Topic: Cheap GPS recommendations?

[Scarecrow]

Based on the comments in this thread, I purchased the Garmin Nuvi 50LM to help us with the driving here in California.  I'm pleased to say that this unit is turning out to be quite good, easy to use and accurate.  Mind you, the American-English voice sounds like a New Jersey housewife, but that's become a fun little running joke for us on our trip.

[vdk]

Based on the comments in this thread, I purchased the Garmin Nuvi 50LM to help us with the driving here in California.  I'm pleased to say that this unit is turning out to be quite good, easy to use and accurate.  Mind you, the American-English voice sounds like a New Jersey housewife, but that's become a fun little running joke for us on our trip.

The brit always sounds so much better

[Fobroader]

Based on the comments in this thread, I purchased the Garmin Nuvi 50LM to help us with the driving here in California.  I'm pleased to say that this unit is turning out to be quite good, easy to use and accurate.  Mind you, the American-English voice sounds like a New Jersey housewife, but that's become a fun little running joke for us on our trip.

Fran Drescher barking orders at me......no thank you. 

[safristi]

My golfing buddies and I have "NIGEL" as our Garmin "aide de Campe"...
...fark Nigel are ya no awake yet...get us to a Breakfast NOOK wi an early Liquor Licence....................Nigel tawk to us we are bored...Nigel get any last nite?.Gettaway a BLUE TOOTH special!!! wots that..."HANDS FREE!!!"....

[carcrazed]

What kind of holder do have for your phone?

I use this one for my air vent.. holds phones and gps of all sizes.  It also rotates to use your phone as gps in landscape mode or to watch streaming videos while waiting in a car.  Long lines at drive thru are not as painful
http://www.tigerdirect.ca/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=6311118&CatId=2376

They also have cup holder version too.
http://www.tigerdirect.ca/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=5664721&CatId=2376

[makuribu]

We use the UK English Emily voice on our Garmin.
On our previous unit (Nuvi 750), when we ignored her advice, she would say, "recalculating" with what seemed like a tone of annoyance. The newest version on the 2555 no longer says it. I kind of miss the fun of bugging the hell out of her when I choose to go my own route.
I also discovered that most of the Garmin data is compatible across units. You can copy all of the voices and saved points from one unit to the other, by plugging them in to a computer with a USB cable and treating the device like a USB memory stick. Just drag the various bits to the same folder on the newer device, and try not to overwrite anything vital. It was handy to return to France and be able to look up the restaurants we liked from a previous trip.

[Triple Bob]

oooh cool.  I'll copy over Dr Nightmare and the squirrel then.

[Angry Chicken]

We use the UK English Emily voice on our Garmin.
On our previous unit (Nuvi 750), when we ignored her advice, she would say, "recalculating" with what seemed like a tone of annoyance. The newest version on the 2555 no longer says it. I kind of miss the fun of bugging the hell out of her when I choose to go my own route.
I also discovered that most of the Garmin data is compatible across units. You can copy all of the voices and saved points from one unit to the other, by plugging them in to a computer with a USB cable and treating the device like a USB memory stick. Just drag the various bits to the same folder on the newer device, and try not to overwrite anything vital. It was handy to return to France and be able to look up the restaurants we liked from a previous trip.

The Darth Vader voice will say, "I find your lack of faith disturbing" instead of "recalculating".  No, I'm not making this up!   

[PJungnitsch]

I've been using my iPhone with Navigon, in combination with a magnetic Tetrax mount up high on the vent. Works well.

Am getting an iPad on Tuesday and my Navigon will (apparently) work with it as well. Anyone use an iPad for a GPS? Mounting for that would be a bit tougher I imagine.

[Ex-airbalancer]

I've been using my iPhone with Navigon, in combination with a magnetic Tetrax mount up high on the vent. Works well.

Am getting an iPad on Tuesday and my Navigon will (apparently) work with it as well. Anyone use an iPad for a GPS? Mounting for that would be a bit tougher I imagine.

I have a wifi model
Which model, 3G or wifi?
With wifi you need to probably need to use you iPhone  as a hot spot to work or get a BT gps to work with
I was looking at iottie  http://iottie.com/Product/ProductList.aspx?P=M as a holder
Let me know if you find anything

[Ex-airbalancer]

Maybe wait to see what the new apple maps will be like,
One thing I do not like about using the phone as a gps, is once you making a call the maps are off the screen

[Angry Chicken]

I've been using my iPhone with Navigon, in combination with a magnetic Tetrax mount up high on the vent. Works well.

Am getting an iPad on Tuesday and my Navigon will (apparently) work with it as well. Anyone use an iPad for a GPS? Mounting for that would be a bit tougher I imagine.

I saw a guy with an iPad mounted right in the middle of this windshield a few weeks back.  Probably too big for such placement.  Are there mounting kits for alternative locations?
I would think my 7" Playbook would be just about perfect for such use but unfortunately it doesn't have the GPS app support that the iPad does.  I wonder if the new, smaller, iPad that's rumoured to be coming out by the end of the year would be a better alternative.

[dkaz]

I use Waze on my iPhone. It still continues to give directions even when I'm on a phone call.

[Ex-airbalancer]

I use Waze on my iPhone. It still continues to give directions even when I'm on a phone call.

I have a Iphone 4, and when I am on a call it just should who is calling when I am using waze
I have to find a setting somewhere to change

[PJungnitsch]

It's got the 3G, but with Navigon I don't need it. The big thing is it has the GPS chip, and the Wi-Fi versions don't.

That mount looks interesting, but I think my dash is too curved, I'll probably try a Ram holder. Will see if there is a place to put it. They have cupholder mounts, but I kinda like my GPS to be in my line of vision.

[5 Wheel Drive]

We use the UK English Emily voice on our Garmin.
On our previous unit (Nuvi 750), when we ignored her advice, she would say, "recalculating" with what seemed like a tone of annoyance. The newest version on the 2555 no longer says it. I kind of miss the fun of bugging the hell out of her when I choose to go my own route.
I also discovered that most of the Garmin data is compatible across units. You can copy all of the voices and saved points from one unit to the other, by plugging them in to a computer with a USB cable and treating the device like a USB memory stick. Just drag the various bits to the same folder on the newer device, and try not to overwrite anything vital. It was handy to return to France and be able to look up the restaurants we liked from a previous trip.

The Darth Vader voice will say, "I find your lack of faith disturbing" instead of "recalculating".  No, I'm not making this up!   

That's awesome!!!  I'd be making wrong turns just to make me and my 8 year old laugh.

[Julie]

We use the UK English Emily voice on our Garmin.
On our previous unit (Nuvi 750), when we ignored her advice, she would say, "recalculating" with what seemed like a tone of annoyance. The newest version on the 2555 no longer says it. I kind of miss the fun of bugging the hell out of her when I choose to go my own route.
I also discovered that most of the Garmin data is compatible across units. You can copy all of the voices and saved points from one unit to the other, by plugging them in to a computer with a USB cable and treating the device like a USB memory stick. Just drag the various bits to the same folder on the newer device, and try not to overwrite anything vital. It was handy to return to France and be able to look up the restaurants we liked from a previous trip.

The Darth Vader voice will say, "I find your lack of faith disturbing" instead of "recalculating".  No, I'm not making this up!   

That's awesome!!!  I'd be making wrong turns just to make me and my 8 year old laugh.

Me too! Darth Vader...... he's my man. 

[normancw]

I've been using my iPhone with Navigon, in combination with a magnetic Tetrax mount up high on the vent. Works well.

Am getting an iPad on Tuesday and my Navigon will (apparently) work with it as well. Anyone use an iPad for a GPS? Mounting for that would be a bit tougher I imagine.

I used mine in a rental car while I was in Phoenix driving to the Grand Canyon - it works quite well.  I didn't have a mount, so I just put it on the passenger floor - being so big, it was easy to read!  I would want a mount though - I wouldn't want to have a sharp edged projectile in an accident.

[Scarecrow]

Well, after roughly six months my Garmin Nuvi 50LM is already dead.

Other than our California vacation last August and a few sporadic uses on business trips (~5), I've barely used it.  But now the thing will simply not boot up/start.  It died suddenly and without warning last Friday during my business trip to Windsor.

I took it back to Future Shop today and they exchanged it for a new unit.  The customer service staff told me that they have many problems with non-functioning GPS units, from Garmin and other brands.  I'm not hopeful that the new unit will last long either and will return to my tried-and-true methods for biz trips: that is, figuring out my routes in advance using Google Maps and paper maps.

Based on the comments in this thread, I purchased the Garmin Nuvi 50LM to help us with the driving here in California.  I'm pleased to say that this unit is turning out to be quite good, easy to use and accurate.  Mind you, the American-English voice sounds like a New Jersey housewife, but that's become a fun little running joke for us on our trip.

[mmret]

I wonder if you could use a Nexus 7 and a mount. There is plenty of fully offline GPS software out there for reasonable prices.

Only problem is mounting and that it might be a bit big. Galaxy Note 2 would possibly be ideal.

Personally I think the aftermarket GPS units thing has maybe 5 years left in it. Soon it will all be via smart phone or built in.