T1B

I'm gonna break down and get one - The recent trip to DC convinced me printing google maps in advance or trying to read google maps on on my blackberry don't cut it. The "everlost" in the hertz rentals is shit. I've read Garmin street pilot 340 is real good for the money.

Anyone have any experience with a decent one?

Does a real man ever ask or directions---even from a computer ??
Just askin'

KC Scott wrote:I'm gonna break down and get one - The recent trip to DC convinced me

you have to be all sorts of retarded to get lost in one of the easiest cities to figure out WHERE THE FUCK YOU ARE and WHERE THE FUCK TO GO.

KC and all...

The best place to be in Kansas City is right in the exact center of the city. Because the next step you take, no matter in what direction, you're on your way out of town.

i've been to KC. every goddamn millimeter of it on I-70 East. Definitely didn't see any reason to try an exit. Only thing I might want to have seen there, arrowhead and royal stadium are easily seen from 70.

smackaholic wrote:i've been to KC. every goddamn millimeter of it on I-70 East. Definitely didn't see any reason to try an exit. Only thing I might want to have seen there, arrowhead and royal stadium are easily seen from 70.

Yea, but you could have rappelled down KFC Paul's gunt if you had stuck around for a while.

I've used one in the past that was given to me to test out. Was it handy? Not really enough that I'd say I had to have one or was incapable of finding my way around a city without the use of it. Besides which, myself at least, once I've been somewhere once, I can always remember how to get back there without the need of a map.
Now for first time directions when a map's not possible, there's this great device called a telephone which I've found works wonders...

You getting old Scott or just looking for a new Christmas toy?

I've used the Tom Tom GO 800. It was far superior to the Alpine unit I replaced it with. It was under warranty, and the power on button stopped working. I regret getting this alpine unit, as it doesn't work near as well, but it's still under warranty, so it will probably break soon.

I travel by night and use the constellations as my guide.

I have used a De Lorme GPS with a Streets & Maps Program for 4 years with my laptop..

It's always been outstanding.

Nah, I'd rather not have the government track me.

Sin,

Me.

Btw, if you idiots think the government can't track you, via Garmin, or TomTom, or any of that bullshit, talk with China. After all, it's not like they can track which Web sites are being used.

"Oh, but it helps me find my way around."

Fucking idiots.

No way, no how.

RadioFan wrote:Nah, I'd rather not have the government track me.

Sin,

Me.

Btw, if you idiots think the government can't track you, via Garmin, or TomTom, or any of that bullshit, talk with China. After all, it's not like they can track which Web sites are being used.

"Oh, but it helps me find my way around."

Fucking idiots.

No way, no how.

I feel sorry for the fuck that gets the job of tracking me via GPS.

That's exactly why I travel by night and use the constellations as my guide.

The sextant is highly underrated, I have nothing but Props for the ole skool.

Y2K wrote:I feel sorry for the fuck that gets the job of tracking me via GPS.

You're kidding, right?

If a company has it, the government can get it, under "national security." You can't be this naive, can ya?

Maybe things are different around here, but on the rare occasions I don't know where I am, I stop and ask the next person I see, and it's pretty freaking rare that person doesn't help me out.

Then again, if I'm travelling to an unfamiliar area, I tend to consult a map first... call me crazy like that.

There was an ugly little incident, something about pulling into the wrong Coast Gaurd base, and having all of the guns aimed at me... but as a general rule, I seem to get around just fine without GPS. Now, if I spent as much time bumping around barely-charted U&L wilderness, I might indulge... but they have these things called "compasses and topo maps," which seem to have worked pretty well over the last few decades, so fuck GPS.

We all have our limitations.
I had a bad experience with "MapQuest"--a couple years ago we drove over to Miami to see my alma mater, the University of Maine Black Bears play football at Florida International Univeristy. Going along fine with MrsO riding shot gun and reading the map--- I ask, what's our next turn and she says there is none-- I realize we are in Little Havana and we're running out of road as I could see the ocean a ways down the street. Nothing but Spanish signage and all Latino folks along the street and me knowing only a few Spanish swear words, I spot a USPS mail delivery guy-- I think at least this guy must be bi-lingual. I luckily found a place to stop and ask him for directions. What luck ! HE happened to live a couple blocks from FIU and got me turned around and on our way. After that I have been cautious about MapQuest, Yahoo Maps, and Google Maps, et al.

baby/bathwater/etc.

You guys are a bunch of pussies.

GPS in a car?

You gots to be kidding.

In a car there's way too much shit that's way too easy to collide with if you're taking the necessary time to program a route into it- or change one on the fly. Of course in a car you can pull over to the side of the road.

But, if you're absolutely insistent on getting a GPS, you should go with the very best: http://www.garmin.com/products/g1000/

With the job I'm doing now I am traveling to a lot of cities I haven't been to previously.

Always relied on Google / printing out maps in advance - But the recent DC trip was a perfect example of how GPS could have helped out. I had the route out of Regan mapped to jump on 66 west out to Manassas - great no problem except when I landed and got the rental car 66 was closed unless you were HOV. So had to route all the way up GW back to 495 S and then back to 66. Also noticing that the google / mapquest maps are sometimes (*gasp*) wrong.

The new GPS alert you (supposedly) to road cosntruction and shit like that. I'm seeing a lot offellow road warriors with the Garmin Street Pilots (must be why Garmins stock has rocketed). For those that don't get on a plane or three every week, it's not something your going to understand anyway.

Scott,
The GPS units don't alert you to road work (unless you sign up and pay for a service for traffic conditions - I've never done that) but the Tom tom GO unit had a re-route feature that would enable you to go around a detour for 1/4, 1/2 all the way up to 3 miles, as well as choose and map an alternate route, or a simple reroute that takes you another way.

It also enables you to minimize / maximize freeways, and to go with quickest / shortest routes.

As for the traffic option, if you travel to the same cities all the time, there is probably a 1-800 number you can call to check on highway conditions. They have one here in Cali where you just enter the HWY number and they give you all of the conditions - weather and construction - that are going on on all sections of that highway.

RadioFan wrote:

Y2K wrote:I feel sorry for the fuck that gets the job of tracking me via GPS.

You're kidding, right?

If a company has it, the government can get it, under "national security." You can't be this naive, can ya?

Get that foil cap out.

Shouldn’t you be laying low, Kevnic? It’s almost reindeer time.

KC Scott wrote:I'm seeing a lot offellow road warriors with the Garmin Street Pilots (must be why Garmins stock has rocketed)..

And you're the self-appointed stock-expert, right?

Garmin's business is predominantly Aviation & Military. GPS for cars is strictly a side line for them. Garmin gets the lion's share of the car GPS business because they're the biggest in ALL uses of GPS. And they're the biggest because they're the best.

I've got some sort of TomTom that I got through my work (some sort of rewards program, where they give you stuff instead of a bonus for doing a good job). It's come in pretty handy since we moved to Sacramento and didn't really know our way around at first. Don't use as much now as we first did, though.

In my world, GPS is a necessity. I love cunnilingus, and I ain't givin' up till I get to that peachpit.

--RumpleSpelunker

Sudden Sam wrote:Anyone here bought a GPS?

For what? Can't read a map?

A lot of motorcycle riders are buying them now! Cracks me up. If I need to go northwest, I'll ride roads that go north and/or west. That's really tough to figure out.

I ain't in no hurry to get anywhere.

I have a Garmin that I use for hunting. I love it. When you are out walking in the mountains for hours on end, it is real easy to lose track of where your camp is. With a GPS, you can head right to it without worrying about walking in circles. Also, when you're packing out a quartered deer, you want to waste as little energy as possible.

GPS for driving? Not so much.

My wife uses it for geocaching tho.

Also good for marking underwater structures when fishing.

Goober McTuber wrote:Also good for marking underwater structures when fishing.

Quit scanning me!

sin

I use a Garmin Edge 205 for bike training and Suunto X9i for running and out door stuff.
One of the reasons I wouldn't mind a GPS in my car is the bluetooth phone/mp3 player and then gps. At $300 to $400 its cheaper then a new BMW.