GPS Primer: GPS Info explained simply

Garmin nuvi 1300LM Review

Fri, 24 Feb 2012 20:17:40 +0000

I recently completed a five-day driving vacation with the Garmin nüvi 1300LM 4.3-Inch Portable GPS Navigator with Lifetime Map Updates. The model has been replaced with the Garmin nüvi 40LM, but the 1300LM is still widely available for purchase new, refurbished and used. I previously owned the Garmin nüvi 255. I upgraded mainly for the lifetime maps feature of the 1300LM, which did not come with the 255. During holiday sales a refurbished 1300LM was cheaper than updating the 255 map. I also gained a larger screen. However, there were some tradeoffs, and one was particularly annoying.

First, the advantages of the 1300LM. Obviously, the lifetime maps is a plus. Well, it's supposed to be, but frankly after two months and one major trip, I haven't gotten around to updating it. Garmin must be using dialup because the download of an update file is glacial. It took me four hours on a DSL connection. So long, in fact, that I left it downloading for the night, and never got back to using it.

Another advantage is the wider screen. I found the square aspect of the 255 to be adequate. However, the wider screen allows me to put the numerical information (time, miles to destination, etc.) in a tidy stack on the side. Placed here, there is more room for data points, and that's part of the fun of a gps.

A small loss was the alternative voices. The 1300LM comes with one installed voice, a rather flat female. The 255 came with several accents. I found the basic female on the 255 to be more pleasant than that on the 1300, but this in not a deal breaker, as the one voice does the job. However, I was a little surprised because the 255 was a bottom of the line unit, as is the 1300. I'm used to new models of electronic gadgets in the 21st century adding features, not taking them away, even at the entry level.

While the voice thing was minor for me, I was very disappointed to discover the 1300LM will not display speed limits. This one ticked me off. Again, I'm used to new generations of gear at least keeping the basic features of previous models. And I know the 1300LM knows the speed limits because it needs them to accurately calculate arrival times. Garmin has deliberately crippled the unit to not display the speed limit. Voices take data space and time to develop, so I can accept them as a premium item. But to simply turn off the display of a data point that the gps unit must be accessing to in order to function is insulting to the customer.

A further quibble that may be a settings item, but still confuses me, is how the unit chooses optimal routes among choices that are similar in time but dissimilar in miles traveled. On my recent long trip, I chose "fastest time." The unit favored a quicker route while ignoring a shortcut that added a few minutes, but cut off 25 miles. This short cut also eliminated traveling the Washington D.C. beltway, certainly an experience worth avoiding even at the cost of a few minutes. Fortunately, I knew of the shortcut previously. If I relied on the gps, I would have missed it. Using the gps, if I choose "shortest distance," I end up on strings of back roads and city streets that add lots of time. I am looking for a "smart" route that can balance time and distance better. I simply may be asking more than my entry level 1300 can handle, so I will not count it against the 1300LM.

The 1300LM otherwise works as expected. But I still think it should have the speed limit display even if it is the bottom of the line. Deliberately crippling common features that are in essence mere software flags really, really bugs me.

Garmin Nuvi 255 Review

Sat, 02 Jul 2011 19:52:33 +0000

The Garmin nüvi 255 3.5-Inch Portable GPS Navigator is my first foray into vehicle GPS. I purchased it for a vacation driving from Pennsylvania to Florida. The nuvi 255 is a very basic model. The full-color, almost-square touch screen is about 3.5 inches diagonally. There are larger models, but this one takes a minimum of windshield real estate. I found the screen size to be fine. I have not used larger models, so I may not know what I am missing. My nuvi 255 was not bundled with lifetime maps, but it does come with one free map update. Lifetime maps are available as an upgrade from the the Garmin website. It does not have traffic. It will find gas stations and other services.

We had a stop on our trip that was a personal residence in a development, and here's where it really shone. Residential developments can be confusing for a stranger. Rather than following a set of multiple-turn directions hand written or printed from google, the Garmin nuvi 255 took us straight there with a minimum of stress.

My pros and cons are as follows. This is my first vehicle GPS, so some comments may not be specific to the model, but rather the brand or simply the state of technology at this time. And there's a strong chance some of my cons will be addressed with a read of the manual, but when it comes to gadgets, I'm in the school of "If the feature I want is there, but isn't obvious, it's a design flaw."

Pros

Small screen size is unobtrusive yet gave me all the information I needed. I know others like the bigger screens, but I did not feel limited
Several accents to choose from, if you want an Aussie or a Brit to lead you
Many languages built-in, though we used only the English
Directions were mostly accurate, with a few exceptions
Displays speed limits
GPS calculated speed is very nice. Our vehicle odometer showed us to be 2 mph faster than we really were.
Real-time destination arrival time.
Security pin option
Inexpensive. I found a refurb from Amazon for under $70
Windshield mount was secure, easy to use and remove
Remembers a list of recently entered addresses, even if not officially saved
Detour function worked quickly
Satellite acquisition took a few minutes after being off for a few days, as any GPS must do. But for daily use during our trip it never needed time to acquire them.

Cons

Voice accents were pretty weak. Basically the same male or female computer voice faking a different accent. The female Brit's "Boulevarrrrrrrrggghd" had a little too much Pirate.
When we went off course, the unit suggested returning to the route by going the wrong way on a one way street.
At one point, the unit somehow failed to track our location as we approached a turn, and we missed the turn, thinking the unit knew something we did not. It caught up in a few seconds, and got us back to the right path, but that could be a big problem on an interstate with few exits or turn-arounds.
I'd like an option to show the destination arrival time as a countdown.
I'd like the option to quickly display the time on the GPS unit main navigation screen.
Overhead view requires a lot of zooming out to be useful, and did not remember previous settings
I'd like to be able to instantly zoom out to, say, a 100 mile view to see the big picture, like a paper map can provide. I could get there, but after a lot of zooming out, which is not a safe task while driving
The security pin if wrongly entered throws up a large, unhelpful warning window that is difficult to clear in order to retry
Battery life is very short, maybe 15 minutes. I'd like more time so that I can enter addresses and such in a comfortable seat or at a picnic table away from the car, particularly with multiple destinations planned. EDIT: The battery life was 15 minutes when I was using it actively, entering address or previewing routes. When I used unplugged it to navigate with minimal interaction, the battery life stretched to two hours.
Speed limits accuracy was so-so. On interstates and other four-lanes, it was accurate 90% of the time; on secondary highways, it was somewhat less. It appeared to me that some limits had been recently changed and the maps had not caught up.
I'm not sure, but I may have burned my free map update prematurely. It may actually have come with the most recent maps, but I did not know how to be sure.
The map update software for Mac frequently crashed. I'm still not sure I have actually completed the update to the unit, but I do know I have exhausted my one free map download from the Garmin website. As a newbie, my opinion of the map update procedure is unresolved until I have more time to sort it out.
The estimated time of arrival seems too optimistic when a route has a lot of stop lights. We'd have to hit nearly every light green in order to keep up with the original estimates.

There you have it, a newbie's guide to the Garmin nuvi 255. I really enjoyed using the unit, and look forward to future trips with it.

Helpful Links:

Garmin nuvi 255 manuals

Garmin nuvi 255W 4.3-Inch Widescreen version. The widescreen version of the 255. It is still available, but all widescreen 205-series have been superseded by the 1300-series. The basic 255 non-widescreen is still in production.

Garmin nüvi 1350LMT 4.3-Inch Portable GPS Navigator, the replacement model for the 255W

GPS Links

Thu, 10 Feb 2011 22:02:34 +0000

Selected links to information on the web about GPS. If you have a suggested site, feel free to email us.

Geocaching - The Official Global GPS Cache Hunt Site
Learn more about geocaches and get coordinates to start searching!

MacGPS Pro
Software for linking your mac to GPS receivers. Support for Apple Macintosh OS is sadly an afterthought among many GPS manufacturers. MacGPS Pro helps add that functionality back. MacGPS Pro supports almost all GPS receivers for moving map images on the Mac screen in real-time. Connect to your Garmin or Magellan for transferring Waypoints, Routes, and Track Logs. MacGPS Pro works with no receiver connected for viewing digital maps, measuring distances, editing waypoints, and creating routes.

GPSy
GPSy is a sophisticated Macintosh GPS communications and GIS mapping program. GPSy connects your Macintosh to a broad range of Global Positioning System (GPS) navigational units and has advanced mapping, logging, and data transfer features. GPSy has extensive support for USGS DRG topo maps, Internet DGPS-IP servers, GPSyLinks to Internet Map Servers, StreetAtlas 4, and IPC's MapFan II, as well as user-scanned maps, Magellan and Lowrance/Eagle data transfer protocols, Sony IPS protocol, Rockwell Zodiac/Tripmate binary protocol support, Trimble TSIP support and much more.

GPS Types

Thu, 10 Feb 2011 21:22:36 +0000

GPS Units have exploded in popularity and usefulness from the simple handheld units for hikers of the 1990s. The variety of features, brands and models available make it impossible to list here. Rather, let us organize them into broad categories to get you started. Here are the most popular categories today, and some general buying tips.

Vehicle GPS Vehicle GPS are used on your dashboard for turn-by-turn directions. The popularity of these is growing exponentially; they are quickly becoming a "must-have" gadget for drivers. Look for units that come with plenty of maps and lifetime updates, because any extra maps or updates must otherwise be purchased separately, which can quickly negate the savings of cheaper units. The best-selling model is currently the Garmin Nuvi.

Handheld GPS Handheld GPS is intended for use for hiking and outdoor activity. These units can be programmed with topographical maps and a series of waypoints to guide the hiker. They do not replace paper maps, but rather supplement them. Furthermore, they are not "turn by turn" guides, but rather "general direction" indicators. A handheld GPS is what is needed for geocaching.

Fitness GPS Fitness GPS are designed to provide information on how far and fast you have traveled on your workout. Some can also biometric feedback like heart rate.

Marine GPS Marine GPS can be programmed with nautical maps and provide nautical calculations. Some models also include sonars for fish-finding.

A Word About Cell Phone GPS Cell phones may also have GPS capabilities, but they may not use the satellite system. Cell towers can be used to triangulate position just like satellites can. Of course, cell service is required. A clear signal from at least three towers is needed, as well, so in areas where cell service is spotty, so will your phone's GPS capabilities.

Essential GPS Skills

Thu, 10 Feb 2011 21:07:15 +0000

GPS receivers are amazing gadgets. They do so much cool stuff with every model, that it can get overwhelming. To keep it under control, when you first get your GPS, concentrate on the following three skills. The details of what button to push when vary with the GPS model, so we won't go into that here. When you get your GPS, look through the manual to learn these three tasks. If you can do at least these three, then you will have gotten your money's worth. And once you have these down, you can build upon them as you explore the other neat things your GPS can do.

1. Learn how to enter a waypoint
This gives you some place to go.

2. Learn how to determine your position
You might use the internal map in the GPS, or record a waypoint for use with an external map or software, or some variation.

3. Learn how to navigate
That is, get from where you are to where you want to go. A key thing for a new person to remember is that most basic GPS units do not work well as a traditional compass, where you stand and orient yourself. You must be moving for the GPS to figure out which way to point. So, once you have your destination waypoint chosen, START WALKING to get the GPS navigation feature fired up. There are models that have an internal compass, but they are more expensive at this time.

About software for your GPS. To get the most out of your GPS receiver, you may need to purchase computer software to go with it. The software gives you an easy way to enter and extract information, for example waypoints. Entering waypoints with the little buttons on the unit is doable, but it gets tedious fast. With software, you enter them in your computer or copy them fom a website, then with the touch of a key upload them to your GPS. You can also extract or download waypoints you have recorded on your journey to print them directly on a map. And software may be the only way to upload maps into your GPS receiver for use in the field. Your GPS may come with maps loaded, but they are often limited in detail. The number of detailed maps you can save in your GPS is limited by the memory of the GPS. Units may or may not come bundled with various software or maps that you will need; be certain to reach the product descriptions carefully.