Perfect...almost!
Written: Jan 25 '02 (Updated Jan 25 '02)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: 19MB RAM, compact, tons of options
Cons: Expensive, memory not expandable
The Bottom Line: Spectacular product. Has full autorouting capability
and 19MB of memory. Would be perfect if it had memory expansion capabilities.
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| andruzzo's Full Review: Garmin GPS V GPS Receiver |
I had been waiting anxiously for this product for the
last little while. I used to have a Garmin GPS III plus
(which I reviewed: http://www.epinions.com/otdr-review-6EE8-CB04CAA-39254ACE-prod3) and I was totally in awe with the device...until I started buying MapSource CDs and realized that the 1.44MB of memory just wasn't enough...not even
by a long shot. I knew it would be a matter of time until
Garmin came out with a new and improved model. Well here it is!
At first glance, it looks exactly like a GPS III Plus and
is the same size and weight. Even all the accessories
for the III+ work with the V. The only difference, is
the yellow "V" on the nav button. It weighs about 9 ounces
and it is waterproof to IEC 529 IPX7 standards.
Once you turn it on, you see that the resolution is a little better than the III+, but the menu system and
screen selection is the same. Owners of other Garmin products, especially the handheld models, will be right at home with this item. The screen is monochrome although
a color version is surely on the roadmap.
The functionality, of course, is generally the same as with all GPS products....to tell you where you are. However, the GPS V packs some added-value functionality. First of all it has WAAS capability (Wide Area Augmentation System), which is essentially GPS signal correction, that ultimately gives you increased accuracy to within 3 meters. However, WAAS is only available in North America, so this capability will not benefit you outside that continent.
Another added value is automatic routing and destination turn-by-turn directions. You can select a location and
the device will work out the 'best' path and give you directions on how to get there. You can either have a text only version, or you can have text displayed on the top portion of the map view. From what I know, the GPS V is
the only handheld that features this automatic routing feature.
The GPS V also comes with the CitySelect CD which allows you
to load in a certain region with a supplied key. To enable the other areas, you can purchase other keys. Although, I have seen people on eBay selling keys that unlock the entire CD...I don't know if these actually do work or if they are legit. In addition, you can still use all of the MapSource CDs that are currently available, and thanks to
the 19MB of memory, you can actually USE the Mapsource CDs!
My Mapsource CDs all work great and I can now load in any area I'm interested in. Mind you, I can't load EVERYTHING,
but I can load more than enough for any area of interest.
Of course, 19MB of memory is much more than the 1.44MB on the III+ but I can't believe that Garmin didn't provide a memory expansion port on this device!! This device would have been absolutely PERFECT if it had the capability of
popping in a memory stick or compact flash card.
I'll admit that the mapping functionality is NOT perfect
and the basemaps and loadable maps can be inaccurate or outdated but it's to be expected to a certain extent and you
would be hard pressed to find anything better.
A couple of other things that Garmin has added are a breakout game for those long boring trips, a gas mileage calculator, an audible alarm and a hunt/fishing option (which I'm not sure exactly what I will use this for). Supposedly it will give you the best times to go fishing or hunting in your current location.
The battery life seems to be quite good. I've had the
batteries in now for over two weeks and have been using
it on and off and they still have juice. I'd say that
the battery life is at least as good as the III+. The
garmin site claims 25 hours, but again that will vary
depending on how much backlight you use and what
update rate and how much auto routing.
Along with the GPS, in the box you will find:
a wrist strap, a velcro strip, a car mounting kit, a 12V adapter, manuals, CitySelect CD and key certificate
and the PC data cable to transfer data to and from the device.
All in all, I'm extremely happy with the device.
Sure, the price is a little high, but it definitely is
a useful and beautiful little gadget. It would have been great if it could accept a memory expansion module so that you can add more memory or have a different memory module for different geographic areas. If it had this capability
would be the perfect GPS device.
For completeness, the following link is an independent
review on the web for the GPS V which includes a lot of detail and a whole bunch of screen captures. Take a look for a very thorough analysis:
http://www.gpsinformation.net/gps5/g5review.htm
Also, you can see the a 360 degree flash view of the
device on Garmin's site, along with a .PDF of the
manual:
http://www.garmin.com/products/gps5/
For those out there that have always wondered how GPS technolgy works, follow this link. Knowing how it
works makes you appreciate it even more:
http://www.howstuffworks.com/gps1.htm
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
andruzzo
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Reviews written: 26
Trusted by: 9 members
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