GPS Devices Life

I love my Magellan 330X GPS. It is a great tool for traveling, especially if you can find the unit with the car adapter and mounting bracket.

The display is very easy to read and see even when it is mounted on the dash with the suction cup mounting bracket. There are different types of adapters for cigarette lighters, serial ports on computers etc.

I purchased my V Command from Advanced Navigation. The width and length of the V Com unit is about the size of a CD case and approximately 2″ thick. Included was a microphone, GPS antenna and cigarette lighter adapter. It also comes with a zippered leather carrying case. Set up is simple, you just place the GPS antenna on the dash of your vehicle, clip the microphone on the sunvisor and plug it into the cigarette lighter adapter. The adapter has an on/off switch with a green LED light informing you that the unit is on. Within a few minutes it received a GPS signal.

I wanted to buy a GPS last summer after a recent vacation. My cousin had a Meridian Platinum which was very useful. I decided to go for a color model. After a lot of research - I was ready to buy the Garmin 60C or 76C. I was put off by the small screen. Once I found out that Meridian was coming out with a new large screen color model - I decided to wait.

I picked this up for $200 at CompUSA before Christmas, opened the box in the parking lot, plugged it into car power and attached to the windshield mount(both provided). I was up and running in a few minutes, both maps and battery were already installed, with no need to connect to a PC — it couldn’t have been any simpler to use out of the box.

The GPS locked on very quickly and works well even in downtown areas. An external antenna can be purchased and would help in the worst reception areas, like San Francisco.

I like to mountain bike, cycle ride, triathlons, hike and other outdoor sports. This little GPS has been able to handle the load of all of these. Love all the features. I read that this little gem loses signals a lot, huh? I use it in northern Az in the forest, canyons, mountains and river valleys and I have to tell you driving, hiking, and riding in AZ, NM, and Tx I only lost signal 4 times and that was when I was in a tunnel or when I fell into the lake. Moreover, on that note, to make this gem perfect for all out door activities why did not they make it waterproof for swimming. Now its is rank for a 1 meter 30 minute submersion but who swims for only 30mins. Why didn’t Garmin design a USB cable connection instead of a serial cable that cost an extra $15-$45 cable if you don’t have a serial port on a new computer. What were they thinking? Duh!!!! Battery life, oh come on, with all of this new technology battery life is only 15 hours? I have to change out the battery every week unless I use rechargeable while I have to charge every night before use. Those three reason is why it gets a 4.9 out of 5.

Go ahead and scoff. Call it an indulgent and unnecessary plaything. Roll your eyes.

That’s how I felt about cell phones before I got one. That’s how I felt about high speed internet before I got myself wired up. That’s how I felt about digital cable before I had hundreds of channels to flip through when there’s nothing on. And now it’s how I feel about global positioning services.

I chose the 162 (external antenna) for my boat to be my main navigational GPS. I am operating on Lakes Huron and Erie. To me this is the best inexpensive built-in GPS.

The display is larger and provides better resolution that most (including the old 128). The display windows may also be altered to provide only the data of interest to the navigator (nice touch).

The plotter capabilities are very much lacking and the Canadian Mapsource recreation CD is useless for navigation. Don’t waste your money here. This needs to be improved by Garmin in the future.

I have never owned GPS before so I have no frame of reference for comparison.

Here is what I use it for:

- As I drive around I mark places that I frequently go to. I have downloaded the street level maps for my city and surrounding area and I find it interesting to see how far apart things are. I use the navigation mode to help me estimate how long it will take me to get somewhere.

- I have started carrying it with me when I jog to record the routes I run and how far I have gone. It is very handy for that.

I have now had this unit for 4 months and it has bailed me out MANY times. It is really uncanny how accurate it is.

On occasion you will think “no way, I shouldn’t be turning here” so you don’t only to find that the unit WAS right. The real beauty of these things is that when you DO screw up, thinking “great, now what”, you hear the unit say “recalculating” — and off you go, following new directions to get back on course.

Product
Zumo 500

Key Features
DesignationOutdoor
Form FactorFixed
Map capabilitiesInternal

Technical Features
Special FeaturesMP3 Player
Trip calculatorRoute Recalculation
Included Software/MapsCity Navigation Maps, Europe Maps

Other Features
PC InterfaceUSB
Expansion Slot TypeSD (Secure Digital) Card Slot

Battery
Battery Type and QuantityProprietary Li-Ion
Battery Life3 Hours

Dimensions
Weight0.66 lb.

Miscellaneous
38039410

Details

Customize your ride with zumo™ 500 — the rugged motorcycle navigator that’s born to ride. Designed by bikers, zumo’s motorcycle-friendly features make it easy to operate while in the saddle. From back roads to rallies, its preloaded maps and high-end navigation features give you the freedom to go where you want.