GPS Devices Life

This is the second Tom Tom product that I am reviewing. Through unexpected circumstances I got this small GPS receiver in my hands about 3 months ago. It was bundled with a Nokia 6670 Smartphone and the TomTom Mobile software. The receiver is small and lightweight, nothing fancy. You can put it in your pocket, bag, on the dashboard of your car, anywhere within reach of your Smartphone / PDA.

How Cool Is This Thing? Very Cool! Cool as Barrow, Alaska in February. No hiker, boater, traveler or “gadget-geek” should be without one.

The Legend is the mid to high-end model of the Garmin Etrex series of GPS receivers. As such, it has many additional features that the basic model doesn’t have. Costing about double the price of the basic model (after rebate savings), I think it is well worth the additional money.

Both have 12 channels which means that they can receive data from as many as 12 different satellites at a time. The more satellites, the higher the accuracy. Four satellites are required to provide good position and elevation data.

I bought the Magellan Meridian Gold and I had problems with the backlight so I called Tech Support and they sent me another Meridian Gold. To make a long story a little shorter I had 3 Meridian Gold GPS units, all with bad backlights, So I asked if they could send me an upgraded model and they said because I was so understanding they would upgrade me to the Platinum. I was very happy with the new Platinum and then one day I noticed the backlight doing the same thing as the Gold’s. I called Tech Support again and they new me by my first name and they informed me that they were getting the backlight boards from another vendor and I would not have anymore problems. They were right, I have owned it for about 4 months and everything is GREAT!!!!. I read a review about someone that said it was terrible for use in a vehicle, I don’t agree. I use it everyday for finding back roads and shortcuts in the mountains of rural N.E. Tennessee.

I think the basemap software could use a little tweaking, I do find some (poi’s) Points of Intrest in the wrong places, and some streets don’t come up while I’m driving down the street, but like I said I live in the mountains of rural TN. Even the local maps don’t have all of the roads on them. But I have owned 6 other GPS units and the things I love about this GPS is that it does have a very accurate compass that doesn’t have to be held in the horizontal position in fact I have my GPS mounted on my windshield via a Ram Suction cup mount. Also this GPS is waterproof, it even floats and YES it does eat batteries just like all the other GPS’s on the market. But Magellan does sell a very good power cord that plugs into a cigarette lighter. I use my backlight all the time at night, you can set it to stay on all the time or not. And the buttons are also lit.

I just purchased DirectRoute software and it works better than I expected iy would. You just punch an address or an intersection or scroll the cursor to a (poi) and it will give you turn by turn directions and will calculate your ETA according to the speed you are traveling. Actually this GPS has so much useful info that you just have to go play with one. And after you buy one you will find out just how much information this great GPS will give you. I could go on and on about all the menu’s and all the features but I have to go out and find some more backroads to nowhere.

Magellan eXplorist 100 is an economical, easy-to-use GPS packaged in an attractive, compact case. If you lose it in the woods, it’s bright-orange case will stand out. If you drop it in the lake, don’t worry, it’s water proof to IPX-7 specifications (Protected against water immersion - Immersion for 30 minutes at a depth of 1 meter).

Although the eXplorist 100 is on the smallish side (about 30% smaller than the Meredian Gold) it has many of the same features as it’s $300 big brother. There is only one feature that is missing: a detailed map including streets, highways, airports, lakes, etc. The eXplorist 200 has this feature, but at a higher price. The 100 is the lowest priced Magellan and is geared more toward hikers and campers.

I had the misfortune to spend a day with one of these gizmos awhile back. It belongs to my Son in law. It was one of the more unpleasant experiences I have had with a GPS unit and I have been using GPS gear (both civilian and military) for many years now. The Tomtom ONE taught me that sometimes it’s just better to be lost than to have a GPS unit. But we’ll get to that in a bit; first, some general information:

Product
LCM58N

Key Features
DesignationAutomobile
Form FactorFixed

Display
Display Size5.8 in.
Display TypeLCD TFT Display

Technical Features
Special FeaturesRemote Control

Miscellaneous
UPC044476019920
24584456

Details

The Audiovox LCM58N GPS Receiver Includes Remote Control.

Key Features
DesignationMarine
Form FactorFixed
Enhanced accuracyWAAS enabled
User interfaceKeypad

Display
Display Size3 in. x 4 in.
Display Type4 Level Grayscale LCD FSTN Display
Resolutions320 X 240

Technical Features
Marine FeaturesTide Prediction
Audible FeaturesAnchor Alarm, Arrival Alarm

Other Features
PC InterfaceNMEA-0183
Environmental ProtectionIP67 Waterproof Standard
AntennaExternal Antenna Hookup

GPS System
Differential standardsDGPS Ready
Number of routes25
Waypoints500

Warranty
1 Year

Dimensions
Width6.5 in.
Depth2.6 in.
Height5.9 in.
Weight1.94 lb.

Miscellaneous
20262661

Details

The latest evolution in the Navman chartplotter family brings new standards to the functionality of chartplotter design, delivering precise and quicker information to navigators in a compact and powerful package.

The Garmin nuvi 760 is my replacement for the aging Garmin StreetPilot III I have owned since the early millennium. The old workhorse did it’s job, but newer models have more map data onboard, faster calculation times, and have bigger and better screens. Touch screens on most new models also make them easier to use as well.

Have you ever gotten in the car and had the urge to ‘just drive’? Have you ever been low on gas in an unfamiliar part of town? Do you know someone with a ‘bad sense of direction’? Than a GPS system might just be for you.

Okay, so that title covers just about ANY decent GPS you can buy these days…

Why this one? While being only marginally larger than the Garmin Etrex Summit/Vista/Legend/Venture series of devices it has some HUGE advantages over the top of the line Venture with it’s Altimiter and Compass. Chief amoung these is it’s larger, easier to read screen, external antenna port and cleaner, easier to use control layout. It’s also a bit sturdier (imho) than the Extrex series, and the fit (both in hand, and in pocket) is excellent!