Garmin cf Que 1620 North America (010-00290-00) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I've been using the cf Que 1620 in my HP iPAQ for over 4 months now and am very satisfied with it's performance.Unlike the previous reviewer, I have not had major issues with the GPS unit locating satellites.I have used it in many areas of the US and Canada.

For the initial setup, it is very important that the correct Base Map for the area that you are physically located in is installed, otherwise, the GPS cannot coordinate with the satelite with the mapping software properly. Normally you would choose the North American base maps.The unit shipped from Amazon only includes the North American City Select maps which are needed to get local roads, landmarks, and Points of Interest.Maps for other areas of the world are available from Garmin.In addition, the documentation is fairly complete and will explain how to get the GPS to find the satellite quicker under "Initializing the GPS Receiver" in the Applications Guide.

If you purchase the unit and it comes with the version 5.0 of the City Select maps, contact Garmin and they can get you upgraded to the current version.This happened to me and since I had purchased the unit just before the upgrade occurred, they upgraded me for free.I thought this showed excellent customer service.The upgraded maps had all of the exit number changes that have occurred in my area as well as new street names for new housing developments.

Some basics: Your Pocket PC based PDA will need to have an empty CompactFlash (CF) slot for the GPS antenna that comes with the unit (it also has 64 MB of memory space in the same assembly). Since my iPAQ had a Secure Digital slot (like many PDAs) but no CF slot, I had to purchase a CF sleeve for the iPAQ as well.I'm tempted to buy a iPAQ 2215 since it has both slots in the case (no need for the sleeve).

A couple of specifics: It is a very good idea to make sure you are running MS Pocket PC 2003 operating system. My iPAQ originally came with Pocket PC 2002 and the Garmin had many problems locking up along with very slow performance. Once I upgraded, the difference was tremendous. The Garmin CF Que 1620 is now very stable and fast. The bigger the memory card, the more maps you can store. For example, a 512 MB SD card is able to hold the Northeast & Mid Atlantic U.S. from Virginia up to Maine, the Dallas - Ft. Worth area, Southern California, Idaho, and Utah (with some room to spare).

The Negatives:
- Having to add the CF sleeve made the unit thicker than normal. As a result, the supplied dash mount does not hold the unit as securely as it normally would (it still is adequate though)

- The speaking volume for directions is too low if you have a noisy interior (or if you play your music loud). I found two solutions for this. 1) I bought a set of portable powered speakers and connected them through the headphone jack. 2) Bought one of the Belkin Tunecast II Mobile transmitters to broadcast the directions through the radio (which I take on trips with a rental car - nice and small).

The Positives:
- Excellent customer support. As I mentioned above.

- The unit responds very quickly when a re-route is required (especially with all of the construction that is going on seemingly wherever I'm going...) It always gets me back on-course. Its great to get around traffic jams too.

- Lots of flexibility in choosing how the maps will be displayed while driving. For example, the default is for the unit to zoom the map back and forth depending on your location while I prefer to see more detail of the side streets along the path that the car is taking.Uncheck the Auto-zoom box if you don't want the zooming.

- I tested it head-to-head against the Hertz NeverLost GPS system. It was as good and at times much better during my test in Southern California. The Garmin user interface was much easier to use.

- Lots of POIs (Points of Interest). I'm on the road alot and I really appreciate how it can find my hotel, nearby restaurants, fast food, golf courses, airports, gas stations, etc. quickly and accurately.

- The unit also comes with a matching version of the software that loads on your PC. It is very convenient to create the Waypoints (which I can use as Origin or Destination points) on the PC, then have it download into the cf Que. From there, you just select the Waypoint and tell the Garmin to Route to It. It gives you the estimated time of arrival along with the mileage. You can also configure your iPAQ to show Turn-by-Turn instructions with a touch of a button.

Overall, it is an excellent unit. Now that I've used it for a bit of time (everything "high-tech" has a learning curve), I'm more impressed with it every time I use it. Even my techno friends are impressed. Well worth the money.As usual, Amazon got it to me quickly as well.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Garmin cf Que 1620 North America (010-00290-00)

Product Description:
Cf Que 1620 010-00290-00Garmin International part number 010-00290-00

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Pharos NAV02 Pocket PC Navigator Software Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I purchased this to be used with my PDA/Phone. I wanted the convenience of only carrying one unit. This serves that purpose. However, it does not have several features you will get in a regular GPS unit. The address gets you to the street, not the driveway like my old Garmin unit. You cannot add waypoints.
For the convenience, it works pretty good.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Pharos NAV02 Pocket PC Navigator Software

Product Description:
Item #: 825242. OSTIA Software (for Pocket PCs) is a full-featured GPS ready navigation software for Pocket PC devices that includes complete street level US map coverage. It offers real time tracking and point-to-point routing, voice-prompted driving directions, turn-by-turn directions, one-touch reroute, address/intersection/points of interest search and fast zoom. Product Description: Ostia for US - GPS software
Product Type: GPS software
Distribution Media: CD-ROM
Customers also search for: Discount Ostia For US - GPS Software, Buy Ostia For US - GPS Software, Wholesale Ostia For US - GPS Software, 0818948000019, NAV02, GPS Software

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Garmin GPS 10 Deluxe with Bluetooth Technology Review

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(More customer reviews)I've been using a Garmin StreetPilot III for 3 years now, for those unfamilar with it, its a all-in-one GPS unit with auto-routing feature and voice prompt.Its a good trusty device, highly rugged and I credit much of my career success in Silicon Valley to it.

What prompted me to start sourcing for another GPS device is due to the airport hassle we experience these days.I work for the Sales department of a security company and that means frequent travel these days.The StreetPilot III is an excellent device but its a little bulky to fit into my notebook bag.

Hence enter the Garmin GPS 10.I got mine for $209 from Digitally Unique, they're slow on shipping but the price was good.Get the Deluxe package and not the receiver only one, the Garmin software and maps are worth the money.

In comparison with the older StreetPilot, advantages are:
1.Small, light and easily fit into your pocket or laptop bag, easier when passing through airport security.

2.Integrated magnetic mount allows for mounting outside the rental car, a good solution in case you rented a car with heatsheild on the windscreen that can block GPS signal.

3.Waterproof, so you can still mount the device outside the car in adverse weather condition.

4.Software provided for both PocketPC and Windows OS (Mac / Linux users are out of luck here).Most business travellers like myself typically carry a PDA and for sure has a notebook.In case your PDA fails, you'll still have GPS capability using your notebook.

5.Enhanced software features includes:
- More customization options
- Cool transparent setting for indicators and prompts
- Elevation indicator, nice feature when travelling
- Easier filter for Waypoints and POI (Points of Interest)

6.Uses standard SD or Compact flash memory cards supported by your PDA instead of the proprietary flash memory cards from Garmin.Get the Viking 512mb SD card available from Amazon here with rebate, goes nicely if your PDA has a SD slot.

7.The GPS 10 turns on automatically if it detects power from the 12v cigarette lighter adaptor.Disadvantages compared to StreetPilot III:
1.This could be related to my choice of PDA, I'm using a Dell Axim X5 PocketPC 2003. This PDA does not have an integrated Bluetooth so I use a Anycom Bluetooth CF card.Whenever I turn off the PDA and back on again, I need to re-connect the Bluetooth serial connection.Then I have to stop the Garmin nRoute software from searching the serial port, then reconnect again.A bit of a hassle compared to the StreetPilot III where you simply turn it on.

2.Routing algorithm not as good as StreetPilot III.The Pocket PC based routing logic seems to be slightly inferior to the one based on SP III (Palm OS based).

3.Depending on your PDA, the screen could be very difficult to read in the car.The Dell Axim X5 does not do well despite its transreflective LCD.The SP 3 on the other hand is clearly visible under all sorts of condition.Recommend you buy a PDA with a very bright screen.

4.PDA dependent.The SP 3 is a integrated device and is very rugged, sitting in direct sunlight for 2 years before I finally managed to buy a townhouse with a garage last year.The PDA however, is flimsy in comparison.I would not thing the Dell Axim will hold up being in sunlight all the time for 2 years.

5.Mounting a hassle.For a semi permanent mount in a car, you'll have to buy a mount either from Seidio or Arkon.However, those mounts are mainly for the PDA and you'll have to mount the GPS 10 seperately.Recommendation:
1.If you do not travel by air frequently but is looking for a GPS device for use in your car, go with one of those all-in-one devices such as the older Garmin 2610/2620 or the newer Garmin c320/c330.They're much easier to use and mount, and are easier to see in your car.

2.For frequent travellers by air, get this Garmin GPS 10 and a good PDA.This combo is a lot more portable and works even if you end up renting a car with heatshield on the windscreen.Also, in case the PDA fails, you'll have your notebook to fall back on.

3.If you decide on the Garmin GPS 10, get a PDA that has the fastest possible processor. The latest Intel XScale running at 624Mhz is a good choice.My Axim X5 running 416Mhz though usable, I sometimes felt a faster processor would be nice when I'm planning a trip and markign waypoints on the PDA.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Garmin GPS 10 Deluxe with Bluetooth Technology

Product Description:
Garmin jumps on the wireless bandwagon with its GPS 10 Deluxe, a GPS receiver that communicates with Bluetooth-enabled Pocket PCs and PC laptops to allow easy, intuitive navigating. Unlike GPS devices with built-in screens, the GPS 10 Deluxe displays its mapping and navigational data on your mobile computer's monitor, ensuring superior close-up detail, more memory storage, and faster operation than with traditional navigators. And because it's wireless, users won't have to futz with cumbersome cables that get in the way each time they need to move the laptop or reposition the receiver. The cable-free solution is ideal for cars and trucks, as the device installs via the included magnetic or Velcro mounts, or even outside the vehicle should users need a clear path to the satellites. It's also waterproof, so it can withstand nasty weather and poor conditions.
The GPS 10 Deluxe comes with a fully unlocked MapSource City Select North America CD, which includes detailed maps of the U.S., Canada, and Puerto Rico, with more than five million points of interest and intensive street-level map data. In addition, the package boasts two easy-to-use navigation applications: nRoute, which installs on a Bluetooth-enabled laptop, and Que, a Pocket PC program. The applications turn both mobile devices into fully functioning navigators. Users can easily look up addresses, restaurants, and services, or they can select a destination and receive automatic routing, turn-by-turn directions, off-route recalculation, and voice promptsas they drive.
The Bluetooth communication works at distances of up to 30 feet, adding to the unit's versatility. Additional features include rechargeable lithium-ion batteries that power your GPS receiver for up to a dozen hours at a time and a 12-volt power adapter that connects to your cigarette lighter. The GPS 10 Deluxe measures 1.77 by 3.46 by 0.75 inches (W x H x D) and is covered by a one-year warranty.
What's in the Box
GPS 10 wireless receiver, Mapsource City Select North America CD-ROM, nRoute PC laptop software, Que Pocket PC software, integrated magnetic mount, Velcro mounting patch, 12-volt adapter cable, setup guide, user's manual.

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DeLorme Map Library Subscription Card for Topo USA 8.0 and Earthmate PN Series GPS Navigators Review

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(More customer reviews)I ordered the Map Library along with my PN-40 unit. This map library was one of the deal-makers that led to my buying the DeLorme GPSr. I mainly use the aerial images and the 1:24k topo quads.The color images for my area look to have been taken a couple of years ago, while the b&w's look about 6-7 years old. This will vary by geographic area. You can layer the maps in any order, and view hybrids with the Topo 7 data over the aerial (or whichever view you choose).

This annual subscription is just an unbelievable deal. The downloads I've made already would cost hundreds (going on thousands) of dollars if I bought the maps individually.

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Product Description:
The Map LibrarySubscription card provides unlimited downloads for one-year to theDeLorme Map Library using Topo USA 8.0 software (sold separately). This library lets you select U.S.geographic areas of interest and download USGS 7.5-minute topographic quad maps, color satellite maps, and NOAA nautical charts using the NetLink tab of Topo USA. Once downloaded, they're yours to keep. Topo USA software is available separately or included with the DeLorme Earthmate PN-Series GPS. Topo USA contains the blendedDeLorme vector street and topographic maps. The additional map types downloaded from the Map Library are yours to layer on the DeLorme PN GPS, enabling you to switch among map types of your GPS location. It's amazing!

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