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Old 08-31-2014, 01:11 PM   #41
Mr. Ham
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Originally Posted by wa8yxm View Post
Well the experts say Garmin is the best.....

I have not purchased the RV-GPS mostly because I have read several reviews of it on line from folks that have one, and most all of them can be summed up in your opening sentence "They wish they had bought something else".

So you now have my passed on 2nd hand recommendation... Buy Something Else. And garmin is the best for the self contained units.

My choice... For my car.> Google maps on my Smart PHone (make sure you get the route BEFORE you leave though)

2nd Choice, also 1st for the RV, is discontinued but Microsoft S*T on this laptop with a GPS dongle. Works very well, large screen (15") is way easier to "Scan" than the smaller screen of the hand held units.
If you are a ham and you have a transceiver that does APRS, and does not have a built in GPS receiver like the older Kenwoods, the GPS unit you would want to buy would be one that would interface with the radio.

I was on my way to Coudersport PA ( God's Country!) one day about 3 years ago in the middle of winter. I programmed the address of the person I wanted to visit and it calculated the route.
When I drove to Keating Summit, it told me to go right - past a bar and then make another right and to follow that road for 11 miles.
I made the right and went past the bar and made the next right onto a forest fire road and followed that road as far as I could go - they had 3b gravel on the road. When the graveled road ended - where the loggers entered the woods, there was a 2 inch glaze of ice on the road.
The elevation was probably 2600' and the road went straight down the hill into Coudersport 1400'... Had I taken the road that Tom Tom told me to take, I would not be here today - I would be DEAD!

I threw that piece of junk out the window and got out the map and confirmed my route and drove there by myself.

If you are a city slicker and you need to find a certain street it would be a good option for someone that does not know the area. But for driving on the highway - where I 80 has always been I 80 and east goes towards Boalsburg and west goes towards Sharon - there is no need to have a Tom Tom blaring in my ears - go left, go right, go straight - when you have driven that road for 30 years!

The best trips I have ever taken has been ones that I just filled up the tank and drove. When I found a spot I liked, I pulled over and camped. Usually buying a couple of beers for the patrons in a bar or stopping at a roadside fish and bait stand or small diner will usually get you directions to a good fishing hole or hunting spot.
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Old 08-31-2014, 02:46 PM   #42
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The best trips I have ever taken has been ones that I just filled up the tank and drove.
With that, I agree. One of my most enjoyable drives was on a return trip from Florida, back home to Dallas. I was in a 1955 Thunderbird with the top down -- this was in about 1980, in spring or autumn -- and I missed a turn in Montgomery and ended up about 10 miles north. I checked the map, found another road going west, and cruised through some truly beautiful country. Wherever I stopped, people asked about the car and I asked about hamburgers, and went on from there. Funnest drive ever.

One of the most enjoyable stops on a long trip occurred in 1988 when I was flying my 1946 Commonwealth Skyranger from St Pete to Dallas and stopped at a small airport in Delhi, Louisiana because the clouds were getting low. A local saw me land and drove over to the airport (which probably saw about three landings a month) to ask what kind of airplane that was. We yakked some and he invited me to Sunday dinner at his home, with about 25 of his family. They were having turkey for dinner, and the turkey they were having had grown up in one of their fields. Wonderful! The clouds lifted a bit after dinner, he took me back to the airport, and I flew on to Monroe where I spent the night.

Airplanes (little ones anyway) are at least as much fun as RVs, even though (or maybe because) I had no GPS and navigated by looking out the window.

I miss my old Commonwealth. It was so slow, controllers sometimes thought I was a helicopter.
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Old 08-31-2014, 04:44 PM   #43
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Yep I Fly Roads!
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Old 09-05-2014, 03:58 PM   #44
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Default The deal is done...

After considering all the advice here and in a bunch of online reviews... I have come to a decision.

I just picked up a Garmin nuvi 65LMT.

Decided that the RV specific GPS was too expensive and didn't see too many positive online reviews about them. Average price at $350 and upward to near $500... That's too much; paid $179 for the Garmin at Target.

I figure I can load my own waypoints as per Andy's and others suggestions. I usually like to plan my routes for long trips on the laptop and this allows me to do that. I'll just have to research low bridges and bad roads ahead of time on my own.

The 6 in. screen is just right, 5 in too small for my eyes and 7 in takes up too much window.

And it has free lifetime map updates and real time traffic avoidance. No cell phone required. Be advised updating maps takes about an hour There are software upgrades (patches) that are free too. Nice to be able to get fixes as needed.

It will go for a test drive tomorrow. More later.
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Old 09-05-2014, 08:21 PM   #45
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Here you go Radio:http://www.poi-factory.com
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Old 09-06-2014, 08:09 AM   #46
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The RV-GPS has not played well in reviews from assorted RV forums, enough so that I decided to avoid it.. Thus I can not give you a personal opinion.

This I do know, several years ago one of the Gearhead mags (GPS perhaps) did a comparison of 3 major GPS units

A top end Garmin
A top end Magellin
A top end TomTom

They fed all 3 three diffent start and end distanations (That is they fed all 3 the SAME three start and end points) then drove the routes

On all 3, the driver using the Garmin got there first, and he finished with "Your Destination is on the right" and turned RIGHT into the parking lot.

I forget who got there 2nd, but they had to make a left turn, as did the 3rd.

The conclusion: Garmin was 3 for 3 the winner.

So, what do I use, at least for now? Microsoft Streets and Trips of course.
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Old 09-07-2014, 07:27 PM   #47
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I was under the impression I could manipulate the maps, meaning to plan trips and routes, by accessing the software inside the GPS via the USB port from the PC.

Apparently not. Some sort of software has to be running on the laptop and I haven't figured out what software I need to load. Any clues?

I did figure out how to find and load custom POI files, I have Walmart, dollar stores, drug stores, flying j, other truck stops and a few other things.
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Old 09-08-2014, 08:51 AM   #48
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I have two Garmin's and there is no way to access the maps via the USB that I have found. Here is a pretty neat site for all things Garmin mobile. http://home.comcast.net/~ghayman3/garmin.gps/
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Old 09-08-2014, 06:43 PM   #49
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I have two Garmin's and there is no way to access the maps via the USB that I have found. Here is a pretty neat site for all things Garmin mobile. http://home.comcast.net/~ghayman3/garmin.gps/
Correct. You must use some sort of Garmin specific mapping software to plan your route, then transfer the waypoint data into the GPS. Still working on figuring that out.

Life is happening at a quickening pace. Time for new toys is limited. I'll figure it out as I have time.
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Old 09-08-2014, 06:54 PM   #50
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Correct. You must use some sort of Garmin specific mapping software to plan your route, then transfer the waypoint data into the GPS. Still working on figuring that out.

Life is happening at a quickening pace. Time for new toys is limited. I'll figure it out as I have time.
I believe there is a way to incorporate google maps.
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Old 03-24-2022, 12:38 PM   #51
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Default GPS Mistreatment

I didn't realize that we were so inconsiderate of little person living inside that small black box. They work hard trying to get us on the best quickest route. And then we don't comply. We have the audacity to think our route selection is better. I just wait them out. Eventually my way is shorter and they cheerfully adopt the new route. Of course I have to listen to the upturn instructions, but my way is still better.

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