I borrowed a nice Garmin GPS from a friend to play with on a recent trip. At end of the trip, I decided that I preferred my laptop and Streets and Trips. There are so many more things that I can do with it that aren't available with a GPS. For one, waypoint use is more user friendly and useful. Instead of the audio tone telling me I'm getting close to one, the laptop will display them all along the route. Also, there is so much more trip data available with S/T. Thirdly, if I have to pre-load a long trip into the GPS from my computer, then why not just use the computer?
I did find that having the GPS for "in-town" use was very helpful, but can't see spending the money on one when I could double that and get a mini-notebook which has multiple uses. Especially when maps are free.
Perhaps there is more to this than I'm seeing on a single two week trip. Anyone have any thoughts on it?
TxYellowRose said
10:01 AM Jan 11, 2010
I'm terribly old-school when it comes to this sort of thing. I'd rather read a map and/or use Mapquest. Used maps all my life, since I was a kid.
So many people have come into our office looking bewildered and remarking, "Is this the post office?" having depended on their GPS to direct them. BTW, no, we're not the post office!
Is map reading an ancient lost art?
azrving said
11:29 AM Jan 11, 2010
We went back to SC @ Christmas and we used the GPS going and the trip took 36 hours. I have made the trip many times and it ususally takes 30-32 hours non-stop but I was concerned about detours since they had the big rock slide on I-40 so I used the GPS. I didn't use it on the return trip and it took 32 hours. Will stick to the maps and let the Garmin gather dust. Glad it was a gift from a relative or I would be returning it.
Luvglass said
11:41 AM Jan 11, 2010
I have to say that getting a GPS was one of the best things we ever did in this fulltime lifestyle. We are constantly in new towns and it makes it SO easy to find shopping and restaurants. You make a few screen choices and it searchers and shows you your options. Choose one and it takes you there. Is it ever wrong? Of course it is, but it's right 95% of the time.
And best of all, when we get to a new campground we tap the screen and make it a favorite. Then when we are out and about doing multiple things in a day or night and want to go home, we just hit a selection and from where ever we are it takes us back home.
All of this is done right in front of me on the dashboard. It both shows it on a map and tells me when to turn. So much easier than all of the steps of programing a computer program, and forget looking at a laptop while you're driving.
Wouldn't be without it.
Howard said
12:17 PM Jan 11, 2010
I've written many times about our love/hate relationship with a GPS.
A few years back, based on so many RVers raving about their GPS units, I bought an $800 Garmin. I took it back and got a refund after about two weeks of use. We now have one that cost about $100 - it's probably worth that, but it's a close call.
It is great to have in our Jeep when we are in a town looking for a particular store or restaurant or even the closest restaurant/store. However, all too often the Points of Interest are outdated (yes, you can download updates, but even the updates are often outdated - especially with recent closures of numerous businesses).
Still, the GPS is convenient and is great when it takes us right to the door of a place. And it is nice when you set your current campground as a "Favorite" or "Recently Found" to get you back home when you'be been wandering around. However, we use it with what I call "hopeful skepticism" and we often ignore instructions that we simply know are wrong.
Our experience on accuracy has been far less that Luvglass's 95%.
We've learned to NEVER rely solely on the GPS while towing the rig. Too often it has taken us on routes not good for a big rig (some units have "Trucker" or "Motorhome" settings that help that problem, but ours doesn't). And, in remote locations, which we like, it is often just wrong.
When towing, I do a Mapquest (which has its faults, too), AND I get directions from the next campground's website (usually the best route for bigger rigs once you get close), and then we use the GPS as a supplement. That seems to work best for us.
I've had several people tell me I don't understand how the GPS works, several people tell me I'm not using it right, and several people tell me it's the greatest thing in the world. It's nice to have, especially in the Jeep while not towing, but I'm with you - I'm not particularly impressed.
P.S. Streets & Trips hasn't been of much use to us either.
thebearII said
04:52 PM Jan 11, 2010
Funny this came up today.....
This morning, I was going to a supplier to pick up an order. I went to their old location not knowing they had moved.
I grabbed my trusty iphone with a Navigation App on it and input the new address. I watch my little blue ball (my car is the blue ball) travel along the route map until I reached the loading dock at the new location.
It was very accurate and saved me from making a couple of calls to get directions.
We have used several different navigation systems for about 6 years. I've been happy with the results for all of the ones we have used. There's nothing like heading up into a remote area in the dark towards a campground, knowing your friendly navigation voice will get you there.
As I have said before the only times I have gotten lost are the couple of times I questioned the directions provided by the navigation system. As long as I follow the instructions turn by turn, I've reached the location without a problem.
We use the other features built in to the navigation units such as restaurant finder, gas finder, points of interest, waypoints, Lat/Long, time left to destination, speed indicator...etc.
And especially the maps....no need to carry paper maps, the maps in the navigation system work fine for me.
I usually spend a few minutes reviewing the route the navigation system has proposed by zooming in or out on the maps to get familiar with the directions. While travelling, I will ask for the system to read out one to two turns ahead, so I can be ready insted of waiting for the last minute instructions.
If all electronics were to cease, I would miss my laptop the most, my navigation system second and my cellphone third. Actually I don't think I would miss my cellphone all that much...LOL.
bjoyce said
05:09 PM Jan 11, 2010
What I like about our navigation GPS, a Magellan, is it is small and easy to carry. It normally knows the roads and street addresses, but not always the points of interest. If I input the address we can find the place.
When we get to a campground I go online to Yahoo Yellow Pages, put the campground address in (or someplace close that Yahoo understands in some cases) and then I can find everything within 50 miles. The interesting places I write down in a notebook that goes into the car. Put the address in the GPS and off we go. If you have a Yahoo ID then it saves the list of "home" addresses and lets you name them like "Charley's Campground" or "Mom's" and retrieve them next time you camp there. Using Yahoo Yellow Pages online I can do shopping or restaurant trip routing and print out the routes, but I think I have only done this once. The list Yahoo maintains is much more complete than any GPS, though it can be out of date like anything else.
Streets and Trips I use for routing, but even a netbook (which we own) is much larger and harder to carry than the GPS.
-- Edited by bjoyce on Monday 11th of January 2010 05:10:40 PM
Racerguy said
05:12 PM Jan 11, 2010
We have been very happy with our Garmin but don't use the directions as gospal. We double check all routes ahead of time and have a printed( map quest) back up.
RangerPaul said
08:50 PM Jan 11, 2010
Penny and I really like our Magellan (Maggie) even though the maps are from 2006 and aren't able to be updated. The only times she's failed us is when we've used the "shortest distance" routing feature. That mode is definitely not RV friendly. I've found that if I want to plan a route to a non-addressed destination, I can zoom out and browse to the area where I want to go, then use Google maps/ satellite to zero in on the exact coordinates. I set the destination there and away we go. It also has a screen for giving your immediate location in Lat/ Long, compass heading, road, and municipality. (Very handy for getting to the general location of a Geocache.) We haven't had to use a map on a paved road in three years. For remote locations, forest roads, utility right-of-ways and the like we use Gary (a Garmin eTrex hand held) and it's related mapping program.
Don't get me wrong, I LOVE maps. Just not while we're driving.
-- Edited by RangerPaul on Monday 11th of January 2010 08:52:38 PM
Luvglass said
05:53 AM Jan 12, 2010
A thought that hit me as to why some people love them and others are not impressed, may have a lot to do with one's traveling lifestyle. Howard and Linda tend to go to small towns and stay for extended periods, while Jo and I move on average every 6 days and often are near larger cities.
Once your settled and know where everything is, there's virtually no need for the GPS, while if virtually every week your searching for new shopping, post office, gas stations, bakeries, restaurants, etc. you'll come to appreciate it much more.
Just a thought.
Dr Gonzo said
08:20 AM Jan 12, 2010
Very interesting thread! It just underscores how different we all are. I am a dinosaur when it comes to technology but I believe the GPS is the single biggest advancement in technology in the late 20th/early 21st century. Let me explain with a couple of scenarios.
PRE GPS:
DW and I are in strange town/city we have never been in. Lets go for dinner at Joe's Diner...out comes the map (if we have a local city map) otherwise we have to go to gas station to get directions. En route goes as fellows "Where do i turn?", "Iam not sure", "I asked you to guide me", " I AM", "QUIT YELLING", "I'M NOT!", "SHUT UP!", "STOP AND ASK SOMEONE YOU IDIOT!", "I CAN FIND IT MYSELF. GIVE ME THE MAP!", "PULL OVER YOU ARE GOING TO KILL US!" etc, etc. You get the drift. We give up and go home upset or we finally find the place and have a miserable dinner.
POST GPS:
DW wife and are in same strange town/city...Lets go for dinner at Joe's Diner...out comes the GPS and we plug in the address. In 20 minutes we are at the restaurant having a great dinner and who knows what later when we get home.
See what I mean...the best invention of the 20th/21st century!
Racerguy said
08:45 AM Jan 12, 2010
Dr Gonzo, I like your way of thinking.Never thought of it that way
bjoyce said
09:43 AM Jan 12, 2010
We resisted having a GPS for a long time but prices came down and our normal techniques failed on us a couple times in a short time period. Getting around Charleston, WV without either a detailed map or GPS was no fun. The roads follow the valleys and cross streets to go between them are not that well marked. When we were in the Miami, FL area a couple months later we had a tough time finding the stores and restaurants we wanted because the shopping centers had too many trees to see store fronts. We had trouble knowing if we were in the 24800 block or 24700 block and kept having to turn around to get where we wanted. We picked up the GPS while in Miami and it helped us immensely. But we quickly learned the points of interest were already out of date and no way were they complete.
We do not trust the GPS to get us to campgrounds, we follow the campground directions. We do have the GPS running just for a backup.
Our GPS came with Bluetooth and we have it paired with my phone. When one of us goes out on our own we take my phone and connect with the GPS for hands free calling. It works great and we stay legal in states it is illegal to use a cell phone without hands free. It is still distracting to talk on the phone while driving using the GPS, so the conversations are short.
We have a notebook computer and had used Delorme Street Atlas with its yellow GPS to get us to places, but the notebook was too big and Delorme's GPS broke fairly fast. I do use Microsoft Streets and Trips for planning, which I prefer to Delorme's program. Even a netbook is too large to lug back and forth between the RV and car for local trips, in our opinion.
I do agree with Fred on the difference between small or familiar places and not as small or not as familiar places. A GPS is not much help in places like Quartzsite, AZ after a couple day stay but is definately helpful in Minneapolis/St. Paul even after a couple weeks. When we are in a familiar area we rarely use the GPS, including some fairly large metro areas we are very familiar with.
thebearII said
10:09 AM Jan 12, 2010
Dr. Gonzo,
The "pre" conversation sounded very familiar.....
Here's another example of a navigation system coming in handy. In my current job I often have to go to sites that are very remote and on hilltops. The roads leading up to the site are typical mountain dirt roads with many turn offs and crossroads. So it can get confusing to get to a site.
I input the location coordinates into my navigation system and it directs me to the site in most cases or gets me close enough where I can see the site and find my way up to it.
Last week I was at a site up in Joshua Tree National Monument, the navigation app in my iphone took me right to the site.
Delaine and Lindy said
11:13 AM Jan 12, 2010
We have two GPS systems one built system for the Truck and a Garmin 2720 portable, which is used in our HHR and the Silverado P/U. Delaine also has a Apple Iphone with the Nav app. All systems work very well as long as you have a hard address. The I-phone has been a great surprise. Just as soon as we get back to Tennessee I will be getting one also. We also use Street and Smith, and Map quest we like the Street and Smith the best. And yes we also stay mostly on the major highways, just safer for us and the way we travel. With the I-phone we didn't have to buy a small Laptop for traveling, we had went to get the small laptop for size and ease of use while in the tow mode. But after looking at eh I-phone we decided the I-phone was best for our use. GBY..
azrving said
02:29 PM Jan 12, 2010
I guess you can tell I am not a big fan of GPS from my previous post. Many of the problems I had with the GPS on our trip back East were due to operator error ( my wife being the operator), seems that when she set up the GPS (a gift from her mother) it asked for the shortest route or shortest time and she chose the shortest route. This caused it to tell us to leave the interstate and travel back roads, small towns, speed traps, etc. Had we set it to shortest time we would have been ok...I guess. I may give it another try.
-- Edited by azrving on Tuesday 12th of January 2010 02:30:11 PM
injunear said
08:00 PM Jan 12, 2010
I'm still of the old school when it comes to travel. I study all the newest maps and plot our coarse, put that in my menory bank and head out on our adventure. Must come from being in the Navy. If we run into traffic then we check the gps in the DW's car to find away around. Sometimes that is an adventure. With many trips to Texas we've learnd to bypass Dallas. They seem to always be building a new road or have one under repairs
dream reachers said
12:24 AM Jan 13, 2010
I concur with Howard. GPS is nice and we use it but don't trust it for towing. I usually plot a course of travel with Mapquest when towing but we keep maps handy . DW navigator also keeps an eye on the Mountain Directory for grades and the truckers atlas for clearances. We are not generally interested in visiting cities but prefer the country. GPS is good in city streets and major hiways.
Cindy T said
08:01 AM Jan 13, 2010
I love my Garmin GPS. It has kept me from getting lost many times, which I have a tendancy to do! When I've been out scouting for campgrounds, it has led me directly to them. While it is not accurate 100% of the time, it is usually right. I wouldn't be without it.
galeanna said
07:58 PM Jan 14, 2010
We considered a GPS but when I worked for AAA in MI I marked trip tics so we use paper maps or an atlas and yahoo maps as back up. So far they are working great for us.
Gypsy Turtle 2 said
09:52 PM Jan 14, 2010
I am directionally challenged. If someone were to turn me around twice in our garage, I'd have a hard time finding my way out of our driveway! It doesn't help being married to someone who even remembers where the "work zones" were the last time we were in an area-even if it was 10 years ago. About a year and a half ago, I invested in a Garmin and it has made an amazing difference in my life...best money I ever spent! I would never give it up :)
TXRVr said
07:00 PM Jan 15, 2010
When I started this thread I never realized that GPS was a "love/hate" issue. Neither did I expect some of the replies to generate humor. Dr. Gonzo, your post is one that we can all relate to. Gypsy, I hope you have a small garage.
From reading all of the comments, it appears that my own thoughts on GPS could be valid. Those thoughts were that, except of the geographically challenged, it is an excellent tool for use in and around town but otherwise an old fashion map is free and works as well, especially if the lifestyle is open road. Additionally, GPS is not to be trusted to guide a large rig to the most forgiving routes.
Now if someone can give me some advise on buying a real cheap "around town" GPS, it would be appreciated.
Speedhitch said
08:22 PM Jan 15, 2010
Well...I could listen to my wife or the GPS and I chose the GPS because she never raises her voice. She is always calm and very clear on what to do.
Racerguy said
08:46 PM Jan 15, 2010
You can get a Garmin Nuvi for around $ 120.00. Well worth the money to me.
RangerPaul said
09:02 AM Jan 16, 2010
Whichever one you choose, look for one that can have the maps updated. IMHO, it's worth any extra $ it may run. Ive become amazed at how many roads, exits, etc have been redesigned since Maggie was built. Also try to find one thats big enough to see with a glance (like you'd use a side-view mirror). Consider where you will mount it. I learned that mine will block just enough windshield to hide a small child on the road. I had to do some creative mounting.
Roz said
10:44 AM Jan 16, 2010
I consider GPS a tool. As with any other tool, they cannot be relied upon for every job. Tools have their limitations.
We find that our Garmins are quite amazing, but not in every situation. A one time update is rather expensive, yet for 20% more you get lifetime updates as often as five times per year. I think it important to remember that the updates are extremely laborius and population centers will likely receive updates more often than sparsely inhabited areas.
Again, it is a tool. I found by taking the time to understand all of the eccentricities, I now get better results. I still love maps and consider them a second opinion.
KarenInTheWoods said
07:10 PM Jan 20, 2010
I love our Microsoft Streets and Trips with the GPS dongle. I can change anything mid-trip, adding or subtracting stops or changing routes with a click of mouse. Combine that tool on the laptop with an aircard hooked up online, I can pull up websites of interesting things we see on the way, even if it's a billboard or ad for a campgrounds. All while we are driving down the road. I can look ahead to the next town on the GPS, then pull up it's Chamber of Commerce website, or google the town's name, and find out more about the town or campground before we even reach it. I can GoogleEarth while getting close to pick out landmarks or view a campground from up above to get the lay of the land.
And the BEST part of having my laptop Microsoft S&T with GPS on MY side of the motorhome, is that I can see on MY screen exactly the speed we are going!!! It shows me the MPH. I can not see Steveio's speedometer gauge from my passenger seat.
Now when I chastise Steveio upon entering small towns:
*Honneeeyyy it's 35 here*
He can not reply *I AM.. I AM!* (lying to me)
Now I can see he is actually going 42 or 44 ... Haha no more speeding tickets in small town speed traps!
Colorado_Kid said
07:17 PM Jan 20, 2010
I had a GPS and they are not always dependable but are good for a reference.
Racerguy said
08:28 PM Jan 20, 2010
KarenInTheWoods wrote:
And the BEST part of having my laptop Microsoft S&T with GPS on MY side of the motorhome, is that I can see on MY screen exactly the speed we are going!!! It shows me the MPH. I can not see Steveio's speedometer gauge from my passenger seat.
Now when I chastise Steveio upon entering small towns: *Honneeeyyy it's 35 here* He can not reply *I AM.. I AM!* (lying to me)
Now I can see he is actually going 42 or 44 ... Haha no more speeding tickets in small town speed traps!
My Garmin does that also and believe me when I say Linda lets me know about it as I have a tendency to push it a little. Geeze a guy doesn't stand a chance. Not only do I have 2 women telling me where to go now I have 2 reminding me of my speeding. Actually it is very handy as sometimes speed limit signs are hard to find.
dream reachers said
09:16 PM Jan 20, 2010
KarenInTheWoods wrote:
I love our Microsoft Streets and Trips with the GPS dongle. I can change anything mid-trip, adding or subtracting stops or changing routes with a click of mouse. Combine that tool on the laptop with an aircard hooked up online, I can pull up websites of interesting things we see on the way, even if it's a billboard or ad for a campgrounds. All while we are driving down the road. I can look ahead to the next town on the GPS, then pull up it's Chamber of Commerce website, or google the town's name, and find out more about the town or campground before we even reach it. I can GoogleEarth while getting close to pick out landmarks or view a campground from up above to get the lay of the land.
And the BEST part of having my laptop Microsoft S&T with GPS on MY side of the motorhome, is that I can see on MY screen exactly the speed we are going!!! It shows me the MPH. I can not see Steveio's speedometer gauge from my passenger seat.
Now when I chastise Steveio upon entering small towns: *Honneeeyyy it's 35 here* He can not reply *I AM.. I AM!* (lying to me)
Now I can see he is actually going 42 or 44 ... Haha no more speeding tickets in small town speed traps!
Our Tom-Tom and my DW {navigator] assists me with directions and "helps me?" with the speed limits, at least I haven't received any tickets when she is on duty.
-- Edited by dream reachers on Wednesday 20th of January 2010 09:18:40 PM
KarenInTheWoods said
05:11 PM Jan 21, 2010
Steveio has had one ticket and one warning with our rig... so it's my job to keep our insurance premiums under control. Heh heh
I did find that having the GPS for "in-town" use was very helpful, but can't see spending the money on one when I could double that and get a mini-notebook which has multiple uses. Especially when maps are free.
Perhaps there is more to this than I'm seeing on a single two week trip. Anyone have any thoughts on it?
So many people have come into our office looking bewildered and remarking, "Is this the post office?" having depended on their GPS to direct them. BTW, no, we're not the post office!
Is map reading an ancient lost art?
I've written many times about our love/hate relationship with a GPS.
A few years back, based on so many RVers raving about their GPS units, I bought an $800 Garmin. I took it back and got a refund after about two weeks of use. We now have one that cost about $100 - it's probably worth that, but it's a close call.
It is great to have in our Jeep when we are in a town looking for a particular store or restaurant or even the closest restaurant/store. However, all too often the Points of Interest are outdated (yes, you can download updates, but even the updates are often outdated - especially with recent closures of numerous businesses).
Still, the GPS is convenient and is great when it takes us right to the door of a place. And it is nice when you set your current campground as a "Favorite" or "Recently Found" to get you back home when you'be been wandering around. However, we use it with what I call "hopeful skepticism" and we often ignore instructions that we simply know are wrong.
Our experience on accuracy has been far less that Luvglass's 95%.
We've learned to NEVER rely solely on the GPS while towing the rig. Too often it has taken us on routes not good for a big rig (some units have "Trucker" or "Motorhome" settings that help that problem, but ours doesn't). And, in remote locations, which we like, it is often just wrong.
When towing, I do a Mapquest (which has its faults, too), AND I get directions from the next campground's website (usually the best route for bigger rigs once you get close), and then we use the GPS as a supplement. That seems to work best for us.
I've had several people tell me I don't understand how the GPS works, several people tell me I'm not using it right, and several people tell me it's the greatest thing in the world. It's nice to have, especially in the Jeep while not towing, but I'm with you - I'm not particularly impressed.
P.S. Streets & Trips hasn't been of much use to us either.
When we get to a campground I go online to Yahoo Yellow Pages, put the campground address in (or someplace close that Yahoo understands in some cases) and then I can find everything within 50 miles. The interesting places I write down in a notebook that goes into the car. Put the address in the GPS and off we go. If you have a Yahoo ID then it saves the list of "home" addresses and lets you name them like "Charley's Campground" or "Mom's" and retrieve them next time you camp there. Using Yahoo Yellow Pages online I can do shopping or restaurant trip routing and print out the routes, but I think I have only done this once. The list Yahoo maintains is much more complete than any GPS, though it can be out of date like anything else.
Streets and Trips I use for routing, but even a netbook (which we own) is much larger and harder to carry than the GPS.
-- Edited by bjoyce on Monday 11th of January 2010 05:10:40 PM
Don't get me wrong, I LOVE maps. Just not while we're driving.
-- Edited by RangerPaul on Monday 11th of January 2010 08:52:38 PM
I guess you can tell I am not a big fan of GPS from my previous post.
Many of the problems I had with the GPS on our trip back East were due to operator error ( my wife being the operator
), seems that when she set up the GPS (a gift from her mother) it asked for the shortest route or shortest time and she chose the shortest route. This caused it to tell us to leave the interstate and travel back roads, small towns, speed traps, etc. Had we set it to shortest time we would have been ok...I guess. I may give it another try.
-- Edited by azrving on Tuesday 12th of January 2010 02:30:11 PM
With many trips to Texas we've learnd to bypass Dallas. They seem to always be building a new road or have one under repairs
When I started this thread I never realized that GPS was a "love/hate" issue. Neither did I expect some of the replies to generate humor. Dr. Gonzo, your post is one that we can all relate to. Gypsy, I hope you have a small garage.
From reading all of the comments, it appears that my own thoughts on GPS could be valid. Those thoughts were that, except of the geographically challenged, it is an excellent tool for use in and around town but otherwise an old fashion map is free and works as well, especially if the lifestyle is open road. Additionally, GPS is not to be trusted to guide a large rig to the most forgiving routes.
Now if someone can give me some advise on buying a real cheap "around town" GPS, it would be appreciated.
We find that our Garmins are quite amazing, but not in every situation. A one time update is rather expensive, yet for 20% more you get lifetime updates as often as five times per year. I think it important to remember that the updates are extremely laborius and population centers will likely receive updates more often than sparsely inhabited areas.
Again, it is a tool. I found by taking the time to understand all of the eccentricities, I now get better results. I still love maps and consider them a second opinion.
I had a GPS and they are not always dependable but are good for a reference.
-- Edited by dream reachers on Wednesday 20th of January 2010 09:18:40 PM