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06-15-2007, 05:13 PM
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#1
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Montana Master
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: Leona
Posts: 6,382
M.O.C. #2059
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And the winner is Garmin for Father's Day
As I always do, I fretted over "the right GPS." I read and interesting article in GPS Magazine that compared comparable units from Garmin, Megellen, and Tom Tom. They tested actual routing scenarios that were long, medium, and shot range. The Garmin 680 won them all. The 660 is the same unit with 2 exceptions: the 660 doesn't have the European maps and does not connect to MSN.
Armed with this info, I went shopping. It was Sam's Club to the rescue at nearly $300 less for the Garmin 660 Nuvi than the first price we found and $200 less than Circuit City. Happy Father's Day from Dianna.
It mounts well on the dash, has a relatively large screen at 4.3", and is small enough to put in you pocket. With the touch screen format, it has no buttons, neat trim and compact. That sure made that shackle job more palatable.
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06-15-2007, 05:49 PM
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#2
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Montana Master
Join Date: Nov 2002
Location: Weatherford
Posts: 1,383
M.O.C. #9
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What was the final price? Does it allow you to find POIs without backing out of the guidance? I have a Magellan and the last 3 weeks was the first opportunity I have had to use it. These things are GREAT and a must for the RVer!! Mine came from a TV shopping channel and was an "old model" when the newer ones came out. I would like to load POIs (similar to Streets and Trips), be able to "reverse trip" like S & T, and I'd also like to be able to find a restaurant or Wal Mart while still in route. I also think the Nuvi's compactness and portability is a real plus - I didn't think so when I bought mine, but have now changed my mind after using it awhile.
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06-15-2007, 07:15 PM
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#3
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Montana Master
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: Leona
Posts: 6,382
M.O.C. #2059
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I think it was about $550. I bought some other items in the store, so don't remember the exact dollar. I have not yet been able to explore the total operational characteristics of it since I just got it today.
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06-15-2007, 08:12 PM
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#4
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Montana Master
Join Date: Apr 2004
Location: Apple Valley
Posts: 1,574
M.O.C. #1358
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Congrats on your new navigation tool Stiles!
You'll soon wonder how you ever got along without it.
Our Nuvi is the best thing I've done to relieve stress during travel.
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06-16-2007, 04:18 AM
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#5
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Montana Master
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Lone Tree
Posts: 5,615
M.O.C. #6109
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I love my Nuvi!
As a male side of the species, it lets me save face by STILL not having to stop and ask for directions.
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06-16-2007, 01:53 PM
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#6
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Montana Master
Join Date: Nov 2002
Location: Oceanside
Posts: 20,028
M.O.C. #20
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Congrats, Stiles! When in unfamiliar areas we don't leave home without the GPS. I set wherever our Montana is parked as "home" and then when we're done exploring for the day, I just hit the Find button twice and it plots the way home. I usually accompany that with something like "Mary, take us home." I use the GPS on towing trips even when I know the route. It's nice to see how far to the next turn and to our destination, etc. Enjoy!
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06-17-2007, 06:08 PM
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#7
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Montana Master
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: North Ridgeville
Posts: 20,229
M.O.C. #2839
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We have seen that Garmin model in action..It is a great unit..You will wonder how you ever got along without it. We use the Garman GPS-18 receiver only with the lap top because Helen and I are both weak of eye and like the large display. The "voice" has never failed us.
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06-20-2007, 02:51 PM
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#8
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Montana Master
Join Date: Nov 2002
Location: Oceanside
Posts: 20,028
M.O.C. #20
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Rich, you'd appreciate the voice in this Garmin. Vicki will tell you when we were driving through Gerogia and South Carolina it was using a southern accent! I'm waiting until we get into Minnesota or Massachussetts to see what it does there.
The builtin in the truck has a very nice feminine voice with it. The Garmin is a nice voice, too, but sometimes when I changed my route on the fly, her "recalculating" seems to sound a bit annoyed.
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06-20-2007, 04:44 PM
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#9
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Montana Master
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: North Ridgeville
Posts: 20,229
M.O.C. #2839
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A voice with an accent... what will they think of next.. Nice touch...
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06-20-2007, 04:51 PM
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#10
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Montana Master
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: Green Valley
Posts: 1,618
M.O.C. #6022
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LOL LOL ROTFLOL....................
Our garmin....same as Steve and vickie's really got to be annoying....her "recaluculating" actually was kind of like she really was getting annoyed with us. We switched to "Karen" who is from Austrailia and her accent is a bit more entertaining and acceptable - when she says "recalculating" she doesn't sound irriated.
LOL
Jo-Anna
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06-21-2007, 05:13 AM
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#11
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Montana Master
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Lone Tree
Posts: 5,615
M.O.C. #6109
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Yep - Karen is my little Aussie Friend.
Last time I missed an exit and the DW starting yelling at me - I told her to just softly say..... "recalculating"  . She glared at me and said "how about rethinking...rethinking why you are driving and I am not" 
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06-21-2007, 01:55 PM
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#12
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Montana Master
Join Date: Nov 2002
Location: Oceanside
Posts: 20,028
M.O.C. #20
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OK, I just switched ours to Karen. We have two more days on the road so will try Karen tomorrow. If I don't like that one I'll try Emily (British English) the next day. I don't speak any of the other languages listed so only have about 4 or 5 choices here.
Last night when we were using her (we call her Mary, short for Mary, Mary, Quite Contrary), to get us to a Walmart, she wanted to duplicate our route in reverse for the trip home. I like to use varied routes. So when she told me to turn left I told her I'm not gonna do it, I'm gonna turn right so just recalculate and find us another way "home." Vicki gave me a long look and said, "you know, don't you, she's going to be very annoyed with you." This thing is taking on a personality all its own. It's almost like having two wives and I wouldn't wish that on anyone! Oops, I didn't really say that, did I?
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06-21-2007, 02:08 PM
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#13
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Montana Master
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: Green Valley
Posts: 1,618
M.O.C. #6022
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Yes, we call ours "Miss B B" and she definitely has taken on a personality of her own - and yes we both talk to her a lot and also do the "I'm not going that way" routine and then we both say along with her "recalculating".
LOL
Jo-Anna
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06-21-2007, 02:25 PM
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#14
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Montana Master
Join Date: May 2006
Location: San Jose
Posts: 728
M.O.C. #5740
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Quote:
quote:Originally posted by David and Jo-Anna
LOL LOL ROTFLOL....................
Our garmin....same as Steve and vickie's really got to be annoying....her "recaluculating" actually was kind of like she really was getting annoyed with us. We switched to "Karen" who is from Austrailia and her accent is a bit more entertaining and acceptable - when she says "recalculating" she doesn't sound irriated.
Jo-Anna
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We found Karen's Australian accent annoying and have settled with Jill. She doesn't seem to mind "recalculating" all of the time. 
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06-21-2007, 03:39 PM
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#15
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Montana Master
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: North Ridgeville
Posts: 20,229
M.O.C. #2839
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The emergency voice in a aircraft is/was also female.."pull up..Pull up" garmin must feel that the guys do most of the driving and will do whatever a female voice tells them to do .
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06-21-2007, 04:20 PM
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#16
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Montana Master
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Topeka
Posts: 1,121
M.O.C. #2215
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Yeah, right.
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06-21-2007, 09:40 PM
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#17
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Montana Master
Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: Campbell River
Posts: 970
M.O.C. #4976
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The voice I listen to is....Dawn, she sits right next to me in the other front seat. lol
J&D
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06-22-2007, 01:53 AM
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#18
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Montana Master
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: Wetumpka
Posts: 4,936
M.O.C. #1105
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You're a wise man, John. Maybe you could give lessons to Steve!
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06-22-2007, 02:20 PM
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#19
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Montana Master
Join Date: Nov 2002
Location: Oceanside
Posts: 20,028
M.O.C. #20
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I guess which voice a person prefers is a personal matter! It was Jill who sounded annoyed although she's also the one who did the southern accent. Today we ran with Karen in place and found her more pleasant when recalculating. Ear of the beholder, I guess! I haven't tried the British one yet.
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06-22-2007, 06:29 PM
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#20
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Montana Master
Join Date: Apr 2004
Location: Apple Valley
Posts: 1,574
M.O.C. #1358
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Karen has been my guide for a long time. I don't care much for the others. One thing though (and maybe others), Karen doesn't know abbreviations well...for example, she thinks DR is Doctor rather than drive...LOL
Otherwise, she is more pleasing to my ear and I love the accent.
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