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Automotive News & Views Navigation GPS Systems
1751 messages, Last post on Dec 01, 2009 at 9:17 AM
You are in the Automotive News & Views Forum. Your Hosts are steve_ & claires
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Replying to: ateixeira (May 11, 2009 10:08 am) Looking forward to making really good use of it Memorial Day weekend.
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Replying to: fezo (May 11, 2009 10:14 am) Honestly I think it tested fine, in fact mine worked fine until I took a longer drive, only then did it freeze up. It would be hard to troubleshoot something like that because it worked fine for short periods. Still - refurb was $125 but had 2009 maps with no eligibility for an update. New was $150 ($157.49 with tax) but I was able to get the 2010 map update. The 265wt is cheaper at the site gagrice mentions above vs. Costco, once you account for sales tax.
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Replying to: ateixeira (May 11, 2009 10:20 am) Purchased mine about 11 months ago.. wonder if I can get it updated for free?
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Replying to: kyfdx (May 11, 2009 2:42 pm) Garmin made the process easier than before (I've registered my 3 prior models and wasn't prompted the way I was this time). It basically told me I'm eligible and gave me a link as soon as I registered. |
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Better dig out the old AAA maps folks. Uncle Sam is not worried if you don't get accurate directions from your NAV unit. "In recent years, the Air Force has struggled to successfully build GPS satellites within cost and schedule goals," said the report. "It encountered significant technical problems … [and] struggled with a different contractor." The first replacement GPS satellite was due to launch at the beginning of 2007, but has been delayed several times and is now scheduled to go into orbit in November this year – almost three years late. The impact on ordinary users could be significant, with millions of satnav users potential victims of bad directions or failed services. There would also be similar side effects on the military, which uses GPS for mapping, reconnaissance and for tracking hostile targets. Some suggest that it could also have an impact on the proliferation of so-called location applications on mobile handsets – just as applications on the iPhone and other GPS-enabled smartphones are starting to get more popular. http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2009/may/19/gps-close-to-breakdown |
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http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-09-670T http://www.engadget.com/2009/05/19/gps-system-might-begin-to-fail-in-2010-govern- ment-accounting-of/ An excerpt: "there will be an increased likelihood that... the overall GPS constellation will fall below the number of satellites required to provide the level of GPS service that the U.S. government commits to." I wonder if there are more satellites than needed for a simple GPS, though I bet the more accurate ones used by the military probably lock in on a large number of them and are more likely to be affected. I bet this gets extra funding - it will affect the military before it affects us. Still, it's been a free ride for us and you have to wonder how long that will last.
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Replying to: ateixeira (May 20, 2009 6:13 am)
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Replying to: gagrice (May 20, 2009 6:17 am) |
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Just found this discussion. About 6 weeks ago I bought a TomTom XL330 S. It's a 4.3 with text to speech. I used it on a trip from Boston to DC and around that area for a few days. Matilda seemed to do her job very well with only a few minor glitches. The only issues were the use of HOV lanes in Northern VA and having to get off them and turn around to get to Alexandria and when returning home, she took me off of 95N at the GW Bridge in NYC and routed me on the parkways instead of the Cross Bronx Expressway. That route didn't add any time but it was white knuckle driving in a torrential rain and at night. It does have a red light camera database which was useful in DC. I had more of an issue with inputing addresses in DC due to all the directional infomation needed. So far I've updated it a couple of times and TomTom doesn't charge for updates. It ran me under $150 - it was on sale for $200 and I had some Staples bucks to use.
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Replying to: ateixeira (May 20, 2009 6:13 am) |
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