Garmin StreetPilot ColorMap 3.5-inch Portable GPS Navigator

by Garmin

Product Details

Product Manual [2.04mb PDF]

• Product Dimensions: 3 x 6.5 x 3.5 inches ; 1 pounds
• Shipping Weight: 3 pounds
• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S.
• ASIN: B00000J40X
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (43 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #202,511 in Electronics (See Top 100 in Electronics)
• Discontinued by manufacturer: Yes

Product Description

Color: StreetPilot

Amazon.com Review

Garmin's StreetPilot GPS ColorMap features a large, bright color display but lacks a surprising number of features that are included with some of the less expensive global positioning systems that we've tested. Designed for use in a vehicle, this GPS comes with a dash mount, cigarette lighter adapter, and a serial cable for interfacing with a PC.

At 1.3 pounds and almost 7 inches wide, the GPS ColorMap isn't tiny. The reason for the unit's bulk is the relatively large 16-color backlit display, 1.8 inches high by 3.3 inches wide, that dominates the front of the device. The color screen serves up clear images that are much easier to interpret than those produced by a grayscale display. It's much like looking at a standard road atlas, with red interstates, gray secondary roads, and light blue rivers crisscrossing a bright yellow background. A night mode switches the yellow background to black, and there are several levels of brightness that make the unit legible regardless of the lighting we tested it in. Also, in our tests, the 12-channel GPS receiver took a surprisingly long time to acquire satellite signals, but once they were locked in the unit accurately tracked our movements and never broke its lock when we passed through tunnels or heavily forested areas.

The map database included with the device contains most of the major highways and all of the interstates for the entire United States as well as the more important city streets in large metropolitan areas. This limits the device out of the box for use primarily for cross-country travel. However, the map database can be expanded via a cartridge slot in the battery compartment that accepts separately available 8 MB or 16 MB cartridges. Garmin sells cartridges preloaded with detailed map information, or you can buy a blank cartridge and a MapSource MetroGuide CD-ROM to download data from your PC to the GPS. The built-in database comes with information on interstate exits and labels major bodies of water, but MetroGuide upgrades add many more features like street-level maps for entire cities, restaurant data, and the ability to pinpoint a specific address.

Although the StreetPilot GPS ColorMap is easy to use and highly accurate, it has several shortcomings that detract from its overall value. An automatic routing feature that lets users enter a departure point and destination to get directions would have been nice. As it is, users are forced to enter routes manually or download them from computer software that is compatible with this device. The GPS ColorMap comes with a PC interface cable but no software to download. Most GPS devices in this price range offer pages and pages of data derived from complex internal calculations, but this product offers only the moving-map page and a Dashboard page that serves as a basic trip computer. For this price, we expected more. Also of note is the unit's underwhelming 2.5-hour battery life, which forced us to enter complex routes while the device was being powered by the cigarette lighter adapter. --T. Byrl Baker

Pros:

• One of the only color GPS devices on the market that's designed for vehicles
• Easily detached from the base mount so you don't have to leave it in the car
• Accurate tracking

Cons:

• Needs routing software to realize its full potential
• Few data pages
• Poor battery life

Amazon.com Product Description

Designed primarily for the automobile, the basemap data of Garmin's StreetPilot GPS ColorMap displays exit information for the federal interstate highway system, information such as available food, lodging, and service stations. It also contains a reference basemap showing interstate, U.S., and state highways, plus rivers and lakes in the United States, Canada, and Mexico, with main arterial streets shown in metropolitan areas. You can plug in optional data cards (MetroGuides) for street-level map detail, access to business listings, and points of interest in your area.

The ColorMap features a high-performance GPS receiver with 12 parallel channels for quick satellite acquisition and reliable signal reception, whether you're under dense tree cover or surrounded by high-rise skyscrapers. The high-resolution, 16-color display makes map reading easier. The Garmin StreetPilot GPS ColorMap shows text and graphics in large type for viewing convenience, and has a screen brightness adjustment and a night mode that alter the display colors for viewing in dim ambient conditions. The unit also comes with a free cigarette lighter adapter so you won't always have to rely on battery power. The StreetPilot ColorMap works in trucks and vans as well.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

50 of 51 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Some things to know..., May 26, 2001

By 

Dennis Mabrey (Whitehouse Station, NJ USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Garmin StreetPilot III 6.8-Inch Portable GPS Navigator (Electronics)

First I want to say I am very happy with the talking SPIII. It is does a pretty good job routing and if you drive off the route it will autorecalc a new route for you. I have used numerous GPS's in the past and this does a great job for driving (for biking or hiking I HIGHLY recommend the Garmin 12 Map, my favorite GPS).

Now there are some things to know about this product however. First you get a CD that allows you to download maps from your PC to your Steetpilot. It works over either serial or USB (USB goes to a 32MB memory card that you can plug in). The CD contains maps of the US BUT... you only get to select one region of the US for free. The rest of them you must pay for from Garmin for approx $116 a shot ($291 total for the total US). You can purchase this online at Garmin's web site and they will give you a key to open up the different regions. The base map. the one built into the Garmin, on the GPS is still "good" for the whole US but the CD give MUCH better detail. I am not complaining about this since the maps seem pretty up to date. The road I live on is 2 years old and no other mapping software to my knowledge has it as part of their data but the Garmin software did.

Another thing to note is the form factor for the StreetPilot III and the older street pilots are different. this can be important if you order from Garmin direct accessories like the bean bag mount (as I found out).

40 of 40 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Best Portable Navigation, Period!, January 6, 2002

By 

Nathaniel Thomas (Boston, MA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Garmin StreetPilot III 6.8-Inch Portable GPS Navigator (Electronics)

Before I bought the StreetPilot III I did a lot of searching around on the internet for a GPS system for my car and all signs pointed to Garmin. I bought my StreetPilot on e-bay for a considerable amount under the retail price. I also purchased the unlock code to all the DCAs because I am going to be heading down to the South in March. I was able to purchase the Streetpilot and the unlock code for less than the lowest advertised price for the StreetPilot by its self.
Does the Streetpilot III work? It is simply amazing. I thought that the screen would be a bit small but it seems the perfect size for the dash. The mapping is extremely exact; even my street, which is a dirt road, was on the basemap. The voice commands are very helpfull, especially in heavy traffic when I do not want to take my eyes off the road. The voice commands are at times are a bit misleading, though. For example, at a rotary, which the GPS refers to as a roundabout (trying to be British?), the voice sometimes says, "take second right," when the correct direction is either first or third right. However, the map is always correct and I just follow the route that I have programed by looking at the map. Except for instances at "roundabouts" the voice has been very accurate for me.
Other than the voice commands at times being misleading there is not much wrong with the Streetpilot. The buttons on the unit are easy to use and their functions are easy to learn and follow.
The tracking is amazing. Location is usually within 20 feet of my location. When driving, distances seem to be given just a bit sooner than they are. For example, when aproaching an exit the GPS voice will say, "Exit in 400 feet," when the exit is 500-600 feet away. However, this is much better than being a bit off in the other direction. The GPS also gives speed and is always about half a mile per hour under what my spedometer reads, which seems extremely accurate.
Programing with the Mapsource took a little while to learn, but that is the case with most new software. Once the data is loaded to the data card one can access it from the GPS unit. Finding locations is simple. Entering an address takes a couple of minutes or one can search for a city or town by pressing the menu button and choosing from a variety of ways of finding a location. Everything on the Streetpilot is layed out very well. Garmin did an excellent job designing the streetpilot and it is amazing that they can offer the StreetPilot for half of what Magelen charges for their 750, which I never really considered buying.
I recently used my StreetPilot on a New Year's trip to Quebec. On the entire trip I never once had to consult a map or ask for directions; the Streetpilot took me from Boston to my hotel in Quebec City with ease.
I would strongly recommend the Streetpilot III to anyone considering a portable GPS for their car. I'm sure that within a few years this unit may be half the price. However, the Streetpilot seems to be a unbeatable value to me. The Streetpilot can do everything that an in dash nav. system can do but at half the price. I definatley have no misgivings on purchasing my Streetpilot and look forward to the next time I head out on the road, knowing that I probably won't get lost again.

28 of 28 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars StreetPilot III Review, May 5, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: Garmin StreetPilot III 6.8-Inch Portable GPS Navigator (Electronics)

StreetPilot III is a keeper! After quickly entering your destination whether it is a address, city, or point of interest such as a restaurant or shopping center, in a matter of less than a minute, the GPS tells you exactly how to get there. Not only does it tell you to make left or right turns, but it will notify you for instance to "bear right in 300 feet". What is great about the directions is that it compensates for when you are driving faster such as on the highway and tells you you have to make a turn longer beforehand.
I find the antenna satisfactory for acquiring satellites in a short amount of time. If you place the GPS on the dash, it is usually no longer than a minute to acquire enough satellites to be sufficient for navigation. Sometimes when I use it while driving under heavy cover of trees, it has no problem with keeping satellite reception.
The color screen is pretty good. I have had a previous GPS which was grayscale which was difficult to read. StreetPilot III's screen which can be adjusted in terms of brightness and contrast is great. Though I must mention that if direct sunlight hits the screen, it does make it difficult sometimes to read.
The route fuction is incredible. It takes for a general route anywhere from less than thirty seconds to a little over a minute to calculate. If you are planning a longer route (such as 100 miles or more), it takes from about forty-five seconds to under two minutes. Sometimes, I would be unable to complete a direction due to construction or I would simply miss the turn and the StreetPilot III would easily and quickly recalculate a route to the destination (you can configure it to ask to reroute or it can reroute automatically for you). Just the other day, I got caught in traffic. Luckily the StreetPilot III has the detour function, which allows you to get off the road you are driving on as quickly as possible and eliminates that road from your route for the distance you tell it to (either 1/2, 1, 2, 5, or 15 miles). It told me to take the next exit and provided a route taking me on main roads that led exactly to my destination. Also, you can look at your route on a detailed map page showing each direction and the time and distance until that direction is executed. This way, you can look ahead and see what roads you will be taking and how long you will spend on them.
One thing I must mention is the need to plug it in the car power adapter when using it. If you don't use AC power or the car adapter, this unit will use up batteries very quickly, especially if you adjust the backlight to be on a high setting. When they state in the specifications that the battery life is 20 hours or so in the lowest backlight setting, they are not lying BUT the lowest backlight setting can only be used at night and even then it is very hard to see because it is so dim. I have the brightness setting at almost the highest level which when I am not using the car adapter lasts from 1 to 2 hours.
The 32 MB data card that comes with the unit is enough for most people. I can fit all of New Jersey and half of Pennsylvania using the detailed map coverage from City Navigator included with 32 MB. This is sufficient and if I ever have to change my map coverage, I simply rewrite over the card. The number of routes and waypoints allowed seems to be sufficient for my needs (I have about 30 routes and 200 waypoints). Finally, there is a page that shows a lot of helpful numbers which includes your mileage, current speed, driving time and overall time as well as average driving speed and overall driving speed, and my favorite number, max speed. It also shows you the battery strength which is always very accurate.
Overall, this is definately the best portable automotive navigation unit currently on the market. Not only does it have a color screen and is portable, it creates turn-by-turn routes and will reroute you if you miss a direction.

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