Garmin nьvi 255 3.5-Inch Portable GPS Navigator (Electronics)
Saturday, June 18, 2011
Garmin nьvi 255 3.5-Inch Portable GPS Navigator (Electronics)
Garmin nьvi 255 3.5-Inch Portable GPS Navigator (Electronics)
I picked this one out because I was used to the screen format on my parents' GPS. I like how the top has an arrow to show you the direction of your next turn, the distance til the turn, and the name of the turn. It also gives you the speed limit, but it is not always right. This one has a few male and female voices to choose from, and it speaks the street names out loud.
It is pretty easy to figure out how to use the different features if you play around with it for a few minutes. You can program your home and favorite addresses to find them easily. You can also search for businesses near you, near your destination, or along the route. The businesses usually have a phone number in the GPS so you can call to reserve a hotel, etc. While you are driving, you will see a little car on the map to indicate where you are. You can press the green bar on the top to see future directions and the full map of your route. You can also zoom in and out on the map.
Usually the GPS finds a good route, but it does not know which routes have high traffic which makes them take longer than expected. You can get around this by setting a via point to direct the GPS in the direction you want it to go. Occasionally the route is confusing, usually when there are multiple turns in a row, but you will get where you're going. You don't have to worry about missing a turn because it will recalculate and put you back on track. There is a detour option that you can use if you come to a traffic jam or some other problem. So far I have not liked the detour route it gave me, but I don't know if there was a better one because I was in an unfamiliar area. At least it got me back on track eventually. Usually it finds the satellite signal fast and rarely loses the signal. Overall, I like this GPS. It is very easy and helpful once you get used to it.
Garmin nьvi 255 3.5-Inch Portable GPS Navigator (Electronics)
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Gilsson UBM-1 Portable Car Non-Skid Friction Beanbag Dashboard Mount (Personal Computers)
Gilsson UBM-1 Portable Car Non-Skid Friction Beanbag Dashboard Mount (Personal Computers)
I ordered this Gilsson UBM-1 GPS dashboard mount for my Garmin C580 GPS only two days ago and received it today. It is very well constructed and a little heavier than some competing products (meaning it should be more stable). Before purchasing, I looked at several competing products (like the "Garmin Portable Friction Dashboard Mount for Nüvi Series and StreetPilot C5XX Series GPS Navigators", "Bracketron UFM-100BL Nav-Mat GPS Friction Dash Pad", and others. Based upon some of the reviews I read from all the units, I ended up purchasing this unit. One reviewer in particular had actually owned three GPS beanbag mounts and thought this was the best. It is heavier than most, but has a smaller footprint than the Garmin unit, which is important to me because my dashboard already has a some clutter (a compass) glued to the center of it, meaning space is at a premium. Also, the GPS mounts at the top of the beanbag, not in a hole, which I considered to be an advantage.
I purchased this Gilsson UBM-1 GPS beanbag dash mount from an independent seller on amazon.com (fis4her_gps_gear ) for $12.99 plus $5.99 for priority mail shipping. The item was shipped within a couple hours after I ordered and arrived at my home in Michigan (from california) in just two days. I highly recommend them also.
Gilsson UBM-1 Portable Car Non-Skid Friction Beanbag Dashboard Mount (Personal Computers)
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Garmin nьvi 260 3.5-Inch Portable GPS Navigator (Electronics)
Garmin nьvi 260 3.5-Inch Portable GPS Navigator (Electronics)
This Garmin Nuvi works within the United States. Try Canada sometime-yes it does imply that you can enter a Canadian address, but don't believe it! Plus they will charge you $70.00 for a yearly map update when the competition will have very frequent updates and not, yes I said not, charge for them. Save a lot more money in the long run by buying one of the competitors' GPS instead.
Garmin nьvi 260 3.5-Inch Portable GPS Navigator (Electronics)
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TomTom ONE 140-S 3.5-Inch Portable GPS Navigator (Electronics)
TomTom ONE 140-S 3.5-Inch Portable GPS Navigator (Electronics)
At a price point of $99.00 on Amazon, the 140S is a bargain. It speaks street names and provides numerous options for customizing your route. The voice speaks loudly and clearly. The 3.5" screen, though on the small side and cramped, does an adequate job of displaying data. It connects to satellites fast. The mounting mechanism is very good and gives options for tilting and positioning. I like the fact that when a directional error is made the unit does not say anything"... it quietly and quickly replans the route and gives an immediate suggestion to return to your route. Map updates are easy to get and download directly to the unit.
On the negative side, despite the IQ route feature, the unit gave me some ridiculous suggestions for directions as I traversed from Grand Rapids, MI to Dayton, OH... it took me through small towns on single lane roads when the interstate would have clearly been faster. When I showed my friend the route it gave me he was puzzled... why did it choose that way? Also, I live in a rural area in North Carolina and the road maps TomTom has for where I live are totally in error. They would be useless to give someone directions to navigate to my house. Then again, all GPS units give faulty directions to my house... but not as far out as the 140S. I'm going to see what I can do to fix that... TomTom is the only GPS company that incorporates map corrections from end users. (That's one of the reasons I chose the TomTom over other brands.) I also wish it had the ability to organize restaurant data by type of cuisine rather than a simple list sorted by distance from your present position. Lastly, finding the right screen to customize your route is a bit difficult, with nested menu selections that are rather unintuitive in their implementation. The documentation provided in the box is scant but a full version is available on line if needed.... and you will need it to take advantage of the features in this unit.
Even with these caveats it is an excellent value and a well functioning GPS for the money. I would highly recommend this unit for anyone shopping for a GPS on a budget. The extra $20 for spoken street names (by two voices only) is well worth it.
TomTom ONE 140-S 3.5-Inch Portable GPS Navigator (Electronics)
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Coby CA-745 Wireless FM Car Transmitter with Digital Display and DC Car Cigarette Lighter Adapter (Electronics)
Coby CA-745 Wireless FM Car Transmitter with Digital Display and DC Car Cigarette Lighter Adapter (Electronics)
I drive for a living, and I love jazz. I also think FM radio is insipid at best, so I've been using wireless transmitters for my CD and now Mp3 player for over 4 yrs. This, so far, is the best. It covers the full FM spectrum, provides power to keep a signal and looks way cool doing it. I always had a low opinion of all things Coby, but they really hit a homerun with this piece of gear. The only question will be, how will it work in 3 or 6 months? If I don't change this review then buy it, by all means. When something works this good for under $20 it's a no-brainer.
Addendum: It's been a couple months now and the unit had been performing very well. Held the signal better than any other wireless FM transmitter I ever tried. Seldom faded and constant strength. But then... just today, I tried using the piggyback adaptor with a 60w converter for a heating pad and it burnt out the Coby. That's why I went into the detailed description: if you use the adaptor let it be for a cellphone or something using less juice. Otherwise it will fry the unit. I ordered another one though as I really enjoyed using it- so in the end that's the highest endorsement I can give.
Coby CA-745 Wireless FM Car Transmitter with Digital Display and DC Car Cigarette Lighter Adapter (Electronics)
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TomTom ONE 130-S 3.5-Inch Portable GPS Navigator (Electronics)
TomTom ONE 130-S 3.5-Inch Portable GPS Navigator (Electronics)
So good I'm buying another one for my wife's car!! I was just about to buy the ONE 3rd. But was keen on a longer battery life and a smaller unit. WELL TomTom launched this just in time! I researched a lot. I tried a Garmin. But TomTom just seemed more user friendly. Easer and better menus. Software works well on Apple MAC. Finds places fast. Accurate maps. I'm in New Zealand. Could ship with more 'computer voices' as the text to speech is a brilliant and helpful tool. Just 'Samantha' the USA female computer voice isn't that great, a bit old and deep. Higher pitch voices are easier to hear. I love this unit. The window mount is ergonomic and sticks like crazy. The HELP ME parts of the menu are very very clever and useful. It's just a great little piece of tech.
TomTom ONE 130-S 3.5-Inch Portable GPS Navigator (Electronics)
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Garmin nьvi 1390/1390T 4.3-Inch Widescreen Bluetooth Portable GPS Navigator with Traffic (Electronics)
Garmin nьvi 1390/1390T 4.3-Inch Widescreen Bluetooth Portable GPS Navigator with Traffic (Electronics)
I purchased this GPS recently. I had used an older Garmin for 2 weeks and I had liked it. I did not have time to do much research on this product but after reading a few reviews, I knew that Garmin is the manufacturer of choice for Aviation GPS(s). Once I knew that, I stpped researching and simply placed the order.
I had to drive from NY to FL a week after placing the order and Amazon replied with an order confirmation email stating that I will be receiveing the GPS device in about 1 month from the time I had placed the order. Panic moment, sepecially as I had specified and payed for 2-day express delivery of the product.
My travel plans were all in the air from the moment I received the Amazon order confirmation email. I quickly sent an email to Amazon Customer Service (at 2-3AM), to ensure they have the item in stock and that they'll ship ASAP. Amazon Customer Service reacted within minutes and was very very efficient in taking care of things. They even excusesed themselved for the automatic email I had received, which had the wrong date. I very much appreciate the Amazon Customer Service. In the past they have heped me just as promptly as they did with this order. Amazon is very much on top of everything!!! Efficient and fast and best! :)
I was able to use the GPS successfully from my very first attempt.
The first time I used it, I drove 1000 mi in 2 days. (It is totally fool proof! or as they call it in marketing "It's very user friendly.")
I also helped a lost trucker find his route with my GPS and I reached destination safely myself. Not one single wrong exit, Garmin GPS gives instructions well head, with sufficient time to react to the instruction at the speed you drive at. It indicates lane change, exits, well before you have to actually do it, thus giving you sufficient time to navigate the immediately surrounding traffic and follow the instructions in a very safe manner.
I have been using the GPS for 2 months now, daily and I absolutely love it. I have used the GPS with a NEON car, which is known for it's loud engine at high speeds. I drove the NEON at 80-90-110 mph and had the GPS volume at 80%. I could hear it loud and clear!
I have no idea what other reviewers are talking about, when they say that they cannot hear the GPS. If the person has a hearing problem and is driving a tractor, then it is possible that they could not hear the GPS voice feature, indeed. But I one could hear it very LOUD AND CLEAR. In the city I am using it at only 50% volume, with music on and it's still very loud.
I like the size. The screen is large enough, yet not too heavy to have in the purse. You can charge it once every 2 days without always needing to have the charging cable with you.
It has a feature that enables you to set AVOIDANCES: for example Highway if you want to drive off the highway at all times.
It includes a calculator, a currency convertor, world clock, etc.
It allows you to zoom in / out and re-center the map by screen-touch, just like you can grab the google maps and move it along the computer screen. You can use your finger and move the map across the screen of the GPS.
It has an ecoRoute feature, which comes with an "eco challenge" feature that measures how smoothly you accelerate / decelerate and it rates you. The smoother you drive, the less fuel you use, and the higher the score you get is. Pretty cool, huh?! :)
After you have saved a few addresses already, it will mark them on the map with relevant icons - a dollar bill for a bank, a tumb tag for an address, a pump for a gass station, etc.
I had it out in the rain for a few moments and the equipment is very well built, nothing happened to it.
There are a few other features, which I haven't got to use yet, but I'm sure it's all useful and practical. I have been driving a lot recently and this GPS was money very well spent. I hope this helps! Happy shopping. :)
Garmin nьvi 1390/1390T 4.3-Inch Widescreen Bluetooth Portable GPS Navigator with Traffic (Electronics)
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Garmin nuvi 200 3.5-Inch Portable GPS Navigator (Electronics)
Garmin nuvi 200 3.5-Inch Portable GPS Navigator (Electronics)
Just talked to their customer service, they DON'T give free map upgrade to any previous purchase even within 1 day old. They just guarantee new maps when purchased, so be prepared to pay $69 for a map upgrade anytime. It should be zero star for that reason. If you are living in a fast road changing areas, this is a junk after 1 year.
Garmin nuvi 200 3.5-Inch Portable GPS Navigator (Electronics)
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Rapid Car Charger + Black Rubberized Hard Cover Case + LCD Screen Protector for Verizon LG enV Touch VX11000
Rapid Car Charger + Black Rubberized Hard Cover Case + LCD Screen Protector for Verizon LG enV Touch VX11000
Very happy with the car charger and hard cover case. Ran into an issue with the LCD Screen Protector. Note that in the hard cover case, there is an opening for the sensor. If you place the Screen Protector over the touch screen and in doing so, cover ANY part of the sensor in the top left corner of the phone front, the external screen might go black while making calls as it thinks it is near your face, even when pulling the phone away from your ear. I cut the LCD Screen Protector so that it no longer covers the sensor and the phone is operating properly again.
Rapid Car Charger + Black Rubberized Hard Cover Case + LCD Screen Protector for Verizon LG enV Touch VX11000
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Navigon 2100 3.5-Inch Portable GPS Navigator (Electronics)
Navigon 2100 3.5-Inch Portable GPS Navigator (Electronics)
My rating is more like a 3.5 rounded off to 4. The rating reflects the price that I paid: ~$200 with lifetime traffic. Currently (12/07) it is priced at $175 without traffic. At this price I will give it 3 stars and would probably prefer products from Garmin/Magellan/Tom-Tom that also speak street names and are currently priced at around $225.
The good:
- Features for the price such as spoken street names, reality view, speedometer (I found out that my cars speedo is off by 6 mph!)
- Thin, Looks sleek
- Informs about upcoming turns 1 mi and 0.2/0.1 miles in advance. Most of the time it speaks up 0.1 miles before the turn, but sometimes it is 0.2 miles.
- Screen is bright and has got good resolution.
- There is a feature which increases the volume of the spoken directions with the speed of the vehicle. Very useful.
- Route recalculation is quick. Routes are reasonably good. I really don't care if the route is 0.1 mile longer than optimal. If I am going somwehere for the first time, I am more interested in reaching the correct destination. If I go somewhere regularly, I won't be using the gps anyway.
- Quickly finds the GPS signal. If coming out of sleep mode it takes less than 30 seconds. If you have turned it off, and then turn it on, it typically takes less than a minute.
- Suggests possible completions while you type in city/street names. In most cases you will see the desired match before typing in half of the name.
- Traffic service should be helpful if you hit slow moving traffic. Has not happend to me yet, but I do see lots of incident reports.
The not so good:
- Data entry is a bit slow (as it searches for possible matches).
- Sometimes route recalculation gets stuck if you are stopped at a red light. Frustrating.
- Pronunciation of city/street names is not very good.
- Voice start breaking up at heavy volume.
- Buttons at the corners are difficult to tap.
- Froze up on me once.
- Once it did not ask me to take an exit onto a freeway. I took it since I saw it on the screen.
I have not used the POI database. I hope that they take care of the software issues with an update. I believe there is a map update coming out in Jan. 2008. Overall I am statisfied for the price that I paid.
Navigon 2100 3.5-Inch Portable GPS Navigator (Electronics)
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Nextar Q4-MD 4.3-Inch Portable GPS Navigator with 1-Year MSN Direct Service Included (Electronics)
Nextar Q4-MD 4.3-Inch Portable GPS Navigator with 1-Year MSN Direct Service Included (Electronics)
I had a nextar C-3 GPS previously, which was really great. That was one of the main reasons why I chose to buy this model (and of course, the price was really cheap!). However, I'm kind of disappointed with the way it operates. For example, on most occasions, it only says "In 0.3 miles, keep right and then keep left". There's no indication as to whether we neex to take an exit or not. Also, on most occasions, it does not tell you what highway/street you need to keep right onto. Sometimes, the "keep right" means take an exit, and sometimes, it just means stay on the current road and DON'T exit. I have had it for close to 2 months, and I still have not figured out which is what.
The POI feature is just ridiculous. There's no way you'll be able to find what you want. The same is the case is intersections. There are some cool features like 3-D view, but come on, we don't buy a GPS to look at the graphics! I wish they had takne care of user-friendliness rather than concentrate on these extra gimmicks, which don't serve any purpose.
The accuracy of the maps is pretty ok. However, I have had trouble several times in locating addresses. I don't think these maps have been updated in the last 2 years. Another annoying thing is the fact that the GPS fails to tell you which side your destination is. If you are on a divided express way, you simply won't know whether you need to take a U-turn and be on the other side or not. You need to be a good guesser :)
Over all, it is good if you are looking to buy something cheap. It has almost always taken me to the correct destination (or somewhere close-enough). But please don't buy this if you think you can afford to put in another 25-30 bucks and buy something better.
Nextar Q4-MD 4.3-Inch Portable GPS Navigator with 1-Year MSN Direct Service Included (Electronics)
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Magellan RoadMate 1700 7-Inch Portable GPS Navigator (Electronics)
Magellan RoadMate 1700 7-Inch Portable GPS Navigator (Electronics)
I'll get thus out of the way up front: the Magellan RoadMate 1700's 7-inch display is beautiful and easy to see from anywhere. We're using it in a Dodge Grand Caravan, not quite a truck or RV but big enough that we could appreciate the big display. This is absolutely hands down a great big GPS display. That said, size isn't everything and we've experienced some ups and downs with this unit.
First the positives.
We first used the 1700 on a long road trip for a drive from Indianapolis to Myrtle Beach. That's about 750 miles, 13-14 hours of driving and gas stops. The 1700 was very accurate in mapping and directing us on the trip down, taking us the most common, well known highway route.
As we got to know it, we came to really like the feature that shows you what gas stations, restaurants, and hotels are at upcoming exits.
The turn by turn voice directions were generally very clear and easy to follow.
The additional oversize mounting device that came with it was very big, easy to attach, and easy to adjust. It gave us good range of adjustment options for getting the unit positioned right on the large sloping windshield in the van.
The interface itself is fairly intuitive and easy to use, at least for the most common functions.
But, not everything was great with this. Some of the negatives we experienced were:
The touchscreen on ours seems slightly off. At first I thought I was touching a wrong button but then realized that the touch points on the centers of the buttons I was trying to touch weren't reacting. I would have to touch the screen 1/4" or so above what looked like the top of a button to get that button to react.
If you are on a road that it doesn't consider a highway, it can't show you restaurants at upcoming intersections as easily as highway exits. You have to go to a different part of the system for that.
Splits in highways really confuse it and cause it to give confusing directions. When you come to a highway exit to another highway, typically you'll get 2-3 lanes to stay on the highway and another 2 lanes to exit to the other. The directions for an event like this if you're staying on the same road are something like "stay on the same road in .5 miles." And it will show you that direction hundreds of miles out, stating that your next maneuver will be stay on the same road in 168 miles. Well, that's great until the immediate next direction is "highway exit in .2 miles." In this case, the direction really needed to be "take exit 168b in 168 miles." I really don't care for directions telling me what I'm not doing but I need the directions for making a change. When there's 2 parts of an interchange, don't tell me for 168 miles to stay on the same road and only give me .2 miles warning for the exit.
Related to this, it had trouble with similarly named highways in South Carolina. There as a highway (just making up the number) like SC 20 and another SC 20 business route. The unit had a hard time differentiating the "stay on the same road" directions when these 2 similar roads would split.
Other reviewers have noted that the 30 minute battery life isn't enough (agreed) and the lack of an AC power adapter for home is bad (also agreed). I wanted to be able to check out my route back in advance without setting in the car and 30 minutes (if fully charged) just isn't enough time.
That brings me to my biggest complaint: routing just isn't flexible enough. I guess I'm just spoiled by Google maps where I can drag part of a route and it will calculate a new route. It was literally impossible to get the 1700 to produce a route for us that everyone we met in Myrtle Beach swore was the best way back to Indy. The options of fastest, shortest, most highway, least highway just aren't good enough. I really want to be able to touch the map and reroute and this has nothing similar.
Other more minor complaints: the maps were out of date when we got the unit brand new. Who knows how long this had been setting around. Firmware was also a couple of versions out of date. Guess what, it has to be charged 3 hours or more in a running car before you have the 30 minute battery charge to hook it to your PC USB cable (which it won't draw power from) and make those updates. Very inconvenient.
Some of the default settings were annoying. There's an auto screen saver mode that kicks in and blanks the screen after 20 minutes if nothing happens. Very disconcerting to have this happen after 20 minutes on a highway with no direction changes the first time, I thought the unit had malfunctioned. You'll probably also want to double check that U turns are turned off. And we found it much easier to use on highways with the auto-zoom at turns turned off. You'll want to get it set at a comfortable map scale for driving at highway speeds, you really don't want it autozooming to 1/4 mile scale for turns just to have to touch the zoom out button 7 times to get it back to your 70mph scale.
Parking garages confuse it. Yes, that's a function of it not getting a GPS signal in a garage, that's a technical limit of any GPS. But it's inconvenient to exit a parking garage and not know which way it expects you to turn at the exit.
Also, not a defect or flaw, but just to be sure you understand what you are getting with this: this is a GPS unit only with built in preloaded maps that can be updated from your PC. It does not receive live traffic data, road closures, or anything else live. We found that because of that and it's lack of customizable routing options, the best way to use it was with the Google Maps on our iphones. We'd check the iPhone maps for any coming traffic issues as we came to cities and we used the directions on the google maps iphone app on the way back to give us our preferred route and just plotted from city to city on the magellan, not ideal.
If all that concerns you is a big screen and you're content with the handful of routing options this gives, you'll probably do OK with this. I think there are probably better available options if you want more flexibility.
Magellan RoadMate 1700 7-Inch Portable GPS Navigator (Electronics)
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Garmin eTrex Vista C Waterproof Hiking GPS (Electronics)
Garmin eTrex Vista C Waterproof Hiking GPS (Electronics)
I'm delighted to have finally tried the Garmin Color Vista C after nearly abandonning the whole GPS endeavor.
I previously purchased a Magellan Meridian Color GPS for hiking after moving to Montana. The outdoor called and my "internal GPS" sense of where I'm going and have been is too weak to rely on for the trails around here. The Garmin Vista C worked much more intuitively than the Magellan. The learning curve was fast even though I'd not used any GPS for over a year.
After working out a couple of glitches, my Vista C has been a delight. I've taken it biking, kayaking and on many trails in Montana. City tours are not my favorite venture, but the Garmin served very well for me both on foot and for tracking where the taxi was transporting me. Now its accompanying my quest to learn cross country skiing. Besides basic directional assistance, I've begun using it even where I'm already confident that I know the trails in order to perform exercise monitoring, to log information on distance, duration, speed, altitude, calculating grade of ascent,landmarking favorite spots where I might want to hide a gift for a friend, and occasionally seeing how much time I have left to doddle before sundown.
The Magellan never became a companion like the Garmin has. It was tantalizing but seemed to fail on practicalities. It devoured batteries -- in fact even if I carefully made sure the device was turned off after less than an hour of use on a new set batteries and put it away, when I returned in a couple of days the new batteries were toast (including Energizer Lithium).
I do like the detail on topo maps for Magellan perhaps a bit better than Garmin's options -- but in practice the Magellan computer interface as well as the handheld interface were quite frustrating and combursome so the Magellan became a neglected "toy" on the shelf. The final kicker happened when I attempted to backtrack a trail and was led so far off course by the Magellan's limited satellite accuracy that I did become seriously lost for about 30 minutes. The Garmin made these frustrations a distant memory and real-time interaction with its maps seems to be helping me develop my internal navigational skills as well.
A FEW ERRATIC GARMIN GLITCHES
It "glitched" once trying to download to my PC which was apparently a corrupted file on the handheld. This has not occured again. The first tech I spoke with at Garmin was rather unhelpful and just told me to delete all of my handheld files (too painful to contemplate since they represented a week of hiking on the Lake Superior Trail). I asked to speak with a supervisor who was professional and gave several good solutions and contingency plans. Ultimately I did not have to use these more remote solutions, just deleted one old trail on the handheld that was a leftover from hiking near my own community.
The other glitch occurred when I was standing on a short hill between taller rock stands and short peaks. The device credited me with a lightening fast 11-mile bounce between these sites. It still downloaded to my PC okay this time and the anomaly easily edited out.
IMPROVEMENTS I'D LIKE TO SEE:
1. A thermometer added.
2. Of course there is always a wish for the WAIS information to be available more of the time in order to get the higher level of accuracy.
3. The software maps at least for this part of the world are outdated and could do more for topo detail. Major trails should be included, like Lake Superior Hiking Trail, the Colorado Trail, Appalachian, etc.
4. The Show Profile feature on the PC software should let you identify trail segments better. It shows the whole trail only and all the AUTOMATIC waypoints -- but not the ones you have landmarked.
Nonetheless I'm hooked. This investment has more than earned its cost in peace of mind, freedom to meander away from the trail and be confident I can get back, finding alternative trails or loops and understanding on the map how they meet up in real time as I am out there scrambling... improving my cardiovascular training ... and much more.
Garmin eTrex Vista C Waterproof Hiking GPS (Electronics)
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Garmin nьvi 500 3.5-Inch Portable GPS Navigator (Electronics)
Garmin nьvi 500 3.5-Inch Portable GPS Navigator (Electronics)
The unit works almost flawlessly for geocaching. I found one gpx file that causes the unit to power off when you try to navigate to the cache. Garmin is aware of the problem and is working on a fix. However, this happened only once so far...but I can't give it 5 stars until garmin resolves it.
The paperless geocaching is a nice feature. You can use other nuvis for geocaching, but this one makes it easy to view caches. Using garmin's communicator, you can d/l caches to your unit. You then can view the cache info, such as difficulty, terrain, hints and such. The geocaches show up on your map while driving, so you can observe caches nearby.
Definitely upgrade your firmware -- it fixes some bugs. Accuracy seems pretty good (depends on # of satellites available). Several times, the compass told us we were 1 ft away -- and we were! Usually it gets us within 10 ft.
Works great in the car too! The 3.5" screen seem fine. Just wish it spoke street names (and a strap to make it easy to carry when geocaching).
All in all, we're happy with the unit.
Garmin nьvi 500 3.5-Inch Portable GPS Navigator (Electronics)
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