Garmin 2620 for new, low, price

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Ned

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If you're in the market for a GPS, the 2620 is one of the more popular self-contained units and is now available at a very good price from Amazon.

Offer #799
Amazon has the Garmin StreetPilot 2620 In-Car GPS Navigator with Color Touchscreen for a low $679.99 (55% off regular price!)

Share this offer with a friend: (copy the URL below)
http://www.antirebate.com/index.php?c=799
 
That's a darned good price Ned. Is that the one using solid state memory or the one with the hard drive? (I get them mixed up).
 
Well, I just looked it up elsewhere (for comparison), and found it at Costco for $689.00.  And it is the one (according to the website description) with a harddrive.

http://www.costco.com/Browse/Product.aspx?prodid=10044978&whse=&topnav=&cat=&s=1
 
It has an internal 2GB hard drive and holds the complete Map Source City Navigator data base.  There is also about 512MB available for other maps, such as the Topo series.  We've had ours for over a year and are pleased with it.
 
IMHO the biggest downside of the Garmin is City Nav.? Most inaccurate, incompetent, overpriced mapping software I have ever come in contact with.? Wish they would return to making Metro Guide routable like it use to be.? I still use an old version of Metro Guide when City Nav has no clue where the roads are.
 
Ron said:
IMHO the biggest downside of the Garmin is City Nav.? Most inaccurate, incompetent, overpriced mapping software I have ever come in contact with.? Wish they would return to making Metro Guide routable like it use to be.? I still use an old version of Metro Guide when City Nav has no clue where the roads are.

Hi Ron,
  We have been very happy with the accuracy of our 2620.  We used it almost exclusively for routing on our recently completed 11000 mile trip.  I'm curious.  Could you have been using an older version that is not as accurate as the ones nowadays?  We really like our 2620.  Sure wish, though, they would lower the price of the City Nav upgrade.  $150 seems like a lot of money to pay when I've had the unit less than a year.  Later.
 
camper1b said:
Could you have been using an older version that is not as accurate as the ones nowadays?

Most GPS units used the same Rockwell chip set for years with decent accuracy. One difference in accuracy was when they started making WAAS enabled receivers which use error correction via an additional satellite. But I suspect that Ron is complaining about the maps themselves.
 
camper1b said:
Sure wish, though, they would lower the price of the City Nav upgrade.  $150 seems like a lot of money to pay when I've had the unit less than a year.

The upgrade has the new roads in Arizona where I spend the winter.  That alone made the $150 easier for me to justify.  If City Nav had not added those newly constructed roads, I would still be using the old map set.

Phil
 
Rich,

If you've only had the unit for less than a year, you may be entitled to a free upgrade to ver. 7.  Check with Garmin and register you 2620 if you haven't already so you get notified of software updates.
 
I have found the City Navigator maps to be quite good.  They're routable on the 2620 too.
 
I'm curious.  Could you have been using an older version that is not as accurate as the ones nowadays?

I have had every version of City Nav since they first released it and have been disappointed with each version.  Even tried to return one version and get my money back which they would not do but instead provided me with the next version at no charge.  Would have been better off if they would have given me a refund.  We had bought the 2610 just prior to Ver 6 being released.  When we got the new version we were in Michigan.  Was showing Barb and Frank how the 2610 worked.  Drove up the Leelanau peninsula and Ver 6 kept trying to turn us off the road into the forrest where there wasn't  roads and had never been any roads.  To say the least I was was impressed but not favorably.  Around Boise Idaho it was like City Nav did not know there was a freeway there.  We were going to a place north west of Boise and from the campground following City Nav instructions which led us down a road that dead ended at the freeway.  Sure glad we only had the GC since getting the MH out of there would have been a real challenge.  Have also been traveling down a freeway when City Nav would try to get us to exit the freeway when there was no reason to.  Out of curiosity once we actually followed the directions which led us up the exit then right back on the freeway.  I never had such experience with Metro Guide and still find Metro Guide ver 4.01 to be more accurate than City Nav up through Ver 6.  The only way I will buy another version of City Nav is if Garmin guarantees me in writing they will issue a full refund if I am not satisfied.  Maybe I was spoiled with the accuracy of Metro Guide before City Nav came about and now expect the same accuracy which should be provided since it cost much more.
 
Ned,

I just looked at the ad for Amazon. It states there is no software as it is preloaded. What happens if, for some reason, the software is fouled up? I would hope there would be a disc available so you could reload it.

 
Jim,

You can upload the software via the USB cable from any Windows computer.  In fact, there periodically issue updates to the software that you can get from the Garmin web site.  That's the reason to register, so you get notifications of the updates.  The maps (City Navigator) are uploaded from a DVD.
 
No software for the PC, but none is needed.  The 2620 does everything itself via the touchscreen or remote control.
 
Ned,

One concern I would have is how well the hard drive would hold up off road.  I had to put a permanent mount in for the SPIII since the bean bag was bouncing all over.:)
 
Jim Dick said:
Ned,

One concern I would have is how well the hard drive would hold up off road.? I had to put a permanent mount in for the SPIII since the bean bag was bouncing all over.:)

I had the same concern and that is one reason we got the 2610 and use a 1GB memory card.  2 GB cards are available now and not that expensive.

I still load Metro Guide as a backup when City Nav gets lost.  Also Metro guide is better when off roading as it shows most trails and City Nav doesn't.
 
The small drives are very well shock mounted.  I have no concerns about taking them offroad.  The permanent mount is better than the beanbag for offroad.
 

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