RE: GPS Systems (for a car, really) (Full Version)

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Crush -> RE: GPS Systems (for a car, really) (5/25/2009 11:25:56 PM)

Get one of these:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sextant 
and
one of these: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marine_chronometer

And you'll be set!   

Seriously, I've a Magellan and it is adequate for getting me around town.  My "Crackberry" also comes with GPS capabilities and works pretty well, though only to about 10m accuracy.

A lot depends on how much you have budgeted.  If your budget is around $100 or less, there are some good refurbished systems.  If your budget is over $400 you can get some damn fine machines that almost make your coffee for you. 

It will be interesting to see which way you go!  Good luck.




subtlebutterfly -> RE: GPS Systems (for a car, really) (5/26/2009 9:53:48 AM)

GPS is great when you're in a foreign country n have noooooooo idea where anything is at all...personally I kinda prefer the roadmaps though




samboct -> RE: GPS Systems (for a car, really) (5/26/2009 10:25:53 AM)

"GPS is great when you're in a foreign country n have noooooooo idea where anything is at all...personally I kinda prefer the roadmaps though."

Yah- try reading a roadmap of Vienna when its dark out, raining, the street names aren't illuminated and they're on the buildings, and the two major roads are rings.  GPS's are a godsend to folks like me who are directionally challenged.  Some towns aren't hard to get around in- others can be a nightmare.

Sam 





subtlebutterfly -> RE: GPS Systems (for a car, really) (5/26/2009 10:36:17 AM)

quote:

ORIGINAL: samboct

Yah- try reading a roadmap of Vienna when its dark out, raining, the street names aren't illuminated and they're on the buildings, and the two major roads are rings.


Were we there at the same time? ...'cause I had to do it there 2 years ago...in pouring rain in the middle of the night....it took a while, but that's what I like about it..the challenge..gps is just..yeh go there n there n there..it's way too braindead.




FourQ -> RE: GPS Systems (for a car, really) (5/26/2009 7:36:27 PM)

I only paid £60, £40 for the GPS unit and £20 for the maps.




NuevaVida -> RE: GPS Systems (for a car, really) (5/26/2009 8:59:14 PM)

quote:

ORIGINAL: camille65

Oh I love my Garmin!
Her name is Lola and she got me from Michigan to Texas without me having to open a single map. Yay for Lola!

My only issue is her dom-ness when she states 'RECALCULATING' in that strident tone of hers (which only happens when I make wrong turns lol).

Seriously I love having a GPS. It was super easy to learn, portable and has a pretty long battery life. Dang. Sounds like a vibrator!



LOL Camille I had to chime in.  I was in Canada last year with some friends and we had a Garmin (don't remember which model).  We chose the male voice with an Australian Accent and named him George.  George kept telling us where to go, spot on, but when we missed a turn, we'd get a strict "Recalculating" too.  We did that a lot.  We kept expecting him to yell at us but George was such a patient dom...

Cali, no clue as to the Magellan but my experience with George Garmin was great.

As to GPS in cell phones, it's an added feature (for my blackberry, anyway) which comes with a nice service fee that I'm unwilling to pay (calling a friend and saying "Hey I'm lost - Mapquest me please" is much cheaper...heh).




samboct -> RE: GPS Systems (for a car, really) (5/27/2009 6:15:17 AM)

"Were we there at the same time? ...'cause I had to do it there 2 years ago...in pouring rain in the middle of the night....it took a while, but that's what I like about it..the challenge..gps is just..yeh go there n there n there..it's way too braindead."

Hmm, maybe we were.  Two summers ago in late July/August.  I was traveling with my folks and my mother is not a good passenger/traveler.  We'd go 100 meters- discover that we weren't sure which road we had turned on and my pop's German was pretty rusty.  The streetsigns were a bit problematic too.  My pop's idea is to stop the car-even if in the middle of a highway and wait till he figures things out.  I'd rather take a wrong turn and not get hit- but we did wind up driving about 20 klicks the wrong direction before we could get turned around.  The map was very tough to read in the car- there are lots of roads in Wien and you really needed a blowup of where you were.

In terms of challenge- for some folks with a good sense of direction- it's not a challenge, it's easy.  Or if you come from a state like Iowa which has few roads and they're laid out in a grid.  I have a terrible sense of direction (I'm a guy- and I admit it- go figure.) and there are other things in life I'd rather be challenged with.  Finding  a date for one.  Now if they could come up with a GPS that would do that-they'd really have something!

Sam




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