Another GPS Question

[Kenn45]

I am thinking of getting a GPS unit after riding with a friend who had one in his truck. He had a Garmin with the voice feature. The only down side I noticed was that in City traffic at low speeds, it gave the turn command only about 100' from the intersection. If we would have been in the wrong lane, we would have missed the turn. Has anyone else noticed this problem? Do other brands, such as Magellan, have the same behavior.

What do you recommend for a unit? I would use it on the bike but also want to move it to the cars when needed.

 

[sheridesabeemer]

I found the voice feature on my 2620 of little value. When I first had it, I used to get into heated debates with it. (I guess I hate being told what to do) I have it turned off now, I can hear it "on demand" by pressing a button. I have it set to British English and only use it for entertainment purposes. "Take 3rd right at round-about" .

What is more useful is that Garmin automatically zooms in as you approach an intersection and need more detailed instruction. It's usually right on the mark.

 

[lionlady]

I am thinking of getting a GPS unit after riding with a friend who had one in his truck. He had a Garmin with the voice feature. The only down side I noticed was that in City traffic at low speeds, it gave the turn command only about 100' from the intersection.

On the Garmin, I believe you can set the distance of your "advance warning" for turns. Anywhere from 2 miles or so, to hundreds of feet. It would seem that your friend had not set this correctly.

My 276C gives notice of the DIRECTION of the upcoming turn at about a mile, then again at a few tenths, then just before the turn. How many warnings depends also on how fast you're going.

P

 

[dancogan]

My 2610 gives the verbal warning of turns at distances from the turn that vary with my speed. If I'm doing 70 or so, the first warning usually comes about 1.7 miles before the turn. In city traffic, at 25-30 mph, the first warning may not come until .3 miles prior. I find the audio almost indispensable in heavy traffic, when I don't want to take my eyes off the road.

 

[BRADFORDBENN]

Dependending on the model it might be time based, mine is set for 90 seconds before a turn.

 

[tommcgee]

Dependending on the model it might be time based, mine is set for 90 seconds before a turn.

Yeah, and sometimes a firmware update changes this type of thing, as you said, depending on model. Some models are far less verbose than others. I tell the Zumo and 2610 to shut-up a lot. The Quest 2 is practically mute compared to the faster models.

I like the "British English" female voice. It's less annoying than the male. And for higher level entertainment, I occasionally set it to languages I know nothing about.

I ride a lot in heavy traffic, in towns and cities I don't visit often, and the voice feature lets me keep my eyes on the road.