Sunday, March 18, 2012

News Feed Comments
You are here: Home / Archives for Garmin

Preview of New Garmin GPS Receivers

January 11, 2006 By Leave a Comment

My GPS reviews typically link to lots of online user reviews, in addition to the other references provided. Today we’re going to take a "preview." There is a lot of interest in the new Garmin receivers being released over the next few weeks, so I’ve compiled some resources that may help early adopters until some hands-on reviews start showing up. Below you’ll find links to the Garmin page for each model, a link to PDF versions of the owners manual and quick reference guide, the Amazon product page and, where I can find them, ads for the products themselves. This will give you at least a couple of places to compare prices. Many of the units are also available at Basspro.com, Cabelas and GPS City.Edge_205


read more

Filed Under: Garmin, Hardware

MapSource for Macs!

January 10, 2006 By 5 Comments

Garmin announced today that it will begin making all of its hardware and software compatible with Mac OS X. Beginning this spring, Garmin will offer a Mac version of their Training Center software. Also this spring, MotionBased will be OS X compatible. But the big news in my mind is this tidbit:

"By the end of 2006, Garmin intends to have made all its popular hardware and software applications Mac OS X compatible. This includes the ability to load MapSource map data to Garmin units via a Mac, as well as waypoint and trip planning applications."

Filed Under: Garmin, GPS and Macs, Software

GPS Maps for Mexico

January 9, 2006 By 31 Comments

Cabo_san_lucas

The holidays are over, winter is here, and many of us are dreaming of vacations in warmer climes. I’ve been asked a few times about maps for Mexico, and I was reminded recently of a website that offers a great deal of resources for the GPS enthusiast headed south of the border. So it seemed an appropriate time to call your attention to BiciMapas.

Although the stated focus is maps for mountain biking, there’s a lot more to the site than that. They have highway maps and digital raster graphics (DRG’s) that can be used in programs like OziExplorer. It seems like the most common format for their GPS maps is Garmin, but some maps are also available for Magellan receivers. And if Alberto Najera, the man behind BiciMapas, has his way, I’ll bet that you’ll see Lowrance maps from him before long.

Other than BiciMapas, your choices are limited. You could get the Garmin World Map or the Magellan Worldwide Basemap. But even Garmin says that such a low-level of detail product "is generally recommended only if no other coverage is available for the area."

read more

Filed Under: Garmin, Lowrance, Magellan, Maps, Software

Garmin StreetPilot i5 Review

January 9, 2006 By Leave a Comment

Streetpilot_i5 UPDATE: Most of the several generations old StreetPilot series, including this model, has been discontinued. For a more current recommendation, check out our Auto GPS buyers guide or go straight to our Garmin nuvi comparison chart.

 

The Garmin StreetPilot i5 GPS is the flagship model in the StreetPilot i-series of auto navigation systems. Unlike the StreetPilot i2 and i3, this model comes pre-loaded with City Navigator maps for the entire U.S. and Canada. The i5 also accepts TransFlash data cards for adding other regions.

At the time of this posting, nearly 100 buyers at Amazon had given an average 4-1/2 out of 5 star rating in their StreetPilot i5 reviews.

Compare prices on the Garmin StreetPilot i5

read more

Filed Under: Auto, Garmin, Garmin auto GPS, GPS Reviews, Hardware

Garmin City Select vs. City Navigator

January 3, 2006 By 2 Comments

City_navigatorThis is a common question — which should I buy for my Garmin GPS, City Select (CS) or City Navigator (CN)? First of all, go to Garmin’s website and check to be sure that your unit is compatible and capable of auto-routing. Otherwise you’ll be paying for features that you can’t utilize.

Here’s the lowdown on the differences. CN was designed specifically for certain StreetPilot units; those units can take advantage of some sophisticated voice-prompted routing information in CN. Though CN can be ran on many handhelds, the map segments are much larger, with several exceeding the 24 MB limit of a number of units.  This is not just a problem in those areas; it makes it difficult to construct a trip along a linear route (can you say road trip?). To further complicate matters, Garmin is discontinuing CS, which has smaller map segments, replacing it with CN. This has caused quite a stir, and Garmin handheld owners aren’t happy
about it. Apparently the company is listening though, and they seem
determined to shrink the map segments in future versions of CN.

CS is getting harder to find as a result of this phase-out. If you can
only find CS Version 6, don’t worry. As long as it is purchased (and
unlocked) after June 1, 2005, you are entitled to a free upgrade.
And there is some good news in all this; Garmin has cut upgrade pricing
for CN from $150 to $75 and on CS from $75 to $50. My advice? If you’ve
got a handheld, buy CS.


read more

Filed Under: Best of the boards, FAQs, Garmin, Software

Garmin GPSMap 76CS Review

December 31, 2005 By 1 Comment

Gpsmap_76cs

UPDATE: This model has been discontinued. For more current recommendations, please refer to our handheld GPS buyers guide or our Garmin handheld GPS comparison chart.

The Garmin GPSMap 76CS, while billed as a marine GPS unit, is very popular with landlubbers as well, due to its 115 MB of memory (enough to load highway maps for almost the entire state of California). An ideal unit for boaters, the 76CS floats and is waterproof, and comes with an Americas marine database that includes navigational aids.

Confused about the 76 series? Here’s the low-down on the differences. The 76 and 76S have black and white screens, while the 76C and 76CS are color. The 76 has 8 MB of memory, the 76S has 24 MB, while the 76C and 76CS both have 115 MB of memory. Units with an S have an electronic compass and barometric altimeter, while the C units, in addition to color screens, have turn-by-turn routing capability. Finally, the 76CS has recently been updated with the new 76CSx.

14 readers at Amazon gave the GPS Map 76CS an average 4-1/2 out of 5 star rating.

Here are some other resources on the 76CS…

read more

Filed Under: Garmin, Garmin handheld GPS, GPS Reviews, Handheld/Sport, Hardware, Marine

Our GPS Reviews

December 20, 2005 By 51 Comments

Listed below are links to all the GPS reviews I've written on GPS Tracklog. The list is kept up to date and there is a link to it on the sidebar labeled "Our GPS Reviews." If this long list is overwhelming, be sure to check out our Auto GPS buyers guide and Handheld GPS buyers guide.

Jump to:

DeLorme Handheld GPS reviews

Garmin Auto GPS reviews

A note about discontinued Garmin auto units:

Most Garmin auto units without the flat form factor have been discontinued, as have older nuvis. In most cases, a newer Garmin nuvi is the best choice rather than one of these older units.

Garmin Fitness GPS reviews

Garmin Handheld GPS reviews

Garmin Marine GPS reviews

Lowrance Auto GPS reviews

Lowrance Handheld GPS reviews

Magellan Auto GPS reviews

Magellan Handheld GPS reviews

Mio Auto GPS reviews

Navigon Auto GPS reviews

TomTom Auto GPS reviews

Other GPS reviews

Mobile phone reviews

Filed Under: Garmin, Hardware, Lowrance, Magellan, Mio, Navigon, TomTom

Garmin eTrex Vista Review

December 16, 2005 By 7 Comments

Etrex_vista_1

UPDATE: This model has been discontinued. For more current recommendations, please refer to our handheld GPS buyers guide or our Garmin handheld GPS comparison chart.

The Garmin eTrex Vista GPS, a mid-level model in the eTrex line, is perfect for the avid outdoorsman. With 24 MB of memory, it will likely hold all the topo maps you could use on a single trip, unless you are hiking the entire Appalachian Trail!  This unit includes a barometric altimeter and electronic compass, two very nice features.. Be aware though that, unlike the Vista C, it will not auto-route. That is, you can’t plug in an address and have it give you turn by turn directions. You can use it in a car with Garmin MetroGuide software, to direct you to points of interest (POIs) “as the crow flies,” and show your position in real-time.

88 reviewers at Amazon gave an average 4 out of 5 star rating to the eTrex Vista.

Here’s what other reviewers have to say:

read more

Filed Under: Garmin, Garmin handheld GPS, GPS Reviews, Handheld/Sport, Hardware

Garmin GPSMap 60C Review

December 13, 2005 By 1 Comment

Gpsmap_60c

UPDATE: This model has been discontinued. For more current recommendations, please refer to our handheld GPS buyers guide or our Garmin handheld GPS comparison chart.

The Garmin GPSMap 60C is basically the same unit as the 60CS, minus the barometric altimeter and electronic compass. It has the same bright color screen and can utilize routable maps, so it can do double duty in the backcountry or the car. The 60C, a mid-level model, is a step up from the GPSMap 60, which has less memory and a greyscale screen.

25 readers at Amazon rated the Garmin 60C at 4-1/2 (out of 5) stars. Here’s what other reviewers are saying:

read more

Filed Under: Garmin, Garmin handheld GPS, GPS Reviews, Handheld/Sport, Hardware

Ski Resort Maps for your Garmin GPS

December 12, 2005 By 6 Comments

Many GPS Tracklog readers know that you can make your own maps for your GPS, but we’re just beginning to see entrepreneurs marketing such products. I recently came across Snow Ranger Ski Resort Maps for Garmin receivers, which are available for Colorado, New Mexico and California. The Snow Ranger website provides additional details, including a list of available resorts.

The price is right, at $4.95 per resort, or $29.95 per set, and they can be downloaded online. I was a little surprised though when, browsing the product guide, I discovered that using these maps will overwrite other maps on the unit. This means that you probably need to take your laptop along if you’re using your GPS to navigate to the resort via City Select. This limitation on home-made maps can actually be overcome using techniques described in my book, GPS Mapping. It implements a simple modification of Garmin MapSource, and that may have been a little further than the developers were willing to go!


Filed Under: Garmin, Software
« Previous Page
Next Page »