Garmin Nuvi660 or the Ipaq5765

[Sea-Dog]

Have not purchased a GPS yet as each time I think I have decided on a unit I find something else or another feature that I had not given any thought to..

Now I thought I had settled on the Ipaq5765 PDA but have had second thoughts after seeing the Garmin Nuvi660 for sale on the net.

I can get the Ipaq PDA for $600 and load the off-road mapping onto it and it has the TomTom Navigator pre loaded with a 3 1/2" screen. The GPS I assume would be fine etc.. I have not had much experience with these units as computers etc but wouldn't think it would take too much to get my head around it...

Or I can get the Nuvi660 for $999... The advantages of the Nuvi from what I can see is that the screen is 4.3" and it has built in fm receiver to run the voice etc through the stereo of the car... I believe that I can still load all the off road mapping onto it..

I am after opinions on which is the better unit to have in the car.. generally the unit would be a street by street navigator for either the daily driver or the fourbie and then when going camping or on extended outings it would be used as a GPS for tracking trails and mapping etc..

Price I don't really think is that big of an issue as there is only about $250 in it by the time I buy a fm receiver for the PDA to put the sound etc through the stereo..

Opinions please..

[Risto]

The Nuvi660 will run circles around any PDA. Bought one about two months ago and it's my 3rd GPS and truly amazing. You can get them for less than that though - paid $910,- at JB Hi-Fi and I reckon you'll find one cheaper still.

The Nuvi660 does not offer a 'bread crumb' trail though, so I use my Garmin VistaC in conjunction with the Nuvi660 when off-road. More in the way of 'back up', seeing as I still use the Nuvi660 to keep an eye on where I'm going.

[pen]

Hi, be aware that the nuvi cannot be adjusted on its POI (points of interest) file without erasing the previous version. I wanted to add BP service stations to it but the guys at GPSOZ said that they will not release the sourse files (its theirs not yours!) to allow you to change it.
My mates have the ton tom 1 and last night shift they were loading any thing from hungary Jacks to Jaycar on the tom toms with sections for each item.
As a road version its ok, better than the garmin 510c. That failed on me twice until I changed it to the 660.

[Sea-Dog]

I just went down to the local JB Hi -Fi and picked up the Nuvi660...

Paid more than I would have liked after being told that I could pick it up cheap on the net etc but got it on the interest free card so I don't have to fork out the money straight away... (I never like paying full price for anything but it was good to get it on the never never)

The screen looks impressive.. :)

Now I just have to get my hands on some Oztopo maps for it..

My understanding of that is that I would have to pay the money out of my pocket to buy the topo mapping as it has to be registered or it will not work... correct!

If not has anyone got a copy of the Oztopo maps they can "lend" me. ;)

Thanks to all who have answered my questions over the past months.

cheers

[crykies]

G'day did you just get the nuvi 660 ? if so pm me ya email and i will send ya redlight cameras and speed camera sites if you like.
I got one here and i paid $820 - 50 cash back = 770 from the good guys about a month ago. Also seadog i will be iterested to hear about how ya go with the oztopo maps.

Let me know cheers Chris.

[Sea-Dog]

G'day did you just get the nuvi 660 ? if so pm me ya email and i will send ya redlight cameras and speed camera sites if you like.
I got one here and i paid $820 - 50 cash back = 770 from the good guys about a month ago. Also seadog i will be iterested to hear about how ya go with the oztopo maps.

Let me know cheers Chris.

cheers Chris..

I have sent you a PM.

I went to our Good Guys and got blank stares when I asked about them?????? there is bugger all retailers around that actually stock them and Dick Smith told us that they don't get the in Qld as they only go to the major retailing stores such as Melbourne and Sydney.... WTF

[exodus]

I got the 660 about 2 weeks back now, $910 and convinced harvey norman to extend to 3years warranty.
Great unit works a treat.
i have uploaded shonky maps to them,
and i am in the process of creating and uploading some maps i have made using tools from Oziexplorer.

Hi, be aware that the nuvi cannot be adjusted on its POI (points of interest) file without erasing the previous version.

I have uploaded heaps of POI files, via the garmin map source software, works a treat.

[Risto]

I have uploaded heaps of POI files, via the garmin map source software, works a treat.

Agreed.

[crykies]

hey there exodus what maps have you uploaded this is where i get interested but haven't found much info on this? what maps and are you putting the maps on sd card ? also love to know how you go with oziexplorer.

Cheers chris.

[pen]

How did you add POI files? I thought you could only have one active? If it is only one, how did you edit the file? ta

[pen]

Where did you get the map source program?

[Risto]

Personally speaking, I already had Australian and UK Map Source programs complete with mapping. I bought them separately to go with my Vista and VistaC, which don't come with maps preloaded. About $300,- + a pop.

You can also download the POI loader from Garmin for nowt, but I guess you have this already...? Map Source costs and needs to be unlocked to a maximum of two specific GPS's by using their serial numbers to cut down on piracy. Of course someone may have cracked them, but that's piracy... i.e. theft.

The Vistas don't call them Point Of Interest (POI), just 'waypoint'. The Nuvi is more 'consumer friendly' so in Nuvi-speak they're called 'favourites'.

[exodus]

it took me ages to find the programs on the garmin site.'

POI is > http://www8.garmin.com/support/download_details.jsp?id=927
Garmin Map Source is > http://www8.garmin.com/support/download_details.jsp?id=209

I downloaded Map source from garmin and it worked fine, u get a rego key on the orange slip in the box, you dont need to purchase it.

Its the mapping i think that isnt free and while i havent tried u can probably load the map files from the device, since you do have a key to use city nav etc.

but i downloaded Shonky maps from http://www.gpsaustralia.net/forums/showthread.php?t=2525

and its what it shows when i view map source (not the maps on the device) but its enought to allow me to upload other maps, aswell as poi, and alerts etc.

i have been using Ozimapgraber to grab map files for my area, and ill be buying GPSmapedit soon probably, so i can join them all up and bundle it into the nuvi easier.

[exodus]

if u install updates via webupdater aswell, it will install an unlocker program, which i am 98% sure with the orange slip key in the box will unlock the City Navigator maps off the device, so you can use it in Garmin Map Source.

yes to putting them on SD Card.

there is only 45mb left after u do the updates that are currently available, and if u delete all the crappy mp3's

WOW sight and sound (like JB HIFI) had 1GB SD Card for $19.95, so i have HEAPS of room for maps n stuff.

[Risto]

I downloaded Map source from garmin and it worked fine, u get a rego key on the orange slip in the box, you dont need to purchase it.

.

Yep, too true - I had to pay for mine, because they actually contained the maps as well. Map Source on its own is free...

[Sea-Dog]

Slow down guys! lol.. I can only read slowly and have to read each post 3 times before I can even start to understand what you are saying.... ha ha

I bought the unit to be able to use it off roading and was of the opinion that to do this I would have to pay a couple hundred bucks for the topo maps... but it sounds like you guys know a heck of a lot more than I do about these things......

So when the time comes and my knowledge starts to catch up with what you are saying here :) I might get in touch for some more info.. having said that though all PM's are greatly appreciated as it gives me a good starting point to do some homework.

Has anyone used their unit in a boat at all? The way I see it is I can punch in the coordinates and it will show a picture of a finish line out in the middle of the ocean but the unit is then telling me to drive down the road... I wonde what it will do when I get in the boat and start heading out to sea?

also with the SD cards they look pretty cheap on Ebay... how much room would I need to load maps of lets say the Cape York area and Simpson etc all on the same card? I was thinking that if I just bought a 4 gig card it would do the job with HEAPS of left over room but at the same time I will be paying extra for it which would be silly if I only need 1 or 2 gig.

cheers

[exodus]

if u just did say QLD/NSW 1gb would probably do,but it all depends on detail.
more detail/zoom more images/more space

[Sea-Dog]

if u just did say QLD/NSW 1gb would probably do,but it all depends on detail.
more detail/zoom more images/more space

Will just bite the bullet and get a 4 gig then straight off the bat so I am not having to think about it at all...

Ta