Experiences with Garmin Nuvi 500?

**FFR** · 1st January 2010, 03:21 AM

Hi,

No, my installation is just in the beginning, still hiding the cabling and trying to find a good place for the PC (an eee PC like Mike has). A hundred of troubles with the screen resolution (try to avoid intel video chipset for bizarre external sizes, like my xenarc 800x480) but stays in place even in rough terrain.

Regarding the nuvi machine, Garmin's small print about Topo Australia states that:

"There are certain elements of these mapping products that were designed for use on dedicated Outdoor and Marine GPS products that will not be displayed on a nuvi. If you would like to use these mapping products and experience the highest level of detail and functionality, we would recommend that they be used on a dedicated Outdoor or Marine GPS product."

... so be aware of that. Garmin Topo Australia can be retroffitted to an old nRoute installation by means of a third party software (Garmin changed the format when they stopped supporting nRoute). More details in gpsaustralia.net

By the way, if my "SA clock" doesn't lie me, now is 2010 in Oz. I wish you all the best for the new year.

Carlos

**sashadidi** · 1st January 2010, 05:56 AM

you can get nuvi 1390 at harvey norman christchurch for $357.00 on sale I got one comes with preloaded australia and NZ city navigator 2010.10 and you can upgrade to 2010.20 for free and I can help with the australia topo that works on garmin if you pm me
topo will work better on non nuvi models

Originally Posted by LandieMan

I'm looking at purchasing a Garmin Nuvi 500. It seems to have all the usual GPS features and Garmin is a good brand plus it's a bit ruggedized and waterproof which is a bit of an advantage when bouncing around in the truck.

Does anyone have any experiences with this particularly unit? All opinions appreciated, good or bad.

Cheers, LandieMan

**incisor** · 6th January 2010, 06:53 PM

i have been gifted a 1390 so would be interested in hearing what you think of it...

**scrambler** · 6th January 2010, 09:34 PM

Originally Posted by LandieMan

I'm looking at purchasing a Garmin Nuvi 500. It seems to have all the usual GPS features and Garmin is a good brand plus it's a bit ruggedized and waterproof which is a bit of an advantage when bouncing around in the truck.

Does anyone have any experiences with this particularly unit? All opinions appreciated, good or bad.

Cheers, LandieMan

I'm in agreement with you that the Nuvi 500 looks the goods. i don't have one: I have a Nuvi 760 and I would recomend the 765 based on comparison reviews, but for me the extra speed, better interface etc were offset by double the price.

I wouldn't look into anything but Garmin if you want topo maps. Don't know about NZ but most of the world has access to Garmin format maps, as the mapping system is essentially "open source." As Shonkymaps shows, anyone with enough dedication can put together a great mapset for Garmin.

The pluses for the 500 over the more road-oriented Nuvis (the 500 being a road/trail hybrid) are the ruggedness and the capacity to have "off-road" navigation. Most Nuvis really don't like being told to drive in places their maps say have no roads. there are plenty of functional work-arounds, though.

If price is no object (and the 500 isn't cheap and is hard to find) then the newer motorcycling Garmins (Zumas) would be worth looking at.

The off-road (walking oriented) Garmins either have no voice guidance or (according to multiple reviews) crap screens. Plus small screen real estate. I don't think that the 3-d rendering some can do is really worth the trouble.

With the Nuvis you do need to look into whether it does trail recording and routes, and whether you want these. Otherwise they will all load and use any Garmin format map. The "travel companion" features are less use in island nations like ours.

**sashadidi** · 9th January 2010, 06:59 AM

seems Ok in NZ will try in ozzie next week and with the topo maps as well

Originally Posted by incisor

i have been gifted a 1390 so would be interested in hearing what you think of it...

**tracker** · 9th January 2010, 08:00 AM

Originally Posted by sashadidi

seems Ok in NZ will try in ozzie next week and with the topo maps as well

SWMBO picked up a 1390 just b4 xmas for $254 at office works.uploaded latest maps and works good in city and not bad in bush.Must get around to having a play soon!

**rusty05** · 5th February 2010, 03:02 PM

Originally Posted by sashadidi

you can get nuvi 1390 at harvey norman christchurch for $357.00 on sale I got one comes with preloaded australia and NZ city navigator 2010.10 and you can upgrade to 2010.20 for free and I can help with the australia topo that works on garmin if you pm me
topo will work better on non nuvi models

I'm also lookin at getting a gps which can do topo/4wd tracks as well.

Ihave come across the nuvi 1390 which has mini SD for other mapping...
I found this TOPO Australia Topographic and Street Maps for Australia, DVD, SD Card, tracks, 4wd destinations, City Navigator NT Australia, GPS, radio, Radios, boat gps, Boat radios, garmin gps, gme gps, navman gps, VHF Marine, fish finder, Fishfinders, Emergency

I assume this what people are rreffering to when they mean topo australia, it indicates it supports the nuvi1390. So at the moment its high on my list, Although from reading forums, the nuvi isn't thet well recieved..
Would u recomend the 1390 with these topo maps?

**sashadidi** · 7th February 2010, 05:09 PM

used the garmintopo 2.0 while in adeliade and surrounds, seem ed to work ok in nuvi 1390 and showed contours ,main roads etc and would locate a address etc but will not tell you to tiurn left , right etc just follow the marked route
hope this helps

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