I just bought a Garmin and used it for the first time. I am delighted with it, but I can’t see it as something I’m going to use terribly often. But it strikes me as the kind of thing that you’re likely to need when you don’t expect to – like trying to make an 8 o’clock curtain and running into a huge traffic jam on the interstate, which happened to me last month. If I’d had a GPS unit, I could have figured out an alternate route.
I often have to go to Columbus for meetings, in which case I take a state car, and I could also see myself using it for that.
So where should I keep it that I’ll always be likely to have it when I need it? Should I buy a carrying case and get in the habit of putting it in my computer bag? The bag doesn’t go everywhere with me, but it does come home every night.
Glove compartment when it’s not cold out. I take mine out when the weather gets really cold so as not to kill the battery and I routinely plug it in once a week to make sure it’s charged whether I use it or not. I’ve thought about wiring a socket into the glove compartment just for this purpose and connect it to a circuit that is active when the car is on.
How long does it take to warm up, assuming you kept in the trunk, and it’s cold out? I’m thinking of buying a Garmin for someone who doesn’t need it every day and probably should keep it in her trunk.
Also if you can recommend models that would be great. I’m picking it up later this week.
My mom’s got a Garmin and she just keeps it in the center console box in her car. She’s had it over a year, never a problem with it being left in the car.
But, she does park in her garage at night so that might be a factor.
Remove the windshield mount - an empty mount is an invitation to search/steal.
Take it with you, or securely store it when it is not in use. The trunk is the most secure area. If it gets wickedly cold out, bring it in with you, or keep it wrapped in the trunk (towel, blanket,…).
I have a rule to never leave things of value in my car when it is parked. So, my GPS goes where I go. I grab it in the AM as I head out the door, along with my iPod, wallet, phone and keys. When the car is parked, my GPS goes in its case (it came with one) and comes with me, as does my iPod, phone, etc.
I also don’t have a mount on my windshield (things affixed to the windshield are illegal in MN, and I drive in that state quite often) so I stick it on the huge speedo that my MINI has. I cover that with a ball cap wen I leave the car, so it looks like I have a ball cap wedged behind my cupholder, and the mount is out of sight.
I bought a vent mount on eBay for my nuvi 360. It works great. I always leave the mount on the vent, and the Garmin in the center console when not in use.
While marginally less visible than a windshield mount it is still an invitation for a busted window or a damaged door lock depending on the skill of the thief.
I watched a guy jimmy a car door open at a junkyard in 3 seconds. You could hardly tell the door was damaged.
Well, in certain parts of the world (KY?) car thieves are pretty rare. I wouldn’t recommend this attitude in midtown Manhattan but if you keep the car garaged, and you live out in the middle of nowhere, and rarely park it on the street in urban areas, you might be be ok.
Sounds to me like you potentially need it with you any time you get into a car, whether or not it’s your car, and whether or not you’re the one driving (e.g. you could be riding with a friend trying to make that 8:00 curtain). So unless you carry something like your computer bag in all such situations, it seems the place to keep it is in a pocket.
I pay a monthly fee for GPS navigation on my personal cell phone solely to avoid having to worry about having to keep track of another electronic device (and keep it charged). I always have my personal cell phone with me.
I also have an iPod and a work cell phone. I don’t need something else to keep track of!
