Heads up display

 

I do not recall seeing anything about HUD with Garmin on this forum. Has anyone had experience with it? Is it just a gimmick? I would like to have my Garmin 1450 displayed as I think it has more detail than what Garmin HUD has. Any other manufacturers have a workaround for this using your own GPS?

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nuvi 1390 LT, nuvi 1450 LMT, Win 10

HUD

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

Expensive

My opinion, an expensive way to see what my GPS screen shows me.

Now I travel several thousand miles each year to and from Mexico and within. LOTS of sunshine in Arkansas, Texas and Mexico.

A very simple deep sunshade for under $ 10.00 lets me see my GPS screen ANYTIME.

Now of course if you have to have any new electronics, that's a different thing.

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Nuvi 2797LMT, DriveSmart 50 LMT-HD, Using Windows 10. DashCam A108C with GPS.

HUD

I have friends that have built-in HUD's in their cars and it is great having that info right there in front of you.

Too bad this doesn't work with existing Garmin units - it is their smartphone app only.

I have the GM factory HUD that displays the Nav info......

donbadabon wrote:

I have friends that have built-in HUD's in their cars and it is great having that info right there in front of you.

I have the GM factory HUD that displays the Nav info and it is a very nice feature, especially when in heavy traffic area such as Phoenix or LA. It is so nice to not have to look away from the road to see the next turn info with street name, turn direction and distance to turn in the windshield display. Once you have that you never want to be without it.

In addition to the nav info it also shows current speed and turn signal if being used. It turns on a set distance before the turn when the audio nav announcement occurs and then after the turn it displays the next turn info and distance for a brief period.

This is from the owners manual of my corvette:

http://home.comcast.net/~rjrsw2012/pwpimages/Hud%20display%2...

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Garmin Drive Smart 55 - Samsung Note 10 Smartphone with Google Maps & HERE Apps

My Experience For What It's Worth

Unfortunately, the two HUD units currently produced by Garmin are not compatible with existing GPS receivers. They are designed to work only with Bluetooth enabled smartphones via Garmin’s “HUD Navigation”, “StreetPilot Onboard” or “Navigon” apps.

Although I don’t own a Garmin HUD, I have a neighbor who has one in his SUV. From my limited experience, here are the pros and cons I noticed:

Pros:

The convenience and safety aspect of having the data directly in front of the driver is a big plus.

Text is clear, bright and easily read.

Quarterly map updates are not required since data is downloaded “live” from the Garmin server.

Data is downloaded in "blocks" so continuous cell coverage is not required.

Route information can be downloaded before leaving home or at WiFi hotspots to minimize data usage.

Cons:

Requires a smartphone with a data plan.

If you like to use the map screen on your GPS, you may be disappointed with the 2 color display on the HUD. A lot of the map detail is faint or missing depending on ambient lighting conditions.

Voice and navigation control are handled by the smartphone which must be kept near the driver.

Difficult for passengers to see the display.

Again, this information is based on limited hands on experience and isn't much more than a first impression. There may be features I’m not aware of that can compensate for some of the cons or add to the pros.

Overall, the HUD is a nifty little unit and the safety aspect of the display can’t be overstated.

IMO, it won’t replace a full featured standalone GPS for everyone but it is certainly a viable alternative.

As with all electronic gadgets, personal preference will determine whether you like it or not.