Liz CA Posted June 10, 2015 Share Posted June 10, 2015 If you needed a GPS as its own device, what features would you look for? Any brand recommendations? Do they still exist? I will get eventually a smartphone but I am milking the low monthly fee on this old one until I can no more... :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ssavings Posted June 11, 2015 Share Posted June 11, 2015 DH sold commercial GPS for fleets of vehicles, so I know a bit about it. Our stand-alone GPS in our car is Garmin. There are others (Tom-Tom is popular), but DH prefers Garmin.Make sure, if you buy the Garmin, to spend the extra money upfront to buy the one with lifetime maps - it's more pricey up front, but considering how much each map update is as a stand-alone, it pays to get the lifetime maps upfront. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arcadia Posted June 11, 2015 Share Posted June 11, 2015 We have a Garmin Nuvi 40. The good thing is that we can see speed limits and lane markings on the GPS screen. The bad thing about our unit is that sometimes it is a bit off as in we are already on the ramp into the I-880 freeway and the unit thought that we miss the ramp. The recalculation speed is also on the slow side as in it takes awhile to recalculate. Maps do get out of date very fast especially with stores closing. I haven't update my Garmin's map so it still shows OfficeMax, RadioShack and Staples stores that have gone out of business. I think I manually keyed in the address for Livermore premium outlets. That is how long we haven't update our maps even though we bought the lifetime maps model. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
regentrude Posted June 11, 2015 Share Posted June 11, 2015 Depends on what you want it for. A GPS for the car is an entirely different device with different specs than a GPS for hiking. We have a Garmin eTrex Summit for hiking, a Garmin nuvi for the car. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Liz CA Posted June 11, 2015 Author Share Posted June 11, 2015 Depends on what you want it for. A GPS for the car is an entirely different device with different specs than a GPS for hiking. It's for a car and city traffic. I will be working in a larger city and I know hardly any areas - practically I know how to get there and home. If there is a hiccup, accident, etc., I would get lost trying to navigate around it. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ssavings Posted June 11, 2015 Share Posted June 11, 2015 It's for a car and city traffic. I will be working in a larger city and I know hardly any areas - practically I know how to get there and home. If there is a hiccup, accident, etc., I would get lost trying to navigate around it. Look at GPS that have traffic, and, if possible, include lifetime traffic updates (I know it sounds like wasted money, but eventually you're pretty much forced into updating your maps and/or traffic). :) Good luck with the shopping! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gingersmom Posted June 11, 2015 Share Posted June 11, 2015 I have always bought cheapest Garmin I can buy and have never updated maps. Works fine. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
justasque Posted June 11, 2015 Share Posted June 11, 2015 We've been happy with Garmin. I second that you want lifetime maps, and traffic. The "traffic" part is extremely helpful when you need to route around a traffic jam, especially because it can alert you to traffic issues *before* you get snarled up in them. (The "traffic" feature is actually part of the cord that you plug into the cigarette lighter and into the GPS. It's kind of a rectangular bump in the cord. If you somehow end up with a "non-traffic" Garmin model, you can purchase a "traffic" cord - you can sometimes find them on eBay, or pay more at Garmin - to get the traffic feature. We got these cords for all of our previously non-traffic Garmins. It's probably cheaper to just get the unit that includes traffic from the start, of course.) The lifetime maps are also helpful; our Garmins have lasted long enough that we've updated the maps several times. It's super-easy to install the new maps - you just plug the GPS into your computer, using the included USB data cable. (Note - you can't use the data cable to power the device for car use even if you have a USB outlet - it doesn't seem to be set up for that. I have a little zippered case for my Garmin, and I keep the data cable in there so I know where it is when I need it.)On my unit you can use an inexpensive standard data card so it can hold larger maps. I've used this feature, so that I can load it up with both east and west USA maps, plus Canada, all at the same time. I've also used my unit now and again for urban walks in unfamiliar cities. It's a bit heavy for that, but it works well. The units go on sale fairly often, so keep an eye out for that. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bethben Posted June 11, 2015 Share Posted June 11, 2015 We have a Garmin. I call her Sylvia. She helps me get everywhere I want to go and has only steered me wrong once (which was a high school that changed locations and never got entered correctly somehow). So, if you're lost, and you call your GPS Sylvia, and your 14 year old has turned off the GPS, you start screaming, "Turn her on! Turn her on!" because you're getting miserably lost in heavy traffic. To which your 14 year old gets all red and then after a minute or so of that, you realize what you were saying and promptly stop. Still - Sylvia. My GPS is my friend. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted June 11, 2015 Share Posted June 11, 2015 Another in agreement on Garmin. I know a few people that bought a Tom-Tom, and more than once it directed them to the wrong place. Nothing like ending up at the end of a dirt road with a fence when you are supposed to be somewhere else. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
applethyme Posted June 11, 2015 Share Posted June 11, 2015 I work as a nurse making home visits. I couldn't do my job without my Garmin. I have found my Garmin to be very accurate. Just make sure you get lifetime map upgrades. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Liz CA Posted June 11, 2015 Author Share Posted June 11, 2015 Thanks everyone! I am looking at a refurbished Garmin with lifetime map updates. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sparrow Posted June 11, 2015 Share Posted June 11, 2015 The Nokia Lumia 520 is a smartphone with a stand alone GPS chip. I bought 3 of them in December, when Amazon put them on a Goldbox sale, for $19.99 each. I carry a "dumb" phone for talk/text and the Nokia, in case I get lost :001_smile: . I also carry it in case I'm somewhere with wifi. If you can find one for cheap, they work great as a GPS/iPod Touch like thing! Highly recommended. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
justasque Posted June 11, 2015 Share Posted June 11, 2015 The Nokia Lumia 520 is a smartphone with a stand alone GPS chip. I bought 3 of them in December, when Amazon put them on a Goldbox sale, for $19.99 each. I carry a "dumb" phone for talk/text and the Nokia, in case I get lost :001_smile: . I also carry it in case I'm somewhere with wifi. If you can find one for cheap, they work great as a GPS/iPod Touch like thing! Highly recommended. A similar option would be to get a second-hand Verizon iPhone 4s and put it on a TracFone plan using the Bring Your Own Phone option. It's around $7 a month for a small amount of data (smart phones get triple minutes/texts/data), and you can add as needed. And of course you can use wifi when it's available. (This works for me for walking, as I don't need it much, but I use my Garmin for driving as I keep it on all the time, even on familiar routes, as it is very useful when encountering unexpected traffic issues that require rerouting.) 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fraidycat Posted June 11, 2015 Share Posted June 11, 2015 Get a, get a, get a Garmin. Get a, get a, get a Garmin. :cool: I've used (and hated) other brands. Garmins are (IMO) the most user friendly of the bunch. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Liz CA Posted June 11, 2015 Author Share Posted June 11, 2015 I am under the impression that between Garmin and Tom Tom one might be better for rural but I do not know if I can really confirm that. I have owned both, but my Tom Tom did not have free updates and became very outdated. Dh bought me a Garmin about two years ago before we got smart phones. Sometimes I use my Garmin instead of Siri. Siri drives me bonkers sometimes, but maybe I am using it wrong. I will do voice-activated instructions and Siri will hear me wrong or say it cannot find the place. Siri almost always says my destination is on the opposite side of the road. I thought mine had landmarks, but it does not. I wanted that feature. Anything new is probably fine. It is hard for me to compare since my Tom Tom became so outdated. I have had issues with both with new construction. I sometimes just plug in a nearby destination. I just saw your latest post. Let us know how you like it. I hope you find a good way to mount it. I hate all the mounts lol they eventually let me down. My gps has flown off the dash a number of times. Scary/dangerous and annoying. It happened to dh's first GPS - broke the screen because it bounced off the gear knob and right after that his company gave them all Androids with GPS on the phone. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sunflowerlady Posted June 11, 2015 Share Posted June 11, 2015 We have a Garmin also and have been satisfied with it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
.Michelle. Posted June 11, 2015 Share Posted June 11, 2015 The Nokia Lumia 520 is a smartphone with a stand alone GPS chip. I bought 3 of them in December, when Amazon put them on a Goldbox sale, for $19.99 each. I carry a "dumb" phone for talk/text and the Nokia, in case I get lost :001_smile: . I also carry it in case I'm somewhere with wifi. If you can find one for cheap, they work great as a GPS/iPod Touch like thing! Highly recommended. This. You don't need service to run it or update it. It's the cheapest GPS you can get. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SparklyUnicorn Posted June 11, 2015 Share Posted June 11, 2015 Some tablets can also be used as a GPS (even without a wifi connection). We have a couple of them that can be used for that. We have a TomTom. It works well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Liz CA Posted June 11, 2015 Author Share Posted June 11, 2015 This. You don't need service to run it or update it. It's the cheapest GPS you can get. If I go this route, I just buy the phone - no plan no nothing and the GPS works? My cell is through Straight Talk and I am on the least expensive plan. I am not looking to upgrade the plan until I get a better phone. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melinda S in TX Posted June 13, 2015 Share Posted June 13, 2015 I have the Garmin nuvi 2555LMT. We named ours Priscilla (in the van) and Sillsby (in the car). I travel frequently for dd doctor appointments and farm related things, and they always get me there fine. They tell me about traffic congestion and often suggest different routes that will save me time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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