Garmin DriveSmart 66 review
Money was spent on this. Was it worth it?
Yes.
At the time I write this, I've been using Garmin GPS navigators for 17 years (since 2005) and have used many of their automotive models. The DriveSmart 66 is one of Garmin's latest offerings.
Due to the fact most people are used to infotainment and phones, here are some common questions with answers.
Does the DriveSmart 66 need a smartphone to work?
A phone is not required for the DriveSmart 66 to work. The unit operates by literally communicating with GPS satellites in space. You can wirelessly connect your smartphone to the 66 for additional things like Alexa, weather reports and so on, but it is not required to do so.
Is the internet required for the DriveSmart 66 to work?
No. The 66 can function all on its own without an internet or a data connection.
Do you need to pay for GPS?
You do not have to pay for GPS service because it is a system owned by the United States government and funded by taxpayer dollars.
Where does the DriveSmart 66 get its map data from?
The map data is stored locally to the device itself. And yes, this does mean you have to update it (once a year is fine). The 66 can be updated with the included cable or from its built-in Wi-Fi. If you update the maps via Wi-Fi, that is the only time the 66 actually requires an internet connection to download maps.
Does the DriveSmart 66 need a smartphone connected to get traffic reports?
No, but this depends on where you are in the country. I will detail this more in a moment.
What is the size?
The physical size is 6 inches wide by 3.4 inches tall by 0.7 inches deep, however bear in mind that the power cord in the back does add a little depth because it sticks out slightly.
The screen size is 5.7 inches wide by 3.2 inches tall, resulting in a 6 inch diagonal display.
For those of you that have used a 5-inch Garmin navigator before, the 66 is actually only physically slightly larger than older 5" models. The screen is 6" in this generation because it has been stretched out to the edges. This basically means you're getting the older 5" case size but now with a 6" screen.
Does Garmin make something bigger? Yes. See the DriveSmart 76 (7" screen) and DriveSmart 86 (8" screen).
Important note if you currently own a Garmin DriveSmart 61 or DriveSmart 65: The newer model with the same size screen as those is the 76. Yes, I know, a little confusing, but 61 and 65 have a 6.95" screen, and so does the 76. However, if you like the older 5" case size, get the 66. Again, the 66 is just slightly larger physically than an older 5" case size but with larger screen.
If you drive an RV, see Garmin's RV series which has RV-specific stuff in it the DriveSmart doesn't have. See the RV 795 (7"), RV 890 (8") and the big kahuna, RV 1090 (10").
If you drive a semi truck, see Garmin Dezl Over-The-Road series that's specifically made for truck driving. The models there are OTR610 (6"), OTR710 (7"), OTR810 (8") and OTR1010 (10").
How does the traffic reporting work without a smartphone?
I'll note first you can get traffic reporting by connecting a smartphone to the 66 using the Garmin Drive app, but if you don't want to do that, how does it work?
The 66 can receive freely available traffic reporting via TMC (Traffic Message Channel) that is broadcast over FM, similar to your car radio. You do not need to sign up for anything to use this, but whether this will work for you or not depends on where you are. It is required to use the provided cable for FM traffic to work.
The traffic coverage map is at www.garmin.com/traffic. If you are in an area where coverage exists, the 66 will automatically pick up the signal. Yes, the 66 can automatically route you around traffic if you configure the 66 to do so (Settings > Traffic > Optimize Route > Automatic).
If you are "on the fringe" of a coverage area, then the FM traffic probably won't work that well for you.
The FM traffic mainly has reporting for highways, interstates and major streets.
Can the 66 be used straight out of the box?
Yes, but based on experience using past models, I never do that.
What I do first and always with any new Garmin I get is update it even before putting it in the car, and not with Wi-Fi. I purposely use the free Garmin Express software, connect the navigator to the computer and let it update everything. Even if a map update isn't required, a system software update usually is, and that was the situation with my 66.
After the first initial big update, then I'm okay with updating over Wi-Fi for updates after that. From my personal experience, that's just the best way to go about it.
Overall performance
The 66 is a model that has both GPS and Galileo satellite reception. Both work at the same time and position accuracy is excellent. I easily get position resolution to within 10 feet.
Calculating a route and recalculating a route if I miss a turn is quick, and I've not experienced any problems there.
"OK Garmin" voice recognition is the best I've ever used in any Garmin navigator and it's a definite improvement over the older models with "Voice Command". I also like the fact the microphone can be easily turned off from holding a button on top of the screen for 2 seconds (which can be enabled again by pressing it once).
Annoyances
Some menus have choppy animations. The main map is fine however.
The tollway question option was removed in this generation. In older models there was the option to set to "always ask", and whenever it calculated a route, it would ask if you wanted to avoid tolls or not. Now it's just an always-on or always-off option buried in a submenu.
There is no OK Garmin voice command to ask for a detour, or at least none that I have found. A detour now requires a minimum 3 taps just to do it.
The touchscreen is slightly too sensitive. But then again, better to be too sensitive than not sensitive enough.
Improvements over previous generation
The ridiculously infuriating on-map favorites icons CAN BE REMOVED just by disabling the map layer (Settings > Map Display > Map Layers > uncheck "Up Ahead Places"). For some, this alone is a reason to use the 66 or 76 over the 65. The previous generation had these giant ugly green favorites icons that appeared on the map whenever passing by the location where the favorite was. If you had several map favorites in close proximity to each other, this resulted in map clutter galore. This has been fixed in the 66.
"Turn off automatically" (hidden menu option from Diagnostics Page > Turn Off Automatically) should prevent the annoying problem of the unit doing that "it's off but not really off" sleep state thing, draining the battery to nothing and then causing power-on problems later. This was an issue with the previous generation where it was required to hold the power button, wait for the true "Turn off the device?" prompt, and then it was off. This appears to have been fixed in the 66.
Something I call the over-blue problem with the screen color temperature has been fixed with the 66. With the previous generation, namely the 61 and 65, the screen color temperature was "cool" all the time, as in blue. During the day, looks fine. For night driving it was terrible because it looked like you were staring into a light bulb regardless of brightness setting. The 66 has a screen color temperature for day and night driving that looks much better.
This really isn't an improvement but rather something I've very happy Garmin did not change: The mount on the 66, thankfully, still uses the 17mm ball just like many Garmins of the past. I use this Arkon mount and really did not want to switch to something else. I did not have to. The clip clicked right on. No problems at all.
Sunrise/Sunset time is now available as a trip data field. This is information transmitted by GPS itself and it's nice to see in the 66. This information is also available from the Trip Computer by tapping the speedometer field in map view.
I like the fact the audio can be output via wireless OR wired if you don't want to use the internal speaker. The wired output is not on the unit but the 12V adapter; there is an AUX port there.
The 66 supports both the older Samantha the newer Zoe voice. Both voices can be had by downloading them from Garmin Express (another reason to do the first update with the software first). I prefer Zoe because she's the least computery text-to-speech voice Garmin has ever released.
The Turns list (start a route, view map, hamburger menu at lower right of map, Turns) is without question the most legible version yet. I first used this with a DriveSmart 50 and then with a Drive 52. Great to have, and the 66's Turns is very legible.
I'm very happy Garmin still makes these
I greatly prefer using a Garmin over infotainment or the phone for navigation.
The only thing that would really turn people off is the included suction mount. For most people that's simply not good enough, or local laws might not permit mounting anything to the windshield where you live. See Arkon mounts for better suction mount options and friction mounts for no-windshield options.
The 4 reasons why New Balance 608 is the best sneaker ever made
There are 4 reasons for this.
When it comes to buying sneakers these days, there are very few choices which suits every man of any age. The New Balance 608, which is what I wear personally, is one of the only that truly any man can wear.
These are the 4 reasons why the 608 is so great:
1. It comes in all white.
It is exceedingly difficult to find an all-white sneaker where literally every part of the shoe is white. Some guys like this. Goes great with jeans and offers a nice clean look. Yes, the 608 has an all-white version.
2. It comes in all black.
Exactly the same as the all-white except in all-black. Yes, the 608 is offered this way also.
Who wears an all-black sneaker? Guys who want sneakers that look like traditional shoes or boots. From a distance, you can't even tell it's a sneaker, especially if you tuck in the laces so the bow doesn't show and wear black socks.
3. It comes in brown.
If you thought all-white or all-black was difficult to find in a sneaker, brown is the most difficult color to get. The 608 has not one but two browns. A lighter stone color, and a darker chocolate brown. The "N" logo sticks out more on these, but that's forgivable.
Who wears these? Guys who don't want all-white or all-black and prefer something in the middle with a muted tone to it, or guys who prefer earth tone colors. Some dudes prefer not to wear anything "loud" in appearance, and a brown sneaker fits the bill quite nicely in that respect.
4. It comes in WIDE sizes
This right here is the biggest reason why the 608 is so great.
Go to any shoe store. Doesn't matter which one. Go look at the sneakers, and prepare for disappointment if you have wide feet (which I do). The choices will be few, and what choices you do have will look totally stupid and probably not fit your feet correctly.
The 608 not only comes in wide but EXTRA wide. My feet take a wide (as in 2E) size, but you can get the 608 in double wide (a.k.a. X-Wide or 4E) size. Oh, yes.
I don't have unbelievably huge feet, but some men do. The 608 goes all the way up to giant clodhopper 18 X-Wide sizes with all-white, all-black, brown and a few other colors offered.
Which do I wear personally?
I go with the tried-and-true color, white/navy. It's a white sneaker with a small, subtle amount of navy blue striping...
...although I will at some point probably get a pair of 608's in all-black and another in stone. They look good, wear well, and most importantly FIT MY FEET.
Shoe shopping for me, as well as many other men, is an annoyance because the days of going in a shoe store and finding a nice selection of simple styles in WIDE sizes are long gone. I have to order my 608's online just like most men do.
If you've noticed a lot of guys wearing sandals or Crocs, now you know why. It's because they tried the shoe store (probably several of them), tried to find a sneaker that worked, none of them did, so they said screw it and did the fisherman's sandal or Croc thing.
Not-Exactly Reverse Firebird: Epiphone Slasher
It's not exactly an Explorer either.
We go back to the early 2000s for this one.
Firstly, there were two versions of this guitar. The "normal" Epiphone Slasher and the more rare Epiphone Slasher FX that had on-board (as in built-in) distortion and chorus effects.
Is the Slasher a Firebird shape? No. Is it an Explorer shape? Also a no. The Slasher is its own unique shape as far as I know.
The uniqueness doesn't stop there. The word "Epiphone" appears nowhere on the front of this guitar. All you get on the front is a stylized red Epiphone "E" on the headstock with wings on the side that almost looks like something that should be on a car.
From what I've been able to gather on this guitar, the pickups are really hot, the neck is maple and bolt-on, and yes this guitar was part of something Epiphone called the E-Series, hence the "E" on the headstock.
That same "E" is also directly engraved into the pickup covers. Nice touch.
On the rear of the guitar are 6 "E" logos and 7 "EPIPHONE" logos. There's an "E" and curved "EPIPHONE" on the back of each tuner, and "EPIPHONE" on the neck bolt plate.
The fingerboard is real Indian rosewood, and the back of the neck was finished with a "Super Slide" satin finish.
Was this guitar a special edition? Yes, it was.
There were 800 Slasher edition guitars made, and only 200 Slasher FX guitars made. All of them were made in Korea as far as I know. Only three colors for this guitar. Black, blue and red. The blue is the most common.
Weird: First Act Volkswagen Guitar
Your next car might be a Volkswagen if you get this guitar, and not for the reason you think.
Volkswagen is no stranger to tying in guitar brands to their cars. In fact, VW has a "Fender Premium Audio System" (yes, that Fender) option available on the Atlas, Atlas Cross Sport, Tiguan and Passat models.
But this, the First Act Garage Master Limited Edition Volkswagen Electric Guitar, isn't the guitar brand put into the car, but rather the car brand put into the guitar itself, and that's where the weirdness begins.
This guitar, if you want one, is dirt cheap.
How did you get one of these back in the day?
This is where the weirdness continues. You got the guitar at the Volkswagen car dealership. For certain models of VW cars, when you bought the car, the guitar came with it. Obviously, most VW owners decided not to keep the guitar and sold it, hence why there are used listings for these now.
And now we come to the the weirdest part about the guitar that has nothing to do with the instrument but rather the information on it. On the back of the headstock of every single one of these, the Volkswagen VIN (Vehicle Identification Number) of the exact car the guitar belonged to can be seen.
What this literally means is each guitar was specific to the car it came with. It also means that yes, it is possible to look up the VIN online and see where that car that is right now. And if you actually find the car and it's for sale, you could buy that now-used VW and "reunite" the original car with the guitar.
No, you will not get the exact address of where the car is nor the owner's name from a VIN lookup, but, you will at least find the US state of where the car is located. From the VIN above, I know that guitar originally came with a 2007 Volkswagen Touareg. If I wanted to know more, there are several paid VIN lookups online that would show me service history detail reports. From those reports, I could take an educated guess which US state the car is in now, search the used car listings for that particular make/model/year of VW in that state, hope I get lucky and find the car.
It is CRAZY that you could actually do that with this particular instrument.
If you decide to get one of these guitars, I strongly recommend to only buy one that has the VIN plate still screwed in to the back of the headstock just so you can try to match up the guitar with the car. That honestly would be a fun adventure.
How many VW logos are on the guitar?
The knobs have the VW logo, a 12th fret inlay has the logo, the neck bolt plate has a logo, and that's it. VW branding was kept to a minimum, obviously to save cost.
People have done crazier things...
To buy a cheap guitar with car company branding just to get the VIN, then seek out that old car, then buy that car afterward just to "have the set" is crazy, putting it mildly.
Then again, there are guys out there who will spend crazy money for a vintage Fender just for the guitar, so... getting the First Act Garage Master with VIN and then getting the matching car afterward, yeah, still crazy - but cheaper than getting the Fender and you get a very cool story to tell afterward.
If you have zero interest in this guitar (most people don't other than it just being a weird anomaly) but just want something decent and cheap, see Grote.
Japan HSS Strat goodness for cheap - Charvel CX290
Early '90s HSS Strat style goodness for cheap, and it was made in Japan.
The Charvel CX290 is a guitar that existed from 1992 to 1995. The body is basswood, and yes the pickups in most of them are Jackson branded, so if you see a Jackson logo on the pickup covers, that does not mean the pickups were swapped out. The exact pickups used in most were the Jackson J-55 humbucker and two Jackson J-110 single-coils.
CX290 is a fast player with a super-flat 15-inch radius fingerboard, and being this is an early '90s guitar, the fingerboard material is real rosewood.
The electronics are simple. 5-way selector with no push/pull anything, with output jack on the side.
For some, this is a fantastic "mild Super Strat". You've got the 25.5" scale length with a bolt-on neck with flat fingerboard, and very easy traditional style bridge/tremolo system. Also note that you only get 2 knobs for volume and tone. The volume knob has been thoughtfully placed, as it is lower and away from the bridge side pickup compared to a Fender or Squier Strat.
Some CX290 guitars can be found with "no-holes" pickup covers, which just look cool. But the ones with the exposed poles also look great, especially now with the aged plastics that have darkened over time to a nice darker cream color.
How's the tone? Think of it as Strat-like with some boost from the humbucker. On the single-coil-only positions, yes the Strat "quack" is there. On the humbucker, it rocks out like it's supposed to. No surprises here.
Does the volume do the drop-off-a-cliff thing when switching from humbucker to single-coil? Unknown, but it's safe to assume that's a yes, as this is well before the days of balanced volume outputs on guitars with HSS electronics.
The CX290 is a great buy for cheap money.
If you don't feel like dealing with an old guitar (and I wouldn't blame you), the modern equivalent of this is the Yamaha Pacifica.