Which GPS?

[JG Shields]

What are the latest trends and movements in the GPS arena, with specific reference to overlanding 4x4 application in Southern Africa? I am considering my options at the moment and would like to understand from the experienced GPS users what they think. Which GPS and which map set?

[Abri Hoffman]

JG, I was always of the opinion that the automotive GPS's would suffice for 90% of ofroad use. As such I have used a Garmin Ique 3600 for about 5 years. Appart from screen size I had no complaints. Never could justify the money for a 276. When the maps started getting bigger, I decided to upgrade as the 200mhz processor was getting very slow. Bought a Nuvi 1410, 6 months ago to replace it. WHAT A PIECE OF CRAP. Slow, unreliable piece of sh... Even bought the live traffic thingy. Laughable, no traffic on route however I am standing in traffic. Search for traffic and it show delays on my route.
Looked at GPS's yesterday the to Beeld Holiday Show and think if I want something robust the GPSMap 620 or 640 is the way to go. Garmin does not advertise they processor speed anymore and until they start doing it again I will not buy another Garmin. I think they are losing the plot completely and if it was not that T4A only run on Garmin, I would move to something else immediately.

Better option would perhaps be to get a carputer and run a powerful GPS receiver with it. At least this way you would have a proper processor, screen size and flexibility.

[Izak]

Hello JG

Ek sweer by die Garmin 60 CSX. Hy kan alles doen wat ek nog ooit van hom verwag het. Ek gebruik MapSource wat ook op my Laptop gelaai is. Werk uitstekend.

Net jammer ekke konnie ABSA Towers op hom kry nie........

Groete

Izak

[Peter Connan]

Hello JG

Not the most experienced user in the world, but in my limited experience an overlanding GPS needs to have the following features/functions:
1) It should be shock, dust and water proof.
2) It should have the ability to record the route travelled (breadcrumbs).
3) It should be possible to load other maps.
4) Personally, I beleive it should be able to operate without a power source.
5) It should be possible to enter co-ordinates as destinations.
6) An off-road mode may come in handy at times.

As far as I know, there are currently only 3 units combining all the above features, all three made by Garmin, being the Nuvi 500, the 276 and the 60-series units. The 60-series are intended to be hand-held units and have several disadvantages as vehicle-mounted units, most serious of which is that they do not have voice guidance.

Of the other two units, the 276 is undoubtably the better one, but it is much more expensive. It does however have the ability to connect to fish-finders and all sorts of other stuff. It is an older design with buttons, whereas the Nuvi 500 is a touch-screen device, which means that the unit is much smaller without sacrificing screen size.

I have been using the Nuvi 500 for about a year and a half now, and it does everything I need. The only issues I have had with it are that on badly corrugated roads the power plug sometimes loses contact, and that it sometimes seems to overheat and then switches off momentarily. When this happens, I switch the air-con to demist for a little while and this seems to solve the problem.

With regard to maps, Garmin's own maps seem to work pretty well inside SA, but are useless in Bots, Moz and Lesotho (these are the only other countries I have driven in). I have been using Tracks for Africa, and while it has it's disadvantages it seems to work fairly well, however serious route planning should not be done on the GPS but on the computer/laptop, as the mechanism used to calculate driving times is different and the screen of the GPS is just too small.

Cheers
Peter

[JG Shields]

Thanks everyone! It helps me a great deal.

[Alanvs]

JG the 276C was probably the best gps out there for what we wanted. The problem is they have discontinued it and is no longer available. You may be lucky to find a new one in a store somewhere. Mine got stolen about a year ago when they broke into my house. I have since replaced it with a Garmin 620map, which I must admit is the closest I can come to the 276C. It is also a marine gps, but with t4a loaded it works better than the nuvi's and also has the marine mode which I use when doing proper offroading and not following a road in auto. It has the largest screen out of all of them.
Anyway personal preference

[Peter Connan]

Hi Allan
I was not even aware of the 620. I had a look on Garmin's site now, it looks pretty good. However they do not say, does it record where you have been?

Thanks
Peter

[Tinus lotz]

Hi there
I have got the 276c and wil not change it for any other but give kevin bolton a call at boltons gps warehouse for best price and service

[Alanvs]

Hi Peter
Yes it does record.
Alan

[Pieter du Toit]

Hello JG,

Ek het ook die Nuvi 500 en vind dit uitstekend - on road, off road - orals - en dit doen alles. Kan al die Garmin en T4A kaarte vat en jy kan selfs wissel tussen kaarte terwyl besig met n active roete. Jou 4x4 overlanding vakansies of selfs net dag trips an 4x4 roetes kan jy selfs na die tyd op google earth gaan plot en dit wys jou waar jy gery het.

Ek stem saam met Peter - jou roete beplannings en dies meer moet op die lappie gedoen word en dan na die gps afgelaai word. Ek is baie happy met die gps en dit het my nog nooit in die steek gelaat nie. Baie van die gebruik van die goed hang ook af van die gebruiker se kundigheid.....baie mense wet nie hoe om die funksies reg te gebruik nie of informasie reg op of af te laai van die lappie af nie. Dan kan dit maar n gesukkel afgee.

Ek weet ook dat die 276 die beter een is - maar hy is ge - discontinue en jy kry hulle nie meer nie. Rumour het dit dat die Nuvi 500 die replacement van die Quest 1 en 2 (Garmin se heel eerste gps met "off road en breadcrumb capacity") is - weet nie hoeveel waarheid daarin steek nie. Die Quests is self n uitstekende gps maar het n baie klein screen. My swaer gebruik syne nou al seker vir die beste part van 8 jaar en het nog nooit enige probleme gehad nie.

Soos aner man se - "personal preferences en personal choices"

Groete