What To Look For
In making a comparison of Garmin GPS products, you have a variety to choose from, depending on whether you want a GPS for car travel, boating, flying or recreational outdoor use. Some motorists who use Garmins for navigation may not realize that there are also hand-held models for jogging or hiking, and that most smart phones and Blackberries can function as GPS devices.
Once you have studied the variety of Garmins, look to see if you can combine everything you need on your mobile phone. You may decide to purchase and download software rather than buy another electronic device.
Common Pitfalls
Many a Garmin GPS owner will be tempted to use it as he uses a a cell phone, texting in traffic and risking an accident. A GPS requires two hands and your full attention to operate. Set your destination before you head into traffic. You must type street numbers and names with precision. You cannot do that safely while in motion. Stop and concentrate if you must re-plot your GPS in midtrip.
Another mistake a Garmin GPS product owner night make is leaving the mounts or antennae clearly displayed in her vehicle. Thieves will break car windows to steal GPS systems if they see that you have one, so keep the telltale signs hidden.
Where To Buy
Find the nearest dealer from the store locator on the Garmin website. If you know you want a vehicle GPS, peruse the few Garmins stores such as Best Buy, Comp USA and Pep Boys have in stock. For recreational Garmin features such as geocaching, try Costco, Sears, Target and Walmart. Bass Pro shops and specialty marine stores carry Garmin fish locaters and GPS systems for boats. Aviation suppliers carry Garmins for use in airplanes, hot air balloons and so on.
Cost
A comparison of Garmin GPS products will uncover a price range starting at $99 to $279 for a basic automotive Nuvi. It will cost around $57 each year to update it or $99 for lifetime updates.
Garmin Fishfinders start at $165, with Chartplotters and Sounding devices in the $500 range, and a sophisticated marine navigation system runs almost $5,000.
You can get into geocaching, a type of popular high-tech treasure hunting, for $350 to $500, or purchase a geocache navigation mode application for your phone that would start just below $200.
Comparison Shopping
If you have time in your investigation of Garmin GPS products, compare the prices you see at the box stores to the online factory outlet. For example, the Nuvi 265WT, one of the top 10 most popular vehicle navigation systems that retails for $219.95, is available at Target with a one-year warranty for $199.99. But you could order it online with free shipping from the Factory Outlet for $144.95 and spend the money you would save on a two- or three-year extended warranty.
Accessories
A $19.99 accessory you will be glad to have is a sync cable which will allow you to plug your Garmin into a USB port on your computer and charge the battery, perform updates and so on. Such a cable may have been included with your Garmin, so check the box it came in before you buy another one. If it didn't come with a cable to plug into your DC outlet, that will be another $30 accessory you won't want to live without (so that you can charge your Garmin in the car or boat).
Besides a fully charged battery, also check out the range of your Garmin's built-in or standard antennae. It is especially important if you plan to explore far into a wilderness area that you make sure your GPS will not fail from exceeding its capable range.
Insider Tips
Even if you never register appliances or computers, register your Garmin. You'll be rewarded by getting your own Dashboard, which allows you to downloard custom maps, geocaches and Garmin Mobile if you have a Blackberry with GPS capabilities.
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