Comparing Versions of Garmin Products

 

I wanted to start this Forum to help users to either select the proper GPS or answer their questions about own concerns. I have several years years of experience with Garmin products specifically streetpilot line and Nuvi, also Magellan GPS

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Thanx BiLL Solomon
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I have a 660 if anyone has

I have a 660 if anyone has questions feel free to ask away. I am pretty comfortable with the operation of the unit and the menus. I do not have a lot of knowledge in the creation of POI files though.

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Garmin 660; Nintendo DS soft carry case, YM, rd1chaos, Blackberry PIN 30154995, way too many gadgets to list here.

Willing to help anyone on the c530

I have the c530 and will be happy to answer any questions here.

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Garmin StreetPilot c530, Mapsource

I have the Garmin 7200, Its

I have the Garmin 7200, Its great except that some of the streets and avenues it pronounces are not to good. Does any body know if the upgrade that come every 12 to 16 months improve on the voice commands.

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Richie

Magellan Vs Garmin

I have used/have 4 units so far
Magellan 350
Garmin 2610
Garmin C320
Garmin C550

I have to say the following comments

Magellan-
cons: Horrible unit, processor too slow, misleading, not clear concise, extremely slow to re-route, takes 1-2 minutes to acquire sat signal.

pros: better than nothing... sometimes

verdict: honestly i got this unit off amazon.com when they had this "labor day weekend" sale for about $199.99 it was absolutly not worth it. im sorry I purchased the unit and kept it.

Garmin-

Cons: suction cup mount sometimes pops off the windshield causing a dangerous driving situation, unit freezes sometimes, older models have bad sat reception when surrounded by sky scrapers

pros: great unit, user friendly, no need to read the instruction booklet to comprehend how to use it, fast recalculation time, customizable,

verdict: great unit and company, software is good, but having to pay to upgrade your software is a bit much, it should be included in the purchase price for the lifetime of the unit.

if you have any questions, feel free to ask me about your units! i have dabbled in gps systems for over 5 years smile

Garmin software vs Map updates

dieselraver wrote:

verdict: great unit and company, software is good, but having to pay to upgrade your software is a bit much, it should be included in the purchase price for the lifetime of the unit.

Actually, Garmin doesn't charge for software upgrades, only for yearly upgrades to the maps. Over the past 4 months, there have been 2 free upgrades for the operating software.
Regarding maps, this is no different than purchasing a new Road Atlas every year. You may decide that the old map is good enough and only upgrade every two years (same as with a Road Atlas). Garmin pays Navteq to obtain the data for these changes, so it is reasonable to pay them for the service ($75 may be a little steep).

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Garmin StreetPilot c530, Mapsource

well said, thanks for

well said, thanks for clearing that up smile

what i do hate is when the updates dont include 2 way streets now being turned into 1 way streets smile

Garmin c340

Would be glad to answers questions regarding the above gps.
Alan

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Alan-Garmin c340

Garmin Users

I would be glad to lend a helping hand with anyone using the Garmin SP 2720

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Auggie SP2720 , SP C330, Nuvi 650, Nuvi 785T,Dezl 770lmt America Moves By Truck

Need Help on C3xx

alanrobin1 wrote:

Would be glad to answers questions regarding the above gps.
Alan

On another one of the discussion groups, several of the members are having problems with POI Loader (beta) handling the subfolders. The discussion is at: http://www.poi-factory.com/node/2818#comment-6369. Could you or someone else get involved with the answer as my experience is with the c530 and I don't have the problem.
Thanks

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Garmin StreetPilot c530, Mapsource

Garmin Nuvi 360

I am here to help as best I can with the Nuvi 360.

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-Mike Nuvi 360 Samsung M520 Sprint (Bluetooth'd)

Nuvi 660

I have resolved my traffic indicator issues. Thanks.

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RKF (Brookeville, MD) Garmin Nuvi 660, 360 & Street Pilot

Upgrades

out of your units 2610 is the best. Magellan is out of of my book. Garmin goes long way to upgrade the software. There is also after mater market product for Garmin Mounting Brackets.

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Thanx BiLL Solomon

POI

One Difference between POI in Nuvi and Garmin 2700 series is that the Nuvi will have diffrent file names for each POI where as 2700 series will group all POI under one file name..

The 2700 Series is for experienced GPS users, it allows you to build routes based on several waypoints and saves to unit as well you can control all aspect of the unit display, zoom and text.

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Thanx BiLL Solomon

help

i use Garmin C320, i want to know u have any ideas can help me install poi files to my SD. because the
c320 only can use max 50 poi files.

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I'm first time to use GPS, I don't know about that, so you guys have any file can share???

You were given an answer to

Weren't given an answer to this by lsmonop two weeks ago in the following thread.

http://www.poi-factory.com/node/1699
.

Quote:

Even though the c320 has a SD card slot, it cannot read custom POI data from a SD card.
Custom poi c320 only internal NOT SD card
Please read more about sd card and poi and c320 here
http://www.poi-factory.com/node/268
One other suggestion:
Put a piece of tape over the SD Card slot, and forget it has one.

Garmin C340

My Garmin C340 did not update the time change. Is there a patch for this?

Take a look at this

Take a look at this thread.

http://www.poi-factory.com/node/1930
.

Garmin C340

Garmin had not released patch for this unit yet

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Thanx BiLL Solomon

Garmin GPSMAP 60Cx

I have a Garmin 60Cx with a car mount and I love it. I use it for geocaching and autorouting.

Voice

The upgrade that I think that youre talking about that comes out every 12 to 16 months are the Maps not the system software.

The system software updates come out more frequently and those are the upgrades that will fix the speech discrepencies.

garmin cons

dieselraver wrote:

I have used/have 4 units so far
Magellan 350
Garmin 2610
Garmin C320
Garmin C550

Garmin-

Cons: suction cup mount sometimes pops off the windshield causing a dangerous driving situation, unit freezes sometimes, older models have bad sat reception when surrounded by sky scrapers

pros: great unit, user friendly, no need to read the instruction booklet to comprehend how to use it, fast recalculation time, customizable,

verdict: great unit and company, software is good, but having to pay to upgrade your software is a bit much, it should be included in the purchase price for the lifetime of the unit.

if you have any questions, feel free to ask me about your units! i have dabbled in gps systems for over 5 years smile

***If you call into Garmin they might send you out another suction cup mount because they have fixed the problem that they were having with them popping off.

They dont charge for the upgrade the system software. They do charge to upgrade the Maps, but I think all of the GPS companies do that.***

error report

Garmin has an Error Report on their website which enables you to reports any errors in the maps. And they do check those things.

http://www.garmin.com/cartography/mapSource/errorForm.html

POI problem

I think that the problem youre referring to was only effecting the C3x0 and i3. It was only happening on the above units and only when the POI's were in separate sub-folders/categories.
They are working on it and it is going to the engineers to find out what is causing it.

Thanks! :) actually I had

Thanks! smile
actually I had one of the original C320's with the non-detachable dc power cord, the connection got frayed and the rubber protective housing started to crack and break, it exposed the internal wires for the power so i called and they replaced it!

non-detachable dc power cord

That I like about Garmin, They stick beyond their product..!

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Thanx BiLL Solomon

Comparing Garmin Mobile Products

To actually compare the different Garmin units, I find it's more easy to compare them side by side at Garmin's web site. It can be found here.
http://www.garmin.com/mobile/compare.jsp
However, it's also good to get question answered from users. These are always some unique questions, with answers from users that can't be found on some FAQ's.
Good idea to start the thread Bill.

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Garmin 660

I really like Garmin's comparison pages

I really like Garmin's comparison pages, too Robert660. I've used them more than once and they are very good.

I agree fully that someone who has never seen a GPS or used one, or had a friend show them theirs, the comparison pages may still be confusing. That's were we owners can help. We can answer questions that either aren't in the specs or that are unclear to someone who is just getting into GPS.

If anyone has questions about the Nuvi 350 with North America full coverage, I'd be happy to help.

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Garmin Nuvi 350

I have the Garmin StreetPilot C550

I have the Garmin StreetPilot C550 and will be glad to help answer questions if I can.

I have the c530 and will

I have the c530 and will tell all that I know, might even tell you something wrong cause I don't know better and I think that I do...lol

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Charley - Nuvi 350 - Bel STI Driver - Cobra 29 w/ wilson 1000 - AIM: asianfire -

Suction Cup

You know, I had the same problem with the cup falling off my windshield. Then I moistened the cup and it sticks like a charm.

Comparing Garmin Mobile Products

Thank You,
I wanted to put folks, specially those who are new and don't know too much about GPS on the right track.

Glad you mentioned the product comparison link. For any one who miss on a terminology or don't know what a line item means please ask. There is virtually 100s GPSs out there and competition is HOT.

I am putting Robert's Reference Link down below again http://www.garmin.com/mobile/compare.jsp

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Thanx BiLL Solomon

How do you like the

Nuvi 660 & 680 Users: How do you like the integrated FM TMC traffic receiver on the Nuvi 660? Does this feature work well when traveling far from home? I'm wondering how it compares to the Nuvi 680's MSN service, which offers realtime traffic alerts, but I believe, only in your home area. The MSN service is the only reason I'm considering the Nuvi 680, but for an extra $200, that MSN service better be darn well worth it!

Word of advise

Traffic Alerts are pretty and nice. They could be informative, but not yet smart enough to do the work for you. All traffic GPS with no exception, are still in experimental phase. Vendors, yet have not decided on common protocol, on when to display, or whether or not to display warnings. MSN offers more than traffic and 680 seems to be the only NUVI that can compare local gas prices and check movie times. Traffic option can help at a traffic jam sometimes when you can manually detour.

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Thanx BiLL Solomon

Nuvi 360 and etrax vista c

I have a Garmin etrax vista c and just got a new nuvi 360. I would like to know if I can upload my waypoints from my vista c to the nuvi 360? Thanks for any help.

Curious, advantages of c530 over Nuvi line

When I purchased my c530, the Nuvi's were much more expensive. Garmin site is not very good at explaining advantages (if any) of c5xx vs Nuvi. I know the c530 is larger in size but same screen size, both have SirF, Nuvi's seem to have tourguide, TTS, mp3 and portability due to size. Is the screen the same, I really like the one on the c530. Also, is the sound better on the c530?

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Garmin StreetPilot c530, Mapsource

Side By Side Comparison

Go to http://www.garmin.com/products/comparison.jsp and check the C530 and the Nuvi 660 - you'll get spec categoires, and where each unit stands, side by side - the Nuvi screen is 3.81"x2.25" while the c530 is 2.1"x2.8" - the Nuvis have the audio book player, mp3, and travel assistant, and they also say the street & poi names. Can't advise sound quality as I've not had any experience with anything other than my Nuvi350.

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*Keith* MacBook Pro *wifi iPad(2012) w/BadElf GPS & iPhone6 + Navigon*

Nuvi vs C5x0 series

From what i have gathered from a few friends of mine, and the garmin website is that the Nuvi's screen isn't that great in direct sunlight while the C5x0 are far better (we are using the C550 and the C330), as well the battery life on the C5x0 is longer, although I have not personally tested them side by side, on our c550 we had almost 9 hours before it needed recharging (no voice prompts) and my friends have had about on average 6 hours on their Nuvi. As well voice, at least on the nuvi 360 is not as good as on the C330 or the C550, not from what I heard anyways. But i haven't heard the nuvi 660 yet. I guess the real thing is do you want portability or better screen and longer battery life, outside of that they are pretty similar.

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Garmin Streetpilot C330 and lovin it

Thanks, Garmin comparison does not detail differences well

kch50428 wrote:

Go to http://www.garmin.com/products/comparison.jsp and check the C530 and the Nuvi 660 - you'll get spec categoires, and where each unit stands, side by side - the Nuvi screen is 3.81"x2.25" while the c530 is 2.1"x2.8" - the Nuvis have the audio book player, mp3, and travel assistant, and they also say the street & poi names. Can't advise sound quality as I've not had any experience with anything other than my Nuvi350.

Thanks Keith
One of the problems I have with the Garmin site is that they do not really explain well the advantages/disadvantages of the Nuvi vs the c5xx line. For example, comparing my unit to the Nuvi 350, the screen size is the same. There is a cryptic description of the display that says mine is automotive grade, sunlight readable which I guess means that it is brighter and less reflective than the Nuvi's "4,000 color bright QVGA transflective anti-glare TFT with touch screen". There is no mention about the sound quality. Also, battery life on the c530 is listed as 8 hours and on the Nuvi 350 as 4-8. Doesn't help much in understanding the engineering and design differences.
With Nuvi prices coming down, I think it is important to understand the differences/tradeoffs between units, otherwise they would only have the "Nuvi" line.

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Garmin StreetPilot c530, Mapsource

Comparing the new Nuvi 250

Comparing the new Nuvi 250 with the current Nuvi 350
http://tinyurl.com/ys7vyg

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NickJr Nuvi 3597LMT

I must say, I love my c330

I must say, I love my c330

need advice

i'm looking to buy a gps unit for use in my flatbed- i deliver stuff locally for home depot. but i'd also like to use it when i travel. I'm considering the nuvi 360 or the street pilot 2730. Any recommendations?

I suggest going to the Garmin website

and doing a side by side comparison to view and see what's best for you.

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On your mark, Get set.....wait a minute......D-A-N-I-E-L..........now we can GO.... (Garmin c340)

The 2730 Is A Discontinued Model

Otherwise, go to https://buy.garmin.com/shop/shop.do?cID=134 and you can select various models and compare features & specs.

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*Keith* MacBook Pro *wifi iPad(2012) w/BadElf GPS & iPhone6 + Navigon*

transfer waypoints

atmi768 wrote:

I have a Garmin etrax vista c and just got a new nuvi 360. I would like to know if I can upload my waypoints from my vista c to the nuvi 360? Thanks for any help.

I see no reason you can't.

Just upload you waypoints from the vista to mapsource and save them as a .gpx file and then you can load them onto the nuvi through mapsource as well.

Doing it that way will save them to favorites, I believe, (not custom poi's) in your nuvi.

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Nuvi 660 & Etrex Vista

Went to a store and compared.....

mkahn wrote:

For example, comparing my unit to the Nuvi 350, the screen size is the same. There is a cryptic description of the display that says mine is automotive grade, sunlight readable which I guess means that it is brighter and less reflective than the Nuvi's "4,000 color bright QVGA transflective anti-glare TFT with touch screen". There is no mention about the sound quality. Also, battery life on the c530 is listed as 8 hours and on the Nuvi 350 as 4-8. Doesn't help much in understanding the engineering and design differences.
With Nuvi prices coming down, I think it is important to understand the differences/tradeoffs between units, otherwise they would only have the "Nuvi" line.

I compared the Nuvi 360 (I think). Being in the store, I couldn't tell any difference in the screen's ability to compensate for the sunlight. Both looked great. The "Jill" voice was the same and that is what I was testing mostly. The Nuvi had more options, but it was also about $550 more then my c530. So that is expected. The 360 has a much WIDER screen, but the 'top from bottom' wasn't any bigger. Since I go 'up' more then 'side to side', I didn't really see the big difference if I were traveling. My audio is louder, but only because of the Hex mod that I did on the "Jill" voice. The regular voice is about the same volume and quality.

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Charley - Nuvi 350 - Bel STI Driver - Cobra 29 w/ wilson 1000 - AIM: asianfire -

27XX vs Nuvi Please Read...!

rileyjones55 wrote:

i'm looking to buy a gps unit for use in my flatbed- i deliver stuff locally for home depot. but i'd also like to use it when i travel. I'm considering the nuvi 360 or the street pilot 2730. Any recommendations?

2730 is the only GPS that came with the XM antenna. even though is discontinued, I think it's the most valuable buy of all. The XM is an add-on value of more than $250 that can provide traffic and XM service.

27xx or 28xx can save up to 255 routes. Suppose you are a sales a person and you have a list 20 clients per route that you visit, both 27xx or 28xx can do
that. better yet it can Auto-arrange the route. On the other hand nuvi can only build one route and can not add any more than one destination or stops to the route.

27xx and 28xx are for experienced user you vertually can tweak anything on the display including font size, zoom level and you can modify you display layout. like nuvi 28xx has built in bluetooth and both 28xx and 27xx plays muiltimedia.

more important I found the map version on the NUVI is light version that mean it does not contain all address information. 27xx and 28xx comes with map source and complete v.8.0 map. in order to make NUVI full mapmap you will need to buy a card for $200.

You will also find 27xx and 28xx Traffic preferences very useful for your situation.

27xx and 28xx are water proof, sturdy and very well buil to iso spec

your final source is to visit garmin comparison page http://www.garmin.com/mobile/compare.jsp .So look select and and compare. Finally buying your unit online is much cheaper than store.

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Thanx BiLL Solomon

Good idea

Robert660 wrote:

To actually compare the different Garmin units, I find it's more easy to compare them side by side at Garmin's web site. It can be found here.
http://www.garmin.com/mobile/compare.jsp
However, it's also good to get question answered from users. These are always some unique questions, with answers from users that can't be found on some FAQ's.
Good idea to start the thread Bill.

Thank You,
I wanted to put folks, specially those who are new and don't know too much about GPS on the right track.

Glad you mentioned the product comparison link. For any one who miss on a terminology or don't know what a line item means please ask. There is virtually 100s GPSs out there and competition is HOT.

I am putting Robert's Reference Link down below again http://www.garmin.com/mobile/compare.jsp

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Thanx BiLL Solomon

Nuvi 360 And Vista C

It has been my experience that in order to transfer your waypoints from one unit to another is to use MAPSOURCE. Simply connect your old unit to your pc, using mapsource, upload your waypoints to mapsource and then connect your new unit to your pc and transfer your "old" waypoints to your new unit.

speakers

[quote=asianfireI compared the Nuvi 360 (I think). Being in the store, I couldn't tell any difference in the screen's ability to compensate for the sunlight. Both looked great. The "Jill" voice was the same and that is what I was testing mostly. The Nuvi had more options, but it was also about $550 more then my c530. So that is expected. The 360 has a much WIDER screen, but the 'top from bottom' wasn't any bigger. Since I go 'up' more then 'side to side', I didn't really see the big difference if I were traveling. My audio is louder, but only because of the Hex mod that I did on the "Jill" voice. The regular voice is about the same volume and quality.

nuvi 350/360 have the same screen size as the streetpilots C3X0 and C5X0. The nuvis 6X0 have the wide screen. The streetpilots will sound better in part because the speakers are directed to the driver and the passenger. The nuvi speakers are directed at the windshield.

Screen on c530

cyber wrote:

nuvi 350/360 have the same screen size as the streetpilots C3X0 and C5X0. The nuvis 6X0 have the wide screen.

The screen on the c5xx is the same size, but it is brighter than the c3X0s and is also glare resistant which I don't see in the Nuvi specs. Garmin is not very clear about this in their sales data, but the spec is different for the screen.

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Garmin StreetPilot c530, Mapsource
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