How do you use your GPS in your home town?

This is a feature of my Garmin nüvi 750 (other GPSr's, too) that is amazing for pointing out how much time you loose to traffic and lights.

I also like to see when it points out shorter though less obvious routes.

-Rob

I used mine as a speedometer for a while until my truck speedometer got replaced.

I often use 2D mode and zoom out a little and see what lies to the right and left of me off my route on streets on which I probably would never travel. It is sort of an education. I find hidden parks and other places that I can explore some time. Once in New Orleans I found an alternate route that paralleled what my Garmin had suggested and when I took it later, exploring, I discovered some new places that I would have missed.

Gary Hayman
Garmin nuvi Tricks, Tips, Work Arounds, H|ints, Secrets & Ideas
http://snipurl.com/garmin_gps_tricks

I have mine plugged in all the time.
Most of time I use it to view the map even though I know where I am going, but it is nice to know about the surrounding areas when driving around such as how close I am to bodies of water, parks I didn't know about, etc.
The red light camera alerts are always active even without a set destination so that's a nice reminder.

In heavy traffic it alerts me to an upcoming turn allowing me to switch lanes if I am inadvertently in the wrong lane. Also slows me down for the turn. A real safety feature for me.

I have only lived here for three years. Jill, my GPS, has been a god send. I live in a rural area surrounded by large towns. I stay lost most of the time except for major roads with out Jill. Use it to find places to eat, how to "cut through" to another place, its on all the time.

When driving home late at night after having had too many Heinekens it is a great tool for finding your house.

Just kidding...

In my area there tends to be a lot of traffic. A long time ago I was following someone who I thought was detouring to beat the traffic. I followed them only to find out they were going home. I mainly use the GPS to find new detours in the event that traffic gets backed up.

I use the GPS for red light cameras. Checking routs that the GPS suggest, for fastest or shortest.

Normally I don't use it as I don't have the traffic updates. I don't see the purpose of using it if you know where you are going. That said, if I want to measure a distance I'll turn it on for that.

I use mine in my home town quite a bit, and the reasons are "all of the above." Mostly though, is if I come across heavy traffic where it looks like I'll be stuck for a while, I'll press the detour button to find alternate routes. I like that feature.

In my home town I use my 76CSx rather than the Nuvi. I use it for auto routing to the location of, and finding, geocaches.

I am a garage sale and estate sale nut, I get several addresses and plug them in and go down the list, A lot of times i get into places that i never knew existed, some back roads etc and i have lived in this city for 30 yrs and still see a lot of things new.

I find the POIs very helpful when I'm in a local area that I don't often drive to. Eg, I'm downtown and I want to know where the nearest BP station or Bank of America location is. I'll use my POIs before I'll use the POIs built into my Garmin. But the latter are useful, too.

Mine is used on a motorcycle. When going to a place I haven't been to before I put in the address and let Jack get me there. The rest of the time I just have the MP3 player on and use it just for the music. I have the nuvi 360 and got it at a great price of $250 so I don't feel bad using it for the music. Did use on trip to San Diego from Phoenix and it never got me lost.

I use it to find new places to see/tour/eat, or plug in addresses on Craigslist if I'm bargain-hunting or picking up free books.

In heavy traffic, I plug in my FM receiver to see where the delays lie and alternative routes.

Mio

I usually just watch the map roll along, but last week my normal "shortcut" was blocked due to construction. I hit go to home and I found an entirely new route in the area that I now use. Without the Nuvi I would have never found a better way home that I now use every day!

if I get stuck in traffic I'll activate the map and see the ETA...I always try to be punctual and if I am going to be running late I'll, typically, call ahead if it's a business meeting.

I always get a kick when I say I'll be there around 2:12 and the other person says "GPS, huh?"

Regards, Ted

My wife laughed at me for using the GPS to go to work but it has shown its value. My uses have been:
1. Traffic warning. I've been alerted several times that my main route is closed. This gave me ample time to take an alternate route.
2. Quick bypasses of traffic. Occasionally I come across an accident or heavy traffic that just occurred. I use the maps to see where the side streets lead and then get around the trouble.
3. Just for fun alternate route. When I am bored of my usual commute I sometime choose unusual routes just to see something different.

We use our for garage sales on occasion, and finding obscure places that I didn't know existed.

I also use it from time to time at work to track mileage from site to site so I report it right.

There are many times I don't even pull it out while I'm in town. I need to pull it out and see if hte Traffic Alert pops up for the new I-40 closure in Knoxville. I guess I'll be doing that on Thursday when we head out on our Virginia Winery Tour.

I use mine for redlight cameras and to verify geocodes in POI files locally. On occasion, I'll use it to find an address that I haven't been to before.

I use mine for the speedometer.

I have been using it a lot for find new houses that I am looking to buy, that has been very nice. Even my wife agrees.

I use mine to go to new stores/restaurants and to go to a specific address. It gets me there faster and I don't have to watch for street numbers.

I like driving outta tha city and into the country, getting lost on backroads. the gps tracks me and if i get turned around and lost enough out in the middle of nowhere it takes me back home. also for bars I can't find

I use mine for all the reasons listed and really it is just plain fun - I do notice that the 'speed factor'(knowing how fast I am really traveling} is really a great help - have a great day

Around town I usually just use the map screen to view general information. When I don't know where I'm going I generally use it to plot.

Don't normally have the GPSr with me when I'm on my home town. However, if I happen to have it with me, I would let it route for me and would sometimes find shortcuts that I'm not aware of.

I use mine to wash my car in my driveway. I rubber band a cleaning pad to it and the Nuvi makes for a nice scrubber handle. Although I am starting to lose faith in Garmin as these units do not seem very robust. I have washed my car a half dozen times and each time when I go to use the GPS later, it doesn't work and I have to buy a new one. They just don't make them like they used to anymore.

Cheers,
PT

Anytime I am going to any unfamiliar areas

I use to navigate the traffic during rush hour

a- use it to track traffic
b- use it for nearest gas station and gas station prices (i'm one of those people who tries to see how close to empty he can get before refilling)
c- I use it to 'beat the clock' and see if I can't beat the initial ETA time
d- use it to explore and find new ways. So even if the suggested route I know, I'll go another way and have it recalculate its butt off and I can see where the paths reconverge or whatever.
e- ok, there was one day where all I did was drive around with the satellite tracking screen just because.

We are involved with Boy Scouts and delivery of fund raiser things to a bunch of different addresses in town can be really handy.

Flip

You forgot to first bake them in the oven at 375 degrees F for one hour.

Hi ktuley,

I always use mine wherever I am going, even if I don't need the GPS for directions. I have my Nuvi 670's speaker set to internal and use a cassette adapter to play the 12GB of music I have, on three 4GB SDHC memory cards.

I also like to switch to the map to see the names of streets, in areas I'm not familiar with, along with the ability to receive redlight and speed camera alerts, while I'm driving.

Regards,

Tailspin

Nüvi 670
Mac User

I use it in the week endeven if I now the destination, I like it at night, it shows the route and curves comming up....

I use mine just to see what is surrounding my route. I usually have mine set at .5 miles.

I'm sure I'll use it heavily in my "new home town."

I've lived there before. It's not as nice as my current home town.

...and I find the Elevation Feature entertaining.

I keep my in use most of the time. Use it for the red light camera warnings and when traffic hits. Just hit detour and around I go.

Nice to have on when you are taking a ride around and you want to get lost. That does not happen much now with fuel at $3.50/gallon.

I think the issue is the rubber bands...try some rubber cement to connect the GPS to the sponge! Those rubber bands are for newspapers.

I use mine in my town for:

1. Mapping to addresses I'm not familiar with.
2. Avoiding traffic with reports from the traffic module.
3. Forcing the GPS to give me different directions because I ignored her.
4. Driving down different streets (sort of like #3) to see how badly she mangles pronunciation of different street names. (Example: Orange is pronounced O-Ranj.)

My sister sells Longaberger baskets during house parties. She goes to homes in areas she's never visited before at least a couple of times a week and finds her C530 indispensible.

French?

Mainly for red light cameras... I have received a couple of warnings in areas I didn't even know had the cameras.

Plus it does come in handy for various POI's!!

I like to just turn mine on and see what's around the area I'm driving in. I've made pretty much the same commute to work and back for over 10 years and didn't realize all of the lakes and parks nearby! My favorite thing to do, however, is watch how much the ETA changes due to stops for red lights or gas or whatever. It amazes me how much a "quick" stop eats at your ETA! I'll be beside myself in a few weeks as I make the trek from Indiana to Orlando!

I always have my SP 2730 on because it is also my XM Radio. Locally, I tend to usually ignore it.

On the other hand, when ever I am storm spotting, I use it and the NEXRAD file to let the Weather Service know where I am. It is very easy to tell them I am "43.8 miles West South West of the Birmingham Radar" for example and very helpful for them.

I never use it here in Chicago. The reason I got mine was because I travel for my job and it really stinks to read a map at 10 p.m. when your tired and are trying to find a hotel in a strange town. The GPSr is the best thing my wife ever purchased for me.

I have absolutely no sense of direction. I use it constantly in my home town, even if I know where I'm going.

If I get distracted, it reminds me to turn, I like the ETA feature even though it's only approximate, and I forget how to get everywhere.

I use monovision contacts (a distance lense in the right eye, nothing in the left). At night, I get the "halo effect" from street lights and have a hard time reading signs. So, like a pilot in a storm, I "fly" by Garmin at night.

I'm so addicted, I can't drive without it.

;(

I use mine all the time even going to my son's house which I could do in my sleep.

You just never know when a police detour will pop up and if I didn't have it with me, I'd feel stupid and disappointed.

Besides, it's great for figuring out what time to leave if I have to be somewhere at a certain time.