NAV SYSTEM: Magellan 4350

[mdsalemi]

Just before Peter van Es came and we drove down to PUB, I had obtained a Magellan 4350 nav system at an astonishingly good price of $169 from Radio Shack in the USA.

I did this for two reasons, which many of you might understand.  First, it has a build in MP3 player, so put your tunes on an SD card (Peter, I got it working, I do not know what we were doing wrong!) and to heck with an iPod.  Second, and this is quite important, is the unit has an FM modulator, so all the sounds that the unit makes, including the MP3 playing, can play right through the car's radio without issue.

This latter feature is important for top down driving, as you can't hear a bloody thing from the unit itself, and I suggest the same is true from any similar nav system.  Through the FM radio however, you can.

The unit is full of the latest features (3D maps, turn by turn, traffic, etc.) and I think was quite a deal.  But the FM modulation is the key reason I bought it and it works well for that.  It also has bluetooth handsfree for cell phones, but I don't think you could effectively use it for top-down driving.  It did work OK for closed car driving.  I understand it sounds like you are inside a tincan but so do most handsfree systems.

[Peter van Es]

I can vouch for that, the instructions can be heard quite well when driving top down, over the radio.

Michael, when we were trying to put music on the device we weren't using an SD card (neither of us had one spare), I was trying to stick it in the spare storage of the device. That didn't work. I had no doubts that it wouldn't work with an SD card...

Peter

[mdsalemi]

I have yet to print out the instructions, relying on instinct.  Yes, just put load up an SD card with MP3, and insert into the unit and things will play.  You are supposed to be able to load onto the internal memory as well, Peter, but that's what did not work.

[hauser]

My Garmin does pretty much the same.  What I really like about it, very user friendly.

[thelews]

So does my Tom Tom

[mdsalemi]

I could not find many models with all the features and wide screen for $169 but this Magellan.  In addition, some of the reviews I did read indicate way too long a sat acquisition time for certain TomTom's as tested or Garmin's as well.  I was not partial to any one, but simply looked for a good package of features and minimal (they all have them!!) negative reviews.  The FM modulation was the key feature I looked for, and not all that common on under $200 units...

[J. Huber]

Ok. So I am still in last century ... so what is involved in hooking up one of these bad boys? I once considered a fishfinder-type thingy for my boat (Garmin?) -- buying the device was the easy part but hooking it up scared me away...

[hauser]

The Garmin comes with an adjustable windshield mount held by a suction cup and a simple plug in for the cigar lighter.  I believe in California it is illegal to have a windshield mount so a non slip dash top (no drilling) is available.  Once the Garmin is plugged in it will acquire a signal you'll have to agree to the disclaimer and it's ready to go.  You can also use it to check your speed and compare to your speedometer.

[J. Huber]

Does it need to be on the dash to get the signal? or can it sit in the tray or under radio. etc?

I could use it for my speed check because mine is way off (and in KMs!)

[hauser]

It will probably work in those locations but you will find that that closer to eye level works best.  A friend of mine had rented a full size Cadillac and we were using his Garmin on a road trip.  We needed to enter new info as we were driving so I passed it to him (he was sitting in the back seat due to a migraine) and the Garmin never missed a beat.  The Garmin has the five reception bars similar to a mobile phone so you'll be able to measure your signal strength.

[mdsalemi]

While I have done any scientific tests, just some observations:

I think they all work best when:

1)  Mounted higher (rather than lower)
2)  As close to vertical as possible
3)  Back of the unit facing forward, or near to it
4)  Once you mount it don't move it.

Once locked on a set of satellite signals they are sensitive to direction, usually quickly, so taking it off the mount, and handling it like a cell phone turning it every which way to hand it off to someone will only confuse it.  Set it and forget it.

At the checkout counters of some of the office supply stores, I've seen these grippy cell phone mounts; also, I've seen a lot of people having these sand-bag things to have them sit on the dash.  These are an alternative to the sometimes illegal windscreen mounts.

Jim, connecting them is simple.  Plug it in (cigar lighter) and press the on button.

[awolff280sl]

My Garmin sits on the transmission hump in front of the shifter and held by a weighted bean-bag type holder that Garmin sells. A thin cable plugs into the unit which I routed to a remote antenna that sits in the corner at the far end of the dash wood on the passenger side. This gives the antenna good reception through the windshield.