Good subject and I need too some technical help with it. I own a Microsoft, STREETS & TRIPS 2006 with GPS Locator software and I don’t know if the system has some deficiencies or… if I am a lousy operator. The system, when properly working is quite helpful since, when guiding you on the proper route, it tells you in advance, step by strep, the direction to turn, how many mile or fraction of mile before the turn and that is provided by voice and written message. HOWEVER, when you are planning an itinerary, let’s say, New York to Miami, using the most faster route or most direct one, the software sends you in loop halls in strange cities or goes out from the highways and makes loops with no specific purpose. I have corrected several times this problem by creating waypoints on the itinerary but, even with this guideline, it still zigzag out of the logic itinerary for no reason. I have perused through the USER GUIDE provided with the software but the book must have been originally written in China and then translated in English and in my point of view is more confusing than helpful. Is anyone been faced by same problem ? If so do you know how and where to get any constructive help (i.e. I am thinking a simple descriptive book like it is been issued for MS Dbase for dummies etc..) or where to get proper and simple assistance on this matter? Thanks in advance, Galli
Well, hubby really likes his Garmin 330. I ended up giving it to him early as when I looked at the Circuit City receipt, it said that I could only return it within 30 days and I didn't want to wait the 2 months until his birthday and then find it didn't work. He has used it several times when he had to go to places he has never been before and we used it last weekend to browse thru the restaurants listed looking for someplace new to try. We are flying to New York City this week and he plans to take it with us, so we will get to give it a real test...
All this reading about GPS has me wanting to buy one for myself. I found the Garmin at BJ's for 266 and I am thinking about purchasing one. Butch, have you bought yours yet? Just curious as to how it is working and how you decided to mount it. I have heard great things about it from someone I know that has one. As to the newer more expensive 530, I have heard some of the features like the traffic function have a monthly charge. Has anyone used one for a long trip? I look forward to being able to know where fuel stations rest areas and restaurants such as Cracker Barrel are with out having to happen upon them. Just curious. Jef
Hi Jef, I use a gps antenna and microsoft streets and trips. I find it very useful and have used it for trips up to 6500 miles. You can find it on ebay for about $75.00 US. I came across this web site and plan to use it a bit too! http://gasprices.mapquest.com/index.jsp?cid=4_gasprices_mp
One thing I think you should know The GPS is a very accurate system. How ever I have had Microsoft Streets and Trips, give me bad direction to a specific address. It is not a common occurrence. I have had it happen 4 times in the last couple years.
Hi Big Ben, The thing I like most about streets and trips is using the f3 key to recalculate the route if I happen to take a wrong turn. As far as bad directions have you tried setting the preferences for the type of roads you wish to travel on? Or do you mean the route it gave you did not exist? (That has happened to me once in 2.5 years) I guess any gps is only as good as the map it comes with. One other nice feature is that all the campgrounds in Woodall's seem to be included. QUOTE(Big Ben @ Apr 7 2007, 08:12 AM) [snapback]6727[/snapback] One thing I think you should know The GPS is a very accurate system. How ever I have had Microsoft Streets and Trips, give me bad direction to a specific address. It is not a common occurrence. I have had it happen 4 times in the last couple years.
Yes I use preferences all the time. Example it showed me Ho Hum Campground . It is listed in S&T . It is on Fl. 98. We were coming S on 319. At the intersection it had me turn left instead of right. I have had others tell me it must be some thing I did wrong , May be so. I know you go on the Good Sam form. there have been a number of discussions about this on there.
Hi Big Ben, I've come across only one error like that. GPS is only as good as the map behind it. I don't know where Micro$oft gets their maps, or how often they truly update them. It just seems logical to me to multi task my laptop into a gps. One less item to pack!
Mastercraft: Hi Jeff, I have not purchased the Garmin GPS unit, We are still watching the flyers and their prices. Model for model, they vary by a wide margin weekly at different stores in our home area. We are still looking at the Garmin GPS C330 unit. Another reason I'm holding off is that our motor home is still in the winter storage area and will not be available for removal until April 14th, but that is subject to change. This is a large building, one of many, and a large number of units within; boats, camp trls, equipment trls, autos, trucks, etc, etc, are positioned in each. They will, more than likely, start to move the smaller towable units out later this week, as they can move those with their large tow tractors, but do not have the capability to move 5ers and motor homes. These have to be moved by the owners. Of course, the weather is an important factor. Just a note, We had snow Easter Sunday morning, not much, but the ground was white. The Easter Bunny had to borrow Santa's sled. Spring, where is it ????? Surely not here in the northeast, namely eastern New York State.
Butch, Thanks for the reply.I am looking at the Garmin 330 also for our trip out west this summer. Prices seem to vary depending on the day and place you are looking. Just a note on spring camping. We were camping at Lake Lanier outside of Atlanta this past week for spring break. The first 4 days we ran the AC during the day and the fans at night. About midweek we had to switch to heat at night. Then on Sat evening we saw snow flurries. When I put the trailer back into storage, I had to winterize it again since the temps are supposed to be below freezing for a couple of nights.Strange weather down here also.
Mastercraft, Hi Jef, Purchased the Garmin c330, and the optional mount, (so We can move it from vehicle to vehicle), today online, should have it in a week to ten days. More toys !!!! Have talked to a few Rvers who swear by the GPS, and of course there are those who swear at it. Time will tell, will update in the future after some use.
Butch, If you don't mind me asking, which online store did you purchase it from? I am still finding price ranges all over the place.
QUOTE(mastercraft @ Apr 17 2007, 09:23 PM) [snapback]6855[/snapback] Butch, If you don't mind me asking, which online store did you purchase it from? I am still finding price ranges all over the place. Mastercraft, I bought ours at Circuit City. Printed out CostCo's ad from their website and took it in and C.C. honored that price, which was $249. Butch, I think you will be very happy with it. As I said in another thread, we took it to New York Ciity with us last week, and it was so easy to get to the sites we were going to see, such as Times Square, the ferry to the Statue of Liberty, etc. Also, we used it every night to find some place to eat dinner. We never needed a map or directions, just that female telling us every turn we had to make. Greg had programmed in the hotel we were staying at before we left home and when we picked up the rental car, he just turned it on and selected the entered info and it took us straight there...
Cheryl, I haven't seen an ad in a couple of weeks for less than 299. I guess I will wait another couple of weeks until the price goes down again. When is dinner in your new Kitchen? I will be coming through Denver at the end of June. Jef
QUOTE(mastercraft @ Apr 17 2007, 10:00 PM) [snapback]6858[/snapback] Cheryl, I haven't seen an ad in a couple of weeks for less than 299. I guess I will wait another couple of weeks until the price goes down again. When is dinner in your new Kitchen? I will be coming through Denver at the end of June. Jef Jef, not to toot my own horn, but I am a marvelous cook. As for when dinner is, guess once my kitchen is finished - believe me, I am milking this one for as long as possible - but to tell you the truth, take-out is getting pretty old at this point, so may have to fire up the new stove soon. Italian and Mexican are my specialties, but lots of onion and garlic in both, so bring your Tums!!!
Cheryl, Yum-yum. We do not have Mexican restaurants here locally, but the Tri-city area has a few.(the Tri-city area is Schenectady, Troy, and the capital city-Albany). What did Gregg think about the GPS unit ???? Jef, I checked prices, and purchased the GPS from Wal-mart @ $ 269.54. In store price is $ 299.99. So I purchased the GPS unit and the optional dash mount @ $ 29.87 online. The purchase of the optional mount was made so that we may change the unit between vehicles with ease. I know that a lower price will be advertised somewhere now that the purchase has been made. It never fails. Someone posted that BJs had the C330 in store at $ 266.00, I did not check BJs for pricing or availability. The order is to arrive in three to five days. More toys !!!
Butch, Greg loves the Garmin. A couple of his employees were in NY for the same business meetings (we flew there on Friday morning and they didn't come until Monday night). Anyway, all of those guys had to play with it too and a couple said they were going to get one. As for Mexican food - just had to tell you, tonight I cooked!!! Made tacos, chicken tacquitos, queso, cheese enchilladas, refried beans, tostadas and quacamole. Got LOTS of leftovers - want me to send them your way???
Butch, What is the optional dash mount. I checked yesterday and I would have a hard time reaching the GPS with the windshield mount due to the angle of the windshield. where can I look at the dash mount? Jef
Hey Butch, thanks for the heads up on the dash mount - I didn't even know it existed. When I bought the Garmin, it came with the suction windshield mount and that works great in the car but as Mastercraft says, you wouldn't be able to reach it in the motorhome. I just checked out the mount you mentioned, and ordered it from WalMart.com. They had it for the best price (29.99)...
Jef, You will find it on the Wal-mart website, Walmart.com. Cheryl found it and ordered one. Should have one if one is going to take the unit from vehicle to vehicle. I ordered it for $ 29.87 plus shipping & of course sales tax, (at least here in New York). The land of taxation ! Hope everyone has a good weekend, we are suppose to have a very good one, weather wise anyway.
