GPS Information

After waiting a long time to buy a GPS and reading many, many reviews while watching the prices go up and down, I finally pulled the trigger on a Nuvi 765T on Thanksgiving morning when I saw the price drop to $349.00 on Amazon with free shipping. I couldn’t believe my eyes when I saw the price and couldn’t buy it fast enough. Especially since at the time, the lowest price I had seen was around $460. Although it had the features I wanted, I had some reservations about getting the 765T because of several reviews that listed problems with the screen, speaker volume, bluetooth, missing features from the Nuvi 760, etc. So after putting it though its paces for a few weeks I would like to share my observations with this unit. First off I have to say I couldn’t be more happy with my purchase. In the past I had used the Nuvi 350, and several different TomTom’s as well as rental car units, and this unit blows them away. The first thing I did was to up update the firmware to v.2.50 and had no problems in doing so.

Screen: The screen on the Nuvi 765T I received is very bright and clear. The colors look great and it is just as bright as the Nuvi 350 I had used. The sensitivity on this screen is fine and there is no problem with the calibration for buttons, etc.

Sound Quality: The sound from the speaker is very good on this unit. Could it be louder? Sure. But in normal driving with the radio at regular listening volume and /or the windows open, I have no trouble hearing it at all when set to 100%. When driving without the radio, I actually turn it down to 80% as it is too much. The navigation voice (have tried several and like Australian Karen) at 100% is clean with no distortion. From some of the reviews I had read, I was expecting to have to hold it up to my ear to hear it, but it really is fine.

Bluetooth: This was one of the things I was worried about not working, but surprisingly the Nuvi immediately paired with both my, and my wife’s older Sanyo Katana phones. It also shows the phone books and the contact names for both phones. In making calls over the Nuvi, the people I have called state that the voice quality is fine and there is no echo or distortion. Although I don’t use my cell phone a lot, when I do, its great not having to hold the phone and drive at the same time. Very happy with this feature.

Traffic: I was really surprised on how accurate the traffic feature on this unit has been so far, as I wasn’t really expecting much. Perhaps the coverage is better in the Chicagoland area then other areas, but it has accurately shown where there were slow downs and congestion ahead on I-90/94, I-57 and I-355. The “ads” for the free traffic pop up from time to time, but I rarely notice them and they certainly are not in the way or distracting at all.

Routing: So far, with one exception, the routing has been really spot-on. The navigation has brought us to our unknown destination with no problems, and takes the routs I would normally take for the places I am familiar with. It even knew that our home street is divided by a drainage ditch and instructed me to go past our house and make the correct two left turns to get into our driveway when arriving on the opposite side of the street. This really surprised me! It did one strange thing though, when driving home from Chicago going south down the Dan Ryan expressway, I need to eventually merge west onto I-57 south, and for some reason, the Nuvi kept telling me to get on the Indiana toll road and go east, which would have taken me miles way out of my way. I should have brought up the turn list to see where it was going to take me, but I was in heavy traffic with bad weather and needed to keep my eyes on the road. Once I passed the exit for the Indiana toll road it “recalculated” and took me home perfectly. The only thing I could think of was that I had “Avoid Traffic” enabled and there was some heavy traffic on I-57 ahead which it may have been trying to avoid, but I’m not sure. I will turn off the “Avoid Traffic” feature and try it again the next time I travel that way.

Other Features: I love the Lane Assist, and the Junction View has come up many times in the Chicago area which is a big help. I have not tried the FM transmitter yet which a lot of people complain about not working well. The picture viewer is nice and I have loaded some pictures on it and taken it to friends houses and used it to show them vacation pictures. Since my car radio plays MP3’s I don’t have much use for the MP3 player as of yet but will try it out in the future. I loaded several POIs for various places and they work great too; giving both audio and visual prompts within set distances of the POIs.

I could go on and on, but those are the main things I wanted to share. I had read about some early complaints with this unit, especially with the pre v2.50 update, so perhaps I just go lucky with this unit, but so far I could not be happier with Nuvi 765T!

Bluetooth GPS navigation systems provide high quality mapping features for mobile devices such as smartphones that are similar to those found on portable GPS devices. By wirelessly adding GPS navigation to your mobile device, you can not only easily navigate to a desired street or search for whatever points of interest you desire, you can extend these capabilities. For example, you can send your position or information about a location to any other phone via text messaging. You can even get relevant weather and traffic information with the right system and assuming you have the right navigation software and internet access on your device. It is even possible to integrate your navigation system with other databases such as your email contact list. Although the primary benefit is simple navigation with hands-free functionality, the possibilities associated with Bluetooth GPS navigation systems are quite remarkable.

Know Where You Want to Go and Get there with Bluetooth GPS Navigation

When seeking to incorporate a Bluetooth GPS navigation system, you should at the very least look for a GPS receiver with a built in highly sensitive antenna. Many Bluetooth GPS receivers are designed to work with many types of mobile devices, including several types of smartphones, but you must study their compatibility to determine which receivers will work best with your device. Additionally, some receivers come as part of a kit that will allow you to charge you phone via a phone mount.

Next look for a Bluetooth GPS navigation system that can automatically calculate the fastest route to a destination and provide voice-prompted, turn-by-turn directions along the way, as well as one that can automatically calculate the quickest way to get back on track should you stray off course. You will need to do your homework to determine which navigation system will work best with your portable device in terms of compatibility, including navigation software.

Next you will want to consider battery life and degree of portability. Many receivers have built in batteries that are rechargeable and have a life of up to 10 hours of operation. Some Bluetooth GPS navigation kits even come with a vehicle power adapter that can charge both the GPS receiver and the portable device. Bluetooth keychain GPS navigation systems are so compact; you can attach them to your keychain for convenience. Now going anywhere you want is as simple as grabbing your keys and heading out the door.

The first thought that will generally hit you in regard to the Bluetooth GPS receiver is that you don’t really need such a device, especially if you do not spend a lot of time behind the wheel and you also are not someone that talks a lot while driving. What’s more, with so many different options to choose from in regard to manufacturers and their different offerings, buying the best Bluetooth GPS receiver too can prove to be a trying task. There are tons and tons of different options to choose from which means that unless you have the lowdown about what makes a good Bluetooth GPS receiver you might end up buying something that will not suit your needs and also not your pocket.

Three Main Options

To cut a long story short, you could narrow your options down to just the three main manufacturers of the Bluetooth GPS receiver: Garmin, Tom Tom and Magellan. The first named is the industry leader and has about seventy percent of the market while Tom Tom is closing the gap between it and Garmin and Magellan of course has a niche of its own as it is one of the pioneers in manufacture of the Bluetooth GPS receiver.

If you go with Garmin you will enjoy a wide array of products to choose from and the new as well as sleek Nuvi line is especially attractive which is replacing the earlier StreetPilot that for long was the flagship Bluetooth GPS receiver from Garmin. The cost of a typical Nuvi from Garmin would be in the range of two hundred and three hundred dollars with the fancier models costing about thousand dollars.

The Magellan Maestro is really an exceptional Bluetooth GPS receiver that are as good as any Nuvi and which is competitive in pricing as well with costs starting at two hundred dollars and going up to about two hundred and fifty dollars for the bigger 4250 model.

Tom Tom is not so well known though this company is gaining ground on the bigger players in the Bluetooth GPS receiver market. Check out the Go 510 that is less costly but quite a fun product whereas the Go 920 is a little more expensive though just as much fun to own.

When it concerns a good Bluetooth GPS module you need to check out the Nokia LD-4W that offers an excellent solution for all your navigation needs. With this product you can easily find your way about and it is also light in weight, slim in its design and it incorporates the best technology to ensure that it becomes your favorite travel companion.

Whether travelling for pleasure or working in the field, you can easily determine and report your location by adding wireless GPS positioning technology to your Bluetooth enabled pocket PC or other device. Adding the right antenna, Bluetooth GPS receiver and navigation software can transform your mobile device into a portable navigation system with turn-by-turn voice and visual prompts, as well as other useful features.

The Convenience of Using Bluetooth to Wirelessly add GPS Technology

GPS data is received by a Bluetooth GPS receiver and then sent wirelessly to a Bluetooth enabled mobile device such as a smartphone, PDA, or laptop. Of course your mobile device must also have GPS navigation software installed. The Bluetooth GPS receiver antennas are built in; but many receivers also have an external antenna port.

Using Bluetooth to wirelessly add GPS technology is convenient because it does not require multiple gadgets, messy cords and antennas, which actually make your mobile device less portable. Having no cables means you can keep the Bluetooth GPS receiver in your pocket or on your dashboard (as long as there is a direct sight line to the sky), freeing your hands to use your device or for driving. With Bluetooth GPS navigation, you can enjoy a real-time navigation system that can be used for vehicle tracking, marine navigation, street-level navigation, or topography; and if you have mobile internet access, you can even combine GPS with online maps.

When researching Bluetooth GPS receivers, you will want to consider size, weight, durability, battery life, and antenna strength. The built in antenna of some Bluetooth GPS receivers are low noise active antennas while others are patch antennas with a low noise amplifier (LNA). These built in antennas can vary in signal strength, and for this reason, an external antenna may be beneficial depending on how you plan to use your Bluetooth GPS navigation system. External GPS antennas can be used when stronger satellite signals are needed, and should be considered for situations such as hiking under heavy tree cover, to minimize temporary loss of signal when a vehicle is in motion or for use when the GPS receiver cannot be placed near a window in a vehicle. External antennas for Bluetooth GPS systems should be considered for use any time the receiver does not have a good view of the sky; and they can also be used to maintain the best possible accuracy by accessing the greatest number of satellites.