just drive

There's a word that comes to mind when navigation gets so complicated that it becomes ridiculous...

...and that word is convoluted.

Since I'm a navigation nerd, I do sometimes read user reviews of both Garmin navigators like the DriveSmart 66 and popular navigation smartphone apps like Google Maps and Waze. Call it a guilty pleasure, but I do get a laugh reading about the absolutely unreasonable and totally ridiculous feature requests users make.

One of the top complaints has always been routing, which is something that's been going on even before smartphone navigation even existed. Back in the early 2010s when a Garmin nuvi 50LM was what most people used for GPS navigation (or a nuvi 3590 if you were a fancy-pants), oh yeah, people yapped about the routing.

Was the routing bad back then? No. What happened is that if the navigation device didn't calculate a route exactly the way the user wanted, TO THE USER REVIEWS he or she went to give it a 1-star rating.

On the Garmin side of things, there is and has been a way for years to set up routes absolutely exactly the way you want with extremely fine detail, and that's making a route using Garmin BaseCamp software.

You thought you could get ridiculously detailed with routing using Google Maps? You can get even more ridiculous with BaseCamp.

If I wanted to, I could put together a ridiculously long 1,000+ mile route avoiding every tollway, every roundabout, every highway and interstate, every U-turn, use nothing but residential roads, and use no roads exceeding 45mph.

Yeah, I can do that, but won't, because that's convoluted.

Here's an example of something that turned convoluted on me:

There's a specific place I go to once every few months where along the way there's a particularly nasty intersection that always gets jammed up with traffic. Figuring I'd be smart and craft a route around that intersection, I sat down at my computer and created one. Every road seemed to check out, and I was certain the route I made would not only go around that nasty intersection, but also get me to where I wanted to go quicker.

The day comes that I have to drive to that place, I'm ready with my custom route, and off I go. Things are going great, then I get to the part where I go around the intersection, go up a few side roads, and...

...there's an elementary school that I didn't notice when I made my route. And I happened to be going through there exactly at the time school was letting out. Parents in cars everywhere, crossing guards stopping cars, and all the rest of the standard stuff that happens when a school lets out. Traffic is crawling, and there's not a thing I can do except deal with it.

Not only did I not save any time at all, but wasted more time crawling through there at 10 to 15mph along with stops until I finally passed the school. I would have been better off just dealing with that other intersection that gets jacked up with cars.

This isn't to say that creating custom routes is worthless, but it doesn't account for several things, including but not limited to:

• A town deciding to close off Main Street for a parade that you had no idea was going to happen.
• A landscaper's truck blocking an alley that can happen any time during daylight hours.
• A long gravel truck driving exactly where he's not supposed to be and manages to block lanes on both sides of the road where everybody has to wait for 5 to 10 minutes so he can straighten out without hitting a utility pole.
• Road construction that was not reported in advance by anybody and doesn't show up in your navigation system either.
• Random hyper-local weather events like flash flooding, a tree being knocked down, or even something as simple as wind gusts that blow trash/recycle bins directly in the middle of the road.

You get the idea.

How do you accommodate for it all? You don't, because that's impossible. Regardless of how good you are with crafting a custom route, you'll never be able to account for it all.

Intuition is the solution

Custom routes in my experience do not save time because it lacks something. No matter how good technology gets, it doesn't have intuition. Technology thinks rationally, but a lot of human intuition, i.e. a gut feeling, is irrational.

Developing a good intuition requires knowing the map and taking risks.

What kind of risks? I'll give a small example.

There's a town I sometimes drive through where more or less everything there is on Main Street. As such, this street does get clogged up with cars often. And it's one of those towns where it's easy to get in but difficult to get out.

I was in that town to get some stuff done, did so, and when I started to drive out I saw that Main Street was all clogged up as usual. This is when I tapped the Garmin DriveSmart screen to get a 2D map view, like a paper map. I was driving east, and saw a little side street heading south that appeared to connect with a larger boulevard that also headed east. I took it.

Would that side street actually connect to that boulevard or lead me to a dead end? I had no idea, but turned on to it anyway. It was a risk I was willing to take. Fortunately, that street did connect to that boulevard, and I was able to skip all the Main Street traffic entirely.

No navigation system, be it Garmin or phone app, would have tried that. Doing what I did was an irrational go-by-the-gut maneuver that the computer simply will not do.

Sometimes taking risks like that works, sometimes not.

Crafting convoluted custom routes doesn't work to save time, but a good sense of what's around you along with some reasonable risk taking does.

In other words, I just drive and figure things out.

Those seeking a navigation system that always gets routes correct every time is in for some serious disappointment, because that doesn't exist. This was true years ago, it's still true now, and I doubt that will ever change.

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the analog watch i almost get along with

As I said just recently, I've tried to get along with an analog watch before but just couldn't. However, this is the one that was so close to agreeing with me, but didn't.

I have the Casio AW80-5BV, which is the only AW80 model that comes on a nylon fabric strap. The other variants either come on steel or resin strap.

Said again, it's not that I can't read an analog dial watch. My brain just doesn't like doing it, so I stick to digital-only.

If my brain could get along with an analog dial, I would wear the AW80-5BV all the time. This is a featherweight watch with 3 alarms, stopwatch, countdown timer, and dual time mode. This is everything anyone needs. AW80 is also one of the easiest watches to show two times at the same time. Local time shown on the analog part and the other shown on the digital panel.

The hands actually have lume on them. It's a near-worthless lume, but there. And it's kind of pointless since the AW80 already has an amber night light.

On the 5BV dial design seen above, it's one of the more thoughtful because you get hour numbers, minute numbers on the outer track and 24-hour numbers on the inner track. If you're the type that likes to read 24-hour time, yeah, this watch has got you covered. You can set the digital to 24-hour and you've still got the 24-hour analog printed on the dial itself in little red numbers.

I don't know any other ana-digi watch that packs so much for both for analog and digital as the AW80 does, which is why I bought it in the first place.

But, unfortunately, my brain just doesn't agree with analog time reading no matter what.

This honestly makes me wonder if I'd be better off with a Movado super-sterile style dial to get an analog watch my brain can agree with.

Yeah, I know Movado is a fashion watch brand. However, many of their models are the ultimate for a dial that takes minimalism to its extreme. I'm talking about the models with just two hands (no seconds hand), one marker for noon at top and absolutely nothing else.

It could be the reason my brain doesn't get along with an analog dial is due to distraction. A Movado super-sterile dial is almost as distraction-free as it gets.

What could possibly be more distraction-free than that? A one-hand watch. All you get is an hour hand. Some of the one-handers are 12-hour dials and the other 24-hour dials. And I have to admit, the idea of a one-hand 24-hour dial is kinda neat. However, I would only take a one-hand 24-hour dial with hour markers because they would be necessary. For a 12-hour however, the dial could be completely blank and that would still work for me.

I may look into getting an analog watch with minimalist sterile dial just to see if my brain agrees with it.

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i will never get along with analog watches

I've tried to get along with an analog watch, and it's just not happening.

My daily wearer is still the Casio W735H. Mine has wear on it now because I've worn it so much. This watch agrees with my skinny wrist. By the numbers of 51.4mm lug-to-lug, 47.1mm diameter case, and 16.1mm thick, this watch should not fit my wrist, yet it does. The W735H has "wings" after the case that drop off like a cliff with a very sharp downturn. And because of the hybrid resin/nylon fabric strap on the particular model I have (one side nylon, other side resin with a loop for the fabric part), the watch magically fits me even with the overhang at the bottom. I say magically because I can't even explain why it fits me, because again, it absolutely shouldn't.

This is not about fitment, but rather the conclusion I've begrudgingly come to that I will never get along with analog dial watches no matter what.

Two examples of analog watches I own:

The Casio MTP4500D, which does fit my wrist very well with its 48mm lug-to-lug, 42mm diameter case and 11.3mm thickness, looks absolutely amazing. It really does. Small seconds subdial, chronograph, screw-back case for easy battery changes, black dial with neat looking orange hands... the watch just looks good.

Another is the "Cartier Tank" of Casio watches, the AQ230. I own two of these. A silver case with stick hour markers on a black dial and a gold with stick markers on a gold/linen dial. The AQ230 is featherlight at just 47g.

With the MTP4500D, I love the fact it's time-only. Set it, put on the wrist and go. Easy. The problem is that depending on what time of the day it is, I may get confused as to what time it actually is. If it's 6:40pm, I may confuse that as 7:40pm. I don't know why my brain thinks that way when looking at an analog clock at certain times of the day, but it does.

With the AQ230, I can set the little digital part to display digital time instead of the date. That's ridiculous, because it defeats the whole point of wearing an analog timepiece in the first place. The watch has a small-square-luxury appearance going on and looks fantastic, but my brain still periodically gets that same time confusion like with the MTP4500D.

Is there a solution to that confusion on my part while staying analog? Yes, and it's called a jump hour watch. This is technically digital even though no LCD panel is present. Jump hour watches have two little panels. One for hour, and the other for minute. Some include a seconds dial and/or a date complication while others do not.

I have two problems with jump hour watches. The first is that they look a little weird. The second is that I am absolutely and totally used to seeing time + weekday + month + date all on one screen of a Casio digital, which you can't get on most analog watches.

For analog, the most convenient is the Seiko 5 because all of them have a day-date complication. And if it's a diver, you get the dive timer too (I don't dive, but absolutely would use that timer for other things). I mean, sure, you could go with a Rolex Day-Date to be fancy, but a Seiko 5 suits better as a daily wearer. For something more highfalutin as an extremely good daily wearer, several Seiko Prospex models have the day-date on it with the dive timer also.

On those watches, you get time, date, weekday, timer (on most), and that's it. No month. But like I said, I am absolutely and totally used to seeing time + weekday + month + date, having the timer on a separate screen, and also having an alarm and stopwatch...

...and wow, is that difficult to give up. I just don't want to do it.

Now if I wanted to go flat out luxury digital to keep all the features I like with full steel, Casio has that with the G-SHOCK GMWB5000D. That is one of the "full metal" digital G-SHOCKs. There is also the super-highfalutin break-the-bank made in Japan MRGB5000D. And when I say break-the-bank, no, it's not at the cost of upper tier Grand Seiko watches, but it is up there in the G-SHOCK world.

Both of those watches are obviously nice, but total overkill for me because I get all the stuff I want out of my W735H.

Is the W735H I wear an ugly watch? Basically, yes. It will never win any beauty awards. But again, it's got all the features I really like.

What I am hoping to someday find is a luxury or at least a luxury-looking digital watch where I don't lose any features, and is one that fits my skinny wrist. Yeah, that is a bit of a tall order. (And no, the answer is not a smartwatch. I can't stand those things.)

The closest thing to that right now other than the G-SHOCKs I mentioned is the Casio WV58DA. I already have the resin strap version of that, and the dial design on that one is... okay. Not as good as the W735H. Certainly not as good as the G-SHOCKs.

My search continues. Until then, I'll keep wearing my ugly W735H.

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Garmin DriveSmart 66 finally gets a lock screen

This was a long time coming, but better late than never.

It's kind of funny, because Garmin was in fact ahead of its time and then grossly behind the time at the same time.

I'll explain.

In early-early nuvi models like the nuvi 250W from the late 2000s, there was in fact a section called Garmin Lock. And then Garmin took out that feature in later models after that. No more Garmin Lock. This is the way things stayed for well over a decade. And oh yes, people were really upset about it. They complained. Loudly. Garmin didn't put it back.

At long last, Garmin finally brought back the lock screen.

In one of the more recent system software updates, the DriveSmart 66, DriveSmart 76 and DriveSmart 86 now has the lock screen that was taken away over a decade ago.

From Settings > Device, there is now the option for Screen Lock, where you can set a PIN for every power-on, using a 4 to 16 digit PIN of your choosing.

For those early-early models, the maximum PIN length was 4 digits, meaning a number between 0000 and 9999. Now the PIN can be a number between 0000000000000000 and 9999999999999999.

The nice part here is the PIN doesn't have to be 16 digits long. It can be 4 digits, 5, 8, 10, whatever. Anything from 4 to 16 digits in length can be used.

Garmin was really late to the party putting a lock screen back into their navigators, but it's there now, and that's good.

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can a gps over 10 years old still be used today?

The answer to this question is a solid yes - if you know what you need to make it work.

I periodically read reviews for smartphone navigation apps, and there are a few very common complaints. The top 3 are "GPS signal lost!", "Gave me wrong directions!", and the most common, "Why did you change it? Put it back the way it was!"

People get frustrated enough to where they just say to hell with the phone and look up Garmin GPSes instead. Then they see the price of a Garmin DriveSmart 66 and say nope, too expensive, and would rather get something used that's dirt simple to use and cheap.

If that sounds like you, I have the information you need. All of it.

I am going to purposely concentrate on 4 very specific basic models that are easy to acquire along with everything you need to get the thing working right.

While I personally prefer more advanced models, the goal of this article is to be a guide that is very easy to follow.

The models

All of these are from 2013, and they all still work just fine.

• Garmin nuvi 42LM
• Garmin nuvi 44LM
• Garmin nuvi 52LM
• Garmin nuvi 54LM

It is important that you get a model with LM in the model name.

Be sure to purchase one that has the clip and the suction mount, don't buy it and look at other listings until you find one that does.

The 42 and 44 are 4.3" screens, and the 52 and 54 are 5" screens. All four operate exactly the same. If you are unsure which to choose, get a 5" model. It doesn't matter if it's a 52 or 54 since both work the same.

Adding a memory card to store USA, Canada and Mexico map data

It is required to buy one 32GB microSD memory card since the internal memory on its own doesn't have enough space to fit modern map data. The card slot is on the Garmin itself and you do not need to plug it into your phone nor your computer.

ONLY use 32GB. If you try using 64GB or greater, it will not work.

Cables needed

You need two cables. One for power, one for transferring map data from your computer.

These cables may look the same, but don't act the same, so you need both.

A warning: If you try to power the Garmin in your car using a data cable, IT WILL DAMAGE IT because the pinouts are different, so don't do that. You need the appropriate cables.

• USB power-only cable for the car
• USB data-only cable for the computer

If you don't have a USB port in your car, any USB car charger will work. It is not required for it to be the high-power type. The charger needs at least one A slot (the older, larger rectangle one).

Alternatively, if the Garmin you buy comes with its own car charger, that will plug right in to your car's 12V port and you don't need the power cable. But you do need the data cable.

Updating to the latest maps

Insert the memory card into the Garmin first.

On your computer, go to garmin.com/express and install the software (free).

Once Garmin Express is running, use the USB data cable to connect the GPS to your computer.

Garmin Express will automatically detect the device and ask if you want to add it. Do so.

Garmin Express will then most likely tell you the GPS needs an update. Do so.

If there is a map update required, it will take anywhere from 20 minutes to 2 hours to complete, depending on your internet connection speed.

Remove old Favorites first (if any are present)

On the GPS:

1. Where To?
2. Favorites
3. Select a Favorite
4. Click the Favorite's speech bubble
5. Click the Delete button:

Do this for all Favorites you want to delete.

Setting up your old Garmin - adding a Home location

Configure your GPS to show decimal degree coordinates first.

1. Where To?
2. Down arrow (bottom right of screen)
3. Coordinates
4. Format (bottom middle button)
5. Click the gray box under Format.
6. Select h ddd.ddddd°
7. OK
8. Click Back (bottom left) 3 times

Find the coordinates of your home parking space using Google Maps. Find your home, then right-click Google Maps to get the coordinates.

On the GPS:

9. Settings
10. System
11. Set GPS Simulator to On.
12. You will be given a notice "GPS simulator is turned on (for indoor use)".
13. Back (twice)
14. Where To?
15. Down arrow (bottom right)
16. Coordinates

Refer back to the coordinates you acquired from Google Maps. The first number is latitude, and the second longitude. In the continental United States, all GPS coordinates have a north latitude and a west longitude. This means the first number is always positive and the second number always negative.

17. Enter the coordinates into the GPS.
18. When finished entering coordinates, click Next.
19. Click Set Location
20. Click Back three times
21. Where To?
22. Go Home
23. Use My Current Location
24. Favorites

You should see "Home" now listed.

25. Back (twice)
26. Settings
27. System
28. Click On under GPS Simulator and change to Off.
29. OK
30. Back (twice)

If you ever need to reset your home location, go to Favorites, select Home, select the Home speech bubble, then Delete.

Setting up your old Garmin - Route Preferences and Avoidances

1. Settings
2. Navigation
3. Under Route Preference, click the gray box and then select Faster Time or Shorter Distance. Off Road is meant for in-the-woods use. Generally speaking, Faster Time is the best option to use.
4. When finished, click OK.
5. Click the gray box under Avoidances

There are 6 options (one is hidden that you have to click the down arrow to see) to enable or disable here. A checkbox next to an option means the GPS will avoid it. No checkbox means it will not avoid it when calculating a route for you.

6. When finished, click OK
7. Back (twice)

Finding stuff

While viewing the map

Click the vehicle icon (it will either be a little car or an arrow).

Select Hospitals, Police Stations or Fuel to see the closest destinations for each.

If for example you selected Fuel, a list of gas stations closest to your current location will be shown. Select one, then click Go to start navigating.

Address search

1. Where To?
2. Address
3. Enter the address of the location.
4. Click Save to save as a Favorite, or skip that and click Go to navigate there.

Points of Interest search

1. Where To?
2. Points of Interest

You have several options here, all divided into categories. If you want to skip the categories and just spell the name, click Spell Name and do so. Bear in mind that the search may be slow, since this is an old model.

To just see what's local around you for specific category, pick a category. For restaurants, that would be Food and Drink, then pick a subcategory such as Asian, and the closest Asian restaurants will be listed.

What to do if the Garmin can't find the location you wanted

Use coordinates in a similar way that you set your Home location.

Find the place you want to navigate to on Google Maps first and right-click the map to get the coordinates.

1. Where To?
2. Down arrow (bottom right)
3. Coordinates
4. Enter the coordinates.
5. Next
6. Save to save the location as a Favorite, or Go to navigate there.

Things that may cause an old Garmin not to work properly

Heated windshield

I'm not talking about heater fans, but rather the windshields on some luxury cars that have little lines that heat the windshield similar to rear glass defroster lines. If you have a windshield with those tiny little wires in the glass, that will block signals like crazy and cause the GPS to outright not work.

Large steel bridges

When crossing a large steel bridge, that can bounce around the GPS signal and cause your position on the map to go wacky until you've crossed the bridge.

Parking garages and some airport terminals

Big thick concrete will block a GPS signal. If you enter one of these structures and the Garmin says "lost satellite reception", you'll know why.

Urban canyons

An urban canyon is a deep city environment with skyscrapers all around you while driving through it; this can sometimes block GPS signals.

Dense foliage

This is somewhat rare and usually only happens in mountainous areas during the autumn season, but a lot of tree cover with leaves flying around all over the place can sometimes temporarily block a GPS signal. Like with the large steel bridge scenario, this can cause your position on the map to go wacky for a short time.

FAQ

Can I run this off of just the battery when fully charged?

Yes, but it's not recommended. Leave it plugged in all the time.

Can I run this off a USB power bank?

If you want to, yes. You will get anywhere from 8 to 24 hours of continuous use from a power bank's full charge.

Will this GPS work during hot summer driving?

Yes, as long as there is some air moving in the car either from a window rolled down or the A/C running.

The general advice here is to know what to do when parked. If it's a hot summer day and you park somewhere where there is no cover from the sun, get the GPS and its power cord out of the sun and put it in the glove box before leaving the car to prevent it from getting cooked. If it gets cooked, that will make it fail (possibly permanently).

Is there a service fee for any of this?

No. GPS is already paid for by taxpayer dollars and run by the US Government.

What map data do I get with this GPS?

All of the United States, Canada and Mexico.

Again, you need the 32GB microSD card installed to hold all that data. It is REQUIRED.

Will the GPS notify me of a map update?

No. You have to check for map updates yourself about once every 6 months. Every 6 months, launch Garmin Express, plug in your GPS, and if there is a map update, the software will tell you.

Is there traffic reporting?

No. Navigation only.

Does this old model have any ability to receive a location from my phone?

No.

How do I get a list of directions from the GPS?

Pick a destination either from Favorites, Points of Interest, Coordinates or elsewhere, click Go and let the GPS calculate the route first. Once the route is calculated and it's telling you where to go, click the top blue text bar on the map screen, and the directions list will be there.

Will this GPS automatically recalculate a route if I miss a turn?

Yes.

Does this GPS have a trip computer?

Yes. Pick a destination (similar to what was described just above) and click Go. After that on the map screen, click the bottom right field where your speed is listed, and you'll see the trip computer. Information such as arrival time, miles to go and so on will be listed.

Can I get that trip information to always be on the map?

Yes.

1. Settings

2. Map
3. Down arrow (bottom right)
4. Map Data Layout
5. Change from Standard to More Data
6. OK
7. Back (twice)
8. View Map

Four boxes will be on the right side of the map. Each of the top 3 can be clicked and changed from 6 available choices. The ones you will probably want are Arrival Time, Distance and Time to Destination.

To switch back to full map view:

1. Settings
2. Map
3. Down arrow
4. Map Data Layout
5. Standard

In Standard view while viewing the map, the bottom left field can be clicked and changed to one of the 6 options just like in More Data view, except it's just that one box.

Note that in either Standard or More Data view, there are two view modes, tracking and navigating. When not navigating (GPS is on but you haven't selected a place to navigate to), each box only has 3 custom options to select from since no place to navigate to has been selected. In navigating mode, you get the 6 options. Once you have set what you want to see for both tracking and navigating, the GPS will remember these settings and you don't have to set them again unless you want to.

How many Favorites can I save on this GPS?

1,000.

Does this GPS have a safe mode?

Yes.

When Safe Mode is on, the screen cannot be interacted with while your car is in motion. With it off, it can be used while your car is moving.

1. Settings
2. System
3. Safe Mode (select On or Off)

I found a map error. What can I do about it?

Nothing. Deal with it.

I couldn't find the location I wanted in the GPS. What do I do?

Use coordinates as noted above.

The screen brightness at night is too bright. Can I adjust this?

Yes. When the Garmin switches from day to night mode, you can select Settings, then Display, and adjust brightness there. The Garmin will remember the setting. Bear in mind brightness decreases gradually from day to night based on the clock, so you might have to adjust it a few times before you get it exactly how you want.

Does this Garmin have a "dark mode"?

Yes.

1. Settings
2. Display
3. Color Mode
4. Set to Night, and the Night theme will be used all the time.

The clock is set to 24-hour and I want 12-hour. How do I do that?

1. Settings
2. Time
3. Time Format

I want to completely reset the unit. How?

1. Delete all Favorites first
2. Where To?
3. Recently Found
4. Clear (to clear out the Recently Found list)
5. Power the GPS off
6. On battery, press the bottom right of the screen, hold, and power on.
7. Wait until "Erase all user data?" appears, select Yes.

Note that if you do this, you will have to set everything up from scratch again. Basically everything mentioned here. Fortunately, it doesn't take too long. Also, it may take a few minutes for the first GPS signal to be acquired after a reset.

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