Should I “update” my Roadmate Magellan GPS

[ivbinconned]

This is the second one I’ve had. Love it.
Magellan replaced the first about 5 years ago as they/we, after spending a lot of time on the phone with me gave up and gave me a new one.
The reason....after doing an update it became very slow in responding to commands. As if it did not have enough memory/ ram or whatever.
Now this one is 5+ years old and I am not sure I want to update.
We plan on heading south in a week and I’m thinking I should leave sleeping dogs ......

[DrewE]

pnichols wrote:

If what you say is indeed true of how smart phone navigation works, then it sure needs to be explained and talked about way more by smartphone manufacturers and retailers.

That brings up a question - how many of you smartphone navigation users have ever had something like a "no satellite signal" message appear on the screen when trying to navigate out in areas where there also isn't any cell signal available?

A "no satellite signal" message of course should occur in such situations as when a cell phone is inside your RV away from the windows. That message sometimes appears on the screen of my Garmin navigator when it doesn't have line-of-sight satellite access - but I've never seen that kind of message appear on our smartphone ... which makes me doubtful of it uses satellite access for anything accept locating us if we can make a regular cell call for some kind of help.

Smart phone navigation has pretty much always relied on the GPS (sometimes in cooperation with the cell tower triangulation) because the cell tower triangulation is nowhere near as precise in most cases, often insufficient to determine what road you're on exactly. It's the difference between "low-power/low-accuracy" positioning and "high accuracy" positioning on my (Android) phone, if I'm not mistaken.

Google Maps doesn't explicitly say "no GPS signal" or something similar, but it will show the "you are here" blue dot as gray instead of blue util it can get a fix on the location, and shows the estimated error of the fix with a blue circle around it if it's not super precise. I think I remember reading that cell phones can get a GPS fix more rapidly than standalone GPSs when in range of a cell tower because the time and/or satellite information needed is available via the cell tower, rather than having to be decoded from the GPS signals. Of course, if you're out of cell phone range, it will take longer for the phone to get its first location fix via GPS, similar to a normal GPS. (There are variations in speed there depending on the sophistication of the GPS chipset, too.)

[drsteve]

Last summer we rented a houseboat on Lake Cumberland in Kentucky. We were able to use Google Maps to navigate the entire lake, it showed our position in real time as we cruised around. Never missed a beat. Between that and a detailed map we knew where we were at all times.

[Sam_Spade]

pnichols wrote:
which makes me doubtful of it uses satellite access for anything accept locating us if we can make a regular cell call for some kind of help.

While the evidence that you have seen might logically make you think differently, the recent "smart" phones actually have a GPS chip in them. The phone/data network is used to get the maps but isn't needed again until you go a LONG way down the road and need a new section of maps. Unlike a "real" GPS, it won't store the entire map of the US, for instance, all at once.

[pnichols]

WTP-GC wrote:
I've heard the arguments of using a GPS device in lieu of a cell phone and vice versa. Yes, the cell phone does require a cell signal to work. However, the phones have a built in GPS (at least mine does). It's my understanding that you only need a cell signal to get going, but once underway and "navigating" the GPS function will continue to work without cell service. I've started navigating with my iPhone in a place that had service, but then drove through an area that absolutely doesn't have service, yet it functioned fine throughout.

If what you say is indeed true of how smart phone navigation works, then it sure needs to be explained and talked about way more by smartphone manufacturers and retailers.

That brings up a question - how many of you smartphone navigation users have ever had something like a "no satellite signal" message appear on the screen when trying to navigate out in areas where there also isn't any cell signal available?

A "no satellite signal" message of course should occur in such situations as when a cell phone is inside your RV away from the windows. That message sometimes appears on the screen of my Garmin navigator when it doesn't have line-of-sight satellite access - but I've never seen that kind of message appear on our smartphone ... which makes me doubtful of it uses satellite access for anything accept locating us if we can make a regular cell call for some kind of help.

[WTP-GC]

I've heard the arguments of using a GPS device in lieu of a cell phone and vice versa. Yes, the cell phone does require a cell signal to work. However, the phones have a built in GPS (at least mine does). It's my understanding that you only need a cell signal to get going, but once underway and "navigating" the GPS function will continue to work without cell service. I've started navigating with my iPhone in a place that had service, but then drove through an area that absolutely doesn't have service, yet it functioned fine throughout.

[macjom]

You can also use CoPilot. One good feature is that you can download the maps.

[dodge_guy]

I have a Garmin that is 10 years old. I bought the lifetime updates when I got it. Then they came out with free lifetime updates a couple years after that.

My next GPS will be a Garmin.

[Sam_Spade]

What is the real question ?
You said you did an update....of the maps, I assume.
Are you really asking if you should replace it with a newer unit ??

Have you done a "hard" reset yet ?
If that is available, it might speed things up a bit.

I started out with Magellan a LONG time ago but switched to Garmin and never looked back. You can get a good one these days around $150. Not worth screwing with an old one that has "issues".

[Boomerweps]

A stand alone GPS is USELESS without FREE lifetime updates, IMHO.
I have two Magellan GPS units, haven't used either for 8 years or more. Took my newest one along on a trip to Austin TX for my daughter's wedding. Was updated a couple years prior. There were actually whole new major roads built since then and half the restaurant listings were wrong between closed restaurants and newly opened ones.
Decided to update it when I got home. Cost would have been $105! I cancelled that. I bought that GPS factory refurb for $99 shipped. I now use my phone GPS and also down load state or area maps on my wifi only iPad using the mapsme app. So my iPad becomes my atlas especially when loss of cell service occurs.
I have a couple different mounts for the iPhone when used as a GPS. Hardest part was teaching SWMBO how to use the map program and do searches.

[pnichols]

We have a Garmin 3550 with free lifetime updates and we use it a lot, along with Benchmark atlases, and Microsoft's pretty good MAPS software fully contained in our laptop's memory. We have nearly 500,000 custom Points of Interest stored in the Garmin to cover just about anything we might need. The Benchmark state by state atlas series are over the top for handy large format non-urban RV trip navigation.

We don't want any navigation aid that relies on cell service, as it's too spotty for general RV trip use. We want something that always works without having to wonder about, or check for, cellular signal strength.

Of course when you do have an adequate cell signal, it's pretty hard to beat Google Earth Pro for the ultimate RV travel navigation aid anywhere. It's too bad that the entire Google Earth Pro database for at least the U.S. - with constant updates via some app - can't be downloaded onto a laptop. What a tool that would be!

We especially don't like to rely on cellular coverage for emergencies, so we carry in our RV - and on our person when out of the RV - a satellite device so we can text for minor emergency support or text routine family communications back and forth ... as well as push an emergency button for up to, and including, helicopter airlift for serious emergencies on or off the beaten path.

Cell phones have their purpose, but they don't cover enough bases for us to rely on them exclusively during RV adventures.

[spoon059]

I use Google maps for GPS. It updates every couple of weeks... for free. I can also download directions and maps for offline use, in the event I lose GPS or cell service. Not sure why people still buy standalone navigation systems in this day and age...

[ivbinconned]

The truck screen might work good for a midget sitting in the center front (16Ram)!
I like the gps mounted high and just over the 1pm position of the steering wheel ..
Almost in line of site but still not obstructing my view.
Bigger screen than my IPhone.

[Jim-Linda]

Or, get a Garmin with Lifetime Updates and not have to buy a new one for the latest.

[Crowe]

We used to use Garmin GPS systems but with the advent of cell phone apps such as Waze and new vehicles having built-in navs we no longer use them as the phone apps have real-time updating as do some of the on-board navs. If the GPS has not been updated in 5 years I would be concerned about road changes, etc., that might not be on there. That said I would update, hope for the best but be prepared to get a new one if that is your preferred method or update and use a phone app as a back up.