dib Posted February 17, 2010 Share Posted February 17, 2010 Specificlly, the Garmin 1450. ANybody have one? Like It? Hate it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beerball Posted February 17, 2010 Share Posted February 17, 2010 I have a Garmen, but not sure of the model as it's several years old. I absolutely love mine and would assume that the current model will be nothing but better. Perhaps when you get one you can use it to help you find your avatars? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
el Tigre Posted February 17, 2010 Share Posted February 17, 2010 My SUV (a GM) has a built in GPS and it's great. My buddy has a Garmin,not sure what model,but it works great too. The portable ones are awesome as you can take them with you from one vehicle to another. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WVUFootball29 Posted February 17, 2010 Share Posted February 17, 2010 Garmin hands down are the best out there and if you can get a nuvi you'll not be disappointed. I have an older Garmin, but it still works great and I never travel without it. I've put more miles on my GPS than I have my Jeep the past 3 years Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Realist Posted February 17, 2010 Share Posted February 17, 2010 I have a built in GPS, but I used a portable Garmin in a rental in Arizona a couple of years back. Worked great. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CountDorkula Posted February 17, 2010 Share Posted February 17, 2010 I have a TomTom, i love the thing. Except for the one time it brought me to the middle of the ghetto when i was trying to get to a bar for my buddies birthday. "You Have reached your destination" Uh... Im in the middle of the street with two abandoned buildings on each side of me! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dib Posted February 17, 2010 Author Share Posted February 17, 2010 I have a TomTom, i love the thing. Except for the one time it brought me to the middle of the ghetto when i was trying to get to a bar for my buddies birthday. "You Have reached your destination" Uh... Im in the middle of the street with two abandoned buildings on each side of me! I had the same type of experience a few years back when I used mapquest, ended up in a part of town that I wished I was armed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beerball Posted February 17, 2010 Share Posted February 17, 2010 be careful or you will be guilty by association Wouldn't be the first time! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Astrojanitor Posted February 17, 2010 Share Posted February 17, 2010 Specificlly, the Garmin 1450. ANybody have one? Like It? Hate it? they cannot always be considered 100%. I had my GPS demand I take a left hand turn once-a turn that would have driven me off the side of a cliff. Outside of that a totally worthwhile investment. If not for my GPS I'd still be trying to find my way out of the parking lot after that Motorhead show in Oklahoma City August 2008. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marv's Neighbor Posted February 17, 2010 Share Posted February 17, 2010 My SUV (a GM) has a built in GPS and it's great. My buddy has a Garmin,not sure what model,but it works great too. The portable ones are awesome as you can take them with you from one vehicle to another. Why not put your Garmin in your Buddy's SUV and set up a GPS Cat Fight when they argue about the directions? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
plenzmd1 Posted February 17, 2010 Share Posted February 17, 2010 I have a Magellam Maestro that I liked at first, but think it sucks now. I absolutely do not trust it to pick out the fastest route, as I test it a bunch in DC and Richmond on routes I know and the thing just sucks. And I am not talking about little mistakes or knowing some little back road, I am talking about mistakes that are 6 mile mistakes on a 15 mile route. Heard nothing but good things about the Garmin though Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stuckincincy Posted February 17, 2010 Share Posted February 17, 2010 I had the same type of experience a few years back when I used mapquest, ended up in a part of town that I wished I was armed. Rule: Never go where you aren't wanted. These GPS devices can take the place of prudent planning - not always good... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WVUFootball29 Posted February 17, 2010 Share Posted February 17, 2010 Rule: Never go where you aren't wanted. These GPS devices can take the place of prudent planning - not always good... I agree Cincy. People rely on these units like they are omnipotent when in fact they are just a tool and like any tool, you need to know how to use it properly for the best results. Keeping your maps and firmware updated are very important along with a little bit of common sense can make these units very helpful. Not too long ago a couple in Oregon got stranded for 3 days on a mountain because they followed their GPS' directions to take a seasonal use only road over the mountain to save time. Sorry, just you really need to think a little with these things and most of them will give you the option to turn off the use for certain types of roads when determining the best route. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fezmid Posted February 17, 2010 Share Posted February 17, 2010 I have a Garmin Street Pilot 2720. It rocks. We've used it for a few road trips, it was able to bring us into downtown DC (and back out!) when we visited. Has maps for Canada as well, which is nice when we're driving from Niagara Falls to Minnesota. Determine what you want your GPS to do. Do you only care about your local area? Some only have a single state in them, and you need to upload maps of different states if you travel. Some have all of North America in them (useful for road trips). Those ones usually cost a bit more though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Just Jack Posted February 17, 2010 Share Posted February 17, 2010 I have a TomTom, i love the thing. Except for the one time it brought me to the middle of the ghetto when i was trying to get to a bar for my buddies birthday. "You Have reached your destination" Uh... Im in the middle of the street with two abandoned buildings on each side of me! I had that happen to me with my Garmin, but in its defense, apparently there's two McKinley Parkways in the Buffalo area. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stuckincincy Posted February 17, 2010 Share Posted February 17, 2010 Not too long ago a couple in Oregon got stranded for 3 days on a mountain because they followed their GPS' directions to take a seasonal use only road over the mountain to save time. Sorry, just you really need to think a little with these things and most of them will give you the option to turn off the use for certain types of roads when determining the best route. I hope they got out safely. As you note, the term "seasonal use" means something - roads that can be poor, not maintained, seldom traveled. Weather is fickle - be it snow, gully washers, or whatever. And whatever season. To use one as a shortcut is insensate. IMO, they should only be traversed by those that have prepared beforehand for exigencies. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BB27 Posted February 17, 2010 Share Posted February 17, 2010 GPS is great if you have the ability to think ahead a little and know in advance a bit about the route. I tell my wife to not use the GPS without checking the route first. Here in the Hartford CT area, like most metro US cities, GPS sends you on the shortest route to your destination. This creates a problem in that it picks the straightest route, and will frequently send you through the worst sections of town. You might be leaving from a nice area, and going to a nice area, but the GPS will take you to your destination by way of an area that you never really knew existed. When people around you are buying drugs on the corner while you wait for the light to change you know you have discovered a new route highlight! Sucks when your sitting there with a 2 year old in the back seat and the local wild life is pointing at your car! Another tip. Always leave at least 2 car lengths of room between you and the car in front when you're in this situation. It allows you to quickly depart an area when danger requires it. I'll run a red light to get away from a bad situation if necessary. Also is always a good idea to have a gun, which I usually do, but getting in a gun fight with a 2 year old in the back seat is not a great idea either. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stuckincincy Posted February 17, 2010 Share Posted February 17, 2010 Another tip. Always leave at least 2 car lengths of room between you and the car in front when you're in this situation. It allows you to quickly depart an area when danger requires it. I'll run a red light to get away from a bad situation if necessary... Good tip...words to live by. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mead107 Posted February 17, 2010 Share Posted February 17, 2010 Love our Garmin. Just have to hit wineries and presto. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wacka Posted February 18, 2010 Share Posted February 18, 2010 I use a handheld GPS for geocaching. Magellans were about the equal of Garmins, but I have heard they stink now. The car ones (Nuvi, etc) are not that good for hiking and geocaching, but are fine for car navigation. Garmin is pretty good with fixing them. I have heard of people sending them in over a year after the warranty had expired and getting a refurbished unit in return. The handheld ones are sturdy. I have a a 6.5 year old Venture. The printing on it worn off and some of the rubber is worn off. Last week I dropped it on a stump and cracked the screen, but it still works. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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