Need In-car Gps Advice

[+geologyrox]

big yay for me, i'm getting a new car (a prius!) in January. i was wondering if there is a cheaper GPS/mapping/etc option than purchasing the NAV with the car ($3k upgrade!) As far as I can tell, I have a lot of options.

 

First, I could buy the Prius nav system. it includes a few other nifties for the car, including voice operation for the nav. I am not certain there is any way to directly import a list of coordinates - and if i had to enter in each pair, i'd regret that $3k every time i did it. Even if i don't get the nav package, the car has a lcd screen that can be tapped into with (i think) s-video.

 

I am decent with computers, and could build a nice underseat unit with expensive mappingsoftware, either being outputted to the car screen, or another LCD screen that I have (intended for Playstation use) Don't know what kind of GPS i would want for hooking up to this computer. i have a geko 201 and a legend.

 

i think i could make use of the TomTom type units, as i assume i could hook up a laptop and inport waypoints. if thats not possible, i run into the same problem as with the stock nav.

 

I could buy one of garmins all in one products - but i know very little about them.

 

i really would love some input from people who might know what software to use if i build my pc, or have great info about an aftermarket nav unit, or even think that the stock unit is just so built into the car that i'd be sad not to have it. i just know i can do this for less than 3k!

[+fresno_eagle_scout]

I was in the exact position you are in 3 years ago when I bought my new Accura with a navagation system. I decided to purchase the car with the navigation system from the manufacturer. Then I became 'hooked' on navigation.

 

I was so addicted to my navigation system, that when I traveled, and rented a car I missed my navigation system.

 

So I purchsed a Garmin Ique 3600. This was great. 3 years latter I am still using the same system.

 

As a result of job changes and less traveling I use the Ique as my PDA.

 

If it were me, I would aks the following questions:

 

1)

 

Will you need a navigation system when NOT in your new car ?

 

2)

 

Will someone else, besides you, be learning the navigation system ?

 

3)

 

Is your portable system subject to being stolen ?

 

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

 

This is my opinion ! The opinions expressed here are mine and only mine. Nobody else has experience what I have gone through other than me !

 

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[robertlipe]

You've touched on the problems with auto vendor GPS - they're insanely expensive, don't allow reasonable upgrades, they're shackled by "lawyer features" (I know of one that won't let you enter a GOTO unless the car is in park) and - to the dismay of this crowd more than the general public - frequently won't let you navigate by coords instead of addresses.

 

For $3K, you can pretty much have your choice of the aftermarket dashtops. This week, Garmin added several models to the streetpilot line.

 

As for rolling your own with a laptop, that's up to you, but I wouldn't. The dedicated units have things like touch screens, remot controls, and sensors to adjust screen brightness that would be hard to do with an ITX or laptop mutant. They also have the advantage of running dedicated hardware and OS. (A streetpilot boots WAY faster than your laptop will even get out of hibernate.)

 

For discussion's sake, take a look at the StreetPilot 2720 and the 2730 as a starting place.

[+geologyrox]

thanks guys - just what i was looking for. i would not really consider using a laptop, just because i canbuild a small computer with an external LCD screen for so much less. theft isn't really an issue, though - i live in podunk, florida. a lot of your complaints about laptops are valid, though - i don't know what i could work the bootup sequence down to, i'm sure it'd be longer than the startup for a dedicated unit. i rather like the computer idea, though, since then i can keep my extensive music collection at my fingertips. i also know that i can make the nav sound output 'override' the music output, which is something i'll otherwise lose by vetoing the factory nav.

 

that being said, i would *love* to be able to use nav when i'm in another car - and thats just plain not feasible with a mutant. like i said, i'm not terribly worried about theft, but i also don't leave my gps on my seat beside my cell phone and my tungsten - i don't want a unit that really sceams 'i'm portable! take me!'

 

thanks again

 

::off to look up the streetpilots::

[+geologyrox]

oh boy. 1200 dollars, nice display, traffic/weather info, mp3 player, AND a POI loader that will have the system alert me if i'mwithin x distance of a geocache? i'm in trouble =) i think i may end up saving that 1800 towards XM payments =P

 

still looking, though - someone mentioned a quest as a pretty inexpensive, but very useful nav unit

 

EDIT: uhoh - evenworse: the 2720 does traffic for my area, and the XM doesnt. if i give up the mp3 player, i save $400. i give it two weeks before my husband and i have these for our cars. sometimes my wallet hates me being a geek

Edited November 3, 2005 by geologyrox

[robertlipe]

The street price difference between 2720 and 2730 should be closer to $120 than $400. Integrated MP3 and it including the XM receiver (which I'm not sure I'd use) would make that pretty tempting at $120 since I think the extern receiver is about that price on the 2720 and it doesn't do MP3/audio. I wouldn't go $400. XM traffic coverage should be identical on the two units.

 

Several of my local peers love laptops for navigation. I've always hated it.

 

I just reached over and powered up a 2610. (I just did a firmware upgrade; I normally don't keep it at my desk.) Under six seconds from power on to map screen. I move it easily between cars as it came with the lead bean bag (a.k.a. "dead black octopus") mount. It has none of the traits of a laptop/ITX/PC101 solution that make me crazy.

 

There is much discussion of the new units at http://www.gpspassion.com/forumsen/forum.asp?FORUM_ID=86

 

Gosh, I sold you too quickly. If you're aroused by a 2730, I could have talked you into a 7200 and you'd have still walked out for under $3K. :-)

[+geologyrox]

yeah, their forumcame up quickly when i started searching on streetpilot.

 

to tell you the truth, i never knew anything like this was available. my husband is a garmin dealer (aviation) and i was seriously going to pay $3000 to get the factory nav system. ::is ashamed:: actually, i rather like the screen size of the 2720, the 7500 (with its dead reckoning!) just seems massive, though they say it's really the same size. we shall see what my wallet says in a couple of months.

 

and you are right about the pricing of the 2730,i hadn't realized that the price at amazon is just list until it's actually available - we might well see it for $100ish more,which i probably *could* be convinced to upgrade for. the prius can only display 10 characters of a song name - if this is better integrated, i make out like a bandit =)

[robertlipe]

Since 2730 was just announced this week (their webmaster "accidentally" announced these last friday) it's not suprising that pricing is a little wiggy right now. They aren't actually out the door yet. 2720's have been out for a low number of months; I've seen them on the shelves of retail stores. Some displays even have a "demo mode" where it cycles through a little movie thingy that comes across like a bad Flash animation.

 

26xx have been out since last spring and the 27xx are the same dimensions. The gpspassion group of 26xx owners divided pretty quickly over the 27xx - one group loved the new featues and the other complained loudly that it was "dumbed down" from 26xx.

 

I wouldn't hang high hopes on the feature set of the MP3 abilities, but the physical integration has some appeal.

 

I should mention that Lowrance Iway 500C is a competior in this market and they also have MP3 capabilities. I don't know the bits and bytes of that product line.

[+Renegade Knight]

...For $3K, you can pretty much have your choice of the aftermarket dashtops. ...

I agree 100%. In dash is nice but I can do so much better aftermarket for the same or less money.

[+IV_Warrior]

big yay for me, i'm getting a new car (a prius!) in January. i was wondering if there is a cheaper GPS/mapping/etc option than purchasing the NAV with the car ($3k upgrade!) As far as I can tell, I have a lot of options.

 

Even if i don't get the nav package, the car has a lcd screen that can be tapped into with (i think) s-video.

 

I am decent with computers, and could build a nice underseat unit with expensive mappingsoftware, either being outputted to the car screen, or another LCD screen that I have

That would be my recommendation, then for about $99 get Delorme's Street Atlas 2006 and the LT-20 usb GPS package. It'll likely have better maps, definately have more features, and cost you a ton less money than a "built in". Plus, it's under $50 to buy the new version next year. I highly doubt you can update a built in for anywhere near that price. Even if you bought a laptop to run the software, you'd still be way under the cost of a built-in.

[snagged]

From Lowrance

 

New, good quality, and real value. iway 350

http://www.lowrance.com/Automotive/Products/iWAY350C.asp

[BilgeRat]

If you like the idea of the traffic service and don't want to hurt the old wallet quite as bad, take a look at these- http://www.garmin.com/products/sp340/

 

My wife generally doesn't share my fascination with GPS gadgets, but she was reading the web page over my shoulder the other day and expressed serious interest in the c330. (Same as the 340, but no traffic service.) They appear to be really user friendly, and I would venture to say that they were aimed at the non-geek market.

Tom

[+LifeOnEdge!]

big yay for me, i'm getting a new car (a prius!) in January.  i was wondering if there is a cheaper GPS/mapping/etc option than purchasing the NAV with the car ($3k upgrade!)  As far as I can tell, I have a lot of options.

You are on this forum because you geocache. You own Garmin products, seem happy, have apparently upgraded, and will probably upgrade in the future.

 

Why not spend the $3000 for other things? $375 gets you a Garmin GPSmap 60CS. $125 gets you mapping software for that unit. For well under $1K you can get a Garmin GPS/PDA with the mapping software included (and can load that same software onto a 60 CS) and have your cache database in that PDA. $1000 buys it all.

 

Whatcha gonna do with the other $2000? Might I suggest a nice humidor and some NICE cigars???