Garmin Talking StreetPilot III GPS Deluxe Package

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Title : Garmin Talking StreetPilot III GPS Deluxe Package
Author : Garmin
Release Date : 20020722
Binding : Electronics
Regular Price : $1,199.99
Amazon.com Price : $ ( %)
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Editorial Reviews :
You don't need to buy a luxury car or spend thousands installing a multipart system to get advanced GPS navigation capabilities in your automobile. Garmin's StreetPilot III delivers all the high-end features you need--from detailed street maps and sophisticated auto routing to voice prompts and a color screen--in a compact, inexpensive, and portable package.
Setting up the unit was surprisingly simple. First we installed the software from the MapSource City Navigator CD onto our PC and connected the card reader, with the 32 MB data card, to the USB port. Then we went online to unlock one of 10 detailed coverage areas included on the disk; for instance, Area 1 covers California and Nevada, Area 7 covers New England and New York. After that we downloaded detailed maps of our city (San Francisco) and surrounding areas to the data card. We also downloaded waypoints--locations like our home, office, and other places we often visit--onto the card and inserted it into the StreetPilot III. If you don't have a USB port, you can also use the included serial cable to connect the entire unit to your PC.

The physical installation went just as smoothly. We affixed the plastic base to the top of our dashboard with the included adhesive mounting disks, snapped the StreetPilot III into place, connected it to the cigarette lighter for power, and extended the small fold-down antenna. The dashboard mount's quick release makes it easy to store the StreetPilot III when not in use or, if you purchase a second mount, lets you use it in multiple vehicles.

We turned the unit on and in less than a minute it locked onto the GPS satellites and displayed a map of our current location on the clear, bright, easy-to-read color display. As we drove along, it displayed our position and direction on the map, the name and address number of the street we were on, and even the name of the upcoming cross street. The two zoom buttons let us get a very detailed street-level view or a broad overview of our current position, and the menu button allowed us to customize the display.

The fun really started, though, when we used the StreetPilot's routing capabilities. Using the arrow buttons, we input the intersection of a store we'd never visited, and within a minute it calculated the most direct route. The voice navigator told us where to go and when to turn, and it was simple to monitor our progress both on the map and on the text display. We knew the exact address of our next stop and entered it into the unit. The StreetPilot then guided us onto the freeway and successfully to our second destination, telling us exactly where to stop along the street and even on which side of the street the store was located. To get home, we just accessed a waypoint with our home address that we'd preprogrammed on the PC.

Even if you don't know exactly where you're going, the City Navigator maps include points of interest, such as restaurants, shops, and parks. For instance, the StreetPilot can find the closest fast-food restaurant and present you with a list of nearby options.

Testing in San Francisco, we did lose satellite lock a few times in extremely hilly areas or in areas with very tall buildings. We think this was due mainly to the fact that the unit's antenna is inside the car; an external antenna option is available for less than $100 that should solve the problem.

Once you use the StreetPilot III for a while, it's hard to imagine driving solo again. Whether you're planning a road trip or just need help getting around town, it's an extremely helpful companion that's cheaper and easier to install than anything else currently available.

Buyer Reviews :
I was recently looking for real estate in Los Angeles area and only thanks to this beautiful device I was able to visit around 20 hard-to-find locations in 1 day (looking for vacant land in hilly areas). I cannot imagine this being possible with a map, a guide, or even Garmin StreetPilot, which I also have.
The old SteetPilot shows straight line from the point where the device is located to the destination and lets the driver figure out his way around. Much more advanced StreetPilot III provides exceptionally accurate turn-by-turn directions.
StreetPilot III is not without glitches and sometimes it can get you temporarily lost if you don't pay attention to the road and signs. For example going from San Francisco to Los Angeles and then to Las Vegas, we've twice mistakenly exitted from the freeway by following Garmin's suggestion to 'keep right', but then it helped us get back on the road.
Also, if you're in a familiar area, follow your instinct and knowledge as sometimes Garmin may choose a longer route by not knowing that some highways have traffic lights, or not knowing that a freeway exit is closed.
Despite these and some other minor glitches I cannot imagine this device being any better than it already is.

The most amazing feature is probably its ability to tell which lane to stay in. For example when exitting a freeway with complex ramp, Garmin instructs to 'keep left, then keep right', without which I could easily exit into wrong direction or into another freeway/highway. And when the freeway splits, Garmin also instructs 'keep left' or 'keep right', depending on which route I'm supposed to take.
Another amazing thing is that if I miss an exit or a turn, Garmin will often recalculate a completely different route that doesn't require U-turns. This is especially useful when I don't agree with Garmin and purposely miss a turn, then I look with amazement at Garmin recalculating my route in agreement with the route I decided to take.

Garmin seems to have an extremely detailed maps, including almost all streets and roads, no matter how small, even many unpaved ones.
But its database of 'points of interests' is not nearly as good. For example while on a freeway Garmin found the nearest gas station within 30 miles, while there were 3 gas stations at the next exit within less than 5 miles. The number of restaurants, stores, etc. is very large, but Garmin still seems to have only about 75% of restaurants in certain areas.

Garmin doesn't require any installation. Simply set it on top of your dashboard (mounted into the included base) and connect to the lighter adapter. You can even carry Garmin from one car to another without any mounting/unmounting needed. Special sand-filled base is needed for this though, which I think is included only with the Delux version.
The speaker is built inside the lighter adapter, thus no speaker installation is needed either. And the speaker works off the batteries too, even if the lighter plug is not plugged anywhere.

Additional things to keep in mind:
- StreePilot III is very configurable and allows the user to set many prefrences.
- There is a way to increase the volume, although it's hard to figure out: hold the 'Speak' button for 2 seconds.

Overall I love this device and in 2 months I learned to completely depend on it. Now I can find virtually any address without asking anyone for directions and almost without risk of getting lost.

(by An electronics fan)

Features/Technical Specs :
* GPS receiver with turn-by-turn navigation for major
* Includes MapSource City Navigator CD-ROM with street-level maps and points of interest; full unlock capability for US and Canada
* Automated voice prompts tell you when to turn
* 16-color display with backlight for dim lighting
* Compatible with optional Garmin MapSource software for downloading maps and waypoint data

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