GPS has many beneficial uses, from standard car navigation to outdoor recreation to finding locations of stores and businesses.
In considering what kind of GPS unit to buy, the first thing to keep in mind is that different types of devices tend to be best suited to specific types of activities (though some units are capable of crossing over into several activity types).
What type of unit should I consider?
Since your purchase will be determined in large part by how you intend to use your unit, here are some common activities that utilize GPS, along with an idea of the types of units that are suited for each:
Automotive navigation: In recent years, the most popular use of GPS has been for getting turn-by-turn directions while driving from point A to point B. With the right GPS unit, getting to business appointments, kid events (think about those weird soccer field locations), social events and vacation destinations is no longer a stressful adventure. Several types of GPS units are suitable for automotive navigation, including specialized in-car units, portables, and even GPS-equipped mobile phones.
Marine and aviation: Specialized GPS units help mariners and pilots, both recreational and professional, arrive at their destinations quickly and safely.
Fitness: Fitness buffs such as runners and cyclists often use GPS units the size of a large wrist watch. Such units can track performance, offer encouragement (via voice) and even monitor the user’s heart rate.
Keep multiple functions in mind:
Many GPS units are useful for more than one type of activity. This is true both of dedicated GPS devices, and of units such as mobile phones, PDA’s and notebook computers where GPS is a “secondary feature.” In addition, many GPS add-on devices (for plugging into laptops, for example) are available for well under $200, and include a GPS receiver and software for navigating.
How much should I spend?
You can spend about $100 to $1,000 and more. It mainly depends on the functions and features you need.
A basic handheld GPS unit will cost between $100 and $400. Units at the lower end of this price range typically have some basic navigation functionality, but usually will have monochrome displays and no background maps.
Closer to $400, you get a bright color display, background maps (depicting roads and highways, points of interest, marine navigation charts, etc.), and sometimes even a built-in barometric sensor and electronic compass. Also, some units within this price range offer roadmaps with turn-by-turn directions.
Above $400, there is a wide range of units with impressive features.
At the upper end of the scale, multi-function becomes more typical: some have MP3 players, calculators/currency converters, or the ability to display digital photos, and some can be used for hands-free calling with a built-in microphone, speaker and Bluetooth technology.
Features to consider
Once you’ve decided what you want to use your GPS unit for and how much you want to spend, it’s time to determine which specific makes and models fit you best.
If the unit is going to stay permanently in your vehicle for navigation, then screen size, sound and vehicle mounting are important. Be sure to check out screen readability attributes such as brightness, font size, map clarity and so forth from all angles. Also, vehicles are noisier than you might think. Road noise can drown out weak sound systems and make them difficult to understand. Be sure to spend time checking out the sound quality as much as possible. And bear in mind that vehicle mounting seems to be a weak point with some systems. Most units designed for vehicles have windshield mounting hardware with a suction cup. Make sure you actually try attaching/detaching in the store a few times and simulate using the mounting hardware as much as you can.
If you plan on taking the GPS unit out of your vehicle, then battery power, ruggedness and portability are very important. Batteries are expensive so make sure they are rechargeable and have a reasonable charge life (at least 8 hours of continuous use). If they aren’t rechargeable, be sure to budget for after-market rechargeable batteries and a charger. Ruggedness is a broad term, but you can usually tell when you hold something in your hand if it’s well-built. If you’re going to be carrying it around, it’s going to get thrown in a backpack, shoved in a glovebox and occasionally dropped. Items sticking out of the unit like the antenna or connectors have the greatest chance of breaking.
Other considerations include maps and software. Do included maps cover the areas and purposes (street, topography, etc.) that suit your needs? If not, are the right types of maps available, and of so, at what cost?
reference:
Labels: My biz Interest, My Geomatic Post, My Hobby
