How to get a nag-free Garmin GPS experience

How to get a nag-free Garmin GPS experience

This page is only for the nerdy GPS user. It's probably true hardly anyone will see this, but I'm putting it here anyway for the few of you out there that absolutely hate modern Garmin standalone GPSes and just want something 100% free of nanny nags.

Other than the very specific Garmin models I mention below, there is no modern Garmin GPS that is nag-free. All the nags are there on a system level and there is absolutely no way to get rid of them. You'll just have to get used to it with any new model available. That's just the way it is.

Take a Garmin nuvi 260W. You specifically have to seek one out with a serial number on a white sticker (as opposed to gray). That is a later revision which allows the 260 to be upgraded to have most features of the 2x5 models. It's also a model that can accept a memory card up to 32GB in size, whereas the older gray sticker serial models do not.

Of every single automotive model Garmin ever made, only the late generation 2x0 models are 100% nag-free that are actually usable.

"Usable" defined

Usable means the GPS acquires a signal quickly and accepts up to a 32GB memory card. While I would absolutely love to use the older StreetPilot 2720 model, that unit does not have any ability to upgrade its memory capacity at all, and takes a long time to acquire a signal.

The 2x0 series also can all accept direct GPS coordinate data, which is something none of the StreetPilot c3xx or c5xx models can do.

With the 2x0, you get everything you need and nothing you don't.

The one thing you'll miss but will have to get used to it

The 2x0 was made at a time before on-screen speed limits were introduced. HOWEVER, that is what makes the 2x0 series 100% nanny nag free.

What are nanny nags?

On-screen and/or audible alerts billed as "safety features" that do nothing but distract you while driving.

The first nanny nag was introduced with a firmware update affecting almost every model ending with a 5 back in August 2010. When you go over the speed limit while driving, the speed number turns red. Once there, it's impossible to shut it off whenever over the limit. You are not given a choice. That nanny nag is now there permanently. Every single time you go even 1 mile over the limit, the red number nag appears. Every model released since that time has that nanny nag built in.

At the time I write this, I'm using a DriveAssist 51 LMT-S model, and it is chock full of nags galore. In addition to the red over-limit speed indicator that never went away, now it has orange animated banners at the top of the screen for railroad tracks, curved road ahead, school zones and more. And it can't be turned off. Not possible. The best you can do is disable the tones, uncheck every alert possible, turn off Foursquare maps, turn off Parkopedia maps, and so on...

...but even with every single frickin' driver alert disabled, there are still alerts. They are always there.

Oh, but wait, it gets better. The voice now has "Real Directions", so instead of telling you "Turn right on Main Street", the unit now says "Turn right at the traffic light". Yes, Garmin actually went backwards with their directions. Instead of the voice giving you useful information telling you the street to turn to, now the voice gives you landmarks to look for periodically.

Sound good? It's not. Sometimes it will say to "turn right at the Shell" (gas station). Well, guess what, sometimes gas stations change company names and other times they just outright close. This invites incorrect directions galore over time.

Another nanny nag is Junction View. This has always been a bad idea because the entire map changes and distracts you while traveling highways and interstates. However, if you still want that, there's another option beside the 2x0 series. Keep reading.

Your 2x0 choices

You can use any 2x0 you want provided it has a white sticker serial number starting with 1G.

These are the models:

• 200
• 200W
• 250
• 250W
• 260
• 260W
• 270

If you want a QWERTY keyboard and a text-to-speech voice, get the 260W, that's a 4.3" model. If you're okay with an ABCDE keyboard, get the 260.

If you don't care about the TTS voice and want something more compact, get any of the above models not ending in W.

Updating maps

Use OSM.

If you absolutely have to have Junction View and a speed limit indicator...

...you'll have to deal with the speed limit nanny nag. There's no way around it. If you're okay with that, these are the best 3 models because they have the best screens:

• 1490 (5.0") or any variant like 1490T, 1490LM and so on.
• 40 (4.3") or any variant like 40LM
• 50 (5.0") or any variant like 50LM

My suggestion is to go with a 5.0" model unless space is a concern.

The map upgrading process is exactly the same as the 2x0, with the only difference being the map setting location, which is Settings > Map > Info.

Four more advantages of using a 2x0

No dopey menu animations

Nothing fades or slides into view when going from menu to menu. The interface is quick, simple and very efficient. This cannot be said for the 1490, 40 and 50 however as those have dopey sliding/fading menu crapola.

A 2D mode that actually works right

The 2D mode in the 1490/40/50 is worthless and has been that way ever since. What Garmin did is make the navigation map arrow very skinny for some ridiculous reason. The 2x0 on the other hand has a 2D map arrow that is thick and gets thicker on zoom when approaching a turn or destination. It works perfectly.

OFF means OFF

When you turn off a 2x0, it is truly off and not in "standby" mode sucking away battery life.

Genuinely good battery life

If the battery in your 2x0 is good or you replace it with a new one, the battery lasts up to 5 hours.

Remember that DriveAssist 51 I mentioned above? It doesn't last 30 minutes - and that's normal.

Tips on best use of a 2x0

Use Normal instead of Most for map detail

In my experience, using Most will clutter up the map rather than aid in direction. Normal has less clutter and also gives the 2x0 a slight performance advantage because it has less to draw on screen.

Remember that the vehicle icon can be pressed to quick-save a waypoint

Most people forget this part, but you can tap the vehicle icon at any time to quick-save a Favorite.

Learn how to use GPS coordinates and love it

Seasoned GPS users know that the best way to get anywhere is to use direct coordinates, and of course the 2x0 can certainly accept it.

The best coordinate format to use is h ddd.ddddd since those are the easiest to get from Google Maps while planning a trip.

Why use coordinates? Because it works no matter how old the maps are in your Garmin. Coordinates never change.

Not that I would suggest doing this, but you can use a 2x0 map-less. Set the route preference to Off Road, enter in the coordinates you want to get to, and the nuvi will draw a straight line from where you are to the destination coordinates, just like a trail GPS. All you have to do is go in the direction of that arrow as best you can, and you'll eventually get there.

If you like the 2x0, buy two

It's January 2019 as I write this, and at the moment there are many Garmin nuvi 2x0 models for sale on both Amazon and eBay. I've seen ones in good condition sell for as little as $13 shipped.

These things are considered obsolete, disposable and not collectible since smartphones are mainly used for navigation these days. This is a good thing because it keeps the 2x0 nuvis nice and cheap. But that obviously won't last forever.

The only reason I use the DriveAssist 51 now is because of its built-in dashcam. Once I get a suitable separate replacement dashcam, I can then switch back to a 2x0 and once again have a nag-free GPS.

Yes, I am willing to have two things plugged in, the 2x0 and a separate dashcam, just to get a nag-free GPS back. I miss it that much.

Is it worth it?

The 2x0 is cheap, but is it worth the time to set one up?

I can only answer that with a question.

Is a nag-free GPS valuable to you?

If you answered yes, get a 2x0 and drive happy.

How to fix neck dive for guitar and bass

There are several ways to fix this problem. We'll start with the easiest first...

...but before we do, I'll explain why this happens in the first place.

Any electric guitar or bass that does not have the front strap button positioned over the 12th fret is almost certain to have neck dive issues.

If for example you look at the Fender Stratocaster or any Strat-shaped guitar, you will notice that the front strap button is directly positioned over the 12th fret. The same is true for the Fender Jazz Bass, Fender Precision Bass, Fender Jaguar Bass and Fender Mustang Bass. All those guitars and basses have the front strap button over the 12th fret, and therefore do not have neck dive.

Other guitars, including ones in Fender's own lineup, do not position the front strap button over the 12th and therefore may have neck dive.

One of the most notorious where neck dive is a problem is, of course, the SG, be it a Gibson SG or Epiphone SG. The front strap button for that guitar is positioned on the back of the body.

Other guitars that can dive slightly are the Telecaster and Les Paul. Those guitars have the front strap button on the front side of the body, but obviously nowhere near the 12th fret.

The reason I'm telling you all this before continuing is so you don't think, "Okay, maybe if I get another SG/Les Paul/Telecaster/whatever, the neck dive won't be there." No. It will still be there and always will be, so you have to do certain things to get around the fact the guitar does not have a front strap button positioned at the 12th fret and never will.

Fix #1: Strap through the belt

This fix is 100% free and very easy. Do you wear jeans? You probably do. Do you have a belt? You probably do.

Connect your strap to the front as you normally would. For the rear button, snake the strap through your belt and then to the rear strap button.

That's it. Most of the time this works fine. You may have to flip the strap end at the rear button if using a strap with a wide end flap so it doesn't twist too much through the belt, but otherwise, that's all there is to it.

Fix #2: Strap through carabiner attached to belt loop

Most people know a carabiner as a D clip. It's the thing used for camping, hiking, fishing and other purposes when you need a quick-release clip.

When you can't snake a strap through a belt or you just don't like wearing a belt, you use this instead.

Snake the guitar strap through the carabiner first. Then clip the carabiner to your belt loop. You will have to experiment to find the best position for the carabiner on the strap. It will take a little time to find out the best position but it's worth it.

Fix #3: Traditional all-leather guitar strap

A strap where the front end is wide and the rear is skinny that has all-leather construction will grip your body better. While I do firmly believe the Ernie Ball Polypro is the best strap ever made, it does slide around (as it was designed to) when wearing it while the all-leather strap does not, and that's why it works.

Other fixes I don't recommend at all but will mention anyway

Relocating the front and/or rear strap button

This is where you physically drill holes in your guitar to relocate where the strap buttons go. On the rear, you move the position up a few inches. On the front, you move the button as far forward as possible.

I'd only do this on a guitar where you absolutely don't care if it gets wrecked or not. Once you start taking away wood, there's no going back. And those that say "just add wood filler and nobody will notice" are complete idiots. Of course it will be noticed.

Adding weight

The go-to method for this "fix" is to buy a wireless pouch that attaches to the guitar strap, fill it with fishing sinkers, then position the pouch near the rear strap button.

Does this work? Yes, but adding weight will wear you down, usually at the shoulder. Adding weight is something I would never recommend doing because it's not really a fix.

Stitching Velcro to the guitar strap

Not a good solution, and doesn't work for most people. Doing this will usually just end up pulling on your shirt and not doing much to fix neck dive at all.

Garmin car GPS in 2019 and beyond

I'm a bit of a road nerd so I like this stuff. I'll be getting back to guitar/music stuff shortly, but for now, let's talk about this "obsolete" technology.

It's New Year's Eve 2018, meaning 2019 is right around the corner. I'm still using standalone GPS instead of smartphone navigation. The model I'm using currently is the Garmin DriveAssist 51 LMT-S.

I've been using GPS since 2005, and I've logged thousands of miles using nothing but Garmin GPSes. It started with StreetPilot models, then nuvi models, then the DriveAssist.

Briefly, just this year, I tried to make do with smartphone navigation. That didn't work out. Smartphones are simply not meant for cars. If the phone is mounted on the glass, it overheats from sunlight and that same sunlight makes the screen unreadable. If the phone is mounted on a vent, the glare is reduced, but then the screen shakes like crazy while driving, making the screen once again unreadable. And I'm not about to put the phone in the cup holder and listen to voice prompts, because I need to see that map.

Why do some say standalone GPS is obsolete?

Some believe smartphones are the answer to everything. They're not. See what I said above. In automotive applications, smartphones are absolutely terrible. The screen can't be read in daylight, it overheats, and/or it shakes like a leaf on a tree while driving. Useless.

Regardless of how many features smartphone navigation adds in, if the screen can't be read and the handset can't be used reliably under normal driving conditions, again, it's useless for electronic navigation while driving.

Older GPSes I keep around

I have a bunch of older Garmin GPSes I've bought over the years, but the ones I still keep updated every time there's a new map release are my nuvi 40LM and nuvi 50LM. The 40 is the 4.3" screen and the 50LM a 5".

These two models in particular, while really basic, have the best screens Garmin ever made. Even better than the DA51 mentioned above. Matte screen, very bright backlight, and polarized sunglasses friendly. For slim models, this was as good as it got, and there has been nothing Garmin has made since that's anywhere near as good.

There are times I do miss using the 50LM because the screen is so darned good on it, but I'm not giving up the dashcam I have on the DA51, so I continue using that for now.

Why do I bother keeping those older models updated? For backup purposes. The DA51 is my primary and the 50LM is the backup should the DA51 fail. If both those failed, I have the 40LM. And if for some ridiculous reason all of those failed, then I'd fall back to using my phone, but only as a last resort.

Updating maps for free if I couldn't use Garmin maps

The go-to solution for this is OpenStreetMap. I tried OSM maps a while back. They work, but are not as good as Garmin-issued maps are.

I would however still use a Garmin with OSM map data over a smartphone just so I have a screen I can read that doesn't shake while driving.

Will smartphones ever be good for use in the car for navigation?

No.

As far as usable electronic navigation is concerned, there are three choices.

The first choice is using a Garmin GPS.

Second is an Android-based car stereo that has a GPS antenna in it. While basically the same as a smartphone, it's the best application of it in the car because it DOES NOT MOVE (meaning it doesn't shake while driving), doesn't overheat and sun glare is significantly reduced. You install an "offline GPS" app to the system, load it up with map data and that's pretty much it. Not an elegant nor an easy solution, but it's an option.

Third is buying a car that has GPS navigation in it already.

Choices 2 and 3 aren't inexpensive nor easy. Choice 1, using the Garmin GPS, is still the best option to go with for electronic navigation that's actually usable.

What should Garmin do for future automotive models?

If I had any influence over what Garmin should do concerning future automotive models, this is what I would say to them:

The big sell of standalone automotive GPS these days is dashcam. Go with that. Take something like the Dash Cam 45 and add in navigation with emphases on legibility. You already have the technology. Just look back at the old StreetPilot i2, i3 and i5 models.

All anyone wants is a little box that points them in the right direction. Use a 2D-only map view with big, bright colors (adjustable, of course), big arrows for indicating direction, easy-read text and numbers and stupidly easy menu options with buttons (no touchscreen) and that's the winner right there.

Basically, it's a flip-flop from the current lineup. Instead of "GPS + Dashcam", it's now "Dashcam + GPS". It's The Little Box That Could. It captures all the dashcam footage, and also gives basic navigation similar to what the i-series StreetPilot did.

Garmin, if you make one of these, I'd probably buy one.

Ernie Ball Polypro is the only guitar strap worth owning

No matter what, you always come back to this strap.

When you play guitar and you want to use the thing standing up, you need a guitar strap.

The Ernie Ball Polypro has basically been around forever, and it's the only strap worth having for the following reasons.

1. It's cheap

Less than $10 per strap.

2. It doesn't stretch

The polypropylene material it's made out of does not stretch. Ever. That's important.

3. Almost impossible to get dirty

Dirt does not stick to this strap. All it takes to clean one is a brush used dry. I say "almost impossible" to get dirty because if you tried hard enough, sure you could do it. But the point is you'd have to actually put in effort just to dirty one of these up.

4. The buckle moves easily to adjust, then stays put

It's sometimes difficult to adjust the buckle on straps. Not on the Polypro. The buckle moves easily. And then once adjusted, it stays there. Brilliant design.

5. Fits lengths from 36" to 68"

This is what makes this better than that cheap-ass strap at Guitar Center. If you buy one of those cheap straps from the guitar store, more often than not it will be too short. The Polypro goes from 3 feet all the way to a little over 5.5 feet.

6. The strap ends are actual real leather

USA made strap with real leather ends that stand the test of time. And again, yes, it is USA made.

7. Correctly sized strap ends

For whatever ridiculous reason, most guitar straps have wide ends. There is no good reason for them to be wide, yet they are. The ends on the Polypro are the same width (2") as the strap itself. This makes total sense because it stays out of your way and does its job.

8. Solid colors

You've seen tons of guitar straps in all sorts of dopey patterns. All anyone really wants is a solid color. Polypro has it. Black, Brown, Forest Green, Gray, Navy, Olive, Purple, Red, White and Burgundy.

Not sure which to get? Go black first

If you're debating which color to get, I suggest black first because that goes with any guitar you own. If you find you really like it, then go nuts and get some other colors.

Colors that I wish Ernie Ball would offer with their straps

• Bright Yellow - They used to make this but stopped and hope they make it again.
• Canary Yellow - This is a pale yellow that would work well with gold top guitars.
• Baby Blue - This would work well with vintage Fender colors such as Sonic Blue and Daphne Blue.
• Mint Green - A pale green that would go well with vintage Fender and Gretsch guitars.
• Orange - This works great with rock/metal guitars. Loud color. Looks cool.

If you want any of these colors to exist for Polypro straps, tell Ernie Ball you want it. And tell them I sent you.

That really annoying varying lag in Audacity

This is why I have not posted any articles or videos on Audacity yet, and may give up entirely on it.

I said earlier this year that I was planning on publishing articles and videos on Audacity. I haven't. And the reason I haven't is because of an absolutely incurable problem with Audacity. Varying latency or "lag" as most people call it.

When recording audio over USB, there is lag. There is always lag. I have gone into great detail over this before, but what happens is that when recording 100% digitally, there is processing time and that's where the lag originates. Ordinarily, this data processing time isn't bothersome in most applications. But when recording audio, it absolutely is and will drive you insane. It does not matter whether using USB 1.1, 2.0 or 3.0. The lag will always be there.

When recording music, everything must be in perfect time. Even if a recording is off by as little as 5 milliseconds between takes, your ear will hear it.

So what do you do? You compensate for it with a latency test and then adjust to suit. Audacity has a whole page dedicated to this to show how it's done. What you do is have Audacity create a rhythm track, then take a USB microphone and put it up to your output speakers, play and record at the same time, measure the millisecond difference, and then adjust the number accordingly...

...but this doesn't always work.

Using a USB stick, memory card, SSD or a laptop? You might be screwed.

Audacity software's original release goes all the way back to May 2000. I mention this because even though the Audacity software has been updated over the years, it was originally developed for use on PCs with platter-based hard drives, as in HDDs. In 2000, nobody used SSD. And since the USB 2.0 specification was literally released the same year Audacity was released, nobody was using USB 2.0 then since it was so new at the time.

In other words, anyone using Audacity for the first few years of its existence was doing so using PCs with HDD storage media and recording audio via analog audio inputs. That was what people were using at the time, and nobody had any real latency issues to speak of unless their PC was ridiculously slow.

As the years went on, people switched from using analog audio inputs to digital USB, switched over from platter-based HDDs to platter-less SSDs, and switched over from PCs to laptops.

Why does it matter even knowing this? Because computers have changed a lot since Audacity started. Originally, Audacity users had a 100% lag-free recording experience. Now they don't. And it's not the fault of the software.

There is no fix for varying lag in Audacity

A problem that happens with laptops with an SSD as the primary storage media when recording over USB into Audacity is varying lag.

No matter what audio device you have connected, be it a USB microphone, USB guitar amplifier, USB audio interface or whatever it is, the lag "jumps around" and you absolutely cannot get precisely timed audio recordings every time in a multitrack session - even when latency compensation is correctly set. Sometimes the recording will be a few milliseconds ahead or behind and that's just the way it is.

The fix? There's only one. Use a PC (not a laptop) that has an audio card with analog audio inputs (specifically a card that has a "line in" input), and an HDD to store data to instead of SSD, and guess what? All the lag is gone.

Will there ever be a fix for varying latency in Audacity?

No.

Recording over USB and storing to memory card/stick or SSD on a laptop with is a combination Audacity doesn't like very much.

This is not to say all laptops with that configuration disagree with Audacity and result in varying lag. But several do.

USB introduced audio lag. Never forget that.

I said above it's not the fault of Audacity for its lag. What is at fault then? USB itself.

It is absolutely impossible to have a lag-free recording experience over USB. Anyone who says otherwise is lying. There is always processing time. You could have the fastest PC on the planet and latency will still happen when recording audio over USB.

I'm saying this just for the benefit of anyone who is thinking, "Maybe I just need a better computer." No, you don't. On the presumption your computer isn't riddled with junk or have some antivirus software choking the throughput, Audacity needs very little to run correctly. It can easily run on a computer made 10 years ago.

It's the USB that's the problem and always has been. That's the source of the lag. On laptops with SSD, the problem becomes worse because that particular setup can introduce varying lag. And again, it can't be fixed.

Fun fact: An old clunker PC with a clean new installation of Windows 7 or Linux on to a new platter-based 7200 RPM HDD and an sound card with a "line in" input will allow Audacity to record absolutely 100% lag-free multitrack sessions.

Yes, this means the use of a slower HDD and analog audio inputs is what Audacity agrees with most. It totally works. Everything will be 100% perfectly synchronized with your multitrack recordings. You won't even need to set latency compensation. It's that good.

Is it worth it to get that old clunker PC to do this?

For me it wasn't.

I stopped using Audacity and went with a ZOOM R8 (a ZOOM R24 also works). It has analog inputs and never, ever lags.