Posted on 03/25/2015 10:18:15 PM PDT by EinNYC
Post 80 is what I do.
Cross check that sucker with a smart phone and be done. My Tom Tom has all kinds of information wrong but it still navigates fine if you cross check it.
If I know where I’m going to day before I just do a Google map search from my computer, if not I use the Maps app. There’s been several times I could not find an address on my Tom Tom and I just Google for address then located nearest road crossing, plug that into Tom Tom, then used my head or smart phone ping for the rest.
Road atlas? The printed kind.
I think this is your problem. I have used the Garmin GPS units for years, and have not had the problems you are describing. But, I keep mine on the dashboard of my car and keep it turned on all the time.
I think your problem comes from keeping it in the glovebox and only taking it out occasionally. It likes to know where it is and it can't update its location when it is turned off and in the glovebox. DW and I have five Garmin units between us, one in each of the vehicles we drive even a little. (Her car, my car, son's car, sports car, 4x4 hunting truck.) I have had the problems you describe, but in the past few years they have been very rare. Maybe once per year, always in very rural settings.
The unit in my hunting rig even works on the Forest Service roads way out in the boonies.
OTOH, I almost always either look up the address of someplace I want to find, or if I want to find a store by name, I wait until I am reasonably close to the store to search for it. I never expect it to give me an intersection, only a street address. Don't expect it to be something it is not meant to be.
Get a bean bag mount for your Garmin and keep it on your dashboard. The newer models will show your speed and the local speed limit. This has saved me enough tickets to more than pay for the unit. The speed indicator is far more accurate than the one in your car. I connect mine to my Mac every few months and update both the software and the maps. From the reviews I read, there is no better car GPS than the Garmin.
THe problem is that Tom-Tom and Garmin will not exist as companies soon.
Their product is replaced by software on a smartphone that has functionality that is as up-to-date as you can get - so maybe some people prefer a stand alone GPS - but it’s not enough of a market to support a continuing, improving product line.
So you are likely to see more flimsy GPS devices, lower quality, and less durability as Garmin and Tom-tom spiral into the oblivion that is their inevitable destiny.
Lots of replies to this thread.
I have not ever had a gps in my car. Rand Mcnalley makes a fine map. I have worn out several over the years. It has not ever sent me on a wrong turn, still have one to this day. Love my paper maps.
Waze is great! Route guidance, road and weather conditions, traffic problems, police locations, red light camera warnings. Continuous ETA updates are also a plus. Droid LG G3 with a Bluetooth is an awesome combination. Even if no guidance is used, it still gives all the info. Voice recognition for shops, dining, restrooms, coffee, etc., with “take me there” directions.
We love our Garmin Nuvi — a gift back in 2010. We’ve never updated it as the update cost appears to be about the same as a new unit on sale.
We especially like the fact that most (maybe all) GPS systems can’t locate our house, which is off the beaten path. If we want people to show up, we’ll give them directions. Others says they’re coming, and when we try to give directions they’ll wave us off and say, “Don’t give me directions; I have GPS.” “Okayfine.” We know they’ll end up at a gate to a field where it’s almost impossible to turn around.
Generally, we rely on Nuvi when traveling to new places. When we were house hunting in a new area, it saved tons of time and stress. I’m sure there are many more fancy-schmancy systems out there but for now this is great.
Thanks for your input. The reason I keep my Garmin in my glove compartment is because people in NYC (even nice neighborhoods like mine) have had their windshields broken by thieves after their GPS. I have a beanbag mount so that there is no tell-tale windshield mounted mount to entice thieves to look for the GPS.
Oh, yes. I am quite adept at reading a map. But you don't do that while driving in urban traffic, unless you have your funeral arrangements already made.
“..foldout maps (do they still make those?)”
Yep, but what they used to give away now costs about $5.00.
Where do you get the open source maps that you use with your Garmin?
I refused to give up my paper maps until about four years ago when I finally got an iPhone. Even then I stuck with my maps for a year or so until I decided to yield to my kids constant ridicule and try Apple and Google maps. The tools are amazing and do a fantastic job. Connect to your car sound system and you get verbal instructions over the car speakers. If you are playing music or podcasts from your phone and using nav, the music/podcast volume automatically reduces while the nav announcements are made. Map updates are always free and happen without any intervention on the users part.
While I may not always get someplace error free (some user-errors account for some issues) I always get where I'm going.
Had a Tom Tom before the Garmin (it still works but it hasn't been updated in 12 years) and it was about the same. Some places are situated that, depending on where you start, and what is between you and the destination, you may get a route that you don't want. For instance, I put in "Aquarium of the Americas" in New Orleans because I know it is on the main drag by the river that I wanted to get to. Didn't pay any attention and it took me to a Ferry that you rode to get to the other side vs. keeping me on surface roads. I later looked at their site and they also provided an address that would keep folks from being led to the ferry.
Nothing's perfect and one needs to add a little of his own effort into the mix and lighten up when things don't go totally as envisioned - life's too short to waste by being ticked off about the small stuff - consider the small quirks to be little adventures...
I also vote for the Magellan. I have an older unit that we recently updated with new maps. I have another GPS in my car that is terrible, don’t know who made it as it’s part of the dash features.
One thing about the Magellen is that it gives a couple different views of the directions. All GPSs seem to give bad directions from time to time (death by GPS is a real thing!) I always double check the directions to make sure they make sense.
Get a map?
...and a compass?
It’s nice to have first-world problems, isn’t it?
You do realize how weird that sounds, don't you?
I’ve used Tom tom, but the touch screen was just lousy from day 1. Granted, that unit was from maybe 4 years ago or so but it was terrible compared to even the smart phones of the day. Wife has a new Garmin I got her for Christmas, works very well. I use Waze on my android smartphone if/when I need it. Other than those, I don’t know of too many other options. There are only a couple of players in the dedicated GPS realm and then you’re into a smartphone or tablet based app.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.