank on Apr 1, 2008 5:28:29 GMT -6
Hey, Hank, I've found that my unit does the same thing. But it kind of makes sense. It is based on satellites, and unless you are moving, it has no way of knowing which way you are heading! It knows where you ARE, but that's it. I've found that I need to pick a road, and a direction, on my own. After I've done that, the unit can make an intelligent decision about what I should do. But just sitting in a parking lot, it has no idea where I am facing. So far, I'm having lots of fun with the unit! More news as it develops.......Jake Jake, I understand how the GPS calculates it's responses. I guess my point was if the GPS response had of been "continue NORTH for......" I could have made an educated guess as to which way to turn leaving the parking lot instead of a blind guess at the statement "continue for......." I still like the GPS on the boat better. I press in a destination and it gives me an arrow on a compass and I spin the boat around to line up with the arrow and off I go. Hank
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Post by dean on Apr 4, 2008 16:21:39 GMT -6
Several reviews have picked Garmin first due to better routing and easier to use. I've used the Garmin Nuvi 200 and 250. I strongly suggest getting a model like the Nuvi 250 that has "text to speach" so that it announced the name of the road. You get "Turn right .2 miles ahead on Broadway Avenue" rather than "Turn right in .2 miles". It doesn't seem like a big deal until you are moving along on unfamiliar roads or there is a very unique intersection.
We travelled from Illinois to Florida for spring break and one of the coolest things on the Nuvi is to see the local food, gas, hotel, shopping, etc. near your current position, near your desitnation, or along your current route. Very useful!
I'd strongly suggest a Garmin with text to speach.
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Post by Exildo Wonsetler Briggs III on Apr 4, 2008 20:52:46 GMT -6
If I didn't mention it before, one of the *main* features necessary is recalculation of your route if you meander off the beaten path. When I was doing a lot of business traveling, I finally *always* made sure my Hertz car had their GPS in it. It was a life-saver.
There are times when two or more exits from a highway are so close that you can get confused which one the GPS is telling you to enter. What can happen is you exit the highway, then immediately there are two more exits, and you can't quite tell which one you're supposed to go onto. If you miss the correct one, you want the damn thing to recalculate and head you in the right direction.
I drove around in circles one day in Phoenix at least three times before I figured out which exit I needed as I left the airport on what should have been a simple route. But, then again, sometimes I'm a slow learner.
I like Garmin!!
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Post by nolaflacav on Apr 4, 2008 21:03:44 GMT -6
I had my first GPS in the last Acura I bought. I am sure the technology has improved immensely since then. But it always drove me crazy when recalculating. It was too slow.
I would get off course and it would start the recalculation process. But I would continue to go and many times had to make more decisions on direction ch-ch-changes. This would keep the GPS in a constant cycle of trying to keep up with my alterations to the proposed route.
Sometimes If I was totally lost in these situations I would just have to pull over and stop to allow it catch up to what I had done and to reset the directions. Once we were back in synch I could then proceed.
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Post by Exildo Wonsetler Briggs III on Apr 4, 2008 22:32:37 GMT -6
I had my first GPS in the last Acura I bought. I am sure the technology has improved immensely since then. But it always drove me crazy when recalculating. It was too slow. They are a whole lot faster these days! Within seconds . . . My GPS story? I was visiting a friend in Orlando. I was staying near the airport in a motel. I drove to his condo, no problem. I enjoyed the visit, then hit the road back to the motel. No problem. I entered the freeway, drove off and remembered that in about 10 miles I had to take the right fork in the road. 20 miles later, there was STILL no fork!! Thankfully, the motel was plugged into my GPS, so I decided to finally set the route to the motel, wondering why I hadn't done it before. I couldn't believe what it said! I was about 30 miles OFF COURSE!! BULLSHIT!! NO FUCKING WAY!! I drove another fucking 20 miles before I, realizing I was FUCKING LOST, decided to ask for directions, which AIN'T something ANY REAL MAN ever does, only to find I had been driving directly OPPOSITE the direction I wanted. I finally trusted my GPS, plugged in the motel, and found I was 50 fucking miles from the motel!! DUMB SHIT MAN CAN'T ASK FOR DIRECTIONS!! ;D ;D ;D
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Post by Chicago Jake on Apr 17, 2008 13:29:46 GMT -6
Well, I should probably give you an update, as thanks for all the advice. The Garmin showed up, and it's great. It recalculates in a matter of seconds if you miss a turn. In fact, I often deliberately ignore its commands just to see if it will get ornery (it never does).
The database and the routing algorithm are amazing. It has already shown me better paths in my own neighborhood than the ones I've developed on my own over the years.
I don't have too many voice options, but I did select "British English" which is a sexy female voice that reminds me of Deanna Troi. Just the ticket for being told what to do!.......Jake
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Post by Ardbeg... innit on Apr 17, 2008 13:36:45 GMT -6
In fact, I often deliberately ignore its commands just to see if it will get ornery (it never does). That reminds me of an episode of MythBusters, where the hosts were seeing if a civilian could land a modern jet by being 'talked down'. They were in a NASA flight simulator, trying to land a 767 on their own without any assistance, only the onboard computer. The computer finnaly got so fed up that its voice command was "Don't think...Don't think...Don't think..."
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