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What Would You Ask Garmin


BlueDeuce

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I have a new request that I thought of a few weeks ago and then promptly forgot. When I'm traveling down the road and I'm looking for an upcoming gas station there is no way to find something upcoming. You can look by exit but what if you don't know what exits are upcoming. You can look for nearest but that includes things you past and North and Sound bound exits. This goes doubly for Rest Areas which are usually only accessible from one side of the highway or the other. There should be a way to search for upcoming POI especially if you are following a route in which the GPS knows where you are heading.

 

Also it would be nice to be able to limit POI to within a certain distance of your route. Sometimes your nearest gas station on a route is 2 miles east of the highway when I could have gone 3 miles down further on my route and had one right on the highway.

Edited by MacBandit
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How about "power Save button where you can shut down the display, but it continutes to take a reading, and wake it up when you arrive near a location? Talking about saving some batteries!

Actually the backlight is the biggest power drain without that a small modern LCD really doesn't consume all that much power. What I think really draws power is redrawing the maps in real time. I haven't tried it but I suspect you'll get better battery life from a text screen where there aren't any graphics being drawn constantly. Also for the kind of functions a GPS like the 60C provides the maximum 30 hour battery life (which I have attained) is totally incredible. My old Vista with the crummy b/w screen could barely scratch 8 hours.

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I agree -- my old Vista rarely got 8 hours from a set of batteries, rechargeables or alkalines. I've easily gotten a good 3 full days of caching off my 60CS -- that's about 24 hours!!! (sometimes more) -- off one set of alkalines -- even shifting into the real-time compass as I approach a cache. I've been able to squeeze 2 full days off a set of rechargeable Ni-MH's.

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How about "power Save button where you can shut down the display, but it continutes to take a reading, and wake it up when you arrive near a location? Talking about saving some batteries!

Actually the backlight is the biggest power drain without that a small modern LCD really doesn't consume all that much power. What I think really draws power is redrawing the maps in real time.

Good observation, lets expand on it.

 

One of my biggest wishes is for something I call "auto backlight". Although I don't use my B&W Legend in my car as a primary means of navigation, I do use it from time to time to keep tabs on current trip progress. If it is night time, having the backlight on all the time is a real battery killer. I would like to have a backlight option that would allow me to turn it on on "every x minutes for y amount of time".

 

Wouldn't it be nice to have the unit turn on the backlight every 5 minutes for 30 seconds automatically- without having to depress a button?? Now that's product innovation! A simple software upgrade could do this... ;)

 

(Good thread BTW...)

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How about "power Save button where you can shut down the display, but it continutes to take a reading, and wake it up when you arrive near a location? Talking about saving some batteries!

Actually the backlight is the biggest power drain without that a small modern LCD really doesn't consume all that much power. What I think really draws power is redrawing the maps in real time.

Good observation, lets expand on it.

 

One of my biggest wishes is for something I call "auto backlight". Although I don't use my B&W Legend in my car as a primary means of navigation, I do use it from time to time to keep tabs on current trip progress. If it is night time, having the backlight on all the time is a real battery killer. I would like to have a backlight option that would allow me to turn it on on "every x minutes for y amount of time".

 

Wouldn't it be nice to have the unit turn on the backlight every 5 minutes for 30 seconds automatically- without having to depress a button?? Now that's product innovation! A simple software upgrade could do this... :)

 

(Good thread BTW...)

Or you could just plug it into a power socket since you're in your car. :);)

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I have a 60CS and have had a Quest, GPS V and GPS III+. In each of them, I have found the need for the TIME to be updated automaticly as you cross a time zone, IE: Pacific to Mountain as I travel from CA to CO. This is a simple software issue where you would recieve a prompt pop-up screen of "Do you want to update your time to the current time zone of...."

 

The secont request I have is for the 60CS to have the option like my GPS V and III+ of a horizontal screen display, again a simple software upgrade that already exists.

 

Do any of you using these Garmin products agree?

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I agree totally on the vertical <-> horizontal option -- you WOULD think that would be easy to implement on the 60CS, since they can do it on some of their other models.

 

(You'd also think it would be EASY to write a USB driver for OS X on the Mac as well -- I'm going to mention this EVERY time I get a chance!!!!!!)

 

As for an automatic time zone change, that might be a little harder -- not all of the US follows the DST "standards" and not all of the time zone "boundaries" are longitudinal lines down the Earth. I've got the software package StarryNight and it also doesn't take into consideration an "automatic" switch to daylight savings or the different zones. You have to set some manual options. Besides that, there are actually time zone changes that shift not by 1 hour, but by only 30 minutes, depending on where you're located. It gets complicated.

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I have a new request that I thought of a few weeks ago and then promptly forgot.  When I'm traveling down the road and I'm looking for an upcoming gas station there is no way to find something upcoming.  You can look by exit but what if you don't know what exits are upcoming.  You can look for nearest but that includes things you past and North and Sound bound exits.  This goes doubly for Rest Areas which are usually only accessible from one side of the highway or the other.  There should be a way to search for upcoming POI especially if you are following a route in which the GPS knows where you are heading.

 

Also it would be nice to be able to limit POI to within a certain distance of your route.  Sometimes your nearest gas station on a route is 2 miles east of the highway when I could have gone 3 miles down further on my route and had one right on the highway.

If you've planned a route, they probably also figure you've planned your fuel stops.

 

Then remember that on major travel routes fuel vendors tend to build stations right at the major intersections and put up signs that you can see from almost a mile away. Some even put up billboards and the state highway dept's put up a lot of blue services signs.

 

On slower major routes, you can see the station signs along the road.

 

If you look at your GPS and see a major intersection approaching, you can bet with fair certainty, you're going to find gas.

 

I think it'd be more of a curiosity than a useful addition.

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Garmin wish list for my e-Trex :

--flash memory chip-card or (see next)

--USB port (to plug in a "key fob drive" or interface to the desktop box

--downloadable set of personally configurable waypoint symbols

 

This last is really the most annoying. I'd have a hard time believing that backpackers, geocachers, orienteering folks or even fishermen need separate waypoint designations for "Ball Park", "Bank", "Bar", "Bowling"...even a "Glider Area" separate from an "Ultralight Area"!!!....

 

...without a "Road Intersection", "Freeway Ramp", "River", "Creek", "Clearing", "Horse (-trail, -stable)", "Bike Trail". and "Corner-" & "Border Marker" , to name a very few that are glaringly --annoyingly-- missing.

 

 

Well--!

 

That's off my chest ...finally.

Thanks

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My new wish is for maps that work in layers. Right now mapes are opaque. If you have Topo on you can't see City Select. Maybe it's vice versa.

 

Having layered maps would be similar to GIS or other situations where you could have topo that sumpliments city roads. You could overlay property boundaries and political boundaries so you know where BLM Land is or see who ownes the parcel in front of you that looks like public land but isn't.

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NEVER use internal lithium rechargeable batteries for the hardcore GPS receivers! I'm already seeing more GPS units than I'd like to see with these new battery types. Realize that the essence of a GPS unit is to take you on an adventure anywhere in the world! (not just around the streets of San Francisco)

 

YOU NEED to keep AA batteries in the hardcore GPS units! It is essential as they are easy to replace, plentiful, and cheap. A must for us backcountry hikers who sometimes go days without access to a wall outlet.

 

Lithium rechargeables are fine in the GPS's targeted for urban use, but keep them away from the "outdoor" units!

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NEVER use internal lithium rechargeable batteries for the hardcore GPS receivers! I'm already seeing more GPS units than I'd like to see with these new battery types.

But the RCR-V3 type of rechargeable Lithium cell would be a good choice since it allows you to substitute a pair or AA cells when desired. The RCR-V3 is a single cell, but it has almost the same size and shape as a pair of side-by-side AA cells, and it's rated at 3 VDC so that's compatible with a pair of AAs as well.

 

This gives you the advantages of rechargeable Lithium (can be charged in the unit since the device could distinguish it from AAs, long shelf life, lightweight) while also retaining the ability to use regular alkaline, NiMH, or lithium AA cells when you'll be far away from any chargers for an extended period.

 

But I certainly agree that I don't want any non-replaceable internal lithium cell and would prefer to also avoid replaceable ones that have proprietary designs.

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NEVER use internal lithium rechargeable batteries for the hardcore GPS receivers! I'm already seeing more GPS units than I'd like to see with these new battery types.

But the RCR-V3 type of rechargeable Lithium cell would be a good choice since it allows you to substitute a pair or AA cells when desired. The RCR-V3 is a single cell, but it has almost the same size and shape as a pair of side-by-side AA cells, and it's rated at 3 VDC so that's compatible with a pair of AAs as well.

 

This gives you the advantages of rechargeable Lithium (can be charged in the unit since the device could distinguish it from AAs, long shelf life, lightweight) while also retaining the ability to use regular alkaline, NiMH, or lithium AA cells when you'll be far away from any chargers for an extended period.

 

But I certainly agree that I don't want any non-replaceable internal lithium cell and would prefer to also avoid replaceable ones that have proprietary designs.

That's the best of both worlds, and a bonus. It's also a standard Lithium Ion size isn't it?

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NEVER use internal lithium rechargeable batteries for the hardcore GPS receivers! I'm already seeing more GPS units than I'd like to see with these new battery types.

But the RCR-V3 type of rechargeable Lithium cell would be a good choice since it allows you to substitute a pair or AA cells when desired. The RCR-V3 is a single cell, but it has almost the same size and shape as a pair of side-by-side AA cells, and it's rated at 3 VDC so that's compatible with a pair of AAs as well.

 

This gives you the advantages of rechargeable Lithium (can be charged in the unit since the device could distinguish it from AAs, long shelf life, lightweight) while also retaining the ability to use regular alkaline, NiMH, or lithium AA cells when you'll be far away from any chargers for an extended period.

 

But I certainly agree that I don't want any non-replaceable internal lithium cell and would prefer to also avoid replaceable ones that have proprietary designs.

Thats completely fine. It would certainly be the best of both worlds and is a great idea.

 

My bottom line is that I dont want to be stuck with a proprietary setup that cant be replaced on the go when needed. (or even worse a sealed battery that takes the GPS company to replace when it dies)

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I didn't have the patience to wade through 4 pages of entries, so sp,e of this may've already been mentioned.

 

I have a Legend & the things I'd like added are:

1) More internal memory or (even better) a slot for expansion cards.

2) A jack for an external antenna. I'd like to be able to plug in a corded higher-gain external patch or quad-helix antenna. There's times when I've been in the woods and losing sats that a hat- or backpack-mounted powered antenna (which can be purchased, or at least modded from existing units) would have been really handy.

3)Wireless/bluetooth capability. I'd love to be able to have my Palm sync up to my Legend and upload/download waypoint information.

 

I don't care about having a color screen. Backlighting is sometimes useful. I don't keep tracklogs or set up routes ahead of time. I just use it to direct me to caches. I suppose if I'm wandering in the woods I might want the track-back feature (if I have a strong enough antenna to maintain satellite lock :unsure: ). I loved the idea of having maps in the unit, but was disappointed hearing how little map data you can actually install. I'd actually buy mapping software if I didn't have to install new map sections every time I drive 50 miles or whatever. I don't have a laptop to keep loading new info into the GPS.

 

and I'd like to see at least the memory slot and antenna jack in a sub-$300 eTrex-size unit. I don't want anything bigger, and these wouldn't take up that much more room inside. Everything could still be sealed, with removable rubber dust boots for when they're not in use. Heck, you could remove some of the internal memory if it'd make more room for the expansion slot. I wouldn't mind.

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1. Bluetooth i/o.

 

3. Temporary licenses to use mapsets for when you go on vacation.

 

Exactly.

Bluetooth is almost a given anymore in most portable electronics (PDA's, many cell phones, etc.. heck, my coworkers CAR has bluetooth!) so it is a proven technology that can be put into a very small space in the device.

With many of the new PDA's (my Tungsten T5 for example), there is no direct support for serial I/O. The PDA is native USB, so a cable feed to the GPS doesnt require just a short cable anymore, but an adapter (with its own power supply, or rapidly drainging the PDA) that you must also deal with carrying around.

I dont plan to use my PDA as a GPSr replacement, I'll still be carrying my trusty old GPS II+, but I use Cachemate and want to ability to feed fixes directly to it.. I would much rather pay for a handheld GPSr that would also feed to the PDA, than carry a second displayless GPS to feed the PDA... And no, unfortunetly the Garmin iQue 3600 was not a good option.. The iQue is over $200 MORE than the T5, with a 200mhz slower processor (T5-416mhz, iQue-200mhz), and a fraction of the built in memory (T5- 256mb, iQue-only 32mb [!].. )

 

Agree completely on the licenses.. How about a way to license 'per install'.. Since once you are doing vacationing someplace and uninstall it, yuou wouldnt be reinstalling the maps again.. If you even go back, you could purchase another 'install license' to put them on.. The maps are nice, but they are badly overpriced for using on situations where they will be used once, or rarely.

 

On their mapping, it would also be nice if they verified the source they are getting them from? The mapping CD's I have with my Garmin in the truck are only 2 years old.. My neighborhood has existed for approx 21 years.. The map STILL shows the street I live on NOT connecting to itself, and has the name on the wrong street.. One whole section of town (at least a 2mi x 2mi square) is 'shifted' on the GPS also. (not just mine, but other people with different Garmin models). If you try and navigate at street level, you will be at least one street off (the map is NOT showing 'Overzoom' either. This happens at all levels under about 5mi scale, the map here goes to 800ft, 500ft begins the overzoom map).

We checked the position fix and the fix is correct, all units are reading the same location, and my truck unit is reading an EPE of under 16ft. If I plug the unit into a computer and feed the signal to Precision Mapping V7, the streets are connected, named correctly, and you are actually on the street that it shows you are on.. So the base maps are available, it isnt a case of the town had the maps wrong when they made the originals or something..

Just my little vent, for the $ that the mapping CD's vost (more than the PMap V7), it would be nice if they were as accurate (at least could get you onto the right street?) I have updated the CD's once over the past few years (upgraded from a Streetpilot Color to a StreetPilot Deluxe) and the map source stayed exactly the same errors.. They added some of the new developments to the map that have been built around us, but they did not check/correct the existing errors.

In their defence, this doesnt happen everywhere.. Many locations the map is (at least close to) right on.. But for the $ it would be nice if they were all 'right on'..

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Actually the backlight is the biggest power drain without that a small modern LCD really doesn't consume all that much power. What I think really draws power is redrawing the maps in real time. I haven't tried it but I suspect you'll get better battery life from a text screen where there aren't any graphics being drawn constantly. Also for the kind of functions a GPS like the 60C provides the maximum 30 hour battery life (which I have attained) is totally incredible. My old Vista with the crummy b/w screen could barely scratch 8 hours.

I checked it, it takes +15 ma max, it is when I zoom in/out constantly

On average map page is only +5 ma.

 

problem with backlight is that screen backlight can be ajusted but button backlight can not. And when you set screen backlight to minimum it is buttons which take the most current.

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As far as I'm concerned the whole universe should be on universal time.

I think a Mr. A. Einstein of Zurich, Switzerland has found a problem with that. :)

OK, then the whole universe should be on my time. It works for me therefore it should for everyone else. :)

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The biggest most benificial things for me

 

1.Allow the use of SD cards in all units

 

2.Geocatching options in the unit (codes decript)

 

3. And the BIGGEST one, I would like to see the mapsource updated better. I always seem to stop at that restaurant that is no longer there. Or the KFC that moved. Or the interstate that had its name changed years ago and is still wrong on the mapsource software. And my software is V6..

 

4. Large Screens

 

Other then that, keep up the work Garmin!! We look forward to your improvements!

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I'd like a file manager for the 1000 waypoints.

When I find a cache, click on found & move it to that folder

DNf? click on DNF and move it to that folder, etc

 

Much better battery life, a saver mode so when I'm hiking the screen is blank, and it only tries for a signal once a minute, or even less.

Just enough to creat a trail. :P:P

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My wish is for a 'mode'-function.

When out caching I use my 60CS in car, on bike and by foot.

The statistics (speed, movingtime, etc etc) is useless in such a

setting.

 

I want the ability to tell the unit which mean of transportation I am

on, and the settings and logging (track) changes accordingly.

So whan I am home in fron of my PC I can upload different tracks

and on the unit check driven/walked/biked distance.

Display settings should also be configurable by 'mode'.

 

hbrx.

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I'm skipped most of the pages, so maybe this has been requested already.

 

would it be possiable to have the mapsoure cities give you a 'recent' population number?

It doesn't need to be an exact number, maybe just rounded to the nearest thousand or scaled (<1000, 1001-5000, 5k-15k, 15k-50k,50-100, >100k). Small medium and large don't tell me much.

This would be nice, because I've often seen a sign and wondered "how many people live in Rome, Iowa?". Also if you get out away from a big city and the POIs aren't find anything 'near', sometimes you end up looking for a station for gas, batteries, whatever by the whatever city 'looks' biggest on a map and might have a store of your prey.

 

(i'm still using cityselect v5, maybe this sort of thing is already availalbe on a newer version?? )

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3. Temporary licenses to use mapsets for when you go on vacation.  For instance, I'd happily pay USD$30 for the opportunity to use CitySelect Europe for a 2- or 3-week trip in Europe.  There is NO WAY I would pay full price because I would have problems re-selling the software afterwards since I would have used up one of the activation codes.

Couldn't agree more. I don't live in the States but we're going to Florida in a couple of months. I'd be more than willing to pay $20-$30 for having the Orlando area street maps in my GPS for a week.

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I agree with that one -- although, it's too late for me :laughing: We went to Germany a few months ago and I DID purchase the Europe City Select package -- lotsa bucks as you well know!! I would have been happy as a lark to pay a one-time "use fee" for the few weeks we were there. Although, I must add, it SURE did come in handy. We were travelling with friends in a fancy-shmancy rented Mercedes with a nav system (that only spoke German! -- and DID NOT use maps!!) -- but it couldn't FIND anything, particularly addresses. It could find a street, but not a number -- my 60CS turned out to save the day a few times, and kept us from driving miles (or should I say kilometers) out of the way.

 

One small factor I considered is that the streets in Europe don't change as often as those in the US (especially in the very old and well-established large cities and town) -- some "suburbs" or slowly being developed for housing, etc. -- but in the mainstream, old towns like Dusseldorf and Wismar and Bergen and Koln -- nothing changes "that" much to warrant any upgrade, at least in my lifetime.

 

Still, the Europe package is waaaay overpriced!!!

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In some of my older Garmins (the III+, and I think the III) one of the data options was voltage. This was useful not only for seeing how the battery was doing, but when hooked up to my motorcycle, I was able to tell when I was overdrawing from the battery (using the GPS, an electric vest, external lights, and my highbeam... one thing had to go). They stopped offering that feature on my Garmin V. When I asked about it, I was told my request would be forwarded to the engineers, and that was the end of that. I'd like to see it back in, if it isn't already (haven't checked the model features recently)

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I'm sure someone has mentioned wanting 1000 waypoints on the Garmin Vista C.

 

My monochrome Vista could handle that many, how come the Vista C can't . . . :)

 

Yes, this one bugs me too.

 

Way back when, didn't Garmin change the limit in the regular Legend and Vista from 500 to 1000, with just a downloadable software change? I wonder if eventually they'll do the same for the Legend C & Vista C.

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Oh thats me

 

I use the GCXXXX number for waypoint names and of course they all start with GC . When I go to "find" a Geocache on my gps I have to enter the G and then the C which is a little annoying. since I'm both lazy and slow witted I just though it might make things a little quicker and easier if it was already filled in.

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