+Sue and Bernie Posted September 6, 2004 Share Posted September 6, 2004 ...are very good! especially if you already own Garmin's City Navigator or City Select. Software: I tried installing maps from an old copy of Metroguide Europe. The maps load normally as per the Vista with the same coverage and detail. The "transfer routing data" option was grey-ed out. I flicked over to CN Europe V6 (we also own a Streetpilot 3). The option was enabled now but the software was not unlocked for the new Vista C. I switched back to MG Europe, the option previously unavailable was now ticked! Tried to transfer the maps but the software and unit both reported the selected maps were locked. I went online and registered my new unit against CN 6. Garmin allow you to use CN and CS software with 2 different units. This was successful, the maps were available and the Vista C now maps and auto-routes just like the SP3. Obviously, the area covered, in the 24 megs of the Vista, is far smaller. For our cycling, this really is not a problem. The colour screens and menu are bright and clear. I have not had time to play with all the new functions on board. Physical: The unit is wider but shorter than the "normal" Vista. It does fit into Garmin's streachy Vista carrying case. The cable connection has changed from serial to USB. Data loading is so much faster it is untrue. Unfortunately, old style external power supply units, essential for running the backlighting in the car, cannot be connected. The unit has sound! Just! It really helps to draw your attention when something is about to happen. The unit came with a data cable and an adaptor for the existing Vista bike mount. (I will be selling 2x "old" Vista bike mounting backplates now rendered redundant along with 3x external power supplies). Summary: Vista C is a great new unit - if you already own some of Garmin's expensive auto-routing software. If you do not, you have a very expensive outlay ahead to enable you to fully exploit the functions of this new unit. Quote Link to comment
+Sue and Bernie Posted September 6, 2004 Author Share Posted September 6, 2004 ...Oh! another thing... The company I bought from - Aspid Comms in Portugal - delivered at 8 am this morning via Fedex. I ordered it at 3.30 pm Fri! Cost £8 delivery but arrived in 2 1/2 days over the weekend. I bought from this company because it was the cheapest price I found. The speed of delivery was pretty impressive too... Quote Link to comment
+MarcB Posted September 6, 2004 Share Posted September 6, 2004 How much was it? MarcB Quote Link to comment
+Sue and Bernie Posted September 6, 2004 Author Share Posted September 6, 2004 I was invoiced a total of €395.46 - should come out to about £265. When it appears on my Visa bill online, I will post it here. The link to the company is: Aspid Communications - some company in Portugal Note that I have nothing to do with them, I am just letting the geo-geeking community into something I am pleased with. Enjoy!... Quote Link to comment
+Sue and Bernie Posted September 6, 2004 Author Share Posted September 6, 2004 (edited) Been out cycling with Sue and the new Vista C today - it arrived just in time to join us this morning. Loaded with data from City Navigator, it performed as a mini-StreetPilot 3! Obviously it does not do the talking thing but it does sound a chime when it needs you to pay attention! Driving back from Thetford (where we parked the car up), I had both the Vista C and the StreetPilot routing us home. We deliberately went off-route and found that the Vista C wiped the floor with the SP3, it re-calculated the route in a third of the time the old SP3 took. The Vista worked for 6 hours, virtually continuously, on 2 NiMH batteries. We were both impressed with the new kit... ...so if you have either of Garmin's top-end software programmes, either City Navigator or City Select with an unlock available, the Vista C is an excellent choice. Edited September 7, 2004 by Sue & Bernie Quote Link to comment
+MarcB Posted September 6, 2004 Share Posted September 6, 2004 I was invoiced a total of €395.46 - should come out to about £265. When it appears on my Visa bill online, I will post it here. The link to the company is: Aspid Communications - some company in Portugal Note that I have nothing to do with them, I am just letting the geo-geeking community into something I am pleased with. Enjoy!... Seems quite a fair price for a colour unit MarcB Quote Link to comment
+Sue and Bernie Posted September 7, 2004 Author Share Posted September 7, 2004 ...the final bill came in in at £277.20 - obviously the pound sterling has fallen in value against the euro since we last went on holiday! Still good value, the Vista C is certainly a step up in technology. The custom geocache mode is handy, immediately you click on a cache as being found, the unit looks up the next nearest. ...off to play again today. Quote Link to comment
+Sue and Bernie Posted September 7, 2004 Author Share Posted September 7, 2004 Another 4 hours out on the bikes today, cycling from Southwold down to Sizewell and back to catch another couple of caches. Vista C is still going strong on the same pair of NiMH installed yesturday. That's a good 10 hrs continuous use so far with the battery indicator on the last segment (of 4 - or maybe 5). Garmin seem to have got a good grip on battery power consumption at last. Note that this is with the electronic compass working throughout. This function was permanently off on the "old" Vista. I have not worked out how to turn it off on the new job! The other big improvement in operation that I have notice is the much improved performance in tree cover. It performed brilliantly yesterday in the very dense woods finding the locations for "Not Far from John O'Groats" (CGH7MM) and again today at "Sizewell Belts Walk" (GCH82X) where the cache location is in the trees. Quote Link to comment
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