Garmin GPS III Plus Personal Navigator (12 Channel)
Average Customer Review:
Electronics

US | Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France

Editorial Review

Garmin's new GPS III Plus offers cartographic capabilities formerly found only in high-end automotive navigation and marine chart plotting units. The basemap in the GPS III Plus will get you where you're going with more than 10,000 new towns added to the permanent basemap. It also includes airport locations, secondary roads in metro areas and even detailed exit information for the federal interstate highway system, including information about available lodging, food, and service stations.

Its powerful 12 parallel channel receiver tracks and uses up to 12 satellites for fast, accurate positioning. Its versatile screen switches between horizontal to vertical orientation with the press of a button, and it has a detachable antenna. The GPS III Plus also features an adaptable navigation page with either compass or highway steering guidance, and user-selectable data fields. In addition, you get the Garmin-patented TrackBack feature, which lets you quickly navigate your track log back home without manually storing waypoints.

The Garmin GPS III Plus comes with a PC interface cable, Velcro mount, user's manual, and quick reference guide. It has a tough case that is waterproof to IPX7 standards. ... Read more

Features

• Differential-ready PhaseTrac12 receiver
• High performance feature set
• Graphical U.S. city-and-highway atlas
• Tough waterproof case

Reviews (54)

This Product is saving my marraige
Like any "real" man, I hate to ask for directions, a trait that has led to many an argument with my wife.Since buying the Garmin GPS III, there has not been a single argument.If you are tired of acting like you know where you are going, and really want to be heading in the right direction, buy this product now.Your wife will thank you.

Can't Imagine Driving Without It!
I travel frequently for work and have spent my share of time trying to find my way around town.I bought this unit about a year ago and I have to say - it's the best use of new technology I've seen in years.I no longer search for client's offices, resturants, and hotels - I am able to drive like a local resident, going exactly where I need to go.I have saved countless hours of driving time, as well as eliminating loads of agrivation of driving and can't imagine driving without it.It's size allows me to take it in my briefcase and use it in rental cars across the country.This really is a great piece of gear - a must for any traveler!

Large enough for dash, small enough for pack
This unit is the perfect size for double duty as a dash board unit and hiking companion.

This is my third Garmin unit and first with a basemap. The base map makes it much more useful.

Cons:
Scrolling the base map can be time consuming.You will have to wait while map is loaded one screen full at a time.In a large city with lots of streets this can be frustrating.Editing routes is very tedious and usually requires resorting to manual to remember process. ... Read more

Asin: B00000J40U
Subjects:  1. Global Positioning Systems (GPS) System    2. Three (3)   

Magellan GPS 315 (12 Channel)
Average Customer Review:
Electronics
list price: $209.99
US | Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France

Editorial Review

Magellan's GPS 315 doesn't have a lot of advanced features, but it does provide positional and directional readings accurate enough to help you find your way back to base camp when you're out in the woods. This portable global positioning system is one of the most compact we've ever tested, and it features a crisp display for the pages of information it throws at users.

The GPS 315 is designed more for outdoor use than car navigation and doesn't display road maps. It does have a database of over 15,000 cities and the capability to accept up to 500 user-defined waypoints, so it still works fairly well for giving you bearings to the next town or point of interest. We used the tracking features extensively, which let us leave a "bread crumb" trail as we traveled. This was especially helpful when we were backtracking along the same route, as we were able to easily compare our current position with the trail on the display.

The display has two levels of backlighting, a feature that drains the unit's two AA batteries at a frightening rate. However, without the backlight on, we got more than 12 hours of use from the unit.

The GPS 315 uses simple controls that let users page through its numerous data screens. As long as we were moving the compass, the screens worked well; we especially liked the graphical compass that pointed out our current direction of travel and the bearing to a waypoint at the same time. The device can also serve as a full-fledged trip computer, measuring distance, average speed, and providing an estimated time of arrival. Perhaps the best thing about the GPS 315 is that all the data screens are fully customizable, letting users create their own data pages containing only the data they want to see.

Although Magellan doesn't include a lot of goodies in the box, the GPS 315 has many optional accessories that increase its capabilities. For example, you can get a PC cable to upload topographical and street map data. Without all the extras the GPS 315 is better suited for hikers and boaters than highway travelers, but it's an accurate and inexpensive way to keep your bearings. --T. Byrl Baker

Pros:

• Clear, high-resolution screen
• Customizable data pages
• Great accuracy
• Relatively inexpensive

Cons:

• No road maps or other detailed data included
• No built-in routing ability

... Read more

Features

• Rugged and weatherproof with a rubber grip
• Upload/download capability for additional points of interest and for use with PC mapping software
• Powerful 12 parallel-channel receiver and super sensitive quadrifilar antenna for superior tracking in any environment
• Built-in database displays worldwide cities and user-entered landmarks
• High-contrast, high-resolution backlit display with 2 levels of brightness

Reviews (29)

Great Introductory GPS Unit for Outdoor Use
While the 315 lacks many of the high-end features of newer or more expensive GPS units, it provides a basic level of GPS functionality that will be more than enough for the average GPS user.

The 315 is a parallel channel GPS receiver that can receive information from up to 12 satellites at any one time (however, you will likely never be able to lock onto 12 satellites at a time). The accuracy of the 315 is around 15 meters (45 feet), which is more than enough for the average person using a GPS to navigate in the woods or along roads.

Eminently portable, the 315 weighs about a quarter of a pound and can easily fit in the palm of an adult's hand. Built out of endurable plastic, the 315 is also weatherproof and waterproof (but don't go submerging it). The 315 runs on AA batteries and on a new set of batteries, can last anywhere from 10 to 15 hours.

Should you wish to download your waypoints, or update the built in database of locations, the 315 can be connected to a PC with an optional RS232 PC cable, available from Magellan.

Several different modes are available when you are using the 315 and these include a basic coordinate mode, where you location is shown in UTM coordinates and latitude and longitude. Other modes include: a waypoint mode (where you can input waypoints); an electronic compass mode; and a bearing mode (where the unit will keep you on the right bearing to a certain point) to name just a few.

The menu system on the 315 is fairly intuitive and the instruction book is clear and easy to understand. Within an hour of so of first using the 315, you should be able to have a good understanding of how it works and what you can do with it (read the manual, it does help).

Should you want more information on how the exactly GPS works, or on GPS in general, check out a book like GPS Made Easy, it is a great introduction to GPS navigation in the outdoors and will have you up running with your GPS much faster than trying to figure it out on your own.

I've had the 315 now for quite some time and have been quite happy with it. I first got it when I was a forest ranger in the Catskills and would use it during rescues and searches. The accuracy was high enough that when I would call in our coordinates to a rescue helicopter after finding a victim, that the helicopter would be able to find our location without any additional assistance. That in of itself made it more than worth the $150 that I paid for it. There's nothing like trying to direct a helicopter from the ground while they can't see you and everyone's yelling and hollering on the radios.

I've also used the 315 regularly to locate my own personal waypoints in areas that I am hiking. If I find an interesting or unique area, in goes a waypoint and that way, in the future, I'd be able to find that area without too much effort.

15-meter accuracy you say? 45 to 50 feet really isn't all that much when you consider how large an area you could be navigating in. Say I find a cave entrance and I mark it as a waypoint and then go home. When I'm back in the woods and locating that point, with my 315, the furthest I would be from the cave entrance on my return trip is within an area no more than 100 feet from cave. This significantly narrows down the area you are looking in and likely, you will find whatever you marked before without too much effort. In addition, while the accuracy is pegged at 45 to 50 feet, at times, your accuracy can be much greater than this and it will help you locate what you are looking for.

The 315 is quite sturdy too - years of being knocked around my backpack or thrown in and out of bags has not hurt it. The black and white LCD screen is still just as clear as when I first got it (though it does have a few scratches) and the rest of the unit is still in good shape. The back of the unit is coated with rubberized plastic and the front of the unit is hard plastic - this makes it easy to hold and operate - and helps when you drop it or bang it around - the rubbery plastic helps cushion the unit.

Final Thoughts

No one needs sub-meter accuracy in a GPS unit unless they are using it for surveying, or detailed research work. For those of us out in the woods navigating or driving and using GPS for navigation, need nothing more than the 15-meter accuracy that the Magellan 315 provides. Yes, you may want more, but in reality, you don't need anything better than that.

In addition, the 315 proves to be a worthy GPS workhouse, handling the rough conditions of the outdoors with ease.

So while the Magellan 315 may lack some of the high-end features of newer or more expensive GPS units, the basic level of GPS functionality that it does provide, is more than enough for the average GPS user.

(originally posted on Epinions.Com at http://www.epinions.com/content_121554767492)

Does not hold up
After about six months of use it started using batteries even though it was turned off. A few months later it quit working completely. I sent it in to be repaired under warranty. They sent me a new one along with a power cable. It worked fine for about four months (it only had a 90 day warranty), before it did the same thing. I turn it on now and the whole screen goes black. It worked very well and I liked the GPS and functioanlity, when it worked. I am now stuck with a non-working GPS and the accessories that I won't be able to use with the Garmin I plan on buying. Everyone I have talked to told me I should have bought a Garmin as they are the best.

not bad, but maps are better
Liked the reception of this vs. the Garmin unit I had previously. But soon learned that maps are the way to go. I upgraded to a Map330 soon after trying the 315. ... Read more

Asin: B00000J0IX
Subjects:  1. Global Positioning Systems (GPS) System    2. 990437    3. GPS (Global Positioning System)    4. Units    5. map (mapping)    6. navigation   

Magellan DataSend CD-ROM
Average Customer Review:
Electronics

US | Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France

Editorial Review

Use the DataSend CD-ROM with your Magellan GPS 315 or GPS 320 global-positioning-system receiver to find North American points of interest. To use this product, first find the information you need on the DataSend CD using your PC or laptop's CD-ROM drive. Among the 50,000 points of interest available on this CD are museums, amusement parks, wineries, campgrounds, boat harbors, nautical navigation aids, ATMs, tourist attractions, and parks.

For example, if you're interested in visiting amusement parks in South Florida, you can download a listing of them from this CD-ROM along with their addresses and phone numbers, then transfer the information to your GPS device. The parks will then appear on the GPS unit's plotter screen, allowing you to find your way to the fun--on foot, or by bike or car--using the unit's satellite navigation capabilities. You can upload up to 20,000 points of interest to your GPS device at one time, and customize it to show the destinations you want.

To use the DataSend CD-ROM, you need either a Magellan GPS 315 or 320, a PC with Windows 95, 98 or NT 4.0 or higher, and a CD-ROM drive. To link your GPS unit and your PC, you need a PC cable, also sold separately.

This product is designed for Magellan GPS units and contains information specific to North America. ... Read more

Features

• Review details of Points of Interest as they will appear on your GPS receiver
• Quick and easy to use with a step-by-step user guide
• Over 500,000 uploadable Points of Interest
• Categories include worldwide cities, nautical navaids, campgrounds, museums, tourist attractions, parks and more
• Upload nearly 200,000 Points of Interest at any one time

Reviews (4)

A Dumb Buy
Don't waste your money on this dumb, useless product.

Works as advertised
I'm surprised by the poor reviews here for the DataSend CD.This product does the job Magellan advertises.If you are a pilot, the CD has airport locations you can download.If you have the GPS 315 and want to download the nautical NavAids that the GPS 320 has, you can.I use this program to download the interstate exits.Then I can see how far I am from upcoming exits when I take long trips.However, like all of the software from Garmin and Magellan, it is priced a little too high.

Useless
This program doesn't add any useful features to your GPS.It allows youto add things like ATM's, gas stations, etc.; all of which you would beable to find on the highway without using your GPS.

In other words, don'twaste your time. ... Read more

Asin: B00000J0GM
Subjects:  1. Software    2. map (mapping)    3. navigation    4. Global Positioning Systems (GPS) System    5. CDROMs (CDROM) CD-ROMs    6. 990448    7. GPS (Global Positioning System)   

Magellan GPS PC Cable with Cigarette Lighter Adapter
Average Customer Review:
Electronics
list price: $45.00 -- our price: $25.77
(price subject to change: see help)
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Features

• For Magellan GPS 315, 320, and 330 series receivers
• Connects a GPS receiver to your laptop PC for data transfer
• Provides power to the GPS receiver from your car, boat, or truck

Reviews (7)

works like a charm
If you use your Mag with a laptop in the car (wardriving anyone?) then this cable is well worth the price.

a horrible, but completely necessary cable
this cable sucks but it's all you've got.

it's a pain to attach (you have to press it against the back of the receiver while trying to screw it on) and it's a serial cable. gawd forbid, you don't have a serial port.

HOWEVER, without it, you can't attach your Magellan GPS to your computer. and if you can't do that, you're missing out on the best parts of the receiver. manage your waypoints, create routes, upload topo or street maps ... there's a world of stuff you can do only with your PC.

as for the serial connection, well, there are serial to USB adapters. they aren't always easy to configure but with a little work you can make it happen.

Doesn't fit the Magellan Meridian in Car Bracket
Though Amazon offers this item at a discount with the Meridian GPS, it is the wrong model. It is designed for the GPS 315/320 and does not fit the Meridian when mounted in the Meridian Vehicle Mounting Bracket. The correct one (I presume) is labelled "Magellan Meridian PC Data Cable with Cigarette Lighter Adapter", part number 730345. ... Read more

Asin: B00000J0J0
Sales Rank: 16244
Subjects:  1. 730277    2. Car Accessories (Accessory)    3. Power Adapter (Adapters)    4. Global Positioning Systems (GPS) System    5. Ppower Adapters    6. Cables, Cords, Cord   

Street Atlas USA 2003
Average Customer Review:
CD-ROM (31 August, 2002)
list price: $49.99
US | Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France

Editorial Review

We were initially skeptical of the necessity of a program like this, given the availability of free online maps. But we soon realized that, along with the ability to take it with you in the car and to scroll and zoom much more quickly than with online maps, DeLorme's Street Atlas USA 2003 has numerous advantages over any sort of mapping solutions found on the Internet.

It can show local businesses and points of interest in any given neighborhood, which can be very useful when navigating around a city--the program can show that you should turn right when you pass the hardware store, for example, rather than relying on street names. The maps are revamped for 2003, but since city roadscapes are constantly changing, the program offers a variety of tools to let you add and name your own points of interest and even new roads.

We found the trip-panning features to be especially useful--you can calculate where you'll need to stop for gas based on your car's fuel efficiency, estimate overnight stops, and more. But for short trips within a city, we found that the directions often took us on zigzagging routes on side streets.

The program's interface takes some getting used to. It doesn't appear to use standard Windows commands, so there is a learning curve, but once you get past that, you can enjoy access to all the tools you need to plan your next trip efficiently and accurately. --Peter Moksha ... Read more

Reviews (39)

Avoid SA2003 & 4 & Read other One Star reviews - all true.
I - like all but 2 of the 38 others who have written reviews - completely agree that this is the most unfriendly SA version ever.They told me via their Support email that there is no way to eliminate the Splash Screen (which on my PIII/500 takes a full minute to go away).I just want to say this.. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE read all the negative feedback - I have used SA6 & 7 -and without any doubt - all of the negative comments are unquestionably valid.If I could give this product a negative rank - so that it brought the ranking to ZERO stars - I would.

Worst ... Upgrade ... Ever
I'm a long-time user of Street Atlas (5, 6, & 7), and was tempted to upgrade to 2003 by some of the new features (e.g., road editing) and other improvements.I use Delorme's Earthmate GPS.

The road editing feature in 2003 does work as promised, and 2003 is much, much faster at initializing the GPS than is version 7, particularly in a moving vehicle.Beyond that, I find little to like.

I've used 2003 regularly for several months now, hoping I might get used to quirky interface, but I've come to the conclusion that it is just a horribly designed program.Version 7 certainly was not perfect, but this is a major step backwards in usability.Program interaction is just not well thought out, it is difficult to discover how to perform certain tasks (just one example: disabling voice navigation requires clicking Route, Advanced, Route Prefs), and the new features that allows you to mixmultiple routes and different drawing layers is maddening.

Don't buy this program.If you just want mapping, go with Trips and Streets.If you want GPS support, try to find a used copy of Street Atlas 9, 8, or 7.(You can't have mine -- I'm reinstalling it.)

Horrible, horrrible, ....
I bought the whole bundle including the GPS reveiver, USB adapter, and the software. It was very freaky. I just got it to work less than three times. Every time, it worked and stopped without reason. The most error messages are something like "Can not initialize Find tab!". I had contacted Delorme customer service, searched all the useful information online, done all I was told, and finally it just simply does't work any more.

Look like Delorme's qulity control is really poor. The same is the knowlegde of their customer support. Stay away if you can. ... Read more

Asin: B00006D2P9
Subjects:  1. Computer software (programs)    2. Reference    3. Maps (Mapping)    4. Travel Planners (Planning)    5. Route    6. Map Info (Mapinfo)    7. Hobby Hobbies   

Garmin eTrex Vista 24 MB GPS with Compass, Altimeter, and PC Cable
Average Customer Review:
Electronics
list price: $319.99 -- our price: Too Low To Display
(price subject to change: see help)
US | Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France

Editorial Review

Garmin's eTrex Vista GPS receiver is smaller than its popular eMaps, but far more powerful. The Vista offers more memory, more features, and more convenience than any other GPS hardware in this price range.

Don't be fooled by the product's small screen. Although smaller than the display used in products like the eMap, it has a higher resolution, letting it show more information more crisply. Small text can be difficult to read from a distance, but there are "big number" options available to make important data like your speed easy to read.

It's this configurability that makes the eTrex Vista so special.

	 
Map page (shown with optional MapSource topo detail).

You can easily set it up to suit your needs, regardless of the situation. Menu choices are highlighted and confirmed with a small joystick near the top of the unit, providing an elegant interface for navigating a formidable amount of options. Our only complaint is that the joystick used to access all the product's features is offset to the left, making it nearly impossible to control using only your right hand. When the joystick is held in your left hand, however, every control is within easy reach of your left thumb, freeing your right hand to hold a flashlight, walking stick, lantern, or anything else.

This GPS unit's diminutive size and weight, not to mention its rugged design, make it an ideal hiking companion. It's waterproof in up to 3 feet of water for 30 minutes and is generously coated with shock-absorbing rubber. The barometric altimeter keeps a historical record of your ascents and descents, graphing elevation changes so you can easily track your progress.

	 
Elevation page

The ability to store waypoints, points of interest, routes, and other information means you can blaze your own trail and always find your way back to camp.

Best of all, 24 MB of internal memory makes it possible to store an enormous amount of data from Garmin's optional MapSource CDs, turning the eTrex Vista into an interactive road atlas. The memory isn't expandable, but 24 MB is enough to store street-level data for entire states in some cases.

A serial cable is included for transferring the maps from your PC to the GPS unit, but it's terribly slow. A USB connector, sold separately, transfers data in a fraction of the time.

The eTrex Vista was very accurate in testing, especially in a car on the open road. Accuracy diminished somewhat when the device was used in heavy tree cover or a dense urban area, but not enough that you're ever going to get lost or miss an exit. Used side-by-side with an eMap, the eTrex Vista kept up in update speed while displaying even more information on the moving map than the eMap did, cementing its position as perhaps the best all-around handheld GPS unit money can buy. --T. Byrl Baker

Pros:

• Small and light without sacrificing features
• 24 MB of integrated memory stores reams of detailed maps
• High-resolution screen displays sharp text legible even at extremely small sizes

Cons:

• Can't be used one-handed when held in the right hand
• Smaller display is hard to read from a distance, as when the device is placed on a dashboard

... Read more

Features

• Store more maps and different types of data (marine, roads, and more) with 24 MB of storage; PC cable included
• Accuracy to less than 3 meters with WAAS correction data
• High-resolution liquid-crystal display for easy reading
• Compatible with optional Garmin MapSource software; includes serial PC interface
• Global positioning system (GPS) receiver with barometric altimeter, electronic compass, and Americas base map

Reviews (79)

Reception
I am in the mlitary and the use of this GPS was solely in a field environment.I orginally purchased this product when I went to the National Training Center at Fort Irwin, CA.As a tank commander, I used it only when I was dismounted.There is no external antenna attachment so it was obviously useless inside the tank, even with the hatch open.A buddy of mine had a magellan in a Bradley and his worked and my Garmin did not.The next test was in Iraq.I deployed with 2/2 ACR out of Fort Polk, LA.All we had was HMMWVs so I thought the Garmin would work great.To much disappointment, the etrex would not get a signal in the HMMWV unless I had it propped up in the window.Fortunately, I had a plugger and FBCB2 so it really wasn't that big of a deal.The most usefulness was for marking UXO cluster bombs that had not exploded in civilian areas.I would mark the spot with a 10 digit coordinate and pass it on to the engineers.After about 6 months in the Iraq heat and extreme weather conditions, my screen started messing up.It had all these lines and I had to squeeze the sides so the screen would come into viewagain.It was very frustrating.I would not recommend this version for military personnel traveling in vehicles or needing something that is rugged.

Everything is good except the compass
I have used my eTrex Vista for over 200 miles of geocaching now.I really like everything about this product except the compass.In order for the compass and direction finder to be accurate, you must hold the eTrex perfectly level.This can be very annoying, especially when walking or on a slope.And folks, the direction finder is a very important feature of any GPSr--you might say it is the reason you get a GPSr.If I get another GPS unit, it will be a Magellan brand with a 3-axis compass.You can hold those at an angle and the compass is still accurate.If you bike a lot, get the Garmin handlebar adapter--turns your eTrex into the world's greatest bike computer!

GARMIN HAS GOOD RECEPTION
I own 3 GPS receivers and I will say Garmin did an excellent job. The receiver is much more sensitive to satellite signals than my other GPSs. Just don't expect too much from this small unit with tiny screen and very slow CPU for screen refresh. It will drive you nuts to use it for street navigation. It is suitable for back trailing in the mountains. For street navigate, I strongly suggest that you hook this unit up with a laptop but make sure that GPS is set to NMEA and the software GPS setting is also correct. Conclusion, don't street navigate with this unit alone and don't buy a no brand GPS under $90 because you will not be happy with the reception.

Eddy ... Read more

Asin: B000058BCR
Subjects:  1. GPS (Global Positioning System)    2. PDA    3. Laptop    4. map (mapping)    5. navigation