Garmin Street Pilot Iii Deluxe ?

[y-knot]

I hope this is where I should ask about this. I was just wandering if anyone else has the GARMIN street pilot III deluxe? What did you think ? Any problems getting it up and running? commits? Thanks

 

[JJW_ND]

Great Unit!

We have 6 of them at work. They are pretty awswome. Here in ND, the older Metroguide maps are better then the City Navigator the unit ships with. Either has very good street level detail and very good Points of Interest.



We run them with Ram mounts (suction cup mount). No extra antannas.



The ability to change maps as better become available is really nice.



You will like it.





jjw

ND

 

[Dkevdog]

We also have them in all our CO vehicles, after using one in my Ram for over a year. I love mine- Very accurate and intelligent, and the price just dropped quite a bit. At work we have the suction moutns, in my truck I have the Ram mount ball type system, works flawlessly. I highly reccommend getting one of the external antennas though- especially if you travel through wooded roads. The OEM antenna that comes with unit will lose satillite reception in the woods. I've never had a problem with the external mount antenna even mounted on the inside just sitting on the dash- even in the dense California Redwoods.



Kev

 

[Skydiver]

Great unit.

I bought mine from www.gpsnow.com .

When you get it let someone else do the driving so you can learn how it works faster. About 2 hours and you will get the hang of it.



One thing I liked about mine was when driving back from Wyoming last July we were in some mountains in Ar. The roads were 1 mile of straight then hair pin turns. I set the gps on a 500 foot scale so I could see the upcoming hair pin turns and SLOW down. Kind of like being able to see what was a mile ahead.

You will not be sorry you bought it. Just don't let it take your attention away from driving.

Tim

 

[OTRPU]

Been running one for 9 months, really love it. Only complaint, most GPS is a history book. It's saying take this exit, then this exit is barracaded off. Good thing is it will rather quickly come back with a work around and get you back where you wanted to get to. Having address level detail is great, cept when the address I need wasn't developed when the maps were digitized. I'm picky, won't be happy till I can get daily updates for road construction and new developments off the internet. Also hate the fact that Garmin used a proprietary memory chip, but most everybody does this. You won't be running it off the unit batteries very long, it's a battery hog. My 12v adapter is connected and on 10 hours a day 6 days a week. I get along fine using the bean bag mount. I've tried several Laptop based GPS', DeLorme, AAA, Microsoft, et al. Some cheaper, and like the size of the Street Pilot better. Seen several Built-ins, They're as nice or nicer, but for the money Street Pilot is hard to beat. I stop anywhere and don't want somebody to walk away with it, I take it off the dash and sorta hide it under the cup holder. Prolly kidding myself, they just took my lil buds whole dam truck when they couldn't get his SnapOn tool boxes open. He used to be a dealer, had 3 big boxes chucked full. Had all the receipts so he was happy enough with the insurance settlement. Nothing to do with the GPS, guess I just feel like yacking.



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Tow Safe,

Steve J.

 

[y-knot]

Thanks for all replys. It arrived yesterday, and I spent the better part of it , trying to get everything load, configured. I can see where it might be a distraction going down the road, trying to drive and watch the screen. Today got to run over to the doctor office, i'm going to take it and watch while the wife drives(been to this docotr 50 times, but i'm curious). Do you guys run an external antenna? Wife can't see laying out the cash for it, but then again she can't see it for most of my toys, just learn to order and tell her when the ups mane show-up.

 

[bighammer]

I have a Garmin GPSMAP 176 that I got off eBay for about $350. Oo. I really like it. Built in base map has a lot of info about services at each exit, etc. I can add more detail with a CD of the Metroguide, or the Roads & Recreation. I use it on my boats so I have the great lakes Blue Chart on it.

 

[OTRPU]

Hi y-knot, personally I don't use, and really haven't found a need for anything but the built in antennae. About the only time I loose the signal is going through tunnels, and occasionally if surrounded by very tall buildings. It's LOS, Line Of Sight, so if it can't see the sats it will alarm and say signal lost. This LOS is true of all GPS. Downtown Chicago and places like this can be a problem if you're really trying to navigate to destination you don't know. Took wifey to Lake Powell, didn't take the Garmin, but use a Lawrance GPS/Depth finder on the toonboat. Up most those canyons GPS doesn't have a chance, and they keep forking. Really can lose your way unless you scribe a rough map on way in to help return. Some of them go in for miles. I have a much greater problem dropping XM radio signal, everytime I pass a semitrailer, so I scoot right on around that puppy. I'm so cheap I haven't even gotten an external antennae for my cellphone. Haven't needed it so far, but have been places where is displays "no service". Most the time around any kind of population on the Interstates I'm good to go. Off road and in the out back is a totally different story. Tree canopy is enough to block GPS. I used my Street Pilot to deliver a mail pickup route I helped my sis out on yesterday. Out of 20 Post Offices only had 2 that it didn't have the actual address in the software. Had one close enough I got there though. If I hadn't had the Pilot I'd have been much later returning to terminal than the hour and 20 minutes I was. Since I was a new temp employee, one Post Master refused to give me the Express Mail, and took him a half hour to tell me this. Another Postmaster *****ed at me for 20 minutes telling me I'd never make it to terminal on time. I called sis and told her I was willing to help her out until she found a replacement driver, but I hated doing the route. I'm OTR driver, routes suck as far as I'm concerned. I'm home today. . . she found somebody to run the route. I told several Postmasters along the way that I'm certain there's a "Special Place In Heaven" for Postal Carriers. They all laughed, said it only took you one day to find that out, I said yup, all it took. Many in my family either workd for or have retired from the US Postal Service. That work sucks in my opinion. Don't know how they do it 30 years.



Regards,

Steve J.