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GARMIN V, Too Easy?


Criminal

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I don't have a V but I just got Metroguide. It allows me to auto-route on my PC and tranfer the route to my GPS> However, I still have to check the last couple of legs to see if the auto-routing gets me to the wrong side of the park or stream and whether it's routing me on roads are rather not take. But is does make it a little easier.

 

Alan

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You still have to find the cache!

 

Also, the driving directions are certainly not foolproof. I usually let it tell me how it thinks I can get the closest, but there are many occasions where it does not know of roads inside of parks, or decides route you through someone's backyard or tells you just to take a right off a bridge. Bottom line is that it is a nice feature that certainly helps, but maps and common sense are also a requirement. icon_wink.gif

 

Way back in the days when the grass was still green

and the pond was still wet

and the clouds were still clean,

and the song of the Swomee-Swans rang out in space...

one morning, I came to this glorious place.

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You still have to find the cache!

 

Also, the driving directions are certainly not foolproof. I usually let it tell me how it thinks I can get the closest, but there are many occasions where it does not know of roads inside of parks, or decides route you through someone's backyard or tells you just to take a right off a bridge. Bottom line is that it is a nice feature that certainly helps, but maps and common sense are also a requirement. icon_wink.gif

 

Way back in the days when the grass was still green

and the pond was still wet

and the clouds were still clean,

and the song of the Swomee-Swans rang out in space...

one morning, I came to this glorious place.

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The GPSV is simply amazing. Hands down the best GPS unit out there. (yeah, I know. Them iz figthin' words)

 

It does make geocachign easier as far as getting close to the cache by road. But that's what I love about it. No headaches. No stress. Just push find, select a waypoint and push GO TO.

 

The challenge begins when you step out of the vehicle and go it on foot.

 

Jolly R. Blackburn

http://kenzerco.com

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My favorite story about the "wrong side of the river" type cache is once when my GPSV took me to within 500 feet of the cache on the road (but the wrong side of the river). I simply panned the map to a road on the OTHER side of the river, and it took me 13 miles down roads I didn't know existed to the correct place. I wouldn't have even tried for it if it weren't for this feature.

 

By the way, I've since replaced my V with a combination of Street Pilot III (what an amazing thing that is - a V with a bigger color screen, WAY more memory and faster routing - plus it talks!) and a GPSMAP76. I bought the 76 because it floated, and soon after stopped taking my V off the dashboard and carrying the 76 instead. I figured, if I'm going to leave the V in the car anyway, I might as well get the SPIII.

 

But I'm still a die-hard V fan, even though I don't own one anymore!!! icon_smile.gif

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My favorite story about the "wrong side of the river" type cache is once when my GPSV took me to within 500 feet of the cache on the road (but the wrong side of the river). I simply panned the map to a road on the OTHER side of the river, and it took me 13 miles down roads I didn't know existed to the correct place. I wouldn't have even tried for it if it weren't for this feature.

 

By the way, I've since replaced my V with a combination of Street Pilot III (what an amazing thing that is - a V with a bigger color screen, WAY more memory and faster routing - plus it talks!) and a GPSMAP76. I bought the 76 because it floated, and soon after stopped taking my V off the dashboard and carrying the 76 instead. I figured, if I'm going to leave the V in the car anyway, I might as well get the SPIII.

 

But I'm still a die-hard V fan, even though I don't own one anymore!!! icon_smile.gif

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I can’t say enough good things about my V. I sometimes feel guilty when I don’t have to slog up and down 100 or more dead end roads trying to find the parking area, ergo, this poll. I guess I’m wondering if there are any other V users who feel just a little bit guilty. icon_biggrin.gif

 

I must add that I’m none too thrilled with the poll results so far........... icon_wink.gif

 

If your house catches afire, and there aint no water around,

If your house catches afire, and there aint no water around,

Throw your jelly out the window; let the dog-gone shack burn down.

**Huddie Ledbetter**

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I can’t say enough good things about my V. I sometimes feel guilty when I don’t have to slog up and down 100 or more dead end roads trying to find the parking area, ergo, this poll. I guess I’m wondering if there are any other V users who feel just a little bit guilty. icon_biggrin.gif

 

I must add that I’m none too thrilled with the poll results so far........... icon_wink.gif

 

If your house catches afire, and there aint no water around,

If your house catches afire, and there aint no water around,

Throw your jelly out the window; let the dog-gone shack burn down.

**Huddie Ledbetter**

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Nawwww... I love my V. icon_smile.gif

See my little report on it here.

 

As folks have aready pointed out, its just like any other GPS once you ge out of the car. It, more then once, has not come up with the best approach shot for me to a cache. Take for example this one: Water Running Uphill

where the V tried to take me on a road where I would have to have walked across I80, a fence, and a railroad track. Can we say "wrong side"? icon_smile.gif Luckly, they explain that in the cache info.

 

So no, the V is great, but does not make the hunt any easier.

-Centaur

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Nawwww... I love my V. icon_smile.gif

See my little report on it here.

 

As folks have aready pointed out, its just like any other GPS once you ge out of the car. It, more then once, has not come up with the best approach shot for me to a cache. Take for example this one: Water Running Uphill

where the V tried to take me on a road where I would have to have walked across I80, a fence, and a railroad track. Can we say "wrong side"? icon_smile.gif Luckly, they explain that in the cache info.

 

So no, the V is great, but does not make the hunt any easier.

-Centaur

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Ever since we got the V we have enjoyed traveling so much more. It's so nice to not have the worry of where you're going. Our new thing is to purposely 'get lost' on vacation. We go wherever we want to, because we know the gps will route us right back to the Hotel. This is amazingly fun, and impossible (or nearly so) without a routing gps.

 

When I sold my V to get the SPIII my wife was actually mad for the week or so until the SPIII arrived because she was so used to having it!

 

We've gone on about a half dozen trips to places we've never been before over the last six months and it wouldn't have been nearly as fun or relaxing if we didn't have the V or SPIII.

 

Don't leave home without one! icon_smile.gif

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Ever since we got the V we have enjoyed traveling so much more. It's so nice to not have the worry of where you're going. Our new thing is to purposely 'get lost' on vacation. We go wherever we want to, because we know the gps will route us right back to the Hotel. This is amazingly fun, and impossible (or nearly so) without a routing gps.

 

When I sold my V to get the SPIII my wife was actually mad for the week or so until the SPIII arrived because she was so used to having it!

 

We've gone on about a half dozen trips to places we've never been before over the last six months and it wouldn't have been nearly as fun or relaxing if we didn't have the V or SPIII.

 

Don't leave home without one! icon_smile.gif

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As stated above, the GPS V will try to get you as close to a waypoint(cache) as you can get by road, when using the fastest/closest route function. This isn't always the best or even possible approach. I have hunted several caches where my V would get me within a few hundred feet only to find that I would have to go through someones backyard, swim a river, climb a fence, or jump off of a cliff. What I really love about my V most, though, is after a long day of hunting and I no longer have any idea where I'm at, I just tell it to take me back to my campground or motel and it's smooth sailing the rest of the way.

 

KYtrex

-----------------

A "Buckeye" is just a "Hillbilly" that ran out of money on the way to Michigan jpshakehead.gif

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The last cache I found had my V doing some weird stuff. I had to drive from McChord AFB to Fircrest. The V had me go down Bridgeport Ave but oddly turned me right, go a mile and turn left onto Lakewood Bvld. (They sort of parallel each other) A left turn was not allowed here so I had to go right and turn around. So now I’m finally on Lakewood Bvld going in the right direction and after a mile or so it had me turn left again, then right BACK on Bridgeport! Then another mile or so down Bridgeport it turned me right again, down a mile, and left BACK onto Lakewood! icon_rolleyes.gif

 

Must be something in the logic circuit. It probably would have done it differently if I had set the criteria for “shorter distance” instead of “faster time”. This was the second time it took me down one road, turned me to a parallel road, and then back onto the road I started on as though it wasn’t connected or something.

 

I found the whole thing pretty amusing though.

icon_biggrin.gif

 

If your house catches afire, and there aint no water around,

If your house catches afire, and there aint no water around,

Throw your jelly out the window; let the dog-gone shack burn down.

**Huddie Ledbetter**

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The last cache I found had my V doing some weird stuff. I had to drive from McChord AFB to Fircrest. The V had me go down Bridgeport Ave but oddly turned me right, go a mile and turn left onto Lakewood Bvld. (They sort of parallel each other) A left turn was not allowed here so I had to go right and turn around. So now I’m finally on Lakewood Bvld going in the right direction and after a mile or so it had me turn left again, then right BACK on Bridgeport! Then another mile or so down Bridgeport it turned me right again, down a mile, and left BACK onto Lakewood! icon_rolleyes.gif

 

Must be something in the logic circuit. It probably would have done it differently if I had set the criteria for “shorter distance” instead of “faster time”. This was the second time it took me down one road, turned me to a parallel road, and then back onto the road I started on as though it wasn’t connected or something.

 

I found the whole thing pretty amusing though.

icon_biggrin.gif

 

If your house catches afire, and there aint no water around,

If your house catches afire, and there aint no water around,

Throw your jelly out the window; let the dog-gone shack burn down.

**Huddie Ledbetter**

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After a pretty concerted cache hunt in an unfamiliar area, I must state the obvious..

 

Having a GPSr with topo maps does not make a cache hunt "like shooting fish in a barrel"

 

It is a bit more like holding the fish up to the gun, pushing the barrel down his little throat and pulling the trigger.

 

Granted... it does not make FINDING that cache any easier, but it makes the in/out bits a snap.

 

IMHO

 

>Personally Responsible for the Recovery of .00217% of the Benchmark Database!<--watch this number!

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The GPS V, with its amazing accuarcy, gets me very close to the posted coordinates. That doesn't guarantee that the placer of the cache had similar accuracy when he/she placed the cache. How often have you found a cache 80 - 90 - even 100+ feet away from the posted coordinates? Or not found it?

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I own a Garmin 176c, It's too easy, 3x4 color lcd

screen, gps v is ancient to me, 176c doesn't have

auto routing, but I can auto-route it on garmins mapsource metro-guide, then download the route, and it's like reading a nice new color pda. yea

it's expensive, gps, data cards, software, etc.

but it can get me to the closest atm, or mickey

D's. What has technology come to? I have fun downloading coordinates and watching the geocache

Icon pop up on the gps screen. Thats half the fun.

Any other big spenders have a 176c??????

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quote:
gps v is ancient to me

 

WHAT!?!? Ancient? You've got to be kidding? Right? Let's see you do an "on the fly re-route" with yours! If you deviate from your downloaded route, (like say a traffic wreck detour, or say construction) you are on your own, right? A color screen?? What functionality does that provide? It certainly sucks the batteries faster.(a few hours on 4 batteries)

A color screen doesn't make things one bit faster, more accurate or more useable. It's like having a color screen on my timex watch! Serves no purpose. Now, when the day comes I can snap digital pictures with my GPSR and then review them on my screen before dumping them to my computer, I would like a color screen(but one with a whole bunch more than 16 colors). And yes, I have used one....I own a SP III. It sits on the desk(anyone want to but it?) and never gets used since I bought my V a year ago. If I was using a GPSR in a boat, the 176 (not the C) would be my first choice. But only in a boat. Nowhere else. To leave a vehicle with one of those, you would need a wheelbarrow to carry it. O.k.....I'm done defending my "ancient" V now.....

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Well I posted this poll for two reasons.

1. To get input on my "guilt" at how much faster I can get to the cache site with my V.

2. To fish for a compliment from the female cachers.

 

What do I get? My brand-freaking-new V is “ancient” and very disappointing poll results. Sigh

icon_frown.gif

 

If your house catches afire, and there aint no water around,

If your house catches afire, and there aint no water around,

Throw your jelly out the window; let the dog-gone shack burn down.

**Huddie Ledbetter**

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Well I posted this poll for two reasons.

1. To get input on my "guilt" at how much faster I can get to the cache site with my V.

2. To fish for a compliment from the female cachers.

 

What do I get? My brand-freaking-new V is “ancient” and very disappointing poll results. Sigh

icon_frown.gif

 

If your house catches afire, and there aint no water around,

If your house catches afire, and there aint no water around,

Throw your jelly out the window; let the dog-gone shack burn down.

**Huddie Ledbetter**

Link to comment

OK, THE 176C SUCKS ON BATTERIES, I DO PERFER IT IN MY CAR, AND THE WATERPROOFNESS HAS SAVED ME FROM REPLACING IT A FEW TIMES IT GOT SUBMERGED ON MY BOAT. BUT THE WAYPOINT MEMORY IS GREAT (3000)

ROUTE POINTS 250, BUT THE SCREEN SIZE ALLOWS ME TO SEE WHATS AROUND ME, I GET A KICK OUT OF THE COLORED ICONS FOR THE PIZZA PARLORS, MY HOUSE, OR OTHER WAYPOINT ICONS, THE V JUST REMINDS ME OF A HORIZONTAL E-TREX, I HAVE A VISTA, AND IT ROCKS.

I JUST THINK IF YOUR GOING TO GET A CHARTPLOTTING

GPS, GET THE BEST YOU CAN. GPS V WORKS, BUT I HAVE

MORE USE FOR THE 176C. ANY BODY HAVE AN EXTRA SET OF "AA'S"??

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quote:
Originally posted by STREETSEAL:

BUT THE SCREEN SIZE ALLOWS ME TO SEE WHATS AROUND ME, I GET A KICK OUT OF THE COLORED ICONS FOR THE PIZZA PARLORS, MY HOUSE, OR OTHER WAYPOINT ICONS, THE V JUST REMINDS ME OF A HORIZONTAL E-TREX, I HAVE A VISTA, AND IT ROCKS.


 

Get real! I have the V, StreetPilot Colormap,e-Map,MAP76 & III PLus. Had a Vista, & dumped it because as soon as I got under any tree cover, it DID rocks. Turned into a handheld paperweght. You can't even mention that & the V in the same sentence. And as far as pretty icons, I can get the pretty colors & large screen on the ColorMap as well, but they don't do me much good when I'm trying to find my way in unfamiliar territory. Just did a 1400 mile journey with the V & Colormap side by side, & the V has proven itself to be the best. Maybe I'm just getting a little too seasoned as the years go by, but I'll take functionality over pretty anytime. Autorouting anywhere on the North American continent versus pretty colors? Gee, let me think. icon_rolleyes.gif

 

"Gimpy"

 

[This message was edited by Gimpy on September 22, 2002 at 02:04 PM.]

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quote:
Originally posted by STREETSEAL:

BUT THE SCREEN SIZE ALLOWS ME TO SEE WHATS AROUND ME, I GET A KICK OUT OF THE COLORED ICONS FOR THE PIZZA PARLORS, MY HOUSE, OR OTHER WAYPOINT ICONS, THE V JUST REMINDS ME OF A HORIZONTAL E-TREX, I HAVE A VISTA, AND IT ROCKS.


 

Get real! I have the V, StreetPilot Colormap,e-Map,MAP76 & III PLus. Had a Vista, & dumped it because as soon as I got under any tree cover, it DID rocks. Turned into a handheld paperweght. You can't even mention that & the V in the same sentence. And as far as pretty icons, I can get the pretty colors & large screen on the ColorMap as well, but they don't do me much good when I'm trying to find my way in unfamiliar territory. Just did a 1400 mile journey with the V & Colormap side by side, & the V has proven itself to be the best. Maybe I'm just getting a little too seasoned as the years go by, but I'll take functionality over pretty anytime. Autorouting anywhere on the North American continent versus pretty colors? Gee, let me think. icon_rolleyes.gif

 

"Gimpy"

 

[This message was edited by Gimpy on September 22, 2002 at 02:04 PM.]

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Pssssst. Pass the word. GPSV secret meeting tonight down at the old barn. We'll be finalizing our plans to take over the world (Insert evil maniacial laughter here), run all megellian users out of town, and do in anyone calling us Ancient.

 

icon_wink.gif

 

Harumph indeed.

All I could ask for is memory cards for the V, then it would be close to perfect.

-Centaur

 

logo_small.jpg

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Pssssst. Pass the word. GPSV secret meeting tonight down at the old barn. We'll be finalizing our plans to take over the world (Insert evil maniacial laughter here), run all megellian users out of town, and do in anyone calling us Ancient.

 

icon_wink.gif

 

Harumph indeed.

All I could ask for is memory cards for the V, then it would be close to perfect.

-Centaur

 

logo_small.jpg

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But how long does it take to download mapsource

to the V? HOURS!! I have data cards, can the v go from city streets to the ocean with charts or just a label "pacific ocean" ? yes it takes time to program the cards, but with multiple cards, and blue chart cards, I feel like 007. Drag along

a laptop with your V and have fun, hope it meets the waterproof standards, my 176c works submurged

including the data cards. A usb data card programmer does the trick. I can be using my 176c with other cards. I have to admit the price of the large cards, 32+mb get pricy. I can store more then the V on one card!! icon_eek.gif

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But how long does it take to download mapsource

to the V? HOURS!! I have data cards, can the v go from city streets to the ocean with charts or just a label "pacific ocean" ? yes it takes time to program the cards, but with multiple cards, and blue chart cards, I feel like 007. Drag along

a laptop with your V and have fun, hope it meets the waterproof standards, my 176c works submurged

including the data cards. A usb data card programmer does the trick. I can be using my 176c with other cards. I have to admit the price of the large cards, 32+mb get pricy. I can store more then the V on one card!! icon_eek.gif

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quote:
But how long does it take to download mapsource

to the V? HOURS!!


I don't know where you got "hours" from, but it doesn't take "hours" to do 19 megs.I just start the download and go have some dinner. Your 176 C and my V have the same exact waterproof standards(IEC 529 IPX7)and by the way, if you are forced to try to operate your 176 "underwater", you are in deep trouble(no pun intended)! O.K....mine won't float, that is the main reason as I said above, that the 176 would be my first choice in a boat(but only a boat). I can download Bluechart maps to my V just like you can for maritime use, if I so choose. You can go to the stratosphere where memory is concerned with your 176C I am stuck at 19 megs. However, that being said, I will never be tempted to take out a second mortgage to buy a couple new memory cards! I still don't consider 19 megs. to be much of an impedment. Sure I would like more if I could have it, but I don't dislike my V because it doesn't. Now, let's go hiking together to find some caches! No......I won't help carry your 176C!!! icon_wink.gif

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quote:
But how long does it take to download mapsource

to the V? HOURS!!


I don't know where you got "hours" from, but it doesn't take "hours" to do 19 megs.I just start the download and go have some dinner. Your 176 C and my V have the same exact waterproof standards(IEC 529 IPX7)and by the way, if you are forced to try to operate your 176 "underwater", you are in deep trouble(no pun intended)! O.K....mine won't float, that is the main reason as I said above, that the 176 would be my first choice in a boat(but only a boat). I can download Bluechart maps to my V just like you can for maritime use, if I so choose. You can go to the stratosphere where memory is concerned with your 176C I am stuck at 19 megs. However, that being said, I will never be tempted to take out a second mortgage to buy a couple new memory cards! I still don't consider 19 megs. to be much of an impedment. Sure I would like more if I could have it, but I don't dislike my V because it doesn't. Now, let's go hiking together to find some caches! No......I won't help carry your 176C!!! icon_wink.gif

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How can you compare ANY non-autorouting gps with the V? I only sold my V to get a SPIII (which is the ONLY other autorouting gps) so I could get the color screen. I would be STUPID to sell a V to get a 176c (unless I use it on my boat of course).

 

I now use a combination of SPIII to autoroute near a cache and then fire up my GPSMAP76 to get there on foot (think of me switching units as a Recalculate-Off Road procedure - lol).

 

The SPIII addresses the only complaints about the V in the car - bigger (and faster to download) memory and big color screen, but it would SUCK handheld.

 

Just my thoughts....

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quote:
Originally posted by ZachNLiam:

 

I now use a combination of SPIII to autoroute near a cache and then fire up my GPSMAP76 to get there on foot (think of me switching units as a Recalculate-Off Road procedure - lol).

 

The SPIII addresses the only complaints about the V in the car - bigger (and faster to download) memory and big color screen, but it would SUCK handheld.

 

Just my thoughts....


 

The SPIII is my next purchase. I presently use the V just for road navigation, as the autorouting can't be beat. I too, use the MAP76 for off road stuff. With a III Plus & eMap for backup. I picked up the StreetPilot Colormap, mainly for the great display. Have used it on occasion, with routes downloaded from Mapsource, but it just aint' the same as the autorouting function. For on the road, the SPIII is the ultimate. icon_biggrin.gif

 

"Gimpy"

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quote:
Originally posted by ZachNLiam:

 

I now use a combination of SPIII to autoroute near a cache and then fire up my GPSMAP76 to get there on foot (think of me switching units as a Recalculate-Off Road procedure - lol).

 

The SPIII addresses the only complaints about the V in the car - bigger (and faster to download) memory and big color screen, but it would SUCK handheld.

 

Just my thoughts....


 

The SPIII is my next purchase. I presently use the V just for road navigation, as the autorouting can't be beat. I too, use the MAP76 for off road stuff. With a III Plus & eMap for backup. I picked up the StreetPilot Colormap, mainly for the great display. Have used it on occasion, with routes downloaded from Mapsource, but it just aint' the same as the autorouting function. For on the road, the SPIII is the ultimate. icon_biggrin.gif

 

"Gimpy"

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Gimpy,

 

The SPIII is really better in almost every way for road navigation. The voice prompts seemed a little cheesy to me until I actually used it; they're really nice for not having to look at the 'next turn' page as often. The double beep of the V just doesn't tell you which way to turn.

 

Also, being able to download the 32MB card (I'm going to get a bigger one soon) in about 2 minutes is REALLY cool. It takes longer for MapSource to build the map sets than it does to download them. I noticed that I could fit the ENTIRE State of California on a 128MB card (where I live)!!!!

 

My ONLY complaint is that I like the nav info on the map page better on the V. More specifically I liked seeing the ETA to FINAL on the V. The SPIII doesn't have that; just an arrow to next turn, ETA to NEXT and TIME to NEXT. Of course I can see the ETA to FINAL by just hitting the page button once for the turns page, but I really liked seeing that. Garmin emailed me that they would consider changing that in a future update.

 

Speaking of updates, the SPIII will now do VIA routes. In other words, you can give it a destination, and then a point to get to as a VIA point. So you can force it into different routes. VERY cool! And recalculation takes the VIA point into account.

 

Just wanted you to know that when you get your SPIII you'll be VERY happy!

 

Randy

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