Customer Reviews

Uniden Gps402 Maptrax 4-Inch Portable GPS Navigator

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

All of the GPS units in the $300-$400 price range have some limitations. But, this Uniden GPS-402 works great is easy to use and has very few negatives. The only ones which I could see were no text-to-speech capability and no Bluetooth wireless functions. If these two issues do not concern you, then this is the GPS for you. This is a great looking GPS with a beautiful 4" screen which is auto adjusting and excellent in direct sunlight. The 402 uses the latest version of NavTeq maps and has wonderful planning & routing options which you cannot get on the Garmin models (add, delete & mark way points and view routes). The GPS-402 comes with an excellent windshield dock and bracket which is easy to attach and remove and is very stable. Exceptional ergonomics and functionality - one can cancel the current route by simply touching the corner of the map screen. One can get to the route option screen by touching any part of the map screen while proceeding to the destination. Even though it does not have text-to-speech the GPS-402 works very well with visual bars and a voice counting down from 1000 feet before turns. One can display the entire route on the screen by simply dragging the screen toward the destination point before you drive it. The unit can also route by street intersections as well as addresses and POI's. The POI database is current and seems to have a countless numbers of restaurants and other points which I checked for some small and large towns. It pulled up every imaginable museum for the greater Seattle area. This was better than expected since it states over 2 million POI's total. Maybe they save on some categories like movie theaters. This GPS also has excellent external buttons and controls which can same time over using screen menus. The GPS-402 has the latest SiRF III chipset and tracks in seconds with instant auto rerouting. Did I mention that this GPS seems well built and comes in a very attractive case with black rubber grips on the sides (looks better than the picture). I understand that the Garmins are very easy to use and are great products, but I will stay with the Uniden with a larger and better looking screen , more functionality & routing options, with the same ease of use for less money than the Nuvi-350.

Pros: Slim, attractive, easy to see screen, good reception.
Cons: Despite what the descriptions say, there is NO TEXT TO SPEECH!! I don't think I'll be hanging onto this for too long because of it. Also, it doesn't actually bring you directly to your address... if you want to go to 59 Main St, it will bring you to a range of addresses, like 1-400 Main St. It also doesn't seem to be all that accurate, almost like the map takes a little while to update itself to where you are. I'm considering getting rid of it.

I purchased this GPS because I use other Uniden products and at the time the price was attractive. 2-stars for a decent screen, but I've found more cons than pros.
Pros - Bright, large, easy to read screen.
Cons - Directions only guide you to a block (rather than specific address).
Can zoom out only to 8 miles (you can't get a look at your progress on longer trips).
Poor speaker which is hard to hear in some cars.
Takes much longer to lock on satellites than Garmins we use at work.

If Uniden wants to continue in the GPS market, they have some work to do. For a similar price, you can find much better options.

I couldn't find any of the places of interests that I need such as parks and schools. This unit took longer to get a lock on the satellites than my previous GPS unit, the ViaMichelin X-930. The turn signal lights are VERY DIM--virtually invisible during the day time. The design is very ugly like a brick. The antenna must be opened in order to have any signal. If you have a PDA, use your PDA with a BlueTooth receiver and get Mapopolis-BEST navigator I've ever used.

Please save your money. Not only is this unit innacurate, it announces your arrival as much a block away, but their maps and data bases are so out of date that it shows restaurants in our area that have been closed longer than we have lived here. That's 7 years!!!! The official answer from uniden is there will be no updates on any of their GPS units. If your a member of the " Flat Earth Society " then this GPS may be for you. Don't be fooled by the owners manual, it states that Map updates are available, for a cost on their website. Total lie. Their are no links or info concerning updates. I wrote unidens customer service and this was their response:

Our Solution :
Thank you for using our system.

Unfortunately there will be no map updates available for any of Unidens GPS products.

Sincerely,


Don't buy Don't buy

First off, I absolutely deplore the current crop of GPS units because of one main reason: They pretty much all have decided to eliminate external (physical) buttons.

My original device, a Magellan Roadmate 3000, came packed with enough external controls to accomplish nearly everything without ever bothering to look up on and touch the screen (which was also available). I guess to save money they all decided to merely throw their units into a generic gray plastic case that does NOTHING other than house a power button.

The practice is, in fact, rather dangerous. At the very least, they should have a volume control that can be found by touch if needing to direct one's attention elsewhere and hear what is going on without that GPS blasting instructions into your ears.

The Magellan (Roadmate 3000) problem is that the interface is outdated. And their POI upgrade is a ridiculous $80, that without being offered a preview or any right of return. One at least needs a preview to find out whether it sucks like the prior POI database, in which from Portland, Oregon it told me the nearest Fry's Electronics was 2,000 miles away while I knew of one up the street and another half a dozen or so within 600 miles.

And how long would Magellan continue sucking $80 out of its customers? Every year? Would they even stop updating maps for the 3000 or 6000? Terrible company, exemplified by their subsequent decision to obliterate (like the other outfits) all external controls on newer units and thereby voluntarily destroy their greatest (perhaps lone) advantage over the competition.

Never will buy another Magellan until they make vast changes in policy. Nor had I any intention of buying a new unit of any make until they got over the insane and dangerous practice of making every single function only touch-screen.

Anyway, by chance last week, while looking for other items I found the Uniden 402 in a local Bi Mart here in Medford, Oregon on sale for $199. And we have no sales tax. :-)

So I decided to give 'er a tryout. Why? It has BUTTONS, a slide volume, + and - functions and a Menu button, plus one more. Oh, another cool feature. You can shut off the display while leaving the thing functioning. The turn signals are way cool too. Unlike the person above, I don't find them too dim. They even change colors as you approach the turn, going from green to orange to red.

The positives:

1. It is lightning fast when looking for points of interest and using intelli-sense during the spelling of a location, rapidly bringing up and eliminating possibilities during the pressing in of letters. Saves mucho time being offered choices.

2. And the graphics of the whole thing are attractive.

3. External buttons and volume control.

4. Those completely unexpected turn signals.

5. Light and attractive inside and out.


The negatives:

1. Speaker is rather crappy.

2. Does it lack bluetooth? I hadn't found out yet.

3. No post offices in the database (that I could find). Unacceptable!

4. No record of a Del Taco built nearly 2 years ago in town. No update on the website any newer than what came in my device. Meaning they are way behind in updates. Are other manufacturers more speedy at updating? I dunno. Have only tried Magellan and the Uniden. Magellan was no better, except it did have post offices.

5. No speed limit on the street while driving. I have seen this feature in other brands and find it entirely desirable and useful.

6. As noted above, it does lack pinpoint destination ability, telling me that I have arrived "home" while still 3-4 houses away.

7. Told me to go half a mile out of my way in order to get me back on a main street because I took an extablished side street that would save me mucho time getting home. Stupid unit never figured out until I got within one block of re-intercepting my original route that I knew where I was going. Were I to have lacked knowledge of the area, the Uniden would have wasted my time and fuel getting back to the main street.

Sorry to be so long, though I do personally like a detailed and extensive review. Here you have one.

I will be taking this one back due to the poor speaker, post office issue, missing speed limit and lack of pinpoint accuracy, plus no Del Taco, oh, and the reroute issue.

That said, I most definitely will NOT be purchasing any of the other offerings out there until they begin including external controls again. The group-think in corporations is dreadful. Anyone remember when nobody on earth could buy a computer in any color but beige? That little trend lasted more than 10 years. Now nobody COULD buy one in beige if so desiring. Haha. Lack of imagination out there is amazing. Until the last couple years, try finding a laptop in anything other than black or silver.

Ideally, the trend of no buttons will end before long. In the meantime, I will probably look for a used Magellan Roadmate 6000 to replace my 3000, only being willing to pay perhaps $70 dollars for the device.

By the way, GPS units are wonderful. Yet to be honest, if staying in town, mine gets shut off and put in the back for 3-6 months at a time. Only when driving to a new area or perhaps looking for the address of a yard sale does it get any use.

This device has one of the excellent user interface and design when compared to Garmin and Tom Tom. The bigger screen helps in better viewing and bigger touch screen area than the other small screen products in the market. I like the lights at the sides which blinks when you need to take turn either right or left. Browsing Point of Interest feature in the map is very useful, I did not see this one in other products. The voice guidance is very pleasant and in love with the device... I named it Amanda...and it guides me where ever I go...completely satisfied with this GPS....if you would ask me I would say just go and grab it :)

Uniden has given me a written answer to my question of how to update the maps, even though their own users manuals states that map updates are available on their own website.... " Uniden WILL NOT update their GPS products" Not to mention this GPS is not very accurate. It also shows POI's (points of interest" that have not been in my hometown for at least 7 years. If you want a throw away product, this could be for you.

The instructions could have been a little more detailed but otherwise this is a very nice GPS unit. I would recommend it to anyone. The unit easy to use, very reliable, and has a compact modern design.

I purchased the Uniden 402 and found this unit easy to use and very reliable. The instructions that came with the unit are lacking in detail but after playing with the unit it was easy to understand how to set up what i wanted on the unit. Very nice, would recommend it to anyone.