Koz
Expert Class
Posts: 304
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posted May 13, 2002 05:38 AM
 Edited By: Koz on 13 May 2002 06:45
GPS Recommended
My Recommendation For GPS
Let me start by saying that I am a fanatical consumer. I consider myself as a educated consumer. I can't just go to a store and buy something/anything. My wife doesn't even like me to go food shopping with her because I have to compare everything.
Anyway, I spent a great deal of time comparing ALL the units that were under $400. There are several units that are under $100 that are pretty good.
To me the number 1 feature it had to have was max. speed (Fuckin A). Second, it had to be accuracy and have mapping. This kinda eliminates many units. As far as brands I found that Garmin and Magellan were the most popular with the largest selection of models, software, and support.
Originally I wanted to stay around $200, and found a nice Magellan unit (MAP 330). It had a lot of features but not Max. speed. Then I come to find that none of the Magellan units that I was interested in had Max. speed. Now I start looking at Garmin units. Every one of them had Max. speed, which is refreshed every second, even the sub $100 units. The cheaper units don't have mapping and "WAAS". WAAS is "Wide Area Augmentation System. Which is a FAA funded project to improve the accuracy & integrity of the GPS signal. It uses a separate satellite and ground references to correct the signal. It can produce accuracy of 6 to 9 FEET, and without it your looking at approx. 45 feet. WAAS is only available in North America. All the GPS units use a 12 parallel channel receiver, which continuously tracks and uses up to 12 satellites.
It came down to the Garmin GPS V (5). Let me tell you about some of its features;
The best feature that separates this unit from all the other handheld units is the "Auto Routing and Auto Tracking". You can pick a starting point and destination from either the unit itself or a PC (By entering either waypoints, addresses, or marking a spot on the electronic maps), then the unit automatically creates a route (based on your preferences). You then start driving and the unit gives you turn-by-turn text directions. As you approach each turn a alarm comes on and alerts you of the up coming turn and graphically shows a arrow on the map display . It gives you the time and distance to next turn and the entire route. If you miss a turn the alarm will alert you and automatically recalculate a new route to get you back on track. The auto tracking feature leaves an electronic breadcrumb trail that you can save/edit. Tracking/routing also features back tracking. You can store 20 routes with 50 points, 500 waypoints with names and graphic symbols, 10 auto tracks, 100+ map & user datums. Total of 19 meg.
It comes with City Select software that was specially designed for this unit. They break up N. America (+ Canada) into 7 sections and they allow you to use only one (Of your choice). To get all it's an additional cost. The accuracy and detail is amazing.
On the navigating display page(One of several different display pages) you can display six fields. There are 33 fields of info., such as;
Bearing, Course, Course to steer, Distance to final, Distance to next waypoint, ETA to final, ETA to next, Elevation, Heading, Max. speed, Current speed, Moving average speed, Overall average speed, Next destination, Odometer, Off course, Sunrise, Sunset, Current time (atomic), Trip Odometer, Trip time moving, trip time stopped, Trip time total, Time and distance to next turn, etc.
Some of the other features;
The unit weighs 9oz w/batteries
Batt. Life = up to 25 hours (depending on backlight setting)
Waterproof = 30 min submerged
Displays in landscape + portrait
Adjustable backlight + contrast
All displays can zoom + pan, Autozoom when following a route
Modes of operation - Marine, Car/Motorcycle, Off-road Car/walking
Find function - By name, Address, Cities, intersections, highway exits, nearest waypoint/mark,
Back-Track routing
Count down/up timers
Graphic Compass
Lock on roads (Map display)
Measures distance on map display
Fishing and hunting (Best times)
Calender w/text reminders
Alarm clock (With text)
Gas mileage calculator w/active odometer
Games
The operating software (In the unit) is constantly being improved and can be upgraded (via internet) for free.
Plus more!
All I can say is this fucking thing has more data then you can imagine/use.
Price = $360
Koz
  
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redelk
Moderator
Please... speak to the hand.
Posts: 3212
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posted May 13, 2002 06:27 AM
You forgot one thing....
SERVICE!
I can't speak for those "other guys", but I can tell you that Garmin's is second to none. Period. I would have bought a GPS V to replace my broken old GPS III. I had already sent it back 2 years eariler. That time, 2 years past it's warranty, they fixed it for no charge. They even had replaced the button pad, which I had not requested.
This time, the battery door on the case broke off. They said that since I had "problems with it before" (yeah, two years ago), they would just chage half of the normal repair fee of $95. In less the 2 weeks from the time I sent it to them, I got it back.
Man, that new case made it look brand new. HEY! Wait a minuteIS IS A NEW ONE! Okay, since they don't sell the GPS III anymore (it's the GPS III Plus), it's refurbished. So after almost 5 years and $50, I got a new GPS. At this rate, I'll never get a chance to "upgrade".
____________
There are only three sports: bullfighting, motor racing, and mountaineering; all the rest are merely games.
-Ernest Hemingway
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