Anybody have suggestions for portable aftermarket Nav systems? I was planning on getting the TomTomGo system, but now I'm not so sure.

 

Sticky Wicket, I too am in the market, and have been doing much research the past couple of weeks. Poor Garmin and Magellan have gotten many emails from me .

I do a fair amount of mtn climbing, and been wanting something portable for that purpose, and to go into multiple cars. I was in SF last week, and it would have been nice to have GPS for just walking around, and finding where we parked. I had no interest in getting the MINI nav as I knew I could put that money toward this more comprehensive end...

If I wasn't hung-up on the mtn adventures, the Garmin Quest is very nice!

http://www.garmin.com/products/quest/

Don't let the price scare you... it can be had more much less...

And it can be used for hiking & camping adventures, so this is considered a very desirable item to many...

A little more hardcore for outdoors folks, this is the one that I've been looking at a bit more:

http://www.garmin.com/products/gpsmap60cs/

I'm not pulling the trigger just yet as I'm waiting for something with removable memory, like SD or CF....

If you already have a PDA, I've heard great things about this:

http://www.garmin.com/products/cfQue/

Or if you have to buy a PDA, or pocket PC:

http://www.garmin.com/products/iQue3600/

http://www.garmin.com/products/iQueM5/

With the PDA combined, their Queing technology can route to any of your contacts. Pretty sweet...

Garmin is a leader in the field, and I've had good expriences with them. Also, Magellan has good stuff, so I hear. The TomTom Go has gotten good reviews also!

I hope that hepled some...

 

Somewhat helpful. I appreciate the input.
It seems the most common complaint most users have about all these systems are the maps. They are not complete or up to date or upgrades are expensive, etc. Few people seem to complain much about the actual hardware.
People who were pissed about TomTomGo maps suggested Garmin was an older better company for maps, but on the Garmin reviews, people also bitched about the maps...
Leaves me up in the air with several hundred dollars continuing to sit in my pocket (not a bad situation). Tough to pull the trigger on this one.

 

It is nice to know that the company will be around a while, especially for product support and upgrades. City Select maps for Garmin come with free upgrades, if I understood correctly. Indeed, it is confusing, and frustating. I'm in need of a new PDA, and would love to get their M5, but then I would not take that on the mtn (for several reasons), so I'm stuck getting another GPS for that purpose. I won't do that...

I wish you luck in getting what you want. I'm in no real rush, so I can wait...

 

I have had the iQue 3600 since it came out about a year and a half ago and am VERY pleased with it. I travel a lot to dog shows that are often out in the tulies and the iQUE has always gotten me there. It isn't perfect in that it of course doesn't know about any roads built or modified in the last three years but it is remarkable in the little dirt roads it does know and the ability to find a good route between two points. I drive a motorhome pulling a trailer to the shows and I set the iQue to give me routs as if I was a bus and it keeps me away from low bridges and too tight roads but in the MINI when I tellit I am in a car it finds shorter routes with often really neat twisty roads just perfect fot the MINI. Just be sure you get at least 256MB of additional RAM if you want to carry several states in ine memory.


Lee

 

FWIW, I've got the Garmin 60CS, and it rocks! As it happens, the MINI I bought has Nav, but I use the 60CS in the other cars with the auto-nav kit. It's not as full featured (i.e. voice prompts, memory) as some, but it's waterproof and I can take it mtn biking or hiking with no worries. With 56K it's not ideal for cross country, but it holds all detail from Tahoe to LA. They also retain their value quite well. I actually bought the CS used for about 80% of the new price - it's what they go for on ebay.
I was going to wait for Spring, but got it last year and haven't regretted it for a minute. It's a GREAT toy (and tool, too!)

If you're not looking for outdoors use, the Ique or Quest are great small options. 2610 is another good option.
If you're a bit more specific on what you're looking to use it for, it will be easier for people to make recommendations.

 

Sure,
I'm looking mainly for use in the Mini. Don't plan on using it outdoors, so handheld portability isn't that important, and neither is ruggedness. I'd like at least a 3in color screen, voice prompts, etc. I'm not really all that interested in a built-in mostly due to cost, and if I'm travelling in someone else's car (god forbid) I'd like the option of taking it along. I don't really need a handheld PC or similar, but if the price was right and it had appropriate features, it wouldn't be out of the question.

 

:smile: I just used my new Garmin 2610 on the trip to AMVIV-2! I programmed a bunch of family addresses, Vegas addresses, and many of my cross-country/Dragon addresses as waypoints. I love having the nav. It makes travelling so much more relaxing! Whichever one you choose, you will enjoy it!


Clover

 

After much confusing research my wife and I bought the Magellan 700 this weekend at Costco. It's awesome. It's the same technology in the Hertz rental cars. I would assume that they also were very thorugh researching a reliable unit for their cars. I can't personally compare it to the Garmin other than what info is on the internet - but we couldn't be more satisfied so far. I would assume the Garmin 2620 is very similar and a bit cheaper but you can't beat Costco's return policy - and it was the unit they had in stock. There are so many opinions on the subject so good luck wading through them in your search. We just decided to jump into the deep end and are happy we did,

Matt

 

After rebates, my final price for my Garmin 2610 is $615. I am very happy with that! Purchased it online from getfeetwet.com right after Xmas.


Clover

 

Eric, while it doesn't have voice prompts, I was under the impression that it does have audio alerts if one strays off course. Is that correct? If so, that is fine for me as it does re-calculate the new route, if desired... Thanks. The lack of memory is the only reason I don't have one. Glad you like it!!!

 

I have both a dedicated auto GPS (Garmin StreetPilot III) and the new Garmin 60CS. Since getting the 60CS, I NEVER use the streetpilot anymore.

Love that little unit that takes me from car to trails and back!

 

the 60cs looks nice, but I was hoping for a somewhat larger display and voice/sound prompts.

 

Just got an email from Garmin this morning saying that if I like the 60CS, to check-out the 76CS:

http://www.gps4fun.com/gar_gpsmap76CS.php

It has much more memory. Still no removable memory yet, and the guy said that there were no such plans. I have a hard time believing that as I feel that they would sell more software if they did...

And I would prefer lithium batteries (user removable) that can be charged while in the unit, 12v or at home. I believe the Quest allows for this, so it's doable...

I've heard that these screens are exceptional, and easy to read, even with full sun...

 

I have a Street Pilot II (no voice prompts) for the car and a Garmin eTrex Vista for hiking/geocaching. After a number of years trying to find a single unit for both the auto and the trail, I have given up.

I want a large screen, fast processor and gobs of memory for the auto, but I want lightweight, compact form, and standard (rechargeable) batteries for the trail. The eTrex Vista is perfect for my needs on the trail.

But what about the auto? I have decided against the Garmin 3600/M5 and opted for a faster Dell Axim X30 643mHz PDA with a Bluetooth GPS receiver (the fewer wires the better) and a 1 gb SD card. Also, there is an upgraded GPS receiver technology coming to market in the next month or so. Most GPS receivers use the SiRF star II technology but the SiRF star III technology is now available. I am leaning toward the Globalsat BT 338 unit. By separating the receiver and the processor, I can take advantage of future GPS receiver technology without dumping the processing unit!

As for software, I really like Garmin's QUE technology and have had excellent results with their maps on the StreetPilot and the eTrex. However, the Navtek maps (TomTom, et. al.) seem about as good based on a couple of weeks I spent with them in a rental car. Another contender is On Course Navigator. IMHO, the 3-D navigation screen in the TomTom software is extremely easy to use while driving and effectively communicates the essential information with a quick glance.

So, I have chosen to separate my auto and trail GPS usage. However, when I am hiking, I could take the Axim in its Rhinoskin case and mount the BT GPS receiver on the top of my backpack....

FWIW,

Theo

 

I saw tomtom in the ad somewhere online, and though i didn't want a nav before, now i want one, and TomTom looks awesome. I'm surprized nobody said anything about it. If someone has it, please speak up, I want feedback on it.
And it matches MINI's interior design so well...

D.

 

The 60CS has selectable 'turn near' (warning) and 'turn here' warning sounds. If you stray from the calculated route (fun to do just to test it sometimes) it will beep, and then recalculate.
The 76CS is HUGE - I wouldn't want to haul it around off-trail.
It would be nice to have more memory, but as I said, it does cover from Tahoe to LA (though LA areas are dense-dense-dense - aka memory hogs) and it is pretty simple to download a new mapset if you're going long distance. The 60CS would not be my first choice for an auto-only environment, but it's a great dual mode unit. For me replaceable batteries are a must - no sense hauling it into the woods if you need a charging source.

 

I agree, which is part of the reason I was so enthusiastic about it before, but the criticisms on sights like CNET from users (not the official review) gave me some pause. Also, Garmin is making similar units now with the c320 and c330, although higher priced.

 

I have the Magellen 710 in my Mini. I like it because it has the voice prompts and beeps as you approach turns It holds the map of the entire US so you don't have to worry about uploading maps for different parts of the country. The software is also upgradable though a web site download and USB cable. It has several mounting options, such as the standard suction cup mount and a dash mount that does not require drilling.

I just put it on a Panavise mount so it is now mounted next to the radio.

It has helped me a lot in finding my way around the Chicago area.

I have had two Acura automobiles with the factory navigation system I and I feel the 710 compares vary favorably with the Acura system.
Now if I could only get the voice to have a British accent...

 

Eric, thanks for the clarification. That suits my needs just fine...

Theo, I really appreciate your thoughts on this, and what you shared. I too have been looking very seriously at the Dell Axim. It is very much like the HP 4700 series, but cheaper . I totally agree with your rationale regarding the separation of the two (reciever & processor)!!! I just wish the 20 hours of battery life had in the Garmins units were the same for the PDAs, which are about a fourth of that, and that's before a GPS is added to drain things faster... Drat!

I'm planning to climb Denali in 2006, and something like a PDA is just not the best thing to carry. I guess I need to re-visist the idea of two portable GPS units (one for autos, and walking-about city streets), and for my mtn adventures...

That Dell Axim is sweet with CF and SD slots, WiFi and bluetooth built-in, and that very fast processor, oh, and a full VGA screen .

 

Make sure you check the antenna, and how well it works. A friend has the iQue3600 and loves it, but had trouble getting signal in his back yard with the little patch antenna.

The 60CS has a quad helix antenna (whatever that means...) and I get reception in my HOUSE, and even in a friend's two story condo.

Denali - cool! I'd say if you're getting it primarily for that, wait for a year and they'll be cheaper, with more memory. Then again, that's what I told myself last year and I still pulled the trigger and haven't regretted it for a second! Tracks, routes, elevation, distance, Points of Interest - it's the most fun you'll have with an inanimate object in your hand.

(sorry, Wicket - don't mean to hijack your thread!)

 

Being that you are in Santa Cruz, I'm sure you have plenty of opportunities Eric! I'm on the other side, just between morgan hill and san jose, in uvas canyon...

I too have heard good things about the quad helix antennas. If the 60CS had a bit more memory, and ideally a rechargeable battery, I would get it now. I want time to play with it before I'm on Denali . And if they do go with rechargeable batteries in the future, I really hope they make them user-replaceable, unlike many Palm products...

For me, there are enough PDA-like features on today's cell phones to satisfy me...

 

My husband just got me a NAVMAN ICN 510 for AMVIV - we had lots of fun testing it. The suction cup fits snugly and nicely over the fuel gauge, and I believe the display is larger than the Magellan or the Garmin, whereas the unit is smaller/thinner, too. This unit was about $500 at Fry's Electronics (you can get a new one for about $100 less on e-bay) and is only 3" X 4.5" X .75"wide. We were very impressed!

http://www.navman.com/land/products/icn510/

 

I too purchased Navman iCN 510, and I am very happy about 3D map
I paid little over $500 with 1GB SD card thru buy.com while back, it matchs with my interior perfect!!

 

FWIW, you can select between alkaline and NiMH AA batteries, so they'll recharge when you're plugged in. I use alkaline, but I swear that I've seen one more bar upon leaving the car than when I plugged it in.

Likely they'll be coming out with a similar form factor and more memory. What I would LOVE to see them do is to nest a CF card underneath the battery compartment - waterproof, and flexible. More memory is good!

If we hook up on a run, you're welcome to play with my 60CS and see if it does what you're looking for.