ejunkie1958's Full Review: Garmin StreetPilot 2610 Car GPS Receiver
I wanted a portable GPS navigator for my car for a long time but due to cost and lack of functionalities I had not acted upon it until now. I recently retired the old car and replaced it with a new one. I almost bought the GPS option but I wanted something portable that I can use in my car, the wife's car and when I travel in a rental car (about once a month).
NOT ALL GPS ARE ALIKE
I did a lot of research into this. Previously I have tried a GPS and Palm PDA that actually provide turn by turn direction but no voice. That was not very satisfactory as I tend to overshoot or undershoot the correct exit or turn. I ended up getting lost more with it than not. I also borrowed and tried various GPS in the $200-$400 price range with turn by turn capability and I was unhappy with the results.
MY REQUIREMENTS
I wanted something that will provide me with turn by turn direction with voice that gives me plenty of warnings of impending turns and will recalculate my route if I miss a turn. Due to my unwillingness to pay more than US$800, my choice basically narrowed down to either the Garmin StreetPilot 2610 or the Magellan Roadmate 500. Both will do what I wanted perfectly, from what I read about them.
I leaned towards the magellan at first since it has a slightly larger display and the display looks very attractive but further research showed me that the Garmin 2610 is better, at least for me, for two main reasons.
COMPACT FLASH CARD.
The first reason was the memory. Both come with a 128M compact flash. However, the Garmin 2610 has all of the base map (freeways, highways, coastlines,etc.) pre-loaded. In another words, I can load more maps in more area than the Magellan Roadmate 500 with the same 128M CF. For example, if I want to drive from LA to Chicago, with the Garmin, I only need to load maps of LA and Chicago and surrounding areas and not the states between CA and Illinois because the Interstates and highways are already there. With the Magellan, you do but you can't, not with the 128M CF because it's too small (you can only load 100M worth of data). Another thing about CF is that Magellan will let you use another CF card for free, after that it's $50 per card. There is no restriction on Garmin. This is important to me because soon I will buy a 256M CF then when it gets cheaper get a 516M or 1G CF without worrying about paying an extra $50 per card.
By the way, you need 1500 MB of space to fit all of the US/Canada data into the Garmin 2610. You can get a 2 GB CF card for about $320.
MOUNTING
The second reason was the mounting. The Magellan Roadmate comes with a vent mount that is – from what I read – flimsy and unuseable. I took a look at a picture and knew that I would not be able to make it work, being mechanically clumsy. On the other hand, the Garmin 2610 comes with a bean-bag mount and another permanent mount (using adhesive). From what I read, the bean-bag friction mount -- you just put it on the dashboard, no installation required -- is absolutely great.
I was able to confirm this. The Garmin and the mount did not even move as I tried accelerations and tight turns that made my kids in the back squealed. Another consideration for the mount was that I want to be able to quickly remove and hide the unit under the seat when I park in some parking lot. There's no sense encouraging thieves to smash the car window and steal the unit. The bean bag mount is perfect for my requirement.
With the Magellan vent mount, once you install it, it's more or less "permanent". Removing it every time you park would be quite a hassle and therefore impractical. I heard that Magellan is providing a suction cup mount for free but I could not confirm this.
SP2610 OPERATION.
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Note 1: If you want to read all about the Garmin 2610, here's a link for a 15-page detailed technical description and review -- This review is very helpful:
http://www.gpsinformation.net/sp26xx/sp2610rev.html
Note 2: You can download the manual for this unit and read it before you buy it. Here is the link.
http://www.garmin.com/manuals/StreetPilot2610_2650GPS_OwnersManual.pdf
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The operation of the Garmin 2610 is very simple and intuitive. It only took me an hour to master it and you can safely do it in the comfort of the home since the Garmin 2610 can simulate a trip with the GPS off.
On our first actual road test, my wife was skeptical at first on how well this thing will do, having seen me still getting lost with other lesser GPS units. She randomly directed me to miss turns on purpose to see what the unit would do, knowing that I infamously and habitually took wrong turns. Every time, the Garmin 2610 recomputed the routes almost instantaneously and guided us back to the right place intelligently. My wife and I were absolutely impressed. The reason she directed me to purposely take wrong turns was that it was impossible to accidentally take wrong turns with the Garmin 2610 guidance being so clear and precise. I have bought a lot of “toys” (my wife’s word) in my time, none made me so happy and excited like this one.
THE DISPLAY
I was initially concerned about the size of the display but not anymore. The display is clear, precise and easy to read, even for a slightly near-sighted person like me who refused to wear glasses. The day-time is display has a bright yellow background with black and green lines and text. The night time display has a black background with white text. You can customize a lot but not those colors. I grew to like the yellow background very much but it might turn you off.
THE VOICE/AUDIO
The audio was loud and clear (set to 7/10th from MAX) and easily heard over the CD music I always listened to when I'm driving. That was in my Camry. In my wife's Mercedes E320, this setting is actually too loud, but you can set it very easily.
REMOTE CONTROL
In addition to the Touch-screen control, the Garmin SP2610 comes with a full-function remote control. I was skeptical on the utility of this tool but it turns out to be a great utility. While it's not recommended to use it while driving, I have used it occasionally and it was safer than touching the screen. The remote control is designed for passengers programming the navigator from the backseat.
UNIT ACCURACY -- IT IS A WAAS-enabled unit.
This unit is advertised to have 49 ft accuracy. This was outdated info. The SP2610 uses a feature called road-lock where it will correct its position to the nearest road - figuring that you are always on the road, not to the side of it. Garmin figures that because of this feature, differential GPS operation like WAAS (wide area augmentation system -- the US version of differential GPS) is not necessary. Early users confirmed that Garmin was right. However, due to marketing pressure from Magellan Roadmate that has WAAS, Garmin, via release of software update, made the SP2610 a WAAS unit. The unit has told me that its accuracy was 8 ft, in differential GPS mode.
USING PC TO LOAD MAPS
Having said all that, I feel that I must warn you that to get an out-of-the-box unit started you need to be fairly competent with the PC. From what I went through, I feel that some people may have trouble setting the unit up.
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Note 3: When I got this unit, it was shipped with software version 2.7 and audio version 2.0 and Mapsource version 4.x. Today ,4/16/04, if you buy it, they will probably ship you software version 3.0 and audio version 2.1, Mapsource version 5.4 with a far superior user's manual. The most current version to date is software version 3.4 and audio 2.1 and Mapsource Beta 6.0.6. The experience I had was with my versions.
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First you need to install the software onto the PC – I have Windows XP Home. There are 3 kinds. The first was the drivers for the Garmin, then the map software “Map Source”, then the maps themselves. Afterwards, the software asks you to enter in the map unlock code that comes with the software package. This whole process took a while but the instructions were clear and you should not have any problems. Then you need to hook up power to the unit via the provided power cable. You also need to hook up the USB cable to the unit and to the PC. With Windows XP, the computer has no problem recognizing the unit, once it’s turned on.
After power is applied, the Garmin 2610 thinks it is in Taipei, Taiwan and showed you that on its (base) map (I believe that Garmin has corrected this. It will now come up in Kansas, USA). It also told you that it has no (detailed) maps. I tried to tell the unit that it was in Southern CA but could not find out how to do it. At this point you are supposed to run the Map Source program and load some maps into the unit. A map of the US and Canada showed up (I got the US version). It is straightforward to choose the appropriate maps to be loaded.
THE FIRST SCARE
The program even tells you how much memory the maps would take. The first panic came when I tried to transfer data into the Garmin 2610. The instructions said to go to File then Save Into (can’t remember exact syntax). When I did that, the software, within 1 second, told me that everything was successfully transferred. That was impossible, I told myself, not a100M of data via USB 1.1 and I was right. The maps were not transferred and the Garmin 2610 told me I have no maps. I tried it 5 more times…still same lie, no luck. After suppressing the initial panic, I took a deep breath and looked around in the Map Source program and saw a short cut button for data transfer (this is not in the instructions). I used that and thank heavens it worked. Data was transferred without problems. It took about 10 minutes which is fast enough that I won’t bother to use a separate USB 2.0 card reader (which I bought for data transfer). I was hesitant to remove the Compact Flash card at this point. After this I downloaded and installed a latest (beta) version of Map Source (version 6.0.2 Beta) but didn't want to try to see whether the bug was fixed. I have now downloaded version 6.0.6 Beta. The option that got me in trouble is not even available so I believe Garmin fixed this.
Like many equipment with software, the Garmin 2610 was shipped with older software version and audio version (Mine was software version 2.7 and audio version 2.0). I knew enough to get on Garmin’s web site (very good one, I might add) and downloaded the latest (beta) software version 2.95 and audio version 2.1 (It is now software version 3.4 as of 4/16/04)). The software was about 1.5Meg and the audio was about 6Meg. I have cable internet so the downloading only took a minute or so. If you have dial up, these could take hours. On the website, there were instructions on how to install but as I found out later (the second panic) it was only for the software update and not for the audio. I followed the instructions and the software was updated without any problems.
THE SECOND SCARE
Now comes time to update the audio. I used the same instructions for the software and that was a mistake. When I run the Updater (per instructions), there was a warning that do I want to load the same software that I already have. Hoping that the second time it will also update the audio files I said yes. A minute into it, I had an error message and the Windows XP told me the GPS unit USB was disconnected while the GPS showed me nothing but the start-up screen. Panic time since the warnings in red on the website said that if things go wrong during software upgrade, the unit is toast and has to be sent in. After calming down, I cycled the GPS power and the GPS came back, alive and well. Hurray…the tried and true “when in doubt, cycle the circuit breaker” saying. I looked around and found that there was a separate updater file called , duh, audio updater—I wished it was in the instructions, but it was not – I ran that and the audio was updated just fine. The trick I found out is that after you unzip the downloaded file (one zipped file include about 3 separate files), take a look at the files. One of them will be the instructions on how to install.
You probably don’t need to update the software and audio files and I’m sure the Garmin 2610 would work just fine. However, what I described above was using beta software version 2.95 and audio file 2.1 (latest at this time).
Now that the GPS had all of the maps and updates, I decided to give it a test. Since it thought it was in Taiwan, it refused to go into simulated mode, giving me an error that it couldn’t make it driving through water back to the States – smart aleck of a GPS. I solved that problem quickly enough by putting it in the car and backed it out of the garage. It took about 5 minutes for the unit to acquire enough satellites (3) to give me 2-D navigation and relocated itself to sunny Southern CA. That was impressive considering it thought it was in Taiwan. This acquisition time was the fastest I’ve seen in all of the GPS units I’m familiar with (all Magellan). This was because this unit is capable of simultaneously downloading data from 12 satellites. Some lesser units are not able to do this, thus are slower.
CONCLUSION.
In short, the Garmin 2610 not only met my expectations, it far exceeded it. I highly recommend this unit as the superior alternative to having a built-in car GPS that costs twice the amount.
Keep in mind that the built-in car GPS uses DVD for storing maps. DVD data access speed is much slower than from Compact Flash. This will reflect when the unit is recalcating a route.
Here are some specs I got from http://www.garmin.com/products/sp2610_2650/index.jsp
for your convenience.
Powerful microprocessor for fast redraw and route calculation
Built-in patch antenna with an MCX-type connector for optional external GPS antenna
CompactFlash data card (type I or II) slot for map storage
Audio and visual navigation instructions and warnings
3.3" W x 1.7" H, 305 x 160 pixels; bright, automotive-grade 8-bit, 256 color LCD display with automatic dimming backlight and touch screen
5.6" W x 3.2" H x 2.0" D unit dimensions
Alphanumeric remote control
Turn-by-turn automatic route generation
Indefinite data storage (no memory battery required)
Integrated dash mounting system provides easy adjustment and quick release
UPDATED INFO 4/7/04 -- MY IMPRESSIONS OF Garmin 2610 VERSUS the HERTZ NEVERLOST SYSTEM.
I just came back from a trip to Salt Lake City, Utah. Naturally I brought the Garmin 2610 along. This was my first true test of the system in a totally strange city. To save time, prior to the trip, I searched for the addresses of the hotel and the place that I did business and stored them as waypoints.
Address search on the Garmin 2610 was rather strange. If I don't put a limit on the city, the unit could not find one of the addresses. When I limit it to the correct city, it finds it immediately. This might be a bug in Firmware version 2.95?
I got to the Salt Lake City Airport. What a beautiful city and state! When I picked up the rental car at Hertz, I was surprised to find a Hertz NeverLost system (built by Magellan which I heard software logic is very similar to the Roadmate 500/700). I don't really need two GPS systems but I was delighted at the chance to compare the two.
The NeverLost powered up very nicely. A menu came up giving me various choices like entering addresses, etc. I had no problem entering in the hotel address. Since the NeverLost does not have touch-screen capability, I found that data entering was very tedious compared to the Garmin's 2610. The NeverLost address search, however, appears to be better. My hotel was in Provo, UT which was about 45 miles south of SLC.
As expected the Garmin 2610 took about 2 minutes to acquire the satellites because it was last in Southern CA. It took me 1 second to call up the HOTEL waypoint. I was on my way even before the Garmin 2610 even acquired the satellites. The Garmin had no problem finding satellites while the vehicle was moving. Soon both GPS's were competing for my attention.
The NEVERLOST display was smaller than the 2610 and was not that bright. The mapscale is only displayed a few seconds after I changed scale while the 2610 displayed it all the time. All of the Navigation Info (such as next exit, miles to turn and distance to destination are displayed near the bottom of the screen and frankly I found them to be too small to read. The display is in TRACK UP mode (direction of your travel is always UP). I had my 2610 set to North UP. I ended it up changing the 2610 to TRACK UP as I found it a little better.
On our first exit out of the airport (both systems predicted the same exit), I had the first conflict. The Garmin 2610 said Keep Right then On .1 mi Take Exit Right while the NeverLost said keep Left then at .1mi said take exit Right. Strike 1 NeverLost. Any consolation at all, I found the NeverLost female voice to be a tad more seductive. The Garmin's female voice sounds more like my grandma. The NeverLost voice would often say something like keep right uhmm... then turn right ... while the Garmin would say more abruptly like Keep Right, Turn Right...
Neither system will announce the name of the Exit (via audio), only display it. The NeverLost will only display the name of the Exit (it does not pop up and it is too small) , while the Garmin will pop up in large font and display both the Exit Number and the name of the exit. It is a lot easier at a glance to get the Exit number not the name (especially if it's long). Strike 2 for NeverLost.
The NeverLost will give you only 2 warnings prior to a turn. At freeway speed, it warns you 2 miles ahead then about 500ft before the turn, followed by a "DingDingDing" tone prior to the turn. A 3-D turn was also displayed but it was worthless in my opinion. Too cartoonish and small to get any info out of besides a left or right turn. The 2610 warns you at 1.5 mile, .3 mile, then the popup (with a Ding - if you activate the option to have a tone) at about 500ft with the distance decreasing from 500ft to zero. A couple of times I was in some Utah backroads where the street signs were painfully small and the streets close together...the kinds that you can only read the signs after you made the turn... I had the urge to make the turn when the Garmin says 0.1 mile turn (right) because I couldn't judge how far 0.1 mile was --would have meant too early a turn. I decided to trust the GPS and would only make the turn when the popup says 100ft and decreasing. The GPS was so accurate that I can make a blind turn that was correct every time.
I thought the NeverLost DingDingDing was a very nice touch...that's when you make the turn. However, I found that more than once the Ding Ding Ding was too late or too soon (GPS inaccuracies?). I was not quite certain but I felt the NeverLost was not as accurate as the 2610. I wondered if the NeverLost has WAAS or not. I don't think so because the Neverlost came out several years ago (my 2610 does and its accuracy was around 15ft when I checked).
A few miles from the airport, the 2 GPS's predicted different paths (there were 2 freeways parallel to each other and the two units predicted using a different one). Being more confident of the 2610, I followed the Garmin's guidance. The NeverLost realized it was offroute very quickly and decided to recompute. This was the first real shock...having gotten so used to the Garmin recomputing a new solution in less than a second, it was surreal that the Neverlost took more than 10 seconds to recompute...it was definitely the older generation hardware. I think the Roadmate is much better but I'm not sure. About 10 miles down the road, I purposely exited the freeway and got into the city streets. Again, the Garmin instantly recomputed and the Neverlost took a great long time. I was back on the freeway before the Neverlost found its way again.
Generally, both systems were extremely accurate and took me to the hotel and place of business without problems. Well, a couple of times, when I purposely turned the Garmin off, at 70 mph , the NeverLost after having warned me about an exit 2 miles ahead, failed to warn me to make the turn until I had already past the exit --Strike 3. After that it took more than a minute and a mile or two down the road before it recomputed. There was no such problem with the Garmin 2610.
I am even more than very pleased with the 2610. This was the first time I used the unit in a completely strange city, without any paper maps and no wrong turns. The unit guided me to the door every single time.
I read somewhere that the NeverLost gives better audio instructions. I am glad I had a chance to compare...don't believe it. Besides having a more seductive female voice, it was often confusing with conflicting keep left, turn right instructions. I'll stick with the 2610.
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