quote:

Originally posted by TMats:

quote:

Originally posted by GWbiker:
Garmin GPS for the past 20 years here. GPS set up for shortest distance may put you into downtown El Paso, or on a fire road in California, for example. "Faster time" is better, IMO.

What if you want neither? Like prettiest drive or most fun road to drive?

BMW (Motorcycle) Navigator VI has that option, if you're willing to shell out $900USD, plus tax, plus the GPS mounting ($150) for your car.

quote:

Originally posted by GWbiker:

quote:

Originally posted by TMats:

quote:

Originally posted by GWbiker:
Garmin GPS for the past 20 years here. GPS set up for shortest distance may put you into downtown El Paso, or on a fire road in California, for example. "Faster time" is better, IMO.

What if you want neither? Like prettiest drive or most fun road to drive?

BMW (Motorcycle) Navigator VI has that option, if you're willing to shell out $900USD, plus tax, plus the GPS mounting ($150) for your car.

Yikes

Just checked the GPS, it’s set for fastest time. Plus, I have it marked to avoid unpacked roads by that’s where it keeps taking me.

This is mine telling me that I can't drive down this road because there's a 2,000 pound weight limit.

quote:

Originally posted by V-Tail:

quote:

Originally posted by marksman41:
I recommend a Garmin with a traffic cam. Screaming Cockatoo has the one I will eventually upgrade to. Unfortunately I can't remember and can't find the model # at the moment.

Garmin DriveAssist 50 LMT is the one that SC has. There is a newer version, the 51. I got the 50 -- two of them actually, for my wife and me. Found them on ebay, Garmin factory re-furbs, for $102 each.

They are the GPS / dash camera combination units, and if your vehicle does not have a backup camera, the Garmin BC-30 backup camera will work with these and display the camera image on the GPS screen. You can actually use several cameras, so you could put one on the rear of your vehicle, for example, and another on the back of a trailer.

Thanks V-tail!

quote:

Originally posted by TMats:

quote:

Originally posted by GWbiker:

quote:

Originally posted by TMats:

quote:

Originally posted by GWbiker:
Garmin GPS for the past 20 years here. GPS set up for shortest distance may put you into downtown El Paso, or on a fire road in California, for example. "Faster time" is better, IMO.

What if you want neither? Like prettiest drive or most fun road to drive?

BMW (Motorcycle) Navigator VI has that option, if you're willing to shell out $900USD, plus tax, plus the GPS mounting ($150) for your car.

Yikes

Pricey, yes, but that's cheap compared to a Garmin GPS for trucking, an RV or for an Aircraft.

The BMW Navigator II, (A big Garmin 2610) was priced at $1,200 in 2005. I bought one. It's worth around $75 today.

GPS technology has come a looooooong way in past 20 years.

Seriously, garmin is the best game in town. none are perfect, but anything else is worse. Get one with map updates, make sure the settings are good, make sure the route makes sense (when it doesn't I just drive on and it recalculates something useful), you pick good options about tolls etc. and that's state of the art.

Thanks everyone, I’m going to check out DriveAssist 51, I see eBay has a factor refurb for 147.00. I might pull the trigger on that and keep my fingers crossed that it’s better than what I have.

Edit to add I just bught this one from eBay. At the very least, I have 30 days to return if I see the same issues. Thanks for the help

You can go into the Google Maps app and select an area to be downloaded to your phone. So being without signal is no big deal...and it's free.

While maybe not what you're looking for, I use my smartphone (Sammy Galaxy G4) as a GPS navigator, using Google Maps Navigation. Have taken some longish trips with it, and haven't had any major issues. I can't see buying a dedicated GPS navigator.

I have a Garmin NuviCam. It has a built in dash cam and a large screen. I bought it refurbished on Amazon. It’s perfect for my needs.

quote:

Originally posted by V-Tail:

quote:

Originally posted by marksman41:
I recommend a Garmin with a traffic cam. Screaming Cockatoo has the one I will eventually upgrade to. Unfortunately I can't remember and can't find the model # at the moment.

Garmin DriveAssist 50 LMT is the one that SC has. There is a newer version, the 51. I got the 50 -- two of them actually, for my wife and me. Found them on ebay, Garmin factory re-furbs, for $102 each.

They are the GPS / dash camera combination units, and if your vehicle does not have a backup camera, the Garmin BC-30 backup camera will work with these and display the camera image on the GPS screen. You can actually use several cameras, so you could put one on the rear of your vehicle, for example, and another on the back of a trailer.

Can they record the rearview like the front?

When the wife and I got rear-ended on the freeway a couple months ago and decided two cameras (front and rear) is what we want/need for our protection after the responding CHiP indicated the other party could easily claim I cut him off. (The other party was a hit-and-run and was able to out run the po-po a couple days later. He's on their shit list.)

I run a TomTom, no issues whatsoever. My routes with it have been closer to Google Maps than when I have used Garmin, but user experience may vary. I personally didn't like the Garmin user interface...really a Ford vs Chevy issue from what I can tell (my dad swears by Garmin). Main thing to get though is a unit with lifetime maps.

I run an older Garmin Nuvi AND Waze on our drives. Even though I could likely make it without either. I like the Garmin locked in North up 2D view, set for our destination, on the center of the windscreen. My cellphone on the driver's side running Waze and any other apps necessary.

On our recent drive home from Orange County NY we were traveling through scattered severe storms. Some dumping INCHES of rain per hour. Though you'd go from clear to danger in seconds. I was running the paid version of RadarNow! app on my phone which tracked our location and kept an updated weather radar.

Essentially I use my phone as an over-the-horizon situation indicator, so I also like to have a dedicated navigation display on board.

quote:

Originally posted by hambony:
I run a TomTom, no issues whatsoever. My routes with it have been closer to Google Maps than when I have used Garmin, but user experience may vary. I personally didn't like the Garmin user interface...really a Ford vs Chevy issue from what I can tell (my dad swears by Garmin). Main thing to get though is a unit with lifetime maps.

I was looking at the TomTom Go 52. I don’t know anyone who owns one other than my neighbor from the UK. He said that’s all he’s ever used. It just seams like Garmin is the top shelf choice for most. As far as using my phones, my work provided Samsung Galaxy also tracks my mileage, this is company mandated. That particular app has had issues as it is so I don’t want to screw that up anymore than it already is. My personal iPhone has Waze and google maps but, like Sock, my preference is the dash mounted stand alone GPS and I se those apps at times. I’m also liking the idea of the integrated camera since I’m logging almost 4000 miles per month.

Buddy of mine in the UK says they call Tom Tom the Lost Lost of GPS....

I've had a few garmins, most were fine, it took me to some unfinished roads and odd routes from time to time, came with the HD Zumo 660 an expensive unit that mounted to the bars and integrated to the infotainment system.

The new built in GPS does better than the Garmin, I can also connect the iFone and use it's nav if I choose over the HD built in Nav.

Always get the one with lifetime updates.

For those who use their phones: Mine gets pretty warm using Google Maps and downright hot with Waze. Is this anything to worry about?

I quit using Waze because it didn't offer me different routes to choose from at the beginning (or, if it did I didn't see them).

I've had my phone shut down when it's gotten to hot if it's sunny.

quote:

Originally posted by mikeyspizza:
For those who use their phones: Mine gets pretty warm using Google Maps and downright hot with Waze. Is this anything to worry about?

I quit using Waze because it didn't offer me different routes to choose from at the beginning (or, if it did I didn't see them).

EVERY time my GPS does this shit, I note the details, and email them to Garmin. They forward it to the correct folks, and in the next update, the problem is fixed.

While driving my mini van once, the damn GPS took me down a Jeep trail that progressively got worse and almost left me in a very bad predicament. That one pissed me off. Nothing like mud bogging in a mini van with the kids in the back seat and the wife screaming for her life when the front wheel starts to slide towards an 800 ft dropoff.

I have an old Garmin Street Pilot that I use in my truck. That old thing works awesome.