Easiest to use GPS?

[wlepse]

I have an old TT1 that I like a lot but I recently loaned it to my parents and they had a lot of trouble using it. They had two problems...I keep teh unit in the car and don't often download the gpsquickfix file so it takes a long time to locate itself and in NYC it just can't seem to find itself since the gps fix isn't very good. This is OK for me since I am familiar enough with the device ...where I am going and noramlly I would update it before a trip. But even with these issues they had they still want to get one but since my parents are not tech savy I really need to get one that needs minimal maintenance if any. I remember when I bought mine there were different GPS receivers taht made a big difference and could locate you faster, more precisely and without updates...for some reason I think they were referred to as Sirf??? Anyway..when I checked the TT site they just say highly sensitive GPS antennas. Can anyone comment on a device that you think would work well for my parents? I would prefer to stay in the TT family but if this is not possible please let me know.

 

[dhn]

The Go series of TomToms (7x and 9x models) have a SirfstarIII chip which supposedly grabs a gps signal better than some other chips. That said, all units may hav trouble with the 'canyons' in NYC in getting a clear signal.

 

[doctormstein1]

The Go series of TomToms (7x and 9x models) have a SirfstarIII chip which supposedly grabs a gps signal better than some other chips. That said, all units may hav trouble with the 'canyons' in NYC in getting a clear signal.

JUst one added thing that with the 9xx series tomtom it has an enhanced positioning feature where unit stays connected better then other units with the tall buildings.

 

[wlepse]

Great thanks...I'll look into the 9xx series. I don't mind updating the unit on occasion for them to get map updates or POI updates but I know I normally have to update mine every other week or so if I want it to be able to find me in less than a minute and that is with me sitting still in a moving car it takes forever.

 

[dhn]

You should never be trying to grab a signal while moving. Almost an impossible task.

 

[mvl]

You should never be trying to grab a signal while moving. Almost an impossible task.

I routinely grab a signal while moving in seconds with bluetooth autoquickgpsfix. My routine is to start driving, then turn on the tomtom, so I never try grab a signal stationary. Maybe this is why it takes me up to 5 minutes to get a signal with quickgpsfix broken.

 

[paspossible]

The 9xx series won't help catching the signal faster. They are just better at extrapolating position in case the GPS signal is acquired and then lost for a while. If I'm right, they contain an inertial system that actually detects the car movements, enabling the GPS to guess where the car should be according to the turns, acceleration and deceleration it feels.

On a Go720 for example, if the GPS loose the signal, it can only estimate that you'll stay on the same road, at the advertised speed. If you change road, stop or slowdown while there's no reception, the GPS will not know and the displayed position won't be accurate.

On the GO9xx, the inertial system (simple accelerometer or a chip gyroscope maybe) will "sense" if you accelerate/decelerate or turn, enabling it to compare with the map and "know" you just turned on a secondary street instead of going straight, or know you're stopped at a red light and when you start moving again. The 9xx doesn't stay "better connected", it's only better at estimating position when the signal is lost. If you are in a building canyon or a tunnel, no reception is no reception, no matter if you have a 7xx or a 9xx.

The newer chips are indeed faster and more sensitive. I have an old Magellan hand-held that's about 12 years old and I needed it a few weeks ago, after leaving it without batteries for a few years. It took over 1 hour to get a fix! Comparing to the 720, the worst I've seen with the Go720 is about 10 minutes, while moving, between buildings.

Also, with the GOs, it's not a bad idea to put them on the connected docking station and turn them on about once per week. This is simply to ensure the battery stays charged. These units don't turn themselves off, they go in some kind of standby so, there's always a battery drain. And from experience, a GO that run out of power while on standby will often need a hard reset to start working properly, even after a full charge.

I'm certain it's easier for non technical peoples to just charge the unit once a week and turn it on so it catch a fix than to perform a hard reset!