i would like to get a gps. i dont want something that is going to set me back too far, and it has to be compatible with gpsapp. any suggestion? i really dont know what i should even be looking for.

There was a short discussion on GPS units here. I'd recommend the Garmin eTrex for value and quality. The Legend is the model I have and I love it.

- trs

Knowing what you want to use it for would help greatly. Do you just want one to use with gpsapp? One that could be used outdoors? One that can direct you around town without preloading routes?

ooo wow, it gets more complicated
i want to be able to use it with gpsapp
one that i could take to the mountains
one that would show me how to get from here to there if im not near a computer.
im really new to this area, and i want to be able to have it be able to tell me how to get back home, from where ever. umm...
yeah.

Garmin GPS V then.

Might seem pricy, but remember it comes with the mapping program as well, and street level maps aren't cheep.

It's nice and portable for the mountain trips, can be mounted in the car to get you to the nearest resturaunt, and it can interface with gpsapp. Though right now, the Garmin GPS V unit will probably work better as the main GPS in the car until gpsapp advances a bit more.

I've been thinking about this, too. Once my wife found out such things were available, now she wants one (for driving, not nature-stuff, really). Everyone seems to like the Garmin products, so I wondered if anyone knew about the Garmin StreetPilot III. It's in color and it does voice announcements, just like a built-in navigation system. This would be a supreme help to my wife, who has to invest all her attention on the road. Also, I didn't get the nav system on my car, since I didn't want to spend $2000 and then find that it wouldn't work when I removed the factory stereo, so it'd be nice for me to have, too. And it'd be terribly unusual for both of us to be on long trips at the same time, so....

Anyway, no one has one locally (that I can find), so I was hoping someone had some experience with it.

I have a StreetPilot III, and apart from the processor being very slow I've been happy with it.

Define how the processor being slow affects usage, please.

Slow display/map updates.

I mean, slow enough that it's too late when giving you directions, or is it just slow when you're browsing the area. I don't mean to be dimwitted, but I've hardly ever played with one at all, and I don't know what exactly to ask.

Don't know if you or wife would be interested in a multi-function device, but Garmin's new Palm 5-based PDA has those features and is getting good notices.

Irritatingly slow when zooming in/out or changing from one segment of the map to another - A couple of times I've missed a turn when just using it as a map (not following a route) and it started to update a few blocks before the right corner.

But I realize I actually don't have the StreetMap III - I have the StreetMap Colorsomething, the previous model (that doesn't have the autorouting or voice). I don't know if they updated the processor.

I didn't realize that the PDA had the voice. And it's cheaper. But it's not easily settable on the dash to be viewable. I'm going to have to think about that, especially if someone carries it locally.

Accessory to the rescue: Garmin Auto navigation kit
Boy, I sound like a salesman (ick!)

I have a StreetPilot III.

It is a little sluggish when zooming in and out, or browsing the area when you're in a city with a very dense street grid, or there are many landmarks near by, etc, but it is to be expected, and certainly tolerable.

I've never had it tell me directions too late.

Oh, speaking of dense street grids: it has been confused a few times (maybe 3 or 4 times since I bought it) as to exactly what road I'm on, but it was always in sections where one road crosses underneath another, or at least very close to another, and as long as you keep moving it corrects itself within a few hundred feet.


All-in-all I have absolutely no complaints. It's one of the best investments I've made, behind the empeg of course.

Boy, I sound like a salesman (ick!)

To completely sound like a salesman, you need to recommend a shop! I've been following the GPS threads, and I'm about to take the plunge (my GPS II Plus is getting a bit long in the tooth). Can you recommend a good place to get a Garmin GPS V? Does that nav kit work with it?

thanks!

-jk

The GPS V comes with a car mount and power cord. So no need for the car nav kit for it.

The only extra thing I bought for mine was the motorcycle mounting kit.

The GPS V comes with a car mount...

Would you happen to know if it is a permanent mount, or a removable one? I really hate sticking stuff on my dash I can't get back off...

thanks,

-jk

It comes with two stickers, one meant for a permenant mount (but can be removed and cleaned up), and one to be used as a reusable sticker that should work for several reapplications and not leave anything behind.

The cheapie Garmin units have really bad antennas, folks, so avoid those (mostly the eTrex units). Look for a model with a Quad.Helix antenna (the GPS-V, and other larger units, or any Magellan Meridian or Sportrak unit).

The antenna matters only if you want it to work well in urban canyons, treed areas, front seat (not dash) of your car, or inside a wood framed building.

After that, consider mapping software and detail for the areas you plan to use the unit -- and the cost of that software. Also consider how much storage the GPS has built-in (Garmins and Sportraks) for maps -- many of them are very limited and will require swapping maps in/out of memory over a slow serial link prior/after each trip you take to a new area. Units with expandable storage are preferable in this respect (Meridians).

Cheers

Sorry for the delayed reply. For the Garmin stuff, GPSNow has the best prices. Haven't ordered from them, but they did quickly answer an e-mail on the iQUE PDA a few months back.

Better prices here ?

Depends. Adding to cart shows me a delivered price that's $2 less on one of the Garmins and $2 more on the other one.

But that's a good find, nonetheless, thanks.

For the Garmin stuff, GPSNow has the best prices.

I just received my GPS V. Very nice - way beyond my old GPS II+. I especially like the "recalculating route" feature when you miss a turn (or duck to avoid an accident).

GPSNow shipped two day fed ex, and I received it the next day - very nice service, though I'm not sure if that counts towards GPSNow or FedEx...

-jk