BUYING A GPS IN THE USA

[Bigbjorn]

In ten days I will be in the USA for an extended holiday. I am going to hire cars at various locations and will buy a GPS. Walmart does the best prices, next is Bestbuy, closely followed by Champion Auto Store. All have only North America maps, USA, Canada, Mexico. I asked about getting one with Australia included. No response other than "we only sell these", "maybe you need to buy one meant for Australia", "no idea, ours are only North America".

Can Oz maps be loaded in upon my return? Any idea of cost? I have been quoted <US$150 for a Garmin 1450 if ordered on-line for pick-up at a Walmart in Los Angeles.

Maybe better to just buy another in OZ on my return if held to ransom for expensive Oz maps.

[Tombie]

No they can't mate.
You could try and hack the Magellans like we could do once but the maps and database are in internal memory only.

You can use an external card and get the Oz maps but it's not normally worth it.

Our base mapping is not free like it is in the US - their cartographers work "for the people" ours are expensive due to how our gov works.

Without inbuilt AUS maps they are horrible to use.

[Caboose]

I agree - not worth it.

I actually purchased a Garmin online from the states many years ago before they became cheap and readily availability over here. Although the Oz $ was cr@p at the time it still worked out cheaper to import one and upload the additional maps including the marine ones.

They are a dime a dozen these days.

[roverrescue]

Brian,
You could buy say a Garmin GPSMAP 78s or sc handheld.
It will come preloaded with US maps.
On your return, put Shonkymaps onto the expansion card/memory (few different ways of transferring map data) then you will have a pretty good aussie mapset to select as the default?

S

[Basil135]

A gps bought in the US wont work down here in Oz unless you turn it upside down... cause we are down under.....

And then when it says left, you will have to turn right.... or is that left???:eek:





:wasntme:

[austastar]

Hi,
I have a Garmin Nuvi bought in the UK given to me by a friend who had ended up with two because of postal confusion.
It came with the UK and Europe maps.
I loaded the Australian City maps and OzToppo with Base Camp, which ended up costing me about as much as a new GPS any way.
cheers

[omy130]

Brian,
Had tried to send a PM but it bounced. Had a couple of options but put the easiest to re-write below.
You can get an Oz Based Garmin & buy the North America Software. Cheap Garmin is $175 plus America Software (on SD Card) $109 (prices: Johnny Appleseed website) Under $300 bucks & your own GPS for Oz. Not as expensive as thought!
Geoff

[Blknight.aus]

Some GPS will provide for different location maps to be installed from a CD-ROM.

Mio is one breed Garmin is another HOWEVER it is NOT on ALL of the GPS's that the companies provide.

The Android map services and apps will do it quite well depending on where you go (and given that the map stuff started over there the coverage is very good)

mapdroid provides full coverage and while it doesnt get down to every street in the suburb is good for working out where you want to be and go.

If you precache from googlemaps on a home PC you can use quite a few other apps and just import route directions over the phone.

[slug_burner]

I got a Nuvi when in North America and then put the Aus maps on a SD card. Can't remember the actual cost of the Aus maps but it was approx $200. Some units are about that price, maybe not the Nuvi. The cheap $100 internet and IGO8 will come in at less if you can get the Aus maps at a reasonable cost;)

[ScottW]

My parents bought a Garmin Nuvi in the States, and I put the Aussie maps on it when they go back. There was enough spare memory in the nuvi for the Aussie maps, so no SD card required.

[The ho har's]

Reported

[Bigbjorn]

I am in Omaha. I bought a Tom Tom in LA from Best buy for around A$140. Have not really needed it until today. I29-S is totally closed due to flooding and all traffic was sent on a long e-s-w-n detour which is almost totally unsigned and really required some local knowledge. If I had not known that Council Bluffs, Iowa, is across the river from Omaha, then I may still be blundering around in the Iowa cornfields. People in their highways dept. need a good kick up the icehole.

Good news is that beer is cheap, steak is good. Got a six pack of Old Milwaukee 5%, 16oz. cans, in Hardin for $4.70 and a six pack of Heineken in Rapid city for $7.75.

I booked a Chev. and got a Toyota Camry. I have got enough adjustment into the seat to be reasonably comfortable but have to take my shoes off. The thing gets the job done and uses v. little fuel which is about $1 per liter.

Off to talk to the restorers at the Museum of American Speed in Lincoln tomorrow about HAL Indy engines.

[DDdisco]

I bought a TomTom in the US last year (from Target I think) when travelling. It has US/Canada/Mexico mapping on it and was really handy. I then purchased the Australian maps from TomTom when I got back. It was a direct download to the device, no SD card involved. Both sets are still on the device, and I've used it again in the US since.

Cheers