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In-car GPS Unit Question


Cap'n Cache

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Hey folks,

 

I'm a police officer and I'm a big fan of having a GPS unit up in my car at all times while working.

 

I'm currently using a Garmin Nuvi 255. The only complaint I have about this particular unit is that it frequently doesn't display the street names of streets you're approaching. It's very sporadic. It'll often just show the street as a line on the screen intersecting whatever road you're currently on. It's a pain because I'll often reference the GPS to call out my location, but it often doesn't show the cross streets. This is huge advantage during pursuits and whatnot also...

 

Can anyone suggest a GPS that doesn't do this? I'd like to know the name of EVERY street around me at any given time.

 

Thanks.

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Whether or not a GPS shows streets is based on the zoom level. If I am not on a main road and back the zoom out a couple of levels the street I am driving on will disappear. They all have this feature to avoid having to draw more than the processor can handle. On my c320 (an earlier model before the Nuvis came out) you can go into settings and change the setting to maximum. You might try that and see what you get. You are never going to get it to show all the streets from high up because it can't handle it while you are moving.

 

Eugene Oregon huh, still the hippie capitol of Oregon?

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Maybe at different zoom levels there are different amounts of detail displayed. Try zooming in to see if more street names are displayed. At wider zoom levels the screen couldn't display every street name on the map without making everything unreadable.

I should have clarified, I've already tried that. I've played around with zoom levels and have it set to the level I've had the most luck with. Also, I played with the settings and made sure detail level is set to max. It still does it though... I'll try what Splashy suggested and see if that helps.

Edited by Cap'n Cache
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Maybe at different zoom levels there are different amounts of detail displayed. Try zooming in to see if more street names are displayed. At wider zoom levels the screen couldn't display every street name on the map without making everything unreadable.

I should have clarified, I've already tried that. I've played around with zoom levels and have it set to the level I've had the most luck with. Also, I played with the settings and made sure detail level is set to max. It still does it though... I'll try what Splashy suggested and see if that helps.

 

I have a Kenwood DX512 touch screen unit in my Saturn VUE, and have the Garmin GPS add-on to it. That does give me a warning of approaching streets no matter what level of zoom I'm in. That is a written indication, not audible. But that is only the next street as you appoach it, not every surrounding street.

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I have the 255WT (same as 255W + traffic) and it does a better job if you take it out of 3D street view. You lose the 'thrill' of the 3D angle, but the overhead view is better for getting a good view of street names. The font is smaller in overhead view. You do still miss the occasional street name however unless you zoom so far in that you see the street name on the GPSr at the same time you could read the street sign.

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I have a Magellan CrossoverGPS and when I hit the heading icon, it gives me my current location along with the name of the next street and the previous street with distances. Looks like the Maestro Line does the same thing. Check out the "Current Location Screen" in this manual.

 

JetSkier

 

Our Garmin GSMAP 60CSX will show this too. The next street coming up that is. One good thing about it,,lol

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I have the 255WT (same as 255W + traffic) and it does a better job if you take it out of 3D street view. You lose the 'thrill' of the 3D angle, but the overhead view is better for getting a good view of street names. The font is smaller in overhead view. You do still miss the occasional street name however unless you zoom so far in that you see the street name on the GPSr at the same time you could read the street sign.

I'll give that a shot tomorrow....

 

Also, I tried swiping across the screen and it seemed to help a little bit. The problem was that this sometimes made the GPS think I was trying to target a point on the screen for a waypoint or something and would enter a menu. Also, not very safe or practical if I'm driving.

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