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Sound Reinforcement - Forums for Live Sound Professionals - Your Displayed Name Must Be Your Real Full Name To Post In The Live Sound Forums => The Basement => Topic started by: Bob Leonard on May 12, 2017, 11:56:01 PM
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I have been using a GPS since they first became available, and the brand I've used for all of these years has been Magellen. Very reliable, accurate, and decent features. My wife started bitching about her GPS (one of my hand me downs) because I couldn't update it, and because the screen was small. This prompted me to search for a new GPS with better accuracy and more options.
After some very long and hard research I ended up buying a Garmin DiveSmart 61 LMT-S hoping it had the features I need on a daily basis. Happy to say I'm not disappointed, but rather, very impressed with some of the features available. Although I've been using the GPS most of the week I still have questions. What impressed me? The highway off ramp features, the map detail, the 7" display, and the voice activation. What disappointed me? The address search function. What pisses me off? The traffic function/re-routing.
Now I know some of you will say you use your phone, and that the phone is just fine. I wish that were the case in my world while I traverse across four (4) states driving more than a thousand miles weekly day and night to many places I've never seen. So, a GPS, and a good one is my solution.
I can still bring this back, so I'm asking if anyone thinks I might have made a better choice.
https://buy.garmin.com/en-US/US/p/552113
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I've been a Garmin owner for 7 years. I'm on my second Nuvi. Where I usually drive there is little/no traffic info. Re-routing? It seems to vary from okay to awkward depending on where I am vs where I'm headed and how I departed from the original route. At least my current Nuvi doesn't tell me to make u-turns. The lane assist and fairly accurate depictions of exits/signage is very helpful.
I'm happy with mine and like it better than trying to use google maps and my phone.
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Bob,. This may amaze you but cars made in the last decade actually have a GPS built into the dashboard. You should really check it out.
Sent from my VS995 using Tapatalk
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Bob,. This may amaze you but cars made in the last decade actually have a GPS built into the dashboard. You should really check it out.
Sent from my VS995 using Tapatalk
My previous 2013 Explorer had the MS Sync deal. The GPS was functional, but SLOW. OMG slow.
I traded my Explorer and my cool card in on a 2017 Transit which I believe has a Blackberry-derived system. It's WAY better than the 4-year old Explorer's software, and the Sirius TravelLink deal is pretty neat, and shows me traffic updated pretty regularly. If I lived in a metro area where I actually had good alternatives to get between home and work that would be really handy; in my case it's just a misery indicator.
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My previous 2013 Explorer had the MS Sync deal. The GPS was functional, but SLOW. OMG slow.
My 2012 E350 has that system. It's limited by the information contained in its on-board database and the only way to upgrade that is via ($$) CD. Works o.k. on roads & destinations that have existed for awhile. Not so good on new construction.
I wind up using Google Maps on an Android phone most of the time.
Dave
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Was Bob asking about new car advice?
Good luck.. maps are getting better..
JR
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Was Bob asking about new car advice?
Good luck.. maps are getting better..
JR
Visually I can process a paper map much quicker that navigating around a map screen. I suspect it's because I'm Really Olde Skool.
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Visually I can process a paper map much quicker that navigating around a map screen. I suspect it's because I'm Really Olde Skool.
but a paper map doesn't know where you are....
JR
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Was Bob asking about new car advice?
Good luck.. maps are getting better..
JR
I was just busting Bob's chops but since we swerved to cars.
I have an Aftermarket JVC in my F150 and it is excellent but will be pricey to update DB. The system in the Benz is awful and that is 6 years old but always sucked. My wife's 2016 Caddy is the worst, using Onstar.
Here is the kicker. I rented a 2017 Caddy in Fl (BTW SixT rental cars has all luxury models and silly low rates) and it had the Android Auto app. It was awesome able to use Waze from the dashboard. Very impressed with the integration. Apple has a similar app.
I could not live without the user interaction in Waze, so much useful information.
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What a bunch of hosers.
Scott, I own a 2013 Explorer and chose not get the built in GPS for all the reasons mentioned above. My amazement is that people go for that option. I do have electric heated leather seats and all the other fine extra's that can be crammed into the Explorer.
New car? I'm about ready for the dirt nap, so my thought is run the Explorer for a few more years until I retire and buy some modern muscle (GT350), or just run the Explorer until I'm too old to drive anymore.
Paper maps are good for when you're in the boondocks with no place to crap other than the woods. You can usually get 2-3 stops out of one map.
Yesterday I put the GPS to good use. I'm starting to like the interface very much now, and the 7" screen is the balls. The trip was Boston to Biddeford, ME, to Portsmouth, NH, Windham, NH, Lowell, MA, Kennebunk, ME, Boston. The GPS was very, very accurate, presented a very good view of where I was going and what the road signs would look like, what lanes to get in for off ramps, told me about speed changes and school zones, and took the fastest routes. Good stuff, so I guess it's a keeper.
Paper maps? What an old fart.
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I was just busting Bob's chops but since we swerved to cars.
I have an Aftermarket JVC in my F150 and it is excellent but will be pricey to update DB. The system in the Benz is awful and that is 6 years old but always sucked. My wife's 2016 Caddy is the worst, using Onstar.
Here is the kicker. I rented a 2017 Caddy in Fl (BTW SixT rental cars has all luxury models and silly low rates) and it had the Android Auto app. It was awesome able to use Waze from the dashboard. Very impressed with the integration. Apple has a similar app.
I could not live without the user interaction in Waze, so much useful information.
You hit the nail on the head with the built in GPS systems. I usually upgrade mine every 2 years or so with something better, and the updates are a must. Nothing worse in my world then having to be someplace to meet a 4 hour SLA and have the GPS come back with street not found.
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Any windows phone 8 device (the 535 would be a cheap used option if 4g is not required) with here drive+ installed, it's free and has downloadable maps for just about anywhere, no TMC option but I do not know if that feature exists in the USA anyway.
As for built in navigation the Nissan Connect system seems to work OK although some of it's routing is not the most optimal where there are multiple routes available, but has has ben said before map updates are pricey and the maps installed on a 2014 micra are a couple of years out of date which is not that great.
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+1 for Waze on an iPhone, at least in NYC, NJ and LA. The user traffic report data have saved me many hours of (not) sitting in traffic. Probably worth the disadvantage of the iPhone 5S lousy accuracy and a few missed exits (plus 2 U-turns!) over the years, maybe newer iPhones are improved in their localization accuracy.
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Bro, do you even map, compass and land navigation?
Cause 'neither do I. I just use my phone and Google maps.
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Bro, do you even map, compass and land navigation?
Cause 'neither do I. I just use my phone and Google maps.
It's fun to fly by the charts on a nice day. The GPS takes all the magic out of it. Get down low, plot a course, figure out your wind drift and pick lots of waypoints. The visual kind like lakes and railroad tracks.
Some days you just have to say no to technology.
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I have a set of maps for my GR2 radar software that has more accurate roads, including dirt roads and private roads than any other paper or GPS map system that I've ever seen. Problem is it has to run on my laptop, which is usually a little too bulky for normal driving.
Plus, I like to take my Tacoma to places where there are not roads. ;)
Speaking of which, have you looked into Hema maps?
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I have been a die hard Garmin guy since the GPS-2 back in the '80s.
These days I have a 4 yr old Nuvi 14xx in my truck and a Zumo 660 on the bike.
I plan on getting the 7" RV model next. They just released a new one.
I love being able to plan out a trip in the free Basecamp software (runs on Windoz or MacOS). When ready, just load it to the GPS.
Heck, we had basecamp up all evening just blue sky sticking pins in the map for our next ride.
Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD
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...until I retire and buy some modern muscle (GT350), or just run the Explorer until I'm too old to drive anymore.
Slightly off topic...
Be aware that the GT350 really shines at high RPM. If you're seriously contemplating buying one, test drive a regular GT with the performance package before making a decision. Also consider that the new '18 Coyote motor was completely reworked and Ford has promised increased HP and torque over the current 435hp/400 lb ft. Also for '18 MY, they added direct injection (hybrid system) and raised the compression ratio to 12:1. And the MagneRide, active exhaust and 10-speed auto trans will be available. I believe Ford will release the power & torque details next month. All of this is to say the GT with the performance package may save you $20k over the GT350 and be 90-95 % of a GT350. I'm confident that driving either model will bring a BIG smile to your face. It does for me.
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Slightly off topic...
Be aware that the GT350 really shines at high RPM. If you're seriously contemplating buying one, test drive a regular GT with the performance package before making a decision. Also consider that the new '18 Coyote motor was completely reworked and Ford has promised increased HP and torque over the current 435hp/400 lb ft. Also for '18 MY, they added direct injection (hybrid system) and raised the compression ratio to 12:1. And the MagneRide, active exhaust and 10-speed auto trans will be available. I believe Ford will release the power & torque details next month. All of this is to say the GT with the performance package may save you $20k over the GT350 and be 90-95 % of a GT350. I'm confident that driving either model will bring a BIG smile to your face. It does for me.
I had to google that to see what ford was up to... Last i heard Carroll Shelby was still dead (RIP). Appears ford is recycling model numbers. I recall a GT350 from back when.
That new motor looks sweet and several pounds lighter than a stock 5.0 . My 20YO mustang cobra is looking puny by comparison,,, looks like they finally stopped making my 4V DOHC 4.6 liter engine. My primary complaint about the SVT mustangs was the cheap kids car platform... after 20 years and 100k miles mine is getting rough around the edges.
Some guy did pull into my driveway to ask me if i wanted to sell it, about a week ago, but he wasn't serious. Sat in his car and just blew his horn. :-(
JR
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Some guy did pull into my driveway to ask me if i wanted to sell it, about a week ago, but he wasn't serious. Sat in his car and just blew his horn. :-(
That is beyond rude.
Same thing happened to me while I was in the garage with the door up. HONK, HONK. Many old caddys and a 65 Mustang exposed to the street. I don't mind a knock on the door looking for a barn find, they get a polite "No thanks", as I have done this myself.
I grabbed a canned compressed air horn, hid it behind me, and walked up to the car. One of three large guys rolled down the window, and I blasted him right in the face. "This ain't Sonic, asshole" (a fast food stand with carhops, where you beep for service) and walked away. But I doubt he heard me at all, after that airhorn blast.
Rude gets answered with even ruder, around here.
Gene
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That is beyond rude.
Same thing happened to me while I was in the garage with the door up. HONK, HONK. Many old caddys and a 65 Mustang exposed to the street. I don't mind a knock on the door looking for a barn find, they get a polite "No thanks", as I have done this myself.
I grabbed a canned compressed air horn, hid it behind me, and walked up to the car. One of three large guys rolled down the window, and I blasted him right in the face. "This ain't Sonic, asshole" (a fast food stand with carhops, where you beep for service) and walked away. But I doubt he heard me at all, after that airhorn blast.
Rude gets answered with even ruder, around here.
Gene
I didn't walk out to his car, I just waved him away with an arm gesture that was much more polite than he deserved. At least the church missionaries knock on the door... I kind of wish they stayed in their cars...
JR
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Bob,. This may amaze you but cars made in the last decade actually have a GPS built into the dashboard. You should really check it out.
Sent from my VS995 using Tapatalk
Having both a BMW and VW nav system, I can say that the technology in at least these in-dash nav systems is way behind the Garmin Zumo 550. I have for my motorcycle that I bought in 2005. Yes, some of the in-dash nav systems have larger screens - but lane assist, street names are "simple" things missing from the upgraded BMW system or the VW JSW. You're stuck if you don't like its operation - like the ineffective zooming algorithm on the VW that can't be overridden.
As long as the GPS does what you want, it's OK. As for my Zumo, it was ridiculously overpriced and hopelessly outdated when I bought it - but it had an IP67 water/dust rating which was necessary for long distance motorcycling. Its slow and cartoonish, much like the Nuvis Garmin produces. There is never enough detail. A 16:9 display for mapping is useless - but if the info screens were moved there - many still steal screen real estate at the top and bottom - leaving the view ahead even more condensed. Still better than the BMW or VW in-dash.
Compared to a recent purchase of a 2015 Nuvi, the Zumo is hopelessly old and clunky. I also have worked with TomTom, and find them lacking, as well. For the most part, they are wholly adequate for last-mile navigation.
Be it known, I was a fairly early adopter, and I have not been impressed with the progress over the last 10 or so years. No GPS unit I've ever seen does what I want, the way I want it done. As a broad generality, the modern GPS' are a dull tool, at best. The advantage of a dash unit is that, with luck, someone will steal it along with the banjo and the accordion in the back seat.
Guess this turned into a rant - mea culpa.
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I travel almost every other week for work, visiting exotic locales like Naperville, IL, Bentonville, AR, or road tripping up from LA to San Francisco. Had a Garmin Nuvi, and while it was good, it was only for traffic. Same with Apple Maps - it has a great new user interface (nice and big) but it's traffic only.
Waze wins for me because it not only does traffic, but has info on accidents ahead, and police - so that if I'm late for an appointment (or to the airport) I can perhaps drive faster than required. My daily driver is a '67 Pontiac Lemans, so no built-in GPS in the Delco AM radio, although I may spring for a Delco AM/FM radio if I find one on fleabay within a good price. So having all the info on the phone is helpful.
Other nice thing about Waze - it pulls contact and calendar info in, and with traffic, will tell me when to leave.
Free, and worth the download to try. One of my sales reps who's old school was using Apple Maps, and in the passenger seat I told him there was a major accident 2 miles up which was why traffic was stopped. He's now using Waze as well.
Other thing I hate about onboard/built-in GPS systems - no changes can be made unless the car is stopped, usually even by the passenger. Am I really going to pull over to stop to have my wife or passenger update where we're going?
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Other thing I hate about onboard/built-in GPS systems - no changes can be made unless the car is stopped, usually even by the passenger. Am I really going to pull over to stop to have my wife or passenger update where we're going?
I find the onboard navigation built into many cars to be slow, cumbersome to use, and out of date. I'm one of those people who uses an app on the phone. I use Google Maps 'cuz it's there and is sufficient for my needs.
The advantage of an app is that it's always up-to-date and gives realtime traffic information. Sure, some dedicated GPS units have traffic info capabilities.
The disadvantage of an app is that it usually requires a data connection. That's not available everywhere, and if you lose the connection you'll be wishing you at least had a paper map.
My 2012 Honda Accord has a nav system built on NavTeq (now called HERE). What I don't like about it is that entering data if you haven't learned the voice commands is so tedious as to be useless. The other thing is that in rural areas, it might find the address on the map but once you're off the main highway, it won't build a route. It will just tell you your destination is "over there somewhere" and leaves it up to you to figure out how to get there. I haven't updated it because updates are $149 (sometimes available for $99), the Google Navigation app on my phone serves me well, and I don't know that the update will actually improve the rural navigation.
If I had my way, I wouldn't put a nav system in a car. I'd put in a touch screen that links via bluetooth to the mobile device, and lets you use whatever app you want on your mobile device but use the car's bigger screen and better speakers.
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Jonathan - Waze and Google Maps share the same database for realtime traffic info; it's just a different front end. Depends on what you like; I couldn't stand Google Maps, but like Waze; your mileage may vary which front end you like, but its free to try.
Apple Maps with the latest update is much better, and they're starting to add local transit maps (subways, etc.) to cities, but still none in Hong Kong, which desperately needs it.
Paper map - can't remember last time I looked at one; when I moved to Los Angeles in '94, I was told I needed to get a Thomas Guide, but never did. Talk about vintage tech...