Complete GPS Information

4/05/2018 - Optimized for Firefox 59.0.2 (Quantum)

COPYRIGHT 1992 thru 2018 - David R. Woodsmall

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INDEX - GPS Jump Table

 Background Information | BLUETOOTH VULNERABILITIES | Features that we LIKE | Features NOT USEFUL to us | Garmin GPS Information | Garmin GPS FEATURES | Garmin Model Suffixes | Geocaching | GPS THOUGHTS about | GPS with Voice Command | How to REPLACE PERMANENT GARMIN BATTERIES | Manufacturers | NEWER GPS Features | How To RESET your Garmin Nuvi GPS | Screen PROTECTORS | TIPS | VIRUSES on your GPS |

GPS - Global Positioning System - Background Information

It is my (and other's) opinion that Garmin makes the best GPS unit for vehicles, and it is a Garmin NUVI series. GPS NEWS / MAGAZINES - Click HERE GPS VIRUSES BLUETOOTH VULNERABILITIES GPS - wikipedia gps information.net GPS - msnbc GPS World GPS Tutorial - Trimble GPS World GPS - Make Your own maps [I KNOW NOTHING ABOUT THEM]

TIPS about your GPS

NOTE - In some states it is NOT legal to attach unit to the windshield (we thought unit worked best in a cup holder (on some cars, this works best if you buy a plastic drink holder to go into your built-in cup holder. Joany uses small beany babies to wedge the GPS into the cup holder (for stability). NOTE2 - Be careful - some places sell the Nuvi unbundled - has not DC adapter, attachment hardware, Storage Card for holding map and interest point data. NOTE3 - WITH WHAT SIZE MEMORY DOES THE UNIT COME? While there are many brands of GPS screen protectors about which I know nothing, we are using Clarivue screen protectors that are made for our GPS and cellphone, and we like them. As in any data produced by humans, there can be errors. For instance, My wife located a new McDonalds near our house (think ice cream slurries) - it turned out to be our old eye doctor's place, (not a McDonalds). Ensure that the GPS model you buy doesn't contain this dreaded GPS Error Message. (just kidding) We typically put the Nuvi in a large (car) cup holder, inserted into a vehicle's cup holder. Joany uses Beanie Babies to wedge the Nuvi into the cup holder, so it is very stable. We could mount it to the windshield, but we preferred this method of mounting. We should have patented this idea as you can now buy this device. I see that Garmin now offers lifetime access to new maps for Garmin Nuvis. $120 from GARMIN: nüMaps Lifetime OR $100 from Costco.

GARMIN GPS UNITS

Significance of any Letters appended to a GARMIN NUVI model number

LM = Lifetime Maps LMT = Lifetime Maps + Lifetime Traffic information (where available) LT = Lifetime Traffic information T = Traffic Message Channel W = Wide Screen

GARMIN MODEL NUMBER MEANINGS - I BELIEVE THAT THIS IS TRUE (3/2011):

There are a confusing number of Garmin GPS (and other vendors') model numbers. 13xx - fairly new 23xx - fairly new - 2300 series DOES support ecoRoute HD on it's Bluetooth capable units 24xx - 5" screen, well-done voice, blue-tooth, custom avoidances, advanced detours - 2460LT - Gpstacklog 3xxx - The 3000 series has Voice activated commands - you tell it what you want. 37xx - supposedly top-of-the-line, for now - more about style I see that Garmin now offers lifetime access to new maps for Garmin Nuvis. $120 ??? (price may have changed) from GARMIN: nuMaps Lifetime OR $100 from Costco.

SOME GARMIN GPS FEATURES

ON THE ROAD FEATURES Bluetooth CityXplorer Connected Services Custom avoidances and Advanced detours - The former allows you to specify individual streets or sections thereof (see image below) and complete areas to avoid. Advanced detours gives you some new options when you tap the Detour icon, including the ability to exclude specific roads from routes on the fly - gpstracklog ecoRoute - Helps you calculate a more fuel-efficient route Enhanced Pedestrian Navigation = Park your car and nüvi will guide you as you walk around town. Exit Services - it displays points of interest (POIs) for the next 10 exits or so, when travelling on limited access highways. - Garmin gets Exit Services Garmin Voice Studio - USE YOUR OWN VOICE to give yourself directions Junction View = Realistically displays 3-D road signs and junctions on your route while clearly marking the correct lane to use. Lane Assist - Provides arrows that indicate the proper exit lane for complicated highway interchanges. Lifetime Traffic - The lifetime traffic feature is ad-supported, which is a big turn off for a lot of people. But the ads are very low-key, and will primarily display when you are stopped or viewing traffic details - Lifetime Traffic - gpstracklog MSN direct for online traffic, weather and gas pricing. MSN Direct is ceasing operations on Jan 2013 and only two current production Garmin units have a comparable feature using a different service provider - called NuLink. myTrends = Predictive routing that uses your “Favorites” list to figure out your destinations without your input. nuLink Services nuMaps Lifetime POI - Every nüvi comes preloaded with nearly 6 million Points Of Interest trafficTrends = Learns historical traffic flow, average street speeds per hour, and suggests the best routes to take. Voice-activated navigation = Name your nüvi and it will respond to its name and your spoken directions. No remote required.

FEATURES THAT WE LIKE IN A GPS

1] Bright, large LCD screen (with variable brightness) (ours is 4.3 inches) Big, widescreen display. 2] selectable: Metric (kilometers) or American English units (miles)(Nuvi 660 has this, I THINK). 3] adustable volume - built-in audio with built-in speaker. No physical volume control (you have to navigate the menus to adjust the volume). 4] Built-in Battery (so you can take it with you) NOTE MOST batteries are NOT replacable by anyone. Look for good battery life (Nuvi 660 is 3 to 7 hours) 5] text to Speech (TTS). Voice Prompts speaks street names Ensure that voice prompt actually announces the name of the street, I.e., "Turn RIGHT on CAPITAL BLVD on 500 FEET" instead of a voice prompt that may state “In 500 foot turn right” Announces upcoming turns 6] multi-destination routing 7] preloaded street maps for North America - can you buy update DVDs? For our unit, the first year's map update DVD was free. 8] Address to address Routing. 9] Route capability: Automatic Destination Routing. 10] Waypoints: All Garmin models offer "mark waypoint" capability for locations and the ability to "point" to a desired destination on a map. We like these a bit better, but this feature are not essential. 11] Mounting: Make sure the unit you select is capable of being mounted neatly and securely in/on your vehicle. ONE TRICK we use - mount it in a cupholder. 12] Maps: Make sure that the unit you select has user uploadable maps (or maps on its built in CDROM, CF card, MiniHD, or other memory) for the area you need. 13] displays distance and estimated arrival time. 14] speech input - we do NOT have (Garmin Nuvi 660 is too old to have it). Joany would like this option (you tell the GPS where you want to go). 15] custom road preference allows user to prioritize choice of back roads. 16] automatic off-route recalculation shows how to get back on track if you miss a turn or exit. 17] a detour function enables routing around traffic problems or road construction. 18] External antennae (flips up - its part of the unit). Some have built-in antennaes - they are not as sensitive. 19] Need a secure method of attaching the GPS. 20] Need an automotive (12 VDC) adapter. 21] SPEED LIMIT DISPLAY - available on many roads. Displays the current speed limit and shows RED if you speeding. Do NOT rely complete on this limit, could be wrong or changed. 22] large 2 GB built-in memory (built-in memory is often faster than adding a memory flash card. 23] GET THE OPTIONAL Garmin North America Travel Guide I'm notr sure if this still exists, I have not checked lately. 24] GET CUSTOM FIT LCD SCREEN PROTECTOR (from Clarivue)

FEATURES NOT USEFUL TO US, but you may like them

1] Live Traffic systems (usually have a monthly charge or AD supported Hmm - some Garmin Nuvi models come with the included lifetime traffic reporting system. Some Garmin Nuvi models have this feature, supported by ADs. We don't have the automobile traffic for this option in our area - you may? 2] Bluetooth wireless (can route your blue thooth cell phone into your GPS audio 3] Capabile of transmitting instructions to your FM radio. 4] Dead Reckoning: Most of us do not drive often in high rise central city areas. If you do, you will want to consider units with a builtin Gyro capability as the best GPS will loose lock in dense high rise areas. Garmin's SP2650/2660 and the VDO Dayton are examples of these. I HAVE NEVER SEEN NOR USED THIS FEATURE 5] Headphone jack - good for hiking. 6] World Clock. 7] Currency Converter. 8] OPTIONAL GARMIN NUVI "SAVERs GUIDE" - I did NOT think it was useful (opinion). I am not sure this still exists.

NEW FEATURES - WE HAVE NO OPINION ABOUT THESE

1] LANE ASSISTANCE - How often do you find yourself wondering which lane you should be in? Lane Assistance is one of the new features found on the Nuvi 765T which will provide the answer to that question on some major intersections - just dont expect it everywhere. LOTS OF PEOPLE REPORT LIKING THIS FEATURE. REQUIRES SOMEONE LOOKING AT THE GPS DISPLAY 2] Voice Address Entry - you can input your desired destination by talking - lots of these do NOT work very well (but some are reportedly very good). 3] Voice Commands - Voice Addressing Entry with, perhaps, more versatility.

HOW TO REPLACE PERMANENT GARMIN BATTERIES

This will void your warantee. This may destroy your GPS. You replace the Garmin battery at YOUR own risk. How To Replace The Internal Battery on A Garmin Nuvi GPS Garmin Nuvi 660 Battery Replacement Kit with Installation Video, Tools, and Extended Life Battery. # 361-00019-02 Garmin Nuvi 750 Battery Replacement Kit with Installation Video, Tools, and Extended Life Battery. # 010-00583-00 1250mAh Li-ion Replacement Battery for Garmin Nuvi 750, Nuvi 755, Nuvi 755T Garmin Nuvi 760 Battery Replacement Kit with Installation Video, Tools, and Extended Life Battery. #361-00019-11 Well, I tried the replacement battery kit for the Nuvi 660 (kit is very good), BUT the MORONS (opinion) AT GARMIN HAD TIGHTENED ONE OF THE INTERNAL SCREWS SO MUCH THAT THERE WAS NO WAY TO REMOVE IT - IT STRIPPED. I was able to drill the screw out, but this is also dangerous, as you may break something, or bits of metal, if not completely removed, may short something out. How To Reset Garmin Nuvi GPS Device (Access Maintenance Mode)

GPS MANUFACTURERS:

DVS Korea - Makers of Plenio GPS Navigation Devices Plenio Pro 3000 Updates Plenio VXA-3000 - Reviews Garmin Garmin Updates & Downloads Lowrance Electronics - GPS division Magellan GPS Navman TomTom, portable GPS car navigation systems

GPS SCREEN PROTECTORS

There are a lot of companies that provide screen protectors (plastic sheets that fit over the displat screen, to protect it from scratches). Clarivue Screen protectors - I have used & recommend this brand

GPS for Use While on Safari

GPS while on Safari

GPS for use with your CAMERA

GPS for your Nikon camera - www.foolography.com

GEOCHACHING

Geocaching - The Official Global GPS Cache Hunt Site - geocaching.com Geocaching - Frequently Asked Questions About Geocaching Geocaching - The Good Side of Location Tracking - PC Magazine Geocaching - Wikipedia Buxley's Geocaching Waypoint - Raleigh-Durham Area Caches North Carolina Geocaching Organizations Welcome to the North Carolina Geocachers Organization - ncgeocachers.org Garmin - Geocaching - Garmin.com How to Go Geocaching - wikiHow What Is Geocaching? - YouTube Geocacher University - Let's Go Geocaching!

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