Garmin NUVI 500 Black Friday Deals!
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Garmin NUVI 500 Black Friday Deals!.
Product: Garmin NUVI 500 Amazon Price: Too low to display Availability: In Stock |
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Let me begin by saying that I currently possess and consume several different GPS units: Garmins Nuvi 750, Colorado 400t, Rino 130 (a pair), Magellan 1470 and a Bolt Narrate (I've also owned Garmins 2720, 2820, Nuvi 350, and a 60CSx in the unusual past) . I have so many of them because I exercise them for different purposes:
* Automobile navigation: I depart all over the country and always purchase a GPS with me for spend in my rental cars.
* Walking in urban areas: I admire to stroll around sizable cities and a proper GPS not only keeps me from getting lost, it helps me to accumulate areas of interest.
* Hiking in rural areas: As a birdwatcher I gain a hand-held GPS receiver considerable. Getting lost in the desert or the woods is no fun at all.
* Bicycling: I worship to impartial bike and then try to figure out how to collect home later. A GPS makes it easy to glean my procedure attend.
* Geocaching: A amazing hobby that involves finding things that others have hidden using coordinates posted on the web. A GPS is an absolute necessity if you want to do this.
So, why did I assume yet another Garmin, the Nuvi 500? It is a allotment of my eternal search for one GPS receiver that is appropriate for all of these endeavors. It is considerable to understand that no GPS is perfect, nor is any one model ideal for everything. However, some carry out some tasks well but are useless for others. The Nuvi 500 (and it's brother the 550) are useful for all of my needs.
Instead of comparing it to other models that are more specialized, let me grade the Nuvi 500 in how well in works,correct out-of-the-box, for each task that I wanted it for:
* Automobile navigation: B-
There are distinguished better units for this purpose if that is all you are going to exercise it for. Serene, it gets you there. One major feature that I missed at first in the Nuvi 500 was Text-To-Speech (or TTS) . This is where the unit pronounces the names of streets and roads. With it a GPS will say "Turn accurate on Broadway Street". Without TTS is will say "Turn apt at the next street". However, in March of '09 Garmin released a firmware update that gives the nuvi 500 this feature! I have downloaded it to mine and it works unbiased like my nuvi 750 (produce definite that you download some TTS voices as well) . I catch that novel units will have this already installed. Serene, the point to is somewhat runt for an automotive GPS, especially if the trek is deep and far from the driver. Although you can lift an optional FM traffic receiver, some units, like the Swagger Converse, have this feature built-in, plus it can connect via the internet and derive real-time traffic info. My Garmin 2820 has built in satellite radio, however it is dazzling gigantic and needs to be plugged in.
* Walking in urban areas: A
Here is where the Nuvi 500 shines. First, it is dinky enough to fit in a pocket (although I do wish that it was thinner) yet it's mountainous enough to view the indicate without squinting. However, my approved feature is the user-switchable batteries. Most GPS receivers consume built-in rechargeable batteries; nice but when they rush down you either have to catch a station to straggle it in and recharge it or you are stuck without a usable GPS. The Garmin Nuvi 500's benefit opens up and the expended battery can be swapped out with a current one. This is a Astronomical relieve for anyone using a GPS in any station other than a car. Another nice feature for the urban tourist is that you can download photos from a special web-site and not only peruse them on the Nuvi it will give directions to where the photo was taken. Frigid.
* Hiking in rural areas: B
The Nuvi is not as ergonomic as those units designed to be hand held. It is a flat, rectangular draw without a textured surface, aloof it is very usable outdoors. What I like about the 500 is that it comes loaded with both City Navigator and Garmin's Topo Diagram (the 550 does has more North American coverage but does not have topographical coverage) . Both units feature "digital elevation model" (DEM) mapping which shows you unlit contours at higher zoom levels, however, the Topo maps will point to great, considerable more. Details like elevations, streams, slight bodies of water, trails, landmarks and many other features that can really be useful when you are out in the boonies.
* Bicycling: A
I had my Garmin Colorado mounted on my Hump 7300 bike and although it looked comical (I have photos of it on Amazon's Colorado 400t page) it worked O-K. Detached, it did not approach with the same type of street maps that the Nuvi does (I could have purchased it for about $100 and downloaded it onto the Colorado if I wanted to) and it was not as intuitive to utilize as the Nuvis are. Also, the Nuvi 500 really looks nice on my handlebars. Since it is waterproof (as is the Colorado) you don't have to distress about a rainstorm.
* Geocaching: B+
If you haven't geocached and don't ever thought on doing it then you might want to skip this fragment of my review. However, if you are on of the many thousands that devour this growing hobby (over 800,000 geocaches have been placed worldwide) this is a GPS that can retract you from your driveway to the cache and relieve effortlessly. Like the Colorado (and similar models such as the Oregon) you can download cache information directly to the GPS. Other Garmins can download the coordinates but the Nuvi 500 (and the 550) will show the cache information, hints, logs and fair about everything that you need to successfully pick up what you are looking for. You can also narrate the results of your search (found, did not catch, needs repair, etc.) for later transfer to the geocaching website. I've faded the Nuvi 500 to regain caches and it took me fair to it. I'll level-headed exhaust my Colorado but if I only want to consume one GPS with me, it'll be the 500.
Additional things that I like:
The Nuvi 500 lets you change your mode of fade (car, bike or on-foot) from the main page. It will then customize you directions based on your mode of transport icon (for instance, you can navigate one-way streets noteworthy differently on bike or on foot vs. by car) . Another nice touch is when you resolve a destination a slight tab slides out from the "Go!" icon on the veil which shows your Usage Mode (car, bike, etc.) the Distance and the Time based on your chosen mode of go. My 750 does not have this feature. Another thing that I like is that you can easily program the Nuvi 500 for on-road or off-road employ. If you are traveling on foot you are not restricted to directions that require you to stick to the streets.
Somethings that I am not crazy about:
The specs list the battery life as "up to" 8 hours. I situation the backlight to 50% and got 5 hours of expend. Tranquil very usable and with a second battery (which I bought with the unit and highly recommend) you can earn 10 hours of continuous exercise without needing to recharge it or turn off the backlight completely. I also wish that the housing had a textured execute on the outside edge, giving you something to befriend you to maintain your grip.
One final gripe: I can understand why Garmin does not include the AC charger with other Nuvi models but this one should really arrive with one. After all, it's billed as a multifunctional GPS, not an automotive GPS.
I am very tickled with my unusual Garmin. I will be recommending this unit to all of my geocaching, birdwatching and bicycling friends. If you're are looking for a GPS that does it all, so far this one is the best.
UPDATE 12/03/08: The designate has dropped quite a bit since I purchased it only a month ago. Now the value is even better! Grab it while you can. TR
This unit is fairly nice, but its more of an on-the-road GPS. It has a terrific 3D opinion and works well at guiding you down the road. It does lack any contrivance of holding it when in the relieve country though, and has no cover lock for when you throw it in your backpack, so the touch veil goes nuts while in the pack. It also only comes with the 1:100K TOPO's which are about as useless as they gather in the woods, and at the moment Garmin has no TOPO 1:24K maps for the NorthEast, and you have to recall those separately. There is attend for Raster images, but no plot to effect Raster Maps, which would be a major plus if we could load on USGS 24K maps, which are reliable to the ones Garmin uses. I also found the Address lookup ability, which a GPS unit should excel at, was quite useless. There unprejudiced isnt enough addresses in the unit, it has serious troubles when looking up tiny towns addresses. I have a true address and zip code and it refuses to win it. It will suggest the next town over, or a position several miles from my home, and this is normal for all Garmin's. I bag this annoying, because like I said, this should be its strong suit, it is a GPS unit afterall.
I did score some custom made 1:24K maps online, and they are attractive righteous, but no where reach as suited as the USGS. Its a safe unit, but they didnt consider it thru very well, maybe the next generation of this unit will blooming better.
Things that need to be changed or added:
1) Should near with 1:24K Maps
2) They need to procure the Raster ability working so we can load USGS 1:24K
3) Address lookups need to be updated/expanded and more good(This is a dependable let down proper now)
4) Needs a state to hookup up a strap so you have a method to collect it while carrying it around.
5) Desperately needs a Cloak Lock, even Garmin's vehicle units have this, but a Cross-Over unit that spends its time in the woods/backpacks doesnt?
6) Should be smaller, its fair a runt to mountainous to carry around or enjoy.(Maybe adding the ability to turn the unit and have the cloak belief turn with you, its easier to absorb the unit the long method)
I bought the Nuvi 500 to replace my tried-and-true Garmin StreetPilot i3.
One of my significant considerations is WATERPROOFness... my i3 has worked spacious on my MOTORCYCLE touring adventures, but when the rains came, it was either in the tank bag, or in a positive sandwich bag, held in position with a rubber band - not ideal.
There are motorcycle-specific GPS receivers, but they are all significantly more expensive. Frankly, I was attracted to the multi-purpose nature of this model. I've aged it for motorcycle rides (fair trial runs so far), bicycling, hiking/walking, and driving. I'm confident there are better solutions for each individual exercise - if you can afford a CAR GPS, and a HIKING GPS, and a MOTORCYCLING GPS, and a BOATING GPS, knock yourself out. The Nuvi 500 seems to do a very adequate job at all of that stuff.
Another feature I was looking for - and the Nuvi 500 has it - is the ability to enter a very specific ROUTE into it, and interrogate honest directions. (When I'm motorcycle touring, it's all about the Saunter, not the DESTINATION. I want to belief the promenade, rather than leaving it to GPS-receiver silicon. I could view my routes using the i3, but it was a matter of entering up to 50 waypoints, and then selecting each one in sequence. Now I can unprejudiced reveal it to "follow route Day 2," and off we go.)
It has "modes" for automobile, bicycle, boating, and walking. (With a myriad of avatar options... when you're hiking, you can utilize some limited blue trudging feet to point to your new dwelling. Cute!) Also, with a firmware upgrade (readily available at the Garmin website) you can add "Scooter" mode. (I'm guessing they don't have a "Motorcycle" mode for it, because they hope motorcycle riders will opt instead for the significantly-more-pricey Zumo models. But how different could "motorcycle" and "scooter" be, other than the cheerful factor? That's unprejudiced a joke... scooters are colossal!)
This model doesn't have some of the other features found on a lot of high-end models. If you want a unit that speaks street names, or plays your MP3 tunes, or doubles as a cell phone or bluetooth... this may not be the one for you.
My only suggestion for Garmin would be - add a set to keep a lanyard/safety-tether! It would be nice, particularly when hiking, to be able to hang this around the neck, or establish it to a backpack with a carabiner. (Or to safety-strap it to the bicycle or motorcycle!)
Based on my experience, Garmin is VERY oriented toward customer service and satisfaction. They have hooked over backwards to sustain THIS customer satisfied. (That's a nice bonus to the fact that they form an satisfactory product.)
