GPSs, How many of you use them?

[Train-train]

I have been known have gas (gear acquisition syndrome). My computer guy(kid) was showing me the cool stuff he has. Of latest, he has a Garmin GPS that hooks into his laptop. With Microsoft's 'streets and maps', he has never found himself lost. It was quite impressive. Not only can he accurately find anything destination, he can measure his speed and it will give him voice directions to his destination. If he has to detour for any reason, he just hits a button and it configures a new and improved route.

I bought a wireless input card and fancy antenna with the hopes of totting a computer with me. I was thinking it would be a good info source if I can pull up to a coffee shop or hotel with wireless service. I see that Microsoft even makes a package deal that contains a GPS locater that does not need internet service to locate one's self out of needless fuel waste and time.

So, any of you guys have one? Tell me about it and if it is worth its cost.

[dentarthurdent]

I am new to the skoolie/RV world, but I used my GPS Blackberry quite a bit on the way home with my "new" bus. It's an 8800 model and has the GPS receiver built in. I used Google maps for Blackberry and an application called "Spot for Blackberry". I didn't have Spot set up really, so I just used it for checking elevation and calibrating the speedometer. I use Google maps (which is GPS enabled on the 8800) to check distances, get routing, and search for things like "the nearest Flying J in the next 100 miles from where I am now". Both applications rely on an internet connection for map, routing, and search data, so they won't work where there is no phone service - not really a production quality system in that sense. I would also recommend that you have an unlimited data plan since they chew up lots of bandwidth. The GPS also runs the Blackberry battery down pretty quickly. So overall, it's a nice stopgap, personally portable system, but not really roadworthy long term for an RV I think.

hth - Tony

[swinada]

I have used a Garmin 276C with City Navigator. And it sure helped trying to find things in unknown cities.
For my bus I'm planning on buying the Garmin USB or PC connect model. http://www.gpscentral.ca/products/garmin/18deluxe.htm Which comes bundled with the City Navigator.
$145 canadian. The best place to buy this in Canada is at http://www.gpscentral.ca they are located in Calgary. Very knowledgeable staff.

I talked to a guy a while back which bought the MS Street and Maps bundled with the USB antenna for about $130 at Costco. He really liked that one too.

I just see that Costco.com in the states has the Garmin deluxe 18 for $99 and the MS street and trips for $79

dont know which one is better I like the garmin mapping software, it is updated on a regular basis. Not sure about MS how often they update the maps. According to GPScentral Garmin are the only ones that regularly update the mapsystem.

[dentarthurdent]

if you use Firefox 2.0, it provides spell checking in text boxes like the compose page here...

[the_experience03]

We have used Streets and Trips to cross the country in my truck and it was fantastic. Similarly it worked rather well in the bus though we had a tough time finding a good satellite signal due to the shape of the bus (vertical windshield). Currently I navigate using a map, my hunting compass, and gas station attendants.

[lapeer20m]

i have a little garmin handheld gps. it's an etrex legend series. I love it. It has a smaller screen than you would find on a unit built primarily for vehicle use. The etrex just takes a couple of AA batt's, it's super light and small. Great to carry from vehicle to vehicle or to use while hiking. I even used it on the airplane on my way to phoenix. 500 mph was our average cruising speed. And it's waterproof, so you can submerge it....but it doesn't float.

pretty much everything in the yellowpages is in the gps. Want an atm? or a rental car place? just ask the gps and it'll show you all of the ones near you starting with the closest.

[nyrockingchairs]

I too use the USB GPS antannae with Streets and Trips on the laptop. It works great on the newer laptops, our 2002 Gateway kept crashing while trying to run S&Ts. The nice thing about the laptop is the screen size and the fact that it has an audio output for headphones (or bigger speakers) while driving the noisy skoolie.

The Garmin (and other brands) GPS units are meant for smaller cars and have a screen that is smaller than a playing card, and I would imagine the voice directions might be kind of hard to hear while driving a skoolie. I have yet to find one of the GPS units with an audio output.

The only issue with the laptop is building a nice little holder for it so it mounts in a conveiniant location, unless you have a dedicated navigator of course. My navigator tends to go lie on the bed and sleep or read during the drive.

[swinada]

I have yet to find one of the GPS units with an audio output.

Actually the 276C does have audio output but you need a Garmin connector.

The Garmin (and other brands) GPS units are meant for smaller cars

unless you buy the PC/USB garmin which is also meant for the laptop or PC with as big a screen as you want.

[nyrockingchairs]

Well there ya go. So if you buy the specific toy and appropriate adapters...I spent $120 for the USB GPS antannae and Streets and Trips as a package deal, so if you already have the laptop. Or you can even pick up a cheap laptop for about $300, which still puts you around the same cost as the mid-level GPS units...

[phillbus914]

I just bought a new Magellan RoadMate 1200 and I love it. I had one of the hand held older style ones before but it didn't do turn by turn navigation, was hard to use, and the screen was small & black and white. I first used one of these new touch screen navigation models last summer and was very impressed... if you miss a turn it will recalculate the route automatically for you. The new model I just got, is a lot smaller and more portable than the ones that first came out. It's just a little thicker than a blackberry cell phone.

I got this one the day after thanksgiving for $125 ($105 off) I ordered it off the circuit city website so I didn't have to go and fight the mobs at the store to get it. (why doesn't everyone do that?) Here's a link to the model I bought, the price is higher now though. http://www.circuitcity.com/ssm/Magellan ... tDetail.do