DeLorme GPS LT-20

[Appletom]

Boy, there's really not a thread for this, but Abnormalities is pretty appropriate.

http://www.delorme.com/earthmatelt20/images/LT20-150-blue.jpg

I got the new DeLorme LT-20 GPS (http://www.delorme.com/earthmatelt20/) and loaded it onto my laptop. I tried it in my back yard - according to DeLorme I was in someone else's front yard about 1,000 feet away.

So I took the GPS for a ride. I think that the few times it accurately plotted my position was just pure blind luck. Most of the time it had me between 100 and 500 feet east'ish of my true position. Once it had me due north of where I really was and usually it had me driving through houses and in ditches.

I wasn't expecting accurate to within a foot or meter, but it should at least place me on the road I am driving on if I am in the center lane.

And, when I got home I took it back into the back yard where I first tried it out. According to the unit, I was about 50 feet away from where I was standing the first time - so even the exact same spot comes up as two different places when checked at different times.

Oh well, I've got the receipt and it goes back to the store tomorrow! I was hoping to have something really good for $100, but I guess that was just wishful thinking when a good Magellan or Garmin starts at $500.

[eirc@metro7.net]

Did you install this update? I had many issues before I updated... may be worth trying before returning...

http://update.delorme.com/

Cheers,


Eric

[Appletom]

Thank you Eric. I just wish I had seen your posting earlier, it would have been worth a try. But the hassle at Circuit City was beyond belief.

"I'm sorry, you can't return software" said the incompetent fool at the counter.

"It isn't software, it is a GPS device," said Jim, very politely.

"But there is software in it, so we can't accept a return."

"It's the hardware that's defective."

"Well, the software runs the hardware."

"If I purchased an inkjet printer, could I bring it back if it didn't work?"

"Of course, we have a 15 day no questions asked policy"

"Is there software inside that printer box?"

"Well, yeah."

"So the hardware printer, with software, can be returned no problem if defective, or even if just unliked, but the GPS hardware, if defective, cannot be returned because it has software?"

The guy actually looked relieved at this point, he thought that I finally understood. It took a request for a manager and then they called DeLorme and DeLorme said that if I would mail the unit with a copy of my receipt that they would refund me by check.

Circuit City agreed to mail the package at their expense and I left.

Now here's what gets me - I registered my DeLorme online - why didn't they instantly pop up something saying "Click here for an update?"

Why doesn't the DeLorme box say "Be sure to check for updates as soon as you install the software?"

(The link Eric pointed me at says "On December 16, 2004, NOAA released a new version of the file that makes the previous version (which was released with most DeLorme mapping applications) obsolete.")

Oh well, if I still had the unit I would upgrade like Eric did. But after all the hassles, I think I will get a Garmin and buy it from somewhere besides Circuit City. Amazing that these companies will spend millions and millions of dollars on advertising, but won't bend one millimeter from bizarre company policy in order to keep a customer happy. Oh well!

But thanks again Eric. How do you like your unit?

[earthling]

I did a fair amount of research before I bought my Garmin Iq-3200 on sale for $200 and am very satisfied with it.

I travel a lot and bought a 1 GB SD card that holds most everything east of the Mississippi on one map. It was money well spent.

The screen washes out in direct sunlight.

The thing resets too many times – but hey! I am not running an ambulance.

It did take me halfway across the US yesterday and today and was dead-on all the way.

In the spirit of full disclosure I will admit that it did a full reset and wiped out my contacts while on the trip. I was pleasantly surprised to find that even in the crippled state it maintained my current trip. Then as soon as I got to the hotel I currently in I did a resync and the data was back.

I continued to use it to go shopping in a new city this evening and it took me straight to each location. If you do find a location that is off you can set it to the actual coordinates.

If you want to go a step up and get the 3600 I think it would be worth a try just because it has a faster CPU.


- earthling