Domain Name Com's Electronics Garmin eMap Deluxe Mapping GPS with Memory

Electronics Garmin eMap Deluxe Mapping GPS with Memory

Domain Name Com's - Electronics : Garmin eMap Deluxe Mapping GPS with Memory

- Best of all handheld GPSes tested to date (2005)
THE BEST GPS HANDHELD DEVICE BAR NONE!
I've used Garmin's eMAP since 1998 for roadtrips and as a supplemental checkpoint aid during VFR cross country flights in my airplane. I have hook and loop fastener patches neatly mounted in my car and airplane to "slap on" the eMAP (it has the furry loop patch on its back) and I'm ready for a 300 mile flight or a drive across the great USA.
The SCREEN is better than any of the newer GPS color screens, because it's bigger and the greyscale is crisper and cleaner even in bright daylight. I keep the device plugged into the "cigarette lighter" in my car and plane, so the backlight can be keep on indefinitely if needed. The AA batteries are for backup and can last a minimum of 8 hours to 12 hours. Plently of time for a flight out, overnight and a flight back on an easy 400 mile round trip.
Satellite reception is very good even in the big cities (and I live right in the middle of one) and better out on the highways and (especially) skyways. Refresh rates are instant.
Every feature you see on the newer GPS models of 2005 were already thought of and comes with the eMap! This includes timers for estimated arrivals, enroute; compass directions; speed; distance; tons of your own waypoints; a complete world basemap (and I've literally traveled the world with the eMAP) and a very detailed US basemap built-in; altimeter; the works!
The CONTROLS are easy to learn and navigate through on your first road trip out. PLUS the controls are PLACED AT THE BOTTOM WHERE THEY BELONG. I can't believe other GPSes want you to block the screen and the GPS antenna! With eMAP this is never the case.
I figure Garmin discontinued this model, because this was too successful of a product. They needed to differentiate their product line and realized that the eMap had everything they could possibly put into a GPS handheld. Don't fall for the color screen hype. I've found that the screen is less confusing when it's less cluttered. Besides, just like the higher end GPS handhelds of 2005, you determine and customize the level of detail you want to see.
CONCLUSION: For the bargain price of a good eMAP, you cannot go wrong. The eMAP is way better designed and alot of thought was put into this by Garmin as their first GPS flagship handheld. It's the first and best thin, lightweight, ergonomically correct, and full featured handheld GPS you'll ever find. If you find one (and the supplies are scarce), get it!

Rating:

- My favorite toy...
I have owned this unit for about 18 months and have absolutely no regrets. Yes, it did take a few weeks to learn how to use the unit, but it was well worth the time.

I found the easiest way to learn was to use it while navigating on long trips. By the time we got to our destination, I was an eMap expert. Want to find a decent restaurant along the way? Use the find/exits feature. Better yet, position the cursor on a major city and use find/points of interest/food. When traveling to Springfield, Illinois last weekend this is how we found a really cool coffee shop along the way in Crawfordsville, Indiana. After lunch I pressed find/points of interest/historical. We toured an old "rotating jail" museum from the 1800's located just a few blocks away.

Sure, the information might have been in AAA books, but we spent zero minutes lost using the Garmin, and the Garmin has far more restaurants than AAA (and the phone numbers and addresses to boot!)

... I bought the 128 MB card, the USB programmer and the leather case. Using the USB programmer it takes about 14 minutes to flash the 128 MB card. A serial connection requires about 8 hours to flash a 32 MB card. If you download maps frequently like I do, the USB is worth it.

A final note: the eMap is one of the few GPS units with the buttons under the screen rather than above the screen. Big deal? Well ergonomically this makes sense since you will not be covering the screen with your hands when using the GPS. I never understood why this layout is not more popular.

Just buy it.

Rating:

- Not good for navigating streets, but fun for recreation
If you want to know exactly where you are, this is a great toy. If you want to figure out where you are going, this is useless.

I expected the GPS to be able to offer advanced features similar to what we have come to expect with GPS's built in to cars, or map websites on the internet (turn by turn directions). Or at least directions. Or at least finding addresses.

This was a disappointment, even with Garmin's map cds.

The fun part? I purchased some topographical map software from a different vendor. Uploaded the waypoints from my garmin...and I could follow my mountain expeditions all over the topo maps. That was kinda fun. Also, then the other way, in the mountains the GPS kept me pointed in the right directions. Also, carrying it running keeps track of how far you run much more accurately then those pedometers, and keeps track of speed.

Ever wonder what you are flying over on those long flights over middle America? Turning this on in an airplane is kinda fun.

Rating:

- Not useful in Euorpe. Customer service stinks.
This is a nice unit, and it is interesting to read the glowing reviews of customers who have owned the Garmin eMap for two or three weeks. I have owned the unit for over a year. It works well in the US. It will not guide you street by street to a location, but it will guide you "as the crow flys." You get a straight line between you and the destination. It works.

It does not work well in Europe. I purchased the UK and French CDs. I installed them on the memory card and used them in England, Wales, and all over France. The first problem is that the Garmin eMap just doesn't pick up or hold on to the GPS satellites in Europe very well. It may be that they are too far south or that the antenna is designed for use in US latitudes. I have no explanation but if you intend to use this in Europe, look for another unit.

The second problem is that even after loading the UK and French MetroGuides, when you press the Find button you get a list of US cities. I disabled the US city maps and I still got the list of US cities. You cannot "Find" and navigate to a foreign city. The only way to navigate is to know where the city is, then scroll to it on the tiny eMap screen and click on it. If you don't know where the city or tiny Welsh village is, then you are completely out of luck. Very frustrating either way. Again, if you are travelling out of the US you should steer clear of the eMap.

My other problem is with Garmin's service. I could not get my eMap to communicate with my laptop. It communicated with three different workstations, but not my Dell laptop. Garmin tech support insisted that there was obviously something wrong with my laptop. I even read them the error messages from the MapSource program, which cited program line numbers with errors in them. They insisted that the problem was my laptop, not their software. I own my own software company, so I know a software problem from a hardward problem. My modem and PalmPilot work on the laptop but the Garmin does not. Garmin's support staff refused to help or even acknowledge that there was a problem. They refused to bring the problem up with a senior support person or a programmer. I got the same answer no matter how many times I called and no matter who I spoke with. A year went by and I got along by using a workstation. Recently Garmin made an update available for their MapSource program that fixed a communications bug with some laptops. I downloaded it and magically my laptop started communicating with the eMap.

If you never need customer support, and you won't travel out of the US, then the eMap is a product you should seriously consider.

Rating:

- Mostly happy
Although I've been very happy for my eMap that I got for Christmas, I've been frustrated with the lack of documentation. The documentation for the unit (there is also a guide to the PC software) is limited to a quick start sheet and a slim printed "manual" - which contains little more information than the quick start sheet, really.

Between the documentation and experimenting, I've managed to figure out most of the basic features of the unit. The less obvious features and indicators, however, remain a some what of a mystery. These include, but are not limited to, the meanings of the bar graphs on the GPS Info screen, how to use the Routes format, and the meaning/use of different location formats. I have made guesses on all these things, but I'm not sure exactly what's up.

If Garmin had provided a real instruction manual, even on CD-ROM,I'd be much happier. I've sent e-mail to Garmin, we'll see how well they do on customer support...

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