Customer Reviews

DeLorme Earthmate GPS LT-20 Street Atlas 2007 U.S.A./Canada Map CD-ROM (Windows)

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(13)
3 star:		(12)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(14)

 

 

I've been using a Garmin E-Trex for some driving navigation (not it's main purpose) for some time. Having wanted something better for driving, I saw this as an inexpensive solution to use my laptop and have large screen GPS navigation. In short, the active navigation direction (including voice) work pretty well, the large display (my laptop) is great, but the database and route management tools lack.

Having only used this H/W & S/W (the included Street Atlas) for a few days, I'm sure I haven't figured it all out. Still, I quickly found that the database only knows about one of the several Home Depot stores in my area. I looked for the hotel I'll be staying at on an upcoming trip, and it is not in the database. A two year old street in a newer nearby residential street is not present. In each of these cases, my Garmin MapSource s/w had these elements, and the level of detail and accuracy are better, too. I've found work arounds by creating waypoints where I know things I'll be going to are located (Delorme won't let me move an existing waypoint that I've created, so if it's not right, delete and recreate). I'll probably use it for such things as our RV traveling, but when I want to find the nearest hardware store... well most anything, I'll pull out my little E-Trex.

I've had this for a couple of weeks and have used it in Jacksonville FL, Charlotte NC, and Seattle WA. I already own a Garmin handheld but wanted something I could hook up to my laptop. Installation was a breeze, and the led is very useful. However, I found this GPS takes far longer than the Garmin to acquire satellites and seems to be affected by clouds. In the car I've been averaging about five minutes before the led goes green. Once it locks on it is very good at tracking movement, although even the 2006 version of the maps seems out of date. Overall, it was pretty successful in helping me find my way around.

On a plane it's very unpredictable. Flying from Jacksonville to Seattle it was able to capture a signal going north towards Charlotte but soon as we turned west it couldn't hold a signal despite showing four satellites being available.

It's nice having such a small unit, but it appears they have compromised on the antenna too much and sacrificed sensitivity.

Practically hands-free using voice commands via microphone and aural response from the software. Maps are not always 100% accurate, but none of the mapping software I've used ever are 100% accurate. Use common sense and check your route. Firmware updates available from DeLorme website.

I live in Southwest Virginia, a very rural and mountainous area, and this device along with the software has not gotten me lost yet. I am very pleased with the voice commands, and the maps.

I love the feature that if you press F5 (repeat last command) that it will update you travel distance and estimated time (based on your speed) tell it to you.

The best feature by far was its ability to get me back on route when I made a wrong turn. It quickly recalculates your route, and begins speaking the direction to get back on route immediately.

Being a guy I naturally hate pulling over at a gas station for directions, and hopefully this baby will keep that from happening again.

Over all I give this 5 out of 5 stars, I have used the Garmin GPS 18 (very similar to this) and I hated the user interface of the software. It took longer to recalculate routes, and the map is VERY hard to read (especially if you are at a red light and only have a couple of seconds).

In August Delorme will be releasing Street Atlas 2006 and it will offer the optional bundle with the Earthmate GPS unit.

I would wait till then. My version of Street Atlas 2005 is fine but the maps are a bit outdated. hopefully the new software will correct some of those things.

The delorme earthmate GPS LT-20 works really well. I used it for navigational assistance during my vacation and it really works good. But the built in tutorial is pretty sad at best. I had to play with the unit for about 2 days to figure out how it works. I think delorme needs to do a better job of a tutorial....maybe if I had used another GPS unit it might have been easier for me but this was my first time using GPS. It really does work great once you figure it out.The website for delorme did not offer much help either on product use.

Just replaced 2004 with 2006 Not much better but easier to use for windows junkies. Very accurate gps but sometimes the maping software, as with all, needs improvement. Use it extensively for back roads and it has saved us several times.
Will buy again if needed.

While the MS Streets and Trips has good map design its GPS feature does not compare to the Earthmate GPS and Street Atlas 2006. I have tested both. Street Atlas will give you better voice instruction and visual data...by far. The back on route feature of Street Atlas works great. If you deviate from your planned route it adjust your route accordingly. The voice directions are clear and loud. The ability to adjust your view of the map to compensate for sunshine in the car makes it easier to see on a laptop.

After comparing MS Street & Trips with GPS and Street Atlas with the Earthmate GPS I would highly recommend you go with the Earthmate GPS LT-20 package with Street Atlas 2006.

F. Fleming
Houston, Texas

Don't forget to download the serial driver from the Delorme site so you can use the USB GPS with other programs.
After installing the driver, Netstumbler immediately recognized it.

I have been using Street Atlas since 1997 and upgrade most of the time as they produce new versions.

The program is good. They keep improving but still have not done a great job.

They need to compare the look and feel of their program with others.

If they were to do a study, they would realize that the last thing I want to do while driving down the road is to fight with my GPS software.

At the top of the program should be a "File" menu, then edit, etc, ending with "help".

There should be a "MUTE" button so that I can easily stop the voice the says "Off Route ... Off Route...." when I am no longer following the planned route. Heck, a way to delete a route without creating a new one would work.

After years of upgrading to the latest version and hoping that they have sent their programmers to school to learn usability, I am buying a GPS mapping system from another company. (Probably Microsoft)

Update 6-10-2008
I tried the Microsoft GPS and returned it, It did not work well at all. Then I purchased Delorme 2008 and love it. It still does not have the standard file menu (File, Edit, Help, Etc) and that would make it better, but Delome 2008 is much easier to use than prior versions. I will upgrade to the next Delome version next time I need new GPS software.