GPS systems.....good brands? what to look for?

[oldmansax]

I have a customer that uses the Nav-Trac system on all his trucks. It is pretty impressive. You can sign in to their website & track all your trucks within 1/4 mile in real time. It will also tell you speed, engine RPM, temp, oil pressure, gear selection, and a LOT of other info depending on what you want to know. If you are looking for Big Brother, they got it!   

[Runcutter]

I was realizing this afternoon that we haven't discussed one of the most important reasons to buy a GPS.  Everything else notwithstanding, it is an absolutely amazing safety feature.  This afternoon, I landed in Atlanta, put the GPS in the rent car.  Drove to Marietta (30 miles, but it took me longer to get from the airport to the hotel than the flight from Dallas - but that's another story.)

I'd looked at the route on the map, no big deal.  However, the GPS gave me two mile, then half-mile warnings of exits, keep to the left, keep to the right, etc.  When the interstate backed up solid, I took an exit and reprogrammed the unit to avoid freeways.  Just followed the voice prompts, occasionally glancing at the screen.  At no time did I have to take my attention away from the traffic, I never had to pull over (or wait for a red light) to look at a paper map, and I didn't have to worry about getting lost - or suffer from "get-there-itis."

So, for all of us who wanted it because it's a neat gadget, but we told others it was for safety, we were actually telling the truth.

Now, the one thing an earlier poster mentioned, that I'd like to have, is one that addresses low clearances.  For the coach, that would be a real benefit.  Coming home on the purchase trip, we got off the highway in southwestern Connecticut, wanted to stop for lunch.  I saw a low railroad bridge, with no clearance sign posted.  Had to do a 3-point (actually, probably a 5-point) turn in the 4107.  Earlier on that trip, in Moncton, NB, I realized all the Kodiak Transit drivers were looking at me funny because I was headed for the 3-something meter bridge, known locally as the subway.  This time, I saw the sign, and told my wife we were taking the next right, whether we could make it or not.   

For coach use, if there are any portable units that have the low clearance avoidance feature in the routing engine, that would be the tie breaker for me.  We have a bunch of city streets in my part of Dallas that don't allow heavy vehicles, due to light bridge loadings.  If a unit had both features, I'd seriously consider purchasing one for the coach - even though my Magellan is perfectly good.  I prefer the portable units because I don't want to set up a notebook computer in the rent cars, I like to keep my sight lines as uncluttered as possible in both cars and the coach.  It doesn't take much of a blind spot to kill someone (but that's another client, not this week's stop). 

Arthur   

[kbunnystarr]

    wow you guys rock with all this info!!!!!!!!!!!!  i jsut got back online, havent been able to.......and will be off in a few days....thank you for all this info, and thanks Capt ROn !!!!!!! you guys are all super!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

k

[RJ]

Arthur -

Did you try my suggestion for positioning your GPS in the rental car?

 

[Runcutter]

Russ suggested putting the GPS on the left portion of the windshield, near the "A" pillar - rather than in the center of the windshield where I normally mount it (Magellan Roadmate, suction-cup mounted).  Drape the power cord over the dash or steering column.  He raised a good point, that our eyes are less disturbed by light coming from the left, as we're used to oncoming headlights from that side.

In answer to Russ' question, I tried it last week in a rental car in Atlanta (Toyota Corolla or some such).  It didn't work in that car, I ended up rapping my knuckles on it when I turned the steering wheel.  Fortunately, I was still in the rental car parking lot, so I could move it before I got on the road.  I haven't had occasion to use it in my own car since I got home, but I'll try it there (bigger car, windshield further away.)  Russ' point makes sense. 

Another thread discusses glare and screen readability.  I haven't had issues with readability or glare, day or night with this unit.  I did have occasion to turn my notebook computer on, in full daylight outside recently, and couldn't see the screen at all.  So, for various reasons that I've mentioned before, my choice continues to be a stand-alone rather than a notebook-based GPS. 

In a previous Roadmate, I had to put a post-it note over the power light for night driving, and manually adjust the screen to the night display.  This one (the 760) automatically adjusts the display, and the power light isn't as bright.  In the other thread, someone just mentioned that we should use the audio feature, so we only glance at the screen when safe.   

I absolutely agree.  It took me longer to get from the Atlanta airport to Marietta, than it had to fly from Dallas to Atlanta.  With a highway backed up, I took an exit and drove cross-country.  The audio feature let me watch traffic and remain alive, glancing at the screen only at traffic lights (and I had plenty of opportunity to do that).

Arthur 

[Len Silva]

Does anyone know if any of the portable gps systems have a tracking feature, which will allow the location of the transmitter to be tracked online? I know this sounds like a creepy question, but I am building a business leasing out entertainer coaches, and I  am getting ready to install GPS for my drivers.  The ability to track the location of a coach online would be a fantastic feature.....

Heres one:
http://www.dieselboss.com/track/track.htm
http://www.rentaltrack.com/rentaltrack2.asp

Looks like $300.00 for equipment and $9-177/month depending on number of queries.
Speed check, remote starter disable, territorial boundaries etc.

Len