I have been wanting to get a gps for quite some time and was wondering what everyone thinks would be the best solution. Do people prefer a true stand alone gps or the 6700 and bt receiver? I'm not really that concerned with the price of a stand alone compared to a bt receiver. I plan on getting a magellan roadmate 6000t which seems to be the only magellan with bt so i could still connect with it for hands-free. Any thoughts or opinions? Thanks in advance.
I have not paid attention to how the in-dash or standalone GPSes get updated software or maps mostly becasue my BT GPS mouse works well with either my 6700 or my 650, but also because of the cost. Also with the standalone it is just one more thing to worry about having stolen or to carry around. But I would definately check into how to update a standalone before plunking down that kind of cash.
I love my BT receiver (GlobalSat 338) because I can run more than one GPS program on my phone (even at the same time). I have AstroNavigator, iGuidance, Map4PDA, NavigatorII, MS S&T and Globe installed. And if I decided to stop using iGuidance and use TomTom instead I could. Can't do that with a standalone. - sheureka
bt 'bullet' receivers are much better if you ask me. A stand alone will eventually get outdated. A bullet can move from unit to unit, and uses software that is much easier to update, and updated more often.
__________________
Sprint Mogul (PPC-6800) - dcd 3.0.1 ..... 3.35.04 ..... OliPro 2.40 ..... 60610 PRL
Sprint PPC-6600 - 2.07.00 WWE ..... HA00_166 (spare phone laying around)
Sprint PPC-6600 - 2.04.00 WWE ..... HA00_140 ..... 1.36.113 WWE (used for GPS only)
awesome input guys, i really appreciate it. Normally i would really just go for the bt receiver without a hitch, but i found a deal on a magellans for almost half off, which is whats making this a tougher decision
rally1, i think your setup is amazing, truely a very simple and clean setup. Is the carputer hidden in the dash?
Oh and a general question to anyone using the bt receiver: How is the visibility of the screen compared to most of the standalone gps? (3-3.5 inch screens on most of them i think)
My GlobalSat BT-338 has been solid as a rock since it first came out - but if I were doing it now I'd get the GlobalSat BT-359 - http://www.semsons.com/glbtblgpsref.html - sheureka
thanks for the response sheureka. Do you have problems seeing the screen or is it big enough?? Also, how does the receiver mount? Does it have to be on the windshield or can i hide it below the dash?
Do you have problems seeing the screen or is it big enough?? Also, how does the receiver mount? Does it have to be on the windshield or can i hide it below the dash?
I haven't had problems seeing the screen - but generally I depend a lot on the voice. I use a ProClip swivel mount for the phone so I can adjust the angle. I just throw my receiver into the little cubbyhole under the radio. Unless I'm in a very difficult environment (big, wet trees or big tall buildings) it picks up the signal very quickly in there. Occasionally if I haven't used it in a while or if I'm in a completely new place (i.e., having flown somewhere and using it in a rental car) I put it on the dash because then it has to get a "cold" fix.
Quote:
what makes the bt-359 better than the bt-338?
Here's an article comparing the two - http://www.gpspassion.com/fr/articles.asp?id=192. The only advantage to the 338 seems to be slightly longer battery life (and it's much bulkier). But the fact that the 359 uses a mini-USB plug for power for me is a huge advantage. And I love the size.
THANKS!! i think this will sway my decision to go with the 359. How is the "free vent mount"? I think i will make my own swivel to go with. Also, is the 10% off discount for gpspassion members still valid?
I'm not a fan of vent mounts - Arkon's or anybody else's. But I think mounts are really personal things. As far as I know the gpspassion discount is still available. Check over there to make sure. Enjoy! - sheureka
I don't know if any final decisions have been made, but here's my .02. A friend of mine has a BT GPS he has used with various pdaphones and I have a Garmin 2610 stand alone. We took a trip and put both side to side to compare them. It was a toss up. Both gave pretty good routing and directions. There were differences, but the maps came from different companies so that could be expected.
Even with that result, I still prefer the stand alone GPS and one that is not integrated in the car (sure, they look cleaner but you can't take them from car to car). When I'm traveling, I use my pdaphone as a phone, looking things up on the internet (like interstate cams), or playing music through the stereo. There is only so much we can ask these things to do at the same time - how would you like it if you were close to your destination and you had to soft reset the device and find you missed your turn? Plus, don't forget about memory. If you take a trip more than a state away, you may not have the memory available to have all the mapping and point of interest data available the whole way (which can be very important if you need to go around an accident up ahead or need to find a business or rest area real fast).
I really like Garmin. Their devices work really well and they stand behind them with frequent updates providing mroe functionality and fixing any issues that they find out about.
My vote is the stand alone GPS. Aside from what I've mentioned above, if you need to loan it to somoene (spouse, friend going on a trip, etc) you can do so and keep your pdaphone.
Update: OK, so I re-read what some people have written here and feel the need to say more. I can only speak for the Garmins, not the Magellans. I've found that for softare updates, Garmin has provided up to about 4/yr on the operating system. The maps are updated annually and cost about $75 each retail. Everything is updated through a PC with a USB connection. If you have a media reader (my unit uses a compact flash), you can use that to update the maps. It's a piece of cake and you are using software that serves one purpose and it does it very well.
__________________
It's working for me, there must not be anything wrong!
My vote is the stand alone GPS. Aside from what I've mentioned above, if you need to loan it to somoene (spouse, friend going on a trip, etc) you can do so and keep your pdaphone.
i don't share my toys with anyone...
haha thanks for your input. I really appreciate it but I think I am pretty set on getting BT receiver, likely the 359 described above. My next decision is software, i was looking at iguidance, or maybe just going with windows live search, any suggestions?
My next decision is software, i was looking at iguidance, or maybe just going with windows live search, any suggestions?
Think of being in a strange city at rush hour on a massive freeway interchange - or of being in a unfamiliar neighborhood at night looking for an address - and then think how stressful it would be to try to look at the map while you're driving. Get a program (and I'd suggest iGuidance) with voice directions. - sheureka
A friend of mine has TomTom. Seems to be fairly popular and he likes it a lot. I agree with Sheureka, you need something that will give you spoken directions. however, that doesn't mean that you can't still use windows live. It's pretty cool being able to see a satellite image of where you are going.
__________________
It's working for me, there must not be anything wrong!
Login
Panel
