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Garmin Car GPS


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Hi all,

 

I want to buy a Garmin in car GPS to assist with my Geocaching.

 

I already have a Garmin GPSMAP64S that is great for caching. I would like to buy a car GPS that has similar functionality so I can pre-plan routes using Garmin BaseCamp and then just jump in the car and go. Using the hand held GPSMAP64S only when I get to the actual cache location in order to pinpoint the cache.

 

So, I have already learned how to get the caches from Geocaching .com to BaseCamp via the use of Pocket Queries and to transfer those file to the GPSMAP64S packaged as a pre-determined route.

 

So I want to be able to do mirror all of that on a car GPS.

 

Can anyone recommend a currently available in-car GPS that will allow me to do this?

 

So, an in-car Garmin GPS that has similar functionality to the GPSMAP64S.

 

Thanks.

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Routes would be pretty cool.

 

Car Navs tend to not be ideal for placing Pocket Queries, and just one difficulty is storage capacity.  They may accept cache descriptions, but not display much.  And they stick to the street, which is ideal for a guard rail, maybe not so good for a subdivision.

 

I use mine to get to a general area, by loading a few carefully chosen caches or waypoints.  Because whatever I install, I have to delete later.

 

 

Edited by kunarion
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The only real Garmin solution that will provide you both nuvi like car navigation and geocaching capability is going to be a Montana series GPSr.

 

You may be able to send the same GPSMAP 64 routes to other Garmin Drive series GPSr, but you may not achieve the results you desire.

 

There is the Garmin Overlander.... Which I understand does do both automotive navigation and geocache navigation quite well.

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I have just got a Garmin Drive smart 55

Brilliant piece of kit 

It replaces the Nuvi I think 

Real time traffic via yr smartphone etc 

It has an SD card slot for extra storage. I put 3rd party maps  and way points on it 

Won't do any more than the Nuvi but that is ok to get you to places.  Used the nuvi for such in the past

 

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So... just a point of caution. Basecamp re-writes some of the tags in the GPX file that alters formatting and some of the information displayed in the description. For your 64s, it's best to just install the pocket query files directly by unzipping the the files and putting the GPX files in the GPX folder on your device (or better yet on an SD card installed in your device). Personally, I find it easier to just install a routable map on the handheld device and use that for vehicle navigation to geocaches, creating a separate profile for geocaching by car and geocaching by foot that switches between topo maps and routable street maps.

But having a GPS in the car has been wonderful overall, and using your handheld for caching by car complements the general automotive navigation of the big map on your dashboard or windshield. Phones these days do a great job of providing vehicle navigation services, but I do think they miss the mark in one respect: they tend to overheat from direct sunlight through the windshield. Thus the Garmin Nuvi or Drive series has the advantage in this respect. Since the Drive series are now connectable to a smartphone, you get the advantage of live searching data with the dedicated functionality of the GPS. You could, using your phone, route to a geocache and send that route to your DriveAssist, negating the need to install geocache waypoints on the Drive GPS itself - something that comes with its own risks as these devices handle waypoints slightly differently than the handheld GPS units do.

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I used my Garmin 64s and a Nuvi 65 LM for caching for quite a long time.  I would build routes and waypoints in Basecamp to augment the PQ of geocaches and export the resulting GPX file to the Nuvi and copy the GPX file to the 64s.  I also copied the GPX file to Dropbox.  Both I and my wife have geocaching apps on our phones that will import GPX files from Dropbox.  So we had some significant redundancy while on geocaching road trips. We could use the Nuvi or our phones to navigate; both on road and off road.

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On ‎10‎/‎31‎/‎2019 at 1:33 PM, Mineral2 said:

So... just a point of caution. Basecamp re-writes some of the tags in the GPX file that alters formatting and some of the information displayed in the description. For your 64s, it's best to just install the pocket query files directly by unzipping the the files and putting the GPX files in the GPX folder on your device (or better yet on an SD card installed in your device). Personally, I find it easier to just install a routable map on the handheld device and use that for vehicle navigation to geocaches, creating a separate profile for geocaching by car and geocaching by foot that switches between topo maps and routable street maps.

But having a GPS in the car has been wonderful overall, and using your handheld for caching by car complements the general automotive navigation of the big map on your dashboard or windshield. Phones these days do a great job of providing vehicle navigation services, but I do think they miss the mark in one respect: they tend to overheat from direct sunlight through the windshield. Thus the Garmin Nuvi or Drive series has the advantage in this respect. Since the Drive series are now connectable to a smartphone, you get the advantage of live searching data with the dedicated functionality of the GPS. You could, using your phone, route to a geocache and send that route to your DriveAssist, negating the need to install geocache waypoints on the Drive GPS itself - something that comes with its own risks as these devices handle waypoints slightly differently than the handheld GPS units do.

I do that as well. It's a shame to look at the tiny screen on the GPSr when the head end unit is so much more convenient. I see a Garmin head end GPS has been discussed. Any thoughts to the ability of Garmin to transmit screen mirroring onto the head end unit? Its been cracked by iPhone and more recently Android, I'm thinking an app could be written by Garmin or a car manufacturer.

 

I suppose one *could cache using the Groundspeak app on an iPhone, then screen mirror to the head end unit.

Edited by ras_oscar
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On 2/19/2020 at 12:20 PM, ras_oscar said:

I do that as well. It's a shame to look at the tiny screen on the GPSr when the head end unit is so much more convenient. I see a Garmin head end GPS has been discussed. Any thoughts to the ability of Garmin to transmit screen mirroring onto the head end unit? Its been cracked by iPhone and more recently Android, I'm thinking an app could be written by Garmin or a car manufacturer.

 

I suppose one *could cache using the Groundspeak app on an iPhone, then screen mirror to the head end unit.

I haven't messed with my wife's Apple/CarPlay and her geocaching app but I think it will be quite comparable to my Android phone and geocaching apps. No hacking required, it's just how CarPlay and Android Auto work.  In my geocaching app (any of them) or even in a web browser on the phone, I select Navigate or 'Driving Directions' and it sends those coordinates to Google Maps or Waze or any other auto navigation app I have on the phone. Google Maps automatically comes up on the car big screen with the coordinates loaded and navigation started.  Couldn't be easier.  And all you need is a head unit in the car that supports Apple CarPlay or Android Auto.

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On 10/31/2019 at 5:39 AM, The_Man_Of_Steel said:

Thanks for the input guys.

 

I ended up buying a Garmin DriveAssist 51 LMT-S 5 Dashcam GPS.

 

Just uploaded a short test route with Geocaches in it.

 

It worked a treat. Just need to buy a couple if microSD card to give it some storage space then I'm set to go.

Now that you've had the DriveAssist 51 for awhile, what do you think?  I just dropped by DriveAssist 50 (which we loved) and totalled it.  I tried to order another, and they sent me the 51.  I'm not really sure what the difference is.  I've heard talk about having to use a smartphone app while driving, which I'd rather not do. I used to upload caching routes from GSAK or Cachetur thru TripPlanner.  

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