can I still get navigation for my car?

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(G-Man @ Jul 8 2007, 08:17 AM) [snapback]475003[/snapback]</div>

There is no doubt that a Garmin nuvi 660 (4.3") or 360 (3.5") is the "best" choice as compared to using a notebook (laptop) computer.... it was just a "money thing" with ME and my Wife to grab the Microsoft Streets & Trips 2007 w/GPS locator (SiRF III) for $50 on eBay to "get-us-by" for now, until we can get a Garmin 660 or 7200 (7" monster screen for these bad eyes of mine). Sure it's unsafe to have a notebook (laptop) sliding around the passenger's seat and looking down at it and trying to move the cursor and selection keys while driving, but as I stated before, for OUR situation where I am the "navigator" (co-pilot) and dedicated to be in charge of navigation with our notebook computer (Dell D820) this has been working out just fine. When my Wife is driving alone she will not use the notebook computer and she HATES to use the lame, deficient Toyota NAV, but in these worse case situations she is forced to (better than nothing, ya' know). When we get a little more $$ and the prices (perhaps on sale) seem to fall a little more, we will buy a new Garmin "portable" like the nuvi 650, 660 or probably the larger screen (7") 7200 or 7500 if the price is right at the time. Our second vehicle (my Honda CR-V) has NO NAVI and can sure use one when I am on field service trips !!

 

Well, I made a cardboard model of the 7200/7500. It's still smaller than a laptop screen, but it's huge compared to the Nuvi 650/660. Probably 3X the size. It's slightly larger than the MFD (it's widescreen, so it's wider but a little shorter). Wouldn't fit over the "on/off" button - blocks the view of the instrument display. Would have to put it on the left side where I have my Scangauge and move that to the spot over the "on/off" button. It is even too large to fit over the storage slot below the radio. It could be mounted below that (right angle bracket would work there).

It's certainly an option if a larger screen is wanted!

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(David Beale @ Jul 8 2007, 11:22 AM) [snapback]475043[/snapback]</div>

I also went to Garmin website as well as doing a Google search and now I am almost totally convinced the 7200/7500 is NOT SiRF III based. :angry:
When you look up nuvi 660 specs. it says that model is.... it would also, without a doubt, be listed in the 7200/7500 specs. if it was SiRF III !! All it says is 12 channel WAAS* !!

*Wide Area Augmentation System (WAAS)
A system of satellites and ground stations that provide GPS signal corrections for better position accuracy. A WAAS-capable receiver can give you a position accuracy of better than three meters, 95 percent of the time. (At this time, the system is still in the development stage and is not fully operational.) WAAS consists of approximately 25 ground reference stations positioned across the United States that monitor GPS satellite data. Two master stations, located on either coast, collect data from the reference stations and create a GPS correction message.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(David Beale @ Jul 8 2007, 11:22 AM) [snapback]475043[/snapback]</div>

My problem is at 54 years old, I ONLY need "reading" glasses, that is up to about 16" focal length and not anything beyond. I cannot "see" anything clearly within 1" - 18" without glasses, but WITH my reading glasses on I cannot see anything beyond 16" without being distorted and blurry, in other words I drive without glasses just fine. Long distance vision is great !! I can see the speedometer okay, but have trouble with small numbers and letters on a small GPS. Would you believe that I can see the Toyota NAV / MFD screen just fine, but a small GPS like the nuvi 360 or even the nuvi 660 would require me to put on my glasses, something I cannot do and drive at the same time. I'd have to stop and pull over or wait for a stop light, then quickly put on the glasses.
THIS is why these "out of focus", old, eyes needs a "large" display like the 7200/7500 B)

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(FloridaWen @ Jul 8 2007, 01:32 PM) [snapback]475098[/snapback]</div>

Have you had a chance to actually look at the 660 screen at the distance you would be using it? If it's on the dash, it'll not be that close. I have to wear reading glasses for reading and computer work (I wear contacts to correct near-sightedness), but have no problem reading the 660 screen. Some of the place names on the maps are small and hard to see, but fonts for the current status and upcoming turns are pretty large.

 

I wear reading glasses too and using the bean bag mount on the dash makes it real easy to read. In my opinion, it's the best place location for it. You don't need to take your eyes off the road to get a quick glance.

 

Would you believe we had one of the first generation Garmins YEARS ago.... B & W screen about 2" square with a large antenna that swung up. We tried the dash mount with the "permanant" gray tape under the mount (left a mark on plastic dash that never came off), but ended up buying the "bean bag mount" and it worked okay as far as mounting, except we never were able to "see" that teenie tiny screen. Ended up selling that GPS and all accessories on eBay and years later bought our Acura MDX with NAVI. The bean bag mount never slid around, even on a freshly cleaned dash (NOT Armouralled) and was easy to "hide" when we parked the vehicle.
You are 100% correct when saying that the dash is the best mounting, look at the speedometer and indicator lights in the Prius, all in "line-of-sight" to the road, so why wouldn't it be best to put the GPS in that line-of-sight too ??
That is one of the things about the Garmin 7200/7500 (7") compared to the 650/660 (4.3"). As much as I love the idea of a large 7" screen it is too big to put up on the dash and not create a blind spot or void in line-of-sight :angry:
By the way, we went out for a trip this past weekend and used the notebook (laptop) in my lap (I was the passenger) and the Microsoft Streets & Trips 2007 w/SiRF III GPS locatorlocated on the dash. Even with just factory tinted Prius windows I still had great "vision" of the large 15" notebook (laptop) screen and the detailed street names and POI's of the MS S&T '07 made navigating, using the GPS as a moving map, a pure delight. We also programmed a route into it and had it speak the route to us. Yes, a bit primitive compared to the announcing of street NAMES with a Garmin, but still 100 times better at MAPS than the lame, unidentified streets, Prius OEM NAV !!
I'll say (write) it once again.... for traveling from point a-to-point b the OEM Prius NAV is better than nothing (or a paper map) but that's about it !! For using as a "map", the Prius NAV sucks, leaving off names of important upcoming cross-streets, etc. If we had it to do over, it would be package 4 (or 3) NOT 5 and the Garmin 660 or 7500 :blink: !!

 

I'm not sure, perhaps I corner too fast, but two of my Garmins using the beanbag mount do slide around. Only in extreme cases, such as cornering and hitting a bump at the same time. They didn't go far though. I suspect the light weight of the 650/660 would work better on the bag mount.

The 7200/7500 will fit just fine on the left and not block the view of anything. I'm talking of the spot in the picture below where my Scangauge II is mounted.

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If you really still want a 7200/7500 it can be used on a beanbag. It uses the standard "disk" mount attachment method, it just doesn't come with a disk. I suspect the reason is its' weight - 2.2 lbs. The beanbag mounts have the disk attachment system on them, so I see no reason why you couldn't snap the larger unit on a beanbag. Now I'd probably want to buy a larger beanbag for this, perhaps the Streetpilot III bag if still available, or other larger Garmin unit beanbag (the bags are different sizes, depending on the GPS unit).

 

Further to this, It's all your fault people! I just ordered a Nuvi 650. I don't need the 660, my Prius has Bluetooth, and I doubt I would use the FM transmitter. I also liked saving the $200 extra for the 660. Cost was $600 Can. I also ordered the "vehicle mount", and will use velcro tape to mount that above the "on/off" switch. Total cost including shipping was just under $700 Can. From GPS Canada, out of Calgary. I expect it in a few days - by Wednesday probably. Pictures to come.

 

OK, here is the Nuvi 650 mounted above the "on/off" switch - the Nuvi 660 looks the same, it just has "bluetooth" and an FM transmitter (which the 650 does not have). I can see the gauges ok, but I think I will switch the positions of the Scangauge and the Nuvi 650 around. I haven't run the Nuvi power cable yet, as you can see.

Man have these things improved! The Nuvi "locks in" to your location in less than a minute, if you give it a hint of where you are. The older non SiRF III types took as long as 5 min. It also works just fine inside the car, inside the house, etc. The older types didn't. They had to be right up front to look through the windshield and wouldn't work at all inside the house. You can see in the picture I have it set for "2D" maps. I don't like the 3D display. I think it looks too "cartoonish".

[attachmentid=9669]

 

I switched the Scangauge and Nuvi around and it works well in this configuration. I have the "automotive mount" on order for the Nuvi, which will put it on the dash lower than in this picture so it will not block any view. I think I'm going to leave the cable for the Scangauge as it is in this photo. It allows me to remove it quickly to use on other vehicles.

FloridaWen, I have found the Nuvi street names rather easy to read at this distance. The major street names are quite large. It may just be fine for you too.



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