Thread: Anyone use a GPS?

Has anyone here tried a GPS in Panama? I tried renting one in Costa Rica and they were out. It was a nightmare trying to find our way around with "No hay paso" signs and no street signs. I would love to hear whether or not it would be worth getting one before we come.

Question one of many......

There is only one provider of accurate GPS maps for Panama:
Pty GPS Maps Home
Note that these maps work only in Garmin units.

I know that some car rental companies in Panama offer GPS, but if they haven't installed the maps from PTY GPS , they won't be worth the extra fee. If they have installed the PTY GPS maps, they can be a lot of help -- especially in the city.

The city is exactly where I need it! That link is exactly what I was looking for, thanks so much exilio!!

Sam's Club has a Garmin on sale that I will pick up, and then with the site you just provided, I'm golden.

One problem solved.....about a hundred to go.

I got a GPS with a car I rented at Tocumen airport in December. It worked well with the usual provisos: temporary road disruptions and rural areas. Going toward David, there were many errors so don't depend totally on a GPS. You have to have your brain turned on at the same time as the GPS.

I wish the some GPS's had an instant "mute" switch for the times you're driving and the voice keeps on telling you to "turn right, then turn right" ....lol

Originally Posted by GordonS

I got a GPS with a car I rented at Tocumen airport in December. It worked well with the usual provisos: temporary road disruptions and rural areas. Going toward David, there were many errors so don't depend totally on a GPS. You have to have your brain turned on at the same time as the GPS.

I wish the some GPS's had an instant "mute" switch for the times you're driving and the voice keeps on telling you to "turn right, then turn right" ....lol

I bring my Garmin with me and have a map of Panama loaded into it and it worked great..just got home 4 days ago and we are ready to head back!

This is probably nowhere near as good, but covers the whole carribean, and is shareware Garmin carribean RWS maps v2.4+v.2.5

Only major roads are in it.

Bill

I've got a Garmin that we took with us last Jun. I bought the software from PTY GPS and it saved my bacon numerous times. I will NEVER voluntarily drive in the city without it!

Point taken. Worth paying a couple of hundred bucks for that peace of mind.

Bill

I use a Garmon GPS in Panama and bought the map last year at PTY GPS Home for a hell of a lot of money. The problem you have is that there are no addresses in Panama so if you want to get to a specific address, it doesn't help! I even typed in certain towns like Santiago, Aguadulce, etc. and none of them were listed. Not sure what the deal is with that. It will show you where you are and you can program the "home" function, but it won't take you where you need to go.

Roger, you need to make sure that you have changed locations to Panama. If you don't and try to use it, it won't work. Our Garmin was wonderful. Just getting us around and through Panama City was worth every penny. I'm not saying that it didn't take us some time to learn how to use it, cause it did.

Originally Posted by becky7474

Roger, you need to make sure that you have changed locations to Panama. If you don't and try to use it, it won't work. Our Garmin was wonderful. Just getting us around and through Panama City was worth every penny. I'm not saying that it didn't take us some time to learn how to use it, cause it did.

absolutely

I use GPS in my Blackberry. Seems to work fine. Maps are the Google maps, otherwise it helped in many ways.

Roger, you need to make sure that you have changed locations to Panama. If you don't and try to use it, it won't work. Our Garmin was wonderful. Just getting us around and through Panama City was worth every penny. I'm not saying that it didn't take us some time to learn how to use it, cause it did.

What do you mean "have changed locations to Panama" , Becky? I've loaded the Panama map and it shows most of the streets and some of the towns here in Panama fine. The problem is that if you want to go to a particular hotel or address in a particular town, you cannot just type in the address of the destination like I could in the States (or even the city or town in the finder). If I'm doing something wrong, I would appreciate some tips on how to rectify this situation.

Let me walk you through from my Garmin....

When I turn it on I go to "Where to?" Then go to "Points of Interest" There you can pick fuel or food or any one you want. When you open it up it should show you all the gas stations or restaurants or whatever that are programmed in there. If it doesn't, down at the bottom of the screen it says "Near..." That's where you change to Panama. I had a hard time finding it at first. Addresses are tough, it's easier to go to McDonald's or Texaco or places like that.

If you have never gone to the "Near" screen to change to Panama, that is probably your problem, I know it was mine.

I hope this helps, it not let me know and I'll try and help some more.

Thanks Becky... I'll give that a try.

I used a GPS in Panama and hope I never have to drive there without it.

Hi , So if I have a Blackberry you think it comparitable to a garmin in giving directions around pananama in and outside of the city.
Thanks. Have a happy and helathy

We tried with our Garmin last visit. It works great. The problem is with the way people are used to describing places. People don't like to use street names, they use landmarks - like go to such and such building, make a left...
GPS can't do that.
Guess we just have to get used to it.

Thanks for your reply. How does the Blackberry work for driving directions?
Have a happy and healthy!

Originally Posted by Liont

We tried with our Garmin last visit. It works great. The problem is with the way people are used to describing places. People don't like to use street names, they use landmarks - like go to such and such building, make a left...
GPS can't do that.
Guess we just have to get used to it.

Another problem i have ran into is that many "streetnames" arent the actual streetnames. Best is to try and get the coordinates. Im gonna start a thread where members can post coordinates of places theyve been to.
I do it now when im somewhere i might like to return. I go to "where am i" and then " save location to favorites".

Originally Posted by fishfroggy

Thanks for your reply. How does the Blackberry work for driving directions?
Have a happy and healthy!

Can only work if you can download Garmin software on it. They are the only one, that i know of, that have maps for Panama so far.

I just purchased a Garmin and the PTY software for Panama. Will advise how it works after my trip next month.

Originally Posted by jimmy

I just purchased a Garmin and the PTY software for Panama. Will advise how it works after my trip next month.

I bought the PTY software several years ago and installed it on my Garmin. I refuse to drive in Panama (especially PC) without it!

Is the PTY software the one that is $80.00

Originally Posted by davidpanama

Is the PTY software the one that is $80.00

I dont know for sure, but the easiest is to just buy the unit+software down here. Unless you already have the unit of course. I think total is about $150 here.

Originally Posted by davidpanama

Is the PTY software the one that is $80.00

The Full version is now $100. The Lite version is $60. Upgrade for existing users is $40.

PTY GPS Home

Link to PTY website.

The website that I had been looking at is gpsworldnet.net

This company is suposed to be affiliated with Garmin and they take PayPal.

The Panama map is $80.00

Originally Posted by davidpanama

The website that I had been looking at is gpsworldnet.net

This company is suposed to be affiliated with Garmin and they take PayPal.

The Panama map is $80.00

I've never heard of that company, but I can vouch for the accuracy of the maps and the tech support for the PTY folks. I had a problem loading the software and I called the owner of the company (in PC). He walked me through the install process and he even offered to help me once I got to Panama if I had any problems with the program/maps.

Is it possible to enter in a place and it'll find it? What if you have a home address, are you SOL or can you enter something in?

Last question, does it include free upgrades or do you have to pay every time?

Originally Posted by davidp

Is it possible to enter in a place and it'll find it? What if you have a home address, are you SOL or can you enter something in?

Last question, does it include free upgrades or do you have to pay every time?

I'm sure the website can answer all of your questions.