Lknot Posted November 23, 2007 Share Posted November 23, 2007 I'm confused. I bought a nuvi250w and took it off road and got lost on logging roads. I learned about topographic maps but Garmin says they are not compatible with the Nuvi units - with the exception of Nuvi350 in a limited way. I saw an advertisement for the Magellan crossover. That sounds like something i'm looking for but it doesn't rate real well. I saw something about a 3rd party conversion software for cross platform use. I was wondering if the Magellin crossover maps can be converted to use in the nuvi250w or i'm thinking of buying the nuvi650 because it's on sale at Costco. How about hacks? If one can unlock an iPhone.......... Quote Link to comment
+Chuy! Posted November 23, 2007 Share Posted November 23, 2007 (edited) When off-roading, a GPS with tracks is a must. Few Garmin auto-only units have it. Off the top of my head, the StreetPilot 2820 and the Quest units support tracks. All the handheld units have it, so a good routing unit like the 60CSx and Vista/Legend HCx would be ideal. The Quests are billed as dual purpose. I think they can support Topo maps, but I'm not sure. On paper the Crossover looks good, and it features tracks and a compass to point the way. The biggest drawback I see is its 7hr battery life. Magellan claims it is best in class, but it don't come close to the Quest's 20 hour batter life. The claimed 7 hours is under ideal conditoins; so expect more like 4-5 in the real world - that just won't hack it on longer hikes. With a Sirf chip, tracks, included road and topo maps, and a $400 retail price, it's not a bad deal - on paper. You may have heard Magellan has bad product and customer support. Edited November 23, 2007 by Chuy! Quote Link to comment
+embra Posted November 23, 2007 Share Posted November 23, 2007 (edited) I think they can support Topo maps, but I'm not sure. I can confirm that Quest do take topo maps. Before going any purchase route, you would be well advised to look at topo coverage samples to see if the logging roads you are interested in are included in the map database. It tends to be rather hit and miss with them. Both Garmin and Magellan (for example) have map viewers on their web sites so you can take a look at your area of interest. Edited November 23, 2007 by embra Quote Link to comment
+JetSkier Posted November 23, 2007 Share Posted November 23, 2007 The battery life on the Magellan CrossoverGPS is rated at 8 hours. I cached with mine for 5 hours and still had 3 of 5 battery bars left. That would indicate closer to 10 hours of use. The maps in the CrossoverGPS are internal so you can't take them out and use them elsewhere. Here's a Topic that I wrote on the Crossover's performance while caching ... JetSkier Quote Link to comment
+Redwoods Mtn Biker Posted November 23, 2007 Share Posted November 23, 2007 I'm confused. I bought a nuvi250w and took it off road and got lost on logging roads. I learned about topographic maps but Garmin says they are not compatible with the Nuvi units - with the exception of Nuvi350 in a limited way. I saw an advertisement for the Magellan crossover. That sounds like something i'm looking for but it doesn't rate real well. I saw something about a 3rd party conversion software for cross platform use. I was wondering if the Magellin crossover maps can be converted to use in the nuvi250w or i'm thinking of buying the nuvi650 because it's on sale at Costco. How about hacks? If one can unlock an iPhone.......... I *believe* that, with the latest firmware and MapSource upgrade, you can load topos to any nuvi. Works with my 660. Garmin's compatibility list is out of date. There is no auto-routing with topos though, but it will show where you are. I'd avoid the Crossover if I were you. Quote Link to comment
+Chuy! Posted November 23, 2007 Share Posted November 23, 2007 The battery life on the Magellan CrossoverGPS is rated at 8 hours. I cached with mine for 5 hours and still had 3 of 5 battery bars left. That would indicate closer to 10 hours of use. The maps in the CrossoverGPS are internal so you can't take them out and use them elsewhere. Here's a Topic that I wrote on the Crossover's performance while caching ... JetSkier My experience with rechargeables is one, don't trust the battery meter; and two, the meter goes down quickly at the back end of a charge. Quote Link to comment
Lknot Posted November 24, 2007 Author Share Posted November 24, 2007 (edited) I'm thinking about the Nuvi350 or the Nuvi650. They are the same price at Costco and here: http://www.techforless.com/cgi-bin/tech4le...2&mv_pc=153(open box 350) If it's true the website is outdated with map compatibility, i'm still not sure about the 650 but it's stated that the 350 will accept a topo map but with limited function. Most of my use is on road with some off roading in Washington and Oregon. Which do you think is best? *edit - I just checked, they are exactly the same but the 650 has a wide screen. I'm stuck. If the 650 will indeed accept the topo then that is the winner. I wonder what size lithium ion battery is inside. Too bad we can't just use are own batteries rather than proprietary. I hate that. I guess i'll email garmin. Edited November 24, 2007 by Lknot Quote Link to comment
GeoidPS Posted November 24, 2007 Share Posted November 24, 2007 Whatever you use, topo or street maps, beware of outdated material the further you get from paved roads. Roads shown on street maps may not be navigable by vehicle, and some roads on topo maps may be trails. Some trails are not shown and some trails no longer exist. Just be carefull and don't count to heavily on roads the further you get from main roads. Quote Link to comment
+Redwoods Mtn Biker Posted November 24, 2007 Share Posted November 24, 2007 Whatever you use, topo or street maps, beware of outdated material the further you get from paved roads. Roads shown on street maps may not be navigable by vehicle, and some roads on topo maps may be trails. Some trails are not shown and some trails no longer exist. Just be carefull and don't count to heavily on roads the further you get from main roads. This is an excellent point. If you can swing the price difference, go with the nuvi 750, which can display tracks. http://gpstracklog.typepad.com/gps_tracklo...-reduction.html Quote Link to comment
Lknot Posted November 25, 2007 Author Share Posted November 25, 2007 (edited) Whatever you use, topo or street maps, beware of outdated material the further you get from paved roads. Roads shown on street maps may not be navigable by vehicle, and some roads on topo maps may be trails. Some trails are not shown and some trails no longer exist. Just be carefull and don't count to heavily on roads the further you get from main roads. This is an excellent point. If you can swing the price difference, go with the nuvi 750, which can display tracks. http://gpstracklog.typepad.com/gps_tracklo...-reduction.html What do you mean by track? You mean like leaving footprints in the snow to backtrack??? that would be perfect! One can't get lost with that. the 650 and 750 show the same MSRP (which I don't understand why) but only one is on sale. I'd like the 750 without the MP3 player - but no chance eh? Too late for the 650. Costco sold out. Edited November 25, 2007 by Lknot Quote Link to comment
+IntrepidXJ Posted November 25, 2007 Share Posted November 25, 2007 The battery life on the Magellan CrossoverGPS is rated at 8 hours. I cached with mine for 5 hours and still had 3 of 5 battery bars left. That would indicate closer to 10 hours of use. The maps in the CrossoverGPS are internal so you can't take them out and use them elsewhere. Here's a Topic that I wrote on the Crossover's performance while caching ... JetSkier My experience with rechargeables is one, don't trust the battery meter; and two, the meter goes down quickly at the back end of a charge. my Crossover has gone over 8 hours, with still more to go.....I've never been able to0 run it down all the way yet. Quote Link to comment
Lknot Posted November 25, 2007 Author Share Posted November 25, 2007 They really should make them with user access to battery pack so we can carry spares. I'm a flashaholic (flashlight enthusiast) and I carry spare 18650 batteries with me. Quote Link to comment
DWPC Posted November 25, 2007 Share Posted November 25, 2007 Here's another alternative for offroading that I plan to check out. Lowrance has just released a "crossover" model, the XOG, that's similar to the Magellan Crossover. It will also be able to display USGS and BLM topos and satellite images. Its very new and I haven't yet seen a review. I'm not concerned about battery life because I don't plan to to use it outside the vehicle. Quote Link to comment
Lknot Posted November 25, 2007 Author Share Posted November 25, 2007 (edited) Here's another alternative for offroading that I plan to check out. Lowrance has just released a "crossover" model, the XOG, that's similar to the Magellan Crossover. It will also be able to display USGS and BLM topos and satellite images. Its very new and I haven't yet seen a review. I'm not concerned about battery life because I don't plan to to use it outside the vehicle. When I think of it, I don't really need maps of trails - I just need to find my way home. The feature that the Nuvi750 has, remembers where your car is, would be great. If I can activate that, without having to actually leave my car and as soon as the road ends on the map, I can just follow the "breadcrumbs" back to civilization. The reason I got lost with the Nuvi250w is because when I got back on mapped dirt roads I hit "home" and it took me to a locked gate so I turned around but had a dirt road maze ahead of me (in the dark, no moon out) and kept getting stuck in dead ends. I ended up seeing that damned same gate three times. Three hours later, I was able to find the right road on my own - with luck. Edited November 25, 2007 by Lknot Quote Link to comment
DWPC Posted November 25, 2007 Share Posted November 25, 2007 (edited) When I think of it, I don't really need maps of trails - I just need to find my way home. The feature that the Nuvi750 has, remembers where your car is, would be great. If I can activate that, without having to actually leave my car and as soon as the road ends on the map, I can just follow the "breadcrumbs" back to civilization. The XOG does record your track. I think the ability to use USGS topos makes it more useful on the trail. Here's a link to the only hands-on report on it I've found. Check pp. 4 and 5 of the thread. http://www.gpspassion.com/forumsen/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=98703 Edited November 25, 2007 by DWPC Quote Link to comment
Lknot Posted November 25, 2007 Author Share Posted November 25, 2007 At first glance it seems nice. I haven't read much about that brand. No SiRF III chipset though. The price seems reasonable but it seems it would be a lower quality for my main use which is on the road. Quote Link to comment
Lknot Posted November 25, 2007 Author Share Posted November 25, 2007 (edited) At first glance it seems nice. I haven't read much about that brand. No SiRF III chipset though. The price seems reasonable but it seems it would be a lower quality, than Nuvi250W, for my main use which is on the road. A Nuvi250W with tracks or a Nuvi750 without MP3 would be perfect. Edited November 25, 2007 by Lknot Quote Link to comment
+Chuy! Posted November 27, 2007 Share Posted November 27, 2007 We've established on another thread the 250's do not accept manually inputted coords. But, can you create a waypoint by tapping on the screen as I've seen on most touch screen GPS'? If so, and you are not over the 500 waypoint limit, you can create waypoints with the 250 on the fly as you drive on a road not covered by CN. Quote Link to comment
Lknot Posted November 27, 2007 Author Share Posted November 27, 2007 (edited) We've established on another thread the 250's do not accept manually inputted coords. But, can you create a waypoint by tapping on the screen as I've seen on most touch screen GPS'? If so, and you are not over the 500 waypoint limit, you can create waypoints with the 250 on the fly as you drive on a road not covered by CN. Ok, I was just responding in another thread where someone mentioned waypoints. So let me understand - I can tap the car icon on the screen to make waypoints, before each intersection (so I will know whether to turn right, left, or go straight), even though there is no road shown on the screen (in off road mode) and, in a sense, create a breadcrumb trail back to where I started? It won't give me left right voice prompts though, correct? Edited November 27, 2007 by Lknot Quote Link to comment
Motorcycle_Mama Posted November 28, 2007 Share Posted November 28, 2007 Yes, if you touch the vehicle icon, it will save your current position. Quote Link to comment
Lknot Posted November 28, 2007 Author Share Posted November 28, 2007 Yes, if you touch the vehicle icon, it will save your current position. Thanks MM, In a sense, it's like "tracks" only it's manually inserted - correct? As long as I don't go beyond 500 intersections, I'll have enough "breadcrumbs" to find my way back. Excellent! BTW, my other vehicle is a Harley. Quote Link to comment
Lknot Posted November 29, 2007 Author Share Posted November 29, 2007 Ok, I tried this. The only hassle is having to make labels for each waypoint. Before I made a turn, I had to stop and tap the icon and enter a name, which I just named A, B, C, etc. I turned around and just folllowed the breadcrumbs back. Quote Link to comment
Motorcycle_Mama Posted November 29, 2007 Share Posted November 29, 2007 You don't have to enter a name. Just press "Done" and it will sequentially number them. Quote Link to comment
Lknot Posted November 29, 2007 Author Share Posted November 29, 2007 (edited) Thanks MM! Funny this thread topic generated a lot of views. I hope it will help out a lot of newbies like me because there isn't much instruction in the manuals. I'm about the read the pfd I downloaded from garmin: GPS Guide for Beginners: http://www8.garmin.com/manuals/GPSGuidefor...ners_Manual.pdf I do have one more question that no one seemed to confirm or answer: Is the "tracks" feature on the 750 and up sort of like an automatic waypoint feature, in a sense - but more accurately able to draw twists and turns rather than a series of straight lines? Dropping waypoints before I turn seems to work in telling me where to turn when I backtrack but the last issue is knowing that I'm going to turn in advance. I may just have to to go back and make a waypoint then proceed to make a turn.. Edited November 29, 2007 by Lknot Quote Link to comment
Motorcycle_Mama Posted November 29, 2007 Share Posted November 29, 2007 The tracks feature basically draws a line showing where you've been. The only real issue is that the unit won't navigate the track, but it will show it so that you can visually follow it. Quote Link to comment
Lknot Posted November 29, 2007 Author Share Posted November 29, 2007 By navigate you mean by voice prompts? Well, that's pretty much like dropping waypoints without the hassle of manually entering them then. Thanks MM. Quote Link to comment
Motorcycle_Mama Posted November 29, 2007 Share Posted November 29, 2007 Yes, voice and visual navigation prompts. The 750 will follow a saved route (meaning it will give you navigation, turn-by-turn directions and prompts) but will NOT navigate a saved track. You could display the track and then follow it manually by visual means. It would not tell you where or when to turn on a track. Quote Link to comment
Lknot Posted November 29, 2007 Author Share Posted November 29, 2007 (edited) Yes, voice and visual navigation prompts. The 750 will follow a saved route (meaning it will give you navigation, turn-by-turn directions and prompts) but will NOT navigate a saved track. You could display the track and then follow it manually by visual means. It would not tell you where or when to turn on a track. Being new to this, I think, throwing "saved route" into the mix confused me for a minute. So it's what I've been saying? "tracks" is basically an automated trail maker - able draw curves as traveled rather than straight lnes to each waypoint. I'm using waypoints to show me which way to turn in an intersection. Either way, I can make a path from point A to point Z and u-turn back to point A. However, a virtual road would be easier to follow. I just need to go out there and use it rather than talk about it, me thinks! I tend to complicate things in my head. Edited November 29, 2007 by Lknot Quote Link to comment
Motorcycle_Mama Posted November 29, 2007 Share Posted November 29, 2007 Okay, see the light blue line in this screenshot? That's a track. It was formed by the GPS unit as I traveled. I can display it on the screen and MANUALLY follow it if I want, but the unit will NOT give me turn by turn directions. See the purple line? That is a route (albeit an extreme example but it's what I had handy). The auto navigators will give you turn by turn on a route. Quote Link to comment
Lknot Posted November 30, 2007 Author Share Posted November 30, 2007 MM, I'm sorry but I don't think we are on the same page. I know what a route is so it's not part of my question. What I am trying to understand is the "find your way back to civilization" difference between Nuvi650 waypoint mapping (stops or points) and Nuvi750 "tracks" (breadcrumb trails) - neither of which will give voice prompts. I can make a point to point waypoint "route' but it won't be a fluid virtual road I can just follow. Hence, the 650 will only point in the direction I want to go by drawing a straight line to the next waypoint. The issue is if I drop waypoints from 1-10 at each intersection, then turn around, I would have to "goto" each waypoint one at a time. Well, at least I can find my way back to #1, albeit slowly. I'm pretty sure the above defines them in a basic way. Thanks MM Quote Link to comment
Motorcycle_Mama Posted November 30, 2007 Share Posted November 30, 2007 Yes. If you drop waypoints along the way, you can select each one in sequence (or reverse sequence) and navigate to each one. To me the difference would be that for the "waypoint" method, you would need to remember to manually place the waypoints as you go. For units that support tracks, it's automatic and you don't have to remember to do it. Quote Link to comment
Lknot Posted November 30, 2007 Author Share Posted November 30, 2007 (edited) Thanks MM, love your Avie BTW $299 ~ Nuvi650 $459 ~ Nuvi750 I guess it's going to be 4x4 the hard way. hehe, how lazy I've become. The hard way was maps and a compass. I just can't justify the extra money. I already have the 250w and have the 650 on the way. The 250w will be a Christmas present for my sister. OR! I could return both the 250 and 650 and buy the 750 for myself and get my sister a Thomas guide and a floating compass for her dash - put it all in a box and use a sharpie: "GPS System" Nah, a real GPS she'd love. Like I wrote Garmin - how about a 750 without the MP3? - Nope. Edited November 30, 2007 by Lknot Quote Link to comment
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