Portable GPS?

I have been using a Garmin Handheld GPS for Hiking, Skiing and Mountaineering and have been quite happy with it. I just started to shop for a Portable GPS for Motor Vehicular use as my handheld even though it can be adapted for Vehicular use I am not comfortable with the screen size. There seems to be quite the selection for portable devices by quite a few different companies. Any input on what to look for. Thanks ahead of time!

Don't get this one...

...happened a couple of days ago.

BEDFORD HILLS, N.Y. (AP) — A Global Positioning System can tell a driver a lot of things — but apparently not when a train is coming. A computer consultant driving a rental car drove onto train tracks Wednesday using the instructions his GPS unit gave him. A train was barreling toward him, but he escaped in time and no one was injured. The driver had turned right, as the system advised, and the car somehow got stuck on the tracks at the crossing

Click to expand...

Man using GPS drives in front of train

Seriously - a friend has the Garmin Nuvi - not sure which model, but it is a great system. Pricey, though. Hers is top of the line.

Skiguy-

I have several Magellan handhelds & wasn't sure how I'd take to an auto GPS.

I got a Mio, the least expensive on the market just b4 last Christmas at $199 and this little guy is absolutely great. You'll find that you generally get alot of information thrown at you, from the speech in the unit. But even the small screens have great displays - I think because they're color.

Mine like many has internal rechargable batteries, so I can take it into cities & walk from my car to a destination & get back.

Mine won't get you into a specific driveway - left or right, and doesn't announce side streets as you're passing them. But it sure does the job - and is a godsend to my kids that are beyond help finding their way without this little guy!

Personally - buy on price. These things will continue to get better, add features and drop in price. But the Nuvi does get good reviews.

Peter

Thanks for the feed back so far from everyone. I know this is not a totally related hiking thread but I am trying to see the benifits of this technology coming out of the woods and into the streets and back. Or one of my wants with a new GPS is to have something I can bring along on the plane that will give me more driving info for places I need to get to the woods.

FWIW, I use my 60CSx in the car. It has autorouting and turn cues (a beep + a diagram). Works for me--I have both road and topo maps loaded.

There have been a number of complaints about the Nuvi line on the Usnet GPS groups--Garmin has been dropping a number a features found on some of the previous models. Some people favor the discontinued 2610, 2620, or 2820 for their more complete feature sets. (Available refurbished.) If you do choose a Nuvi, check the feature set carefully.

Doug

Because my job takes me all over the world, I bought the TomTom 910 - it has both North America and Europe maps built in. So far it has been fantastic - plus it has BlueTooth to tie in to my phone, which let's me talk handsfree (EU law, besides New York law). It may be overkill for most people not going to Europe, but the models below the 910 leave that off.

What does the TomTom's bluetooth do for you? Does it simply act as a speaker/microphone or is there more to it?

That's it - it ties to my phone to get the signal - it can actually show the caller-ID on the screen for incoming calls, and has a small mic/speaker to talk. It also has the ability to add MP3's to it, but I've never used that function. I was in Germany a few months, and used it successfully to get to an office in downtown Prague, which convinced me this was the one I needed.

FWIW, it is my understanding that Tom Tom is the market leader in Europe and Garmin is the market leader in the North America. Both companies have maps available for both regions.

FWIW2, some of the Garmin Nuvi models include Bluetooth, FM transmitters (to play audio over a car radio), MP3 players, JPEG viewers, etc.

I'm not trying to advocate either brand for car use, just note that a number of manufacturers have these features and one should check out as many models as possible before buying. Don't forget to check out the ancillary maps that go with each GPS too.

I do not follow this market for GPSes, so I cannot give any specific advice or suggestions. As noted earlier, my 60CSx (with topo and road maps) covers both my hiking and driving needs/wants in one unit.

Doug

I use a Garmin60csx in the backcountry but find it hard to read in the car. Guess I must be getting old and blind. I agree there is a plethora of features available out there and also have look at some Garmins and the TomTom. Only other thing I've looked at are some Magellen's and Alpine. Sure is alot to weed through feature wise. Has anyone noticed any better Mapsets with any particular brand that actually come with a unit that might be particularly better than another?