GPS

Garmin nüvi 52, 52LM, 54 and 54LM Review

The Garmin nüvi 52 is a popular vehicle satellite navigation system. It is manufactured in three different sizes: one has a 4.3 inches display, one is 5 inches large and the other has a display size of 6 inches. The 52LM is the top selling vehicle GPS unit on Amazon.com and it comes with preinstalled US maps and free lifetime map updates. Apart from the display sizes, four different versions of the GPS receiver are sold on Amazon.com as per below:

Garmin nüvi 52 – with US maps – the price for 5-inch version is currently $112.90.
Garmin nüvi 52LM – with US maps and free lifetime updates – the 5-inch version currently costs $109.46.
Garmin nüvi 54 – with US and Canada maps – the current price for 5-inch model is $130.46.
Garmin nüvi 54LM – with US and Canada maps and free lifetime updates – the price at time of writing for the 5-inch model is $137.99.

For some strange reason, the US maps version with lifetime updates is cheaper that the one without lifetime updates. Thus one has to be stupid to buy the model without the free updates. At the same time, the model with US and Canada maps and free lifetime updates costs just $7.53 more than the version without free updates. Thus for just a few dollars more it makes sense to choose the model with the free map updates.

Amazon.co.uk is also selling four different versions of the same sat nav unit:

Garmin nüvi 52 – with UK and Ireland maps – the price for the 5-inch model is currently £79.99.
Garmin nüvi 52LM – with UK and Ireland maps and free lifetime updates – the 5-inch version is presently sold out but the current price for the 4.3-inch version is £73.99.
Garmin nüvi 52 – with UK and western Europe maps – the price for the 5-inch version is £78.99 at the time of writing.
Garmin nüvi 52LM – with UK and western Europe maps and free lifetime updates – the 5-inch model is currently priced at £79.99.

Here as well it does not really make sense to buy any model that does not include free lifetime updates. All models come preloaded with maps and include a microSD card reader and a USB connector for charging the unit and for updating the maps through a PC.

Garmin nüvi 52, 52LM, 54 and 54LM Positive Customer Reviews

Given that the GPS unit is a top selling device, it comes to no wonder that there are more than 2,100 customer reviews for the unit on Amazon.com at the time of writing. More than 1,300 people gave a maximum rating of 5 out of 5 stars and the average rating is currently 4.3. The average rating on Amazon.co.uk is 4.3 out of 5 stars, with 130 out of 205 users giving a maximum rating.

The user ratings do not distinguish between the different versions mentioned above since all versions are basically the same product, with the only difference being the preinstalled maps and the lifetime updates feature.

In the opinion of one reviewer the nüvi 52LM outperforms GPS receivers costing twice as much. Another user said that he ordered the 54LM and although it does not include traffic alerts, a feature that is usually included in more expensive models, this is still a very good sat nav for the price.

A reviewer stated that he has used the 52LM to perform multiple deliveries in the UK and he did not have any issues whatsoever. As a matter of fact, the man stated that the lane assists feature works beautifully and the facility for inputting postcodes into the software is very easy and straightforward.

A woman wrote that she bought a nüvi 52 for her husband and despite the fact that they are both senior citizens, they found the Garmin to be very simple to use. As a matter of fact, it gave them the confidence to visit places that they would not have visited had it not been for the GPS unit.

Another man said that he is very pleased with the performance of his nüvi 52LM especially since the voice on the sat nat is very clear and the fact that the device is able to find satellites fairly quickly.

Another reviewer stated that he had borrowed a few vehicle GPS units from friends to try them out and in his opinion the Garmin ones were the best. Thus he got himself a nüvi 52 and he did not regret taking that decision.

Drawbacks of the Garmin nüvi 52, 52LM, 54 and 54LM

Coming to the cons of the nüvi 52 range of GPS units, one user has commented that Garmin’s support leaves much to be desired. He said that he contacted them to ask for assistance as his unit had broken. However it took him four emails and two long phone calls before Garmin told him to ship the faulty unit back to them.

Another user wrote that he was unable to update his device. He tried using the software recommended by Garmin and also tried updating the maps through their website but it did not work. When he contacted the Garmin’s helpdesk to ask for help they told him to use the software that was not working in the first place.

According to another reviewer, he had issues in syncing with satellites but Garmin’s support suggested to stay away from high rise buildings until the GPS receiver was able to find it position correctly. The guy followed these instructions and he did not have any further issues.

According to another user, the charge on the battery only lasts for about two hours. Having said this, the sat nav is meant to be used in a vehicle, in which case one can keep it connected to the cigarette lighter for charging. This same user stated that the Garmin 52LM only provides the option to choose from faster journey time, shorter distance or off road. Apart from that it does not provide the possibility of choosing from a number of routes.

A couple of reviewers also commented that no manual is included with the Garmin nüvi 52, 52LM, 54 or 54LM. Having said thisn one of the users also commented that the manual can be easily downloaded from Garmin’s site.

Why I Would Not Buy a Handheld GPS

9 years ago 0 comments

Whenever I am travelling, my smartphone is given a lot of work to do. My current smartphone is a Sony Xperia Z and before buying the Xperia Z I have owned an HTC Touch Pro. However I only occasionally use the phone for making and receiving phone calls and messages while on my journeys. Instead my phone is made to serve its function as a GPS receiver. The thing is that I am one who likes to discover new places and without some sort of GPS receiver I would get lost in no time.

The GPS software I am currently using is Sygic GPS Navigation while on my HTC Touch Pro I used to find my way around with an iGO Amigo. In the not so distant past I have also used my iPad as a navigation device. The navigation software I am running on my tablet is NAVIGON. While Sygic, iGO and NAVIIGON are not the cheapest navigation software around they are without a doubt three of the best GPS applications available on the market.

Given the importance of a GPS receiver for my travels, I have been thinking about buying a dedicated GPS unit for some time and having my smartphone as a backup GPS. Having said this, I never came about to buying a dedicated handheld GPS unit and there are several reasons for this.

First of all is the fact that lower entry GPS units, like the Garmin eTrek 10, provide very limited functionality. The eTrek 10 in particular does not even allow one to download maps onto the unit. While it is possible to download waypoints on the device, I cannot see how useful would that be in finding my way around a city.

Another reason is that while high end portable GPS receivers, like the Garmin Montana 650t, provide a significant range of features, such devices are perhaps too expensive for the average man in the street. As a matter of fact, the Garmin Montana 650t costs $545 in the US and GBP 437 in the UK at the time of writing.

Apart from the price, one can also find a significant number of negative user reviews for the Montana 650t and other high end GPS units on the Amazon marketplace. Some users reported that the software on the 650t is rather “primitive”. Others reported that the battery lifetime is rather poor even though, according to Garmin, it should serve for 16 hours when fully charged. Other users wrote that Garmin’s support is not very helpful and if a faulty unit is returned to the manufacturer, Garmin will only replace it with a refurbished one.

Instead of buying a dedicated handheld GPS unit I prefer to keep using my Sony Xperia Z as a GPS receiver. Using a smartphone instead of a dedicated GPS unit has several advantages.

First of all is the fact that using a smartphone allows one to select from a variety of GPS applications which are usually available for trial download. Thus one is able to test a series of navigation applications before deciding which application to purchase. In the case of a handheld GPS unit one is stuck with the software provided by the manufacturer of the unit without the possibility of testing the unit before paying for it.

Secondly is the fact that when compared to the software that is installed on most handheld GPS units, most smartphone GPS applications are continuously being updated. The developers of smartphone navigation software know that they have to keep the software updated in order to compete with the many other navigation applications available on the market. On the other hand a manufacturer like Garmin knows that given that there aren’t many handheld GPS units available on the market, it will still keep selling such units even if the software is not updated in a couple of years.

While I am using a Sony Xperia Z, which I bought for € 650 some 18 months ago, any cheap Android or Windows smartphone can be used as a GPS receiver. Carrying two smartphones while travelling makes sense as in this way one would have a backup GPS unit in case one of them gets faulty, lost or stolen. While one is free not install a SIM card in the spare smartphone, having a second SIM card would be useful if wants to have a backup phone as well.

Given that a GPS receiver consumes a lot of battery power, having a backup smartphone is also useful should one of the smartphone batteries get drained. This way one does not need to go around carrying a portable battery charger in case the smartphone’s battery gets drained. Apart from being useful as a GPS receiver, a second smartphone might just as well serve as an MP3 player without the fear of draining the battery of the primary smartphone flat.

On the negative side is the fact that the GPS receiver on smartphones is usually not very powerful. This might not be an issue in the open air but in cities and in areas with dense vegetation the smartphone may take a few minutes to find the correct position. For this reason I always carry my Qstarz BT-Q818XT Bluetooth GPs receiver with me, but more about this will be covered in a future article.

The Advantages of Using a GPS Over a Map

9 years ago 0 comments

While I understand that maps can be useful for travelling, I prefer to use a GPS most of the time. There are several reasons why I would choose a GPS unit or smartphone running a navigation application over a map:

Not knowing the current location on the map – One thing I hate about maps is the time it takes to determine the current position on the map. The larger the map the greater the issue.
Not knowing the correct orientation – If one is unable to determine which way is the north and south it is quite easy to walk or drive in the wrong direction. The thing is that not everybody is capable of determining the correct orientation by using the sun’s current position as reference.
Requires the use of a compass – The sun only comes useful in orienting oneself when the weather is fine – in cloudy and dark conditions one would need to use a compass.
Not very useful in the dark – Obviously the darker it gets, the less useful a map will become. While a torch can be useful in the dark, it is rather difficult to manage with a torch on one hand and the map with the other hand. Having somebody else hold the torch in place will help but this would not be possible if one is travelling alone.
Only useful when the weather is fine – In windy and rainy conditions it is impossible to use a map and a map can get torn very easily in bad weather conditions.
Not detailed enough – Most maps are not detailed enough and usually only contain the main attractions and roads. Getting lost in a small alley that is not listed on the map is not a very nice experience. It is also quite easy to walk past the area covered in the map and get lost in the process.

On the other hand, most GPS devices do not have any of the issues mentioned above:

The prime function of a GPS receiver is to provide you with the present location. Having said this, not all GPS receivers are built the same. Buildings and trees may deflect the GPS signals and make it difficult for a GPS unit to find the position. Clouds and stormy weather may also interfere with the GPS signal. It is for this reason that I always carry my Qstarx BT-818XT Bluetooth GPS receiver with me (more about this in a later article).
Apart from providing the current location, GPS units determine the direction that one needs to follow in order to travel from one point to another.
Having an LCD, LED or any other type of display means that a GPS device is actually easier to read as it gets darker.
Some GPS units are weather resistant as do some smartphones with a GPS receiver. Having said this, it is possible to buy a special cover for a GPS unit or smartphone to protect it against the elements.
While the level of detail provided depends on the GPS unit and GPS software used, commercial navigation applications usually include more detail than any map can provide. Having said this, not all GPS software is the same and most free navigation applications do not usually contain enough detail.

GPS units do however have some disadvantages over conventional maps:

Sunlight legibility – This is perhaps the biggest issue with GPS devices. While maps are easier to read when the sun is shining during the day, some GPS units and smartphones can be almost impossible to read in direct sunlight. Having said this, some of the higher end GPS units, like the Garmin Montana 650t (available from various retailers including Amazon.om and Amazon.co.uk), do possess displays that are supposed to be legible in direct sunlight.
Battery lifetime – High usage of a GPS unit can drain the batteries fairly quickly. This is especially true in smartphones as well as vehicle GPS systems. Having said this, portable GPS units are designed in such a way so that they last much longer before the batteries get drained. As a matter of fact Garmin claims that the Montana 650t can provide up to 16 hours of battery life.