I love it! And so does everyone who sees it!
Written: Mar 29 '02
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Automatic routing, detouring, and highly precise location technology.
Cons: Wish the screen was larger, it can be hard to see in certain lighting.
The Bottom Line: With the exception of the screen size, this unit is as full-featured as the $2,000 in-car NAV systems available in high-end automobiles. Plus, you can swap it between vehicles!
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| dtoombs's Full Review: Garmin GPS V GPS Receiver |
Well, after looking through my "gadget graveyard" and finding a few items I could hock on eBay, I found myself with a few hundred dollars burning a hole into my pocket. Hmm. What to buy?
I went to Best Buy (my favorite store, which I affectionately call "the crack house") and looked around. The problem with being into gadgets so much is that eventually you walk around a store like that and say "Hmmm .. I've got one of each already".
So, I finally come across the GPS V mapping/navigation unit. I've tried to do this before with some of the laptop software and GPS receiver combinations, but I just don't like the way they work -- it's cumbersome, you've got to put the laptop on the passenger seat, etc. So, for $450 I decided to give the GPS V a shot. I assumed that if I didn't like it I'd return it within the 14 day period.
Well, let me tell you -- after the first day I was absolutely hooked! This is quite an amazing little device. I got it into the car and quickly stuffed some high-powered Lithium batteries in it. The unit powered up, got a location fix, and immediately showed the nearest road to me on the basemap (US interstates and major major roads). Granted, the basemap had the name slightly wrong (it was a "Parkway" instead of a "Road") but it was no big deal. I drove home and booted up the MapSource CD-ROM to download my region's data.
Now, in my opinion there are two things to consider when purchasing a unit like this -- the quality of the unit, and the accuracy of the data (and how frequently you can get it updated). Let's talk about each.
Unit Quality
The actual GPS is built very sturdy -- I would not worry if I accidentally dropped this, as I'm sure it would survive quite nicely unless it landed squarely on the screen. It is unobtrusive, and is designed to be mounted on the dashboard. They provide a nice mounting bracket which you affix to your dashboard. The bracket allows you to quickly remove the device when needed, or move the unit from one car to another. Even more importantly, Garmin included both permanent and non-permanent adhesive mounts for attaching the mounting bracket to your dash. I used the non-permanent adhesive mount and I like knowing that if I ever remove this from my brand new car, it's not going to mess up my dash.
Power the unit up, and it goes through a few splash screens and then starts acquiring satellites. The WAAS capability - which gives it even greater accuracy than a standard GPS - is disabled by default. If you live in the continental US, you can take advantage of this feature. Other countries don't have this, as it requires fixed ground stations which provide microscopic "corrections" to the existing GPS system. When the system is locked into a fix that is augmented by WAAS, it will say "3D Differential" - letting you know that WAAS is doing its job. So far, the accuracy of this unit (based on what it tells me) has averaged within about 20 feet. Since my truck is about 15 feet long, that's just about perfect for a vehicle GPS system.
The battery life is also very good on this unit -- I chose the high-powered Lithium batteries available in Best Buy, and I've used (according to the GPS) 11 hours of battery life so far. But, the battery strength meter on the display says I still have a full charge. We'll see how long it takes to replace the batteries (I've got 8 extras in the glovebox). They also include a cigarette lighter adapter in the box (nice that they don't make you purchase it as an accessory) which I would use for long road trips.
Routing and data quality
Despite the fact that this may be the most precise GPS available to a consumer, if the data has errors the device can't correct that. However, I'm incredibly impressed with the amount of detail in the data and the accuracy of that detail.
First, I fired up the MapSource CD and unlocked my region. I live in the Washington/Baltimore area and I was able to download the entire state of Maryland, the northern top half of Virgnia, the District of Columbia, plus the Rochester, NY and Elmira, NY regions (where my family lives). I was able to fit all of that data - plus all the "Point of Interest" data - into the 19mb of the unit. Very nice, indeed! Unlike what you might expect, you can not simply "drag" a square around certain areas and have that detail downloaded to the GPS ... you've got to choose from their pre-selected areas. No big deal, though.
The download process took about an hour over a serial port, so I'd recommend going to grab a quick bite while that's working away. After the download was completed, I took the unit back out to the car and started driving around.
This is when I really fell in love with the unit! There was so much detail, and it knew exactly where I was and where I was headed! I was totally stunned as I was driving down the road, and it started calling out the street names ahead of me before I could even read the street signs. For example, it said "Wilson Blvd ahead" as I was approaching the intersection for Wilson Blvd in Arlington. As soon as I was through the intersection, it reverted back to telling me which road I was driving on and which direction ... until the next street came up. Very cool, indeed.
Then, I decided I should play around with the routing features. These are a joy to work with! I had setup a waypoint when I left my house, so I decided to navigate my way back to the house. I simply pressed "Find" - "Waypoint" and then selected the waypoint I'd programmed for my home. The unit chugged away for about ten to fifteen seconds, and then came up with a route for me to take. As each turn was coming up, the unit would beep and tell me what turn I was going to take "Exit left ahead on Dulles Greenway" and then actually show me a very tight zoom of what the actual intersection looked like, and which way I was to proceed through the intersection. It would count down the number of feet until I approached the turn, so that I could tell exactly where I was supposed to go.
As I got close to my house, I decided to see how smart this thing was and get myself a bit lost. So, when it told me to take a turn, I intentionally missed it. Within about a tenth of a mile it recognized this fact and tried to re-route me. It told me to take a U-Turn whenever possible to get back on track. However, this was a rather major road so taking a U-Turn was difficult ... so I kept driving straight to look for a spot to take a U-Turn. As I started coming up on a cross street, the GPS V came to life again and changed its suggestion, this time telling me to turn right onto the cross street. So I did. It had me go through a residential neighborhood, two more right turns, and got me back out on the road I was on just moments before, but poised to head back in the right direction. So, when it saw I couldn't (or didn't) make the U-Turn it suggested, it found another route for me. Very cool!
People who see this in my car shake their heads and think "Oh geeze, another gadget..." until they actually see it in action. A close friend of mine who is a sales rep and absolute technology-adverse looked at this and said "I have to get one of those!".
The screen is a good screen as far as visibility ... I have zoomed in as tight as possible (without overzooming) since most of my travels are around town. In the evening and the night time, I have no problems reading the screen. However, in the late morning and afternoon sometimes it is a little bit difficult to see due to the sunlight and shadows inside the passenger cabin. Also, the fact that the hood of my truck is brilliant white probably doesn't help -- it makes a sharp contrast if my eyes have to look in that general direction to see the GPS unit.
All in all, I'm in love. Best Buy isn't getting this one back, and the only way you'll get it from me is out of my cold, dead hands. Unless, of course, they came out with color for a reasonable price.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
dtoombs
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Location: Washington, DC
Reviews written: 14
Trusted by: 2 members
About Me:
Technology consultant and part-time author.
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