Gps Question

[donnier]

Im looking into getting a GPS unit and was wondering who here is using one and which brand is it?

How well it works for you?

Thanks.

 

[Pawpaw]

It would be easier to answer your question if you told us how you want to use it.



For instance, for in-vehicle, on-highway navigation, I use Delorme Streets Atlas on my laptop. This is connected to a Delorme Earthmate GPS receiver on the dash.



Obviously, this would not work for hiking.



Bob

 

[rbattelle]

I have one I use almost exclusively for hiking... Garmin GPS 12. Old model. I've had it since 1998, I think. Still works perfectly.

Ryan

 

[Bill Stockard]

We've used a Garmin 2620 (now a discontinued model) for several years in our truck. It has been very helpful when traveling with the slide in truck camper for driving through cities and locating remote campgrounds. I bought a portable model so we could use it in our '00 GMC Jimmy we had at the time.



Last year my wife bought an '06 Honda Odyssey Touring with the built in navagation system. It's OK and the larger screen is nice, but it's not near as good nor does it have as many features as the Garmin.



Bill

 

[Ol'TrailDog]

I started out on the Army Rockwell PLUGR units for mapping vegetation plots and weed infestations. Now we have a bunch of the Garmin etreks which have lasted okay. Last year I went to the Garmin 76 models. The etreks are very compact.



We use them mostly for GPSing campsites, outfitter camps, structures, and incidents, e. g. caches, abandon equipment, trail projects.



I also bought the pelican 1030 box for the model 76. Maybe they will last longer during the fall rain-snow in the saddlebags

 

[donnier]

Bob, what Im specifically looking for is a unit that I can put on the dash for road trips to unknown areas.

 

[jkalchik]

My g/f got me a Garmin GPS V for Christmas several years ago. I am a fan of Garmin, both products and service. This is an old unit, I do have to plan a bit to get the right map detail loaded in for road trips.

My biggest complaint is that Garmin's Mapsource detail is really poor once you get outside a major metro area. I wish there was a way to get detail out of Delorme StreetAtlas into the GPS V.

 

[Pawpaw]

Bob, what Im specifically looking for is a unit that I can put on the dash for road trips to unknown areas.

If you already have a laptop, then it's hard to beat either Delorme Streets Atlas or Microsoft Streets & Trips. I've been using Delorme for over 10 years now.



My job has me travelling all over the country most of the time. Sometimes I drive, but mostly I fly in and pick up a rental car. With the laptop, I can figure out where my work sites, hotels, etc. are and mark them on the map. When I arrive in the area, its as simple as picking my starting and finishing points.



Both programs will give you spoken turn-by-turn directions as you drive. Delorme also has voice input so you can control most of the major functions without taking your hands or eyes off the road. Beyond that, it's really a matter of preference. The two programs have wildly different interfaces, so most people tend to love one of them and hate the other. No map in the world is 100% accurate, so you will sometimes bump into those errors.



One thing is the price. If you already have a laptop, you can get the software with GPS receiver for $100 - $150. Throw in a DC-AC inverter to keep the laptop running, and you have a Cadillac system for just a little money.



If you don't already have a laptop, then you'll probably want to look at one of the small units that stick to the windshield. Some of them look pretty nice, but the laptop screen has me spoiled. I don't think I could go backwards.



Be aware, the laptop with wires & such can get pretty fiddly. Most of my travel is by myself. In that case, I put the laptop in the passenger seat and life is easy. When I travel with the family, it has to sit on the center armrest and one of us has to hold it. If my 8-year-old grandson is along, he loves to hold it in his lap and operate the computer as we go.



I could invest in a Jotto Desk or some other laptop mount in the truck, but I just don't use it there often enough to justify the cost.



Hope this helps you a little.





Bob

 

[ToolManTimTaylor]

TomTom go910.



No chips, 20GB hd holds everything and more . I have about 38,000 miles on him so far. All unknown addresses too.