Garmin GPS

[MarkBC]

I'm glad to see I'm not the only one still using ancient Garmin GPS like the GPS V.

What I like about it is that it accepts an external antenna, and years ago I bought an antenna that sticks to the roof of my truck magnetically with a long wire leading to my GPS V. And then the GPS is connected to my laptop and continuously shows/tracks my position on TOPO or MS Streets.

What I don't like about it is that it requires an external antenna to get a good, full-sky signal in the truck. It won't receive much/anything through the roof of the truck, and sitting on the dashboard it only sees part of the sky.

What many/most newer GPSes (those from the past few years) have is the SiRF chip (or similiar by other manufacturers) that provides "high sensitivity" GPS, making it able to get/use a fix on satellites (by being able to correctly interpret weak signals, apparently) even indoors and under heavy foliage cover, etc. Without such a chip your smartphone wouldn't be able to show position indoors...which most can do these days.

 

[White Dog]

What I am surprised to see is the lack of Bluetooth stereo headphone connection through the car audio capability in cars equipped with cell phone bluetooth hands free option. The mono cell phone hands free is very common in recent years, and even the aux audio connector is common now since 2006-9, but not the bluetooth headphone feature.


The lack of a Bluetooth headphone option is curious. When my wife and I travel, she often likes to listen to the radio especially XM. I'm more the quiet-enjoy-the-driving partner. While I wouldn't say its a big deal for us, it would be a nice option.

I asked my Toyota dealer about it when we were buying the Tundra in the spring. He didn't have a answer as to why it wasn't offered. The only reasonable excuse I've heard was from a salesperson at a local electronics shop. He thought that since it's illegal in Canada for the driver to have anything that blocks his hearing, like headphones, it was just easier not to provide the option, human nature being what it is. Don't know if this is the real reason or not.

 

[ntsqd]

Interesting, my GPS V sits on Patch's dash and only looses a fix under heavy cover. The cottonwoods on the way to Barker Ranch wouldn't do it, but the narrow canyon that Jarbige sits in did cause me intermittent losses.

....He thought that since it's illegal in Canada for the driver to have anything that blocks his hearing, like headphones, ....
That is true in Calif. as well.

 

[K7MDL]

In this case I am referring to the car stereo pairing up as the "headphones" for the mobile device, thus eliminating the need to wire your phone up to the aux port.

My latest car aquisition 2 weeks ago has keyless ignition, keyless (proximity) locks, and bluetooth hands free. I never need to take the phone or keys out of my pocket. Just walk up to it, push a door button to unlock, get in, turn a knob to start and drive. But taking the phone out to connect a cable, placing the phone some place the cable can reach that is won't slide around, defeats the convenience of the bluetooth integration to some extent. I can only imagine the manufacturers do not trust the reliability and quality of that spec.

 

[griz]

Good stuff guys. After more, should say none stop research I have decided on the Garmin 62s @ $400 or the Montana @ $500.

Reason's are I want the unit to have a track feature and just in case I have to walk out, the battery life and waterproof features are a plus.

Either way I will purchase the BC Backrload chip an use that. I still have an older version of Topo Canada so I could incorporate that as well.

There I feel a lot better now, hope you all agree, ha ha.............

 

[UglyScout]

Go with the Montana - you'll like the added size for use in a vehicle. I'm running either a 4.3" Garmin Nuvi 1300 or a 3.5" Lowrance XOG and they are SO much better to look at and see than my old tiny handheld garmins that used to sit on the dash.

I have recently begun to dabble in the larger Lowrance 5" units and if they ever come up WITH some better road navigation features I'd be tempted to cram one into my trucks dash... But Lowrance has the worse customer support in the GPS industry so I don't have to worry about it.

 

[griz]

Done, ordered the Montana 600 today, from my local outdoor store. Glad thats off my mind, now ready for something else, not.

Thks all.................

 

[ntsqd]

.... But Lowrance has the worse customer support in the GPS industry so I don't have to worry about it.

Something I've been saying since 2002, and I never miss an opportunity to say it again.

 

[White Dog]

And if anyone can figure out how to turn off those stupid little mountain symbols in Garmin's 'Mapsource', please let me know. Jeez, they're annoying.

 

[K7MDL]

And if anyone can figure out how to turn off those stupid little mountain symbols in Garmin's 'Mapsource', please let me know. Jeez, they're annoying.


Are you possibly looking at waypoint symbols? The default is usually a flag symbol but you can set it to many shapes, including one labeled "summit". Perhaps your default is set to that summit symbol. Look in your preferences menus.

 

[White Dog]

Are you possibly looking at waypoint symbols? The default is usually a flag symbol but you can set it to many shapes, including one labeled "summit". Perhaps your default is set to that summit symbol. Look in your preferences menus.

Nope! These are the little mountain symbols that I find annoying:

 

[K7MDL]

What map do you have selected? Do you have a custom Points of Interest database loaded? Perhaps s Summits of the Pacific Northwest or similar? I do not have these but I have Northwest Trails map overlay and it shows lots of stuff if selected. In my Mapsource installation i have airport symbols that I cannot figure out how to turn off.

 

[White Dog]

What map do you have selected? Do you have a custom Points of Interest database loaded? Perhaps s Summits of the Pacific Northwest or similar? I do not have these but I have Northwest Trails map overlay and it shows lots of stuff if selected. In my Mapsource installation i have airport symbols that I cannot figure out how to turn off.

This is Garmin's US Topo series - West. All the regions have the same symbols (at least where there are mountains). I can't find any way to shutting them off. I don't see anything related to Points of Interest. Maybe we should merge our two files. My mountain symbols may cancel out your airport symbols

 

[K7MDL]

I guess they figure if you are looking at topo, you care about where the summits are.

 

[White Dog]

I guess they figure if you are looking at topo, you care about where the summits are.

True enough but when the density gets so high the contour lines get blocked, I get annoyed. Granted, the idea may be good but please Garmin, let me turn them off. I hate software that makes me think like they think I should think.

 

[griz]

Received the Montana in the new year and it is a keeper. Still getting the feel for it but it is worth the $.

Cheers

 

[griz]

I have been playing with the montana a couple of times now. Very pleased with the unit. I have the unit sitting in the cup holder and being under tree cover the unit works flawlessly. No need for ext. antenna. Looking at getting the garmin inland lake card for my fishing trips.

Any hoot just a up date. cheers.