Dreamsend
Well-known member
- Joined
- Aug 16, 2016
- Posts
- 614
I read about and contemplated getting a GPS for many months and just couldn't get past the bad remarks. But, last June I purchased the Garmin 770 because it seemed some of the glitches had been worked out, and I began to think that people didn't set the system up correctly to begin with (like taking time to update software before they hurriedly used it). I have had no problems with this unit. I luv it! Once in awhile, it's not been able to find my search location, but they were weird probably.
I used it around town while still in Indianapolis and I think I figured out why it sometimes takes you on a route that is NOT the shortest, fastest available. My neighborhood was old, all residential and small corner businesses and all right angles with various route choices to my "home". Basically, it would choose the residential route that had the largest streets, or no parking, or least dense housing rather than route you down the normal side-streets that everyone who lives there uses. This makes sense to me because how else might you choose routes except from aerial photos, street widths, density of houses, etc. and similar stuff. I determined that this was not a failure of the unit, but just the was the data was interpreted and programmed. But, after ignoring it's choices of either 2 blocks north or 2 blocks south of the street I normally took to "home" a couple of times, it learned the new side-street and routed me that way. I didn't think it had that capability, but apparently it does for routes one uses repeatedly.
And I like the "categories" feature where you can choose "restaurants" for example, and then select a sub-set of things like pizza, steakhouse, coffee/donuts, Asian, etc. This has been great when in strange cities. Then it links you to the Trip Adviser rating if you want. It has been wonderful for running around the Black Hills and finds my route back no matter where I start from away from the trailer. You can do gas stations, recreations, rv service, campgrounds and more.
I have not used it to avoid tunnels or overpasses etc. so can't comment on that yet. Also, I've not used the phone software for live traffic updates, because I'm not been in any type of hurry to worry about traffic.
Anyway, I felt impressed enough with it to encourage anyone contemplating this unit to take a chance. Just be sure to follow the set-up instructions from Garmin religiously before you try to use it.
Regards
Linda
I used it around town while still in Indianapolis and I think I figured out why it sometimes takes you on a route that is NOT the shortest, fastest available. My neighborhood was old, all residential and small corner businesses and all right angles with various route choices to my "home". Basically, it would choose the residential route that had the largest streets, or no parking, or least dense housing rather than route you down the normal side-streets that everyone who lives there uses. This makes sense to me because how else might you choose routes except from aerial photos, street widths, density of houses, etc. and similar stuff. I determined that this was not a failure of the unit, but just the was the data was interpreted and programmed. But, after ignoring it's choices of either 2 blocks north or 2 blocks south of the street I normally took to "home" a couple of times, it learned the new side-street and routed me that way. I didn't think it had that capability, but apparently it does for routes one uses repeatedly.
And I like the "categories" feature where you can choose "restaurants" for example, and then select a sub-set of things like pizza, steakhouse, coffee/donuts, Asian, etc. This has been great when in strange cities. Then it links you to the Trip Adviser rating if you want. It has been wonderful for running around the Black Hills and finds my route back no matter where I start from away from the trailer. You can do gas stations, recreations, rv service, campgrounds and more.
I have not used it to avoid tunnels or overpasses etc. so can't comment on that yet. Also, I've not used the phone software for live traffic updates, because I'm not been in any type of hurry to worry about traffic.
Anyway, I felt impressed enough with it to encourage anyone contemplating this unit to take a chance. Just be sure to follow the set-up instructions from Garmin religiously before you try to use it.
Regards
Linda
