On Thu, 02 Jul 2015 10:33:06 -0400, Justan Olphat wrote:

On 7/2/2015 10:04 AM, John H. wrote:
On Wed, 01 Jul 2015 20:29:34 -0400, wrote:

On Wed, 01 Jul 2015 16:33:02 -0400, "Mr. Luddite"
wrote:

On 7/1/2015 1:02 PM, wrote:
On Wed, 01 Jul 2015 12:36:39 -0400, Wayne.B
wrote:

On Wed, 1 Jul 2015 07:09:30 -0700 (PDT), Tim
wrote:

I don't get out of the county much but I am going to take off for a few days and be going through heavy traffic places. Normally I'd use the wife's but she's splitting too.

So I decided to break down and get a new Garmin.

I don't been anything really expensive, but something comprehensive for road travel. I have one that's about 7 years old and probably worthless by now unless I but the updates and I'm sure the internal battery is shot too.

Basically I'm asking what model is the best bang for the buck? Or should I just go to Walmart and get one?

===

Do you already have an Android or Apple smart phone? If so you may
find that mapping app to be as good as a Garmin. My Android phone
even has pretty good speech recognition for destination searching. I
think the key is to use a phone with a large, brightly lit screen.
Mine came from Amazon at a very reasonable price and with a very nice
screen:

http://www.amazon.com/Studio-5-5S-Quad-Unlocked-White/dp/B00IWCCYY8


I find it strange that everyone seems to think talking on a cell phone
is a huge danger but screwing with a GPS or any of that other dash
mounted computer hardware is just fine.




Thing is, you can set your destination on a dash mounted GPS before you
start driving and after that it's pretty much hands free. Cell phones
are a whole different story.


What different story. If you are talking to a frustrating Nav
computer, it is easily as distracting as carrying on a phone
conversation. You will also be tempted to look at the display and not
blindly turn when it says you should.

Personally I hate nav systems. I would rather look a hard copy map for
a few minutes and just drive there. It is actually pretty seldom that
I even need a map and I drove all over for work (50k miles a year in
DC).

My Garmin saved me some bucks by keeping me off toll roads on the trip to
Shipsewanna. Probably paid for itself. And, we got to see some nice countryside.


Cost me $10 to cross the Hudson and $2.50 on the MA pike last week. Not
too shabby. No tolls crossing the Hudson westbound.

Adding two more axles quadruples the price on lots of toll roads. The cost mounts up
quickly. Taking the Ohio Turnpike and the Indiana toll road would have cost $43.55,
one way, with the RV. Without it the cost would have been $15.25. The I-95 tolls have
an even higher markup.
--

Guns don't cause problems.
Gun owner behavior causes problems.

Tim
"I don't get out of the county much but I am going to take off for a few days and be going through heavy traffic places. Normally I'd use the wife's but she's splitting too.

So I decided to break down and get a new Garmin.

I don't been anything really expensive, but something comprehensive for road travel. I have one that's about 7 years old and probably worthless by now unless I but the updates and I'm sure the internal battery is shot too.

Basically I'm asking what model is the best bang for the buck? Or should I just go to Walmart and get one? "



Bought a new Garmin nuvi 2597LMT on sale at COSTCO last November. The old model didn't have the map updates and I didn't feel like paying the high fee each time. This model has lifetime map upgrades plus the traffic info...which probably doesn't apply way out here.

BTW...the online reports were mostly positive for the nuvi 2597LMT at that time. Haven't checked lately.

Tim
"I don't get out of the county much but I am going to take off for a few days and be going through heavy traffic places. Normally I'd use the wife's but she's splitting too.

So I decided to break down and get a new Garmin.

I don't been anything really expensive, but something comprehensive for road travel. I have one that's about 7 years old and probably worthless by now unless I but the updates and I'm sure the internal battery is shot too.

Basically I'm asking what model is the best bang for the buck? Or should I just go to Walmart and get one? "



Bought a new Garmin nuvi 2597LMT on sale at COSTCO last November. The old model didn't have the map updates and I didn't feel like paying the high fee each time. This model has lifetime map upgrades plus the traffic info...which probably doesn't apply way out here.

I've heard not so good reports on Toms too.

On 7/1/2015 12:12 PM, Tim wrote:
I've heard not so good reports on Toms too.



Garmin used to have a stellar reputation for service and standing behind
their products. Not so much anymore.

People here have commented on bad experiences with Tom-Tom. I guess
mine is an exception. I have a Tom-Tom that I bought about 12 years ago
and it still works just fine. Mine has an SD card with the maps which
I updated once a few years back. I don't use it often anymore but
do use it occasionally when driving to an address or location I am not
familiar with. Works fine, lasts a long time.