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Have been using Gamin GPS V on a bicycle for the usual benefits,ie turn by turn directions and trail file. This is an older unit with limited memory so will not store entire US at once. Also because it uses small sections of maps, you can not use the maps that are currently available, last one I know of was published 2004. Garmin no longer actively supports this model. I have found the unit is robust having survived several falls off the handle bars when the mount breaks
Verified purchase: Yes
I have been using my GPS V for almost 2 years. Before that I had a GPS III+ and a GPS II. All use the same accessories and are the same physical dimensions. I really like this unit; I just bought a second one to keep in my truck or to load up with more maps than 1 unit can hold. I use this unit on my motorcycles, 4 wheeler, boat, truck and bikes. It is very rugged and water proof. I would suggest running a 12v supply to it for motorcycles or 4 wheelers since the vibrations can batteries to swell or crush ends and they become hard to remove. Battery life is very good if you use a quality AA Battery (needs 4). The GPS V has very good routing features, but you need to use them a few times to get the hang of it. If you go off course it will take a few moments and reroute you. Buttons are big enough to use with light gloves and making a route on the fly is easy as well. Has a powerful state of options for routes, destinations, stops as well as finding places. Keeping track of speed, ETA, mileage, top speed and dozens of other stats is a snap. Another plus is that screen lights up with 3 different levels of light for use at night. There are lots of accessories made for this unit and they are readily available. There are some things I don't like however. Another review talks about bad reception, I have not experienced this. You will lose reception in places where the sky is blocked. Inside a building or in heavy forested areas where a canopy of trees cover the road. Or when very tall trees or a canyon leave only the area straight above you open to sky. This usually only lasts a few seconds and it finds itself quickly when these conditions change. I think this is common to all GPS's. The memory is not expandable; it's 19 M for maps. It is easy to out drive your downloaded maps if you have the routing feature turned on for the maps. Around home I don't have this problem but sometimes when driving 600 miles or more I need to reload maps and split my routes. This is an older unit and maps and software are a few years old. As far as I know Garmin is not updating maps or software for this unit. This means that sometimes you run into roads that have been changed (numbers or actual roads) and it is easy to think it has lost its mind. Also the data for hotels, garages and restaurants is also old, so some are still there and a few are not. The small screen and size is ok for what I do, but more modern units have color screens that are much larger. Overall, the more I use it, the more I like it. I would not pay a lot of money for one of these, the new stuff just looks too good, but if you can pick them up for a reasonable price as people upgrade, it has a full range of features and is a quality unit.Read full review
The Garmin GPS V Receiver is an excellent handheld GPS for the money. The manufacturer has installed many user-friendly features that make the first time buyer or the professional happy. They manufacturer has excellent customer service and many additional add-ons to make this unit an extremely versatile GPS to be used in town, on trips, hunting, fishing, cycling, hiking, four wheeling or camping. Suggestion: 1. One of the best ways to protect investment is to purchase a Protective Case for this GPS. You can find a top of the in line protective case that protects while allowing full viewing and access to all the features of your GPS unit. See a variety of cases at: http://stores.ebay.com/FIS4HER1-COM_W0QQssPageNameZL2 2. Purchase cable accessories that allow you to upload or download maps and data from your GPS. Purchase a 12v auto charger so that you can always keep you unit charged before heading out cross-country. Purchase quality power and data cables at: http://stores.ebay.com/FIS4HER1-COM_W0QQssPageNameZL2 3. Purchase an Amplified External GPS Antenna for the unit. The internal antenna is ok but will become intermittent in high buildings, cloudy skies and stormy weather. Purchase a quality, high gain remote antenna. See specification on 28dB and 55dB GPS antenna at: http://stores.ebay.com/FIS4HER1-COM_W0QQssPageNameZL2 Cheers – Fis4herRead full review
The Garmin GPS V is a great size and very durable for off-road adventures on a motorcycle or bicycle. It is very durable, withstands vibration and is waterproof. The unit operates for nearly two days on four AA batteries. Three things would have made the GPS V excellent, an antenna that ran the length of the unit vs one that stands straight up, a memory card for more than the 19mb internal memory and the use of a 9 volt battery with snap connectors vs the four AAs. Even with the limited memory, the GPS V will hold a large area using the Garmin Topo maps and can easily be refreshed using a small laptop.
For one of the older non-color GPS units I am impressed. It is easy to use and even though the screen is not very large it is still easy to see even in the dark due to a good back light. It is small enough to take along on hikes or carry in a vehicle. The delux package has everything you need except an external antenna which helps in weak signal places on the road. If you want a small well made unit this is one worth looking at. The screen can be used in vert. or horz. and map programs are good.
Came with City Maps NA v6. Works great, downloaded my area maps using Garmin Map source. Mounted on bicycle and works great for saving route stats and displaying on my laptop.
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: Pre-owned
I purchased my GPS V in late 2003, for an upcoming trip to New Zealand (beware, the international basemap is woefully crude and featureless) and it hasn't left my toolkit since. Recently, while packing at 9pm for yet another trip with it, I stashed it conveniently in my camera satchel, only to forget where I'd secreted it away. After a week of being unable to locate it, a sickening feeling was growing in my stomach. My relief was palpable when I finally remembered how "clever" I was that night before my roadtrip, and I fished around in the dark recesses of my camera bag to pull out my trusty GPS. At last, we were re-united! Pros: * waterproof, military-grade construction; this thing feels "engineered", not manufactured * long battery life from four AA batteries you can buy at 7-Eleven or around the world * great support via 3rd party tools for exporting your tracks and waypoints; Garmin founded the industry, so their protocols are industry-standard * works with most PC-based navigation software * stub antenna can be replaced with (cheap) aftermarket antenna for incredible satellite reception * great menuing system and buttons; everything "just works" exactly how you'd expect it Cons: * serial-only interface is both a blessing and curse, you'll probably need a serial to USB adapter for your laptop * not the lightest GPS unit out there, but it is _dense_ * better wrist strap would be good (there's one included in the deluxe kit, but I never understood exactly how they wanted me to install it) * older processor (saves battery life!), can make auto-routing slow at times; this GPS will positively cry mercy if it take it into downtown San Francisco as the streets are so dense (warning: stay PUT while it's calculating or you'll be in for a world of misdirection!) * limited on-board memory for maps, you have to be judicious with that you put on there Conclusion: While the design and implementation of the GPS V is decidedly "previous-generation", it is a superb tool with unsurpassed build-quality. This is not a toy, and you'll never confuse it with one. I would trust my life with it, and I expect to keep using it until they stop making AA batteries.Read full review
I have used these Garmin GPS models since the late 90's. I still have all of them and they work flawlessly. They were built with the outdoors in mind. They're waterproof, rugged and easy to use. By today's standard they're primitive, but if you know how to read maps, and work with a PC you can operate this unit with ease. I wired them into my Jeep and other vehicles as semi-permanent Navi's but I can pull them out as need. They show detailed description of satellite reception so you can position as needed to get a better fix on your position, they have various settings for Navigation either on road or off. Very precise and reliable. I picked this one up for a 26 bucks and I am going to use it for GeoCaching with the kids.
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: Pre-owned
Like anything, you are best served to first determine and prioritize your needs from a product and then seek the product that best meets those needs. Here were my needs: A small GPS for dirt bike navigation, good interchangeability between dirt bike, hand held and car (and anything else for that matter), durable, low cost with decent routing, tracking and mapping functions. I half expected to destroy the GPS in my first dirt bike crash so low price was actually a pretty big deal. Well at $240, this wasn't the cheapest, but it certainly had great flexibility particularly with 90 degree rotatable screen. Map quality is better than I expected as is the track navigation. Plot your tracks and then turn on navigation and getting from point A to point B off-road is as simple as following an arrow. The street navigation is even better! Again, plot your destination and it will calculate the best route (per your criteria to define "best") and alert you to turns and direction changes. Lastly, the CitySelect maps included have a ton more useful info. When recently out of town, I wanted to find a nearby Mexican restaurant for my group of 10 to have dinner... I used the FIND feature and not only found one close by, but it also had their phone number. A short cell phone call later and I had directions and reservations for 10 without ever having to find a phone book or map. Great GPS for the price. The only downside I have found is that I wish this either had more than 19MB memory or that it was flash upgradeable (SD card). UPDATE: It's April 11, 2007 and this GPS is still going strong! Since I orginally posted this review, I have literally put this unit through some tough testing, the most significant of which was a crash at over 70 MPH on my dirt bike. The bars where this is mounted were bent, the triple clamp was bent, smashed the headlight and for me only some aches/pains and a minor concussion... this GPS V only a few very minor scratches to the body but works perfect! I have also added a mount to use this for snowmobiling... it is awesome for this too, especially since most of the time, you cannot see roads or trails when they're covered by several feet of snow. I only thought to update this since I realized I am getting this ready for it's 3rd season of riding in Baja and I have not had any problems with it. For automotive use I have since graduated to an in-dash color system (Kenwood KNA-G510)... but it doesn't have the topo capabilities so I sometimes find my self even using the GPS V to supplement my Kenwood when off-roading.Read full review
The Tracking feature is great for offroading in unfamiliar territory as you can track your route and follow it back if the trail dead ends or you get lost. You can also print these track logs for future reference or wish to find the exact location. Wouldn't use it as a street GPS but it's awesome off-road!
Verified purchase: No