I'm looking for a GPS unit that will do real time speed (Just to make sure my spedo is on... ( it isn't ).

What units are you guys using? Thoughts, places to get them, ones to avoid?

 

THE GPS STORE IN NC........ Garmin......You get what you pay for in a GPS so do not get the cheapest one .........

 

If all you want is to check your speedometer, any GPS will work.
Depending on your interests, perhaps a handheld unit will work better than an automotive/navigation one...or vice versa.
Garmin definitely gets my vote.

 

I will recommend the Garmin as well. I have two. A nuvi for the truck and a etrex for hunting. Both work very well. You can get a basic one at wally world for about $150. Most, if not all should give you real time speed.

 

I bought a new Garmin Etrex off of Ebay for $67.00 shipped to my door last March. It's a cheap hand held that works good for hiking or in my case ATVing and getting me back to camp.

It will mark way points and give you your current speed. I even took it on an airplane and clocked the plane doing 506 mph at 34,000 ft elevation.


And I later added a Garmin 760 for the truck that is handy on trips with points of interests (food, fuel) and speed, routes.


Anyway, if you just want to calculate your speed, i'd just borrow one from somebody for a hour or two.


If you want to buy, Garmin is good.

amazon.com has some pretty good deals too. That is where I got the 760.

..

 

Ditto on Garmin. I have the Nuvi 750. Online retailers will have better prices whatever device you choose than brick and Mortar and of course there is also Ebay.

 

Do a Google search For Garmin refurb, that's how I got a good price for my 750. I've been very happy with it.

 

When they first came out in the early 1990's there were two types, one for aircraft and one for land/sea. The aircraft ones would track to 999mph while the other would track to 99mph and very few had built in data bases. The models available now are much better and all have some kind of data base. It's what is on the data base that provides everything that's displayed except for Time, altitude, lat and long, speed and course (the direction the unit is actually going). There are many available for under $200 that work very well, Garmin and Magellan are two very good ones. In my opinion for ground use you want one that will speak to you so if you are by yourself you don't have to keep looking at the screen, and.. you won't get lonely.

 

If you already own a laptop, one option is to buy a usb gps devise and a mapping program, like Microsoft Streets & Trips, or DeLorme Street Atlas. You can find the software bundled with a GPS receiver. Once you have the GPS hardware, you can upgrade software whenever you choose (and to whatever program you choose, software doesn't have to match the mfr of the gps device), and the usb device would be compatible with nearly any computer.

I found some bundled with software for under $30 for the combo on ebay. Works great if you can live with having a laptop running while you drive, or are open to using a "carpc"

 

Nuvi 765t from SAM's Club ~$350. Best price I could find (on or off-line).
Love it!

 

I have a Garmin Nuvi and a Magellan Meridian. Nuvi for on road Magellan for offroad.

I like the Garmin for its ease of use but hate it for its slow satellite response and its been returned twice under warranty for defects that left me with out a GPS while on vacation(when I really need it). Each "warranty" return also cost me $50 in shipping. Friends I off-road with use Garmins and also have Satellite locating problems.

My Magellan has been rock solid since the day I bought it(almost 5 yrs now), gets bounced around in the jeep and my coat pocket, and picks up sats in under 20sec and never loses them once connected. Even when in tree cover and my buds Garmins are losing contact it still works fine.


If all you want to do is check speed any unit should work. However don't bee surprised to see a discrepency. The GPS calculates speed assuming a perfectly and straight level road. Also the difference in speed measured on your trucks speedo will vary due to tire size. There is a measurable difference just between a new tire and a worn out one, or from one brand to another, even if you are running stock size.

However it is good enough to use as a speedo. With the big tires on my Jeep and lower gears its speedo is WAY out, so I use my GPS as a speedo.