Accessories

Wonderful Basic GPS Unit
We were looking for a basic functionality GPS system that offers reliable satelite connection, text-to-voice speech, and a bright screen (enough to shine thru the brightness of the mid day sun). To our delight, this Garmin offers just that. It offers a reliable and quick sat. uplink when you are outdoors, while indoors it may easily loose connection.

The screen is a good size and the on screen navigation is user friendly. The maps that come on this unit are out-dated, however work efficiently in our Greater Chicagoland area. If you contact Garmin Customer Support, they will more than likely offer a 50% off for a map upgrade.

Battery power is decent. PC connectivity is great; for those people who like to upgrade the GPS voice system to something like Celebrity Voices, you will be out of luck since I have found no one to support this unit for such upgrades. Even tho customization is very limited, you CAN upload your own start-up screen with Garmin's propietary software available for free off of their websites.

A great purchase for someone that wants a solid GPS unit without the fluff.

Maybe I just got a lemon
A friend of mine has a low end Cobra and I was impressed with its performance, even though its reviews were terrible. I bought a Garmin 340C after reading the rave reviews. My Garmin arrived in its factory box with all the papers and supposedly the latest map updates.

I suspected something was amiss when it indicated my home address was at the other end of the block. I solved this by having it regester "home" as my driveway rather than my street address. I used it on a 200 mile trip to Dallas after inputting my destination as the address of a friend whom I always stay with when I go to Dallas. The Garmin took me to a house in another block on the correct street across a major boulevard. The street address didn't match.

My bigest gripe, however is the display, which is impossible to see clearly on a sunlit day, even with the brightness turned to the maximum. I also thought the female voice sounded more monotone like a robot, and was not as natural and understandible as the female voice of the Cobra.

Lastly, the Cobra had every tiny dirt country driveway in its memory, but the Garmin totally missed several paved side streets that had been there for years. I was not impressed but will likely keep the Garmin because I don't need the hassle of repairs or returns.

I will likely replace the Garmin with a midrange Cobra. I don't mean to offend any happy Garmin owners. I'm just relating the experiences I've had with mine.

A O K
I PURCHASED THIS PRODUCT A YEAR AGO. I AM THRILLED WITH THE WAY AND THE EASE OF USING IT. I HAVE LOANED IT TO SEVERAL FRIENDS AND EVERY ONE OF THEM WAS IMPRESSED. NOW I JUST PURCHASED 2 MORE OF THEM. ONE FOR A FRIEND AND THE OTHER FOR MY 79 YEAR OLD DAD. MY DAD IS NOT VERY ELECTRONIC MINDED AND HE LOVES THIS THING. HE COULDNT BELIEVE HOW SIMPLE IT IS TO OPERATE RIGHT OUT OF THE BOX. GREAT PRODUCT

Great and Very Practical GPS
This is a great inexpensive GPS. The touch screen is clear even in daytime. The interface is great and very easy to use. Wife, who hates reading manuals is very happy with it. During the night, it automatically switch to nightmode which is very important so as not to distract you while you drive. Nightmode is less bright by turning the color to a dark background. Audio is very easy to understand. It tells you in advance when you are about to turn. At the top, it tells you the street you are in and the next street you will need to turn. Once you start the car, sattelite connection speed is pretty decent. The screen is large enough for visual. There is a built-in rechargeable battery with the unit which last for several hours. But ideally, the unit should be used plugged-in with the included cigarette lighter adapter. This senses when you start the car and automatically turns on the GPS which at the same time starts charging the internal battery. The GPS can also be charged through the included UBS cable through a computer.

We own this for a couple of years now. It was purchase at that time for 299$. Purchased a 2nd one, a refurbished unit for 199$. Both are still working.

Rooms for Improvement:
-There is a small round plastic with adhesive at the bottom to stick to the dashboard where you press the suction cup; or you can stick the suction cup directly to the windshield. Either way, the suction cup will fail and the GPS might fall or slide off your dashboard. Could be dangerous when it happens when you are driving.
It is much better to get the accessory where you put the GPS on top of the dashboard instead of using the suction cup that comes with the unit. This accessory is not cheap though - around 39$ at the of this review.
-Can be made smaller in size

So Easy to Use!
Ok, so I am a little technologically challenged - but my StreetPilot is soooooo easy to use! It is great for long trips, but also invaluable for local travels such as finding a Drs. Office in the city, etc. Most of all I LOVE to use it for finding addresses to garage sales! It works great and does everything I need it to at a reasonable price.