The NUVI 760

[Rocketman]

Ah, truck as the vehicle type. Some of the 700 series units no longer have trucks are vehicle type, but Garmin says that will be fixed in an upcoming software update.

Hmmm...that would be interesting. I know there is an update available that I haven't purchased yet for my 750.

Phil, don't sweat it. I think you'll be pleased with the 750. I have very little trouble with mine.

As for zoom, just tap the screen first, then look to the top corners of the screen the "-" is on the left and the "+" is on the right. zoom away. Via points? You can use "where to" or you can zoom in on a road and touch the screen, then pick "go" at the bottom of the screen, from there you will have the option of changing that point to your destination or use it as a via. Finding cities? Just enter it into the "where to" screen just like you would any other destination. When it gets to the point of asking for street names and #'s, just click "go" or "enter" (I apologize, my unit is not in front of me and I don't remember the exact word). By doing this, your basicly telling it to skip that info. It will search and find a list of streets in that city...just pick one if your just wanting something general...that's what I do anyway.

It's a good product, you just have to learn how to use it. Of course mine is not perfect ALL the time...only about 98% would be my guess.

 

[Turtle]

I wish there was an easy way to "avoid road" for a specific road, and to make it part of a list of permanently avoided roads. That would help to avoid things like the 407 in Toronto so it won't even waste time in using the road in calculations, as well as to permanently avoid roads or sections of road that contain low bridges.

 

[OntarioVanMan]

Turtle...sometimes taking Highway #7 or Steeles Ave or Brittania Rd will get you around north Toronto without the 407 or the 401...check out your maps on that....
What model Garmin or GPS you use? Thinking of getting my first electronic talking wife...*L*

 

[Turtle]

Oh, I don't have any problems avoiding the 407, but that one just seemed like a good example. Often, my Garmin c550 will route me on it, and when that happens, I just don't take the exit for it, and it re-routes me.

If I were to buy a new Garmin today, it would be in the high 6xx series or the 8xx series, depending on how much I wanted to spend.

 

[OntarioVanMan]

Oh, I don't have any problems avoiding the 407, but that one just seemed like a good example. Often, my Garmin c550 will route me on it, and when that happens, I just don't take the exit for it, and it re-routes me.

If I were to buy a new Garmin today, it would be in the high 6xx series or the 8xx series, depending on how much I wanted to spend.

Why don't you go on the 407?

 

[pelicn]

I'm tellin ya....you can avoid all these GPS problems if you just get yourself a good co-driver.

Seriously, if someone would come out with one that is accurate with low clearances, and restricted routes I'd get one. Until then...it's the atlas and streets & trips.

 

[Turtle]

It's a toll road that is a transponder-only toll, and if you don't have a transponder they take a picture of your license plate, then send you a bill. For cars and most cargo vans, it's not that bad. For a Sprinter, it's a really huge toll bill. Obscene.

They think the Sprinter should be classified as a straight truck "Heavy Vehicle" (which is over 5000kg, or something like 11,000 pounds GVW), which does several things. One, the rate goes from 19 cent per km to 38 cents per km ($11 minimum) traveled (it's different depending on time of day, tho), and because you don't have a transponder they charge you a $2.55 for each month you use the ETR, plus a $50 fee per trip for not having the transponder that is required for all Heavy Vehicles (that one's temporarily reduced to $15 at the moment) and there's a collection fee and an enforcement fee, I think those two are $15 and $18, something like that. They also charge you $3.60 PER TRIP for the video tolling fee to take a picture of your license plate and then have someone (the computer does OCR for about 80% of them, people do 15%, and 5% are discarded as unreadable) read it and figure out where to send your bill. You'd think that if they can read your licence plate and figure out what your address is, they would be able to figure out what the GVW is of the truck, even one from the States.

You can get on there and drive 20km and a few weeks later find yourself looking at $95 toll bill. A few Sprinter owners I have talked to have had varying degrees of success in getting the bill reduced to something more like $14, which with the $3.60 video toll fee and the monthly access fee $2.55 plus, say, 20 km at .19 per, that's about what it would be. Plus, I think the $15 collection fee. Plus taxes on the fees, of course.

Even on the cheap end, that's a lot to pay for a short trip on the ETR. If you're in a car and live up there, and drive on it more than once a month, it ends up being a premium of about $.70 per trip to use it without a trandponder. Not a lot, but it adds up. I think the ETR has about 90 million transactions a year now, with 30% of that being video tolling and 70% being transponder tolling. That means (90m x .3 x .7 = $18.9 million) is getting collected as a premium for those willing to use video tolling.

Incidentally, they have about 6% of the trips are being listed as "unbillable" with 5% being the license plates they can't read, and the other 1% being either people who have moved and have no new address, or they are from unbillable juristictions, which is Manitoba, and all states in the US except NY, OH, MI and PA. In Canada (except Manitoba) and the States not listed (they have express agreements with NY, OH, MI and PA), they can actually deny your vehicle plate registration if you have any unpaid tolls that are more than 125 days old.

I live in KY, so I could probably run wild on the 407 and not have to pay the bill. But that would be wrong, plus since I go there several times a year, it could jeopardize not only my FAST card, but my entry into the country, as well. No point in going up there as a guest in their country and then acting a fool. I'd rather get in and get out with as little hassle as possible, instead of taking a chance of it getting messy.

 

[Jack_Berry]

another reason you cannot find addresses is because navteq, who provides all the gps unit sellers with the maps, does not have daily updates.

i need to order a cd from magelln to get recent updates. i cnnot lways find my dest also. it is not the unuts fault it has north something road but the dest is on south something rd and it is new addition to the world. it is not on navteqs radar yet.

 

[Tennesseahawk]

IMO, the gps is supposed to work IN CONJUNCTION with your other tools - atlas, mapquest, etc., not take their place. It's also not meant to take the place of your brain, not supposed to steer your truck, and it doesn't make streets wider in Phili so your truck can fit. That's why I don't have one yet. I don't feel like waking up to a crunch, with my nephew saying, "But the gps said..." Once he stops 'knowing everything' and starts learning again, I'll pony up for one. I'd like it to simply help navigate in the dark; and for those lovely areas that think they don't need street signs, cause everyone should know them.

 

[arrbsthw]

We have a Nuivi 350. We use it in conjuction with
our map, our Delorme Program. It is not our
total source for directions. It IS a major help
though. We have been saved many times as it kept
us from passing our street / turn.

Ours has the Where am I at feature. We can
put the address of the location we need or just
the name of town and find where we need to be.
Yes she will tell us we are off route, turn here when
we need to go straight and will tell us there is a better route..but all in all Garmin is worth every penny to
us. It has saved us many times.

You can load Points of interest from Paws On Industries (Ithink) I have downloaded the rest areas so
it will search and let you know where the next one is.
There is Walmart's listed and truck stops in case you need them.
Very handy device to have in my opinion.

 

[Turtle]

One thing I like about DeLorme is that is has industrial businesses, warehouses and industrial parks, even LTL terminals in its database. I wish Garmin would do that.