I haven't seen much discussion about GPS around here, but I just got my first one...what a kick!. It's a Navigon 2100, 3.5" screen, and cost $105 delivered. The mounting here is a quick-and-dirty by removing the visor and using the inboard visor clip screw as an anchoring point for a metal bracket from my junk collection. It's just a steel strip with holes in each end...didn't have to cut or drill, just a little bending and it was good to go.

Anyway, I had figured that these things wouldn't work through a metal roof, so I used the suction cup mount for a while with the GPS exposed to the sky and the whole world. Then, experimenting with it inside the car I found that it still located 6 or 7 satellites. Woohoo! Using the power cord from the cig lighter socket is out of the question, but the built-in battery is good for over 3 hours. It could be hard wired if I wanted to work at it. So far I don't.

Using it to find the best route to anywhere is kind of a joke sometimes, and never does show the obvious direct route to the interstate from my house. Even so, it will get me to my destination one way or another, and the voice navigation on this model speaks the names of streets to turn on instead of just saying "turn right 500 feet" and so one.

Anybody here have any GPS stories, good-bad-whatever?

http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h305/fapar47/GPS.jpg

I have a garmin gps and I used it on my trip to the east coast last summer.
Not only did it get me to all the locations very easily, but it also gave me info like hotels in the area,
fast food, gas stations, and even gave phone #'s of the different businesses.
It made me trip so much more enjoyable and stress free. I love it.

I have a TomTom and as much i travel for work (at least 1000 miles a week) i love having it. I can ALWAYS find whatever i need. Best $150 bucks I've ever spent

i have used a garmin as well. whenever me and my girl go out of town, we take it with us. we have never gotten lost with it. and as loudfocus01 said, it gives u locations for food, entertainment, w/e u would need. id HIGHLY suggest one!!! it got us around d.c. pretty easily.

I have a Mio, got it for $250, I think it sells for $200 or less now but its awsome. I also think it was the best $250 spent, I've been able to find 2 different people from these forums easily.

i almost got hit by an [:)][:)][:)][:)][:)][:)][:)] listening to his GPS, he was in the fastlane... it told him to get off on the next exit.... i saw him look at it then just swerve into my lane without looking... gah, im not a fan of GPS... ill pull over and look at my map.

GPS FTW!!!

I dont have a real gps yet, i have to use my phone (which has built in gps), im debating on getting a small handheld unit, or picking up an in dash dvd gps system. I think i found what i want, but anything over $20 is a bit expensive... gotta hope i do well on my interview in a couple hours.

I love my GPS as well... taken it with me on vacation to hawaii a few times too since it has its own battery... Mine's an Invion though... and it hates my wife with a passion... seems whenever she tries to get it to take her somewhere it takes her 30 miles out of the way... always works great for me though. I guess it just hates her.

I have a cheap figi/samsung one that I found online, and was cheap. Best money I have spent! I drive from Milwaukee to Green Bay, and vice verse about 12 or 13 times a week, so when i get close to a McDonald's or BP, i have a voice reminder! I am about a week or so from hard wiring it, I need my cig lighter for my cell phone charger! :)

garman. best thing ever. no more map qwest

i just got mine as well, havent really used it yet but im excited
looking for a good place to put it now lol

i like how you mounted it!....i want an indash navigation system but they are wayyyy outta my price range as of now

I have an Eclipse AVN-30D (AVN-5435) and it is awesome :)

i like how you mounted it!....i want an indash navigation system but they are wayyyy outta my price range as of now

Yeah, the beauty of this mounting location is that from outside of the car you can barely tell that there's anything there. GPSs are real thief magnets because they're so visible when stuck to the windshield. Even if you detach the unit from the suction-cup mount, it's still obvious to the dirtbags that there may be a GPS under the seat or in the glovebox.
Also, it's only a few inches from my head, making it easy to read. It's almost as good as a heads-up display. I'll post a close-up pic from the side showing the bracket if anyone's interested.

i mounted mine on the dash on the right hand side and ran a on and off switch to it.

Garmin.....I have the Nuvi 200...Got it back when it was $400 w/insurance for 3 years...now it's only $179....AHH!!!!

I LOVE my GPS. It is constantly being used in my car. I can't wait to go find some more places with it!!!

GPS & Valentine 1....2 STANDARD things in my car.....[thumb]

BTW: I tried the Navigon, but it had a HORRID mounting system, and I like the Garmin WAY better.....I took the Navigon back. Garmin from here on out for me!

cool, but I have a thomas bros guide. cost me 20 bux.

do people really get lost that often? I don't know why these things are so popular. To me, it just seems like a advertisement to get your car broken into.

I have a Sony Nav-U. Not that I use it all that much but it comes in handy for some travel. I got this one but really wanted like an in dash mounted display kinda like the radio. Well, I guess I didn't shop around enough.

cool, but I have a thomas bros guide. cost me 20 bux.

do people really get lost that often? I don't know why these things are so popular. To me, it just seems like a advertisement to get your car broken into.

They are popular because they have many small features that don't really get mentioned or get overlooked and make life soo much easier. Like if you miss the turn, it automatically recalculates the route and tells you where you can turn around or which other way to take. Also, mine has features like speed cameras, I can set where speed cameras are just by touching the screen, so next time I'm near it, it will alarm me. Also, it lets you enable location points, to where you can see as you drive things like gas stations, banks, hotels, ect, which is really really useful when you go on a trip to somewhere you don't know. This is probably one of the best inventions since the cellphone, I think this is defently better than any ipod hehe.

This is probably one of the best inventions since the cellphone, I think this is defently better than any ipod hehe.

While I think GPS systems are handy, I think my Radar Detector is the best thing since cell phones, sliced bread, the apollo program, fire, and dirt!

+1 ^^^^^ My Valentine is more important than my GPS........GPS is teh shizzle though....

cool, but I have a thomas bros guide. cost me 20 bux.

do people really get lost that often? I don't know why these things are so popular. To me, it just seems like a advertisement to get your car broken into.


ill have to agree that there are other features, very nice features in fact, that make it worth the $$. My buddy has a tom tom with built in bluetooth, he programmed his phone to talk to the gps, its all voice activated, he can dial, talk, etc.. somehow when a call rings in, the volume on his car stereo turns down as well (or maybe thats an add on)... pretty nifty IMO.

Mute wire? I have something like that but its not through the GPS mine is throught he stereo system in the car which is nice :) gives me another annoying light in the car while I drive... So far I have the following thats emits annoying light while I drive at night (annoying to my wife and other people not me)

In Dash DVD player (7 inch screen of annoy light)
Satellite radio
GPS
Radar Detector
Annoying strobing blue LED bluetooth thingy for the stero system... its wonderful... can make it change colors as I drive too which annoys the wife more its great lol. hmmm Used to have a laptop stand in the car too but uhh that got too be too much I might as well be a cop.