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  • foxtrapper

    Aug. 5, 2008 4:25 p.m. foxtrapper SuperDork

    I find myself contemplating getting one of these. Not so much for mapping, but for remembering where I put things, or found things. And that's been the rub, darned if I can find one (that's even vaguely affordable) that will let me put in notes on specific locations. I want to be able to stop beside that old Triumph in the barn or such and key in a note so I can find it again.

    The closest I've found, maybe, are some of the geocaching units, and the hiking ones that leave a breadcrumb trail.

    Any of you guys using one this way and have a recommendation? Or is it a secretly inherent function of them all that I'm just missing?

  • John Brown

    Aug. 5, 2008 4:31 p.m. John Brown SuperDork

    I have something like that. Pretty affordable, no monthly charges compact and portable, fits in your pocket and is good on batteries...

  • Hocrest

    Aug. 5, 2008 4:43 p.m. Hocrest New Reader

    I bought a Magellan 3200 for my GF, I think it is the cheapest of the line. She has no sense of direction and I'm not always able to answer the phone when she's lost

    It, and I'm sure most others have an option to save your current location. There isn't a huge note field, but enough to type a descriptive name I'm sure. After that use John's crayons to write a more descriptive note on your side window...

  • ignorant

    Aug. 5, 2008 4:44 p.m. ignorant SuperDork

    John Brown wrote:

    I have something like that. Pretty affordable, no monthly charges compact and portable, fits in your pocket and is good on batteries...

    A spiralbound crayon chair? I have one too.

  • John Brown

    Aug. 5, 2008 4:48 p.m. John Brown SuperDork

    Handy dandy notebook, FTmfnW

  • foxtrapper

    Aug. 5, 2008 5:22 p.m. foxtrapper SuperDork

    Yea yea. But since I generally don't map out a route and in fact usually don't know where I am except in the vaguest of terms, a notebook won't really help. Blue understands that.

    I kinda keep circling the Magellan Crossover. It's got roads for the car, and terrain for trapping and hunting and such. Even does water maps for fishing. But darned if I can figure out if the units lets you mark points of interest on the fly.

    My fantasy unit would let me push one button to mark where I am that moment, and pop up a screen for me to type in notes if I wish.

  • Per Schroeder

    Aug. 5, 2008 5:24 p.m. Per Schroeder Technical Editor/Advertising Director

    I've got the crossover, we love it.

  • neon4891

    Aug. 5, 2008 5:36 p.m. neon4891 Dork

    i had a tomtom 1 as my speedometer

  • jamesp

    Aug. 5, 2008 5:48 p.m. jamesp New Reader

    neon4891 wrote:

    i had a tomtom 1 as my speedometer

    I had a similar experience with the One driving a car back from Texas this weekend:

    a) buy car in strange town. b) buy GPS so I can find way home. c) plug in and go. d) wonder why it sounds like my door is ajar everytime I exceed the speed limit. e) notice annoying red text telling me I'm speeding. f) correlate annoying red text with 'door ajar' sound.

    I fixed that the next day. In order to, I had to accept legal terms and conditions and a statement that TomTom would not be responsible for any failure on my part to observe the speed limit and drive safely.

    If only I'd known they were responsible before...

  • neon4891

    Aug. 5, 2008 5:57 p.m. neon4891 Dork

    no, a blown heater hose fried my vehicle speed sensor...

  • beaulieu

    Aug. 5, 2008 9:15 p.m. beaulieu New Reader

    neon4891 wrote:

    i had a tomtom 1 as my speedometer

    can you do this ?

    can you make the numbers large enough to see them ?

    it would be much easier stuffing one of those under the dash than trying to get an accurate speedo

  • atlantamx3

    Aug. 5, 2008 9:22 p.m. atlantamx3 Dork

    The Garmin Nuvi 350 was on sale at Amazon for $199 shipped a few weeks ago. I snatched one up and love it.

  • 914Driver

    Aug. 6, 2008 5:54 a.m. 914Driver HalfDork

    Same here, Garmin 350. I like it most of the time. Once I went to a nearby town where I knew how to get there, just not the specific street. It had me turn right five miles before the town and take a scenic jog through the countryside. Maybe I had it on "scenic" option.

    Here's my problem: If you have a cell phone you don't have to remember phone numbers anymore, just click up their name. With GPS you tend to rely on the machine and NOT taking note of features and landmarks that will aid you without GPS.

    Another human skill lost to technilogical evolution....

    Dan

  • John Brown

    Aug. 6, 2008 6:06 a.m. John Brown SuperDork

    beaulieu wrote:

    neon4891 wrote:

    i had a tomtom 1 as my speedometer

    can you do this ?

    can you make the numbers large enough to see them ?

    it would be much easier stuffing one of those under the dash than trying to get an accurate speedo

    I believe most will have a pretty large MPH screen option.

  • Aug. 6, 2008 7:09 a.m. spitfirebill HalfDork

    We have high dollar Garmins here at work and you can put notes into it. But it doesn't show roads like the regular consumer models do.

  • foxtrapper

    Aug. 7, 2008 9:22 p.m. foxtrapper SuperDork

    The more I keep looking at the DeLorme Earthmate PN-20 package, the more I think I like it. Super detailed maps, no switching between topo and street, great waypoint marking, waterproof, and I can get it for under $200. Apparently it's not the greatest at autorouting, but that's not a feature I particularly care about.

    The only thing I'm not sure of is the screen size. I think I can live it with. I'd rather have a 12"x12" screen, but that's hard to do in a little hand held unit.

    Then the wife asks that thoroughly tacky question, "why?"

  • Wall-e

    Aug. 8, 2008 2:08 a.m. Wall-e SuperDork

    I got a new navigation system for Christmas.

 
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