62 of 65 people found the following review helpful:
Pharos PDR150 - does as expected - HACKABLE!
PROS:
- Destinator v7
- clean interface
- good options
- quick to pick up GPS on cold start (took ~15 seconds while sitting indoors about 8 feet from window)
- works as expected
- Text to Speech
- HACKABLE!
CONS:
- no battery meter in Destinator v7
- not sure if I'll get the advertised 5-6 hours battery...
39 of 40 people found the following review helpful:
Frustrating start, but seems to have ended well
UPDATE: Pharos came through after the second replacement. A rep called me when they received my return, and a replacement was shipped to me via UPS Next Day service. It turns out, the SD card had come loose, but there was no way I could have known that because Pharos puts a security sticker over the card slot, and if you remove it, it voids your warranty. At any rate,...
PROS:
- Destinator v7
- clean interface
- good options
- quick to pick up GPS on cold start (took ~15 seconds while sitting indoors about 8 feet from window)
- works as expected
- Text to Speech
- HACKABLE!
CONS:
- no battery meter in Destinator v7
- not sure if I'll get the advertised 5-6 hours battery
Price paid:
$83, after coupons/discounts/rebates/taxes/shipping
MSRP:
$200
Included in box:
- GPS unit, 3.5" screen (with 1GB unlabelled SD card)
- carrying case (pretty good quality)
- home/wall charger
- car charger
- USB cable (charge with computer)
- window mount (_much_ better than the pdr135 mount I have)
- cd manual
- warranty card
- quick start poster
Software:
- Windows CE .NET 4.2 Core
- Destinator v7
Processor:
- Motorola i.MX21 @ 266Mhz
Memory:
- 64MB, about 45MB usable (guessed)
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My current/previous GPS devices:
- Belkin Bluetooth (rebadged Fortuna) with Belkin Navigator (forget which maps) + Compaq iPaq h1940 (or laptop with bluetooth) = I love this unit, still use it but it's not as convenient as a standalone unit
- Mio C220 - basic unit - does what it needs to do but sometimes not accurate
- Pharos PDR135 - Ostia software not great, but loaded with Tom Tom Navigator or other software this unit works well (hackable)
--------------------
The Pharos PDR150 does what it's supposed to do. I've only been using this for a day so far but it seems fine. The Destinator v7 softare seems fine, the GPS processor works just like the other SiRFstarIII chipsets
The great thing is that this unit is _hackable_ - I've loaded Tom Tom Navigator v6 and it works fine - I'm switching between Destinator v7 and Tom Tom Navigator v6 to test out and play.
(perhaps I'll write more if pricegrabber starts offering a rebate for this review ;))
OVERALL:
5-stars as one of the best in this price range, since it does what it's supposed to do, has TTS, is hackable, and has an SD-card slot. For $80, how can I complain? This is the best bang-for-the-buck and beats out all the other BF2007 GPS deals (FYI I purchased this on "Cyber Monday 2007") --- Would I purchase this for $150-200 (current price after rebates), would I purchase it again? Compared to the other units I've used in this price range, yes, I would purchase this again. However, keep in mind that the "hackability" factor plays a big role in my decision. Out of the box, this thing still works well but may not be the best fit for everyone.
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UPDATE: Pharos came through after the second replacement. A rep called me when they received my return, and a replacement was shipped to me via UPS Next Day service. It turns out, the SD card had come loose, but there was no way I could have known that because Pharos puts a security sticker over the card slot, and if you remove it, it voids your warranty. At any rate, this third unit seems to work perfectly.
If my first problem had been handled as efficiently as the second, I would have been a much happier customer from the start. If I could revise my star ratings, I'd probably up it to 4 stars. Had I received better service, I wouldn't have hesitated to give it 5 stars.
ORIGINAL REVIEW: I had such high hopes for the Pharos 150, but I guess the bottom line is, you get what you pay for.
When I first purchased the unit a few months ago, I tried it out near my home in Maryland, as well as in Miami, Orlando and San Francisco. In Miami, I sat in the rental car lot for 15 minutes waiting for it to lock on to a satellite, and that experience kept repeating itself in other cities.
In fairness, when the unit was functioning, I was very pleased with how well it worked, especially for the price. But, I soon realized that it was generally so slow to find a satellite that it was essentially useless. Who has time to wait 10-15 minutes prior to every trip?
Frustrated, I contacted Pharos support, and they had me send the unit to them in California (at my expense). A replacement GPS came a few weeks later, and it worked when I first turned it on. Then, later in the day, I attempted to use it again, and with every attempt to power up, the initial logo screen would freeze. The on/off button would not turn it off. Pressing the reset button would turn off the screen, but did nothing else in terms of making the unit functional.
I once again called Pharos support (and waited nearly 30 minutes to speak with someone), and they informed me I would have to send this unit back, too, and once again, at my expense. I protested, telling them that while I understood it was my responsibility to pay to return the first unit, I didn't think I should have to pay for returning the second one because the replacement they sent me was obviously defective. The agent said he would speak with his manager to see if something could be done and call me back later in the day.
He did call back, but only to inform there was nothing else that could be done, and if I wanted to have the defective unit replaced, I would have to send it back at my expense. I asked him how many times I would be responsible for paying for returning defective units, and he didn't have an answer.
So, I'm boxing up GPS #2 and will wait another 2-3 weeks with the hope of getting one that works.
All I can say is, if you're shopping for a GPS, look elsewhere. I don't expect perfection, but I do expect a company to take some responsibility for the shortcomings of their products. I didn't mind paying to send back the first defective unit, but Pharos should have been willing to offer some sort of accommodation when the second unit also proved to be defective. I, for one, won't be a repeat customer.
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This little GPS works great. Overall 8 out of ten
1. Text to Speech- 8 out of 10 Mispronounces some street names but still clear and understandable. plenty loud, Speech is not hesitant.
2. GUI Interface - 8 out of 10 This unit does just about everything a unit costing 100 or more dollars can do and more. I just found out it will give you latitude and longitude, and altitude. Recalculation of routes are exceptionally fast. The GUI is not hi-tech cutting edge, But I would say up to date as far as tech goes, and sensible and easy to understand. Took me about an hour to understand and use all the controls in the GUI.
3. Hardware - 8 out of 10 The unit itself seems well built. The hardware, Windshield mount, car adapter, power adapter all well built.
And it comes with a nice little case.
I have a home in a remote area of Georgia, It found it on the map which I can't get some more expensive units to do.
I paid about $99 including rebate, an excellent value for its abilities. Thats Black Friday prices. IfPharos 150 Drive GPS you can get this unit with some sort of discount or rebate, in my opinion buy it.
Pharos is a reputable company, with a pretty good track record of support for their products. And from what I can gather from the forums they will be updating these units. Uses Windows CE Net 4.2 which opens other doors.
Cons
1. Brightness resets back to 100% after turning off then on again.
2. If you have big fingers you might have a problem, but you can always use the stylus.
3. Difficult to remove unit from cradle. I struggled with this for about five minutes.
4. New unit, not alot of info or support right now on Pharos site.
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The Pharos 150 has all the bells and whistles of a unit costing $100 more. The text-to-speech is worth demanding in any auto GPS and this one has it. I took a trip into a nearby town, selecting a high school (POI) as my go to location. In a 40 mile trip, over freeways and city streets, I never had to even glance at the screen. It vocally tells me to "stay right" or "stay left" as I near a turn; it announces the street name and highway number several times starting 1/2 mile out. You can enter your own favorite places, many of them, for future use to save re-entry. It remembers your last few plotted trips for easy re-use if you decide to stop or cancel along the way. It reroutes you if you miss a turn. It never asked me to "u-turn" when I missed an exit. It will even warn you when you exceed a posted speed limit even though I never used that feature. The battery is rated for 7 hours I believe, I've only used it on battery once for about 2 hours. Battery useful for walking trips and, yes, it will plot trips on foot provided you don't stray far from any road. A useful replacement for all those maps cluttering up my glove box. I paid $100 and that deal goes away Dec 31, 2007.
Update 3/23/08: still like this GPS unit. Works great, battery has generous life. No false routing and finds many short-cuts. Even warned me verbally to be careful when I turned into a gated community, guess it didn't want me to be hit by the gate. Navteg maps great; operating system great; text-to-speech absolutely a must have along with SIRF chip-set. You can hunt for this and get it around $150 now and it is a bargain at that price.
Update Nov 9, 2009: can't hold a signal reliably anymore. Gives you the "gps too low" message over and over. Comes back on track later...has never got me lost for long. Still, with no map updates or other support I would no longer recommend purchase. Garmins (refurbed as new) go for under $100 and are great. Too bad because Pharos mapping engine was great.
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I got this unit before my family trip to San Diago, CA last weekend. I tested it around my home at Seattle, WA and liked it. It was light and easy to use, and gave me correct directions around the area. However my experience using it during my vacation is far less than ideal. Below are some bad experiences:
1. We stayed at a hotel close to Legoland just off I-5 exit 48. The GPS directed us to get off the highway at exit 47 and pointed us to a different hotel.
2. After going to San Diago Zoo my kids demanded McDonald's. I used the POI feature to find one that is supposed to be only 2 minutes away. After about 20 minutes driving around in the unfamiliar neighborhood the GPS reached its destination in the middle of a residential area. We had to go to a gas station and ask the attendant.
3. The gate of the rental car return is on the left of the street, the GPS prompted us to keep right and only told us the destination is on the left of the street after we passed it.
This unit has pretty decent specs with SIRF chipset and NAVTAQ maps. I can only hope that my experience is due to bad software and can be addressed by future updates.
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I bought this unit because I'm a delivery driver for vons.com and have to to deliver groceries to different houses all over the place. My brother let me borrow his Garmin Nuvi for a month before I bought this one. I didn't have the money to buy the Garmin however. This little GPS works just as well if not better. It has not failed me yet. It does mispronounce some streets, but the text feature on it is great. I bought this through dell.com for $150 and it's been a good investment as it saves me from having to find things on a map. The only time I've had a bit of trouble is when there are really big clouds, it can lose a signal, but I had that problem with the Garmin as well. Definately buy this item!
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I recieved this GPS over the holidays. At the same time my friend recieved a TomTom. While his GPS cost nearly $400, mine had nearly the same features including: a very accurate and extensive point of interst encyclopedia, a 3.5 backlit touchscreen (although his was a little crisper and had more detail), favorite places, customized routes (ability to block specific or types of roads) and voice directions. On top of this, mine also had night/day mode capabilities (the color scheme changes so as not to distract you at night) and mine also had a walk mode, which his did not have (which I now use for running in unfamiliar cities. My friend complained his would get confused when he tried to walk down one way streets).
For the price, you simply can't beat this GPS. However, one critical feature the TomTom had that Pharos does not is decent online support. The TomTom not only had further bells and whistles online (such as custom voices. My friend had Eddie Izzard), but updated maps are very easy to get. With the Pharos, you are provided a USB cord, some directions, and an online program that assists in transferring your saved maps, but it is up to you to find new, accurate maps, whether it be from an online source or CD application. For some this may prove quite tedious. I am unsure whether you can also update the points of interst encyclopedia.
This isnt the best GPS available when looking at comparable models. Pharos is not one of the "heavy-hitter" manufacturs, and major stores won't carry them. However, it might have the best cost vs. benefit weight of any GPS on the market so far.
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I've used this daily for 3 weeks now. I previously have only used a bottom line Garmin (I2- Back and white, no touch screen, no text to speech). The Pharos is a step up in many ways (color, faster, spoken street names, larger screen) BUT, Garmin's experience in this field shows: While the Pharos is color and larger, it was still easier to see the Garmin screen, especially in bright sun. The auto-night dimming on the Pharos works poorly, way too bright. And even though the Garmin didn't have a touch screen, it was not really more difficult to enter the destination info.
The volume adjustment is difficult to adjust near the louder end of the scale. It is difficult to touch in street names with my finger (medium sized man) though easy with the stylus. The points of interest are much more cumbersome. For instance if you are driving and want the closest McDonalds you have to punch in a bunch of info, then you only get a list accurate to the closest mile. The Garmin easily gave a list and the list automatically updated as I drove.
Anyway, at $100 this is a great deal, and very usable, just not as easy to use as I'd hoped. I bought it because my Garmin broke, otherwise I'd still be using that. Oh, BTW, I don't find the spoken street names much better than the Garmin's "turn right in one tenth mile", though lots of users seem to think spoken street names are a big plus.
Also not well thought out is the power handling. When I turn off the engine, the unit stays fully on, so if you don't want the internal battery to run down you have to manually turn the unit off then manually turn it on when you start, not a big deal, but the unit should go to sleep automatically when you turn off your engine.
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I switched to the Pharos Drive 150 after a Mio c230 proved to be very inaccurate due to a zip code glitch. Thus far, this unit has been much more accurate and easier to use than the Mio. I decided to try the Pharos because it was highly rated by Amazon's editors and it came with some extras. The bonus accessories include an AC power cord, a built-in stylus (that is pulled out of the unit when needed), and a swell case/travel bag.
The unit has a "Walking Mode" that you can switch to. This feature, the AC power cord, and the carrying case would come in very handy if you are on a vacation or trip without your car. You could navigate on foot.
Overall, the Pharos Drive 150 is an accurate GPS with text-to-speech and a lot of POI's. Meanwhile, the accessories make it a great value.
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UPDATE 1/19/08: I may have jumped the gun with my initial review of this device. When I took it out of the box, it worked great. First week, it worked great. Then I tried to demo it for my parents one night and it couldn't get a signal. It was raining out, so I blamed the weather. But almost every time since then, it won't get a signal. Sometimes if you restart the device it will latch on (the second or third time your reboot) but the last 3-4 times I've tried to use it, it won't get a signal, or takes 20 minutes to find one, which, of course, is USELESS if you are lost and driving at 60+ mph! Oddly, when I turned it on today in my house, it had a signal right away. It seems to grab a signal quicker if you wait a minute before tapping MAP on the initial screen. I was in a friend's car last night, driving to and from Atlantic City, and she had a TomTom ONE that immediately showed us where we were after it booted up. I tried 4-5 times to get mine to locate us, and it wouldn't get a signal. I literally wanted to throw this Pharos job out the window!
I also has a problem with the unit refusing to turn on one day. I thought the battery was dead, but I charged it for a few hours and still nothing. I went to the Pharos website and they actually had a FAQ on this (bad sign probably). I hit the reset button and then it worked.
I am going to contact Dell and see if they will send me a replacement unit. Maybe this one is just a lemon. I'll update again soon.
12/28/07
This is my first GPS, but I've been shopping for one for a while and when I came across this one for $[...] after $[...] rebate (Dell.com), I figured what the heck and ordered it up. Comparable TomTom or Magellan units are $[...], BUT they don't have TTS (text to speech) which puts this one above them. I'm sure there are more expensive units that have many more features, but for basic navigation this seems ideal. I tested it thoroughly around my area (Philadelphia suburbs) and accidentally and purposely tried to confuse it by taking wrong turns. It almost instantly recalculated my route and told me where to turn next to get back on track. Like any mapping program, it doesn't always give the best route (for example the route from my home to the nearest highway has many options and the unit didn't give me the one I regularly take), but when I went off course, it immediately re-routed and started following my normal route. I am very pleased with this purchase and I'm glad I decided to take a chance on an "off-brand" GPS. I would certainly buy another one for a gift and recommend this as a great first GPS.
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