Garmin Streetpilot III V Gqarmin GPSMap 276C

[Garfieldus]

This post is to let gsers know some of the limitations of the Streetpilot III and may help you avoid making the same mistake I made.

I've been using a Garmin III+ since 1998. In August 2003 I bought a GArmin Streetpilot III - a stunning piece of kit and it does exactly what it says on the box but I made a big mistake. I assumed it would do what the III+ did and more (a lot more) - wrong.

I like to switch to my country's national grid (rather than Lat/Lon) and use this in conjunction with OS maps (Ireland). I also need to track and record/save routes for future retracing and to share with other people. Neither of these two vital (to me) tasks can be done with the SPIII.

Some time ago I spoke with a very knowledgeable guy on the Micapeak gs list and I quote from him below (in red).........

If you understand the value of a GPS, the ONLY one to buy is a Garmin 176 (monochrome) or 176C (color, with reduced readability in high-level ambient light conditions). Garmin is the only company I'm aware of that has mapping software for the world (outdated as it is). Their much-touted StreetPilot (also sold as the BMW Navigator) cannot store tracks - which are invaluable if you want to document your ride, or, duplicate a ride or send tracks to a friend. The GPS V is nice, but, has a small display, and a limited number of trackpoints per track. For a motorcycle, the 176-series is the best combination of display area, resolution, processor speed, and overall capability. I wouldn't even consider buying anything else. However, the current 176 does not do auto-routing if that's important to you. For me, this is moot, as most of the places I ride and need a GPS for navigation are auto-routable anyway (Garmin's auto-routing is only enabled via their "Navigator" or "Select" software for North America and Western Europe).

For what it's worth, I've heard rumors of a revised version of the 176 due out early next year, the Garmin GPS MAP 276. Rumored to have a better display, and, most important, uses PC Card flash memory, as opposed to the current proprietary Garmin data card. May also have USB interface, instead of the brutally slow and outdated serial RS232C. Also rumored to have autorouting capability.

After reading the above I've waited until now to get a Garmin 276C and just anhour ago got a message from www.sportextreme.com that they're shipping today.

Incidentally it _does_ have autorouting. I'll let you know how I get on.

Garfieldus

 

[Bob Jeffries]

Not all this strictly true, it seems your "expert" doesn't know the SP3 particularly well.

The SP3 does store and record tracks but you have no control over how it does it, they’re either ON or OFF. If I really want to track my route I’ll put my 12XL on as well, with that you have total control of how tracks are recorded.

As the conversion between WSG84 and Long/Lat to the UK OS Grid system, or any other system, is purely a mathematical one it make no difference what units the GPS records the tracks as any mapping software worth having will be capable of the conversion.

As the SP3 can’t use OS maps anyway it would be pointless displaying the OS Grid but the SP3 can be set to display co-ordinates as UK OS Grid (but I don’t think Irish Grid).

Ultimately the SP3 is not designed for what you want, it is an auto routing road navigation aid rather than a general purpose GPS and I don’t believe any of the current models do everything, at least everything well.

 

[Garfieldus]

Not all this strictly true, it seems your "expert" doesn't know the SP3 particularly well.

I think I used the term "very knowledgeable". "Expert" is your term.

The SP3 does store and record tracks but you have no control over how it does it, they’re either ON or OFF.

And how do I save a track recorded by the SPIII to its memory or my PC, record a second one, save it, reload the first one and retrace it?

As the conversion between WSG84 and Long/Lat to the UK OS Grid system, or any other system, is purely a mathematical one it make no difference what units the GPS records the tracks as any mapping software worth having will be capable of the conversion.

You missed the point completely here.

As the SP3 can’t use OS maps anyway it would be pointless displaying the OS Grid

And again

but the SP3 can be set to display co-ordinates as UK OS Grid

How?

Ultimately the SP3 is not designed for what you want, it is an auto routing road navigation aid rather than a general purpose GPS

Exactly the reason for my posting

and I don’t believe any of the current models do everything, at least everything well.

Have a look at the 276c specs.

 

[richie]

Without wishing that this turns into a slagging match between two Garmin products. Looks to me like the 276C is way ahead of the SPIII.

And I have looked at the specs etc.... Still I know nothing....But if anyone is after a new GPS looks like a much better deal for all round use than even the 2610...

Like it has batteries for a start. How bad is that?

 

[Bob Jeffries]

I only replied to help clarify some of the statements made in your post, hoping to be of help to you and others, it seems though you were simply looking for an argument.

>> I think I used the term "very knowledgeable". "Expert" is your term.

I humbly apologise, but "Expert” is easier for my arthritic fingers to type. Your being a little pedantic though!

>> And how do I save a track recorded by the SPIII to its memory or my PC, record a second one, save it, reload the first one and retrace it?

It can all be done on the SP3 (with a few limitations) but if you don’t know how to down load / up load tracks between your GPS (any GPS, including the SP3) and your PC you do need a little help, but with your attitude I’ll leave it to someone else.

>> You missed the point completely here.

I wasn’t making or answering a point I was offering an explanation.

>> And again

The same as above.

>> How?

Reading the manual might help, but again I’ll leave it to someone else.

>> Exactly the reason for my posting

And for my replying.

>> Have a look at the 276c specs.

I have, it looks like a great GPS, and I truly hope that it does every thing you want and your happy with it.

 

[Garfieldus]

Dear, oh dear robert you're very touchy today, although I understand thats normal for you (I made an enquiry).

chill out, go for a ride.

 

[Bob Jeffries]

Garfieldus

You’re probably right; perhaps my tablets aren’t working so well today, your informant obviously knows me well (who the hell was it?).

A ride on the bike seems a great idea but it'll have to wait until Sunday when I will be tracing the route of a GS friendly off-road event I'm helping organise in October (I'll use the SP3 and the 12XL and compare the track logs).

I wasn't trying to make out the SP3 is particularly good at anything other than road navigation, simply that it will do other things, even if it doesn't do them as well as other more appropriate GPS's. For most things I prefer my trusty old clockwork 12XL, no maps, no auto routing, no voices, just a GPS.

And I really do hope that if you get a 276c it does every thing you want and your happy with it. I agree with you and richie that the 276c seems to be way ahead of the SP3. That's the thing with this technological stuff - it keeps getting better.

And just to show what a good loser I am I’ve got 1:50,000 maps of most (but not all) of Ireland as .tif files If they would be of any use I’ll gladly send you a CD of them.

 

[Garfieldus]

>> You’re probably right; perhaps my tablets aren’t working so well today

Yeah, I have to be sure I take mine too every morning, note my self imposed title

>> your informant obviously knows me well (who the hell was it?).

Sorry, I promised her I wouldn't say

>> And I really do hope that if you get a 276c it does every thing >> you want and your happy with it.

Thanks. I can't afford to make another mistake. Although www.sportextreme.com is almost €100.00 less that other dealers.

>>And just to show what a good loser I am I’ve got 1:50,000 >>maps of most (but not all) of Ireland as .tif files If they would >>be of any use I’ll gladly send you a CD of them

Nah, nobodys a loser, we're just getting to know each other and yes I's love a copy of your .tif's. I'll pm you with my address.

 

[richie]

Bob, I would really like that CD too, any chance PLEASE..

 

[PanEuropean]

Garfieldus:

Sounds to me like you bought the wrong type of GPSR for the task you wanted to accomplish - perhaps because you relied on someone else's advice, rather than doing your own due diligence - and now you are blaming the product, rather than just accepting that you made the wrong choice.

I just finished a month of using a Garmin GPSMAP 296 on my motorcycle (and in the plane I fly professionally). The 296 is an amazing tool, however, it's not as good an automotive (motorcycle) GPS as the Garmin StreetPilot 26xx series, even though it costs twice as much.

The Garmin 'pure automotive' GPSR's - of which your SP III is one - don't support any datums or grids at all, they will only display lat and long in WGS 84 format, and even that takes some looking for. The reason is simple - automotive users don't care a whit about datums or lat-long, they get their info from the maps they load into the GPSR (street data).

The Garmin 'outdoor' models will display in over 100 datums, to allow users to match a datum to a paper map. Most of them, however, won't support automatic route creation, which is the most important feature to an automotive user.

When you get into the combination units (dual purpose marine-automotive, such as the 276, or tri-purpose aviation-marine-automotive, such as the 296), you get additional features, but at a cost - any dual or tri purpose model will not do one specific task as well as a single purpose model. By this I mean a 296 will not do aviation work as well as a 430 or 530 panel mount, and a 276 will not do marine work as well as a dedicated marine unit, and neither one (276 or 296) will do automotive work as well as a dedicated automotive unit such as a SP III or SP 26xx.

Next time, before you buy, take some time to identify your needs. You might even want to write them down on paper. Then do the homework - download the spec sheets - and pick a GPSR that meets your needs.

You bought a very high quality, specialized automotive GPSR, and want to do outdoor (survey-type) map correlation work with it - hey, it's not designed for that. Nor is a $1800 tri-mode aviation unit designed to handle custom route preferences, or custom avoids, as well as a dedicated automotive device that costs 1/3 that price.

It's a bit like buying tools - you can buy one of those screwdriver things that comes with 10 bits in the handle, but it won't do the job as well as a set of single-purpose screwdrivers. Then again, if you have a set of high quality Torx screwdrivers, but you have a slotted screw to drive - well, that doesn't work either.

You "assumed" the SP III would do what you wanted it to do (your words, in your second paragraph). Well, in my industry, we have a saying about the word 'assume' - if you break that word into three parts, you'll discover that 'assuming' will make an ass of u and me. Next time, do the homework before you buy, then you won't need to blame the hardware for not doing what it was not designed to do.

PanEuropean

PS: You mentioned that you just bought a 276. Again, you bought the wrong hardware. You already have a SP III, which is a dedicated automotive unit. Why the heck would you then buy a 276, which is a marine-automotive hybrid (with emphasis on MARINE)? You would have been better off to have bought an 'outdoor' handheld, for 1/3 the price of the 276 - this would have given you both of the capablities you mentioned in the third paragraph of your original post. As for the extra $500 you would have saved - well, you could have bought new paper maps to go with your outdoor handheld.