Navigation Systems - useful or gimmicky?
 

Anyone ever really use any of the navigation systems available? How accurate are they, anyway? Only as up-to-date as the CD ROMS you use? Or do these things use satellite GPS or something?

Let's say I wanted to add a single, in-dash screen and navigation system in my P5. Not including installation, how much money am I looking at spending? What exactly do I need to get samething like this up-and-running?

First I ditched the clipboard in favor of a Palm Pilot for keeping track of the jobsites I work at. Then I ditched the Palm, and got a Motorola V60 cell phone with built-in date book and calendar with TrueSync to link up to the desktop computer. I occasionally get to ditch the Hagstrom maps in favor of MapQuest printouts - but I would REALLY love to ditch the paper maps, in favor of a nice in-dash navi system! Woohooo - that'd be nice.

*hiho scratches his head - calls accountant to see if schweet navigation system could be tax deductible as work-related expense*

Anyway - anybody have any experience with buying/installing, and - most importantly - USING an in-car navigation system?

Navi systems are great, if you really need one. they aren't cheap. I have installed, Alpine, Pioneer and Audiovox systems and the Pioneer is #1, then Alpine, and don't even bother with Audiovox.

They (Pioneer and Alpine) are very accurate and pretty fast too. They both use DVD-ROM drives, but the Pioneer will also play DVD movies, the Alpine will not.

They are pretty simple to use, but both come with a remote that looks like the helm on the SS enterprise, but the on-screen menus are self explanatory. The Pioneer has a voice activation feature that the alpine does not. The Pioneer is a regular DIN mount, the Alpine is trunk mount. Pioneer is much easier to install and looks better too. Oh the Pioneer also has a flip down door that has some type of disk drive for a card....not sure what it's for yet though....still trying to get it all fab'd up and mounted.

Overall i prefer the Pioneer, it's got the looks, the functions and the performance.

Price wise, well i only really know dealer costs, and even at those it sure ain't cheap. I would hazard a guess that retail may be somewhere between $2500-3000.

They are very useful and can serve as both a NAVI and DVD/TV system.

Thanks MSWest - definitely all the info I was looking for.

Wow - I didn't realize they'd be THAT expensive - I figured maybe $1500 tops - but it'd have to be quite a hefty tax deduction for me to consider one of those puppies.

Hmmm....we'll have to see if my rich relatives stayed rich and decide to accept the invite to my wedding......;)

Thanks again, man.

no problemo dude, glad to help.

I know where to get a cost effective GPS for a good price, i just need to find the website for it and i will get back to everyone... Nevermind ... Found it ... www.garmin.com

I ordered mines from Discount GPS

I am ordering the GPS V, which is supposed to be the newest model, why pay $1500 for a GPS when you can get a Garmin one, that most critics rated it highly for only $300-400 !!!!!

Ok ok i sound like a damn sales man check out the site, i should be getting mines soon this week and i will let everyone know the results ...

BTW, just to add that they do infact use GPS guidance. there is a flat domeish like GPS antenna that goes as high up and exposed as possible. It can go in the headliner for out-of-sight, or the A pillar, center of dash, top corners of front or rear windshields, etc...

another "testimonial" as to whether or not theyre useful....


I would never get one unless it came with a car that i was buying. like i mean i dont think i really need them. Ive lived around my area all my life and dont travel far. so im good. But, i have a friend who gets lost allll the time! she can be like 4 blocks away and wont know where she is. she requires one whenever driving alone. its quite sad. shes smart as hell though. just absolutly horrible with directions. im not lying. its kinda crazy

just my 2 cents

Well, mine would be for travel - I know my way around the Tri-State (NY, NJ, CT) area pretty well, being a union sheetmetal journeyman for 6 years now. But nearly every day, I go somewhere I've never been before. Hagstrom maps and MapQuest get me around just fine - I rarely get lost. But I'm interested in the navi systems - admittedly, mostly for the "cool" factor. But I wouldn't even think about getting one if it didn't actually work. Having one would be schweet, but I really want to USE the thing - not just have it to impress passengers ;).

And as far as your friend who gets lost all the time - it is NOT sexist to say that women in general have problems with directions, and particularly with maps. Studies have been done on this - they show that women naturally prefer to use landmarks to get around, whereas men prefer maps and distances. A woman would say "Take Main Street a little ways to the Taco Bell, make a left, then you'll see a Getty gas station. Make the second right after the Getty....", etc. Men would prefer solid directions - all the street names and approximate distances, head north, go west, etc.

If you're like me, I generally say "just give me the address and I'll find it myself." If you simply give a woman an address and a map, they have trouble making the connection between the map and real roads, and usually can't figure out what direction they are facing. As a general rule, men have less trouble with maps and navigation.

I hope no women read this and flame me - I'm stating studied facts, not male chauvanist bullshit. And I know plenty of women who read maps well, and I have male friends who get lost if you spin them around twice in their own home. These are broad - but researched - generalizations about the differences between men and women.

yea, if i dont get clear and simple directions, i pull the "just give me the address and ill be there".....then to yahoo maps i go...

your not married are you.....:eek: :D :D :D

Not quite yet. September 29 - about 3 months from now, and I will be!

I might as well be married already, though - I've lived with my lady for almost 3 years - and we've be on-and-off for almost 12 years.

She's pretty good about me spending money - we'll see if that changes once the "I do's" are done.....;)

oh it changes, believe you me, it changes :):):):)

Another system to check out is by Eclipse. It also uses DVD and GPS. System has a 5.6" flip out screen, 1/2 din DVD player, GPS and Voice Commander. It's spendy though. About $3500. The sweet thing is though, the monitor has triple 8 volt rca. Great for high end systems. I don't personally have any experience -w- the Pioneer system, but I've installed both Eclipse and Alpine. Eclipse is more impressive as far as gadgets, but Alpine is easier to use. If you're gonna actually use GPS, go for it. If it's just a neat idea, buy a Garmin handheld and save the money.
My $.02:cool: :cool: