Auto GPS » Gas Stations

GPS Buyer’s Guide

admin — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 23:45:39 +0000

For drivers in North America who are tired of staring at maps and pulling into gas stations to get directions the new technology of GPS may be the answer. GPS or Global Positioning Systems are an inexpensive and reliable way of finding your exact position on the globe at any given time. For the driver this can mean never having to look a road map again. This is a brief introduction to the major brands of GPS units and some information about each.

Garmin offers two different types of GPS units and many models for each type. The larger of the two the Streetpilot is meant to be mounted in your car and provides street to street directions map and much more useful information during you trip. Some of the more recent models of the Streetpilot offer voicecapabilities and will vocally give a driver directions. The Quest offer many of the same features as the Streetpilot but it comes in a smaller handheld size and is battery powered. The Quest may be a better option if you often find your self leaving the car behind and need directions on foot.

Magellan is one of the oldest consumer level GPS manufacturers and they are still one of the finest. The Roadmates line of GPS units have been around for a while and the newest models are still in competition for the highest in quality. The newest models of Roadmates provide turn by turn directions to your destination with its internal speaker. This line of GPS units are powered by the cars cigarette lighter and mounts easily to most automobiles. The Roadmate 800 provides color 3-D maps on its 3” screen.

The newest brand of GPS unit comes from Tom-Tom. The Tom-Tom Go700 provides directions on it’s 3.5” screen which gives its display in 3-D. The Go700 can give vocal directions in dozens of languages. The most interesting feature about this unit is it’s Bluetooth capability allowing it to connect to cell phones to give weather, traffic and road conditions for your trip.

By: David Stone

GPS: Your Virtual Tour Guide

admin — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 08:00:17 +0000

OK so you finally have gotten around to that vacation you’ve been planning for months. You’ve saved up some cash and want to go on a grand road trip or trek through out the jungles of the amazon.

The problem is you don’t know your way around your own backyard! How on earth will you be able to enjoy yourself if you are fumbling around with your map and compass!

Though GPS will not transform a directionally-challenged individual into a master outdoorsmen, it will certainly help those who use it correctly to get from one location to another without a hitch.

Imagine for instance if you are planning on going to on a vacation around a certain themed area- let’s say Mount Rushmore for instance. Not only will you be able to get to Mount Rushmore, but you will see instantly what other attractions are within your traveling range!

Imagine finding other attractions and public spectacles that are already in and around what you had set out for? Or if you want to go travel interstate around Mount Rushmore to see other locations and interests, a GPS device will help you get there quite simply! So it is very possible to travel to the surrounding states and attractions within the same amount of time that you normally would spend at a single attraction.

Many GPS providers come with preloaded destination settings that provides directions to not only attractions, but important pitstops such as gas stations, hotels, motels, and lodges.

This is THE way to travel. I am sure once you try GPS on one of your vacations, you will NEVER leave home without it!

By: Simon Wyryzowski

Price Comparison GPS, Garmin, Magellan, and Tom Tom

admin — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 05:28:49 +0000

In this article “Price Comparison GPS, Garmin, Magellan, and Tom Tom,” I’m going to talk about what you can get from these three manufacturers and approximately how much it’s going to cost you.

I’m also focusing exclusively on after-market, automotive GPS receivers-not the kind you take hiking, but the kind you see mounted on people’s dashboards. To get started, let’s talk about GPS systems in general first, so you understand what they do, what their basic features are, and what additional features you can upgrade to.

What GPS Systems Do

GPS systems (or receivers) are electronic devices that show you where you are on an electronic map and tell you how to get where you want to go via some sort of voice instructions.

All GPS receivers also have a database of Points of Interest (POIs). These are pre-programmed locations of gas stations, restaurants, state parks, hospitals, well-known buildings, etc. Basically these are public destinations.

GPS receivers also all come with the following:

A touch screen interface A choice of “views”-either 2d, which looks just like a map, or 3d, which looks a little more realistic All of these devices auto-calculate your route to your destination. Usually you can choose between shortest or fastest route Come pre-loaded with maps. Even most of the base price units have maps of the lower 48 states

Upgrades

Popular upgrades are:

A wider screen, 4.3 inches diagonally as opposed to 3.5 inches Saying the names of the streets, instead of just saying “turn here.” More maps Bluetooth integration for hands-free calling Real-time traffic and weather Millions of POIs, instead of a few hundred thousand Multiple route calculation

Price Comparison GPS

GPS systems range in price from around $150 for base units to $1,000 for Garmin’s top of the line Street Pilot 7000. You can get a lot of bells and whistles for $200 to $300.

Magellan’s Maestro line currently runs anywhere from about $150 for the Maestro 3100, which has a 3.5 inch screen, maps of the lower 48 states, and about 750,000 POIs. The top of the line Maestro, the 4250, currently runs slightly more than $250. With the 4250, you get a 4.3-inch screen, maps of the U. S. and Canada, 6 million POIs, real-time traffic capability and Bluetooth.

Garmin’s GPS receivers are comparatively priced. Their introductory model, the Nuvi 200 does about the same thing as the Maestro 3100, and runs about the same amount of money. Their top of the line Nuvi 770 currently costs slightly less than $600, but it has every feature imaginable-4.3-inch screen, more maps, huge POI database, says street names, real-time traffic and weather, Bluetooth, and much, much more.

The other main manufacturer, Tom Tom, has fewer models to choose from, but they make a great product and their prices are in line with Magellan’s and Garmin’s. Their base model, the Tom Tom One, runs slightly more than $150. Their top of the line model, the GO 920 has a 4.3-inch screen and all of the other features.

To learn more, your next step needs to be finding an informative website where you can actually browse, look at pictures, and compare models.

By: Lee Cole

Auto GPS Comparison Guide

admin — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 03:39:35 +0000

When buying a GPS receiver, you need an auto gps comparison guide. There’s just too much to know about these devices. Also, the features they have and the prices they’re offered at change rapidly. If you want to save yourself some time learning about all of this, then read this article.

This article is specifically about after-market GPS receivers. You know, the kind you see on people’s dashboards. I’m not talking about the in-dash variety, nor am I talking about the hand-held variety–the kind you take hiking.

GPS receivers have really caught on lately. And with the spike in gas prices, I think they’ll be a hot item for quite a while. They sell anywhere from $200 to almost $1,000. But with gas at over $4.00 a gallon, that could easily pay for itself!

The best way to understand how to pick out the right GPS receiver is to do a quick auto gps comparison. Let’s talk about who the best manufacturers for these things are, and then about the features you get when you buy one.

There are three main manufacturers of GPS receivers, Garmin, Tom Tom, and Magellan. All three make a great product, and all three are very competitive with each other both on features and price. Garmin is the industry leader. Magellan was actually one of the first companies to figure out this technology, and Tom Tom is the new kid on the block.

When you buy a GPS receiver, you get the same basic features.

All GPS devices can do the following:

Show you were you are on an electronic map Tell you where to turn to get to where you want to go Interface with you via a touch screen Tell you where certain things are like gas stations, restaurants, and other Points of Interest (POIs) Include maps of the lower 48 US states Calculate the shortest or fastest route
So, even the cheapest GPS receiver can do all of this. If that’s all you need, then you can get a device that can do this for right around $150!

But before you buy, you might want to think about some of these cool upgraded features. For not too much more money, your GPS receiver can do a whole lot more.

For more money you can get:
More extensive maps, including Alaska, Hawaii, Canada, Mexico, and Europe Bigger screen Bluetooth technology integrated in the system, for hands-free calling Real-time traffic and weather FM transmission, so you can hear your device through your car’s own stereo sound system Much larger and more extensive POI database Multiple route calculation, so you can enter more than one destination in at one time
These upgrades are worth looking into. You can get a lot of this stuff for under $350! That might be money well spent, because you’re going to be happier with your choice and want to keep it for a longer time–before you trade it in for a more powerful model.

Now that you’re read this auto gps comparison, your next step is to find an informative website where you can read about individual devices and learn more about prices.

By: Lee Cole