Need help with GPS selection

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Just Lou

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Dec 25, 2005
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My kids (and grand kids) want to get me a new GPS for Christmas.  One of Santa's Elves has told me that they are considering either a TomTom 730/740 330/340 or one of the Magellan models.  They are still open to others, as far as I know.

I've been looking at the Garmin 755t and really like it.

Is there enough difference in the operational features of these units to warrant making a selection suggestion?

Please help before Santa loads his sleigh :D ;D
 
Lou

I spent quite a bit of time researching before we hit the road and Garmin came up the clear winner.  My sister has a Tom tom and while she likes it we had them both in the car one day and our Nuvi 650 (now out of date) was always leading with the upcoming changes.

Magellan has been around for a long time and has it's champions does Tom Tom but Garmin has been the predominate choice for the travelers that I've talked to, gotta be safety in numbers.

Not familiar with the 755t but if it has the 4.3" screen I'd lean towards that, we use ours in both the coach and toad and Karen even uses it for her Geocaching, when it dies I'll be looking for another Garmin.

Cheers
Dale
 
Dale, thank you, and it's always good to hear from you.

I've just heard and read so many good reports on the Garmin products that I hate to discount it.

I think I'll steer Santa toward the 755t.

Enjoy your travels and have a Merry Christmas....
 
Like my new 755T. I stay with Garmin because I have a huge number of personal waypoints and don't want to learn how to move them to a different brand.
 
I have a Magellan Maestro 4250. Worked OK until I updated the firmware and map software. Now it freezes, reboots,messes up when calculating routes. Can't get support fgrom those clowns. WQill never get another Magellan product again.
 
BruceinFL said:
I have a Magellan Maestro 4250. Worked OK until I updated the firmware and map software. Now it freezes, reboots,messes up when calculating routes. Can't get support from those clowns. Will never get another Magellan product again.

I will concur with Bruce about Magellan products; not because of quality, but because of terrible factory support to those with questions and problems.  I have a Magellan handheld unit for geocaching and it works fine, but at the GC forums there are countless complaints from folks unable to get decent service or warranty.

For road GPS, I have one of the lower priced TomToms, a "110 something or other", and it has been satisfactory.  Next time I would go Garmin due to their reputation for service and reliability.

Dick
 
aka Porky said:
My kids (and grand kids) want to get me a new GPS for Christmas.  One of Santa's Elves has told me that they are considering either a TomTom 730/740 or one of the Magellan models.  They are still open to others, as far as I know.

I've been looking at the Garmin 755t and really like it.

Is there enough difference in the operational features of these units to warrant making a selection suggestion?

Please help before Santa loads his sleigh :D ;D

It's hard to know what features others will want in a GPS. But usually  I like Garmin units for vehicles and the Delorme PN40 for hiking.

With Garmin, one thing I must have is it has to work on internal battery, so I can use it even when not in a vehicle. I also want to be able to find locations by coordinates, which is handy when I am using it with other maps.

But there are a couple of features I don't have that I would like.

One is a magnetic (also called "electronic compass") compass (like my hiking units have) so I can use the unit from a dead stop and know which way to turn to start without that "please follow the highlighted route" nonsense. AFAIK, no road units have this feature yet, but I would be willing to pay double the price when they do. IOW, I want it to say "turn left on main street" as my first instruction, even if not moving.

Another is an "Avoid Road" feature where I can set for how what distance of how much of a road I want the GPS to pretend does not exist (handy for here in the SF Bay Area during peak traffic). I hear there is one Garmin that has that feature, but it has no internal battery.

-Don- SSF, CA​



 
  My first Magellan was exchanged after it alowed me to drive 70 miles and still show me in the same location.
  My second was returned after the touch screen lost calibration.
  Reluctantly I bought the Garmin 265 with traffic.
  It turned out to be better then expected. I have only a few complaints the worst being you can't preview your trip.
  The traffic feature and reroute is both helpful and accurate.
  Consumer Reports consistently rates Garmin in the top of the catagory. 
 
In my opinion, Garmin & Tom Tom are the brands of choice. They've been in the GPS Nav business since the very beginning and are here to stay. They provide regular map and software updates.  Others, including Magellan, seem to be fair market opportunists who are throwing out products haphazardly and forgetting about them once they are sold. They seldom support them with software fixes or new maps.  Last spring I tossed a top-of-the line Magellan 750 in the trash after its map got obsolete and the software got flaky. Magellan had totally dropped support for the device after only two years. No maps, no software and no factory repairs.
 
Thanks guys, you have convinced me to go with the Garmin.  I read a review/comparison of equally priced Garmin/TomTom/Magellan units (can't remember the model #s), but the end result was a preference for the Garmin routing and mapping functions.

Thanks again, lou
 
bigskymt said:
    It turned out to be better then expected. I have only a few complaints the worst being you can't preview your trip.  

I have a Garmin 260 (but not a 265), but it makes me ask a question about yours. After you receive the satellites and is ready, what happens when you touch the "Turn in" button, then press the up and down arrows? I see the entire trip preview that way, before I even start the trip.

Or are you talking about some other funtion?

-Don- SSF, CA​
 
Turn in, up down arrows??
  The old GPS 3+ did that. This one is similar.   
    I can touch drag the screen and zoom in/zoom out. It will highlight the entire route, like the3+ IF i want to sit there and follow it.
  The Magellan would display printed directions of every highway, every intersection, every turn for your review beforehand..........of course the Magellan told me I was still in W.Yellowstone, MT. when I was actually in Rexburg, ID.
  Thanks -Don-
 
 
To preview the whole trip/route on current Garmins:
-touch title bar to display list of turns
-touch show map button
 
bigskymt said:
Turn in, up down arrows??
   The old GPS 3+ did that.

No, I also own a GPS111+ (and countless other Garmin units) and those are NOT the arrows I am referring to.

In the Garmin Nuvi units, you will NOT see the arrows UNTIL you touch "Turn in" (bottom right of map, after it is set to go somewhere) on the display. Try it and get back to me.

-Don- SF, CA​
 
Don't know what it may mean, but last summer by brother-in-law got a tomtom and I got a Garmin. The Garmin would take me to his front door but his TomTom would only get him to the nearest major street. The maps may have been updated by now. Have been well pleased with Garmin and use in in the MH and Toad.
 
Can not help with a recommendation however can make a few comments:

1: I just got to play with a Panasonic Strata (mispelled I think) I do NOT recommend it.

2: GPS mag ran top end Garmin, Magelln and Tom Tom on 3 different test routs.. They liked Garmin best 3 out of 3, Tom Tom least 3 out of 3

3: My choice, a low end GPS (mine is Garmin but frankly any GPS that can talk to a computer including the receivers bundled as an option with Mapping software will do) and a laptop running a good map program, Streets and Trips is what I have. I do not know if it's best


Advantages.. Way bigger screen on the laptop lets you see more of what's around you on the map at a glance where as the hand held units you need to stop and look, or have a navigator who can do it. which I do not.
 
  Thanks RH and thanks Don. I have no "turn in" command. However touching the title bar did exactly as RH described and allowed me to scroll every line of the directions without the "show map" command needed.
  I noticed today the Garmin will constantly "recalculate" your route if you miss a turn. Only on  a dead end road will it instruct you to "make a U-turn". The Magellan did not recalculate and continously instructed you to "make a U-turn when safe to do so". 
  I based my criticism of Garmen on old technology and software. The new technology seems to agree with Consumer Reports rating.

Thanks again, terry
 
bigskymt said:
I have no "turn in" command. However touching the title bar did exactly as RH described and allowed me to scroll every line of the directions without the "show map" command needed.

"Turn-in" is not a command, but an instruction such as "turn in 1.2 miles".

But to "scroll the directions" seems to be different with different Garmin models. IAC, I am glad you found it.

-Don- SSF, CA​
 
I bought my first Garmin in 2002 and have relied on them ever since.  Like others have said have "almost" said, if you want to find a tick on a dogs tail end, garmin will find the parasite on the ticks tail end!  I can punch in the lat/lon of any location and garmin will route me on the dirt roads.  Many GPS's will only route the highways.
The bad with Garmin is you do have to pay dearly for their maps database.  Once you do have it, it is well worth it though.
Good luck.
 
I have been very happy with the Garmin Nuvi units for vehicles and have used Garmin personal GPS units for hunting for many years.  We have had 3 Nuvi units (one was stolen from a vehicle  :-[) and all worked great.  ;D

At least 2 friends have complained about the Tom Tom's.  :eek:
 
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