Garmin MetroGuide CD ROM with 16 MB Memory Cartridge for Street Pilot (USA)
Average Customer Review:
Electronics
list price: $256.65
US | Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France

Editorial Review

Now there is no longer a need to purchase city-specific MetroGuide cartridges. With Garmin's MetroGuide U.S.A. CD-ROM with Blank 16 MB Memory Cartridge and your PC, you can download to your compatible GPS the areas that interest you. You can also easily transfer MetroGuide data from a personal computer to the StreetPilot GPS, StreetPilot ColorMap, GPSMAP 295, and eMap units by inserting the blank 16 MB data cartridge. Just select a desired location and download the data. You'll see details such as the locations of restaurants, banks, gas stations, tourist attractions, and more. And you can use your GPS to look up street addresses and points of interest, then navigate to them with the help of onscreen arrows and street-level detail. The package includes a blank 16 MB data card. ... Read more

Features

• Works with nearly all Garmin GPS units
• Eliminates the need to purchase city-specific cartridges
• Transfers MetroGuide data from your PC to compatible GPS unit
• Displays restaurants, banks, gas stations, tourist attractions, and more
• Navigates to addresses with onscreen arrows and street-level detail

Reviews (3)

An Invaluable Navigation Resource for E-Map
I have found this product to be an invaluable navigation resource for my Garmin E-map.Even residential areas are very well covered.The maps may be five years old but they have proven to be accurate in my NorthEastern US travels.

This package gives you the maps and enough memory to hold maps of New York State, Vermont and Western Massachusetts.With proper use, I've always been able to head in the right direction.

I think this is a high quality product.If you have a Garmin E-Map and use it for city navigation, I think you will appreciate it.

A must have
Its a must have if you are using garmin emap. Once you download the data from the cd rom into the memory cartridge you are ready to roll. Expect to see the whole area on the small screen. I would say with out the mapsource and the cartridge (which you have to have inorder to download the data) the emap is not complete. If you are willing to invest the money then i would suggest to get either the 16 mb or much better the 32 mb cartridge.

A must for City GPS Users
You must own this if you use a GPS in the city.This software works on your computer for exploring any street in the nation, and the data can be uploaded to the GPS unit and placed on the card.This allows you to use the data in conjunction with real time position information on the GPS.The software is great, and the road data is very accurate.If you want to go hiking or camping get the topo or roads and rec maps. ... Read more

Asin: B00004VX3R
Subjects:  1. GPS (Global Positioning System)    2. Software    3. map (mapping)    4. navigation   

ROADTRIPS DOOR-TO-DOOR 1999
Average Customer Review:
Electronics
list price: $79.99
US | Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France

Editorial Review

If you often find yourself scribbling down directions or wrestling with Web mapping sites, the TravRoute Road Trips CD Street Atlas will come in handy. Just slide this disc into your CD-ROM drive and follow the simple instructions.

The software generates turn-by-turn directions with time and distance estimates to street addresses anywhere in the continental United States. You can get directions without specifying ZIP code and easily print them out with highlighted maps.

This CD also includes Canadian and Mexican highway-level information, more than 30,000 hotel and motel listings, and 2 million points of interest. You can also import data from a contact manager to locate your customers using your Palm OS or Windows CE-powered handheld computer. ... Read more

Features

• Canadian and Mexican highway level data
• The most extensive street database coverage
• Improved routing
• Updated street and highway maps
• Updated ZIP codes

Reviews (2)

What do they have against Canada?
If you only want to travel the US, that's just fine, but for we who live close to the Canadian border, and like to travel across, I have yet to find a road trip program that has the same detail available on both sides of theborder.Yes, it's a different country, but I'll just bet they've mapped itjust as well as we've mapped ours and would be perfectly willing to shareso that we all can have a COMPLETE mapping program for North America.

Fast, convenient directions to wherever you drive in the US
I found this product to be amazingly easy to use yet powerful.Just tell the program where you want to go and it does the rest.The clear yet detailed written directions are unmatched by other products in the mappingsoftware category (I've used pretty much all of them over the last 5years).If you often need directions to a specific address or location,this program is the way to go. ... Read more

Asin: B00000JFIA
Subjects:  1. Global Positioning Systems (System) (GPS)    2. Computer Software    3. TRSD2D99    4. Computer software (programs)    5. Reference    6. Maps (Mapping)    7. Travel Planners (Planning)    8. Route    9. Map Info (Mapinfo)    10. GPS (Global Positioning System)    11. Software    12. map (mapping)    13. navigation   

Garmin GA26 Remote Vehicle Antenna for StreetPilot, III Plus and II Plus
Average Customer Review:
Electronics
list price: $99.95 -- our price: $57.94
(price subject to change: see help)
US | Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France

Editorial Review

The Garmin GA-26 Remote Vehicle Antenna is versatile and convenient, thanks to its low-profile design and easy installation. The kit comes with two mounting options: a magnetic mount to hold the antenna in place on the outside of your vehicle or boat and a suction mount for use on the inside of your windshield or window. The antenna is waterproof and completely sealed. It also includes an 8-foot cable and a BNC connector. ... Read more

Features

• 8-foot cable and BNC connector
• Low-profile design
• Waterproof and completely sealed
• Magnetic mount for outside installation
• Suction mount for inside installation

Reviews (5)

Must Have for Vehicles with Coated Windshields, OnStar
My 2004 Buick Rendezvous has OnStar, Satellite Radio (XM), and a coated windshield.These factors prevented my new Garmin StreetPilot III from getting satellite reception.After talking to a few folks they recommended this item.As soon as I plugged it in using the roof mount I received great satellite reception- consistent and reliable reception.I have not lost a signal since.

The #1 accessory for your in vehicle GPS
This also works with my GPS V, as the Garmin web site said it would, although Amazon(.com) does not mention that model, the connector is the same.
Whilst the increase in signal is not outstanding using the suction mount to the windshield, it is definetly noticeable. The stunning difference came using the magnetic mount on the car roof. I've been seeing almost constant 9ft '3d differential' accuracy, although on overcast days it is a little less consistent. The cable could be a -little- longer to allow more discreet routing, but it should certainly be adequate for most people. I toyed with the idea of buying this for a long time; it seemed a little (...) for 'just an antenna'. I'm definetly not disappointed - well worth it.

Must Have Item!
The external antenna is essential for vehicle use.It allows the GPS to acquire more satellites faster and boosts the accuracy and reception in a huge way.It comes with a magnetic mounting, a suction cup mounting, and a screw-on mounting.It's a must have for any serious GPS user. ... Read more

Asin: B00004VX3C
Subjects:  1. street pilot   

Garmin StreetPilot ColorMap Vehicle GPS Receiver (12 Channel, Map Compatible)
Average Customer Review:
Electronics
list price: $890.99
US | Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France

Editorial Review

Garmin's StreetPilot GPS ColorMap features a large, bright color displaybut lacks a surprising number of features that are included with some of theless expensive global positioning systems that we've tested. Designed for use ina vehicle, this GPS comes with a dash mount, cigarette lighter adapter, and aserial cable for interfacing with a PC.

At 1.3 pounds and almost 7 inches wide, the GPS ColorMap isn't tiny. The reasonfor the unit's bulk is the relatively large 16-color backlit display, 1.8 incheshigh by 3.3 inches wide, that dominates the front of the device. The colorscreen serves up clear images that are much easier to interpret than thoseproduced by a grayscale display. It's much like looking at a standard roadatlas, with red interstates, gray secondary roads, and light blue riverscrisscrossing a bright yellow background. A night mode switches the yellowbackground to black, and there are several levels of brightness that make theunit legible regardless of the lighting we tested it in. Also, in our tests, the12-channel GPS receiver took a surprisingly long time to acquire satellitesignals, but once they were locked in the unit accurately tracked our movementsand never broke its lock when we passed through tunnels or heavily forestedareas.

The map database included with the device contains most of the major highwaysand all of the interstates for the entire United States as well as the moreimportant city streets in large metropolitan areas. This limits the device outof the box for use primarily for cross-country travel. However, the map databasecan be expanded via a cartridge slot in the battery compartment that acceptsseparately available 8 MB or 16 MB cartridges. Garmin sells cartridges preloadedwith detailed map information, or you can buy a blank cartridge and a MapSourceMetroGuide CD-ROM to download data from your PC to the GPS. The built-indatabase comes with information on interstate exits and labels major bodies ofwater, but MetroGuide upgrades add many more features like street-level maps forentire cities, restaurant data, and the ability to pinpoint a specific address.

Although the StreetPilot GPS ColorMap is easy to use and highly accurate, it hasseveral shortcomings that detract from its overall value. An automatic routingfeature that lets users enter a departure point and destination to getdirections would have been nice. As it is, users are forced to enter routesmanually or download them from computer software that is compatible with thisdevice. The GPS ColorMap comes with a PC interface cable but no software todownload. Most GPS devices in this price range offer pages and pages of dataderived from complex internal calculations, but this product offers only themoving-map page and a Dashboard page that serves as a basic trip computer. Forthis price, we expected more. Also of note is the unit's underwhelming 2.5-hourbattery life, which forced us to enter complex routes while the device was beingpowered by the cigarette lighter adapter. --T. Byrl Baker

Pros:

• One of the only color GPS devices on the market that's designed for vehicles
• Easily detached from the base mount so you don't have to leave it in the car
• Accurate tracking

Cons:

• Needs routing software to realize its full potential
• Few data pages
• Poor battery life

... Read more

Features

• Compatible with optional Garmin MapSource software for downloading maps and waypoint data
• Portable comprehensive mapping system
• High-resolution, 16-color display
• High-performance 12-parallel-channel GPS receiver
• Displays interstate exit information with food, lodging, and service stations

Reviews (43)

Great GPSR for driving anywhere!
I've had my SPIII for about two years now, during which the pricing has come down some and the package offerings have increased, so this review may not match the exact contents Amazon offers here. My unit came with a 32MB memory cartidge, the serial port connection cord, the USB programmer cord, the 12V power cord for the cigarette lighter, the "sticky" dash mount, and a MapSource CD with codes to unlock one region (the US and Canada consisted of 5-6 regions, IIRC). I have since bought the beanbag dash mount and a 128MB card and purchased the "unlock all regions" option for City Navigator--probably already included items for a new purchase in today's package. Additionally, I downloaded the "British" voice package from Garmin's website to replace the default "American" voice--the British lady's voice seems less harsh and less like a drill sergeant when giving directions!

I love this unit because it makes navigation so easy--isn't that the idea behind a GPSR? With the CityNav map information loaded into the memory card (and with 128MB it fits all of PA, DE, MD, and D.C. and good chunks of WV, OH, NY, and NJ) I am able to get turn-by-turn directions to nearly any street address. If you ask it to route you to a given destination, the unit actually tells you when a turn is coming up, e.g. "In point two miles exit right," or "In 500 feet turn left." If you are driving without a destination selected, the unit will display the cross streets by name as you approach. You can zoom the map in for street detail or zoom out to see more of the countryside. If you have a destination selected, the unit will zoom in automatically as you approach and zoom in even more for a detailed overview of approaching intersections as you near a turn.

If you are in an area for which you do not have the MapSource detail loaded, the unit still has an internal base map that contains cities, highways, interstates, and major bodies of water, so it can still route you from city to city using the major roads. This makes driving long distances cross-country feasible and you can load up the memory card with the areas you expect to spend most of your time in if you don't have enough memory for the entire route.

However, in those areas for which you do have the map detail loaded you can get turn-by-turn directions to an address or even select various destinations (restaurants, attractions, banks, shopping centers, etc.) listed by name and/or distance. The unit also displays address and phone information for those destinations, which is useful to call ahead and make reservations or check for vacancy if you're the spontaneous weekend tourist like I am.

The 16-color display is beautiful--major routes are in red, arterials in thick black, minor streets in thin black, rivers and lakes in blue, parks and golf courses in green, and the background will change at sunset or sunrise to yellow (daylight) or black (night) as appropriate (the black streets will also switch to white at night).

Please note that the map detail, which includes streets and popular destinations, is a feature of the map software, not the unit itself. Garmin seems to issue updated map software on an annual basis, but you must pay for those updates. I'm still using CityNav 4.1, although Garmin's website states that 6.0 is coming out this summer. The new 6.0 software will probably contain more business listings and reflect more recent road construction, but I'm doing fine with 4.1 and don't see a need yet to pay for the upgrade. One reviewer complained about the lack of Starbucks locations with his map, and I expect Garmin will be adding more and more types of businesses like that as time goes by.

Enough babbling--in summary, here are some pros of this unit:
o Cheaper than most in-dash GPS systems
o Portable, so you can share the unit with your "fleet" or take it along in a rental car (and you'd best hide it or take it with you when parking so it doesn't get stolen)
o Voice navigation, so you can anticipate an upcoming turn without having to take your eyes off the road
o Color display--so much better than a gray scale map!
o Accurate and helpful when driving somewhere unfamiliar
o Automatic route recalculation if you miss a turn or have to detour
o Address and phone info for listed businesses/sites so you can call ahead

And the cons I've experienced:
o Voice navigation could be somewhat improved for confusing intersections--do I take a right or sharp right at this five-way?
o Eats batteries--but this unit is too bulky to walk around with, so there is no reason it should ever be used without being plugged into your cigarette lighter.
o Awkward interface--entering street names or address numbers is awkward with the rocker button
o Loses signal in built-up areas with tall buildings--usually when you are downtown and *really* need directions the most, unfortunately! However, this is a problem with all GPS receivers and due more to the nature of the GPS system than the unit itself.

All in all, I love my SPIII. It has all the features I really need. There are units out there that are newer, have more features, and may be easier to use, but they're also more expensive. As long as Garmin keeps releasing updated map software compatible with the SPIII, this unit should serve my needs for many more years.

StreetPilot III Review
Pro's:Overall good unit.Great color, well built, very detailed.

Con's:I live in a new development and my home street is not on the map.Software updates to the unit must be done with a serial port (included in box).The problem is that my new laptop does not have a connector for the included cable.Had to spend an additional $13 on a USB to 9 pin serial cable and Garmin said its only a 80% success rate that it will transfer the neccessary data.The Mapsource CD's which contain detailed information on cities can only be used one time.In order to use the CD's initially, you have to go to the Garmin website and get an "unlock" code.Therefore, if you purchase a newer computer, you have already used your unlock code and would have to purchase an addition code and these can range from $80-$100.
Since installing the Mapsource data, my comp has crashed 3 times.I do not think it likes Win XP.

Expensive, but a VERY worthwile investment!
Please allow me to preface this review with the fact that I have absolutely no sense of direction.For those with excellent sense of direction, this may seem like an extravagant purchase until they come down in cost.
I had to travel to California recently (I only lived there my whole life before 1999), but since I had never driven in California before, I was quite nervous about doing so.The rental car had a GPS very similar to the Street Pilot, and using that gave me a great sense of confidence in driving around.
Shortly after my return I realized how badly we needed a GPS in our car.The Street Pilot was the best option for us because it has all the features of a factory-installed auto GPS, but the added convenience of being portable- now when I head out of town I can take the Street Pilot rather than having to rent a car with a GPS.Not to mention the Street Pilot is about 1/2 to 1/3 of the cost of a factory-installed system.
Some of the other reviewers have complained about how long it takes the Street Pilot to recalculate a route once the vehicle has gone off-route.I have intentionally gone off-route several times just to see how it performs, and I have been very pleased.It does take a few seconds, but from my experience it did not take so long that I got any further off-course than I already was.
A feature that I found to be very helpful in the Street Pilot which was not in the rental car's GPS is a search by company name.If you're looking for a department store, but you can't remember its address, just search by the name, and the Street Pilot will navigate you to the closest one. If you're looking for that great Chinese restaurant a couple of miles away, but you can't remember the name, you can search for Chinese restaurants in your area and find the correct one based on its address.Want to order ahead, or put your name on the seating list?Once the Street Pilot finds the restaurant you're looking for, it displays their phone number on the monitor as well.
About the only two complaints I have about the Street Pilot are very trivial.On the rental car I used, the GPS would automatically lower the volume on the stereo when the GPS needed to announce an instruction.Being an external unit, the Street Pilot does not have this luxury.Since I tend to listen to music, well, at ear-splitting volume while driving, it does take a little getting used to lowering the volume when using the Street Pilot around town, but again, this is a very minor complaint given all of the positive features the Street Pilot has.
My other complaint is that occasionally it does give directions which are not the most direct route.I used this on a trial basis in areas I was familiar with just to see how it performs, and I did find myself thinking on occasion "why is it telling me to go this way, when that way is much more direct?"Especially since I live within a half an hour of Garmin's world headquarters, it would seem to me that they would at least know the most direct routes around here!But even at this, the Street Pilot DOES get you to the correct destination every time, even if it sometimes takes an indirect route.
I noticed that the package includes both a beanbag mount and a permanent dashboard mount for the Street Pilot.Since Street Pilots have a way of being swiped, my suggestion would be to always use the beanbag mount, since a permanent mount could cause thieves to break into the car to find the GPS that is no longer in the car.I drive a new Jetta, and I did not want to get sticky stuff all over my dashboard, so I chose to try out the beanbag.It does not slip, even when making sharp turns.I suppose if I were in a collision this would not be the case, but in normal driving, the beanbag is great.
Of course, as others have advised, do not leave your Street Pilot in the car unattended for any reason.But given the fact that you're going to be spending around $1G for this puppy you probably already knew that.
And one other safety feature that I think is great, but others might be annoyed by it: once you are driving, you cannot change the destination; it goes into a secure mode.To change the address, you need to stop the car.This may be a nuisance to some, but given how badly people drive while talking on cell phones, it's probably best that Garmin tries to curb people from pressing all sorts of buttons on their GPS while zipping down the road at 75 MPH. ... Read more

Asin: B00000J40X
Subjects:  1. street pilot    2. GPS (Global Positioning System)    3. Units    4. map (mapping)    5. navigation