Streetpilot lll - How old?

[Greg Masters]

I'm with judge on this - the basemap does make a difference - particularly with the SPIII.

If you travel to Morocco as many on this BB have done, there is no detailed mapping available from any source. If you have the Atlantic basemap, you can autoroute. If you have a US basemap (as I do on my 2610), you have to rely on WorldMap.

Although the detail is similar, basemap also applied the 'magnet' software whereby you will be assumed (and shown) to be on the nearest road. In my experience, WorldMap is not particularly accurate, so you often appear to be off-road.

Finally, the SPIII and the 2610 variants use basemap (or WorldMap if loaded) for screen presentations at magnifications less than the 5 mile(??) scale. Personally, I prefer the basemap view over WorldMap.

If you have the choice, go for the local basemap every time.

Greg

 

[judge]

Sure. How often are you going to do that? That's signpost reading time, I reckon...

Mike

My opinion is somewhat coloured by the last couple of days riding I've done 320 miles in the Kent countryside using my GPSIII's 'goto' function, similar if not identical to the 'offroad' routing option in the Streetpilot series I actually had a lot of fun diving down roads that looked interesting whilst keep on track with the line.

You wouldn't often do it granted hich is a shame cos when you do, it can be great fun

 

[(RIP) Kaister]

My two pennorth' - (approx au 5C )

I'm using my my UK bought SP3 in Aus - with Aus City navigator loaded - absolutely no problems at all.

Basemap ? worldmap ? who cares.

but i'd be with judge - better to have a basemap than no map - if there was a direct choice comparison

but probably better to have a paper map than basemap

 

[MikeO]

Although the detail is similar, basemap also applied the 'magnet' software whereby you will be assumed (and shown) to be on the nearest road. In my experience, WorldMap is not particularly accurate, so you often appear to be off-road.

I thought 'Snap to Route' was a feature of the unit, rather than a particular map set. It certainly got confused occasionally using the (sometimes poor, sometimes comically inaccurate) US City Navigator mapping.

If the 2 units were the same price, I'd buy the one with the European basemap. But the fact is the US versions are half the price - and I really can't see any usable - in the real world - advantage to buying the European model at such a huge premium.

I acknowledge what both Greg and Andy say, regarding Moroccco and 'wandering about in the UK'. Worldmap would seem to give an acceptable fix for the former - you can do the latter with maps loaded (& I regularly do ).

I reckon the money's much better spent on a US 2610 (and not a Navigator II - but I've done that to death in other threads...).

Mike

 

[Taff]

Just thinking aloud here, but I wonder if there would be any repair problems, if you did need to send an unit with an US basemap back to Garmin europe? Personally I do not see why this should be an issue, but it would be interesting to get confirmation from someone who has done it.