- Average user rating: 3.5 stars out of 119 reviews Back to product review
- My rating: 0 stars
Full user review
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61 out of 64 people found this review helpful
3.5 stars
"Simple to use but no advanced capabilities"
Pros: It will get you from where you are to where you want to go
Cons: C330 is a one trick pony, doing that one trick very well
Summary: First, let me note that for basic auto use for getting you from where you currently are to someplace you want to go, the C330 is excellent. A score of 10. Easy to use mechanically and logically. Maps are clear, voice directions are excellent. Normal occasional map errors and weird routings, but really solid. My wife, who has no aptitude for such devices not only can use it, but is using it.
But, I am basically an aviation GPS user and so am used to certain capabilities that I didn't realize were advanced. For example, there is no fast way to enter current location as a waypoint (like as you whiz pass an interesting location or view and want to log it.) You can do it, but it is like a 12 button operation to get it in and back to the map again.
Also, the C330 cannot identify interesting landmarks along the way easily (requires a long transition to another set of screens--sufficiently hard that I don't really use).
No actual latitude and longitude available for recording where you really are in a standard coordinate system. No knots. GPS time only to the minute. No instantaneous speed to the .1 mph.
The automatic map scaling is almost perfect for road navigation--but this feature makes using the C330 in an airplane mostly useless.
No way to see routing for going from point A to point B only from where you are to point B. (At least I can't find this capability)
And more stuff like no satelite positions and signal strengths, no bread crumbs for where you have been, occasional screwball max ever speeds (like 185 mph--no I don't drive that fast), limited city name labeling (I guess it assumes you basically know what city you are in), no true north headings other than the 8 cardinal directions, no magnetic course, and more not worth listing.
Anyway, this is not a general purpose GPS. It is really good at what it is designed to do--give you road driving directions for getting from where you are to somewhere else. Good mount. Easy to lift out without hassling the suction cup. Good battery life. Good sound quality and volume (my wife likes listening to the Italian and Spanish and French), good screen.
Really easy to use.
We're keeping it, but I may look at the 2620 or TomTom to see if one of them gives me some of the more general features without giving up too much on the driving direction quality.
- 2 replies to this review
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I agree with the opinion that the C330 is very easy to use, though as someone else noted, it is for motor vehicles, not for airplanes. My one disappointment is that the map doesn't display cities. I often drive between Philadelphia and South Florida and it would be nice to see the names of the cities you're passing. I realize you don't need this to navigate, it's just a nice feature to make the ride more enjoyable. Especially when zooming in and out, cities listed nearby and enroute would be a nice feature.
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I am a pilot and I own several Garmin GPS Avionics systems. "Another Person" complains that this GPS does not give coordinates or Knot speed, and that he cant use his C330 in his airplane, but, when did this become an aviation GPS? This GPS is for motorvehicles and it does what it is supposed to. If you want an aviation GPS, you will have to spend $2k and up; you are not going to get it in an automobile GPS unit.
Where to buy
Garmin StreetPilot c330:
$299.99
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Amazon.com Marketplace
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$299.99 | Yes |
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