How do I get (wherever)?

[Seldom Seen Slim]

I recently got us a new GPS -- a Nuvi 205.  I enjoy reading old fashioned paper maps, but once in a while it's nice to have the GPS in the truck to help find a specific address.  The old unit worked okay -- but I didn't like paying a bushelbasket of money to upgrade the maps -- and the three-year-old maps too often didn't show the newly-built roads -- instead the thing told us we were out in a cornfield somewhere

So -- here we are, about ready to leave for Maxton, and I'm opening it and going to install it this afternoon.  No owner's manual ("Get it online!") and online all I get is cutesy stuff - but no real manual.  So I don't know how to (or even IF I can) prgram it with my desired destination. The quick-and-easy guide seems to imply that the thing is pre-programmed with favorite destinations and points of interest and gas stations -- but I betcha it doesn't know where Charles Venable's house (for instance) is.  I want to be able to enter any ol' address I want -- and have the thing take us there.  The old one would do it -- have one of youse guys got experience with the Nuvi and can tell me that it'll be obvious once I get it running?  I sure hope so. . .

[desotoman]

Jon,

I have a nuvi 760 and it will let you type in any address you want and take you there. On mine when you first boot it up the screen says Where To? or Maps. Touch the Where to and another screen comes up. Touch Address and type in the address where you want to go. After you are done the screen will say Go! Touch Go! and it will show you how to get to your destination. You will also be able to save that address to Favorites on your GPS.   At least that is how mine works.

Hope this helps,


Tom G.

[Freud]

When it first comes on, there is an open end wrench on the bottom. That represents tools.

Click on that and under NAVIGATION it will give u the route preferences.   

Shortest Distance and Fastest Route.

Chose your delight and the computer will map that route.

fERd

[Cajun Kid]

SSS,

sent you an email...

Charles

[4-barrel Mike]

https://buy.garmin.com/shop/store/manual.jsp?product=010-00717-40&cID=134&pID=13429

No. 5 & 6 I think.

Mike

[Dean Los Angeles]

Poke "Where To" and then "address" and it will take you on the road. Don't even bother typing the full address, if you type a few letters it will give you a list to pick from.

If you push "points of interest" it will give you the nearest gas station, hotel, restaurant. I was on vacation last year an I had two restaurants picked for dinner, and they both had gone out of business. The Garmin found a place that was better than what I had found on the internet. Strange town, no map, crappy cell reception, who cares!

If you know the name of the business you can spell it instead of plowing through menus.

You can toss in additional stops along the way. The one thing it takes getting used to is when you take a quick detour, "recalulating" comes up when it figures out you lied to it.

The default is to search for places near where you are, but you can press "near" and enter a far off location to look up things. The last 50 places you went are in "Recently Found.

When you select "Go" it will tell you what time you will be at your destination.

Very customizeable. You can change the voice, the map view, tons of stuff. Spend some time poking buttons. Not while you are driving!

Get used to streets pronounced slightly different. Get used to strange things popping up. I was on the freeway in Los Angeles and it said "in one mile, take auto." What? A bit later it said "in three tenths of a mile, take auto." My wife and I thought it had popped a blood vessel. Just then, next to the truck route was a sign that said "Auto". You get used to it.

Toss the map books. I have an internal GPS and rarely need a map book. I thought I would never buy one. Can't live without it now. Even if I know the destination, it's nice to know when you are going to get there.

[Seldom Seen Slim]

Okay, I'm home -- found my way back here despite the best efforts of the Nuvi.  Hunh?, you ask?  Well, when I first turned it on and started moving it told me that I was only about one mile from home.  Hunh??  I hadn't pushed ANY buttons or even touched the screen.  I drove on, and sure enough -- a few second later it told me I was "home".  Now I'm not sure, but even back when I was drinking I don't think we lived in that particular swamp.

So I have read the instructions and know now how to program it to find the house.  I will NOT use the function where I ask it to take me to 509 Dukes Road, at least 'til I've tried it - 'cause the last GPS insisted that we lived about a half-mile north of where we live.

I'm pleased with the accuracy of it in other ways, though -- it displays the speed limit of whatever stretch of road I'm on -- and dang it if it doesn't change said display within 100 feet or less when I pass the "new" speed limit sign.  That's fine shootin'.

And I did finally find the keyboard into which I can type the address, so I will be able to program things like Charles address or 22 Enterprise Court and so on.

Thanks, everyone, for helping me get over the sticker shock of opening a new toy and finding only those lame-axx "picture" instructions.


By the way, Dean - and the rest of you -- I'm still of the old paper map persuasion, as I said.  Each Christmas my favorite gift (well, so to speak) is the newest edition of the Wal-Mart branded Rand-McNally road atlas.  I keep it in the truck whenever we travel, because it's a pretty good map -- and when we're traveling we can find the nearest Wal-Mart (I suppose that the GPS would tell me that, too).  But -- when I get the new atlas I put the old one on the coffee table and refer to it about a zillion times a year, whether I'm reading a book and want to see just where such-and-such is happening -- or I'm talking with one of the kids and want to show them just where I mean.  Can't do that with the GPS.

[RidgeRunner]

FWIW,  my buddy from Ohio was using his GPS [I don't know what brand or model] to guide him in the back way to Maxton when it stopped working near the backside of Fort Bragg.  Gov't jam those things in certain areas?  Found his way OK but just another reason to keep the good old paper Atlas handy for a back up.  Also good backup for other backside roadside emergencys, but that's another story........... 

I also like the Wally Rand McNally, works well for me.

                        Ed

[mstrdinan]

   try this free truck stop finder............advanced mode will route and find good places to fuel up
            http://www.findfuelstops.com/

[nrhs sales]

Do any of you have a new ford with the Sinc navigationn system in it?

 When we were at Bubs every time we would  cross the state line  from UTto NV the time would automatically change to reflect either mountain or pacific time zones!!!  I'm talking within 20 feet of the frckin sign.   Way cool!!!

[Freud]

Same with our Ford rental. The GPS even located us on the salt.

Maybe that's not good. Big Brother rental locator.

At least it didn't show the speed limit out there.

My phone changed exactly the same way.

FREUD

[Seldom Seen Slim]

Our GPS flips to the "new" speed limit within a fer/fifty feet of the sign, too.  Our cellphones show Nevada time when we're in the Quality Inn in Wendover, Utah.. It's at least 200 feet from our bedroom to the state line.

[landsendlynda]

West Wendover will always show "official" Pacific time on phones, computers, GPS, etc.  It is only as a local courtesy that they use Mountain time.

Helps keep employees on the Utah side from being late to work!!   

Lynda

[Stainless1]

Appears you are a little challenged Jon, my phone at the quality is on mountain time,
the GPS is intuitive... look at the screen, it says where to.... just tell it.  Try putting on your glasses or hand it to Nancy... the warning says don't stare at it instead of the road.

[Seldom Seen Slim]

Both of our phones showed Pacific time while at the Quality Inn.  We didn't have far to go to get 'em to show Mountain time, though.  Since the Quality is within about 200' of the state line I wasn't surprised, although I know GPS units are usually closer than that.  Nancy's reading eyes aren't as sharp as mine (which aren't that good).