Garmin GPS V

redbeard · Occasional Visitor Joined: May 26, 2005 Posts: 13

Couldn't find a review on this unit. I know a guy who is selling one for $100 with the software and mounting hardware.

Is it worthwhile, or would I be better off spending a little more and getting a system that works with my PDA?

redbeard · Occasional Visitor Joined: May 26, 2005 Posts: 13

I forgot to mention that I live in the US and would primarily want to be able to do in-car address-to-address navigation.

Thanks.

Skippy · Posted: Tue Jun 07, 2005 6:03 pm Post subject:

Hmm, you can connect the GPS-V to your PDA if you can find the right cable. Set the output to NMEA and it should work with just about any application that needs a GPS. You could end up with a lot of wires though. Confused

The memory capacity of the GPS-V isn't much these days, I got the Greater London maps, plus a bit more on mine (population of the area about 12 million). Map uploads are slow - about 45 minutes over a serial cable.

It does turn-by-turn autorouting and can calculate routes. It makes clever use of the fairly small screen and the directions are usually fairly good.

You can create routes on the PC using the included Mapsource program and upload them to the GPS. Mapsource also manages the waypoints, tracks, maps etc.

The processor is fairly slow, it can be slow to calculate a route, a minute or more is not uncommon. If you are moving, it takes even longer to calculate. Screen redraw can take 5 or 10 seconds sometimes.

It runs for about 12 hours on 4 AA batteries.

I've had a lot of fun with mine on the road, trail, water or in the air. It's robust and water proof, real quality construction. Mine is barely marked after a few years of use and a few knocks.

For such a small unit, it is loaded with features - I was finding new ones after having the GPS for a couple of months!

$100 is pretty cheap, the GPS-V is a good little unit although it's getting old now. I loved my one, but I now have a Garmin Quest.
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redbeard · Occasional Visitor Joined: May 26, 2005 Posts: 13

Thanks for the info. However, it sounds like I might be better off spending a little more money and getting something that is specifically designed to work with my PDA. I've found a couple of recievers that come with cables specifically designed for my PDA, mounting hardware, and mapping software that run about $200. That sounds like it might be a better investment.

Thanks again.

Skippy · Posted: Tue Jun 07, 2005 6:25 pm Post subject: Re: Garmin GPS V

Definately consider getting a Bluetooth GPS if your PDA supports it.

BT can be a bit of a hassle to setup but I much prefer wire free to wired setups.
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redbeard · Occasional Visitor Joined: May 26, 2005 Posts: 13

Skippy · Posted: Wed Jun 08, 2005 1:50 pm Post subject: Re: Garmin GPS V

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