By Clay McAdam
I think our Focus on Mexico participants are some of the smartest, creative and helpful people I have ever known. It seems whenever I need an article about something they’ve done or something they’ve researched, they’re ready, willing and able to help me out by writing about it for the newsletter. You people rock!
Clay & Jutta McAdam came on our February 23, 2008, program. Clay recently purchased a Garmin GPS system and wrote an article summarizing his research and why he bought the GPS system he did. He finally convinced me…we’re definitely getting one. Thanks, Clay, for all the information!
GPS (Global Positioning Satellite) navigation systems are becoming more and more popular with the driving public. Recently, when I decided that I would like a GPS navigation system, I began a comparison study, first on what brands were most readily available in the stores. After playing a bit with one in a store, and not knowing what I doing or how it worked, I decided more research was necessary, so home I went, onto the internet and began a search of GPA navigation systems. 
What I found in the stores was that there were three brands that were the most commonly stocked systems, Magellan, Tom-Tom, and Garmin. There are more available, but these three seemed to be what the stores had readily available. The search on the internet left my head spinning as I began going through what was available, as each product has many different models, many different features, and many different prices.
To narrow the search, I decided that I did not need a unit that has cell phone, iPod nor MPS capability. I was looking for a navigation system that is user friendly and will tell me how to get from my starting point to my end point. Once again, with that in mind, I was amazed to find that there were still many systems available, some which will verbally tell you the name of the street where to turn, or just verbally tell you are to turn without naming the street. Some will give road updates where there are traffic problems ahead and suggest a detour. Again, I was looking for something that is easy to use, in my case – idiot-proof!
After checking through the three afore-mentioned products, I found that all provide maps of the United States, most with Puerto Rico and Hawaii included. Some, but not all, also included maps of Canada, which to me was very important, as I live in Canada. Not that I am unable to find my way out of Canada into the United States, as I have many times, but for me, that was important. Most also have the capability of downloading map updates, and also the ability to purchase additional maps. Again, for me, a map of Mexico was an important feature and they can be purchased from the manufacturer at an additional cost, which varies from company to company. Most are also capable of having European maps loaded as well, which was also a consideration.
Finally, my choice was made, a Garmin nuvi 250W, on sale at $290 Canadian. It features a 4.3 inch screen, nearly the biggest available, certainly at that price anyway. For an additional $50, I purchased an AC recharging cord, and a computer cable. The unit comes with a cable to plug into the vehicle and recharges while in use in the vehicle. It also comes with a windshield and a dash mount system, and can be moved from vehicle to vehicle. So home I went, back onto the internet and ordered a map of Mexico, which from Garmin is $100. They ship the map on an SD card (similar to what is used in digital cameras) and it is loaded into your desktop or laptop computer. You then connect your system to the computer, and in a matter of seconds, the map is downloaded onto your navigation system.
Features included on the nuvi 250W include points of interest for whatever location you are at, nearby gas stations, ATM’s, hotels, restaurants, theatres, and much more. It will tell you where to find local police stations, government offices, and when I asked it to tell me where the border crossings into the United States are, it gave me everything from the west coast of Canada to Manitoba, along with their hours. It also has a feature that allows it to be used while walking. A friend recently told me she had seen a news program that stated that navigation systems do not show anything north of Edmonton, Alberta. That was certainly bad information, since I went home and entered Tuktoyaktuk, Northwest Territories and it brought it up. Tuk is about the northernmost point in Canada with a road system.
What would I suggest for a navigation system? I suggest it is up to the individual. What suits my needs may not suit your needs. Decide what you want with your navigation system, how much you wish to spend, and do your research. I am having a great time with mine, and still learning what I can do with all the features on it, besides just drive from point A to point B.
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