GPS Systems
- Thread starter pelicn
- Start date
GPS units do not. Truck specific software systems such as Pro Miles and Copilot does, as well as hazmat routing etc..
Leo Bricker, 73's K5LDB
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Owner, Panther trucks 5508, 5509, 5641
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Leo Bricker, 73's K5LDB
OOIDA Life Member 677319, JOIN NOW
Owner, Panther trucks 5508, 5509, 5641
EO Forum Moderator
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Support the entire Constitution, not just the parts you like.
spudhead911
Seasoned Expediter
We have a Garmin c330 GPS it does have truck routing, it's very useful for low clearence overpasses. We are 13.5' tall. We just saw a new Garmin unit at Best Buy, it's the Garmin c430, it's an upgraded unit from our c330, the price was $350.
Dispatched
Not a Member
>GPS units do not.
That's an absolute incorrect statement.
There are several dedicated POI sites which offer downloads, from low bridges, scale houses & many other truck specific POIs. They allow you to download the specific POI catagory in a file format acceptable for your particcular device and/or software.
GPS software, loaded onto Pocket Personal Computers, are not only safer to use, but offer much more customization than any Laptop based software at a fraction of the price. The days of using laptops as GPS guidance devices are gone.....replaced by the safer heads up capability only a PPC or all-n-one GPS device can offer.
Do some goog'ling and you'll find numerous sites dedicated to POI's relating to our industry:
just a few:
http://www.poi-factory.com/taxonomy/term/10
http://www.poi-factory.com/taxonomy/term/24
http://www.pocketgpsworld.com/modules.php?name=POIs
That's an absolute incorrect statement.
There are several dedicated POI sites which offer downloads, from low bridges, scale houses & many other truck specific POIs. They allow you to download the specific POI catagory in a file format acceptable for your particcular device and/or software.
GPS software, loaded onto Pocket Personal Computers, are not only safer to use, but offer much more customization than any Laptop based software at a fraction of the price. The days of using laptops as GPS guidance devices are gone.....replaced by the safer heads up capability only a PPC or all-n-one GPS device can offer.
Do some goog'ling and you'll find numerous sites dedicated to POI's relating to our industry:
just a few:
http://www.poi-factory.com/taxonomy/term/10
http://www.poi-factory.com/taxonomy/term/24
http://www.pocketgpsworld.com/modules.php?name=POIs
Hi All,
I have a TomTom 910, no help with a truck, and have been searching for a portable GPS that is truck specific.....no luck yet.
Just to help clarify what is available with a Garmin 330,
this is from FAQ on their web page:
Question: Does the mapping software in my unit have truck routes?
Answer:
Garmin mapping software does not contain truck routes or low clearances. From the settings in the Navigation icon, you can put the unit in truck mode (under vehicle type). This means that the unit will navigate on major roads as much as possible. However, if there is only one way to get to your destination and it is going down a street on which trucks are not allowed, the unit will plan to navigate that road.
Last modified on: 08/29/2007
Be safe.
Dave Terry
FEdExCC WG
D6847
I have a TomTom 910, no help with a truck, and have been searching for a portable GPS that is truck specific.....no luck yet.
Just to help clarify what is available with a Garmin 330,
this is from FAQ on their web page:
Question: Does the mapping software in my unit have truck routes?
Answer:
Garmin mapping software does not contain truck routes or low clearances. From the settings in the Navigation icon, you can put the unit in truck mode (under vehicle type). This means that the unit will navigate on major roads as much as possible. However, if there is only one way to get to your destination and it is going down a street on which trucks are not allowed, the unit will plan to navigate that road.
Last modified on: 08/29/2007
Be safe.
Dave Terry
FEdExCC WG
D6847
You have to realize that no system is ever going to give you exactly what you need things like clearances will always be a problem. And as for the new box what happened to reading the signs or just looking at the overhead obstacle and realizing that it was not going to fit. We as truck drivers have to realize we are the captain of our ships and bottom line it is the captain who is responsible for knowing about these things and preparing for this.
Yes they are very much worth getting. They are handy to have but not a cure all. You cannot route by any one thing at all. I tweak mine because I know places I want to avoid. For some reason all routing from Jersey will route you thru NYC. I prefer the Tappan Zee or the Newburgh Beacon to avoid congestion. I am will to eat the miles to avoid the delays. But as I said this is my preference.
Dispatched
Not a Member
>I have a TomTom 910, no help with a truck, and have been
I have a TT 910 also, plus an Axim x51v PPC
Check out the links above and simply import .ov2 files into your maps folder. Low bridges will appear on your route itenerary. So would any other POI you place in a TT map folder. Also, all truck stops are current and that sure makes for an easy end of the day.....just easily finding a place to shut down.
I have a TT 910 also, plus an Axim x51v PPC
Check out the links above and simply import .ov2 files into your maps folder. Low bridges will appear on your route itenerary. So would any other POI you place in a TT map folder. Also, all truck stops are current and that sure makes for an easy end of the day.....just easily finding a place to shut down.
Dispatched
Not a Member
>Thanks for the input everyone 
>I'm thinking at this point, until the prices come down
>significantly, we'll just continue to use the atlas and
>streets and trips.
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Crystal-Clear 3-D and 2-D Graphics, Itinerary Planning, GPS Antenna
Thousands of Points of Interest available, Compass Mode, Anti-Glare Screen
$150.00 and it'll be the best GPS you'll ever own
>I'm thinking at this point, until the prices come down
>significantly, we'll just continue to use the atlas and
>streets and trips.
Deal:TomTom ONE GPS $160 at Buy.com Click Here Discuss (1) : History : Tell : Posted 2:03 PM PDT 09/28/07 by BenBuy.com has the refurbished TomTom ONE GPS for $160 with free shipping. New Customers can get $10 off $200. [BizRate]
Crystal-Clear 3-D and 2-D Graphics, Itinerary Planning, GPS Antenna
Thousands of Points of Interest available, Compass Mode, Anti-Glare Screen
$150.00 and it'll be the best GPS you'll ever own
The question was, " Does GPS routing software have low clearance information?"
And the correct answer is no, it does not. There are no GPS units, standalone or pocket, that will route you based on low clearances. Nor HAZMAT, nor any other restricted routing. There certainly should be, though.
The only thing that comes close (and it comes veeery close) is the 'CoPilot Truck' Pocket PC version that works on a Pocket PC or a Pocket PC Smartphone. With a dash mount and the 1GB bluetooth version, you're there for $349 plus the cost of the Pocket PC or Smartphone. (The 1GB version includes maps for US and Canada, and the other versions include maps for US only, ya have to buy the Canadian maps separately)
http://www.alk.com/pdf/cp_truckppc.pdf
http://www.alk.com/copilot/truck_ppc.asp
POI's certainly help, and I'm a big fan and user of many POI's, but the ones for low clearances, as well as the ones for truck stops, are incomplete and in many cases flat out wrong.
While every truck should probably have the low clearance POI loaded into their GPS unit, they should be aware that the information contained in the file is primarily for the east coast, is far from 100% accurate, and the information for the midwest and western states is woefully lacking. It was last updated in March with the following: "In a lot of cases I had to make a "best guess" decision on various locations and clearance types."
I drive a van and I've got it loaded into my Garmin.
The downloadable truck stop POIs haven't been updated in many months, and while I have them and use them daily, there are many, many way wrong GPS coordinates associated with many of the locations. Use your GPS to navigate to the Baltimore TA and you'll end up in the middle of a really big Baltimore and Ohio Railroad yard. I just periodically download the current files from the J, Pilot, etc, and then convert and update them myself.
Slow and steady, even in expediting, wins the race - Aesop
And the correct answer is no, it does not. There are no GPS units, standalone or pocket, that will route you based on low clearances. Nor HAZMAT, nor any other restricted routing. There certainly should be, though.
The only thing that comes close (and it comes veeery close) is the 'CoPilot Truck' Pocket PC version that works on a Pocket PC or a Pocket PC Smartphone. With a dash mount and the 1GB bluetooth version, you're there for $349 plus the cost of the Pocket PC or Smartphone. (The 1GB version includes maps for US and Canada, and the other versions include maps for US only, ya have to buy the Canadian maps separately)
http://www.alk.com/pdf/cp_truckppc.pdf
http://www.alk.com/copilot/truck_ppc.asp
POI's certainly help, and I'm a big fan and user of many POI's, but the ones for low clearances, as well as the ones for truck stops, are incomplete and in many cases flat out wrong.
While every truck should probably have the low clearance POI loaded into their GPS unit, they should be aware that the information contained in the file is primarily for the east coast, is far from 100% accurate, and the information for the midwest and western states is woefully lacking. It was last updated in March with the following: "In a lot of cases I had to make a "best guess" decision on various locations and clearance types."
I drive a van and I've got it loaded into my Garmin.
The downloadable truck stop POIs haven't been updated in many months, and while I have them and use them daily, there are many, many way wrong GPS coordinates associated with many of the locations. Use your GPS to navigate to the Baltimore TA and you'll end up in the middle of a really big Baltimore and Ohio Railroad yard. I just periodically download the current files from the J, Pilot, etc, and then convert and update them myself.
Slow and steady, even in expediting, wins the race - Aesop
Dispatched
Not a Member
There are no GPS
>units, standalone or pocket, that will route you based on
>low clearances. Nor HAZMAT, nor any other restricted
>routing. There certainly should be, though.
My results, using the existing low bridge database's -multible POI's- and cross referenced with carrier atlas, indicates accuracy greater than 95%. Same thing with truck stops, utilizing multible referenceable sites [including the truck stop sites themselves] We have an ongoing/work-n-progress excel spreadsheet used to quantify accuracy.CSV
Using TomTom, once you've inputted your traveled route, You then have the opportunity to indeed re-route around any type of no travel zone or area. Its a 2 tap sequence and works flawlessly. Indeed, the TomTom product will route you based on low clearance.
I'm extremly familiar with the ALK product and hold a licenced product key for their laptop version. Poor mapping. SIMPLY HORRIBLE !!
>units, standalone or pocket, that will route you based on
>low clearances. Nor HAZMAT, nor any other restricted
>routing. There certainly should be, though.
My results, using the existing low bridge database's -multible POI's- and cross referenced with carrier atlas, indicates accuracy greater than 95%. Same thing with truck stops, utilizing multible referenceable sites [including the truck stop sites themselves] We have an ongoing/work-n-progress excel spreadsheet used to quantify accuracy.CSV
Using TomTom, once you've inputted your traveled route, You then have the opportunity to indeed re-route around any type of no travel zone or area. Its a 2 tap sequence and works flawlessly. Indeed, the TomTom product will route you based on low clearance.
I'm extremly familiar with the ALK product and hold a licenced product key for their laptop version. Poor mapping. SIMPLY HORRIBLE !!
Existing databases, multiple POI's, cross-referencing with motor carrier atlases by the end user is a far, far different thing than what most truckers want or need. It's a kludge, and it's only, at best, a 95% accurate kludge at that. And 95% accuracy isn't all that it's cracked up to be when you consider that there are nearly 600,000 bridges in the US, and that doesn't even include railroad overpasses. 95% accuracy gets you 100% inaccuracy for 30,000 bridges.
People want to buy a GPS unit, set the unit for a truck of their height so that it won't route them under a low bridge, and be done with it. Most do not want to bother with learning all about POI's and all the "work in progress" shortcomings they inherently entail, much less having to deal with multiple POI's and cross-referencing other sources. The computer and GPS geeks among us have no problem with that, but most truckers are not geeks.
I agree with you about the ALK mapping, it's pretty bad. But they have all the data that truckers need in their PC Miler product, data which can be seamlessly incorporated into TomTom, Garmin, and other GPS mapping software. The problem is they insist on using their own cartography instead of the more accurate mapping from companies like NAVTEQ, DTMI and Tele Atlas. Instead of constantly peeing at each other over inconsequential copyright infringement charges and turf wars, I wish TomTom and Garmin would get together and just beat on ALK until ALK gives it up.
Slow and steady, even in expediting, wins the race - Aesop
People want to buy a GPS unit, set the unit for a truck of their height so that it won't route them under a low bridge, and be done with it. Most do not want to bother with learning all about POI's and all the "work in progress" shortcomings they inherently entail, much less having to deal with multiple POI's and cross-referencing other sources. The computer and GPS geeks among us have no problem with that, but most truckers are not geeks.
I agree with you about the ALK mapping, it's pretty bad. But they have all the data that truckers need in their PC Miler product, data which can be seamlessly incorporated into TomTom, Garmin, and other GPS mapping software. The problem is they insist on using their own cartography instead of the more accurate mapping from companies like NAVTEQ, DTMI and Tele Atlas. Instead of constantly peeing at each other over inconsequential copyright infringement charges and turf wars, I wish TomTom and Garmin would get together and just beat on ALK until ALK gives it up.
Slow and steady, even in expediting, wins the race - Aesop
greg334
Veteran Expediter
First off, I want to know does anyone have the results of the testing of the different GPS systems that was going on here?
If I am wrong that there was testing going on, please correct me but I thought it was something that would be helpful.
Second, I am sorry, I depend on my laptop and don't like those little squeaky toys that people use. Call me old fashioned but Laptops are better but printed maps are the best.
If I am wrong that there was testing going on, please correct me but I thought it was something that would be helpful.
Second, I am sorry, I depend on my laptop and don't like those little squeaky toys that people use. Call me old fashioned but Laptops are better but printed maps are the best.
pelicn
Veteran Expediter
Turtle, you are correct in my case, you said
"People want to buy a GPS unit, set the unit for a truck of their height so that it won't route them under a low bridge, and be done with it."
That was what I was hoping for...since it doesn't have that capability, I'll stick with the old fashion Motor Carriers Atlas. Oh yeah, and my laptop mapping program
"People want to buy a GPS unit, set the unit for a truck of their height so that it won't route them under a low bridge, and be done with it."
That was what I was hoping for...since it doesn't have that capability, I'll stick with the old fashion Motor Carriers Atlas. Oh yeah, and my laptop mapping program
Well, the testing I did was hardly anything official. Back last year I ran for about 2 months with multiple GPS units, usually two at at time to better compare them. I've used two Garmins, three TomToms and one Cobra unit. The Cobra unit I didn't like at all. Maps weren't accurate and the interface was goofy. They may or may not have improved things by now, I dunno.
Between the Garmins and the TomTom units, it's six of one, half a dozen of the other. Toss a coin. Some Garmins do things the TomToms don't, and visa versa, mostly cosmetic and personal preferences kinds of things. I did find the Garmins to be a little more accurate with their mapping and routing, but only marginally so.
If you're a fan of the Palm Pilot and other similar gadgets, the TomTom is probably the one you'll prefer because it's made by the same people, they're out of the Netherlands. The Garmin was made by the same people who started the Radio King avionics navigation electronics, and they were the ones who played the major role in the development and implementation of the NAVSTAR satellite system, they're based out of Olathe, KS.
TomTom has the lion's share of the GPS market in Europe, Garmin has it in North America. Toss a coin.
I settled on the Garmin Street Pilot c550, which is essentially the same as the c3xx line, except that the c550 has an MP3 player (which I never use) and it comes with NavTraffic real-time traffic alerts and automatic re-routing for traffic, which I use all time. Man is that handy.
I cannot overstate the significance of the NavTraffic with a GPS unit in the expediting business. The unit is constantly scanning ahead looking for better routing during the entire trip, and when it finds a better route it makes the necessary adjustments. The real-time traffic comes from an FM broadcast signal that the various DOT's collect from road and camera sensors, so when an accident happens or traffic starts accumulating, the Garmin knows about it within seconds, even if it's 100 miles away. If it can re-route you around the delay, it will, and if there's not a quicker routing around it, it will tell you right there on-screen how much of a delay there will be. And it adjusts the delay up or down as you get there. It's very kewl. Not 100% accurate, obviously, as not all locations on the map have traffic sensor tracking, but it's pretty good, and far better than nothing or having to rely on the CB.
A couple of days after that bridge fell in Minneapolis, I had to make a delivery that would have normally taken me to one exit north of the bridge, but the NavTraffic told the Garmin that the road was closed, and it routed me around it and right to where I needed to go. An accident happened less than 10 minutes in front of my in the construction of downtown Milwaukee, closing the exit I needed to take. The Garmin knew about it almost immediately and had me exit sooner, got me to where I needed to be on time.
I used GPS with a laptop for a long time. Being a computer uber geek that was simply the only option I even considered. I mean, even discounting all other rationales, why spend $350, $800, $1000 on a standalone GSP unit when I can spend $100 and use my laptop and have large maps and pretty interfaces with Streets and Trips and DeLorme? That's a slam-dunk no-brainer, right?
Wrong.
These are not squeaky toys by a long shot. Not even close. These are serious electronics that are far, far easier to use than is a laptop, and oh, by the way, what are paper maps?
First and foremost, a laptop or an Atlas, even under the best of circumstances, are both cumbersome and unsafe to use while driving. This is particularly true when being used in "complicated" areas when you need to refer to the map the most, like in congested areas where there will be several quick routing turns one right after the other. That's precisely the time when your attention must be more focused on the road and on others around you, than on a map.
I was positive that I would miss the large screen of the laptop and would not like that teeny tiny way too small screen on the GPS unit. But it turns out that 95% of the stuff displayed on that large screen is never looked at. On the big screen you look at the little car putting along, you look a little bit ahead of it to see where you are going, you look at the time, distance and direction for your next turn, and that's about it. All of that information is right there in 4 square inches right in front of your eyes on the dash with a standalone unit (I have mine mounted on the dash at about 2:00 relative to the steering wheel, so it's nearly in my line of sight while driving, and I don't even have to take my hand on the wheel to punch the screen.)
I still fire up Street and Trips, for use mainly as an Atlas to get an overview of things, use it like an Atlas, as the GPS unit is a routing tool and not an Atlas. With the Garmin, it's difficult to get the miles and routing from one point to another unless you're already sitting at one of those points. It's always from where you are currently, to where you want to go. With Streets and Trips you can set start and end points anywhere you like. If I'm sitting in Columbus, for example, and I want to know the miles and routing between Cincinnati and Kansas City, it's much quicker and easier to do that with Streets and Trips than it is with my Garmin.
With the Garmin, I have to plug in Kansas City, and it routes me from where I am in Columbus to KC, and then I have to tell it that I want to make a stop in Cincinnati, and then it re-routes me through there, and then I have to look at the routing and back out the miles from Columbus to Cincinnati. It works, but it's a kludge, and something like Streets and Trips is much better for that kind of thing.
I haven't had much expedience with any of the units that have come out since last summer. But, for the most part, all of the models within the same categories (road, off-road, marine) from the same manufacturer will have the same maps. The exception seems to be the cheapest models, like the cheaper Nuvis, for example, that have the complete street-level maps for the US, but do not include Canada maps. If you don't go to Canada, that's not a problem, I guess. (Not speaking or reading French, I'd have never found the consignee on the northern edge of Montreal without a GPS unit. Not in a million years.)
So, the difference between the Street Pilot and the Nuvi from Garmin is largely minor features and interfaces. If you get out and walk about a lot, the Nuvi is probably the better choice as it's smaller, thinner and lighter, and gives walking directions. It's (some models) also got an audio book player, currency converter, measurement converter, a few things like that. Since the TomToms I have used are so similar (but again it's been over a year), I have to assume the same within the TomTom lines.
Slow and steady, even in expediting, wins the race - Aesop
Between the Garmins and the TomTom units, it's six of one, half a dozen of the other. Toss a coin. Some Garmins do things the TomToms don't, and visa versa, mostly cosmetic and personal preferences kinds of things. I did find the Garmins to be a little more accurate with their mapping and routing, but only marginally so.
If you're a fan of the Palm Pilot and other similar gadgets, the TomTom is probably the one you'll prefer because it's made by the same people, they're out of the Netherlands. The Garmin was made by the same people who started the Radio King avionics navigation electronics, and they were the ones who played the major role in the development and implementation of the NAVSTAR satellite system, they're based out of Olathe, KS.
TomTom has the lion's share of the GPS market in Europe, Garmin has it in North America. Toss a coin.
I settled on the Garmin Street Pilot c550, which is essentially the same as the c3xx line, except that the c550 has an MP3 player (which I never use) and it comes with NavTraffic real-time traffic alerts and automatic re-routing for traffic, which I use all time. Man is that handy.
I cannot overstate the significance of the NavTraffic with a GPS unit in the expediting business. The unit is constantly scanning ahead looking for better routing during the entire trip, and when it finds a better route it makes the necessary adjustments. The real-time traffic comes from an FM broadcast signal that the various DOT's collect from road and camera sensors, so when an accident happens or traffic starts accumulating, the Garmin knows about it within seconds, even if it's 100 miles away. If it can re-route you around the delay, it will, and if there's not a quicker routing around it, it will tell you right there on-screen how much of a delay there will be. And it adjusts the delay up or down as you get there. It's very kewl. Not 100% accurate, obviously, as not all locations on the map have traffic sensor tracking, but it's pretty good, and far better than nothing or having to rely on the CB.
A couple of days after that bridge fell in Minneapolis, I had to make a delivery that would have normally taken me to one exit north of the bridge, but the NavTraffic told the Garmin that the road was closed, and it routed me around it and right to where I needed to go. An accident happened less than 10 minutes in front of my in the construction of downtown Milwaukee, closing the exit I needed to take. The Garmin knew about it almost immediately and had me exit sooner, got me to where I needed to be on time.
I used GPS with a laptop for a long time. Being a computer uber geek that was simply the only option I even considered. I mean, even discounting all other rationales, why spend $350, $800, $1000 on a standalone GSP unit when I can spend $100 and use my laptop and have large maps and pretty interfaces with Streets and Trips and DeLorme? That's a slam-dunk no-brainer, right?
Wrong.
These are not squeaky toys by a long shot. Not even close. These are serious electronics that are far, far easier to use than is a laptop, and oh, by the way, what are paper maps?
First and foremost, a laptop or an Atlas, even under the best of circumstances, are both cumbersome and unsafe to use while driving. This is particularly true when being used in "complicated" areas when you need to refer to the map the most, like in congested areas where there will be several quick routing turns one right after the other. That's precisely the time when your attention must be more focused on the road and on others around you, than on a map.
I was positive that I would miss the large screen of the laptop and would not like that teeny tiny way too small screen on the GPS unit. But it turns out that 95% of the stuff displayed on that large screen is never looked at. On the big screen you look at the little car putting along, you look a little bit ahead of it to see where you are going, you look at the time, distance and direction for your next turn, and that's about it. All of that information is right there in 4 square inches right in front of your eyes on the dash with a standalone unit (I have mine mounted on the dash at about 2:00 relative to the steering wheel, so it's nearly in my line of sight while driving, and I don't even have to take my hand on the wheel to punch the screen.)
I still fire up Street and Trips, for use mainly as an Atlas to get an overview of things, use it like an Atlas, as the GPS unit is a routing tool and not an Atlas. With the Garmin, it's difficult to get the miles and routing from one point to another unless you're already sitting at one of those points. It's always from where you are currently, to where you want to go. With Streets and Trips you can set start and end points anywhere you like. If I'm sitting in Columbus, for example, and I want to know the miles and routing between Cincinnati and Kansas City, it's much quicker and easier to do that with Streets and Trips than it is with my Garmin.
With the Garmin, I have to plug in Kansas City, and it routes me from where I am in Columbus to KC, and then I have to tell it that I want to make a stop in Cincinnati, and then it re-routes me through there, and then I have to look at the routing and back out the miles from Columbus to Cincinnati. It works, but it's a kludge, and something like Streets and Trips is much better for that kind of thing.
I haven't had much expedience with any of the units that have come out since last summer. But, for the most part, all of the models within the same categories (road, off-road, marine) from the same manufacturer will have the same maps. The exception seems to be the cheapest models, like the cheaper Nuvis, for example, that have the complete street-level maps for the US, but do not include Canada maps. If you don't go to Canada, that's not a problem, I guess. (Not speaking or reading French, I'd have never found the consignee on the northern edge of Montreal without a GPS unit. Not in a million years.)
So, the difference between the Street Pilot and the Nuvi from Garmin is largely minor features and interfaces. If you get out and walk about a lot, the Nuvi is probably the better choice as it's smaller, thinner and lighter, and gives walking directions. It's (some models) also got an audio book player, currency converter, measurement converter, a few things like that. Since the TomToms I have used are so similar (but again it's been over a year), I have to assume the same within the TomTom lines.
Slow and steady, even in expediting, wins the race - Aesop
I've been considering the Garmin 7x00 series because of the traffic rerouting and the larger screen. They aren't nearly my 17" laptop but definitely larger than the 3xx series etc. and offer the traffic, and even XM radio in one.
Leo Bricker, 73's K5LDB
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Owner, Panther trucks 5508, 5509, 5641
EO Forum Moderator
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Support the entire Constitution, not just the parts you like.
Leo Bricker, 73's K5LDB
OOIDA Life Member 677319, JOIN NOW
Owner, Panther trucks 5508, 5509, 5641
EO Forum Moderator
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Support the entire Constitution, not just the parts you like.
Unless you plan on mounting the 7x00 series out of reach and will use the remote control, the screen size difference between those and the c5xx and c3xx models will not be any kind of significant factor.
But, one of the major advantages of the 7x00 series is the ability to input multiple stops and have it calculate the most efficient route. Some call that the Traveling Salesman feature. It's not something that I have found particularly lacking with expediting, however, but it's a feature I'd like to have on occasion.
(Most all of the Garmins use the same maps, so mapping and routing is gonna be the same with all of them. The difference between all the units are the various features.)
Another neat feature of both 7x00 units is that you can connect a camcorder, DVD player or other video input and use the screen as a monitor. The possibility of using it as a backup camera monitor is what first attracted me to the 7500. Well, that and the large screen.
The 7x00 series really needs to be updated with some of the more common features of the other units, though. The 7x00 units do not come with the new (now nearly two years old) SiRF GPS chipset, which provides for significantly better GSP satellite acquisition and retention in the mountains, cities and when among dense foliage. With the older standard chip, you'll lose the satellite signal quite easily. The 7500 model compensates for this by using dead reckoning navigation when it's installed so that it monitors the speedometer and odometer (that's really the only difference between the 7200 and the 7500). But with the SiRF chip, I generally don't even lose the signal when going through the tunnels on the PA Turnpike. Without the SiRF chip, dead reckoning is gonna be nearly a must-have if you deliver in large downtown areas a lot, like midtown Manhattan. With the SiRF, it's not a problem.
The XM and traffic options with the 7x00 units are just that, options. For the Traffic you need to also buy the $200 cable for it. Or, for the XM version of the Traffic, Weather and Radio, the cable for that is like $250.
None of the c3xx or c5xx models have XM capability, but all of them starting with the c340 and up have the FM Traffic on board.
The 7x00 models do not offer Bluetooth capabilities, either. (The similarly priced and featured 2820 does, however). That may or may not be important, especially in a truck, as even in a relatively quiet van I sound to others like I'm calling from an open cockpit biplane. It's much more useful to those driving the quieter passenger cars, I think.
The huge screen is one with low resolution, and simply cannot be seen very well in brighter light. The 5xx and 3xx until have a significantly better screen (surprising, I know).
In my opinion, the 7x00 units are way overpriced considering the features you get, and the feature that are lacking. If these high end 7x00 units had all of the features of the much newer, lower priced units, they might be worth the price. The larger screen simply isn't even close to being enough of a factor to justify the price over one of the c3xx or c5xx or the higher end Nuvi units (the Nuvi units contain a lot of "touristy" features, which many in expediting may like). Simply put, unless you need the Traveling Salesman feature really badly, there is no reason to get a 7x00 unit.
Go over all the feature very closely before you pay an extra $500 just for a larger screen with lower resolution, and then lay out more for the traffic or XM hardware.
In all honesty, take a close look at the newer Nuvi units. The Nuvi 680 is impressive, and the newest Nuvi 750 that just came out is very kewl. It's the base model of the 7xx series and there are two other models due out soon The 750 does not have Bluetooth (the 680 does), but all the higher end Nuvi's have FM broadcast so you can get the spoken turn directions through the stereo system. The 750 does have the Traveling Salesman feature, as well as the ability to save routes and recall them later. One nifty feature of the 7xx series is it will remember where you are parked. The Nuvi units are small and lightweight (put it in your shirt pocket), and are designed to be taken with you so you can navigate on foot, important for walking tours of unfamiliar places. But, when you do, it will remember where you parked, which can be very handy for blonds at large shopping malls.
And, the Nuvi's have a larger widescreen. The c3xx and c5xx Street pilots have a 3.5" diagonal screen (2.8w x 2.1h), but the Nuvi is 4.3 diagonal (3.81w x 2.25h). May not seem like much, but when you see them and the data on them, it's significant, as the Nuvi's present more information on-screen due to having more features.
I'm quite happy with my c550, but, if I were to go out and buy a new unit tomorrow, I'd get the Nuvi 680. NavTech FM traffic on board, Bluetooth, FM transmitter, larger screen, it's got it. I might wait for the other units in the 750 series and see what they offer, as those do have the multiple stops and the ability to save routes, but that's a very minor consideration here.
Slow and steady, even in expediting, wins the race - Aesop
But, one of the major advantages of the 7x00 series is the ability to input multiple stops and have it calculate the most efficient route. Some call that the Traveling Salesman feature. It's not something that I have found particularly lacking with expediting, however, but it's a feature I'd like to have on occasion.
(Most all of the Garmins use the same maps, so mapping and routing is gonna be the same with all of them. The difference between all the units are the various features.)
Another neat feature of both 7x00 units is that you can connect a camcorder, DVD player or other video input and use the screen as a monitor. The possibility of using it as a backup camera monitor is what first attracted me to the 7500. Well, that and the large screen.
The 7x00 series really needs to be updated with some of the more common features of the other units, though. The 7x00 units do not come with the new (now nearly two years old) SiRF GPS chipset, which provides for significantly better GSP satellite acquisition and retention in the mountains, cities and when among dense foliage. With the older standard chip, you'll lose the satellite signal quite easily. The 7500 model compensates for this by using dead reckoning navigation when it's installed so that it monitors the speedometer and odometer (that's really the only difference between the 7200 and the 7500). But with the SiRF chip, I generally don't even lose the signal when going through the tunnels on the PA Turnpike. Without the SiRF chip, dead reckoning is gonna be nearly a must-have if you deliver in large downtown areas a lot, like midtown Manhattan. With the SiRF, it's not a problem.
The XM and traffic options with the 7x00 units are just that, options. For the Traffic you need to also buy the $200 cable for it. Or, for the XM version of the Traffic, Weather and Radio, the cable for that is like $250.
None of the c3xx or c5xx models have XM capability, but all of them starting with the c340 and up have the FM Traffic on board.
The 7x00 models do not offer Bluetooth capabilities, either. (The similarly priced and featured 2820 does, however). That may or may not be important, especially in a truck, as even in a relatively quiet van I sound to others like I'm calling from an open cockpit biplane. It's much more useful to those driving the quieter passenger cars, I think.
The huge screen is one with low resolution, and simply cannot be seen very well in brighter light. The 5xx and 3xx until have a significantly better screen (surprising, I know).
In my opinion, the 7x00 units are way overpriced considering the features you get, and the feature that are lacking. If these high end 7x00 units had all of the features of the much newer, lower priced units, they might be worth the price. The larger screen simply isn't even close to being enough of a factor to justify the price over one of the c3xx or c5xx or the higher end Nuvi units (the Nuvi units contain a lot of "touristy" features, which many in expediting may like). Simply put, unless you need the Traveling Salesman feature really badly, there is no reason to get a 7x00 unit.
Go over all the feature very closely before you pay an extra $500 just for a larger screen with lower resolution, and then lay out more for the traffic or XM hardware.
In all honesty, take a close look at the newer Nuvi units. The Nuvi 680 is impressive, and the newest Nuvi 750 that just came out is very kewl. It's the base model of the 7xx series and there are two other models due out soon The 750 does not have Bluetooth (the 680 does), but all the higher end Nuvi's have FM broadcast so you can get the spoken turn directions through the stereo system. The 750 does have the Traveling Salesman feature, as well as the ability to save routes and recall them later. One nifty feature of the 7xx series is it will remember where you are parked. The Nuvi units are small and lightweight (put it in your shirt pocket), and are designed to be taken with you so you can navigate on foot, important for walking tours of unfamiliar places. But, when you do, it will remember where you parked, which can be very handy for blonds at large shopping malls.
And, the Nuvi's have a larger widescreen. The c3xx and c5xx Street pilots have a 3.5" diagonal screen (2.8w x 2.1h), but the Nuvi is 4.3 diagonal (3.81w x 2.25h). May not seem like much, but when you see them and the data on them, it's significant, as the Nuvi's present more information on-screen due to having more features.
I'm quite happy with my c550, but, if I were to go out and buy a new unit tomorrow, I'd get the Nuvi 680. NavTech FM traffic on board, Bluetooth, FM transmitter, larger screen, it's got it. I might wait for the other units in the 750 series and see what they offer, as those do have the multiple stops and the ability to save routes, but that's a very minor consideration here.
Slow and steady, even in expediting, wins the race - Aesop