Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with garmin

Help me help my boss not get lost.

chiababe — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 17:50:48 -0800

My boss wants me to research GPS units for him to use since he'll be traveling a lot more in the near future. Any recommendations? I really don't know what I should be looking for in a good GPS unit. He wants to spend less than $200. It also needs to be fairly simple to use and update. He's an awesome boss, but not so good with tricky technology. Most of his travel will be within North and South Carolina. We're looking to purchase this within the week, so I won't be able to wait for new models that might be around the corner. I've read a few of the previous questions on this, but I'm wondering if there's anything new and exciting I should be looking at.

Microsd card for Garmin

orlin — Sun, 28 Jun 2009 17:12:53 -0800

Can I buy Microsd card for my Gamin 400T for a sandisk or any other microsd card maker? I'm after an inexpensive 4GB card. Any recommendations are appreciated. Thanks...Orlin

Love Polar HRM with footpod..envy Garmin Forerunner...help.

teg4rvn — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 12:05:15 -0800

Without going ahead and junking my existing Polar system for a Garmin 305 or 405, is there any relatively small GPS unit I could clip onto my mp3 player armband to add the functionality I'd like (uploading routes to a Sportracks, motionbased, trainingpeaks like service...with the added benefit that I'd have something to take on a hike or go geocaching? I already have a great heart rate monitor (HRM) with foot pod, the Polar RS400. I'd love to add some sort of GPS tracking capabilities to my more free-form runs (random runs when travelling or even in my own area). I don't want to dump my Polar system because #1) it works great #2) the foot pod is superaccurate outdoors and on the treadmill, and #3) it was expensive.

Any Polar lovers who have Garmin-GPSing envy like I do? Any homebrew solution I'm not thinking of?

GPS without the navigation

Bakuun — Sun, 01 Feb 2009 14:00:42 -0800

My Garmin Nuvi (350) won't navigate when I attach it to my car's charger, which is a bummer for obvious reasons. It turns on, but the screen shows an image of it being attached to a PC, and it only goes back to navigation mode if I unplug it. It charges the battery fine, just doesn't do what it's supposed to do when I'm driving and in a bad need of directions. Am I using the wrong car charger? The bit that plugs into the Nuvi from the charger is the same one that's used to plug it into the PC, and I can't find one that's different.

I'm missing something here, right? Right?

Using Garmin GPS II Plus with Mac OS X

jcdill — Wed, 28 Jan 2009 14:07:18 -0800

It is possible to transfer waypoint data from an old Garmin GPS II Plus model to a MacBook Pro running Mac OS X 10.5? I was given this old GPS. I don't have the data cable. I want to be sure I can transfer data to my MacBook Pro running OS X 10.5 before I go in search of the data cable. The specs say the cable only works with a Windows PC with an open Comm Port. See: http://www.amazon.com/Garmin-Plus-MultiTrac8-Personal-Navigator/dp/B00000DM9D

But a lot of products *say* that but work just fine on a Mac - they just aren't "supported" on the Mac. If the Mac sees the Garmin as a drive device and can copy the .gpx file I'm good to go. Does anyone know if this is possible?

Also, the Garmin cable has a serial port connection - what connector/adapter will I need to connect it with a MacBook Pro?
Serial-to-USB?

ok to buy dicontinued garmin nuvi?

Amby72 — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 11:44:17 -0800

Can anyone give me a reason not to get a Garmin nüvi 350 just because it has been discontinued by Garmin? This has the features I want, and we are a bit of a garmin shop at home. Just curious if there is a reason to switch to a different model that replaced it that doesn't have as much of a positive track record. It is online at really reasonable prices, and I would like to get it for my mom who isn't terribly technical.

Alternative to MotionBased and Garmin Connect?

letitrain — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 18:09:21 -0800

Alternatives to MotionBased and Garmin Connect for tracking running workouts with a Garmin Forerunner 305? Are there any alternative websites that provide running-specific GPS tracking, including maps and heart rate, pace and speed analysis? I had transitioned completely to Garmin Connect, but with yesterday's site update they locked out the Forerunner 305 (not officially supported, but previously working just fine). Grrrr...

I could go back to MotionBased and pay to upgrade my account (necessary to see more than ten workouts), but it's supposedly going to be replaced with the (free) Garmin Connect any day now. I can't tell if I'd be paying for a month or if they'll have their typical 4-12 month upgrade delays. Which means I don't know whether to sign up for a month or a year.

Anyway, my emails with Garmin support are an exercise in frustration and I'm ready to try something new until they get their heads out of their collective asses. Any suggestions? Thanks!

Which GPS?

PossumCupCake — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 13:20:37 -0800

As a late birthday gift my father wants to get me a GPS for my truck. He asked if I wanted a TomTom or a Garmin, but I'm not familiar with either one. I looked online a bit but found all the models and crap confusing, so I seek advice here. If it makes a difference, I do a lot of driving in rural areas, and want one that will speak directions as well as show them. Actually, if it could yell them at me, that would help a bit too, as I have kids. Loud kids. Thanks!

What cheap GPS to get for occasional driver in Canada?

ManInSuit — Sun, 09 Dec 2007 09:51:01 -0800

What cheap GPS to get for occasional driver in Canada? Can the green help me choose a GPS?

Here's my deal:

- I'm looking for something at the cheap end of things - Ideally around $200 (Maybe as much as $250. Maybe...)

- Need somethig that works in Canada (where I live) and the US (where I sometimes go).

- I'd use it mainly in rental or borrowed cars. I don't own a car, but go on road trips once in a while.

- Something portable sounds nice, since, even when I travel, I tend to get around by foot/bike quite a bit. But I'm cuious how useful this would really be. Have other folks used GPS for casual getting-around by foot or bike in new cities? This isn't the main feature I'm concerned about, but it's interesting. Can you even charge the batteries in these things outside of a car?

- Of course, accurate maps matter a lot.

- I don't care about MP3 player.

- Text-to-speech would be great, but probably out of my price range, and I can live without it.

Right now, I'm looking at the Garmin Nuvi 250 (which costs a shade more than I'd hope to spend) and the TomTom ONE 3rd edition. I'm also thinking about a Garmin C330- I used one a couple years ago, and it seemed great, and the are cheap now.

Reviews suggest the TomTom maps aren't so great, which makes me lean toward the Garmins. All the features in the world don't matter if the map's not super-accurate.

So...

- Would anyone recommend somethig other than the models I'd mentioned?
- Is the decrepancy in map accuracy really such a big deal as some reviews suggest?
- What would the Nuvi 250 do that the older cheaper clunkier C330 wouldn't?

Thanks!

OS X software for Garmin Forerunner?

jedro — Sun, 26 Aug 2007 02:09:23 -0800

Is there any good, preferably free, OS X software for the Garmin Forerunner? The Garmin Training Centre is too limited, so I'm looking for something better.

A Garmin newbie question about Mapsource unlock codes

flyby22 — Mon, 30 Jul 2007 05:12:44 -0800

I just purchased a Garmin 370. It came with two Mapsource unlock codes. My question is how do I use these codes? The device did not come with any media containing the PC version of their mapsource software. Are these only good after I purchase additional mapping software from them ?

GPS, accelerometer pods or something else for running?

racingjs — Thu, 26 Apr 2007 10:00:30 -0800

I’m training for a marathon and I’m looking for a training tool to keep track of my progress and to keep me motivated. Should I go with GPS, accelerometer pods or something else? I plan to run 4 day/week in the next 4 months. I’d like to know my pace while running and keep track of my daily/weekly/monthly mileage. I plan to train on both open roads and on trails. Anyone has experience with GPS based devices (Garmin Forerunner) and accelerometer based devices (Polar RS200sd and others)? Am I missing an option? I’m not interested in the nike+ipod thing.

What maps do I need for my GPS handheld?

louigi — Wed, 28 Feb 2007 08:30:34 -0800

Which maps do I need to buy in order to use my GPS in London? I am in the process of choosing a GPS unit (as did kimdog) and am probably going to buy a Garmin etrex Vista CX. The main use will be for navigating on foot in London, England: essentially I want be able to put in a postcode or address and see how I should walk to my destination. If I buy a model with the European basemap, will I be set or will I need to purchase further maps? If the European basemap will be insufficient (or if I bought a unit with a North American basemap, which would be substantially cheaper), is my only option to buy the obscenely priced City Navigator Europe map package?

Alternately, if you can tell me a different combination of GPS + software that you've used for a similar purpose in London and that has worked well for you, I would be equally happy.

Help me get from here to there

quin — Tue, 26 Dec 2006 19:54:21 -0800

I have a Garmin GPS unit, I would very much like to get some maps on it. And I am not above paying the $80 to $100 to get the map CDs that they offer. But before I do that, I would like to explore what the Open Source community has to offer. Looking around, I've found a lot of different utilities to create my own maps. But they rarely seem to provide documentation on exactly how to do this.

My question is this; I would like to use something like google maps to create a route-able map (one that defines the streets for navigation purposes, as opposed to just a static snap-shot of a map). Is this possible? I'm not afraid to do the work, but it would help enormously if someone could point me to either tutorials on how to use the multitude of tools that are out there, or failing that, the pre-existing maps themselves (South East Wisconsin and Northern Illinois).

Help me use my Garmin GPS device with my Powerbook

tumbleweedjack — Fri, 22 Dec 2006 18:02:54 -0800

I just bought a Garmin Forerunner 205. I love it, it's neat, wow, awesome. But I use an Apple and the software isn't compatible. Can someone walk me through how I can get my PowerBook to recognize the unit (and download the data) when I plug it in via USB and if there are any programs I can use that are similar to the "Training Center" software included?

Nike + iPod or Garmin Forerunner?

bDiddy — Sun, 17 Sep 2006 19:45:37 -0800

I am about to start running in a more serious capacity, which is to say to train for races. I love gadgets, so I am drawn to both of these for various reasons. Which is better, Nike + iPod or the Garmin Forerunner 201? I enjoy the idea of the Forerunner getting my speed and pace, etc. from GPS. But is the iPod system as accurate? Also, from a cost perspective, the Forerunner is a bit cheaper as I do not currently have an iPod Nano. Currently, I am looking to see how long and how far I'm running but eventually I would also be interested in seeing my pace. Additionally, since my short term goal is a duathlon, if the Forerunner is adept at adjusting for biking I'd like to know that. I know the iPod system won't be any good there.

I am also wondering if the Forerunner 205 is significantly better than the Forerunner 201 such that I should only consider the 205.

So, which should be the object of my technofitness lust right now? The Nike + iPod, the Garmin Forerunner 201 or the Garmin Forerunner 205? Anyone have any experience with these? Thanks in advance!

Should a single dead pixel bother me?

aberrant — Tue, 11 Apr 2006 22:36:10 -0800

Should I ask to return my new GPS? I received my Garmin nuvi this evening. It's awesome, but I noticed after I got it home (from the UPS pickup) that there's a dead pixel close to the center of the screen. I can live with it, but it's annoying. Is it reasonable to expect to be able to return the unit, or is this sort of thing just an unfortunate fact of life? It's not "in the way" as far as I can see - just stuck red, and visible due to the black background.