First time GPS owner with a nuvi 200
Fri, 12/26/2008 - 9:36pm
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15 years
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Wife gave me a nuvi 200 for Christmas. I'm a truck driver and believe I will love useing this. Is there any suggestions for map updates or anything to improve this unit for what I'm going to be using it for? Or is all the standard stuff ok. Or should I return it and get a better one?
Suggestion
Or should I return it and get a better one?
Get one with Text-to-Speech. There is a big difference being advised to "Turn Left in 400 ft" and being told to "Turn Left on Main Street in 400 ft." When you are driving for a living, you don't want to be taking your eyes off the road to find out the name of the street that you are turning onto.
Nuvi 660 -- and not upgrading it or maps until Garmin fixes long-standing bugs/problems, and get maps to where they are much more current, AND corrected on a more timely basis when advised of mistakes.
good basic unit, no Text-to-speach or mp3
Wife gave me a nuvi 200 for Christmas. I'm a truck driver and believe I will love useing this. Is there any suggestions for map updates or anything to improve this unit for what I'm going to be using it for? Or is all the standard stuff ok. Or should I return it and get a better one?
It's not a bad unit for a first time user. As to map updates, it most likely has the current "2009" maps. There will be newer maps in a few months, but I would question how wise it is to spend money on map updates considering the price that low end nuvis can be had for (which get you new maps, new battery and new warranty, and you still get to keep the old gps).
If you wanted a fancier unit, there are GPSs available that will provide traffic information (usually at an extra annual fee and only in some metro areas). I can certainly see how that might be considered worth the cost for a professional truck driver (and likely even tax deductible).
First time user, you will know when you need to upgrade.
Wife gave me a nuvi 200 for Christmas. I'm a truck driver and believe I will love useing this. Is there any suggestions for map updates or anything to improve this unit for what I'm going to be using it for? Or is all the standard stuff ok. Or should I return it and get a better one?
It's not a bad unit for a first time user. As to map updates, it most likely has the current "2009" maps. There will be newer maps in a few months, but I would question how wise it is to spend money on map updates considering the price that low end nuvis can be had for (which get you new maps, new battery and new warranty, and you still get to keep the old gps).
If you wanted a fancier unit, there are GPSs available that will provide traffic information (usually at an extra annual fee and only in some metro areas). I can certainly see how that might be considered worth the cost for a professional truck driver (and likely even tax deductible).
Welcome to our community, your unit will serve you well as a first time unit. After a whie you will know what you will need, your wife did you good with a GPSr for Christmas.
Using Android Based GPS.The above post and my sig reflects my own opinions, expressed for the purpose of informing or inspiring, not commanding. Naturally, you are free to reject or embrace whatever you read.
Welcome
Welcome to the forums. The 200 is a great unit. I have had mine for over a year with no plans to upgrade any time real soon.
The unit has its limitations as others have stated, but it will serve you well for a long time. Some of the things you will need in the way of software and accessories - the standard mount that comes with the unit functions, but get a Friction or "Bean Bag" mount. Connect to Garmin, register the unit and download and install Web Updater for software updates, POI Loader for installing custom points of interest (like all the truck stops and scales), and finally the Garmin Communicator plug-in for either FireFox or Internet Explorer (or both). One other thing you might want to invest in is an SD card for added memory.
Connect your Garmin to the computer's USB port with a standard USB to mini-usb cable. When the unit is connected, run web updater to check if you have the latest software for the unit.
When you are ready to start loading custom points of interest or POI, read the FAQs on this site BEFORE you start, they will answer a lot of questions and help you solve a lot of problems.
The Communicator program is needed for several functions, one of which is transferring information from Google or Mapquest maps to your unit's Favorites. This way you can look up a delivery address and then send it to the GPS.
One more piece of software you will need for custom alerts is SOX.exe which allows your 200 to play .wav files. There are a lot of free programs available on the web that will convert .MP3 files to .WAV. Custom alert sounds on this site are only available as MP3s.
Play with the unit, the learning curve is about 2 months before you really feel comfortable and by then you will know if you should look to upgrading.
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