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GPS Units
Yahoo Message Number: 47201
I know there has been considerable discussion about the Garmin 2610 and 2620 GPS units.  I would like to know if anyone has any first hand experience or knowledgable of the new Lowrance iWay 500c that just starting shipping the middle of November, per the factory.  This unit has dedicated storage for MP3 files, can connect to stereo speakers and is 5" diaganolly.  I'm not sure if the Garmin units offer these features.

I was able to view and learn some points of the 2620 last weekend when Sarah and Pete had their LD parked at our house--I'm new to GPSs and somewhat technically challenged.  I read a little on the iWay 500c from RV.NET, but since the unit is so new there was limited info.  I also went to the websites of the Mfgs. and obtained info for each unit, but really wanted to hear from users of these units that could hopefully give me some kind of comparison or at least there opinion of one or the other--probably the 2620 has already thoroughly been covered.
 What attracts me to Lowrance is their name and having been the leader in the Marine, and possibly aviation, fields for years.  The factory said this is their first unit in the automotive GP field.  Possibly since it's new it will have growing pains.

Any info that can be furnished will be greatly appreciated.

John K
Re: GPS Units
Reply #3 –
Yahoo Message Number: 47210
"This unit has dedicated storage for MP3 files, can connect to stereo speakers and is 5" diaganolly."
 Disclaimer: as everybody here knows by now, I own and am very happy with a Garmin StreetPilot 2610...so my viewpoint is inevitably biased in that direction. That said...
 Lowrance is certainly a well-respected name in GPS receivers--one of the "big three," along with Garmin and Magellan. So I doubt the iWay 500c is a *bad* product. On the other hand, as you pointed out, it is Lowrance's first automotive GPS system.
 One of the many things that continue to impress me about Garmin's StreetPilot 2600 series is how many little details they got "just right." These Garmin units are very clearly NOT first-generation products; it's obvious that they are the result of many generations of successive refinements that have rounded off almost all the rough edges. It's an open question whether the iWay 500c will be as polished.
 Assuming that the Lowrance product is of equally high build quality as the Garmins--and very likely it is--what are the main advantages?
 It has a larger hard drive, which allows for a larger map database. (I don't know how good Lowrance's map database actually is compared to Garmin's--that's where you'll want to read some reviews.)
 It has a larger screen. This can be an advantage, or not...it depends on how you use the unit. If you rely on voice instructions most of the time, the screen size is not a primary consideration. And the iWay 500c's 5" screen (compared to the StreetPilot's 4" screen) means a significantly larger case. I have my StreetPilot mounted on the brow of the dash, just above the instrument cluster--where it doesn't block my vision, yet I can see it without taking my eyes off the road. That might not be so easy to do with the larger i500c.
Then again, if you plan to mount it on the console, you may not care. (For safety reasons I feel that it's better not to have to move my line of sight too far from the road.)
 It can play MP3s. This looks like a cool feature at first glance, but let's consider the ramifications. If all you ever wanted to do was play MP3s in your cab, it would make sense.
But if you want to also play music at home, or in the office, or on the bus, the i500c is far too bulky to be practical--and in any case, it doesn't have a battery (neither do the Garmins), so it can't be used as a portable. It might make more sense to have a slim, pocket-sized music player like Apple's iPod or one of its many imitators...a player that runs on its own power and can be used anywhere, *including* in your car or motorhome.
 Playing music is fine, but what software support is there on the computer--where the MP3s must originate before they are transferred to the player? The iPod works in close harmony with the included iTunes software, which runs on Macs or PCs and has powerful, easy-to-use features for getting music, organizing it and creating playlists, plus of course seamless links to the iTunes Music Store. The iWay 500c has...nothing. The owner's manual (I just downloaded it in PDF format) tells you to copy MP3 files from your computer to its hard drive. You get no software for your Mac or PC to help you organize your music, though there is a crude playlist capability in the GPS unit.
 What about the time it takes to transfer files to the player? 10 GB is a large bucket to fill.
The iPod supports both Firewire and USB 2.0 connections, so that thousands of songs can be transferred in a very short time. The iWay 500c's manual doesn't say what USB standard it supports (in fact, there is no specifications page)--which usually means USB 1.0 only. It would take literally hours to load that drive with music at USB 1.0 speeds.
 I could go on, but it'll sound as if I'm slamming the iWay, and I don't mean to--I'm just raising questions that any potential buyer should ask. If the main attraction is that it's both a GPS receiver *and* an MP3 player, just how useful is it as an MP3 player? If its music- player functionality is fairly limited (as appears to be the case), then maybe that feature is not worth spending much extra money for.
 Again, Lowrance is a good company, and I'm sure the iWay 500c is not junk. But whether it's a better choice than the StreetPilot 2600 series is a question that bears careful investigation. (The other unit in this class, Magellan's 700, pretty clearly falls short, so Garmin is the one to beat.) Find some comparative reviews that look at both products, and and see what knowledgeable people have to say.

Andy Baird
Andy Baird
2021 Ford Ranger towing 2019 Airstream 19CB
Previously: 1985 LD Twin/King "Gertie"; 2003 LD Midbath "Skylark"
Re: [Life With A Lazy Daze RV] GPS Units
Reply #4 –
Yahoo Message Number: 47268
John,
 Another Garmin unit you may want to look at is the Garmin iQue 3600.
There is information on it at the Garmin site here:
 http://www.garmin.com/products/iQue3600/

One review of it is available here:
 http://www.gpsinformation.org/dale/Palm/iQueGPS.htm#GPS

One advantage of the iQue 3600 is it has a bit bigger screen: 2.16" W x
3.24" H (7 square inches), 320 x 480-pixel, high-resolution, 16-bit
 65536-color when compared to the Garmin 2610/2620 GPS units with 3.3" W x 1.7" H (5.6 square inches), 305 x 160-pixel 8-bit 256-color.  Also, the display of a map is "portrait" vs. "landscape" in orientation.  On the iQue 3600 your current position on the map is shown in the middle left to right with 1/3 of the map of what's behind you and 2/3 on the map of what is in front of you.  This seems to be a good use of the screen.

It comes with an internal rechargeable battery.  But using the unit untethered as a GPS with the screen on, the battery will run out, I think, in 3-4 hours.  If you let the screen blank out as a power conservation measure, it would run longer.  In the package I bought, it came with a USB cradle and "battery eliminator/charger brick" that plugs into 110V.  You can obviously use the unit in hiking provided you don't insist in knowing where you are at every moment.
 The iQue 3600 comes with an integrated GPS antenna.  It folds out from the back of the unit.  While that's great when your outdoors, in a vehicle you would have to keep the unit close to the windshield where the glare from outdoors may make it difficult to see the screen.  That may be OK if you only want to hear the driving instructions.  I purchased an antenna with a 8 foot cable that plugs into the top of the iQue 3600.  Now there are more options for the placement of the unit.
You would need to include an item like this in any price comparisons.
 As a separately purchase option for me, but available in some iQue 3600 "bundles" is the "Automotive navigation kit".  This plugs into a lighter socket to power the iQue 3600, provides an adjustable "bean bag" mount for the unit to sit on a dash or elsewhere and includes a better speaker with a volume control.  If this item did not come part of the "bundle" you buy, you would need to add the cost of this item in any price comparisons.
 The iQue 3600 comes with the MapSource City Select, North America, v6 CD used by other Garmin units.
 The iQue 3600 runs on Palm OS (version 5.2.1) and is a fully functioning PDA with contact lists, scheduling, games, etc. that normally come with a Palm PDA.  It can run the Palm applications.  There is, for example, at least one spreadsheet program available and I expect to use one for recording the LD gasoline usage.  There is some integration of the PDA and navigation functions.  The location coordinates of contacts, for example, winds up as one of the fields in the record for the contact.
 The iQue 3600 has a voice recording feature where you press a button and record a message which is incidentally associated with your location at the time.

You can play MP3 files on it, but the small speaker is rather tinny sounding.  You would want to plug some headphones into the headphone jack.  But, that's not exactly a recommended thing while driving, is it?
 The unit comes with only 32 MB of memory but uses SD cards for memory expansion which you would need if you travel widely.  A 1 GB SD card, the largest currently available, will cover more than half the US.  You can't go by area of course.  It all depends on how much detail goes with the varying "tiles" of maps you assemble to build up your unit's geographic data base.  Counting a $30 rebate, I bought a 1 GB SD card for $70 at CompUSA.  Prices of these vary greatly!
 The unit is easily removable and carried in a shirt or pants pocket.
 If you want to dig into it some, some of iQue 3600 manuals are available on the Garmin site.  Here is a link:
 http://www.garmin.com/products/manual.jsp?product=010-00264-00

On the down side, I have noted some minor "bugs" that Garmin will hopefully fix.  They have had some free upgrades to some of the software and I would expect more to follow.  I suspect that when they "ported" their programs for the navigation code from whatever processors they normally use in Garmin units to the processor used with the Palm OS in the iQue 3600 (200 MHz Motorola DragonBall MXL ARM 9) and tried to integrate that with other Palm functions, they goofed now and then.
Perhaps there was a rush to "get the product out the door".

Quote
From this link:
http://www.garmin.com/support/collection.jsp?product=010-00264-00

I note that there is a Palm Desktop program for Mac OS which allows a "hot-sync" of the unit with a Mac (Mac OS 10.2 or higher on a PowerPC processor).  It does not include the map assembly and install function which can only be done on Windows 98/2000/ME/XP.

My wife and I used the iQue 3600 in a rental car on our trip to the mother ship at the time we placed the order, Camping World in San Berdardino, as well as to visit a couple of on-line friends I had never met in person.  It was of immense help on those crazy freeways and one- way streets.  We called the unit's voice Destiny (as in "destination").
 There is now a similar Garmin unit called the iQue 3200.  I note that it has a smaller screen, but otherwise haven't looked at it closely.  I'm still trying to figure out what I have! :)

Alex R '05 MB Gonnabee in Feb
Re: [Life With A Lazy Daze RV] GPS Units
Reply #5 –
Yahoo Message Number: 47269
Quote
John,
 Another Garmin unit you may want to look at is the Garmin iQue 3600.
There is information on it at the Garmin site here:
 http://www.garmin.com/products/iQue3600
Alex , thanks so much on the very informative report on the iQue 3600.  I will take a closer look at this unit as I sort through a few GPS units to make my decision.
 Again thanks so much for the info and effort, on your part, put forth.

John K

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GPS Units
Reply #6 –
Yahoo Message Number: 56490
Is everyone aware of a law in California that forbids driving with a GPS on the dashboard, etc.?

I was looking at prices for the Garmin Street Pilot and this was on the website for one of the vendors.

Any comments?

Roz, the Wannabe

SPECIAL NOTE TO PEOPLE DRIVING IN CALIFORNIA

California Vehicle Code Section 26708 (a) (1) provides that "No persons shall drive any motor vehicle with an object or material placed, displayed, installed, affixed, or applied upons the windshield or side or rear windows." Drivers in California should not use the suction mount on their windshield or side or rear windows. Neither GPSonSALE, Garmin, Magellan, Lowrance, or any other manufacturer will take responsiblility for any fines, penalties or damage that may be incurred by disregarding this notice. USE THESE UNITS AND MOUNTING BRACKETS AT YOUR OWN RISK.
 This law applies to anyone driving in California, not just California residents
Re: GPS Units
Reply #7 –
Yahoo Message Number: 56491
"Roz Jirge"  wrote: "Is everyone aware of a law in California that forbids driving with a GPS on the dashboard, etc.?"

"California Vehicle Code Section 26708 (a) (1) provides that "No persons shall drive any motor vehicle with an object or material placed, displayed, installed, affixed, or applied upons the windshield or side or rear windows."
 This vehicle code section appears to apply only to the *windshield or other window glass* area; I don't read anything that says that a GPS unit can't be legally mounted on the *dashboard*.

Joan
2003 TK has a new home
Re: [Life With A Lazy Daze RV] GPS Units
Reply #8 –
Yahoo Message Number: 56492
Roz,

I looked up the actual code, and while it could apply, it actually reads windows or windshields, not dashboahboards.

http://tinyurl.com/9o6ml

That said, I guess they could get you for it if they wanted.

We use the beanbag mount, and it doesn't hamper our vision at all.

Guess, we'll just have to see . . .

Kate (17 days and counting)
Re: [Life With A Lazy Daze RV] Re: GPS Units
Reply #9 –
Yahoo Message Number: 56493
Joan, you beat me to it, sorry for the duplicate post

Kate
Re: [Life With A Lazy Daze RV] GPS Units
Reply #10 –
Yahoo Message Number: 56511
As an ex-cop (Oakland, CA  - - but many years ago!), I believe this section is normally used to prohibit window coverings such as tints etc. or any other covering that would reduce the driver's vision. I am quite sure that no cop would ding you for a GPS antenna on a suction mount. Heck, before they'd do that, they'd be nailing drivers with a radar detector on a suction mount (g).

bumper
bumper
"Yonder" '05 MB
"WLDBLU" glider trailer
Re: [Life With A Lazy Daze RV] GPS Units
Reply #11 –
Yahoo Message Number: 56513
How about the rear view mirror?  All my cars and LD have the rear view mirror affixed/attached to the front window.  I have been driving in Calif. for 45 years, and have been ticketed for that infraction yet.    Doug

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Re: [Life With A Lazy Daze RV] GPS Units
Reply #12 –
Yahoo Message Number: 56514
Should say NOT ticketed for that infraction

Doug Berry wrote:

Quote
How about the rear view mirror?  All my cars and LD have the rear view mirror affixed/attached to the front window.  I have been driving in Calif. for 45 years, and have been ticketed for that infraction yet.    Doug

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GPS Units
Reply #13 –
Yahoo Message Number: 47216
Quote
Lowrance is certainly a well-respected name in GPS receivers--one of the "big three," along with Garmin and Magellan. So I doubt the iWay 500c is a *bad* product.
On the other hand, as you pointed out, it is Lowrance's first automotive GPS system
Thanks Andy for all the info you furnished.  I'm going to strongly look at the Lowrance unit before I make my decision mostly to convince myself  I'm not leaving something on the table with the Lowrance versus the Garm.

John K

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Re: GPS Units
Reply #14 –
Yahoo Message Number: 47218
I have also been thinking about the iWay since I saw one up at the motorhome show in Pomona in Oct. My only thing to add to the thread is the iWay appears to be more agnostic than the garmin when it comes to operating systems. The Garmin pretty much requires you use their software and a Microsoft operating system.
The iWay, however, seems to hook up to any computer just like a usb disk drive. You just put the files on the hard drive and make sure the drive is unmounted (ejected) before unhooking the USB cable.

I despise Microsoft more than most, so this is important to me.

Also the iWay seems to have an actual hard drive in it, not a flash drive. This has pluses and minuses.
 The MP3 capability is not something that impreses me or that I would probably use.

Anyway, I may go buy one. I think they are a bit cheaper than the Garmins.

Randy

Quote
Lowrance is certainly a well-respected name in GPS receivers--one
of the

Quote
"big three," along with Garmin and Magellan. So I doubt the iWay 500c is a
*bad* product.

Quote
On the other hand, as you pointed out, it is Lowrance's first automotive
GPS system

Quote
Thanks Andy for all the info you furnished.  I'm going to strongly
look at
 
Quote
the Lowrance unit before I make my decision mostly to convince
myself  I'm not
GPS-Garmin vs iWay
Reply #15 –
Yahoo Message Number: 47228
We're still in the market for a gps system.  We have Mac laptops and love our old Street Atlas for Macs for mapping out trips, but are now wanting to include a gps system in our navigational tool box and have followed Andy's research and product reviews with great interest.
 After a quick review of both Garmin and the Lowrance iWay, I noticed a couple of differences not already mentioned that might be of interest to RVers.

Garmin has U.S., Canada & Puerto Rico maps, iWay only mentions continental U.S.  I can't find much info as to the detail level for the Garmin Canadian maps, so maybe Andy can provide some info here.  Anyone contemplating travels to Canada might consider that.
 Garmin has a database with 5 million points of interest, iWay doesn't mention the points of interest feature at all, but upon reading the product manual it appears to have it, but doesn't indicate how many listings are in their database.

Garmin has a detailed city navigator feature.  I couldn't find anything similar on iWay, but it could be built into the NAVTEQ mapping system.  If someone can go see the iWay in person, maybe that feature can be tested and reported on.
 I like the concept (and online image) of the larger iWay screen, but haven't seen it in person.  One review mentioned the resolution wasn't that good, but was comparing it to a smaller hand-held gps.  Garmin's screen has 305 x 160 pixels vs iWay at 320 x 240.
 The iWay comes with an external antenna, the Garmin doesn't, but one can be purchased separately if needed.

The iWay comes with both 12v and 110v plugs.  The 110v most likely needed when downloading music at home, not sure how useful it would be for navigation.

The iWay comes with a jack that can be used to connect to the speakers in your car.  Useful for listening to music, possibly helpful for better voice navigation quality.

The Garmin comes with a remote control the iWay doesn't.

The Garmin has automatic dimming for varying light conditions the iWay has a manual button.

All in all, I'm still leaning towards the Garmin, but we're still shopping and not quite ready to buy yet.

Any and all comments welcome!

Chris W.
Re: GPS-Garmin vs iWay
Reply #16 –
Yahoo Message Number: 47232
I read a recent "short take" type review on iWay vs. Garm
bumper
"Yonder" '05 MB
"WLDBLU" glider trailer
Re: GPS-Garmin vs iWay
Reply #17 –
Yahoo Message Number: 47234
"The iWay comes with both 12v and 110v plugs."

So does the Garmin. :-)

"The Garmin comes with a remote control the iWay doesn't."
 In case anybody's wondering why this would be useful...it means that you can mount the StreetPilot where the driver can best see it (e.g., on the left side of the dash), yet the person in the passenger's seat can still operate every function via the remote. As a solo traveler I don't need this capability, but for couples it could be a huge plus...not to mention a safety feature, since it lets the driver keep his or her hands on the wheel while underway.
 "Garmin has U.S., Canada & Puerto Rico maps, iWay only mentions continental U.S."
 As I recall, Garmin's database also includes portions of northern Mexico. The iWay 500c owner's manual say that it has "highly detailed road and highway mapping data for Hawaii, the 48 contiguous United States and most of Canada. You can't change or erase the map."
 "The iWay comes with an external antenna, the Garmin doesn't, but one can be purchased separately if needed."

So the iWay gives you about $60 of extra value in that regard.
 While we're on the subject, let me respond to Randy's comments as well...
 "the iWay appears to be more agnostic than the garmin when it comes to operating systems. The Garmin pretty much requires you use their software and a Microsoft operating system. The iWay, however, seems to hook up to any computer just like a usb disk drive."
 That is indeed an advantage. As a Mac owner, I had to resort to a borrowed PC to upload Garmin's map database to my StreetPilot 2610. With the 2620 this is not a concern, though, since that model comes with the map database preloaded.
 "Also the iWay seems to have an actual hard drive in it, not a flash drive."
 Correct. Garmin, on the other hand, gives you a choice: the less expensive StreetPilot 2610 model uses flashRAM cards (it comes with a 128 MB card, but I put in a 2 GB one), while the 2620 comes with a 2.2GB micro hard drive. Garmin's map database itself is 1.7 GB in size, so there's plenty of extra space.

"This has pluses and minuses."
 Yes. The plus is that the iWay's map database is preloaded (like the Garmin 2620's), and its large 20GB hard drive offers plenty of room for future expansion. The potential minuses are speed and reliability. At least in theory, flashRAM (CompactFlash) storage is considerably faster than a hard drive. However, I haven't heard any complaints about the Garmin 2620 being slower than the 2610, which leads me to think that the limiting factor is CPU speed rather than storage speed. In short, the speed of the storage device is probably not a concern.
 As for reliability, I distrust hard drives (and indeed anything with delicate, rapidly moving parts), based in part on my long experience as a support technician. My hunch is that CompactFlash-based systems, on average, will last longer than those with hard drives. But all this hardware is so new that it's impossible to make firm predictions. Suppose a hard drive fails in ten years while a CompactFlash card fails in fifteen, does it matter? By then we'll all have GPS brain implants. ;-)
 I will say this: I'd bet on the iWay's 2.5" hard drive--the same type used in laptops--being more durable than the Garmin 2620's 1.8" microdrive.
 "The MP3 capability is not something that impreses me or that I would probably use."
 MP3 players are great--I love my iPod, which has my entire music library on it--but for reasons spelled out in my last message, I don't think the iWay 500c is a very good one.

Andy Baird
Andy Baird
2021 Ford Ranger towing 2019 Airstream 19CB
Previously: 1985 LD Twin/King "Gertie"; 2003 LD Midbath "Skylark"
Re: GPS-Garmin vs iWay
Reply #18 –
Yahoo Message Number: 47237
"the gist of it was that the iWay lacked the Garmin's intuitive menuing (I have owned perhaps a dozen GPS units so far, and Garmin is by far the best in this regard.) and it also doesn't have a touch screen."
 Must've been a different unit they were comparing to the Garmin--the iWay 500c definitely does have a touchscreen.
 I agree that I'd want to see a lot more reviews before buying an iWay. User reviews are good, but expert reviews are better.
 With a relatively new product category like this (and as I've said before, I really believe that these talking, autorouting GPS navigators are in a completely different category from all previous GPS receivers), too many user reviews are along the lines of "This is my first GPS navigator, and boy is it ever cool!" Gushy and uncritical, in other words. ;-) Four or five years ago, the user reviews of digital still cameras read the same way:"This is my first digital camera, and boy is it ever cool!" This kind of writeup is not very helpful.
 It takes awhile for people to get over the novelty and start looking hard at the pros and cons. A professional reviewer who has been on the GPS beat for years and knows all the ins and outs is Joe Mehaffey (http://gpsinformation.net/>). He's seen and compared enough units to be able to realistically assess their merits and demerits. Unfortunately, Joe hasn't tested the iWay 500c yet, so as of now all we know is that he prefers the StreetPilot 2600 series to Magellan's RoadMate 700.

SUMMARY I guess the bottom line (for those who are getting tired of this topic ;-) is that Garmin's StreetPilot 2610 and 2620 are proven devices that perform superbly. You really can't go wrong with either one. Magellan's RoadMate 700 generally works well, but it lacks many nice extras that Garmin gives you. (If Magellan dropped its price to $399, it would be a good value.) And Lowrance's iWay 500c is still a question mark, though it looks promising.
So if you want one of these devices in the next month or two, Garmin is the safest choice.
If you don't plan to buy for six months or more...well, keep reading the reviews and see what develops!

Andy Baird
Andy Baird
2021 Ford Ranger towing 2019 Airstream 19CB
Previously: 1985 LD Twin/King "Gertie"; 2003 LD Midbath "Skylark"
Re: GPS-Garmin vs iWay
Reply #19 –
Yahoo Message Number: 47270
Quote from: Andy Baird"

[snip]

"By then we'll all have GPS brain implants. ;-)"

[snip

I, for one, am ready for a GPS brain implant. ;^)

Sharon N.
Re: [Life With A Lazy Daze RV] Re: GPS Units
Reply #20 –
Yahoo Message Number: 56501
The way I interpret this item is with the phrase "such that it would obstruct the driver's view."  Along with that where do you place the "satellite spotting device?"  We place ours on the overhead passenger side bunk window.  Because the coach overhang  obscured the sensors range of view (fewer satellites found).

Dave & Sandra, Garden Grove, CA '88 22' RL
Re: [Life With A Lazy Daze RV] Re: GPS Units
Reply #21 –
Yahoo Message Number: 56503
Quote
The way I interpret this item is with the phrase "such that it would obstruct the driver's view."  Along with that where do you place the "satellite spotting device?"  We place ours on the overhead passenger side bunk window.  Because the coach overhang  obscured the sensors range of view (fewer satellites found).

Dave & Sandra, Garden Grove, CA '88 22' RL
While I can't say for sure, we did send our GPS antenna down to the factory and we're hoping they go ahead and install it on the top of the rig for us.  I'm thinking if that's the case, with it on top of the rig, we should get pretty decent reception?

Here's hoping . . .

Kate
[Life With A Lazy Daze RV] Re: GPS Units
Reply #22 –
Yahoo Message Number: 56510
Quote from: Kate

While I can't say for sure, we did send our GPS antenna down to the factory and we're hoping they go ahead and install it on the top of the rig for us. I'm thinking if that's the case, with it on top of the rig, we should get pretty decent reception?

Here's hoping . . .

Kate

Kate, You should have excellent reception from a top-mounted external antenna. While an external antenna is not absolutely necessary (I drove our LD home 1500 miles from the factory using only the built-in antenna in my StreetPilot 2620 GPS sitting on the dash; it performed perfectly), I now use a top-mounted external antenna with it, since it maximizes the signal strength, picks up weak satellites that it might not get otherwise, picks up satellites that would be blocked by the overhead, increases location accuracy, and minimizes "Lost Satellite Reception" messages.
Here in the Pacific Northwest, with all the mountains, and narrow roads bordered by stands of tall fir trees, we appreciate a good antenna setup.

Will
[Life With A Lazy Daze RV] Re: GPS Units - External Antenna Install
Reply #23 –
Yahoo Message Number: 56512
Quote from: Kate

.... we did send our GPS antenna down to the factory and we're hoping they go ahead and install it on the top of the rig for us.  I'm thinking if that's the case, with it on top of the rig, we should get pretty decent reception?

Here's hoping . . .

Kate

Kate, There are detailed instructions for installing an external GPS antenna under the plastic escape hatch on the "Techsnoz" Yahoo group site at http://autos.groups.yahoo.com/group/Techsnoz. Under "Files", open GpsAntenna.pdf.  The GPS signals go through the plastic cover without noticeable loss.  Bumber has a writeup on the Vortec rebroadcast setup if your rig does not have an escape hatch.
Installed under the escape hatch there is no roof penetration so no water leak problems down the road.  It is a no special-tool install and is simply routing the cable and securing it.  Easy and it takes about 30 minutes or less.
Terry
 
Re: [Life With A Lazy Daze RV] Re: GPS Units - External Antenna Ins
Reply #24 –
Yahoo Message Number: 56515
Quote
Kate, There are detailed instructions for installing an external GPS antenna under the plastic escape hatch on the "Techsnoz" Yahoo group site at http://autos.groups.yahoo.com/group/Techsnoz. Under "Files", open GpsAntenna.pdf.  The GPS signals go through the plastic cover without noticeable loss.  Bumber has a writeup on the Vortec rebroadcast setup if your rig does not have an escape hatch.
Installed under the escape hatch there is no roof penetration so no water leak problems down the road.  It is a no special-tool install and is simply routing the cable and securing it.  Easy and it takes about 30 minutes or less.
Terry
Terry
 If they don't install it, we'll follow your instructions to the letter!

Thanks

kate