Nuvi Nubee - What have I gotten myself into

 

Greetings from the Panhandle of Florida where it is chilly outside!

I am Bill, 1st time owner of a street GPS. I have a Nuvi 255w. Still learning the basics of it. Is it possible to plan routes like on Google maps or something? Is there a "Mark this spot" setting on it? Anybody else have this one? How is it being a Garmin owner?

--
Bill

Set a point

oldstickbow wrote:

Greetings from the Panhandle of Florida where it is chilly outside!

I am Bill, 1st time owner of a street GPS. I have a Nuvi 255w. Still learning the basics of it. Is it possible to plan routes like on Google maps or something? Is there a "Mark this spot" setting on it? Anybody else have this one? How is it being a Garmin owner?

I have a 765T but I can do this. While not navigating, but looking at a map, "drag" your map around till you get to the spot you want. I do this by using a pencil eraser which I press on the screen and then move in the direction I want. I usually "zoom" out before I drag and then zoom in whenever I get the approximate location generally centered on the screen. Once I am zoomed back in enough, I "tap" the screen and an "arrow" appears at the location of the tap. I am asked if I want to "Save" so I tap Save and that location is saved to Favorites. Then I go to favorites and find it.

Welcome to the site.

I am enjoying my Garmin which I got for Christmas.

Welcome to the site

Bill,

Welcome to the site and the community. Many of your questions can be answered in both the FAQs and in the User Manual - no, not that quick start guide, the user manual you download from http://www8.garmin.com/manuals/2675_OwnersManual.pdf.

Another very useful site is by one of the members here, Gary Hayman. His site is http://home.comcast.net/~ghayman3/garmin.gps/index.html. Reading the manual and going through Gary's site over the next week or so should address many of your questions and provide both answers ans guidance.

One of the first things to do is to backup the information on your unit. This way as you play with it you can always restore the unit to its original state.

If you haven't done so, register your unit and get the latest updates. There is new map data you will want.

--
ɐ‾nsǝɹ Just one click away from the end of the Internet

Welcome, oldstickbow!

You will learn a lot on this site and get plenty of answers to your questions. Don't forget to use the 'search' box at the top of the page, too, 'cause it will bring up plenty of info on questions/topics already addressed in the past.

--
Winston Churchill said, “Americans can always be counted on to do the right thing, after exhausting all other possibilities.”

Welcome

Welcome. You have just become connected with the best GPS Internet site there is available. The members of this community are very knowledgeable and willing to share information.
This place is great.

--
JG - Nuvi 2460

oldstickbow wrote: Greetings

oldstickbow wrote:

Greetings from the Panhandle of Florida where it is chilly outside!

I am Bill, 1st time owner of a street GPS. I have a Nuvi 255w. Still learning the basics of it. Is it possible to plan routes like on Google maps or something? Is there a "Mark this spot" setting on it? Anybody else have this one? How is it being a Garmin owner?

Welcome to the site oldstickbow .On the 255 you can't save routes .You will have to put the locations in favorites and work from there,make custom pois or use via points.Even though the manual states one via point a lot of users have reported being able to do more.Here is something I typed out for custom pois http://www.poi-factory.com/node/25721 also the 255 does not play mp3.So along the line if you decide you want to have some voice alerts for your custom pois instead of the bong see http://www.poi-factory.com/node/25730

--
Charlie. Nuvi 265 WT and Nuvi 2597 LMT. MapFactor Navigator - Offline Maps & GPS.

Good advice

a_user wrote:

Bill,

Welcome to the site and the community. Many of your questions can be answered in both the FAQs and in the User Manual - no, not that quick start guide, the user manual you download from http://www8.garmin.com/manuals/2675_OwnersManual.pdf.

Another very useful site is by one of the members here, Gary Hayman. His site is http://home.comcast.net/~ghayman3/garmin.gps/index.html. Reading the manual and going through Gary's site over the next week or so should address many of your questions and provide both answers ans guidance.

One of the first things to do is to backup the information on your unit. This way as you play with it you can always restore the unit to its original state.

If you haven't done so, register your unit and get the latest updates. There is new map data you will want.

To emphasize what you will read in the forums and FAQs, you will want to download and install from the Garmin site, these programs and add-ons:

WebUpdater

POI Loader

Garmin Communicator

Run Webupdater for firmware and other updates for your new unit.

Go to myGarmin and see if your unit is eligible for a free map update. Just remember that a map update will take a long time to download, a long time to launch (you may even think your computer has frozen) and a while to install the map onto your computer and GPS.

not really

oldstickbow wrote:

Is it possible to plan routes like on Google maps or something?

The 255W does not support "routes" in the way that some other Garmin GPSs do. The best that you can do with the 255w, as far as I know, is to set a destination, and then to add "via" points so that the GPS routes you through certain cities or passes by other points. There is also no way to avoid certain areas, other than to use a via point to force the GPS to take an alternate path that avoids the undesired location.

Stand back... I don't know how big this thing gets!!!

Just added Diners Drive-in's & Dives, Peet's Coffee and Costco... This GPS just went from Excellent... to EPIC!!! grin

--
I'd rather have a bottle in front of me...

welcome

oldstickbow
welcome to our community, get comfortable and enjoy you new toy. Besure to use the search box it is a amazing tool, and will bring you the knowledge-base of many savvy people within our community. If it can't be found there then just ask.
I look forward to what you might bring to our table as you learn your way around.

--
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 aboard - you will be

Welcome aboard - you will be hooked before you know it.

--
Hawk - Nuvi 1450

What have I gotten myself into

oldstickbow wrote:

Greetings from the Panhandle of Florida where it is chilly outside!

I am Bill, 1st time owner of a street GPS. I have a Nuvi 255w. Still learning the basics of it. Is it possible to plan routes like on Google maps or something? Is there a "Mark this spot" setting on it? Anybody else have this one? How is it being a Garmin owner?

Welcome Bill.
You will find all the info you will need to make your GPS do what you want it to do. If your GPS can do it,you will find it in POI factory

ohwogo nuvi 750

Welcome, it is nice to have

Welcome, it is nice to have you with us.

Miss POI

great link!!

a_user wrote:

Bill,

Another very useful site is by one of the members here, Gary Hayman. His site is http://home.comcast.net/~ghayman3/garmin.gps/index.html. Reading the manual and going through Gary's site over the next week or so should address many of your questions and provide both answers ans guidance.

O

Hadnt seen Gary's site - thats a great one for a lot of folks I know - I've spent lots of time explaining all that for others! Thanks for the link!

welcome Bill

Enjoy the site

--
Val - Nuvi 785t and Streetpilot C340

Welcome

oldstickbow wrote:

Greetings from the Panhandle of Florida where it is chilly outside!

I am Bill, 1st time owner of a street GPS. I have a Nuvi 255w. Still learning the basics of it. Is it possible to plan routes like on Google maps or something? Is there a "Mark this spot" setting on it? Anybody else have this one? How is it being a Garmin owner?

I don't plan routes. Usually, I enter an address and my Nuvi does the rest. Soooo sweet - takes a lot of the stress of driving off. In fact, yesterday I had an address plugged in and the highway exit that I was to tur off was blocked. I turned off the one just before it, Nuvi immediately recalculated, and then told me what to do. Stress free and didn't miss a beat.

An even better feature is the Point of Interest (POI) files you can download from the POI Factory. Food, activities, adventure, shopping, history locations - its all here and growing every day.

Welcome.

--
Vince Nuvi 350

dont make work out of it,

dont make work out of it, remember to have fun lol