garmin gps feedback

Rollerboy · 04-04-2009, 06:47 PM

Want to get a GPS before the season starts. We are thinking about the Garmin nuvi 260 or the garmin nuvi 750, does anyone have any feedback on either of these units??

Thanks,
mrs. rollerboy

mswartz · 04-04-2009, 07:08 PM

I have two of the Garmin Nuvi 750 units for 9 months now.

They have both worked similarly and overall above my expectations. They have done well in finding addresses and providing what turn out to be good directions.

I haven't been 'steered' badly yet, but I know some have had this problem.

The mounting works well onto the windshield. The battery life is adequate, but mine are used nearly always powered by the car 12VDC. The touchscreen is responsive and seems intuitive to me.

However, when entering an address to find, I nearly always remove the unit from its cradle mount on the windscreeen, since it is hard for me to enter if it is mounted. I think this would be true for any such unit.

I updated my map databases as soon as I purchased these, and recently bought the lifetime update from Garmin for both units- you have to register by serial number for each unit.

Be prepared for the cost of map updates- I think it was $65 for a one time, or $130 for lifetime updates.

Overall, these two Nuvi 750s have worked well, but given that new features are appearing all the time, it would be good to do your research on these and similar units.

One site I've used and found to be pretty reliable, both for consumer and marine units, is at GPS Review : GPS Reviews

doug&maggie · 04-04-2009, 07:30 PM

We received a Garmin nuvi for Christmas. It is not something we longed for or would have purchased for ourselves, but a techno-geek daughter thought we could use it.

So, we have used it. It has done very well when you enter an address, giving very explicit and accurate directions---not so well when you use the search function and go from there. We have "arrived" at on-ramps to the interstate and wide spots in the road. We have not purchased any updates/upgrades.

overlander63 · 04-04-2009, 08:14 PM

Our Nuvi will occasionally send us on tangents, like take an off ramp, then take the onramp directly ahead and re-enter the freeway. It also tried to send me overland through the desert when I was trying to find an address in Borrego Springs, but other than that, it's been very good. You just have to look at the directions it gives you before blindly following them.

66Overlander · 04-04-2009, 10:08 PM

After participating in a WBCCI Caravan last year and being about the only ones without a GPS unit I went ahead and purchased the Garmin Nuvi 765 late last year. I am not a techno-weenine, but as I looked at things I decided to go for most of the bells and whistles. I haven't used it too much yet, but have found it to be easy to use when I have used it. The main test will come during this summers travels.

I do have to say that I amazed myself in January when we were travelling and I got an incoming call on my cell phone. It was hard to hear in the truck at expressway speeds, so I linked the phone to the GPS using Bluetooth, and then made the GPS broadcast on an FM radio frequency so that we could listen using the radio speakers. All I could think was "ain't technology great" when it all worked the first time I tried it.

I ended up with the nuvi 765 a little bit by chance. I was also considering the Garmin nuvi 880, the Tom Tom Go 930/930T, and maybe even the Magellen Maestro 4370. Each had their plusses and minuses. But then I found an online sale for the nuvi 765 at meijer.com and the price made the decision for me. I seem to remember paying about $400 for the 765 which was their latest unit at the time. And this price was better than the prices I could find for the other units I was considering, most of which had been on the market for some time.

One feature that I would recommend is having a unit that speaks street names. This is better than "turn right in 1/4 mile", etc. Beyond that I do like the Bluetooth link to my cell phone so I can use it as my speakerphone, and technically you can use the GPS to dial phone numbers in your address book and also for POI's (points of interest), but I haven't tried that yet. I would also say go for the the 4.3" screen over the smaller 3.5".

Good luck with your decision!

emdubyadee · 04-04-2009, 10:12 PM

We have had a Garman Nuvi for a year. We enjoy using it and have found many benefits when we travel to unfamiliar areas.

I have noticed, however, the Magellan units at Costco and one of the categories in their menu system is "campgrounds." Has anyone on the forum used a Magellan and can comment on this? I wonder if the Magellan is better for RVers? It is HARD to find campgrounds on the Nuvi unless you already know the name of the RV park/campground. It has a category for parks but I haven't found that very useful for camping.

I do like the way the Nuvi interacts with my computer and have uploaded custom "POIs". This is a very good aspect of the Garman. Perhaps all the brands have something similar.

overlander63 · 04-04-2009, 10:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by emdubyadee

I have noticed, however, the Magellan units at Costco and one of the categories in their menu system is "campgrounds." Has anyone on the forum used a Magellan and can comment on this? I wonder if the Magellan is better for RVers? It is HARD to find campgrounds on the Nuvi unless you already know the name of the RV park/campground. It has a category for parks but I haven't found that very useful for camping.

I ran into this, but found that if I re-search using "RV Park" or "RV", I will get more results. It's pretty good at finding state parks and KOAs.

Fyrzowt · 04-04-2009, 10:42 PM

Have the 620 model and love it.
As to the occasional "alternate route", the only one I have found so far is in my own neighborhood-it tries to take me one block over instead of straight out the main street.
I suspect that all brands have some mapping glitches.
Dave

Gen Disarray · 04-05-2009, 12:49 AM

How do these things work way out in the boonies?

RangerJay · 04-05-2009, 07:16 AM

I'm on my 3rd Garmin now - purchased over 9 years and each is still going strong - GPS 12 for walking/hiking, GPS V for fishing and now the Nuvi 250 for driving.

I agree with the comments on routing - they will take you on some interesting routes from time to time - but you will get there. Don't get rid of your road maps - they are helpful for context.

Of the dashmount type that you are looking at they will each be more than adequate - let price be your guide.

One feature that my own does not have that you might want to make sure you have: mine does not call out street names - just distances and turns (i.e. in 100 yards turn left) - this is OK most of the time but in an unfamiliar place in busy traffic I have wished it announced the street name - at the time that feature was the next model up - but I think it is a pretty basic feature now.

In the boonies purchase the topographic map series - they are absolutely great in that setting. The geographic detail is far superior - but they contain no other "points of interest" (i.e. restaurants etc.) and the topo maps are not updated with the same frequency - so if you still have them turned on when on a highway trip you will find yourself "off road" from time to time (i.e. a sharp turn may have been redesigned, a new intersection added etc. etc.) - but for crawling around back roads, fishing and hunting, they are great. One thing to note is that you need to load the topo maps you need - you can load a heck of a pile of them - but if your trip takes you to a different chunk of the world then you will need to spend a bit of time making sure you have the right maps loaded.

Jay

ZoominC6 · 04-05-2009, 07:40 AM

Love Garmin!

I first bought a hand held unit and then added a better unit (not mfgr'd any longer) for the TV. I use the handheld when out in the woods and on trails so I can find my way back to camp. I mark places of interest etc and find the little gem a must have item in my pack. As a company, Garmin is tops in my book. They take care of their customers when you have a warranty issue. While their units can be a tiny bit user unfriendly, with use they become easy to understand. Enjoy your Garmin experience.

Airboss · 04-05-2009, 08:27 AM

I have a Garmin Nuvi 260 and love it.. I dont need all the features the Nuvi 750 has so I went with the 260 It gives street names and you can mute them if you decide to. I see you can get them for under 150.00 now online.. Lot better deal then I got when the 260 first came out. Back then it listed for 324.00 and I paid 263.00 for it with a friends discount.. I also have the Garmin Vista HCX for hiking.. Love that too...

Pick · 04-05-2009, 08:53 AM

I have Tom Tom software in my PDA phone, (HTC 6800) and sometimes the addresses it routes me to are just vacant corn fields or pastures.

It got confused on the way to the Can Opener this January, because it's database was not updated for the new road leading to the park.

I like Google Maps for the PDA better. More up to date and FREE!!

RangerJay · 04-05-2009, 09:12 AM

With regards to use in the boonies I should have added:

For use outside the vehicle get a hand-held - they are far more versatile in their applications - but not as user-friendly (as above - once you get past the learning curve you are just fine) - and they are waterproof. You can get dash mounts for inside the car and they will still do trip routing just as effectively but the screen will be smaller and I don't think any of them "talk" to you.

For use inside the vehicle a dash or windshield mount unit is far superior for this purpose - it is "user intuitive", quick to program new destinations and seek out information, and it talks to you - but for other uses it is not waterproof and has a much narrower range of applications when compared to a handheld.

If you are an outdoors person you really should have two units - but make sure you register both of them with exactly the same registration information - this should enable you to use any of Garmins "locking" map software interchangebly between the two units.

If your applications will take you both outside and inside the car - but only 1 unit is in the cards - then get a hand-held. It works effectively in both environments - just not as user-friendly inside the car.

Jay