Garmin Nuvi 885T : LOVE IT!!

I recently purchased the Garmin 885t after having owned the Streetpilot C340. I felt that I wanted an upgrade for a couple of reasons. First, I liked the idea of being able to be more "hands-free" if I needed to make changes to my routes while driving and second I was hoping that the blueooth was good enough that I could also use my phone through the Garmin. The purpose would be to streamline what I need to hook up in my car.

I own an iPhone original and have tried a couple of FM transmitters for hands free calling in the car. Though they worked partially with my phone, none were completely compatible. I was so pleased to see how the Garmin immediately recognized my contacts and they are all up on the Garmin screen. Second, even though the iPhone does not support voice dial, I am able to verbally navigate through the Garmin to make calls. This for me is important so I don't have to fiddle with the phone in my car.

After having used the Garmin for a couple of weeks, I can say that I so far am very satisfied. The Garmin's navigation works as expected and as I was accustomed to with my older Garmin. There are many POIs and I am amazed at to what you can find just by saying the place by name (the more popular places). I do appreciate the lane assist feature, which works well in my area. It gives you arrows in the upper left corner telling you the direction of your next turn. Very handy. Be aware, however, that the Junction View does not work with Lane Assist in every area. This is not a problem for me as this is only an "extra whistle" from my perspective.

The voice commands work wonderfully. I am amazed at how well it understands me. This function makes entering information so much easier. I also love how you can use Google Maps to directly send favorite places to the Nuvi, as well.

In regards to the Bluetooth, I find that the Garmin's speakers are better than the nuvi 360 that I tried a year ago. I sent it back because the speaker and sound were awful on it. On the Nuvi 885t, I am able to hear the people speaking well but was told that there was an echo on their end when I spoke. I purchased Garmin's external microphone and people I talk to now say that it sounds much better. I've talked several times on it with no problems.

The FM transmitter works just fine for me, especially if I am just tooling around town. As a matter of fact, I found a station in my area where the music that I downloaded to my Garmin sounds just like I'm listening to the FM radio. No static at all. I like using the FM option because I like having the ability to listen to my callers and Garmin commands through my car stereo. I will admit that when I travel distances, I will probably opt to use my aux. cable with my iPod due to the fact that the FM stations would change frequently on longer trips (which would be a pain).

The suction cup has been great. It hasn't fallen once and I've taken it down a couple of times. If you do have problems, though, put a little moisture on the suction cup and it should stay put!

I haven't had the chance to experience the MSN direct or the picture viewer (doubt I will ever use that) so I can't comment on those features. I would like to add that customer support at Garmin is wonderful. I had to call a few times with questions and they were extremely helpful, kind, and supportive. (My Garmin was originally shipped in the Russian language).

I have been experimenting with this unit and learning how to use the Garmin in the house while I don't have to concentrate on the road. Though it is user friendly, there is still a lot to learn. I also took it with me even if I knew where I was going to "practice" the features. I'd rather get a handle on how to use it when I know my route. As silly as it sounds, it does help!

Kudos to this unit! NO regrets, even though I felt it was more than what I wanted to pay for a GPS.


Thanks:
http://astore.amazon.com/garmin.nuvi.765t.gps.cheap-20/detail/B001N2MUD4

Garmin Portable Friction Mount : Works great, looks a bit strange at first but well worth buying

I knew I didn't want to install anything permanent in my car (like adhesive mounts) because it would look strange and be a pain to deal with when I sell it. And I live in California where it is illegal to attach a GPS unit to the windsheild, plus my windsheild is very slanted so it would be a bit too far away there anyway, unless I mount it way up high on the windshield.

This friction mount works well. It allows me to put the GPS on my dash or on my center console and I don't have to mount anything permanently in to my car. And if I'm going on a trip with someone else in their car, it's super easy to bring it along and put it in their car.

It's also good for if you have a passenger that wants to play with and use the GPS, they can just move the mount over to their side of the dashboard.

I recommend this friction mount although have to admit, it looks a bit strange at first (especially with no GPS mounted on it), but you get used to it.


Thanks:
http://astore.amazon.com/garmin.gps.navigator.cheap-20/detail/B000LRMS66

Garmin GPS 60CSx : Top of the line!

The first reviewer didn't really do his research before he purchased this or else he would know that it only comes with basemaps. The other fact he would know is that that's how all GPS vendors work. They want you to buy their maps separately and only their maps will work on their hardware.

Now, I previously owned a 60CS which I loved after trading in my Vista. With the newly upgraded 60CSx you get a couple of additional functions that make it much better than the 60CS. First, there's the SiRF III chipset. It is by far the best chipset out there right now. It's super sensitive and super fast. You can lock onto satellites even in your house in many cases! No longer will you loose reception in tricky situations. Most of the time you can even keep the 60CSx in your backpack and it will still track your movements.

The other highly requested function for many years is the expansion memory, now in the form of a microSD. Now you can load almost half of the U.S. into 512mb of microSD. Later, larger capacity microSD cards will be released that will allow you to loan the entire US! That's awesome!

Two things that you will loose by going to the 60CSx from the 60CS, the alarm clock, and the passive barometric tracking. Apparently, the new 60CSx no longer has a sleep mode so that these two things will not continue to work if you turn OFF the unit. The 60CS had a sleep mode so that the altimeter would still record your barometric after the unit was turned off and wake up to sound the alarm clock but not with the new 60CSx.

Most people don't use these functions anyway so I don't think you'll miss them. Also, the SiRF III and microSD more than make up for those two shortfalls.


Thanks:
http://astore.amazon.com/garmin.handheld.gps.cheap-20/detail/B000CSOXTO

Garmin Forerunner 305 GPS Receiver With Heart Rate Monitor : An Improvement

This is a definite improvement over the 301. I had several complaints with the 301:
(1) The heart rate monitor did not track well, and would often jump up to 240, which was a problem when looking at average heart rate later;
(2) The tracking was bad sometimes in the woods, where I run (it could vary half a mile on a four-mile course, and even worse, the elevation could spike 1,200 feet at times and completely change the profile of the run);
(3) The unit was not ergonomic, the buttons were difficult to push, and the screen was hard to see; and
(4) It took forever to acquire the satellites.

The heart rate monitor comes with a new sensor that is more flexible, comfortable, and offers more reliable data. The tracking is much better and more consistent. The unit is much more like a watch, the display is great, and the buttons are much easier to push while on the go. However, it still takes a while to acquire the satellite signal. It is a bit improved, and is not dissimilar from other Garmin products, so I'd have to say that it's OK.

The BIGGEST improvement is that this model is more like a typical GPS in that it offers many different modes and screens to track various types of information (one can toggle between three different screens). For example, on one screen, I have the current time, sunrise, sunset, and running time. On another screen I have the grade, altitude, average pace, and current pace. On yet another screen I have heart rate, calories, distance traveled, and heading. It is totally cool.

I use this Forerunner 305 for running, biking, rollerblading, mountaineering, skiing, and just about everything else outside. I am really happy that I spent the money for the upgraded version.


Thanks:
http://astore.amazon.com/garmin.handheld.gps.cheap-20

Garmin Nuvi 780 : Great Device and Easy to Use

This is my first automobile GPS, and I did a lot of research before settling on the Garmin 780. I live in the Washington DC Metro area, so all of the extra features work here. Upon its arrival, I downloaded and installed the latest Garmin WebUpdater v.2.41 and then updated my 780 from software version 2.50 to 2.90. I also updated the Bluetooth and other firmware, along with the languages that I use. This all worked flawlessly in a Windows XP virtual machine on a Linux host. FWIW, the 780 will charge off of the supplied USB cable.

The 780 acquired the necessary satellites in just a few minutes when first activated, and does so in less than a minute for subsequent activations. I found the screen brightness to be fine for both day and night. I'm using the 780 with the Garmin Portable Friction Mount. Smashing windows and stealing GPS devices is the sport of choice in the DC Metro area, so I wanted no evidence of a GPS extant when I left the car. The friction mount works perfectly on my Honda Accord dashboard and stores easily in the center console, leaving no trace of a GPS behind. Very cool. The 780 easily fits in a shirt pocket, so it's not necessary to leave it in the car.

I tested the 780 immediately by driving during rush hour to a residence across the river in a tangle of park roads off of the beaten track, then returning at night. The Garmin had no trouble creating a very fast route to the destination that bypassed most of the heavy traffic during rush hour. On my return, I bypassed a turn on its preferred routing. It recalculated a new route in less than a second which was the exact right answer. The new route wasn't a recapture of the original route, which wasn't possible from that location, but an entirely new route. The routes it picked were appropriate for the times of day traveled, which can be a daunting task here if you don't know which roads go which direction during the appropriate rush hour. DC is a notoriously difficult area to navigate, but so far the Garmin seems up to the challenge.

I found the volume of the internal speaker to be more than adequate even with the radio, air conditioning, and windshield wipers going. Voice notifications led upcoming turns by an adequate amount, and the voice prompts always helped me get into the correct lanes in plenty of time for upcoming turns. During a particularly tricky section where several major roads converge on a bridge, then diverge on the other side, the Garmin gave almost constant appropriate guidance to ensure that I took the correct forks and turns. I was quite impressed.

The Bluetooth paired quickly with my Motorola Razr V3. It even provided its PIN code at the appropriate time. The phone functions work great and it's easy to hear over the 780 speaker. The party on the other side of the phone said that I sounded like I was in a tunnel, which is typical for remote devices for autos. I have another BT hands-free device and it garnered the same comments. The Garmin's on-screen phone cues make hands-free easy.

Activation of the MSN Direct service was simple over the Net. On initial activation of your free 3 month trial, they offer a 6-month extension for $9.95 which gets you to 9 months of service total for less than $10--a very good deal. MSN Direct information took a while to load the initial information, but then it said that in the Quick Start pamphlet. Once loaded, the traffic, weather, and news worked great. Gas prices were behind by several days, which is an eternity these days. My favorite (and cheapest) station wasn't listed.

Overall, I'm very happy with the 780. I'll be working it out heavily in the coming weeks, including on a road trip to another city with MSN Direct service. I can't believe that I waited this long to take the plunge to a GPS device for my car. Even though I'm a master with maps, the Garmin suggested a clever routing that I did not previously discover on my own. From what I've seen so far, the 780 will be a highly valued addition to my road warrior kit bag. I can recommend the 780 without reservation.


Thanks:
http://astore.amazon.com/garmin.nuvi.780.gps.navigator-20

Garmin Nuvi 265WT : Best GPS I have ever Owned

I have owned quite a few GPS units all including Phone, Laptop and Dedicated. Flat out before I even get started the Garmin Nuvi 265WT is the best I have ever owned. Let me just make a couple of comments on the most important features.

Touch Screen Interface
Very intuitive and easy to use. Touch screen is responsive but not instantaneous. What I particularly like is the ability to switch to a top down view by touching the screen. Once done you can use your finger to drag the map around at any zoom point. Once done you can hit the back button and resume your 3D view.

Turn by Turn
You have two options here. You can use one of the Text to Speech voices or one of natural voices. The text to speech voices will give you more information such as street names. This is what I use and even though you can tell it's a computer generated voice its quality is superb. The 265WT does a good job at keeping you updated. Also at any time you can hit the turn Icon and it will speak the distance to the next turn, giving you street name as well as direction. The audio is quite loud and in my noisy little Scion I have no problem hearing the messages.

Maps
I have found the map accuracy quite good. I live in Northern virginal and it seems to be very well updated as many of the very new streets included.

Automatic Routing
Very effective. You can choose between the quickest or the shortest with options to avoid U-Turns, Highways, Toll Roads, Traffic, Ferries. The automatic rerouting is faster than my TeleNav phone and my Laptop computers.

Points of Interest
On my TeleNav phone GPS system I can enter any business in the national database and I can get directions, address and phone number. This is where the 265WT falls short. The TeleNav system has the advantage of searching online. Since the 265WT is limited to onboard memory there is a limit to the number of points of interest. A good example is I was looking for "Off Broadway Shoes" and the unit could not find them. However a search for "Payless Shoes" worked very well.

Traffic Alerts
The lifetime free traffic comes at a price. You will get popup adds. These are very small popups that supposedly only come when you are in the menu. This is not true. I have gotten them while in the navigation screen. For now they it seems to be once per trip but there is nothing to say they wont start getting more frequent. The other thing I don't like about the messages is that you have to hit them to continue and doing so takes you out of the nav screen to a kind of favorites screen. You have to hit the back button to get back to your navigations screen.
How well does the traffic system work. I live in Northern VA and have coverage throughout my area. The included radio fails to pick up a single signal without using an external antenna. Sadly you can just go down and purchase an FM antenna.. The Power cable has a 3/32" jack. What I did was to pick up a 3/32" plug from Radio Shack and soldered a 4' wire to the tip pin on the connector. Once draped out one of the windows I get very frequent traffic updates.
Once you start getting traffic reports I found them to be accurate and they do help. You can automatically avoid high traffic arias or do it manually as they accrue.
I am still debating if the popup adds are worth the effort.

Bluetooth Integration
This is my favorite feature. I can keep my keyboard locked Motorola Q in my pants pocket and use my 265WT to make and receive all my calls at a touch of a button. All my phone features are available on the 265WT. Phonebook, Call history, Voice Recognition. The voice quality is quite acceptable on both ends. As a matter of fact the echo I get on my Motorola is not there when using the 265WT as a hands free set.

Picture Viewer
I found this to be a very useless feature. If the photos are very big it takes forever for the 265WT to load them. This may be due to the slow access to the SD card slot.

There are other features like the ability to connect the 265WT to your PC and automatically add favorite locations using GoogleMaps. All in all I am very happy with my purchase and would purchase it again.

FYI the Nuvi 265WT is the same unit as the Nuvi 255W without the Bluetooth ability and the FM reliever cable (GTM 25). You can even purchase the GTM 25 from Garmin. If you don't want the Bluetooth feature and don't currently need the traffic feature you can pick up the Nuvi 255W cheaper.


Thanks:
http://astore.amazon.com/cheap.garmin.nuvi.265wt.gps-20

Garmin Nuvi 255W : Best In Its Class - Great For Traveling

If you spend much time driving in unfamiliar territory, especially if you rent cars in big cities, a good portable GPS makes an amazing difference. And the Garmin 255W is the best one I could find in the $250 - $350 range.

First this thing just plain works. I haven't had any issues with mine. It was easy to set up and figure out right out of the box, and it's easy to use. It never has had trouble getting sufficient signal unlike earlier and cheaper models.

I chose the 255W for several reasons: It uses some of the newest and best maps available. It has one of the more usable touch screens for entering destinations. It's fast to acquire satellites. And Garmin almost always comes out on top in reviews--especially in routing.

Ultimately, you buy a car GPS to get you from Point A to Point B as easily and efficiently as possible. And that's what the 255W does best. If you've ever had a "Brand X" GPS take you on some strange route that adds 20 minutes to your trip, has you turn the wrong way down a one way road, tell you to turn AFTER you've passed the street, frequently loses the satellite signal, or has old maps missing streets, you know how important this stuff is.

The 255W has a really clear display that's easy to see in any light. It's small enough to use on foot. The windshield mount works great and it's easy to toss in the glovebox when you park. It even tells you the speed limit on most roads. The "points of interest" feature works very well to find places to eat by type of cuisine, gas stations, etc.

The difference between the 255W and 205W is the 255 speaks street names and includes Alaska and Canada. The 205 and 205W will tell you to "turn right in 500 feet" which isn't as helpful or obvious as "turn right on Ivy Street in 500 feet". The "W" models are widescreen which makes entering destinations easier due to having a bigger "keyboard" and also lets you see more map area while driving.

All in all this isn't the cheapest GPS in its class but it's one of the best. My only gripe is you need an expensive add-on to get live traffic data--something that's included with the Magellan Roadmate 1430 which is close to the same price. But the Garmin 255W is a better GPS in every other way.


Thanks:
http://astore.amazon.com/garmin.nuvi.255w.gps-20