Help Me Select A "Legacy" Garmin Nuvi Or Zumo
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    17 years
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I have posted here in the past about using my Uniden Home Patrol HP-1 http://www.uniden.com/scanners/homepatrol-1-simple-program-s... with a Garmin Nuvi 350 https://buy.garmin.com/shop/shop.do?pID=31655 connectd via an Argent Data G-TRANS Garmin to NMEA Translator Cable https://www.argentdata.com/catalog/product_info.php?products... The system works pretty well for me, but since having a "blue screen of death" briefly one evening on the way home from work, I am nervous that the vintage Garmin Nuvi 350 could die on me at any time. As a result, I am doing some research into what replacement I should consider when the inevitable occurs.
The G-TRANS cable supported models currently include:
Garmin nüvi 300 series
StreetPilot c340
StreetPilot 7000 series
StreetPilot 2820 series
StreetPilot 2720 series
zumo 400 series
zumo 500 series
I can excluded the StreetPilot c340, 7000 series, 2820 and 2720 series for various reasons, so that suddenly narrows the choices to the following five units:
Garmin Nüvi 350
Garmin Nuvi 360
Garmin Nuvi 370
Garmin Zumo 450
Garmin Zumo 550
As a practical matter, I think all that the 370 brought to the table over the 360 was European maps. So, it sort of breaks down to should I get a Garmin Nuvi 350/360 or a Zumo 450/550? The application would primarily be for use inside an automobile, but I do own an ATV and the fact that the Zumos are water resistant might be a plus. It looks like a used 360 on Ebay is around $50. I am sure a used Zumo on Ebay is over $200. Anyway, for those familiar with the Nuvi 350/360 line as wella s the Zumo 450/550 line, would it be worthwhile spending the extra money for a Zumo over a Nuvi? Might there be a newer, more sensitive, GPS receiver in the Zumos. Are there other features that I ought to be consdiering here that I am overlooking?
I do see that the Zumo 550 is capable of an optional traffic receiver, either FM or XM. Does anybody happen to know if that could be used at the same time as a G-TRANS cable or do they use the same connection?
https://buy.garmin.com/shop/compare.do?cID=164&compareProduc...
@JIM1348
Well, you seem to have done your homework on which models have the output connector you need, but a great many of them are no longer manufactured. Have you looked into some of the external GPS "pucks" out there? I seem to remember several offering the NEMA output and they sell for around $30.
Illiterate? Write for free help.
The nuvi 3xx units
are pretty old and there have been some chronic hardware failures with them as they age ... primarily with the flip-up antenna and power switch.
Alan - Android Auto, DriveLuxe 51LMT-S, DriveLuxe 50LMTHD, Nuvi 3597LMTHD, Oregon 550T, Nuvi 855, Nuvi 755T, Lowrance Endura Sierra, Bosch Nyon
Help Me Select A "Legacy" Garmin Nuvi Or Zumo
are pretty old and there have been some chronic hardware failures with them as they age ... primarily with the flip-up antenna and power switch.
That might just help me make my decision then. Since the Zumo does not have a flip-up antenna, that just leaves the issue of the power switch. Hopefully the power switch on the Zumo is more reliable than the Garmin Nuvi 350!
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Hopefully the power switch on the Zumo is more reliable than the Garmin Nuvi 350!
I don't know that answer, but I have not read about those types of problems on any Zumo models. And since the zumo is made for biking, it makes sense that it would be more ruggedly built.
Alan - Android Auto, DriveLuxe 51LMT-S, DriveLuxe 50LMTHD, Nuvi 3597LMTHD, Oregon 550T, Nuvi 855, Nuvi 755T, Lowrance Endura Sierra, Bosch Nyon