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Garmin GPS
- Thread starter Silverado
- Start date
KMM696
NES Member
Buy a used Kyocera Duraforce Pro phone - the old one is fine. No need for a phone account for it.
Load up Locus and Osmand. And any other phone based mapping app that you'd like
You'd have to work hard to spend more than $150 on this. I've been running one as a motorcycle GPS for the last 2 years.
Ultra rugged Kyocera phones,GPS smartphones ..my guide
Locus
Both those links are pretty long, at this point but have excellent information buried in there. Locus has a steep but short learning curve. Best thing I did was take it on a trip as a passenger so I could figure it out without having to also not drive into solid objects. Once I was past that, I could use it on the bike.
Load up Locus and Osmand. And any other phone based mapping app that you'd like
You'd have to work hard to spend more than $150 on this. I've been running one as a motorcycle GPS for the last 2 years.
Ultra rugged Kyocera phones,GPS smartphones ..my guide
Locus
Both those links are pretty long, at this point but have excellent information buried in there. Locus has a steep but short learning curve. Best thing I did was take it on a trip as a passenger so I could figure it out without having to also not drive into solid objects. Once I was past that, I could use it on the bike.
No thanks only Garmin
NHKevin
NES Member
Then why ask here?
What you seek is here:
Garmin Drive™ 52 & Traffic | Car GPS
The Garmin Drive™ 52 & Traffic features easy-to-use GPS navigation, traffic avoidance and helpful travel information to enhance any road trip or daily commute.
buy.garmin.com
If that’s the case then just keep what you have and buy a new set of maps for it. GPS technology and features have progressed almost exactly zero in the past decade. The only thing that’s “new” is now you can get them with built in Iridium communicators like the 66i or perhaps more what you’re looking for, the new Montana 700i.
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I use the iPhone all the time but recently discovered in remote areas where cell service drops out I couldn't load new destinations even though GPS is fine. I had to scramble and pull out the old Garmin.
The problem is the unit I have has become unreliable and I'm only looking for a Garmin I have the phone.
Just pick up whatever is cheapest on Amazon then. They're virtually all the same these days. They only differ by a few bells and whistles that you'll most likely never use anyways.
You can actually preload maps on Google Maps on the phone to make them available for offline viewing.
The maps are by region, not for a set destination. Meaning you can save maps for all of New England, etc.
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I use both Garmin drive and Google maps daily. The Drive is a bigger screen and easier to see, Google always picks the best route. Not that the Garmin is bad, not by any stretch, but every once in a great while it likes to take you on the scenic route.
For local use I generally consult the atlas that lives on the passenger seat before heading out, so's to have a general idea of whats up. I also have not yet found the correct method of telling either phone or Garmin that I can't go under a low bridge, or over a weight restricted one.
For local use I generally consult the atlas that lives on the passenger seat before heading out, so's to have a general idea of whats up. I also have not yet found the correct method of telling either phone or Garmin that I can't go under a low bridge, or over a weight restricted one.
define "unreliable"
Have you updated the maps?
I have Garmin stuff that is ancient and as long as I update the maps it works fine, even the one on my motorcycle that bakes in the Florida sun, gets rained on, survived MA potholes, etc works fine.
Unless you dropped it and disturbed the antenna making it hard to sync up to enough satellites what can you do to break them
Have you updated the maps?
I have Garmin stuff that is ancient and as long as I update the maps it works fine, even the one on my motorcycle that bakes in the Florida sun, gets rained on, survived MA potholes, etc works fine.
Unless you dropped it and disturbed the antenna making it hard to sync up to enough satellites what can you do to break them
" not able to be relied upon" and yes have done all updates. I was going to Sig the other day and it wanted to take me to Boston first and then five different ways when I didn't go that way. This has happen other times but none of this happen until I did all the updates
So you are asking for people to recommend only the solution you want? Not even sure why you posted. Go overpay for the outdated technology and be done with it.
On the bright side, this thread should put you in the running for "most useless thread started today".
HorizontalHunter
NES Member
FWIW:
I’m using an old Nuvi 205. I bought The lifetime updates a decade or so ago. When I started having problems I replace the battery.
Does it need a battery replacement? They are inexpensive and pretty easy to do.
Bob
I’m using an old Nuvi 205. I bought The lifetime updates a decade or so ago. When I started having problems I replace the battery.
Does it need a battery replacement? They are inexpensive and pretty easy to do.
Bob
Just pick one. I use a cheap tom tom go with lifetime maps. Works for me and updates no problem. I also have Navigon on my I[phone which works good also, but no longer sold.
That's not true. The gps antenna in these units has improved quite a bit. By the time you buy new Maps your better off with a new unit with lifetime maps.
In real world performance, the improvement has been marginal at best. Yes, newest models can take advantage of Galileo and WAAS / EGNOS, take a few seconds less for cold time to fix, and use a bit less power. None of that is going to help driving around town though. You also don’t need to buy new maps, I use the free OpenStreetMaps which are worlds better than the Garmin street ones.
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Yeah, replacing the batteries will usually make them work again.
![[laugh]](/xen/styles/default/xenforo/smilies.vb/012.gif "Laugh [laugh]")
Garmin GPS have been going to sh*t as far as quality. I still use a topo 64ST I bought over 6 years ago to go hiking. I tried to buy a new Garmin for hiking, one with a touch screen, and the thing was a POS. Had all sorts of issues turning off and getting the screen to turn on again when it went to sleep. I returned it and took my over 6 year old GPS to hike through a mountain range. I think their computer software is also a major POS, looks like they found the cheapest Indian to write it.
Maybe their GPS for driving around town are better.
I will say that Garmin has always had some serious software QC issues. I bought the 66i when it came out and you’d think it was a beta device from all the software issues. A couple of months and updates later however, and it works flawlessly now. The 64st you have (which I used to use) was the same exact way. If I’m not mistaken, I think the 66 series, hardware wise, is actually rated much higher for shock and water resistance, but feels just as solid as my old 64.Yeah, replacing the batteries will usually make them work again.
Garmin GPS have been going to sh*t as far as quality. I still use a topo 64ST I bought over 6 years ago to go hiking. I tried to buy a new Garmin for hiking, one with a touch screen, and the thing was a POS. Had all sorts of issues turning off and getting the screen to turn on again when it went to sleep. I returned it and took my over 6 year old GPS to hike through a mountain range. I think their computer software is also a major POS, looks like they found the cheapest Indian to write it.
Maybe their GPS for driving around town are better.
I think the touchscreen one you’re talking about is the Montana series, which was notoriously buggy when it was first released, but I used one recently which was again bombproof. I think the issue just that a lot of these companies (same with car companies) don’t put enough R&D into the software side of things and so wind up with great hardware let down by crappy software.
Maybe. But when you mess around with a GPS used for hiking, it is messed up their software works like crap.
It says a lot about a company when someone could depend on their product and they don't give a cap.
Maybe its because they have a monopoly in that market.
Pay a visit to BJ's, they usually stock 2 models of Garmin. Google the reviews and Azn pricing before deciding to buy there or not.
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