Garmin Through and Through

We love it when our customers tell us how much they like Garmin by purchasing and outfitting an entire boat with Garmin products.  Especially when they already owned Garmin units to begin with!

This owner of a Sunseeker 47 near Clearwater, Florida liked the Garmin 5212 units so much that he had a new dashboard built to accommodate the screens. He also liked the rugged simplicity and performance of the TR-1/Garmin autopilot and had that installed as well.   

Prior to the new installation, this customer loved his GPSMAP 3010 units, but decided to upgrade because of the 5212's simplified user interface and touchscreen.  With the new units, creating a waypoint and navigating to a destination is as easy as touching the screen.  There's no need to find the waypoint button, because the waypoint button finds YOU when you touch the screen. 

Slipstream has a strong start at Giro d’Italia

The 21-stage Giro d’Italia kicked off Saturday and Garmin-sponsored Team Slipstream/Chipotle is making a fine showing in their first Grand tour. Slipstream won the time trial on Saturday and Christian Vande Velde, featured in Garmin’s latest Edge 705 ad, was presented the pink leader’s jersey. This first race stage was sponsored by Garmin’s U.K. office and we were proud to back the team on the podium. Stage 2 was a tough one with a brutal uphill finish. Christian, one of the team’s top climbers, gave it his all, finishing 10” behind Franco Pellizotti, who took over the pink jersey. David Zabriskie got tangled in a crash, resulting in a compression fracture to a vertebra, but he has suffered no neurological damage. Stages 3 and 4 were also marred with crashes, and the peloton is looking tired, yet Christian has managed to maintain his second place overall standing. Our thoughts are with David Z. as he returns home for recovery and we wish the rest of team safety and great racing in the upcoming stages. Check out Slipstream’s latest Garmin featured ride, in Girona, Spain.

Slipstream GC (following Stage 4)
1. Franco Pellizotti 16:41′26″
2. Christian Vande Velde +1″
3. Danilo Di Luca +7″
4. Morris Possoni +8″
5. Vincenzo Nibali +8″

76. David Millar +2′14″
85. Ryder Hesjedal +2′54″
178. Danny Pate +24′58″
180. Julian Dean +25′44″
184. Magnus Backstedt +27′08″
188. Chris Sutton +31′33″
190. Pat McCarty +31″51″

Wrench 'n' Win Contest: Week 3 finalists

The third week was charmed in the Garmin Garage Wrench ‘n’ Win Contest and we have another group of entries for your enjoyment on the finalist page. The Week 3 finalists thought outside the box - especially the pizza box - and the creativity and artistry impressed us yet again. As you know, we pick the finalists but you get to pick the winner. If you’ve already entered, be sure to let your friends and family know. And we announced it last week, but it's worth repeating: We’ll be awarding one lucky grand prize winner with a brand new nüvi 205! So keep those sketches coming and spread the word about the Wrench ‘n’ Win Contest!

Garmin associate puts Forerunner 405 to the test at Disney

Working here at Garmin is a great experience and has proven to be a lot of fun. Here's a picture of me (in front, far left) and some of my associates following a charity run last summer. I have the opportunity to work with some really great athletes who’ve put some challenges before me and inspired me to step out of my comfort zone. That comfort zone was pretty much playing softball and cycling. Last summer I was encouraged to do a triathlon. Fell in love with the sport except for the running portion. We have a lot of really good runners here who encouraged me to pick up the sport. Now, I’m not great at it, but for not starting until in my late forties, I do okay.

Since I work in technical support for our outdoor/fitness team, I get to try out all the fun GPS units so I can become familiar with them to help our customers. Last January, my niece called and said, “I need to lose some weight and get in shape, there’s a 15K at Disney and was wondering if you’d do it with me?”  I told her I’d think about it for a few days and talk it over with my husband. I’d never done a 15K, but I’d run a 10K, so I knew what it felt like. I decided I’d do it. It sounded like fun and I probably needed another challenge.

Ask Garmin: Add New Vehicles to Your nüvi

Our e-mail this week comes from M. Smith: "I recently purchased a nüvi 260 and know nothing about GPS systems." As proof of the popularity of all of the new vehicles we're adding to the Garmin Garage, topping our e-mailer's to-do list was downloading new vehicle icons. "Can anyone help me?"

Absolutely. Not only is it easy, it's free! We have a cheat sheet for installing new vehicles, and we'll explain the steps in detail later in this post. In less than a minute, you can be cruising in style. For those who spend their days helping others, we have the popular service vehicles bundle. We also cater to outdoor enthusiasts, Elliott Sadler fans, or anyone looking for something sleek or pink or futuristic.

Not seeing your ideal vehicle? Draw your own and enter our Wrench 'n' Win Contest!

Peg’s Posts: Where to buy Forerunner 405

With all the great reviews on the Forerunner 405, some of you are wondering where to go to get your hands on it. The 405 is now available at specialty outdoor retailers and running stores, as well as the Garmin store on Chicago’s Magnificent Mile. And like the typical type A runner, this watch doesn’t stay in one place for long. At its street debut at the Boston Marathon expo three weeks ago, hundreds of units were sold. We’ll also be doing demos and selling 405s at a couple of upcoming race expos, so watch for us next weekend, May 16-17 at the Bay to Breakers Expo in San Francisco and then May 30-31 at the San Diego Marathon Expo.

Jake's Journal: Recycling my cycling

Next week is Kansas City's "Car-Free Challenge" and commuters across the metro will explore alternative ways to get to work and back home. Always up for a challenge, I joined Garmin's team as we try to defend our title. Last year, Garmin employees logged more than 2,700 miles on foot, bike, bus or carpool. And whether a person's motivation is driven by competition, the environment or their personal budget, the key is to do your part to help.

Here's the catch. I live 22 miles from work. On foot, that's my longest run before a marathon. And I'd have to leave home at 4 a.m. And then I'm stuck at work with sore legs and no way home. By bike, it's still a long haul (for me), but doable. The catch there is steering clear of roads too busy for my amateur status. That's where the Edge 705's mapping will come in handy. The other alternative - and one that I'll likely use at least part of the week - is to bike the 4 miles to catch the shuttle to Garmin. But regardless of how long or often I plan to ride next week, I had one major obstacle: cobwebs.

Shave to Save: Haircuts for a cure

The Garmin family loves to help out the community... even if that means having a bald head for a few weeks! This morning, one of our Engineering team leaders shaved his head to honor and support those touched by cancer during the American Cancer Society's inspiring Shave to Save event. The shavees were joined by friends and family, while a local meteorologist was on hand to host the event. Rick and other community members helped to raise more than $120,000 through this unique and exciting fundraiser. Way to go, Rick!

 

Wrench ‘n’ Win Contest: The Grand Prize Has Arrived!

Greetings Garmin Garage fans! We’re right in the middle of the Wrench ‘n’ Win Contest and we’ve been flooded with so many great entries, we may have to make more room in the Garmin Garage! If you haven’t already entered, now’s the time to do so. Because in addition to our prizes for our weekly finalists, we’ll also be awarding one lucky grand prize winner with a brand new nüvi 205! This portable GPS device is one of the newest navigators in our extremely popular nüvi line-up and we can’t wait to give it away to the winning entry! So keep those sketches coming and be sure to let your family and friends know about the Wrench ‘n’ Win Contest! And remember – we pick the finalists but you pick the winner! We can’t wait to see what arrives next.   

Roger's Runway: SVT Pathways

The big feature of any synthetic system is the 3D terrain and the highway in the sky (HITS), and the new Synthetic Vision Technology (SVT) for the G1000 is no different. The 3D terrain and the SVT’s version of the HITS, called Pathways, bring a new level of confidence to the cockpit. The Pathway boxes (which are 700 feet wide by 200 feet tall) offer course guidance for all phases of flight from en route legs, approach procedures, and finally arrival and departure procedures. One of the really nice features is that each of these legs is colored coded based on the navigation source - just like the HSI changes colors. So if the navigation source is GPS then the Pathway boxes are colored magenta. If the source is a VOR or localizer then the Pathway box is green. White Pathway boxes represent legs of the flight that are not activated yet. The Pathways also provide descent information for programmed legs, like approaches. If you have an ILS or a LPV approach loaded into you flight plan then the Pathways will actually gradually move down representing the glide slope. As long as you fly through the boxes, then the Pathway will guide you to your destination.

Forerunner 405: Perfect for Mother's Day - or Win One for Yourself

With its release at the Boston Marathon and arrival at running stores, the Forerunner 405 has raced to the top of wish lists everywhere. And today only (May 7), you can win a free Forerunner 405 from Women's Health magazine. Click here for details and to enter the Women's Health contest.

And with Mother's Day coming up this weekend, Shape magazine says the Forerunner 405 is the perfect gift for active moms. "Speedy moms who still sign up for marathons, races or triathlons, one after the next, can better track their mileage, times and trails with the Garmin Forerunner 405," explains Shape's gift guide. "Near buildings or under trees, no matter where she strides, this gadget will track your mom's distance, elevation, calories burned, pace, and more." Click here for Shape's complete Mothers Day Gift Guide.

Get Reckless, Win A Garmin

Many of us here at Garmin HQ are fans of Reckless Kelly, an Austin, Texas-based rock and roll band with a rootsy twang.  On June 24, they'll release Bulletproof, their 7th album, which is chock-full of hard-charging anthems and heartfelt, down-on-your luck ballads.

You can pre-order the album today, and we strongly encourage you to do so.  Not only is it great music, but if you purchase the album, you stand to win a Garmin nüvi 760!  What's not to like?

'Giddy Up for Wishes' saddles up with Garmin

So often we update our blog readers on GPS-guided travels by foot, in the car, on a boat or in a plane. Recently however, Garmin has been along for a different kind of ride - as we've been apart of one woman's 'Giddy Up for Wishes' journey across Canada on horseback. On March 30, Martha Birkett left Ottawa on horseback for a 2200-mile journey along the Trans-Canada Highway to Calgary, Alberta with a goal of raising money and awareness for The Children's Wish Foundation. Along with her for the ride are a few of Garmin's most popular devices. Martha checked in with us yesterday, and says the nüvi 350 allows her to pinpoint things so easily. "I'm able to realistically plan for stops and day rides. Not all overnight stops are on the highway, so by putting in addresses and/or intersections, we aren't having any trouble locating them," she said.

With five weeks of riding behind her and eight more to go, Martha and her team have also been communicating with a pair of Garmin Rino 530HCx devices. "The driver is able to warn me of any traffic that I should be made aware of that is coming up from be hind me as well as contacting me if I have any media calls that need to be taken immediately. The front driver will also radio back to the back driver if there is any concern ahead, i.e. wildlife on the road, as I often don't see this because my horses are traveling directly behind the trailers."

Wrench ‘n’ Win: Week Two Finalists

Another week has passed for the Garmin Garage Wrench ‘n’ Win Contest and another round of great entries can now be viewed on the finalist page. Congratulations to the Week Two finalists. The submissions continue to amaze us and we’re sure the voting is going to get tougher and tougher each week. Of course, we pick the finalists but you get to pick the winner. So keep the great ideas coming. We’ve got some great prizes in store for all of our finalists and for the winner, too. And if you’ve already entered, be sure to let your friends and family know, too. A little competition is always fun, right?

Richmond plays home state to Sadler and No. 19

It's home sweet home for Elliott Sadler this weekend. The Sprint Cup Series heads to the Richmond International Raceway for the Crown Royal 400 where Elliott and the No. 19 Stanley Tools Dodge will take on the 0.75 mile oval track Sunday at 7 p.m.  A Virginia native, Elliott has had one top-10 finish in his 18 Richmond starts, which came in the spring 2005 when he placed seventh. After spending 75% of last week's 'Dega race in the top-15, Elliott and the No. 19 Garmin/Best Buy team finished 29th after being involved in the multi-car accident on the final lap of the event. This weekend, Elliott will jump into the same car used at Phoenix just weeks ago, and says they're hoping to show everyone what they can do with it at Richmond.

Elliott agrees that this weekend will be more intense being in his home state, and says, "I used to sit in those very same stands when I was a kid with my family members. A lot of my crew guys are from Virgina, too, so it means a little more to all of us when we race at Richmond." 

Road tour with the Edge 705

It’s been nearly two weeks since my trip to Monterey, California, but the beauty of those hills and seascapes are still imprinted on my brain. I’ll be missing the west coast scenery when I hit the roads this weekend, but my Edge 705 has plenty of beauty to behold. The latest in our family of GPS-enabled bike computers, the 705 adds color mapping and a handy click stick, which makes it a breeze to pan the map or select menu options. The 705 also offers a barometric altimeter, wireless heart rate, speed/cadence and options for pairing with a power meter. Check out this activity recorded by Edge 705 and stored at Garmin Connect, or new online community.

More Garmin Geocoins Discovered in the Wild

Stories keep coming in about finding unactivated, limited-edition Garmin Colorado/Wherigo geocoins in random caches. That's what happens when crafty colleagues leave a little something for casual cachers. You see, we could activate them or announce the coin drop on the cache page, but what fun would that be?

Doris sent us this note just two days after Jake visited: "I just found a Colorado/Wherigo coin in a cache, Man's Best Friend, in Emmaus, PA. It was a very nice surprise." And this post showed up at geocaching.com shortly after Team Garmin was in California for the Sea Otter Classic. "BEAUTIFUL walk to this one! New places are wonderful to find," wrote luvnatuRRRE in the cache log. "Found a Colorado wherigo.com geocoin in this one that appears to not be activated yet."

So keep an eye on those caches. Where Garmin goes, a geocoin may follow.

Seeing is Believing: Hi-Def Radar

Recently, one of our marine experts had a chance to make a head-to-head comparison of conventional versus high-definition radar.  Hi-def incorporates high-powered digital signal processing, which is a fancy way of saying it gives you sharper radar images and improved target separation.

We compared our GMR 41 and our newer GMR 24 HD... and the results speak for themselves.  Even to the untrained eye, it's easy to see that the GMR 24 HD shows clearer and cleaner targets -- which is really what matters most to any boater.

Jake's Journal: Quick Tips for Geocaching

Whenever I mention geocaching to someone, I get one of two reactions. People have either tried it and enjoyed it, or they've never heard of it. Most of the conversations fall into the first category. But for those of you who are unfamiliar with the activity, here are a few helpful links and recent stories to introduce you to this worldwide phenomenon.

To get started, click here for a Geocaching primer, including which Garmin devices work well. Then move on to geocaching.com and learn about everything that this site has to offer - including locations of more than a half-million caches of various size and content. Next, read these stories about a crash course in Daytona Beach; a family outing in Oregon; and aquatic adventures along the Great Lakes. (And check out the Lakeland Boating link for a chance to win a Garmin Colorado!)