[architect]

Originally Posted by sgiitk

Heard that in some cities, esp. in Delhi you risk a broken window just to steal the GPS. So watch out. Also, a case for buying a pouch.

I leave the suction holder on the windscreen and simply un-clip the device from it and carry it with me. Once it's got a satellite fix, it doesn't unfix that quick, even indoors.

[lancer_rit]

Originally Posted by architect

I leave the suction holder on the windscreen and simply un-clip the device from it and carry it with me. Once it's got a satellite fix, it doesn't unfix that quick, even indoors.

I wouldn't advise that. Some thieves figure, looking at the mount, that you may have kept the device hidden in the dashboard, and can still smash your window and look for it. Not worth the trouble.

Wrt google maps, I think some folks here are making google maps much better than it really is. I am a big fan of google maps (used it for 3 years for navigation with mgmaps) but once you get to the smaller cities, the detail can be poor - less than a couple of years back, Mysore was a junction of 3 or 4 roads.
The great thing is google maps is improving very fast and continually, so today's Mysore, for example, is quite detailed and useful.
For many parts of India, MMI and Satguide are better than google maps from my many such (older) comparisons of places outside big cities and town (eg. Coorg) - haven't checked out recently though..

[MX6]

I always leave the suction mount on the windscreen. Just take the pnd with me home in the night.
Anyway, I don't want to keep tampering with the suction cup wearing off the surface. Feel that daily if I fix and remove, over the ages, it will loose it's hold on the windscreen.
May be I shall cut out a paper clipping to go beneath the suction cup holder so that from outside one can see only the paper and think, probably, it's some photo I've stuck up on the inside!

[architect]

The suction mount on my car is hidden in the dark upper portion of the windshield which is generally not visible given the low stance of my car.

[370Z]

Few weeks ago, I got Garmin 255W and loaded it with SatGuide maps. As you guys all know, SatGuide pretty decent. But, Garmin tries to expand some abbreviations and keeps saying "North Hampshire" for "NH" (National Highway)

[ampere]

Originally Posted by 370Z

Few weeks ago, I got Garmin 255W and loaded it with SatGuide maps. As you guys all know, SatGuide pretty decent. But, Garmin tries to expand some abbreviations and keeps saying "North Hampshire" for "NH" (National Highway)

Turn its Name pronunciation part off if you can! I dont know if that can be done. Should be possible.

[blue_pulsar]

Hey guys, SatNav Garmin maps are pretty useless. I don't remember which one I have, but it doesn't recognise important tourist places like Wayanad in Kerala, Murudeshwara in Karnataka and Mantralayam in AP. People who got the latest version, could you please check and let me know if it has improved?

But I agree that city maps for Bangalore are pretty good.

And I have not tried the MMI.

[MX6]

Originally Posted by 370Z

Few weeks ago, I got Garmin 255W and loaded it with SatGuide maps. As you guys all know, SatGuide pretty decent. But, Garmin tries to expand some abbreviations and keeps saying "North Hampshire" for "NH" (National Highway)

And it would say doctor for dr instead of drive.
You can correct this using TTS speech doctor software.

[sj_koova]

I find the SatNav map useless compared to google maps in Bangalore city.
Many times I end up using google map on my phone instead of Garmin. Only bad thing about the phone is, it works through GPRS. So your map goes blank when signal is weak.
Since most of the times Garmin/SatNav fail to give the route for very specfic locations/address, I started a new trick. Get the GPS coordinates from google map and key in the same into Garmin instead of searching with address/intersection in GPS. It works.

[cool_dube]

Originally Posted by sj_koova

I find the SatNav map useless compared to google maps in Bangalore city.

I could not agree more. But then, SatNav is just INR 990 and given that, definitely VFM!! As stated earlier, I am waiting for the day when I can host Google maps on my Garmin.

[vineetmanghani]

Hi Experts,

I recently moved cities and am now looking to get a GPS navigation tool for my NHC. I have two options as I see it.

1. I have this double DIN stereo system I got from Bangkok, which comes with a big touchscreen (forgot the size in inches) and advertised GPS capability. But the GPS module needs to be separately connected to a port given on the face of the unit. Please see pics for the port.

Now I have asked around a bit in Delhi, and no one has been able to tell me what kind of GPS unit and maps I could use with this system.

If anyone of you has any idea about how I could make this work, it would be the best! Of course, cost would be a factor as well.

2. I own an iPhone 2G, which has a 3.5 inch screen (good but not as big as the stereo) but no native bluetooth capabilities. I was thinking of buying this item: https://www.orangegadgets.com/shop/p...&products_id=1
Will cost me about 100USD (INR 5k odd) with shipping etc and I can use it with google maps and some freeware (XWave) which provides navigation.

The plus point is I can carry my phone everywhere and not get lost.

Suggestions welcome.

Thanks in advance!
Vineet

[tsk1979]

Can you try sourcing a NMEA cable? Do you have the manual for this system, that may give some idea

[vineetmanghani]

Thanks for the reply tsk1979! Well, I don't really know what an NMEA cable is :( Could you please throw some more light on it.

I did have the manual, but that was just a couple of pages in Thai about the basic operation. No mention of the GPS and other features....

[MX6]

Originally Posted by sj_koova

Since most of the times Garmin/SatNav fail to give the route for very specfic locations/address, I started a new trick. Get the GPS coordinates from google map and key in the same into Garmin instead of searching with address/intersection in GPS. It works.

Unlock the potential of your Garmin. Do the routing in Google earth. Mark the points as way points where you take turns. Save that as Kml file. Use utilities like kml2gpx to convert to gpx format. Import to your garmin.
Now your garmin would show those custom way points and also show the route which you have chosen using google on your garmin.
You can even start making your own maps this way and routes as well.
Use utilities like POI loader to load custom POIs.
I did this for a trip to a place called morachi chincholi and the garmin navigated me through the same route that google threw up in my netbook when I planned at home.
Sadly, google lost it in that case. It guided me through sugar cane fields where only tractors can manage. But luckily my ikon pulled through one such stretch! Many places that I don't find in Satguide, I do the google way and import to garmin!

You won't have all of google in garmin as yet. But this way, atleast that trip which you planned on google is in garmin!

[tsk1979]

Actually you can do routing from maps.google.com and export a kml file. Then convert the kml to gpx