I am thinking about getting a GPS for the Chalon for a few reasons. The instant and accurate MPH is one of the main reasons. What is the best one for the money? What are you using? How do you like it? Would you get a different one with more features? Is a portable one just as good? These are all questions I have in making my decision.

I will have soon a Garmin 320 street pilot.

Hopefully today it will arrive. - My factors in selecting it -


1. I wanted no hard drive - this uses an sd card. I have a 1G stick for it.

2. Portable car to car.

3. Voice prompts.

4. Garmin support - look at their website.

5. Price - about $380.00


I got this for work - we are going into the field more and more these days.

I will let you know what I think.

I did look at several, researched on eopinions and local stores.

M

I have the TOM TOM for my palm zire 72. I love it.

If do not already own a palm it would probably be cheaper to something else.

It requires you to purchase a SD card for the maps.

To me the biggest down side to the unit is start up time. I start the palm first. turn on
the bluetooth gps wait for it to talk the palm wait at least 10 seconds for this. After that
is done I now start the TOM TOM software. I think after that it takes anywher from 10
seconds to minute to acuire a satalite. I don't really pay attention because by then I am
already down the road in the car.

The software is not integrated with the palm address book. So, the 500 plus address you have
already saved in the palm mean nothing to TOM TOM.

The instant MPH is of course only good if your going a steady pace.

Since it is a palm typing a address is easy (if the car is stopped of course). I don't know how
hard it is to enter an address in the other devices without a keyboard. Must be a lot of up/down
like typing on phone maybe???

Do you have more specific question?

Scott
I use a Garmin 2110 Street Pilot for business. It will give you everything you want. This model sits on the dash. The screen is large enough to see with out getting up close. The only down side is it is pricey. Check out eBay for both the hand held or the lager version.

Bill Shaffer

I've got to agree on this one. Does everything you need, uses Navteq maps, and it's cheap.

$349.99 at Costco

I have an old lo fi Garmin 3+ that is sweet! I wouldn't want to trust my life to it, I think my SUUNTO watch is more accurate.
If you just want basic stuff the cheap units from Garmin work really well! Every sailor I know has one as a backup on his boat.

Scott, just got a Garmin Nuvi. Sucker will do everything and whistle Dixie. Closest gas station? Taco Stand? No problemo. Shirt pocket size but really good screen. Car adapter included, around $650 on ebay.

But, if all you want is speed, distance and location, a plain GPS works great. I have a Cobra 100 that works great for that, and usually well under $100. Or take mine for a while to 'calibrate' your speedo.

I have a Garmin 76S, which is now a couple years dated. But it is a great product. For a couple of years now I have talked about putting a 6x6 LCD screen into my Subaru and plug that intot he garmin - for navigation.

It has all of the bells and whistles - and if you are also into boats (which I was when I got this - and hope to be again sometime soon) the thing floats and is waterproof when it goes over the side. Or you forget to take it out of your pocket when you jump off the boat after loosing a race on a very hot and un-windy july day.

And, the best part of owning a GPS is somehting that I had never considered before I got one. Geocaching. If you have not tried it out, and you own a handheld GPS, you really should try it out. If nothign else, it gets you out and walking.

Its also good for letting you know that you are hiking down the wrong trail. After you are a couple miles down the wrong trial, it will let you know just how to get back to your car. Pretty handy device. I'm directionally challenged - so I try not to leave home without it.

Zach

*edit* Oh, and I _REALLY_ like the new quick edit feature here. COOL! *edit*

I have a Garmin IQue... Windows CE device with built in GPS. Comes with a nice map you can download to the SD Flash card. Voice prompts, restaurants, stores, etc.

Add a wi-fi adapter and you can surf 914club if you near a wi-fi hotspot.

Works very well and comes with a nice windshield suction mount.

Thanks for all the advice, I still have not decided which one to get yet but this info is helpful.

fujistu lt tablet pc and a Holux usb-gps unit. Under $400 with accessories.
8" screen, full computer features. u can buy a seperate radio/tv device lol.
Delorme street atlas or ms streets and trips will map trips, locate gas/food/places/etc.
I've had 2 delorme gps units go bad in 3 months, crappy warranty, bad customer service. poo on them.

Not as speedy convienent as the newer devices but is an option.

Chris

MAPQUEST

I've got some good structure spots that you can transfer to your Garmin and use for fishing in the Chalon. do you wanna hook it up to a RayMarine 5000 autopilot? i can help

Garmin Quest - pretty awesome little unit. It's about $350 at Amazon.

http://www.gpsinformation.us/quest/questrev.html

This just came on sale at amazon for $341 was $535. The cool thing about this on is it is preloaded
with detail street maps of all of the usa. At lot of gps (includind my TOM TOM) you have to load your
own maps and buy memory some times.

Garmin StreetPilot i5 Automotive GPS Navigator
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000BKN2Y...688057?n=172282

I have a garmin GPS V I'll sell you. Its a multi use unit, that will do street mapping to drive you anywhere, has look ups for food, lodging, gas, entertainment. Can also be used as an off road unit, saving a waypoint and taking you back to that same spot. Comes with all boxed accessories, and you can get additoinal dash mounts, mountain bike mounts, etc... Down sides to this unit, black and white screen, and while it has all major interstates in permenant memory, it has 19mb of internal storage for you to load a detailed map of the area you'll be in. Depending on the density of roads in the area you're loading, that can be up to a whole state of what they call "street level" roads. And you can buy more current maps if you want to update, or can by maps of lakes to load in if you a fisher person. Works perfectly, battery powered for when not in the car, good for local use. The size of the unit fits perfectly in the left corner of the dash of a teener, between the instrument pod and the windshield pillar.

End of add. Why am I selling it? My employer finally got smart and has provided us with portable automotive type GPS units, in this case a Garmin 330. I like the color screen and the "street level" maps built in for the whole USA, so when I have to travel I'm good to go. I had bought the GPS V a 2 yrs ago because it just made sence to have it, and the boss was to cheep at that time to foot the bill. I think the 330 is schweet, and if it was my disposable income buying one, thats what I'd buy. Another good place to shop and compair is

www.gpsdiscount.com

PM me if interested, and happy shopping.

howard, did you buy that cobra at a general retailer? i don't care about any mapping features. my speedometer is off and on the last trip south i went thru a number of those "your speed is..." silent cops. everyone of the "cops" read different at 60mph indicated in the car. i sure don't want to spend the better part $400 on one with features i don't care about.

k

Got the Garmin 320 yesterday!

Loaded the 1G stick with slightly over 1/2 of the US.

It rocks!

For me - this is perfect. I should mention that were I to be out in the Cali land I probably would want the one that interfaces with local traffic and suggests detour routes bases on traffic.

But out here in the Midwest - this fits me perfectly.

I was really amazed that it had the location of a local ice cream shop as a point of interest.

Sweeeeeet!


M

i don't even want to spend 1 penny on one. i just need to borrow one for about 15 minutes.

k

I think there's a member here who works for Garmin maybe he can give you some feed back.Cept I can't remember his name alot of help I am

I've got a Magellan Roadmate 360. I love it! It uses SD cards. I bought a 1 gig and fit all but 2 states on it. I've had it since late fall and use it almost daily.

Best price I found, $75 at Amazon
Or come over and get mine

"do you have any idea how fast you were going sir?". " no actually. i'm on my way to howard's to figure that out, and i'm in a BIG hurry". bring it to portland howie.

k

Slits still has the winner.

Do you know how fast you were going, sir?

No, but I was in the lead.

You can use mine big guy! We can even link it to a laptop and pretend that it is telemitry and be as kewl as Dr Dave!

Just let me know when...

Any updated info on the GPS's out there? I actually just ordered a handheld this morning. I 'get' to travel now and then with the military. I leave for 6 weeks after the holidays... I wanna know where the heck in ALABAMA I'm driving... yikes!

anyway, I ordered the Garmin 60CSx. No clue when it will be here. Hopefully in time to load it up with abababalama.

weeeeeeee

geocaching anyone??

To use a 60csx for driving you ideally need detailed maps, the car mount and maybe the car charger. The base maps included will only be major freeways and highways.

I think the CD I'm getting is the mapsource US topo set. car mount and antenna are pretty cheap so those will be added. I read a review that says it will work with the 2GB miniSD and was loaded with the whole US... That would ROCK.

Garmin StreetPilot i5 Automotive GPS Navigator x 2

I purchased one of these (very similar, just different color housing) last christmas. It has 256 mb micro sd. Enough space to store all the maps for WI, MI, IL, IN, OH, PA and a few more states at one time. Very clear and easy to understand, even in a loud car. Relatively fast course recalculations too. I would never pay $$$ for integrated nav on a new car, I love my Garmin too much!

I get free maps at the Auto Club. LOL

The topo map disc is just topo maps. The street map disc is separate and costs about $100.

Hey Chris,
is this what you're talking about?
http://www.pencomputing.com/frames/fujitsu_c500.html

I already have an IBM Thinkpad 600 that I got for $250 on e-bay 4 years ago. It has a bright 14" screen which makes it easy to see where you are going. I bought a Garmin GPS 18 from Amazon for about $130 a few weeks ago. It has a small puck-like antenna that plugs into the USB port, and software with maps for the entire USA. I am quite happy with the result. A cigarette plug adaptor for $15 (also e-bay) to power the thing, and just plunk the laptop down on the passenger seat with the antenna on the dash and you are good to go. Voice prompts, live maps, accurate miles per hour, it has it all. It is not as portable as the dedicated units, and it has some issues with quickly finding an address, but overall it is a good choice if you already have a lap top and don't want to spend a lot of $.