concerns about theft

I have heard that thieves will even look for the tell tale circular rings that a suction cup mount will leave on a windshield. It indicates some sort of electronics "may" be in the car. Satellite radios, radar detectors and GPD units are a favorite of thieves.

That's why I use the beanbag mount for my GPS and at least take it down off the dash and out it on the floor and try to cover it with something.

Tim

I accidentally left my GPS inside my car for a month the car got snowed on TWICE! and the GPS is still good. I think only extreme heat would be a problem.

I don't always take my c330 with me, but I always remove it from its mount. My mount is only removed if I am changing vehicles, and my Radar Detector is almost never moved.

I need to find a good case. My major concern with taking it with me is damaged to the screen.

I have the mount low on the drivers side window, but remove the GPS but not the mount when I leave the car. Sometimes I put the garmin in its case and in the car concealed or into my Laptop carrier.

I have my RD hidden, cause I have too. Therefore, I don't remove it except during the hot days in the summer. But I take my GPSr with me. I would take the RD with me too if it was in the open view.

I have a black int. and the dash mount is also black.
I don't mount the unit on the window and also take it off the mount and into the glove box. At night I take it into the house and so far, so good.

I recently purchased my unit and love it. I bought the Garmin c530 and like most of you, I think, I have put mine on the windshield but ABOVE the rear view mirror. Why? The suction disk would not adhere to anything but a smooth surface. I live in California and have heard it is against the law but I believe anyone would agree that it is in the least obstructive position and would not hinder my view as much as it would on the dash of my pickup. It is also very convenient for me to see as I use the rear view mirror so much that I do not have to look elsewhere when driving. The only disadvantage is that if I run close to the battery limit, I do have to drop the cord down but my view is not hindered. Also, I take it with me when I leave the vehicle. Finally, it has a Garmin lock so that if it were stolen, it would be a thorn in anyone's side to overcome.

I use dash mount and take the gps off when not in the car. It is a pain doing it everytime.

My wife's Nuvi 660 was stole off of the windshield and the MP3 player was also taken. It looks like the culdesac that had anyone's items mounted on the window or in plain sight had their property stolen too.

That really sucks. I hypothesize that the proceeds of the sales of the newly acquired GPS systems will be deposited into the Washington Metropolitan DC Heroin and Crack Users Association of America (WMD HCUAA).

I bought a Garmin StreetPilot C550 less than a month ago. I only paid $469 from Amazon.com, so I bought it fast! Circuit City wanted $100 more for it. I never thought about having to remove it from my car, so I didn't worry about the size. Now I wish I would have bought a Nuvi, that could be placed in my pocket when I get out of the car. I will know better on my next purchase. I do really like the features on this one though.

You may want to consider returning it. The Nuvi easily straps to the belt...well, at least it used to before some punks/drug addicts took it.

I am taking your advise and returning the C550. I bought it April 25, so Amazon.com is letting me return it. Now I have to decide if I want the Nuvi 360 or 660.

660 if you can afford the difference in price!!!

The big distinction is the FM antenna for traffic and the bigger screen. The Bluetooth capability and FM radio transmission leave much to be desired. In DC Metro, nearly every slot on an FM dial is taken and you will get interference.

I have had complaints from others while conversing on the Bluetooth, that my voice is not clear.

http://www.gpspassion.com/forumsen/forum.asp?FORUM_ID=172

In comparing the 360 to the 660, the price isn't a problem. The C550 I have now has the Traffic setup, but it doesn't matter in the town where I live. It isn't offered. I do like the Bluetooth option on the unit I have now. I added the optional microphone, and put a windscreen on it. It works great that way. I do like the idea of the larger screen on the 660.
I have priced the 360 at $404 with no tax and free shipping, and the 660 for $578 with no tax and free shipping at PCNation.com. That is the least expensive place I have found for either of the units. They are even offering next day delivery from DHL for $9.99, which is a good deal also. I am making a trip the day after Memorial Day, so I want to make sure I have a unit by then.

When your vehicle is broken into to steal your high value GPS, either because the thief sees the unit, or because the thief sees an indication (e.g., windshield rings), you wind up not only paying for a replacement unit, but often also a replacement for a broken window or a door lock broken by the slim jim/forced entry attempt. Those windows and dook locks can be expensive, even for a small vent window. And, of course, there's the paperwork/insurance claim hassle & time. I once had a co-worker whose car (UNLOCKED) was broken into by smashing the drivers side window so that the thief could get the two McDonalds free meal certificates that were lying on the seat in plain view. It doesn't take much to tempt some dumb thieves.

I returned my TomTom 910 and got the garmin c550. kinda big for my small purse, but I remove it everytime I get out of the car.

I was just in SLC, Utah on business.. Had a bigger purse and more stuff to carry... but I love the 550, and wont change again..

I leave the windshield mount on my window.. maybe I will have to start taking it down. ughhh

I mount my Mio on the bean bag Garmin mount, which has worked better than ever expected as I use it on the boat also. It's easy to handle and I stick it under the seat whenever I get out, so no one can see it.

I've engraved my DL number in the back of the unit, and never leave it on the dashboard. I figure if they can't see it they won't be as tempted. If you ask any law enforcement officer about home break-ins, thieves are 10 times more likely to break into the house with no security system than they are to break into the one with all the security system signs in the yard, and I treat my car the same way! Stickers on the windows, etc.

I travel a lot so have my GPS with me in my rental cars and it gets the same treatment there, when I stop, it goes under the seat.

Nope. Garmin stated on website that it will not unlock password for GPS unless you can prove that you are the registered owner. This applies to GPS that you can either unlock by using a password or return to a specific coordinate.

For other GPSs, a simple "hard" reset will reset everything (even password).

Btw, I leave my GPS mount plugged in, but take GPS with me every where I go to use its PDA feature (I have the Garmin iQue M5).

Damn. Now, you are giving them another reason to steal your GPS. By stealing it, they have the GPS AND your Driver License number to steal your identity.

What good is that? Unless they're a cop they don't know my identity, it's not associated with my GPS nor with my DL number, so how would they know? Vague reference to someone stealing your identity, not sure it's something to sweat about...

I never leave my Nuvi 350 in the car. I do however leave the mount attached to the dash. The nuvi is small enough to fit in your pocket so that is where it goes each time I leave my car.

The mount itself is fairly small and not really very noticable. I figure if someone wants to take it then so be it. I just dont have enough room in my pocket for the mount as well.

Garmin C330, Garmin Nuvi 350

Like previous posts, if they think it could be in your car, they may break a window and look for it. You don't need the aggravation of having the car repaired. That mount in the car tells a thief that you have something he wants. Hide it under the seat, glovebox etc. And don't forget the telltale ring that the suction mount leaves on windshield.

I am a Ham Radio Operator who lives and used to work in the Chicago area. I carry very expensive radios in my car. However all the radios are permanently installed in the car and out of sight. I have never had a Smash and Grab attempt on any of my Ham gear in 20 years. I am a firm believer of keeping the equipment out of sight. I use a quick release dash mount for my Garmin C550 and hide the Unit under the seat whenever I park or leave the car for an extended time.

Wow, this thread was like therapy for me. I just had my ancient Steet Pilot III stolen from my car in front of my own house during the night. Took everything including the suction mount. I think it was the hundreds of personal waypoints that really bothered me the most. PLaces to put my kayak in the water, secret launching spots, little ice cream shops on back roads and of course local clam bars which aren't advertised. I'm still feeling a bit violated by the whole incident. Truthfully, I used to keep the unit in the car 24/7 only covering it with a baseball hat for sun protection. I guess after 5 or so years, I was pretty lucky.
Reading all these posts will certainly motivate me to remove the unit from the vehicle from now on. I purchased a bean bag mount, so I think the circles and suction mount won't be an issue.
What a world we live in,, ehhh? its too bad.

I have to say it but maybe you can buy it back on E-bay.

I'm from NJ originally and have lived in Frisco, Collin County, for the past 6 years. Don't give up your Queens habits. Smash and grabs are way up in Frisco, especially in the malls and shoppings centers. I live in a rear-entry garage community and a lot of my southern neighbors are in the habit of leaving their garages doors open. Four of them have had their cars, garages, and homes robbed because of this over the past year. Thieves cruise the ally-ways looking for open garage doors.

I've mounted my 360 in-dash and have a radar detector. Every time I leave sight of the car, the 360 and the radar are stowed away. North Dallas isn't all love and kindness any more.

I was matching up my 360 to my cellphone in a parking lot and when I hit "search for devices" on my cell, not only did my Nuvi come up, but some guys name came up as another bluetooth device. I think its like wireless computer networks...you can "see" all the devices in range. Turning the power off stops it.

The screen size isn't much of an issue since it's only about an inch. The pixel count is higher on the 660 which gives you a sharper picture. What you're paying for is the FM receiver which, after 3 months, is a subscription service. The 660s a good deal at under $600 now but I got my 360 from a local distributor I'm friends with for $300. Dash Navigation's new unit coming out next year looks to be the one for real-time traffic info, so I didn't invest the extra $300 on the Garmin.

Garmin does make an external handsfree mic for the Nuvi's. I have mine run to the visor and everyone says it sounds much better than the built-in one. Now if I could only hook up an external speaker.....

not if it is turned off, no signals

Slipping off topic a hair, your DL number is the second most important piece of information you have, SSN being first.

Really, there is so much data and statistics on theft that the basically it is normally a crime of opportunity. There are a lot of variables to consider. Where you are parked, how many people are around at the time the would-be thief takes an interest, how much risk the thief is willing to take, time of day, etc.

All anyone can do is minimize the risk they take and hope for the best, but face it - Bad things happen to good people.

I could say that I mounted my GPS on the outside of my windshield, in the hopes that the thief won't damage my car.

I just got my c340 and at first it was mounted with the suction cup on the windshield. Then i decided to mount it on the dash with the disc provided. This made it easy to remove the the c340, bracket with antenna wire and recharge cable attached. I placed all these components into my small utility bag that my wife got me and take it with me. Then she said, why not put a small box of tissues over the disk to hide it.
Now when someone looks into the car all they see is the box of tissues on the dash.

Is there anyway to password protect the c340?

My brother in law was scheduled to come over for a cook out yesterday. We got a phone call from him saying that when he went to his car to come over, he found that the passenger side window had been smashed in (on his new 2007 vehicle) and the C340 that was on the passenger seat had been taken.

I didn't want to say "I told you so", but I had told him to hide the gps or take it in the house when he was out of the car. He felt that it was safe because he lives in a gated community. So much for that sense of security.

I'll be checking Craigs list and ebay for a "deal" on a C340. Hopefully my b.i.l kept his registration paperwork.

Well, I wasn't concerned at all about theft until I read through all these posts. My 2650 was small enough that I always put it in my center console of my truck and I always used the little beanbag mount so there were never any signs left visible. Now that i have the 7500 I don't have that option. The mount of this unit is a permanent feature. I own a fabricating shop so I was going to build a metal mount to attach it to the dash. Now I must say I am a little lost for what to do. The mount for the 7500 is large and will be easily seen. The other thing is that this unit is much larger than most other gps units. I guess as someone else mentioned, I'll have to get a camera case that fits it. Hmmmmmmm....what to do, what to do?

I was very disappointed that my nuvi 200 didn't come with a case. After much searching, I found a Case Logic MP3 player case that fits it like a glove.

The box of tissues is brilliant. I might be able to make that work with my predicament.

I leave my nuvi 200 mounted on the windshield 24/7. When we travel in our minivan I move the suction cup to that vehicle with no problems. I think Garmin must have resolved the sticky suction cup problem because mine comes off without a problem.

I don't believe you can password the C340.

Even for the units that do have passwords, the thief won't know that until he/she tries to use it.

My brother has a newer Garmin and said it came with a sticker you can put on the unit stating that "this unit is password protected". I guess that might be a deterrant, but I wouldn't chance it.

Can you share a photo of your mount. I'd like to see if I can try something like that. I hate the cable hanging from my windshield. Someone needs to come up with a solar powered trickle charger!

I have had Garmin permanent mounts for my original eTrex in both of my vehicles for about 6 years. I never kept the eTrex on the dash unless it was being used and never had anyone smash a window to check for my GPSr.

Mine was stolen from my car last December in a parking lot at the hospital where I work. Nothing else was stolen, not even the $10 worth of coins in my console.

I got a belt clip case for my nuvi and (I know it is geeky, but...) I wear it when I get out of the car. If I am in an unknown place or somewhere where I will be gone for an extended amount of time, I take my mount down and place it in the console.

The belt clips a good idea. I'm not sure what to do about my situation. Right now I just put my 7500 in the console. It's too big to carry around.

Case Logic has a case that fits the non-widescreen nuvis like a glove and it has a belt loop. Not as convenient as a clip, but softer.

Mine is an "Icon" case that I got at walmart. I thought about the belt loops, but didn't want to have to take my pants off to put it on...lol.

I have a Volkswagen Jetta, it has a recess on top of the dashboard, and I have permanently fixed the black disk inside this recess. When I leave the car, I remove my Nuvi, I cut a black piece of rubber the same size as the recess and put this in the recess area and it covers the holding disk. When I leave my car there is no evidence of any Sat/Nav.

I parked the car on the street after midnight 'cause I didn't want to wake anyone when I left again a few short hours later.

Bad mistake. Driver window smashed, unit and mount grabbed, receiver/power cord left behind and damaged from plug being ripped from mount (suction cup on lower left windshield...maybe the CA law was intended to keep me from being ripped off?).

Folks at Garmin easily switched my traffic subscription to my new nuvi660/receiver.

Sorry if my story sounds familiar....

- Keith

I'm a substitute teacher. After school one day, I arrived at my car and saw a note on the windshield. It was from the campus security guard. It scolded me for leaving my GPS MOUNT on the windshield... a tell-tale sign of a GPS in the car. I now use a "bean-bag" mount that I can remove from the dash and place in the back seat (windows are tinted, so no view into back area). I feel better.
BTW, the school is in a wealthy area, so no matter... they'll steal 'em anyway.

I park in the garage at night so I'm not overly concerned about someone stealing it from there. When I am at work, my vehicle is pretty safe but I don't leave my Nuvi in there, especially this time of year when it is really hot. I put it in it's case and then slip it into my laptop bag. I'm too lazy to remove the mount from the windshield, I guess, but the truck's insured and they won't get my gps anyway.

My coworker has had his GPS mount on the dash for over 2 years without theft. He leaves it there all the time. Now I am not saying that you should do that, just stating what has happened to him.\

I personally take my mount down if I am staying somewhere (besides home) for a long time. But if I am going to walmart for beer, it stays up and I take the nuvi with me.

At my apartment, there are about 10 cars that have their mounts on the windsheld all the time, but they do take the gpsr with them.