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Gps

15K views 45 replies 17 participants last post by  VanDamme 
#1 ·
Do you use one?

I have for years and wouldn't ever think about using paper maps again.

It is so nice punching in a new customers address and not have to worry about reading directions as you drive.

Having said that, I'm sad to say my beloved Garmin 2610 LINK is getting a little long in the tooth.

It takes 7 or 8 attempts to calibrate the screen, and then only keeps that calibration for a week or so.

After researching for a few hours, I found this GPS which I'm going to try I'm anticipating that I will really like the 5" screen.

Will post on how I like it after it arrives.

If I end up sending it back for whatever reason(s), I think I will send my 2610 in for repairs. Yup.....I like it that much!
 
#2 ·
In my state, they (Mormon Settlers) laid all the streets out in a grid. All the streets are numbered 100, 200, 300 North, South, West or East. So all addresses are like 210 East 300 South.
Easy to find if you are driving around and know how it works, but for some reason it is all messed up on GPS and Google Maps.
Drives the guys crazy when I map it, and it is an empty lot!
 
#13 ·
Chicago is the same way. But, there is the odd neighborhood that the streets are running at an angle, circles etc and it comes in real handy. And of course its very usefull when I'm in a suburb that I'm not familiar with.

The funny thing about a GPS is its way to easy to rely on. I've been in an out of the way neighborhood for a week or so, and if you took away my GPS, I wouldn't know how to get to my job! :whistling2:
 
#12 ·
Had a Garmin for years. All of the local SWs are in the favorites as well as a few other stores. From any jobsite or estimate/etc, just hit my favorites and pick the closest one. When I have a lot of estimates in a row, I'll punch in all of the addresses at the beginning of the day and just drive from place to place without having to worry.

The GPS doesn't always find the most direct or even the most intuitive route, but I still stick to what's on there just because it's convenient to follow the GPS directions without having to pay too much attention to the road.

BTW - I have the "talking" feature always turned off. It is extremely annoying, imo.
 
#14 ·
I still print maps and stick them in the jobs folder. Might one day make the leap to a GPS, given that I've lived in the same area my whole life, I pretty much know where I am going.
 
#38 ·
Well.......The Nextar 5" GPS has good intentions and I really like the unit and how the touch screen works, but execution is really lacking, along with the voice directions.

I believe I have a faulty unit as it took multiple attempts to get to the navigation menu. It also took 8 minutes or so to acquire the GPS signals.

But.....once I got past that, I had a chance to try it out.

It's going back. I have a TomTom XXL540S (5") and a Magellan 1475T (4.7") ordered that should arrive Saturday. I'll see which one I prefer and sell the other one at a good buy.
 
#39 ·
Update:

The TomTom XXL540S is out of the running for a couple of (minor) reasons. It doesn't shut off or turn on when plugged in to a switched outlet in the truck. That means you are required to turn it off and turn it on with every stop. It also doesn't announce what side your destination is on such as "Arriving at destination on right"

The screen is excellent. The voices are super clear. I really like that it displays ETA, speed and other info on the main screen.


The Magellan 1475T is on the short list. Not only does it announce what side the destination is on, it announces the complete address such as "Arrive at destination on left 11675 NW Main st." This saves me from looking at the address of the destination I had printed out before I left.

The unit turns off and back on when plugged in to a switched outlet in the truck (this is good). I use the GPS as my truck speedometer, so I always need the GPS on when in the truck.

The voice (only one) is super clear.

A couple of negatives is the touch screen needs a solid push to work. Light tapping on the screen will not work.

The map lags slightly. When you are approaching a turn, the GPS will show your position 50-75' feel before the turn. The "ding" that plays when you are to make the turn, however, is right on the money.

There is only one information tab on the main screen. In this tab, you can display speed, ETA, distance to destination, elevation, etc. I really would like to see ETA AND speed. You need to scroll through this tab to see the different information.

After researching further, I see that the Garmin 1400 series can display the information I want on the right side of the screen



I ordered a model 1450 that will be here Tuesday. I'm replacing a Garmin, so I know they work good. I wish the Garmin announced the destination address, but I know it doesn't.
 
#40 ·
After messing around with the Garmin 1450 in simulated mode (running routes indoors), I got a pleasant surprise.

It not only says what side your destination is on, but it also announces the house number (like the Magellan 1470T) A feature I really like! Not only that, but when navigating to a POI, it will announce that POI when you are arriving. For instance, if I choose 7-Eleven as my destination, the Garmin will announce "Arriving at 7-eleven on right"

The 4 information tabs on the right are totally configurable with whatever information you want in each tab form a predefined list. Or, if you wish, the tabs don't even need to be displayed at all.

The display quality is excellent. The voice(s) are super clear when pronouncing street names and numbers.

The boss man (my 4-year-old) and I have some running around to do today, so I will see how it work on the road, although, I think it's just what I want.



Oh.......some of you may be saying "Man! he sure is anal about his GPS since he's on his 4th one in a week"

The answer is a resounding YES! Haha!
 
#41 · (Edited)
Waiting to pick up my boy from school. So I thought I'd tell y'all about my recent purchase.

Just picked up 3 TomTom Live's a week ago. One for me, my wife and one of my daughters. I've been using my phone and forgot how great they are. I just heard a beep from my tomtom. It was warning me of a upcoming red light photo. Being in Calif. there popping up at every major intersection. Thought that was sweet and of course its for my safety :whistling2:
 
#44 ·
... I just heard a beep from my tomtom. It was warning me of a upcoming red light photo. Being in Calif. there popping up at every major intersection. Thought that was sweet and of course its for my safety :whistling2:
You'd love it in London, Gabe. Nigh on every ruddy traffic light has a camera on it. TomTom doesn't stop beeping :rolleyes:
I really only bought mine for the camera's for lights and the Gatso's. If I had continued to work in London like I used to, I would consider something from these folks>>> SNOOPERUK, they have some good kit ;)
 
#42 ·
Final Choice???

So Van Damme, what was the final choice for the GPS unit? I have been toying with the idea of getting some for the work vehicles even though we have navigation on the phones. Just seems a little safer since a quick glance at the screen will provide more information without having to take your eyes from the road as much as a smart phone requires.
 
#43 ·
So Van Damme, what was the final choice for the GPS unit? I have been toying with the idea of getting some for the work vehicles even though we have navigation on the phones. Just seems a little safer since a quick glance at the screen will provide more information without having to take your eyes from the road as much as a smart phone requires.
Dean, I also have great navigation on my phone, but prefer a dedicated GPS not only for the safety of it, but I also use it as my speedometer since the truck has over sized tires on it and I'm too lazy to get the electronics recalibrated.

I ended up with the Garmin 1450 and really couldn't like it more. Love the 5" screen.
 
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