Garmin Factory-Refurbished StreetPilot C330 GPS

...

Garmin Factory-Refurbished StreetPilot C330 GPS

...

before you are going to need to make a turn.

- The touch screen removes confusing buttons, and only offers you options that apply to the function you're working on.

- Automatically recalculating directions if you miss a turn. In some cases I don't want to take the proposed route, so the C330 will reroute based on where I'm headed.

- The external volume control allows you to adjust the audible directions without navigating through menus.

- When approaching interchanges, the C330 gets you in the proper lane so you don't accidentally take the wrong ramp. The voice says things like "in .2 miles, keep left" or "stay right".

- The C330 looks at your speed to decide how far in advance it will give you audible directions about the next turn. The faster you're driving, the greater the distance. At residential speeds it might give you a few hundred feet. At highway speeds it gives you several tenths of a mile.

- The display automatically adjusts from day to night mode at dusk.

- You can program the unit to avoid toll roads, unpaved roads, and U turns.

- The entire US is preloaded in the C330. No need to anticipate where you're traveling and load additional maps ahead of time.

- The ability to use the C330 indoors to program your trip. I opened the one for my parents and pre-programmed their home as well as all of their relatives ahead of time. When they headed south for the winter, everything was ready to go.
- You can charge the unit from a USB cable.


My wife's C330 locked up once - completely frozen. We could not do anything in the menu or even turn it off. I searched the Internet and found instructions on how to reset the unit. After that, the unit worked just fine. It didn't even lose any of the data we had programmed in it. I suspect "locked-up" units are why so many are returned and then offered as refurbished units. I had no hesitation on buying a refurb after knowing how to reset it.

Here are the instructions to reset a frozen C330. Remove the silver trim faceplate. In the 12 o'clock position is a groove for your fingernail. Otherwise there are two hidden tabs on the right and left sides. Use a tiny screwdriver blade to gently pop out the tabs by lifting the sides. (Be careful so you don't slip and scratch the screen). After you remove the trim, there is a reset button in the 3 o'clock position. Push the button to reboot the C330 and you're as good as new. Even few months our C330 seems to begin taking a long time to acquire satellites. I'll reset the unit and things improve. I liken this condition to a Windows PC that starts acting quirky if it has not been re-booted in a long time.


Here are a few of the things I don't like, or wish the C330 would do:

- The C330 doesn't allow you to get to locations that are "off-road". This device is intended for drivings, not for hiking, geo-caching or other activities not along the road.

- Provide Latitude and Longitude coordinates for a location or allow you to enter destinations using Lat/Long.

- Sometimes the Garmin maps think locations are on the opposite side of the road. I chalk this up to it being a municipality where the odd/even addresses are on the opposite sides of the street from what Garmin is expecting. Hopefully this will be fixed in future Garmin maps.

- Speaking of maps, I don't like the fact that I have to pay big bucks for updated Garmin maps. In my opinion updates should be free for at least some period of time. Fortunately the maps are pretty good as long as you're not in an area with lots of new construction.

- The C340 is exactly the same unit, however it pronounces the street names using text to speech technology.

- The unit should have an accessible reset button. Either drill a hole in the trim plate, or relocate the button to the back of the unit.


All in all we're very pleased with the Garmin C330. In the future I'm sure I'll be looking for more Garmin products when others in the household start driving.

Garmin Factory-Refurbished StreetPilot C330 GPS

...

before you are going to need to make a turn.



- The touch screen removes confusing buttons, and only offers you options that apply to the function you're working on.



- Automatically recalculating directions if you miss a turn. In some cases I don't want to take the proposed route, so the C330 will reroute based on where I'm headed.



- The external volume control allows you to adjust the audible directions without navigating through menus.



- When approaching interchanges, the C330 gets you in the proper lane so you don't accidentally take the wrong ramp. The voice says things like "in .2 miles, keep left" or "stay right".



- The C330 looks at your speed to decide how far in advance it will give you audible directions about the next turn. The faster you're driving, the greater the distance. At residential speeds it might give you a few hundred feet. At highway speeds it gives you several tenths of a mile.



- The display automatically adjusts from day to night mode at dusk.



- You can program the unit to avoid toll roads, unpaved roads, and U turns.



- The entire US is preloaded in the C330. No need to anticipate where you're traveling and load additional maps ahead of time.



- The ability to use the C330 indoors to program your trip. I opened the one for my parents and pre-programmed their home as well as all of their relatives ahead of time. When they headed south for the winter, everything was ready to go.

- You can charge the unit from a USB cable.





My wife's C330 locked up once - completely frozen. We could not do anything in the menu or even turn it off. I searched the Internet and found instructions on how to reset the unit. After that, the unit worked just fine. It didn't even lose any of the data we had programmed in it. I suspect "locked-up" units are why so many are returned and then offered as refurbished units. I had no hesitation on buying a refurb after knowing how to reset it.



Here are the instructions to reset a frozen C330. Remove the silver trim faceplate. In the 12 o'clock position is a groove for your fingernail. Otherwise there are two hidden tabs on the right and left sides. Use a tiny screwdriver blade to gently pop out the tabs by lifting the sides. (Be careful so you don't slip and scratch the screen). After you remove the trim, there is a reset button in the 3 o'clock position. Push the button to reboot the C330 and you're as good as new. Even few months our C330 seems to begin taking a long time to acquire satellites. I'll reset the unit and things improve. I liken this condition to a Windows PC that starts acting quirky if it has not been re-booted in a long time.





Here are a few of the things I don't like, or wish the C330 would do:



- The C330 doesn't allow you to get to locations that are "off-road". This device is intended for drivings, not for hiking, geo-caching or other activities not along the road.



- Provide Latitude and Longitude coordinates for a location or allow you to enter destinations using Lat/Long.



- Sometimes the Garmin maps think locations are on the opposite side of the road. I chalk this up to it being a municipality where the odd/even addresses are on the opposite sides of the street from what Garmin is expecting. Hopefully this will be fixed in future Garmin maps.



- Speaking of maps, I don't like the fact that I have to pay big bucks for updated Garmin maps. In my opinion updates should be free for at least some period of time. Fortunately the maps are pretty good as long as you're not in an area with lots of new construction.



- The C340 is exactly the same unit, however it pronounces the street names using text to speech technology.



- The unit should have an accessible reset button. Either drill a hole in the trim plate, or relocate the button to the back of the unit.





All in all we're very pleased with the Garmin C330. In the future I'm sure I'll be looking for more Garmin products when others in the household start driving.