GPS Reviews - How to Find Them

The very best GPS reviews are written by owners of GPS units. The owners have used the GPS for some time. They know what is good and what is bad with it.

Many GPS reviews are written by someone who is evaluating the GPS, but has not "lived" with it. Several weeks of using a GPS everyday as an owner makes a person much more qualified to write a GPS review than someone who does a quick review and then goes on to review the next GPS.

The best customer reviews are found on Amazon.com. Amazon pioneered the concept of customer reviews, and has led the way in posting customer reviews ever since.

Virtually every GPS sold on Amazon has reviews. The link to the reviews is found just under the GPS name at the top of the product page. The link is formatted "(NN customer reviews)" where the NN will be the number of times the particular GPS has been reviewed. It is just to the right of the yellow stars which indicate the average customer review. Some GPS have only a few reviews where the Garmin Nuvi 350 had 3,104 at the time of writing this article.

Let's take an example. Go to Amazon.com. Click on the left drop down search input box and select "Electronics". In the right search input box, enter "Garmin Nuvi 760". Click the orange "GO" button to the right of the search input boxes. This will bring up the product page for the Nuvi 760.

Click the customer review link to the right of the yellow stars and go to the Customer Reviews page for the Nuvi 760 to get some very helpful information:

o A breakdown of how many reviews received one through five stars

o The average number of stars for all reviews

o How many reviews are on Amazon for the GPS

o The most helpful favorable review

o The most helpful critical review

o Sort functions to sort reviews by Most Helpful First or Newest First

o Selection of reviews by the number of stars.

From the reviews, you will learn the pros and cons of each GPS as shared by the GPS owners.

The-Best-GPS.com has a web page with pictures and instructions that show how to find the GPS reviews that you are looking for. See the Resource Box below for the link to the GPS reviews page.

John V. W. Howe is an entrepreneur, author, inventor, patent holder, husband, father, and grandfather. His degree in physics makes him curious about how things work and he was naturally fascinated with early GPS units and has followed their development.

His website, The-Best-GPS.com, helps readers identify the best GPS units and shows how to find the Best GPS Reviews at http://www.the-best-gps.com/GPS-Reviews.html

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GPS Buyers Guide For RV'ers

Thinking about a new GPS? The task of choosing the one that's right for you can be very intimidating. With so many great brands, models and features to choose from, how do you know which one to buy?

When picking a GPS, the most important question to ask is "What do I want to do with it?" Any automotive GPS unit will tell you where you are and where to go, without getting you lost. As RV'ers, we all have a set of basic needs our GPS must fulfill. Beyond that, it's completely up to you whether you want, and are willing to pay the extra money for certain features.

Pre-Loaded Maps

The first factor to consider is what maps you need pre-loaded in your GPS. That, of course depends on where you plan to travel. Many systems come with road maps for the entire United States and Canada loaded into their main memory. Some come with all of North America and some come with Europe as well. This gives you the luxury to go anywhere without worrying about whether or not you loaded the proper maps; it also makes the device ready-to-roll, right out of the box. Pre-loaded maps occupy part of the main memory of the GPS; any excess main memory can be used for additional maps, MP3 music, or custom POI's. This brings us to memory capacity.

Memory Capacity

How much memory your GPS can hold is very important as well. If you purchase a unit that has very little extra main memory, and can't be expanded; you may find yourself unable to add features or points-of-interest (POI) when you want. Many GPS models only contain enough main memory to hold their pre-loaded maps, with very little left over. This is only a problem if they do not have a memory expansion slot. A memory expansion slot allows you to add memory to the GPS should you ever need it. Most take a Secure Digital (SD) card for memory expansion. SD cards are inexpensive and a great way to add memory to your unit when you need it. More expensive units typically have a considerable amount of their main memory free for your use, and also have a memory expansion slot. Less expensive units typically use most or all of their main memory for built-in features, but most of them still have a memory expansion slot.

Text To Speach

Another important feature to look for is "text-to-speech." Most voice-prompting GPS units will give an audio notification such as "Turn left in 300 feet" or "Take next exit." A unit with a text-to-speech function will speak not only the direction but the name of the street as well: "Turn left onto Mulberry Lane in 300 feet" or "Take Exit 23A." This is a huge help for many people, especially RV'ers, as they won't even have to glance at the screen to know where to go.

Live Traffic Service

A great new feature to consider is live traffic service. Available in larger cities, a subscription to a traffic service gives you real-time, up-to-the-minute updates on traffic and road conditions. Freeway's blocked from Exit 23 to Exit 29? Your GPS will notify you and offer an alternative route. After a free trial period, traffic service typically costs about $7/month. Some Garmin units also offer XM Radio services, so that you can get not only live traffic but XM Satellite Radio as well.

Even beyond a typical traffic service is the new Enhanced MSN Direct service. Many of the upper-end Garmin units, like the Nuvi 780 come with this capability. With MSN Direct, you can check the weather, avoid traffic backups, compare local gas prices, get enhanced movie listings, stock information, news and local events when you travel with your unit. Even plan trips from the convenience of your computer, via Windows Live Local, and then wirelessly send locations to your GPS. Like a traffic service, MSN Direct carries a monthly charge after the free trial period.

Bluetooth Enabled

One of the newest additions to GPS systems is the integration of a Bluetooth chip. If both your cell phone and GPS unit are Bluetooth-enabled, you'll be able to pair them up for hands-free calling, dial-a-POI features, and more, making your automotive electronics suite completely integrated. Many campgrounds POI lists like the CoolRVToyz Ultimate RV Parks & Campgrounds Directory takes advantage of this feature on the Garmin GPS units and allows you to dial a campground hands-free from a touch of your GPS screen.

MP3 Enabled

Another new addition to GPS systems is the ability to play MP3 music. By loading your favorite MP3 music or audio book into your GPS you can play it either through the GPS' speakers or your in-dash radio. Many of the better GPS units also come with an FM transmitter to link them directly to your in-dash radio so the music comes out of your vehicle's stereo system. This is particulary useful since the GPS will automatically lower the volume of the music to give you directions, or if you receive a phone call.

Travel Guides and TourGuide(TM)

One of the most exciting new features is Garmin's new TourGuide(TM) capability. With TourGuide(TM) you can purchase completely guided tours for your GPS. Start the TourGuide(TM) and simply follow the tour. Your GPS will guide you to points of interest, explain them and even show you photos. It's like having your own tour guide right along for the ride.

Conclusion

Among the most popular GPS navigation systems for RV'ers are the Garmin nuvi 200, 360 and 680, the Lowrance iWAY 600C, the Garmin StreetPilot c550, the Magellan Maestro 4040 and CrossOver GPS, and the TomTom ONE 3rd Edition. So which GPS is the "best?" That depends entirely on your needs, your preferences and your budget.

Phil & Karen King are full time RV'ers. They travel 12 months a year and have extensive RV'ing experience. They are the founders of CoolRVToyz.com, a web site dedicated to bringing the latest, and coolest gadgets to the RV lifestyle, including The Ultimate RV Parks List & Campgrounds Directory, the largest, most accurate and most complete camping and campgrounds directory available. Best of all, it's fully downloadable into your favorite GPS or trip planning program. Phil also writes regularly for TheRVStargazer.com, a website about Amateur Astronomy and the RV lifestyle.

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GPS Auto Navigation Systems

Over the past couple of years, the cost of installing a GPS auto navigation system has fallen considerably. As an inevitable result of this, more and more people are taking advantage of it in order to make it easier to find out where they are going, plan their journeys, and keep track of where they are.

Satellite navigation dates back a lot longer than many people realize. The principles behind SatNav were first tested back in 1967, but it took nearly 30 years before the NavStar GPS System first began operation as a military application in the mid 1990s. Civilian use of GPS navigation was made available soon after the military launch, but the initial costs of using the system were very high, and required ongoing subscriptions to be paid. The first people who took advantage of GPS were pilots, and surveyors, who needed to be able to measure distances with pinpoint accuracy. In the early days , an affordable GPS auto navigation system was out of reach for the average car owner.

Over time, the costs of GPS auto navigation system has fallen considerably, and there are increasing numbers of applications for them and the data that they provide in our daily lives. Manufacturers such as Garmin and TomTom have combined GPS signals Data with existing map information and complex mathematical algorithms to create systems that can be used for navigation on the roads and highways.

These GPS auto navigation systems can be installed into any car in a matter of minutes, and then be used to plan journeys, and keep track of where you are to stop you getting lost on the roads. By being combined with other data, such as traffic news feeds, GPS auto navigation systems can warn drivers about road congestion, and provide alternative routes in real time to ensure that no-one who has such a GPS needs get stuck in a queue again.

There are a number of different styles of GPS auto navigation systems available to suit the needs of the individual, from basic models through to expensive and highly accurate systems able to manage large amounts of data and provide information to the users in order to give feedback about where they have been.

The simplest kind of auto navigation GPS system is a removable gadget that stores the map data internally, and uses a satellite signal to pinpoint the position of the unit. By combining the map data and the satellite signal, routes can be planned, and the user can find their way, while seeing a graphical representation of their route on a small screen. These GPS auto navigation systems can be either removable, or fixed into the car. Many new models actually integrate the GPS into the dashboard, while non fixed systems can either be mounted on the dash, or attached to the windshield using a suction cup.

As well as dedicated auto GPS devices, it is also possible to buy a large number of other gadgets with GPS as a built in feature. Some GPS PDAs can have a GPS module plugged in to them, and used in cars, and an increasing number of cell phones have GPS as a standard feature. On the whole, although these devices have GPS built in, it is not of the same standard as a dedicated system, and wile it may help you know where you are, it will not provide such accurate data or be able to plan routes on the go as well as one of the custom systems from Garmin or Magellan.

At the top end of the list of auto navigation GPS systems, there are a number of fantastic options available. Many of the high end GPS auto navigation systems include a range of features to make getting around as simple and convenient as possible.

Aside from the standard information about maps and positions, these GPS systems can also provide information about local amenities such as gas stations, motels, and even speed control cameras in certain countries. More expensive GPS auto navigation systems come with the ability to upload additional map systems so they can be used in different countries, and through the use of local radio services, provide comprehensive traffic information to the driver wherever in the world he is.

Whether you want a simple auto navigation GPS system to help you avoid the traffic problems in your home town, or are a cross country driver who needs the long distance planning flexibility for getting from a-to-b as efficiently as possible, there is a GPS system available that will suit your needs.

Jason has been in the construction equipment and industrial sales business for over 10 years. He owns and operates Red Hill Supply to better serve the automotive and industrial industries - Automotive Tools

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GPS Systems - Why You Should Consider Turning Your PDA Into A Bluetooth GPS Receiver

Here's a really simple way to use GPS without really spending much: Bluetooth GPS receiver.

Bluetooth technology is the latest thing to arrive at the electronics industry, and it is logical that the next step that manufacturers would attempt would be to invent a Bluetooth GPS receiver to add to our constantly growing hoard of electronic gears. The manner in which Bluetooth technology operates is based on the concept of no wires. It seamlessly gets in touch things like a mobile phone and a PDA without being forced to deal with annoying wires.

A Bluetooth GPS receiver essentially converts your PDA into a GPS receiver. This isn't a new concept; however previously, to be able to achieve this, you'd have to have a compact flash slot or other type of wiring configuration to attach the transformation add-on device and the personal digital assistant together. But today thanks to Bluetooth technology, you will be able to easily convert your mobile phone or your personal digital assistant to a GPS receiver with no special wiring necessity.

Making your personal digital assistant into a Bluetooth GPS receiver is simple now that we have wireless technology that doesn't obstruct our mobility or comfort of use. All you require is an expansion slot for a memory card which will store your maps for you and not take up valuable space on your unit. Bluetooth technology truly benefits us while using these devices as vehicle navigation aids. Wireless connectivity lets you place the GPS receiver in a spot that has got a clear view of the sky, while the personal digital assistant could be held or mounted for optimum screen visibility and comfortable access to menu screens.

While making your personal digital assistant into a Bluetooth GPS receiver, preferably it's a big advantage to have it already as GPS capable. If that is ensured, your compact flash slot is left alone free to store supplementary information like maps that include not just directions, but points of interest in addition. Points of interest could be hotels, eating places, petrol station, and attractions for the sites you'll be visiting. If your personal digital assistant isn't capable of turning into a Bluetooth GPS receiver, you will be able to purchase an adapter which will get into your flash drive or other slot and make capable of being used as a navigation aid.

We have several electronic equipments that we use nowadays that make our life more comfortable. It only makes common sense that we attempt to get as many uses from these equipments as possible which is why making your PDA into a Bluetooth GPS receiver is a really good idea. At least it's one fewer gadget to carry about!

Make sure you know what GPS systems are and how it can benefit you by visiting http://fromexpert.110mb.com/gpssystems/index.php a popular website about GPS systems.

Kamran is a Mechatronics Engineer who loves GPS systems. He is an enthusiastic follower of the launch of latest GPS systems. He runs an informative site that gives lots of information on GPS systems and reveals the best manufacturers of GPS. He is giving away a free downloadable e-book explaining what GPS is, how it operates as well as the best manufacturers of GPS. To make the best of this cool stuff and much more make sure you check out Kamran's web site at http://fromexpert.110mb.com/gpssystems/index.php

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GPS Systems-Not Technical Enough to use a GPS? Don't Worry- You Can Buy an Automatic GPS System

This may come as a surprise... you do not have to be a technical person to use a GPS.

Although the concept and technology of Global Positioning Satellite systems was originally created by the Department of Defense for military uses, it has lately been made useable to the general public and today you will be able to get an automatic GPS system easily and promptly to keep you on track while driving. An automatic GPS system is becoming more and more popular amongst people and the latest vehicles actually include it among the vehicle accessories.

An auto GPS system is basically a GPS receiver that's put on the dashboard of the vehicle. You program in the address you're thinking of going and the system will provide you stepwise directions -audio directions in the latest ones. The days of paper maps and argument over whether or not men could ask for directions are all over. Nowadays, all you require is an auto GPS system and you're ready to go where you wish.

The automatic GPS system receives its signal from four out of twenty-four possible orbiters that are constantly revolving the Earth. The receiver overlays this positioning data onto map files stored on the unit, to provide a present location on the map in addition to previous course. The receiver perpetually recalculates location, passing on real time location. A regular auto GPS system comprises:

* A twelve channel receiver - the quality of the receiver decides how long it takes the device to acquire a 3-D fix.

* Antenna to receive satellite signals - placed to get an unobstructed view of the sky.

* Central processing unit to process the information and place on maps

* A DVD Hard-drive - where maps on DVD's or those downloaded from the net are uploaded and put in. Some cheaper units don't upload the maps; they just reference them off the DVD or CD.

* A Display Screen - generally color with hand-held units using black-and-white

* Audio Interface

The first time you switch on your automatic GPS system, its information store is empty so it has to gather satellite data to find out your location. This is named as cold start. Some units just take thirty to forty-five seconds to get a 3-D fix during a cold start, while others could take several minutes. Future position updates just takes three to four seconds. Whenever you go out of range from losing line of vision, like passing behind a large building or through a tunnel, a good receiver will immediately recover, whereas weaker units will need more time to reacquire a 3-D fix.

Nowadays, automatic GPS systems are not as costly as you guess they might be. A few of the automatic GPS systems could be obtained for under two hundred dollars and the flashier devices will cost you as much as a thousand dollars. However there's no doubt that owning an automatic GPS system could surely make life more comfortable for everybody.

Make sure you know what GPS systems are and how it can benefit you by visiting http://fromexpert.110mb.com/gpssystems/index.php a popular website about GPS systems.

Kamran is a Mechatronics Engineer who loves GPS systems. He is an enthusiastic follower of the launch of latest GPS systems. He runs an informative site that gives lots of information on GPS systems and reveals the best manufacturers of GPS. He is giving away a free downloadable e-book explaining what GPS is, how it operates as well as the best manufacturers of GPS. To make the best of this cool stuff and much more make sure you check out Kamran's web site at http://fromexpert.110mb.com/gpssystems/index.php

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GPS Maps - How Do I Download GPS Maps For Free?

Did you know that you can download GPS maps without paying a single dime?

When you purchase a GPS unit as a navigation aid, your unit would come pre-loaded with a free GPS map. The thing about the pre-loaded map is that they're mostly incomplete in details which could be useful to you on your trip. That's why you'll prefer to find out extra maps and there are a lot of places you will be able to go to online which would offer you a free-of-cost GPS map simply by clicking on a simple download link.

When you perform a Google search for "free GPS map", you will be able to find a lot of places online that let you download a free-of-cost GPS map. Actually, not just one you can download a lot of GPS maps. You will be able to choose and pick out which maps you would like to download and then all you have got to do is upload them from your computer to your GPS receiver. Typically, the GPS unit will be accompanied by the electric cord required to do this and it's really rather simple.

When you're going to a particular address, you'll have to have an elaborated map of that location so that you are able to receive exact and dependable directions to navigate your trip with minimal problems. Finding a free-of-cost GPS map of this location could be done easily by simply performing a web search and then you download the map straightaway to your hard drive.

Pre-loaded maps which accompany your GPS unit - apart from usually deficient in details - typically don't include several points of interest that could make your journey simpler. If you're on a long journey and find that you have to stop somewhere for the night, having the points of interest which include hotels in the region could be a huge benefit and save you a lot of time driving around searching for a place to stay!

Although there are a lot of software programs which you will be able to purchase to load GPS maps into your unit, why do that when you will be able to obtain a free-of-cost GPS map straight from the net? You can choose and pick out which maps you require and it's all free of charge. What could be better than that?

Make sure you know what GPS systems are and how it can benefit you by visiting this popular website about GPS http://www.gpsmapsfree.info where you can also download free GPS maps.

Kamran is a Mechatronics Engineer who loves GPS systems. He is an enthusiastic follower of the launch of latest GPS systems. He runs an informative site that gives lots of information on GPS systems and reveals the best manufacturers of GPS. He is giving away a free downloadable e-book explaining what GPS is, how it operates as well as the best manufacturers of GPS. To make the best of this cool stuff and much more make sure you check out Kamran's web site at http://www.gpsmapsfree.info

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GPS Auto Tracker - Definition of GPS Systems

Before the arrival of the General Positioning System (GPS) technology, having a trip was certainly the most daunting experience in our life. For instance, it was perfectly acceptable to see a situation where someone was driving his car, another one was looking at the map to find the right direction, quite funny! Nowadays, this situation is obsolete and ridiculous for GPS systems have drastically changed the way we used to deal with route finding during a trip. Indeed by just installing a GPS device in your car, you can accurately and safely get the right direction.

Usually when someone mentions GPS, he is referring to the GPS receiver even if the GPS architecture is actually more complex than this small device installed in your car. In short, GPS systems are a cohort of 27 satellites rolling around the center of the Earth. Only 24 satellites are fully functional while the remaining ones are just used for storage purposes. The military industry pioneered the technology before being used for general purpose by the public.

Each GPS satellite powered by the Sun rotates around the center of the Earth completes a distance of about 12,000 miles which is equal to 19,300 kilometers. The actual trajectories of these satellites are made so that at least four satellites are available in the space at any time. The GPS receiver is responsible of finding these available satellites, working out its distance to these satellites and finding its position. This process makes use of a mathematical model called trilateration.

The GPS signals are hindered by weather conditions. Nowadays, there are many research projects aiming at finding ways around this issue in order to increase the correctness of GPS systems. Having located the satellites, the triliteration is used to work out its distance and reduce these errors.

Briefly speaking, GPS systems are used for several purposes mainly as guiding aid. The user simply needs to input his final destination and the GPS receiver will do the rest of the job. GPS systems can also be used for tracking purposed as it is noticed in the automobile industry.

The GPS technology is also used for many other purposes. For instance, in the automobile industry, GPS systems are used to deter car thieves. Private investigators are also making use of the GPS technology in order to monitor a cheating wife. The GPS technology is also extensively used in the military industry as it was pioneered by the army. Some military usages include navigation, target tracking, missile and weapon guidance, search and rescue lost soldiers and acknowledgement and map creation. The possibility to keep track of a vehicle position every time is an appealing feature of the GPS technology. Other systems can furthermore keep track of a driver. This feature is of great help to anxious parents who are concerned about their children's ability to safely drive.

Another use of the GPS for civilian purpose is to help prevent civilian GPS guidance from being used in an enemy's military or improvised weaponry, the US Government controls the export of civilian receivers. A US-based manufacturer cannot generally export a GPS receiver unless the receiver contains limits restricting it from functioning when it is simultaneously at an altitude above 18 kilometers and traveling at over 515 m/s.

Find out more on where to get map for gps handheld and learn what is the best gps system from internet most popular GPS auto tracking site, http://www.gpsportabletracking.com

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