Free GPS Guidance
Archive for the ‘GPS’ Category
I was talking with my brother-in-law today about his automotive GPS and that we had noticed an article on the news recently about how often automotive GPS units are getting stolen these days. When you are parking your car, especially in the larger cities, it is all too common for someone to do a “smash and grab”, and your GPS unit is gone. He says they are even looking to see if there is a mark on your windshield where the suction cup has been removed, so some folks will break into your car just in case you stuffed your GPS under the seat or in the glove compartment or something. That suction cup mark is a dead giveaway that there probably has been or may still be a GPS present in your car. That led to a discussion about different options in GPS mounts and the possible problems with each.
Again, the suction cup mount will more than likely leave a telltale mark on your windshield. Also, the GPS car cup holder mounts or vent mounts would either be visible and also a tipoff of the presence of an automotive GPS and might actually cause damage if you were trying to take it off and on whenever you park your car. Not good at all.
In my opinion, a great option would be a bean bag mount, or even better, in my opinion, is the Nav-Pack which is a new, innovative mounting device for most GPS units that doubles as a carrying case when not in use. It contours to the top of your dashboard and works on most uneven or textured surfaces. With a high tech, anti-skid material that keeps the device from sliding, the Nav-Pack provides a stable mounting base for your portable GPS or other electronic devices. With the added benefit of becoming a padded carrying case for your automotive GPS when not in use, I think that is the best way to go in today’s sad society where some people don’t think twice before stealing something, possibly even for a lark. Well, be smart and protect your car and GPS by making a simple change to the way you use your automotive GPS. I think you will be glad you did.
As I have been more sedentary now that cold weather is setting in I find that I need to get myself moving again, but baby it’s cold outside! I wanted to find a way to walk off weight faster so I can get back inside where it is warm. Well, I have been doing some research and found that if I incorporate a few small changes into my routine I can do just that.
I found that the first change I needed to make was to pick up some walking poles, and my ski poles from my cross country skis are really all I need. That was great news for my budget. I also learned that some GPS watches have timers included. I then realized that if I use my timer on my Garmin Forerunner I can compete against myself to do some quick intervals and burn off more calories faster which also gets me back inside sooner. Oh, and I also learned that as soon as we get a little more snow on the ground cross country skiing burns about 510 calories per hour and snowshoeing burns an amazing 544 calories an hour compared to just taking my regular summer walk which only burns about 340 calories per hour. Well, now my GPS watch will get double duty while snowshoeing through the woods near my home so that I don’t get lost and also using the timer function of my Garmin Forerunner GPS watch to keep track of how fast and how long I keep moving. I really like being able to burn off those stubborn inches quicker and more efficiently and being able to have fun at the same time. Gotta love my GPS watch and snowshoes!
Well, I was out Christmas shopping this afternoon, and I saw a wonderful but sad shopping situation. Mother and daughter knew that dad would like an automotive GPS for Christmas, but instead of looking for the features he would use most they were looking at the price. Let’s see, we were planning to spend $XXX for his gift, so I guess this is the one we will buy because it fits the price range.
I would like to recommend that you use some of the articles that have been posted here to help you sort through the differences and benefits of different automotive GPS systems. Will he enjoy spoken street names? Would he use Bluetooth capability? How about the size of the screen – widescreen or small enough to carry in his pocket with the ability to use while sightseeing on vacation or to help find the way back to the car at the mall? Anyways, there are so many options to choose from, and don’t forget to look at refurbished or sale GPS systems in order to get the most bang for your buck. And then there are the many GPS accessories, such as GPS mounts, to complement your choice which you might also consider.
I feel that gift giving is much more about the relationship than the gift. I expect dear old dad would appreciate either a simple or fancy unit with the features he would enjoy most way more than knowing that you spent the allotted amount of money on his gift… I know that I would! Well, I hope Santa brings you exactly what you wanted for Christmas (or whichever holiday your own family happens to celebrate) this year!
The following travel safety tips will save you a lot of trouble when you travel locally or abroad, alone or with friends.
You need to consider security measures to protect you, your stuff and your travel plans and to provide a safe trip for you and your fellow travelers. The following travel safety tips can save you a lot of trouble.
1. Make sure your passport and a visa are up-to-date before you try to travel abroad.
2. Do not forget to carry information for emergency calls. This can be very useful in times of crisis.
3. If you travel abroad, learn about the culture in which you plan to visit. This saves a lot of confusion and can ensure a safe holiday. Learn some key phrases of the local language, such as “Help” in case you are separated from your tour guide or friends. If you are traveling alone, you may want to hire a guide who speaks at least two languages, yours and the native language.
4. Walking in a group is safer than going alone, especially in sparsely populated areas. Also a group will add to your enjoyment. Thieves and robbers usually target those who travel alone.
5. Always use covered luggage tags and try to prevent your address on luggage tags from opening. You can use both the address of your destination and of course your home in case of lost luggage.
6. Keep your ears open to your inner voice and trust your intuition. Women, single parents and parents of small children are easy prey for crime against tourists. Be vigilant at all times when on your own.
7. Bring along your own automotive GPS device. Several of the automotive GPS units can also be carried easily in your pocket. Not only if you drive yourself, even if you are using taxis in an unfamiliar location your own GPS navigation will help assure that the taxi driver doesn’t try to take advantage of you and take creative “shortcuts” in order to charge you extra. Bringing your automotive GPS systems will also help you navigate on foot while in a new city while you get your bearings and make sure you are able to get back to your hotel at the end of the day.
Again, it is fun to travel to new places, but be sure to use common sense and be safe while doing so.
One of the best tools for pleasant holiday travel, including navigating to your vacation spot and offering some entertaining points of interest along the way, is the addition of helpful GPS navigation systems. Whether you might be touring cross-country or taking a quick weekend journey, having an automotive GPS system will make your journey simpler, quicker and rather more fun.
Lately, GPS systems have begun to mature from barebones models to more feature-packed GPS receivers that additionally allow you to play music and even make calls from your car. Some GPS systems and satellite radios are becoming the newest add-ons for brand spanking new automobiles and some car rentals, and there are a number of fascinating and ever more affordable choices to upgrade your existing vehicle. Today’s GPS units work nicely with small or internal GPS antennas providing visible and voice prompts for upcoming turns, and dynamically adjusting while you take a detour. These systems can usually store the major highway maps for complete regions plus detailed maps for a particular area in addition to points of interest, addresses and even phone numbers for your convenience.
There’s so much to see and do. Be sure you don’t miss a thing while driving or hiking, for instance touring around national parks and other scenic vistas. Now you could have the power and security to make any trip an easy and memorable one whether or not you are working, sightseeing or a little of both. You will not get lost or miss out on the special points of interest with the aid of a GPS receiver, whether you explore in your own automobile, a rental car or RV. With multilingual flip-by-flip visible steering, voice prompt navigation and simple to learn graphics, traveling from place to place has never been easier or more visitor friendly. Additionally, automotive GPS systems offer you instructions for the most popular driving routes, but allow you to get off the beaten path and to take the roads much less traveled. You’ll get to see and experience more than you ever could have on your own.
When vacationing in unfamiliar cities or countries GPS also comes in handy and helps you enjoy exploring without worry. Now you’ll be able to navigate to new locations with GPS mapping specific to the areas you’re traveling in. GPS navigation systems are nearly indispensable additions to your travel gear. Just grab a GPS unit, relax and enjoy your journey!
Well, how funny is that? Last year when I was thinking of updating the personalization of my Garmin nuvi and stopped by the Garmin Garage feature, thinking I might change the icon on my automotive GPS systems to my surprise and delight, they were offering a special Halloween Boo Bundle with “scary” characters and even a ghoulish voice to use on your Garmin automotive GPS units to delight your passengers and break up your commute. Our grandsons got a real kick out of watching and listening to this update on our next outing.
Well, this year they have a new character who will gladly ride along with you and give you directions and funny/scary narrative, Dr. Nightmare. To quote the Garmin blog; “Love the voice. Ours has the habit of saying creepy things at the most opportune moments when looking for a house to buy. When we arrived, if the house was no good, he would say ‘Welcome to this dreadful destination.’ A friend was in the back of our car, and as she leaned over to look in the rearview mirror to check her hair, he said ‘Is that a goblin in the rearview mirror?’ She then replied ‘No its me.’ But the most uncanny of them all was just the other day, we were driving slowly through a small town when the vehicle in front of us stopped at the pedestrian crossing. As he did so a cat by the side of the road crossed in front of this vehicle. As we drove off Dr. Nightmare said “Did a cat just cross your path?”! Weird or what?!” We can hardly wait to go pick the boys up and go for a nice country drive.
Christmastime is the perfect time to show your mom how much you love her and appreciate for everything she has done for you all these years. No one holds that special part of your heart than your mom, and giving just the right Christmas gift is something you have to put a lot of thought into to be sure you give her something special she’ll really like.
These are some of the gift ideas that will make a gift for mom special:
GPS Navigation – Make mom’s trips easier by giving her a portable GPS navigation system. Some automotive GPS systems offer visual and voice directions. Be sure to get a good brand of GPS navigation system. Consider one which has a bigger screen and clear voice. Some of the best brands are Garmin automotive GPS units, DeLorme and Magellan. You might check out our favorite GPS store for some great ideas.
Spa Gift Certificate – Mom certainly deserves a relaxing break from her daily chores. Get her a Spa Day Gift Certificate, and treat her to a pleasant day relaxing in the Spa.
Antique Collectibles – Your mom may enjoy collecting antiques. If she does, then consider giving her a rare antique which she will cherish and add to her collection. Anything which adds to her collection will be good, but why not try a get a rare collectible. eBay will be a good place to bargain hunt or check out your local antique store for personal service and possibly an inexpensive treasure.
Jewelry – What mom wouldn’t like a diamond necklace? You might consider presenting her with a diamond pendant necklace. Some of the design options are hearts, circles, and modern twist shapes.
Gardening Supplies – If your mom loves gardening and enjoys growing her own herbs or flowers at home, a good gardening kit will make her gardening experience a pleasant one, with all tools in one kit. Or perhaps one of those little seats on wheels that hold her gardening tools conveniently for her would be a great idea and save on her knees while she gardens. What garden loving mom wouldn’t appreciate that?
Massage– After a long day, mom will love to have relaxing massage. Also, a massage cushion can be used on a chair or couch and has adjustable settings so mom can choose the level of massage she wants. There are several massage cushion options which you might consider.
Are you a nature fan? Do you love the great outdoors? Then you might be a big fan of hunting. Hunting is one of the most enjoyable activities you can do outdoors. Sadly, there are some restrictions when you want to hunt. For example, you need to have a hunting license. This isn’t really a problem. Just a bit of studying and practicing and you’ll be good to go. Besides the license, you are also not allowed to hunt every deer or everywhere you might want to, but there are still plenty of deer. Another issue when you want to hunt is the fact that you only are allowed to hunt during the season. This means most of the year you are not allowed to hunt.
Perhaps you would be interested in geocaching for the rest of the year. A handheld GPS will be all that is needed along with coordinates of a geocache hidden in the area where you want to explore. You don’t need any license, and aren’t restricted in time frame. Besides which, handheld GPS units can also help you while hunting to be sure you don’t get turned around in the woods and to help you find your way back to the best hunting spots you found last week or even last year if you just save those coordinates on your GPS unit. Whether deer or hidden “treasures”, now you can find yourself “hunting” any time you want!
Don’t fall into the Christmas rush; shop early while the selection is still good. Well, that is my goal this year. I know it is still early, but I get so frustrated with myself when sometimes I over analyze each gift, then waiting for the very best sale, only to find that by the time that special sale came along there were only a limited number of whatever it was I wanted to buy. Actually, only a handful of the folks who were at the store waiting for the doors to be unlocked, often pushing and shoving to get to the prize first, were the only ones who actually got the “bargain”. In my book, that is no bargain. Then you find yourself in a shopping frenzy, grabbing other things that are on the “special sale” that perhaps you weren’t even considering in the first place, costing much more in time, money and frustration than the actual gift was worth.
Well, I have decided to shop at the stores I already trust who give reasonable prices and excellent service; although, I still look for their sales while I am there. At one GPS Store in particular I recently heard a customer say “Thanks John! You guys are great to work with…I’ll let my friends know.” Now, I already liked that particular GPS store, but it really felt good to hear someone else express the same sentiment. Many of my friends just need or would appreciate GPS accessories like a case, GPS mounts, handheld GPS accessories, maybe even a new charger cable. Well, I know where I will be shopping for those items this year, and I am planning to get ahead of the crowds this time.
Wow, here’s a tough comparison we were recently asked to make. Which GPS fishfinder combo should I buy, the Humminbird 587ci combo or the Garmin GPSMAP 441S? Ooh, that one is tricky. Those are two very good options to fit his needs, but which is better for him? Okay – let’s try.
First, they are a close match on screen size 4-inch diagonal for the GPSMAP 441S compared to 4.5 for the 587ci Combo. Both have built-in maps, Garmin GPSMAP has the worldwide marine basemap, and the Humminbird 587ci has a UniMap. Both have card slots for maps and saving waypoints – that’s handy. Also, both use either a Tilt & Swivel quick disconnect mounting system or can be flush mounted – flexibility. Each will hold 3,000 waypoints, and the 587ci holds 50 routes versus GPSMAP 441S with 100 routes. The GPSMAP 441S will accept a couple of external antenna choices, where the Humminbird 587ci has no port for external antenna so you want to be sure it is used in an open boat, not from a cabin unless it is near the windshield – good to know. As for cartography; the Humminbird fishfinder combo uses Navionics maps, and Garmin GPSMAP uses BlueChart g2 Vision cards.
Of course, there are even more differences and similarities between them. Now do you see why it is tough to help someone choose which GPS fishfinder combination to choose? I definitely prefer to help folks find the information, but to make the final decision themselves as the differences between them can be a non-issue for one boater, but critical to another depending on their boat and situation.