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Post by Auf Kiltre on Sept 19, 2020 8:23:48 GMT -5
I have one from years ago, no longer able to update maps on that one so half the time it shows me driving through a field. Furthermore I'm having Google Maps and Waze tank on me frequently (no GPS signal). I actually think its a Verizon bottle neck. Unlimited data my butt. Anyhoo...
The other day I drove to a different part of town for a medical appt and on the way back had no functionality with Waze/Google Maps for a significant period. I think its time for something more reliable. I'm seeing some reviews on Garmin units that rely on a Smart Phone for traffic updates. Uh, no. If I'm buying a GPS unit I want one that is an independently functioning device.
Recommendations?
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Post by Mfitz804 on Sept 19, 2020 8:34:25 GMT -5
Last one I bought was a Garmin Nuvi 255W, back in 2009. That came with lifetime map updates and monitored traffic through a receiver built into the power cord (if not plugged in, no traffic).
That was in 2009, I learned while looking it up on Amazon.
I sold it on eBay for like $30 about 6 months ago. Amazon still has them (marked as “discontinued”), but for $180.
If you can fine one at a good price, they’re reliable. Also can be voice controlled, but like most voice controlled devices, it was a little tricky with my New York accent. I found that if I talked in a Buzz Lightyear from Toy Story voice, it understood me fine. So you may have to watch Toy Story and learn the voice to operate that feature, but it’s a small price to pay.
It served me well, but Waze is super reliable around here and I saw no need for a standalone GPS anymore.
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Post by budg on Sept 19, 2020 8:39:11 GMT -5
I used to have a Tom Tom. Some of the pronunciations were quite comical . It pronounced one of the streets in my neighborhood very strangely . I looked up the pronunciation in their native language and figured out why. These days I just use google maps.
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Post by Mfitz804 on Sept 19, 2020 8:48:00 GMT -5
I should mention also, Garmin usually makes the same models available with different features. If the Traffic and Lifetime Map updates are important to you, make sure you get one that includes them. I believe they and letters to the end, like LM for lifetime maps, etc.
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Post by Mfitz804 on Sept 19, 2020 8:49:40 GMT -5
I used to have a Tom Tom. Some of the pronunciations were quite comical . It pronounced one of the streets in my neighborhood very strangely . I looked up the pronunciation in their native language and figured out why. These days I just use google maps. We renamed Chipotle restaurants after the way Garmin pronounced it. Chip-o-tull. We still say it long after the Garmin is gone.
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MJB
Wholenote
Who's we sucka? Smith, Wesson and me.
Posts: 634
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Post by MJB on Sept 19, 2020 8:51:08 GMT -5
I just ask Siri.
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Post by jhawkr on Sept 19, 2020 9:53:44 GMT -5
I have a Garmin somewhere. Has free lifetime maps too. But, I don’t use it anymore what with the big nav screen in my Mustang and Google Maps on the iPhone 11.
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Post by Auf Kiltre on Sept 19, 2020 9:54:17 GMT -5
If my Smartphone navigation was reliable I'd probably be content. When Verizon tried pulling some rate increase on us we went in full combat mode with their customer retention dept. While we negotiated "unlimited data" I believe its proprietary when towers get overloaded. So suddenly we have frequent "no GPS signal" dropouts in areas I know are not issues. Our "unlimited data" is the bottom of the barrel option, I'm sure. This happens on both my android and my wife's iPhone. The other aspect of Smartphone navigation is having the navigation screen get overridden by an incoming phone call.
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Post by FlyonNylon on Sept 19, 2020 10:38:54 GMT -5
No. We have unlimited data with Verizon and google maps is very reliable around here.
I have SatNav in my truck but never use it since google maps is way easier.
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Post by Auf Kiltre on Sept 19, 2020 11:03:22 GMT -5
I would think its a phone issue but it happens simultaneously on my droid and wife's iPhone. Really frustrating when it happens. Set destination in Waze or Google Maps, it finds current location and then locks up usually on first navigation step. Its bad enough to miss a Houston exit and get "recalculating", but a whole nuther fresh hell not knowing the next step. Searching Verizon sounds like pretty common experience with many and no real resolution.
I'm getting a Garmin, at least for backup. I miss the Aussie chap that used to direct me.
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Post by budg on Sept 19, 2020 11:30:12 GMT -5
I used to have a Tom Tom. Some of the pronunciations were quite comical . It pronounced one of the streets in my neighborhood very strangely . I looked up the pronunciation in their native language and figured out why. These days I just use google maps. We renamed Chipotle restaurants after the way Garmin pronounced it. Chip-o-tull. We still say it long after the Garmin is gone. Haha . The things we take for granted. The street by me is Mull avenue , Tom Tom pronounced it Unsul ave . Finally one day i looked up the Dutch pronunciationand the do indeed pronounce it that way. There are others , like the abbreviation for Pennsylvania was pronounced Pa instead if Pee Aye. The limitations of buying something developed in another country. I did get a kick out of the accents from other countries. My wife changed hers back to an American man because she didnt want another woman bossing her around and it sounded to much like her supervisor she said.
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Post by RufusTeleStrat on Sept 19, 2020 11:47:06 GMT -5
Unlimited is throttled. I had it for one month. I prefer to pay for data than have them slow it down after a certain amount of use.
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Post by Leftee on Sept 19, 2020 11:50:18 GMT -5
I think Verizon throttles back after 15gb.
Forlornly yours,
Parents of teenage daughter.
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Post by Auf Kiltre on Sept 19, 2020 11:50:38 GMT -5
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argo
Wholenote
Posts: 397
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Post by argo on Sept 19, 2020 12:10:14 GMT -5
I'm on my 2nd Nuvi. the first I bought about 2006 ish. I really hate the fact that it doesn't show which direction is north anymore, makes me so uncomfortable I keep a couple compasses with me at all times, one in my get home bag and one in my console. Its so easy for me to get overly dependent on the GPS
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Post by jazzguy on Sept 19, 2020 12:27:30 GMT -5
I tried to give mine to a friend since my phone does the job just fine. But alas it was gone, stolen out of the glove compartment when I had my car in the repair shop. oh, but they were kind enough to leave the charger.
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Post by Auf Kiltre on Sept 21, 2020 9:50:49 GMT -5
My Garmin Drive™ 51 LMT-S arrived yesterday and after some clunky setup I updated the maps. Tested the unit this morning. First stop told to make a left at stop sign (it was a traffic light). Then told a railroad crossing exists at a major intersection (no railroad crossing). Then told speed limit reduced from 35 mph to 35 mph at a specific location. I verified that maps are current. Hmmmm. Functional so far, but not overly impressed with the quality of the maps.
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Post by Mfitz804 on Sept 21, 2020 9:57:48 GMT -5
My block turned from two way to one way within a few months of our moving in. It took Garmin maps about 10 years to realize that and not try to direct me the wrong way.
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Post by Blacksunshine on Sept 21, 2020 10:55:12 GMT -5
We use an old Garmin when we drive out to Big Bend a couple times a year.
There's lots and lots and lots of areas out there where there is no cell phone service, so Google maps and Siri and anything smartphone based are worthless out there.
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Post by Auf Kiltre on Sept 21, 2020 11:27:24 GMT -5
There's lots and lots and lots of areas out there where there is no cell phone service, so Google maps and Siri and anything smartphone based are worthless out there. Good to know for future endeavors. I suppose that means you have no issues with a dedicated GPS unit in those areas?
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Post by Blacksunshine on Sept 21, 2020 12:14:11 GMT -5
There's lots and lots and lots of areas out there where there is no cell phone service, so Google maps and Siri and anything smartphone based are worthless out there. Good to know for future endeavors. I suppose that means you have no issues with a dedicated GPS unit in those areas? Not that I've run across. It even knows some pretty obscure ranch roads out by my parents' property and my property on Terlingua Ranch.
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Post by Ricketi on Sept 21, 2020 12:33:55 GMT -5
The other option would have been buying a gps app for your cell phone because it should have an actual gps not relying on cell towers, the only thing is the maps take up a lot of storage space, if your phone has a lot of storage than not an issue.
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Post by slacker 🐨 on Sept 21, 2020 14:25:48 GMT -5
I generally prefer google because it's more up to date and provides real time traffic. I I really, really, really, hate not having a real deal map. Driving to a campground this summer it routed us on a road that was closed (must not get enough traffic from google users to pick up on it). I started on a detour thinking it would re-route, but it instead kept trying to get us back to the original route. I was nervous about taking the posted detour because we were really close to our destination and it seemed to be taking us waaaayyyy out of route.
I tell my wife to grab the map out of the pocket in the door. It's gone. GRrrrrrr. We ended up on 7 miles of gravel roads, but we got there.
Edited to add: One of the few things my wife and I fight over is navigating. I like to have consistent updates and I like to use a map as a back up if things aren't crystal clear from a nav device or due to detours. My wife prefers that I drive, but she stresses out massively if I ask her to grab a map and figure things out. Usually we end up just pulling over so I can consult the map. Map reading just isn't her strong suit.
In one particularly hairy route, we ended up with her driving and me navigating, which worked well except that she doesn't really want to be behind the wheel (though she's a pretty good driver).
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Post by mikedetorrice on Sept 21, 2020 19:34:16 GMT -5
I still have an older Cobra NAV-one 3000 and it works fine once it acquires the GPS satellites. The only problem is the windshield of my older Buick Roadmaster has a coating or tint or something that greatly diminishes signal strength, so it can take a long time to acquire the signal. It also tends to block any "automatic toll pay unit" signals (as they have in Illinois for tollways) and which I found out to my surprise when I used my brother-in-law device to take my niece to a softball tournament, later getting 6 tickets until it was straightened out.
Some cars apparently do have windshields that block signal and portable GPS units may need either a long time to get the sats or help from an external antenna.
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Post by LTB on Sept 21, 2020 19:50:12 GMT -5
I bought a Refurbished Garmin 61 GPS in January from the Garmin Factory Store. Had previous good experience with 2 other Refurbished Garmins straight from Garmin. About 12 years ago I asked their Customer Service what they did to refurbish them. He told me they basically gutted the unit and installed new boards in them. I am extremely happy with this one. 6" Screen, Bluetooth, Voice Command as well as traditional method of operation. They are fast, Show a lot more info than previous units we had. If you turn on alerts it will alert you to School Zones, curves, speed, traffic (with traffic adaptor), lifetime updates, Traffic Camera's ($19 a year). Shows signage on the highways. What street you are approaching. etc. Garmin 61 at Garmin Factory Outlet
I mounted mine on their "Bean Bag" mount that is weighted and just sit it on the dashboard. Garmin Bean Bag Mount
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Post by Auf Kiltre on Sept 21, 2020 20:32:51 GMT -5
Yeah, I bought the friction mount too. Not sure the difference between the 51 and 61, but I did get alerts driving though school zones. Also traffic alerts but that requires tethering to a smartphone app.
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Post by K4 on Sept 21, 2020 21:07:28 GMT -5
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Post by fkaJimmySee on Sept 22, 2020 3:37:25 GMT -5
Local CraigsList is a good source for low cost Garmin GPS hardware.
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Post by rangercaster on Sept 22, 2020 4:55:41 GMT -5
In the pre-internet era, I survived with maps... And am still alive, amazingly !!! I'm old ...
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Post by LTB on Sept 22, 2020 4:57:07 GMT -5
Yeah, I bought the friction mount too. Not sure the difference between the 51 and 61, but I did get alerts driving though school zones. Also traffic alerts but that requires tethering to a smartphone app. Size of screen
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