- WAAS-Enabled, 12-Channel Sensor Receives GPS Satellite
- Signals & Wirelessly Transmits Them To A Mobile Device
- Adds Full-Featured GPS Navigation To Bluetooth-Enabled Devices
- More Than 5 Million Points Of Interest Such As Restaurants, Hotels,
- Gas Stations & Attractions
What prompted me to start sourcing for another GPS device is due to the airport hassle we experience these days. I work for the Sales department of a security company and that means frequent travel these days. The StreetPilot III is an excellent device but its a little bulky to fit into my notebook bag.
Hence enter the Garmin GPS 10. I got mine for $209 from Digitally Unique, they're slow on shipping but the price was good. Get the Deluxe package and not the receiver only one, the Garmin software and maps are worth the money.
In comparison with the older StreetPilot, advantages are:
1. Small, light and easily fit into your pocket or laptop bag, easier when passing through airport security.
2. Integrated magnetic mount allows for mounting outside the rental car, a good solution in case you rented a car with heatsheild on the windscreen that can block GPS signal.
3. Waterproof, so you can still mount the device outside the car in adverse weather condition.
4. Software provided for both PocketPC and Windows OS (Mac / Linux users are out of luck here). Most business travellers like myself typically carry a PDA and for sure has a notebook. In case your PDA fails, you'll still have GPS capability using your notebook.
5. Enhanced software features includes:
More customization options
Cool transparent setting for indicators and prompts
Elevation indicator, nice feature when travelling
Easier filter for Waypoints and POI (Points of Interest)
6. Uses standard SD or Compact flash memory cards supported by your PDA instead of the proprietary flash memory cards from Garmin. Get the Viking 512mb SD card available from Amazon here with rebate, goes nicely if your PDA has a SD slot.
7. The GPS 10 turns on automatically if it detects power from the 12v cigarette lighter adaptor.
Disadvantages compared to StreetPilot III:
1. This could be related to my choice of PDA, I'm using a Dell Axim X5 PocketPC 2003. This PDA does not have an integrated Bluetooth so I use a Anycom Bluetooth CF card. Whenever I turn off the PDA and back on again, I need to re-connect the Bluetooth serial connection. Then I have to stop the Garmin nRoute software from searching the serial port, then reconnect again. A bit of a hassle compared to the StreetPilot III where you simply turn it on.
2. Routing algorithm not as good as StreetPilot III. The Pocket PC based routing logic seems to be slightly inferior to the one based on SP III (Palm OS based).
3. Depending on your PDA, the screen could be very difficult to read in the car. The Dell Axim X5 does not do well despite its transreflective LCD. The SP 3 on the other hand is clearly visible under all sorts of condition. Recommend you buy a PDA with a very bright screen.
4. PDA dependent. The SP 3 is a integrated device and is very rugged, sitting in direct sunlight for 2 years before I finally managed to buy a townhouse with a garage last year. The PDA however, is flimsy in comparison. I would not thing the Dell Axim will hold up being in sunlight all the time for 2 years.
5. Mounting a hassle. For a semi permanent mount in a car, you'll have to buy a mount either from Seidio or Arkon. However, those mounts are mainly for the PDA and you'll have to mount the GPS 10 seperately.
Recommendation:
1. If you do not travel by air frequently but is looking for a GPS device for use in your car, go with one of those all-in-one devices such as the older Garmin 2610/2620 or the newer Garmin c320/c330. They're much easier to use and mount, and are easier to see in your car.
2. For frequent travellers by air, get this Garmin GPS 10 and a good PDA. This combo is a lot more portable and works even if you end up renting a car with heatshield on the windscreen. Also, in case the PDA fails, you'll have your notebook to fall back on.
3. If you decide on the Garmin GPS 10, get a PDA that has the fastest possible processor. The latest Intel XScale running at 624Mhz is a good choice. My Axim X5 running 416Mhz though usable, I sometimes felt a faster processor would be nice when I'm planning a trip and markign waypoints on the PDA.
Buy Garmin GPS 10 Deluxe with Bluetooth Technology Now
I am an accountant with average PC skills. If you have a laptop with Bluetooth and another person to serve as navigator, the GPS 10 Deluxe is for you.Set-up was easy. The n-Route laptop navigation software loaded quickly and easily as did the maps of the US and Canada. (On a laptop, you can load and unlock the maps all in one step.)
The GPS/software kit price is 5% of an installed navigator on new car while the functionality is comparable, and the laptop screen view and sound are excellent. Documentation of the software and GPS is thorough and easy to follow. The magnetic GPS 10 module clings securely to the hood or roof of your car.
Turn on your laptop and connect to the GPS 10 with Bluetooth. Then open the n-Route software and the laptop quickly connects with the GPS. You are ready to go (the software permits you to see how many satellites are being used to fix your position).
Assuming that you have saved your home and destination as "waypoints," you can easily create a route using two waypoints (beginning and end). The software/GPS allows your laptop follow the progress of your vehicle and provides suggested voice and visual directions along the way. Of course, you can chose to go your own way at any point, and the software automatically recalculates your route. At the bottom of the screen you can watch the ever-changing status including your current speed, direction, and time and distance to destination and next maneuver.
The maps have very good route detail and lots of helpful information regarding retail establishments and other points of interest, with an easy way to find them, especially when you are looking for something while traveling (gas, food, etc.).
You may need to change the setting on your firewall to disable the automatic detection of new wireless networks that you will encounter while travelingxx in residential areas, which will distract from your navigating.
Defining a "waypoint" by using a street address may take a little practice and some trial and error.
Read Best Reviews of Garmin GPS 10 Deluxe with Bluetooth Technology Here
Note When I ordered this, Amazon had the descriptions switched for two similar products. One comes with software, the other does not. The more expensive one comes with software.I am using this with my HP IPaq PDA without problems. Routing is very accurate. The software is good and the find feature is like having the yellow pages in your hand as you can search companies, services etc and get their phine number as well as their address...
Product suggestion, make a small recess to keep the rubber plug that closes the power socket when not in use...
Want Garmin GPS 10 Deluxe with Bluetooth Technology Discount?
Update 1/6/2010:This unit has gotten better with time. Since initial review, I moved to the ATT (HTC) 8525, and a couple of software updates and a firmware update make this little beauty shine. None of the bluetooth disconnect issues exist anymore from the original review. Latest software included 3D view, and performance is much more reasonable on the 8525. Would get 5 stars if the unit would provide GPS to apps other than Garmin. Shame on you Garmin in your closed source, closed access attitude. New maps updates are ridiculous at $100+.
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The GPS unit is extremely sturdy, the magnetic mount is perfect, and the power adapter plug cover thingy is lost already (I've owned for a month).
I use the Cingular 8125 smart phone with the device. The GPS is the only bluetooth device I use with the phone. If the phone powers off, or the GPS is powered off, or the phone is taken out of the bluetooth range, the bluetooth partnership is never remembered. If the phone goes to sleep, the partnership is lost. Workaround is to keep the phone plugged in all the time, or turn off sleep mode on the phone.
Software on the PDA is fairly decent, but due to the weak processor in my phone (200MHz OMAP), calculating routes can take upwards of 2 minutes sometimes. The phone sometimes generates exceptions on the Que software when it is not even running.
Worse part of the software is getting maps onto the phone. I live and travel throughout Texas extensively, and about once a month I'll go somewhere outside of the state. I keep all of Texas (about 6 zones) stored on the SD card, but when I want to add say the D.C area, it's a complete reselect of all 6 zones in TX and then the new zones I want, and then the whole thing has to be uploaded through the USB link again. Ideally the software would read what zones you have already, then allow you to add or remove only those you want.
I have been trying for 3 days to call Garmin tech support and it is almost always busy. I did get thru once after holding for 45 minutes. After listening to the menu I selected the Outdoor option and was on hold some more. Finally someone answered the phone, said I was in the wrong que, tried to transfer me but we got disconnected. Tried calling again and was busy.
Finally got on the web site and sent a message to tech support. After 36 hrs. I got a response that said send it back for repairs.
Recieved the new one and got the blue tooth to connect to my PDA (dell axim 51v) but it would not connect to the Garmin Que software. Another call to Garmin (busy, hold, disconnect, busy again) after a week or so finally got thru to Garmin. Seems I needed a new unlock code since I changed units and the software is linked to the GPS unit and they must match. Once you get them all connected it works. But the next time you want to use it you must delete the Bluetooth connection and go thru the Bluetooth setup again.
If you use it with Microsoft Streets the unit will connect and follow along with little effort. The only problem is that MS streets will only download a small area at a time to the PDA. But it does work if you stay in the small area or load another map set.
Bottom Line I've had the system for 4 plus months and haven't got it to work properly in the whole time. Wasn't a good use of a couple hundred bucks
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