Garmin GPS

[Gary Carmichael]

As a backup to my GPS I use the old paper maps available at all or most State welcome centers,they are up to date and gives you good info! I just don't trust the gps. you can end up in some shady and dangerous places.

[Jon Wehrenberg]

The use of a GPS for me comes under the heading of "a neat thing to have, but not a substitute for common sense".

Unless the GPS is updated prior to a trip its data base is out of date and can cause issues. Going further, all of us that have a GPS already know if we miss a turn or choose to not follow instructions from the GPS it starts "recalculating route" and then the instructions just get absurd. The GPS will try to get you to make U turns or to turn at places it is impossible to turn in a car much less a bus.

Prior to a trip into new territory I program the GPS, get directions from Google or another on line source, refer to my latest map, and if I am really concerned about where I am routed I do that Google thing where I can see how things look at street level. That all may be overkill, but for the most part it keeps us out of trouble, and when on local streets where there can be surprises like bridges and low clearance limits I can usually avoid those.

What I cannot understand is how we ever managed without a GPS, cell phone, being connected on the computer, having satellite TV, or POG.

[BoaterAl]

Jon, I can remember the day when I paid $1600.00 bucks for the new VCR to watch movies at home. That was my first VCR and as big as a carry on suitcase. Spent some time getting it to show the movie through the TV ? Yes, it did blink 12:00. Boy were we liv"in large with a VCR.
Jon, your messages are rather short lately, will we assume that this is the back to the regular size but will move back to the super size again ?
AL

[merle&louise]

No one navigation aid should be solely relied upon to travel. On a recent trip, Karen and I were traveling thru Rapid City, SD. We got to a 4 way intersection: the GPS said turn left, Microsoft Streets & Trips said turn right and a large sign indiciated for us to go STRAIGHT! The GPS is 2 years old, Streets & Trips is 2005 version, and the sign indicating for us to go straight was a brand new paved road (fresh dirt on the shoulders). The Rand McNally travel atlas actually showed the left turn or the right turn would be acceptable.

I like my GPS for actual navigating thru a busy city. I like Streets & Trips for planning out a trip; inserting push pins for things that we want to see. Louise likes the travel atlas because she can see the "whole picture" at once. So we use all 3 when we travel. We also like Jon said use good common sense.

[Woody]

Tuga

I still think that a laptop display showing the "whole" picture is the way to go
.
Joanie and I have a small Garmin which frequently tells us other than the "truth" whereas with the laptop using the Delorme program with online updates shows you the whole truth and tells you where, in relation to the rest of the world, you actually are. Must be a kick back to 2000 hours of navigating around the world in your Air Force that makes me want more info.

[merle&louise]

Tad,

Good to hear from you. Glad you like your Delorme software, I tried it once and it is very good.

How is your coach running? Are you guys coming to POG 9 in Kerrville? If so, we hope to see you and Joan.

[Woody]

Hi Tuga

Fortunatley the gallery is doing extremly well so we are tied down here and will not get west.

Hopefully someone in Florida can organize something like we had at Port St Lucie last winter and look forward to seeing you there, wherever.

The coach is doing well so far and going in for a full 5000 mile service next week plus the pre buy we should have had when we bought it.

Why don't you organize something in New Orleans. We need to exercise the bus, it's only 731 miles.

[Jon Wehrenberg]

Jon, I can remember the day when I paid $1600.00 bucks for the new VCR to watch movies at home. That was my first VCR and as big as a carry on suitcase. Spent some time getting it to show the movie through the TV ? Yes, it did blink 12:00. Boy were we liv"in large with a VCR.
Jon, your messages are rather short lately, will we assume that this is the back to the regular size but will move back to the super size again ?
AL

I have short messages because nobody is challenging me to opine. That and the fact I have a home project going on that involves moving dirt from some property I own down to the house so I spend my days now driving a dump truck and running a backhoe and Bobcat. The dump truck has been my latest project and I am giving it a good workout and it is getting the job done.

My VCR still blinks 12:00, I have no clue how to operate the sound system in the house, and just when I got the DVD (or is it DVR) blue tooth or blue ray or blue something comes along. Our sound system still has a cassette player in the stack. Of the ten or so TVs we have only one is plasma and high definition, every other one is one of those honking big sets, all of which work 100% of the time which is more than I can say for the one plasma TV.

But the important thing is we need to see Maddie the Wonder Dog. We are on Rauchy #3 and #2 used to be our bus buddie. Ed and Donna, Gary and Peg, you guys and us are all Schnauzer owners. There may be more we don't know about. We don't bring ours with us because we also have a Lab mix and between the two we would not be welcome in campgrounds. Rauchy has a big mouth and barks at anything that moves and Shadow follows right along. So we put them in the spa when we travel. Some time we will share a story about Rauchy(#2) the Wonder Dog.

[JIM CHALOUPKA]

Talk about thread creep, this one has gone to the dogs

JIM

[BoaterAl]

Our Maddie (the wonder dog) has traveled very well in the motor home (about 10 years) and we take her most of the time. Hitting the pot holes does scare her and usually wakes her up snoozing in front of the A/C vent. She did become aware that when the click from turn signal goes on it means rest area and she heads for the door. That was the case on the Country Coach. The new bus turn signal is quiet. I really don't mind taking Maddie as more then once she picked up on things going on during the night at camp grounds, Wal-Mart lots, rest areas. Mary Ellen has said that Maddie travels better then I do because Maddie doesn't talk back. Must be a message there...do you think. ?
AL