Eagles International Forum

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There is a system called CoPilot that is made especially for truck drivers. It is available to run on laptops or you can also get it built into a GPS unit. The GPS unit that uses it is called PC Miler. I have also seen it at Flying J bundled with a small laptop unit. I have the software and have looked at it on my laptop. Unfortunately it is not compatible with my Bluetooth GPS receiver. It has proprietary code built in so you have to buy their GPS receiver for it to work on your laptop.

Microsoft Streets & Trips and DeLorme Street Atlas both work with my GPS receiver on my laptop. I have used both over the years but seem to have settled on Microsoft lately. But I do normally stick with my portable GPS unit that sticks to the windshield just because it is so convenient, although not as detailed as what you get on the laptop. Sony makes a nice widescreen Nav-U unit that goes to split screen when you get close to a turn and shows you a 3D view.

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Sorry.... Sony makes the Nav-U. Garmin makes the Nuvi.

I found two wide screen Nav-U's on Amazon. One is 4.3" and the other 4.8". They are $99 and $211 respectively. Costco carried them for a while too.



Do a Google search on Sony NVU83T OR Sony NVU73T to see if you can find them locally.

Ahoy, Eagles,

I tried a laptop with MS streets & Trips. Liked it, but often could not see it due to glare, and I never did find a decent place to mount it.

I installed an ordinary PC, with an LCD monitor (~~15") mounted above my driver's seat. ( I have a substantial shelf above the top of the windshield). Works pretty good, with far less glare problems. So far, I don't have a good way to run or park my mouse. I tried a track ball, but it won't 'do all'. I really don't need the keyboard except for prior trip planning, with the mouse doing the job while moving.

People are entertained by my 'six eyed fellow' sunglasses. I mounted a set of those little flat reading glasses above my sunglasses, so that I can see the monitor OK.

Of course, when I leave the bus, I'm instantly lost, so my nephew just gave me a Garmin NUVI 260W for my birthday. Just learning, but it seems to works well. Thus far, I've not found a way to prior plan a trip with succesive points of routing, ala MS S&T. You just go where it tells you.

Enjoy /s/ Bob

My personal opinion is that TomTom has the best user interface, but the interface really is a matter of taste. As far as computer software goes I have Microsoft streets and trips, delorme, and Copilot.
Microsoft and Delorme products are about the same, just depends on how you like the feel of the software. I believe they both use navquest maps, although I may be wrong. All three work fine with the gps unit I got with my Microsoft streets.
I have not actually driven around with copilot, but they do use proprietary maps and the few trips I messed around with planning it did not always find the addresses as well as the other two. It does have the option for bridge height as well as what tunnels don't take lp. It will also help keep you from going down roads that will be difficult to turn an rv around on. But as I said haven't actually traveled with it yet and it was not as good at finding addresses as the other two, although I was looking for rural addresses so I am not sure of what it is like for the map data overall. I have also used a Garmin unit and although I like the TomTom interface better it works well.

Personally I say if you are looking for gps unit, go to the store and play with them. And when you are done, go to another store and play with some more before you buy. MOST of the systems that I have found use 1 of 2 different sets of mapping data, and since that comes from that map company not the gps manufacturer how the unit feels to you is most important.

We have On-Star in our Silverado and it is dead on, I mean door to door dead on. the first time we used it, it took us fom our garage right to Don Fairchild's front door. I wish it was available for all vehicles as I am not a big fan of having to many distractions goin on while driving. Even tried to fool it . I like the pleasant voice too.Maybe some day it will be available as a custom add on at a reasonable price.

I used the GPS that is built into my Verizon Voyager phone coming home from LA last night. It told me about all the traffic problems and suggested detours around them. All in all, it saved me about 1.5 hours on the trip back from LAX. The best part is that since I already have a premium plan with Verizon, the navigation program is free. The screen on my phone is about half the size of my GPS unit (which died a couple of months ago) but the audio prompts make up for the difference in screen size.