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>>The decision is final. Garmin 2610 or 2650. :smile:
>>
>>For dash-top mount, do you worry about possible break-ins? I'm a bit paranoid because of my previous experience with theft. :smile:
I remember the days when we had our 1st Garmin Streetpilot Color that was dash-top mount. When the unit is off the mount, my wife puts a small stuff animal on the top because the mount has "Garmin" print on it. She feels safer that way.
Since the unit was stowed away, my wife kinda got lazy and didn't use it much at all. She feels it wasn't useful because it lacks routing function on the earlier models. Now we can't live without one. :smile:
>>thanks for the great info. I am still leaning towards the pioneer.
>>skoobee
Great choice! Pioneer offers one of the best GPS system currently available, if not the best. The SYS910NAV package is a great value compare to Alpine & Kenwood. I have that system in one of my car since July and it works perfectly. :smile:
How did you mount your base? I used an alcohol pad to clean the surface and now I have a large whitish grey spot on the dash around the base. Tried basic cleaners and it won't go away.
The 2610 is really easy to hide. I've got tinted windows so I just unclip it and put it on the parcel shelf with the power cord still attached. When I get back, pull it out and clip it on. Total time about 15 seconds.
>>Menee,
>>
>>How did you mount your base? I used an alcohol pad to clean the surface and now I have a large whitish grey spot on the dash around the base. Tried basic cleaners and it won't go away.
>>
>>The 2610 is really easy to hide. I've got tinted windows so I just unclip it and put it on the parcel shelf with the power cord still attached. When I get back, pull it out and clip it on. Total time about 15 seconds.
>>
>>Sean
I used the removable sticky pad that came with the Garmin. I have not tried to unstick it yey so I don,t know if will leave a mark, I don,t think it will though. I did not clean it with the alcohol just stuck it on.
I am also struggling with the decision about which GPS nav system to buy. I want one that I can move between two cars and one that I can carry with me when I travel to Europe. I've used the Garmin system and like it. The new 2610 looks like a great unit. I also like the new Magellan systems. But, I am very interested in the new Bluetooth GPS systems that you use with a Bluetooth enabled PDA. Seems this would be a great system and perhaps more functional overall - but my main concern is the GPS. Has anyone done (or seen) a side-by-side comparison between a stand alone unit like the Garmin and a Bluetooth GPS/PDA system? If so, I'd be interested in any comments/observations.
I finally ordered Garmin 2610 and download the maps for my road trip tomorrow. I really like the touch screen and remote control. :smile: I was also amazed at how good the reception is. It was able to locate the satellites INDOOR. WOW!!!
After reviewing this thread, I purchased a Garmin 2610 on E-bay for $745. Got it in the mail Friday and tried it out this weekend. What an incredible device! The beanbag mount stays put. The controls are easy to use, the CDROM mapping software is awesome and downloads via USB quickly. I was driving home around sunset and the GPS automatically switched from the daytime screen to the nightime screen. Amazing!
I had the chance to use 2610 extensively when I drove from Mentor, OH to Los Angeles to Portland, OR. It is by far the best portable unit I've used. I was able to load the entire route onto the memory card that came with the unit.
As an electronic enthusiast, I've own 8 different GPS Nav systems: Alpine, Pioneer, Kenwood, 2 Lexus factory GPS, Garmin Streetpilot Color, Garmin SP III, and Garmin 2610. Beside Garmin units, all the others are DVD based. My biggest complaint about the previous Garmin units is the routing calculation time, which is unacceptably long comparing to the DVD units. I often had to pull over to allow the unit to finish route calculation. On the contrary, the new 2610 is almost as fast as the DVD units. It's packed with features and options. Most of all, I love the touch-screen feature and the remote control. Unlike OEM factory (MINI) units, all the functions are maintain while the car is in motion. For this simple reason, I refuse to get factory Nav ever since my experience with Lexus unit. Don't get me wrong, factory Navs are great, but I just don't like the idea of stopping every time I want to input a destination.
I also like the speed display, which is somewhat more accurate than the MINI. BMW has the reputation of beefing up their speedometer, making the dispaly speed faster than the actual speed. Another feature that was helpful was elevation display. Due to the snow and icy condition through northern CA and southern OR, I wanted to know if elevation is increasing or decreasing. Hence I can anticipate the road condition ahead.
2610 also has 5 different language selection. For English, there's British or American. I, of course, chose British, which goes well with MINI's British heritage. :smile:
Shameless bump, but does anyone have any pics of where they installed their Garmin? I was thinking on putting it below the toggle switches but that's too hard to glance at while driving. One of the major reasons I got it was to see the side streets and shortcuts.
I'm now thinking on the area next to the tach, but the mount included doesn't tilt far enough.
Any ideas?
__________________
Charlie Arrived 6/16/04 - MINI Cooper S - CooperFlags Silver\Black Maple Leaf. Alta Intake. Invidia Exhaust. Megan coilovers. M7 Pulley, Craven short shifter. H-Sport Rear Swaybar. M7 Strut Bar.
I am getting ready to post the details of my install of the TomTom Bluetooth GPS for Palm Tungsten T3. We have two Magellan Roadmate 700s and my initial impression is that the TomTom Navigator is much better. And cheaper too. There are some downsides but that will take a few more days of testing to nail down the problems and if they are mine or TomTom Navigator on the Palm or the Bluetooth GPS unit.
Would this be a Vcommand??? www.vcommand.com. I have two of them, one that's mine and a demo unit. They are great in the MINI to get around, especially if one is lost and needs gas, looking for the nearest party or MINI event... (Ok, you NEED the addresses for the last two) That said, a Vcommand unit can't really be used on a bicycle, as a ahndheld walking, or to help one design a twisty route for an event. So far, there is no one device that does everything.
Mike
Quote:
Originally Posted by 10851CS
I have the perfect nav system for the MINI - voice activated and NO screen - pop up or otherwise.
I just asked these questions on another thread, does anyone know this?
A features on some of the GPS’s is the MPH – they must be accurate, but how fast do they update?
Can a person use it for determining 0-60 times?
For that matter can it be used for ¼ mile times?
Take a look at the Garmin Quest, its new its fast and lots of on board memory. Just used it for a trip to Virginia and back to Western New York. Still working on the best mount. May use an upside down cup in the cup holder and mount it there, a larger version of the way my xmradio Roady 2 is mounted.
I have had this unit in my MINI for about two weeks and I LOVE it ! I use it everyday to get to my new clients houses and it is dead on! I paid $610 for the unit from www.shipdog.com . Check out the tom tom website at www.tomtom.com . This was a great deal and is a total touch screen system having only one button the power button. Great deal, great equipment .
Hope this discussion continues ....
My preference is toward a portable GPS; something I can use in the MINI or take with me when I have to rent a car. The Garmin iQue series is tempting but it seems problematic to locate it so that I can see/access the screen and it still has a good look at the sky. Therefore a PDA that uses a separate - Bluetooth - receiver seems to make sense. Since I'm a Mac user I am inclined to favor the Palm-based choices but will keep an open mind. Cnet has reviewed a number of Bluetooth-based systems; some are Pocket PC while a few are Palm. If anyone has photos and/or experience with this type of GPS please share with us.
Here's what I came up with to mount my wife's Garmin SP-III. It also ccepts my Garmin 2610 that I use on my motorcycle Finding the right location was tricky with the airbag just above the glove box, the speedometer, the air vents, and the stereo.
Now I'm working on an enclosure to mount her Alpine 6-CD changer, XM receiver and both of the BlitzSafe interface boxes that were required. There seems to be an amp in the compartment where the wires are located to hook the audio stuff into. That leaves no room for anything therefore I'm coming up with a nice enclosure to house everything.
I have a Garmin GPSMAP 76s, a Garmin Quest and a Vcommand voice-activated nav system. (I love GPS! I had one of the first Trimble portables in the early days!!!)
For the MINI, when a viewable screen is helpful, the Quest rocks. It came with a nice window bracket, sticks well, and when plugged in, even chats to you! At $450 (off Ebay) with new City Select Maps, it was a pretty good deal.
The Ique series from Garmin are very nice. (I am a big fan of the Palm version because of the availability of software for it) However, you really can't use pdas outside in foul weather. The Quest is waterproof, and can be used on a Motorcycle, bicycle, speed boat or sailboat in any kind of weather. It also doesn't need batteries, and the internal lithium one lasts as long as 40 hours.
The Bluetooth devices are clever, but have thier own issues. Believe it or not, few HP Ipqs with built-in Bluetooth work with the Bluetooth receivers! (Whoops, someone didn't do their field testing!) Bluetooth Gpses are in need of power or have to be recharged, and due to their tiny size, easily lost. They aren't very weatherproof either.
Between some friends of mine and I we have...
Trimble Ensign (antique portable GPS)
Garmin Etrex Vista, and Legend
Garmin Quest
Garmin Street Pilot III
Garmin GPSMAP 76S
Garmin Ique Palm
Socket Bluetooth GPS
Several Compaq Ipaqs for the Bluetooth GPS
Pharos Compact flash GPS and software (Also for the IPAQs)
Tom Tom GPS software for the Palm and Ipaqs
HP Jornada 720 with Teletype GPS software and serial and Bluetooth (For the Socket GPS and the GPSMAP 76s and Extrexes)
With all this stuff, I still think the Quest is the best deal. And now there is a nice RAM mount for it that I saw at the DC area Motorcycle show this weekend! Gotta have that!
Hope this helps!
Mike
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ozbone
Hope this discussion continues ....
My preference is toward a portable GPS; something I can use in the MINI or take with me when I have to rent a car. The Garmin iQue series is tempting but it seems problematic to locate it so that I can see/access the screen and it still has a good look at the sky. Therefore a PDA that uses a separate - Bluetooth - receiver seems to make sense. Since I'm a Mac user I am inclined to favor the Palm-based choices but will keep an open mind. Cnet has reviewed a number of Bluetooth-based systems; some are Pocket PC while a few are Palm. If anyone has photos and/or experience with this type of GPS please share with us.
I use a Garmin eTrek Vista, with a suction cup mount that attaches it to the windscreen right behind the steering wheel, next to the pillar. It gets great reception there, has 12volt power from a jack I installed just below the dash, and is quite portable for street walks through cities and forests.
I have the MetroGuide Streets software, so I have very detailed maps onboard.
__________________
ROB SAUNDERS
2004 MCS Chili Red with Black/Premium/Sport/Cold Weather/17" Kumho SPT's with Konig Reason Graphite wheels/HK with Aux In and MFSW/Pantera Grey Leather Interior/Black Bonnet Stripes/M7 Extreme Scoop/Everything except Sat Nav, but added Garmin Nuvi 350.
A little cut and paste:
The iCN 510, driven by navman SmartST™ V3 software, is packed with superb features including 3D map view, voice guidance, postcode search, Back-on-Track™ rerouting, 'Avoid Areas' so you can dodge the traffic 'hotspots' and customisable Points-of-interests. A new feature to SmartST™ V3 is 'Active POIs'. This function allows you to set an alarm to tell you when a particular POI is approaching and also allows you to navigate to your nearest one, e.g petrol station. The navman iCN 510 is sold with SmartST™ V3 software, street-level mapping for the country of purchase and major road base maps for the United States.
From what I've read, it seems the only real difference between it and the Garmin is that the map data base has to be stored on a SD card. Which became the only drawback, since you must have the SD card to get the unit to work, which can drive the price up another $50.
Reading all of the replies has my head swimming.....have I missed the final decision on which one is the best option? Or am I confused due to what my own personal needs are? It appears that most are leaning towards the Garmin StreetPilot 2610.
Never considered a NAV system, but this morning I realized how important one would/could be. My adult daughter and I are always heading for the hills for outdoor adventures and in areas we have never been before. She is legally blind and I, at my age, require the old reading glasses to manage maps. How I missed the gift of a NAV system is beyond me.
Also recently moved to the Colorado mountains. Will this unit allow me to download the "back country"? Are there options for topo maps?
Reading all of the replies has my head swimming.....have I missed the final decision on which one is the best option? Or am I confused due to what my own personal needs are? It appears that most are leaning towards the Garmin StreetPilot 2610.
Not wanting to confuse you any more, here is Garmin's Web Site. I have a Streetpilot III and love it. I have E-Mailed Garmin several times with questions and have received great response. Maybe they can answer some of you questions. They now have the 2650 which has dead reconing.
Anyway here's the site and Good Luck on you choice!!!!
__________________ "Old Hippie"
Kevin kevinsyler@bellsouth.net
09 Chili Red MINI S Clubman "Baby Grand" Yesterday is History, Tomorrow a Mystery, Today is God's Gift"
I have four Garmin units and the Mini system built into the dash.
You can make you own decisions about what you like, but I would offer one suggestion. One of my units is in a Tacoma 4x4 truck. I mounted it to the inside of the glove box door, run a Gilsson-sourced http://www.gilsson.com/ external antenna to it, and let it talk me through. If I need to see the map, I drop open the door. Otherwise it is invisible. I don't recall if the aux circuits on the Mini are constant on, if not, fix that and there is no more boot up time and no nag screen because it does not shut down.
Personally Garmin beats the socks off the Mini system in many respects. I also have the Ique 3600. Great screen, fast processor and they have a bluetooth system coming out.
