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Loose rivets
24th Mar 2007, 07:37
I need to get a GPS for the car. It must be quickly changeable to the next car, so a lighter plug supply etc..

The Garman my Son-I-L used in Fl was a good size, touch screen and loud and clear, but it did not seem to accept a street without the number. Just lack of training?

Any comments and price (US) info would be appreciated.

BEagle
24th Mar 2007, 08:28
Garmin nüvi 660 or, if you want US and EU mapping, the nüvi 670.

Recommended price for the 670 is $1178 and for the 660, $964. But you can find the 660 for less than $700 at Ama*on.

Try googling and you should find some good offers!

The UK version of the 660 doesn't have the FM transmitter, but otherwise it's the same as the US version. I've had one for about 3 months now and it is really excellent - although hearing it trying to prononounce German street names can be a bit of a laugh!

seacue
24th Mar 2007, 11:15
Mr Rivets,


B**tB**s had the Garmin c330 at $299, which is below my flinch point. They can be had slightly cheaper on the Internet. I bought one and am happy so far. Agreed that I don't see a way to enter a street without the house number.

One of the strong reasons I bought Garmin is the ability to load your own custom Points of Interest [POI]. I'm a radio geek as well as an aviation geek. I have written software that can output the transmitter locations of broadcasting stations. It is trivial to upload them to [most] Garmin mapping GPS receivers. These Garmins have no way to enter lat-long coordinates from the "panel", but the POI files are simple text files
long,lat,text
long,lat,text
etc.
Garmin's POILoader is a free download. The GPS will hold hundreds or thousands of these custom POI. Many more when you plug in an SD card. You don't have to upload to the GPS, just put the POI on an SD card.

You'll find there is a way to output lat/long text files of places you have marked on computer mapping software such as DeLorme's. Unfortunately they seem to be lat/long, rather than the long/lat that Garmin likes. You can download a very simple conversion program I wrote.

You can buy foreign mapping and put it on an SD card and still spend half as much as a fancy Nuvi. I find the c330 screen is large enough, but may not be quite as bright as you'd like in Texas sun. Sunshades are available and might help.

Loose rivets
24th Mar 2007, 18:07
Thank's for the info chaps.

Well, I looked at various sites last night, and the prices are much as you say. I had hoped that they would have come down a bit by now...but it is super technology I suppose.

I'm looking with renewed interest at my Garmin III, which cost me $10 at a garage sale.

Seriously though, I do need the voiced instructions. The only safe way to go. So strange that they will not let you simply go to a street. We put in several bogus street numbers before it allowed the entry, and took us to a nearby restaurant.

On my recent trip to Fl., and with better planning, I could have paid for a good GPS with what it would have saved. Not knowing how far we could drive in a day was the reason for not booking ahead, so making a last minute rush to an hotel was a very expensive way to go. Hindsight.

Although I made the leads for the old Garmin, I have never downloaded soft into it. Just a typical learning curve for modern kit I suppose.

I'll post again when I find something, and perhaps get the lowdown on programming etc..

LR

seacue
24th Mar 2007, 22:45
Mr Rivets
The c330 and many others come loaded with many thousands of points of interest such as lodging, restaurants and fuel so you may not need to load anything yourself.

If you have PC mapping software like DeLorme's you can mark a location (click plus you might want to type in a name). About three more clicks outputs a Lat,Long,Name TXT file. Download and use my TXT2CSV conversion software which requires typing in the name of the file created above. Plug the GPS into your PC with the supplied USB cable which supplies power and carries data. Turn on the GPS. Start the POILOADER program, it will find the GPS. Point POILOADER at the folder which contains CSV file you created with my software. All the CSV files in that folder will be uploaded in a instant. You are done. I think this totals less than ten clicks and a very little typing.

Go to http://users.erols.com/rcarpen to download TXT2CSV.EXE The TXT file name must be eight or fewer character before the periodso you may have to change the one created by DeLorme.

There is a way to mark and save points of interest using just the GPS, but I use the above method.

There is a very good Web site that compares many GPS receivers. Unfortunately it contains adverts so you'll have to send me a PM if you want the URL.

Loose rivets
25th Mar 2007, 04:41
Thanks again. Please check your PMs

seacue
25th Mar 2007, 08:43
L-R, check your PM.

Bushfiva
25th Mar 2007, 09:00
Garmin III

If you have the map CDs for your chosen area, don't forget you can connect the Garmin to your notebook, and Garmin's free software will do turn by turn spoken navigation. It's not a very solution, but it would do while you wait for the next $10 mapping GPS to pass by :)

Loose rivets
2nd Apr 2007, 05:39
Well, one has plumped for a C330-R. That's a refurbished. I was pleased with my HP computer deal which had the most minute scratch giving me $100s off the RRp, so it remains to be seen what arrives.

Free P&P and no tax cos it's from out of state. I wish there was no VAT when I get things from outside Essex :*

Sears pirice this am was 399 + 6.25% and this was $269.99. I will however phone tomorrow to see if they have anything for $10 :O

Seems a good deal, but it'll probably mean that I have to drive backwards to make it go, or I'll get the one that was run over by a cement lorry.

I would have had a go at making my Sony Vaio work in the car, but it's old and I don't know if I could get that going on 12v. I beat my normal frugal mode when I got that. It was 9 months old and Sony had written it off.

When my pal got the insurance money he gave the lap top to me.

It had been all the way to Brussels to be told that it needed a new mother board. Oh, and the dry sounding Sony man told me that they finger print dust for interlopers before doing any work. Anyway I was given it...Sony wanted £1,200 for the part even though the computer was less than that new...so a little micro surgery on the print'd circuit near the bios chip and away it went. Used it ever since. Having said all this, if it would go, is a 2 point something Mhz fast enought to run the nav progs? I might still have a go for fun.

Loose rivets
2nd Apr 2007, 17:06
Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaagh! not you Onan, just Aaaaaaaaaaaagh. Talking to my son this am and he looks up Walm@rt while we were speaking. For about $5 more I could have had a new'un.

I had tried 4 times to get through to someone at that illustrious store that even knew what department sold the things...It was like commuicating with the dead. I gave up and ordered last night. Maybe not all bad though, reading their terms. Can't win all the time, but one can try.

HowlingWind
4th Apr 2007, 18:55
Sorry this is too late for Mr. Rivets, but for anyone else looking to save some $$ on a GPS, you might look at this site (http://www.refurbdepot.com/category.cfm?PageID=607), which features reburbished GPS units. Though rebuilt, they come with standard warranty and extended service plans are available, if that's your thing. Generally they can be had for 1/2 to 2/3 of original price.

They have lots of other cool electronics as well, and even some tools! :ok:

I've had several refurb products and have had good luck with all of them.

Loose rivets
5th Apr 2007, 04:37
That looks like a good site. One hasn't got the 330 yet, but plans are afoot to upgrade quite quickly as knowledge base improves.

Loose rivets
10th Apr 2007, 01:01
Well, it turned up today and seems okay. One would have to look hard to know that it was 'refurbished'. So, $269.99 right to the door and with 1 year's warranty.

Of no importance really, but it thinks my house number is 400 yards up the street.

I wish I'd had it for the Florida trip, anything to take one's mind off hours of being in the P2's seat.