336 responses so far ↓

• 1 Phil Corcoran // Jul 23, 2007 at 5:16 pm

  A good detailed write-up which certainly sold me on the device. Unfortunately Lemon Digital, recommended above doesn’t seem to stock them. Elsewhere they are £212.

• 2 Dean // Jul 23, 2007 at 5:26 pm

  Hi Phil,

  I checked with Lemon Digital. They do have the Garmin Nuvi 250W in stock but it is not listed on their web site yet. It should be on their web site in the next day or two. Give them a call if you have any queries. They’re very helpful.

• 3 lemon digital // Jul 26, 2007 at 8:23 am

  Hello all! The Garmin nuvi 250w is now live. With a new updated price too!

• 4 Magdalena // Aug 3, 2007 at 8:05 pm

  Very hard to get hold of at the moment but worth searching for. Very good!

• 5 Ken Hallett // Oct 6, 2007 at 12:15 am

  Informative write-up.I purchased a Nuvi 250W best thing I did..a great package. Lemon Digital was a good price..but I bettered it and receive a free PC link cable as well. Have booke marked your site for future reports.

• 6 when driving cant get any sound whats wrong volume is switched to 80 // Oct 6, 2007 at 10:06 pm

  when driving why isnt there any volume even thou volume is switched up what am i doing wrong

• 7 Dean // Oct 7, 2007 at 8:22 am

  When you first switch on the Garmin touch the speaker icon in the bottom right of the screen.

  Do you see a MUTE box?
  If so make sure it does not have a check in it.

  Let me know if that helps at all.

• 8 Bernie Donnelly (GA/USA) // Oct 11, 2007 at 5:50 pm

  Excellent Review…………………….

  For Any USA Readers

  UPS just delivered mine from QVC………
  Special Value of the Day this past Friday
  $289.00 US From the prices I am seeing elsewhere
  this seems like a good price + 6 egual monthly
  payments. I am retiring my Cobra Nav One which has served me well for the past 2 years.
  My only dissatisfatction from the initial playing
  around would have been the USB cable also but
  fortunatley all my blackberry accessories are compatable, The lack of the MP3 capability which it seems most of the Tour Guide POI’s require, and a little more in-depth user guide although the touch screen interface is super easy to navigate and configure. Will do a follow up post once I actually get it out on the road. Thanks, B

• 9 Dean // Oct 11, 2007 at 7:10 pm

  That’s a fantastic price. I’ve seen a couple of deals on the Nuvi 250W recently but that is a good one.

  It’s still the best system I’ve used so far. With 6 million POI it’s a winner for me.

  Let us know how you get on with the Nuvi on the road.

• 10 Nghia Ho // Oct 12, 2007 at 12:12 am

  Hi Dean,

  Great review. Have you had a change to review the Magellan Maestro 4040? If yes, how do these two compare?

  Thanks,

  Nghia Ho

• 11 Dean // Oct 12, 2007 at 7:18 am

  I haven’t had a chance to review the Magellan Maestro 4040. It looks like a nice GPS system.

  There is not much difference between the two systems. Reading reviews from other people the Garmin overall looks like the better system.

• 12 Charlie // Oct 29, 2007 at 9:45 pm

  Very informative review.
  I am looking for a satnav and this review has certainly put the Nuvi250W on the shortlist.

• 13 Dean // Oct 29, 2007 at 9:51 pm

  Glad you like the review.

  I’ve got another widescreen sat nav which I will be road testing over the next few weeks. The Sony NV-U53.

  Looking forward to see how it matches up against the Garmin.

• 14 Ken Hallett // Oct 30, 2007 at 8:21 am

  Hi Dean
  Thanks for your report on the Garmin Nuvi 250 which I purchased a while back as mentioned on Oct 6. Without your unbised report purchasing a Sat Nav would have been based on the adverts and the info gleaned from suppliers. Keep up the good work.

  Thanks Again

  Ken.

• 15 Jay // Oct 31, 2007 at 11:26 pm

  How do I change the language on my garmin nuvi 250, it seems to be locked into italian and I want to change it to English. I have pressed the re-set button, but when I switch it back on it still opens up with Italian.
  Can anyone help please ?
  There is nothing about it in the start up book

• 16 Dean // Nov 1, 2007 at 7:32 pm

  Have you tried this?

  Switch on the Garmin Nuvi 250W and press the spanner icon at the bottom of the screen.

  A screen will appear displaying the following options:
  - System
  - Display
  - Navigation
  - Time

  In the bottom right of the screen is a down arrow icon. Press that icon and the following options are displayed:

  - Time
  - Language
  - Security
  - Map

  Press the Language option. You should now see a screen where you can change the language.

  Let me know if that doesn’t work.

• 17 Ray // Nov 8, 2007 at 7:48 pm

  I recently and cautiously bough a garmin 250w for under 200 pounds at Halfords. I`ve been talking myself out of it for over a year now as I`m a bit of a technophobe but they were so helpful that I took the plunge. Its strange to just hand over my trust to this but if you just do what it tells you and leave your~`INSTINCTŚ` at home it will get you there.

• 18 Dean // Nov 8, 2007 at 8:33 pm

  Ray - glad you took the plunge!

  The Garmin is a cracking sat nav system. You won’t be disappointed.

• 19 Charlie // Nov 14, 2007 at 9:41 pm

  I posted earlier,…..very good review,…..spent considerable time researching many units - I eventally went for the Nuvi 360T (can be had for under £220) comes with many extras and does many things more than the 250W. My only gripe is the speaker volume of the unit (inadequate), however this should not be a problem when I eventually figure out how to connect the unit via bluetooth to my car audio. Nevertheless the review was instrumental in deciding my final choice as the 360T operates and performs in much the same way - The comments also have been useful / informative.

• 20 Harry Whitelaw // Nov 17, 2007 at 10:48 pm

  Hi Dean,
  Great report and I was ’sold’ until I read a review which stated that all nuvi sat navs used in the UK have a mapping fault whereby the audio announcement to turn left or right is given 0.2 miles before the actual corner. If there are turnings between the announcement point and the actual turn you could take a wrong turn. Do you agree?? Thanks

• 21 Dean // Nov 18, 2007 at 7:19 pm

  Harry - I’ve done a bit of investigation on this. Apparently Garmin did accept there was a problem with the mapping data, but it seemed to only affect a particular part of the UK (around Cheshire and the North West of the UK). The person who reported the problem went on to say that on a trip to London they did not experience this problem.

  This ties in with my own findings. I tested the Nuvi around London and the M4 corridor and cannot remember seeing this problem.

  I don’t know if this problem has been fixed with a new release of the mapping software. If you do decide to go ahead and buy the Nuvi you always have the option to return it should you come across this problem.

• 22 Paul C // Nov 21, 2007 at 10:27 am

  Great informative review, just what I needed as am about to splash some cash on satnav and I have to go to Europe quite often. The 250W seems to fit the bill, I have also looked at the 660 which has a few more toys and features on it - and also more cash. So my question is as far as the map software/version is concerned, is there any difference in detail etc, or is it just a case of more features.

• 23 Dean // Nov 21, 2007 at 1:42 pm

  Paul C - glad you liked the review.

  I don’t believe there is any difference between the mapping software used across the Garmin nuvi range.

  The 660 is just a higher spec model in terms of more features/toys like bluetooth and TMC and so is more expensive.

• 24 Ian // Nov 21, 2007 at 3:01 pm

  I bought the 660FM a few days ago and am pleased with its features and functions but when entering an address the miles to destination on the display screen is about 25% less than the actual distance,is this a common occurrence on Nuvis

• 25 Dean // Nov 21, 2007 at 7:11 pm

  Ian - what it might be doing is showing the distance as the crow flies, rather than the driving distance.

  When it plots a route on the map does it show a straight line or does the line follow the roads?

  Also, have a search on Google for “as the crow flies routing”. I found a few sites that mention this for GPS systems.

  Let me know if you manage to find out anything more.

  Thanks.

• 26 Ian // Nov 22, 2007 at 6:59 pm

  Dean. I checked those sites but as a non techie it didn’t help me, also the line follows the route,in desperation I took it back to the store in case I was doing something wrong.They tested it alongside one of theirs and mine still showed a lower destination mileage by 20-30% every time even though they were on the same settings.After much shaking of heads I was given a replacement with the mystery unsolved.
  Thanks for the advice and I’ll continue to check in on this very useful site.

• 27 Ray // Nov 27, 2007 at 5:07 pm

  Just read Dean’s review of nuvi 250W. I’ve been thinking of buying this one & found the review & it’s presentation first class. Well done!

• 28 Dean // Nov 27, 2007 at 5:37 pm

  Thanks Ray. I appreciate the comments. I’m glad readers are enjoying my reviews. Plenty more to come in the future!

• 29 Mick Hoy // Dec 3, 2007 at 1:05 pm

  after an in shop demo, and reading your review i purchased the 250w a great bit of kit, thanks for pointing me in the right direction. grin) you mention opff road nav? how do you set the system for that? Regards Mick

• 30 Dean // Dec 3, 2007 at 7:05 pm

  Mick - From the main screen tap the wrench icon at the bottom of the screen and then select “Settings”.

  Next tap the “Navigation” option and select “Route Preference”. You will probably find it is currently set to “Faster Time”. If you tap the “Faster Time” button you can then select a different route profile, including “off road” mode.

• 31 Dave Swann // Dec 6, 2007 at 6:37 pm

  I am about to buy my first SatNav system and it looks as though the Garmin 250W would be ideal, ( with may thanks for your excellent review Dean ).
  My only worry is that people who reviewed it on the Amazon Website complained that it is very slow to find satelites, to an extent that can make it unuseable. Any comments ?
  Best Regards
  Dave

• 32 Dean // Dec 6, 2007 at 7:15 pm

  Hi Dave,

  I had no problems with the GPS signal on my Nuvi 250W. It would acquite a satellite signal in under a minute, even indoors.

  I read the two reviews on Amazon about the poor GPS signal. Not very comforting to read when you’re about to buy your first sat nav system.

  I’m not sure what caused their problems. One possibility is a faulty batch of Garmin products but that is just guesswork on my part.

  One suggestion would be to try and find a shop that sells these and ask for a demo before parting with your cash.

• 33 Dean // Dec 6, 2007 at 7:23 pm

  I also found this on another web site which suggests others have encountered this problem:

  If your Nuvi is taking a long time to acquire a satellite, you can try this:

  Sometimes the almanac data that your nuvi stores for satellite acquisition becomes corrupted. This causes acquisition to become slow.

  To correct this we need to perform a master reset. This procedure will erase all user data.

  With your nuvi powered off, press and hold the lower left corner of the screen. Next, turn the power on. Continue to hold the screen until it asks if you really want to enter maintenance mode. Next, choose clear user data. The screen will flicker a bit and then start up like it did when it was first turned on. Follow the directions to set time and location. You will have to reacquire satellites by turning on your nuvi outside in full view of the sky. This one time acquisition may take up to 30 minutes.

• 34 Dave Swann // Dec 7, 2007 at 10:07 am

  Thanks for your replies Dean.
  Just one other question, - in the ‘Box Contents’ you mention a ‘Vehicle Suction Cup Mount’. Is this suitable for mounting the 250W on the windscreen and removing at the end of each journey ? We plan to use the 250W in Italy !!!!!
  Best Regards
  Dave

• 35 Paul Moran // Dec 7, 2007 at 3:24 pm

  Just read your review on the Garmin 250w and it is amazingly comprehensive and helpful. I am trying to decide on a system, and from what i have read on other sites it seems to be a toss up between this Garmin or a Tom Tom Go 720.
  Any comment would be very helpful.

• 36 Dean // Dec 7, 2007 at 4:56 pm

  Dave - The suction cup is suitable for mounting the 250W on the windscreen.

  The suction cup is very easy to use, you press the suction cup against the windscreen then press a lever to apply the suction. When you want to remove the suction cup you lift the lever up and the suction cup will come away from the windscreen.

  It’s very easy to use and is one of the better suction cups I’ve seen compared to some other sat nav systems.

• 37 Dean // Dec 7, 2007 at 5:52 pm

  Paul Moran - I’ve got no personal experience of the TomTom Go 720 so I’m not really in a position to advise one way or the other, but I have used Tom Tom navigation software on PDA devices before and found them to be reliable and good performers.

  You have probably read this on other web sites, but here is the information I have found.

  The Nuvi 250W supports an off-road mode whereas the Tom Tom Go 720 does not. I’ve also heard that the Garmin is easier to use.

  The TomTom does have more features which is understandable given the price tag. It is about £80 more expensive than the Nuvi on Amazon.

  The Tom Tom Go 720 has bluetooth which the Nuvi 250W does not. The Tom Tom also has text to speech so it will say “Turn left onto West Avenue” whereas the Nuvi does not.

  If you look at the reviews for both devices on Amazon you’ll get a mixed bag. Both get positive and negative reviews.

  Hope this helps a bit, and if you get the chance, try and find stores that sell these devices so you compare both before deciding to buy.

• 38 Steve // Dec 7, 2007 at 9:29 pm

  Dean,
  I just purchased the 250W and had a question regarding POIs. Can these be accessed for a different location while still en route? We travel in Central California and it is sometimes many miles between cities and would like to be able to search for services in an upcoming city without having to stop the ongoing routing.
  By the way, I have been to a lot of sites and your review was far and away the best. I also prior to purchasing the Garmin went to their site. Your review is more comprehensive then their instructions.
  Thanks!!!

• 39 Wayne // Dec 8, 2007 at 2:42 am

  I want to purchase a nuvi 250w. My question for you is can this navigator be used as a regular GPS on a boat or in the wilderness showing routes and waypoints. I am comparing this unit to the Lowrance XOG which has road, land and sea. thank you

• 40 Ken Hallett // Dec 8, 2007 at 8:51 am

  Hi
  I purchased a navi 250w and I love ..much better that the Tom Tom . Also consider the history of both company’s. Tom Tom is the new boy on the block with regard to Sat Nav. Garmin brings planes , cruse linners etc etc safely to their desternation and are world renound makers of Sat Nag equipment…Tom Tom are renound for bulk advertising only.. You should by now have your answer of which Sat nav to purchase.

  Dean keep up the good work, your keeping lots of people on the right route.

  Ken

• 41 Dean // Dec 8, 2007 at 2:16 pm

  Wayne The Nuvi 250W does support an off road mode. You can navigate to a set of longtitude/latitude co-ordinates.

  I don’t really have much experience with using GPS devices off road or at sea, so my advice would be to get the views of a few people before deciding which one to buy.

• 42 Dean // Dec 8, 2007 at 2:28 pm

  Steve If you go the Points of Interest screen, the Nuvi will default to searching for POI near your current location.

  But you can also specify to search for POI for a different city, somewhere along your current route or somewhere near your destination.

  I didn’t actually test this feature out whilst driving, but you should be able to do it without cancelling the current route.

  By going back the main screen, you should be able to search for POI, and then switch back to the map when finished.

  Someone else might be able to confirm 100% for you.

• 43 Simon // Dec 16, 2007 at 9:26 am

  Thanks Dean for the great review! I’ve been looking over the internet for some decent sat-nav reviews but none had the detail yours had.

  I’m interested in buying the 250w as my first sat-nav, but have a couple of (probably stupid) questions:

  Does it read out the direction you have to take, i.e. “Turn left in 100 yards”, or just display this on the screen?

  What different ways can you search for a destination? Can you for example search for a train station or a certain place in the country with ease?

  Finally you mentioned it not coming with a USB cable. Is this expensive to buy, and is this needed to update the 250w?

  Sorry for my probably obvious questions, but I’m new to this.

  Cheers.

• 44 Dean // Dec 16, 2007 at 9:49 am

  Simon - The 250W will read out the directions to you as well as display it on the screen.

  You can search for a destination in a variety of ways. You can either enter a town/city name or postcode, or you can search for a point of interest. The points of interest are split into categories, such as train stations, hotels, restaurants, etc. You could for example search for train stations near your current location or near your destination city. The 250W is very easy to use.

  A USB cable costs about £11 ($22) on Amazon. Search for “Nuvi USB/PC cable” on Amazon and you should find the cable. You will need the USB cable for performing any future updates to the Nuvi.

  Glad you liked the review. Any more questions then let me know.

• 45 Craig // Dec 19, 2007 at 5:19 pm

  My Nuvi 250W lost grip on reality last week. When using the touchscreen keyboard, the “T” showed as a “D”. Of course I hoped that it was just a visual and that the entry would reflect correctly in the system as a “T”. No such luck. Now other letters are jumbled. Has anyone else had this experience. I’ll probably try to reset, but I’d really like to avoid losing the favorites I’ve accumulated in the last couple of months. In response to Steve’s question I live in Florida and can confirm that the search for POIs in another location works just fine. If “backing” up to the current trip map doesn’t work you can always go to recently found locations or favorites. Your current trip will be at one of those unless you’ve mapped a complicated multi-stop trip.

• 46 Colm // Dec 22, 2007 at 9:26 pm

  I’d like to compliment you on your excellent review and it was very helpful in deciding which Sat Nav to buy. I bought the Nuvi 250W recently. Everytime I try to use it cannot get a signal. Can you please tell me what to do?

• 47 Dean // Dec 23, 2007 at 8:34 am

  Hi Colm - The very first time the Nuvi is used it can take a while to establish a signal. Maybe up to 10 minutes or more. In my tests though it took less time than this. How long have you tried leaving the Nuvi switched on for?

  I would try the following if you haven’t done so already. Connect the Nuvi to a power source (such as in a vehicle), switch on and wait for 10 minutes.

  If it still can’t get a signal then disconnect the Nuvi from the power source, press the reset button on the bottom of the Nuvi, reconnect to the power supply, switch on and wait and see if it can get a signal.

  Let me know if that works.

• 48 Dave Swann // Dec 23, 2007 at 10:05 am

  Hi All. Apparently your Nuvi may not be able to aquire a signal if you have a heat reflecting (solar protective) windscreen. Its one other possibility on newer cars. Easy to find out by trying the Nuvi outside the car. If this does turn out to be the problem, an external aerial is available.
  Happy Christmas to all.
  Dave

• 49 Chris Bolton // Dec 23, 2007 at 1:47 pm

  Have just bought the 250W and I am delighted with its performance.
  I only have one observation. Why is not more publicity to given to the friction dashboard mount as an optional extra. It is fantastic, easy to use, doesn’t move on any surface and doesn’t leave a mark on the windscreen to attract thieves.

  Loved the review. thanks.

• 50 Colm // Dec 25, 2007 at 7:02 pm

  Thanks a million for the help Dean and know me Nuvi is working perfectly. I look forward to reading more of your reviews.
  Thanks again,
  Colm

• 51 Most Popular Reviews of 2007 // Dec 25, 2007 at 9:50 pm

  [...] Garmin Nuvi 250W Widescreen Sat Nav [...]

• 52 Phil B // Dec 28, 2007 at 2:24 pm

  I think my mind is made up about what sat nav to opt for, thanks to your review Dean.
  The only question I have is about updating the speed-camera information. Do I have to pay a monthly subscription for this or can I update as and when I prefer to?

  Thanks in advance,
  Phil

• 53 Dean // Dec 28, 2007 at 8:53 pm

  Hi Phil - you can update the speed camera information as and when you like. You are not tied into any monthly subscription.

  When you want to update the speed camera information you could either purchase a yearly subscription from the Garmin web site, or you could use the speed camera plugin I mentioned in the review and download updates from there when you want.

• 54 bill ford // Dec 29, 2007 at 2:40 pm

  guys
  does the picture viewer on my garmin 250w only display screen shots or can photos be viewed on it also can additional voices be downloaded if so from where?
  if these seem like idiotic questions,I have only just had it!

  cheers

  bill

• 55 Rick // Dec 29, 2007 at 9:56 pm

  I just bought the 250w as well, and reading the review and comments i’m pretty much in agreement. I did try the handheld one by Garmin as well, the Etrex. With the Etrex you can use the computer software program Mapsource and download maps and plan routes on the computer etc and transfer it to the handheld. My question is Garmin says you can use the same software with the 250w but i can’t see how since the view is completely different on the 250w compared the Etrex line. Has anyone tried the Mapsource with this unit and is it worth buying since it doesn’t come with the 250w.

• 56 Dean // Dec 29, 2007 at 10:14 pm

  Bill - As far as I am aware the 250W only displays screen shots, not photos. As for the voices, it looks like you are stuck with whatever is preinstalled. I have not seen any easy way to download additional voices. If anyone knows otherwise please let us know.

  There are some utilities out there for editing the existing sound files but I have no experience of using them.

• 57 bill ford // Dec 30, 2007 at 4:05 pm

  me again
  tried using my 250w while out walking across the fields.two problems,could not mick up a satallite signal also I had it set on off road is this correct or is there a pedestrian mode I should be in for journeys on foot?
  please point me in the right direction
  thanks for your help

  cheers

  bill

• 58 Dean // Dec 30, 2007 at 9:31 pm

  Pedestrian mode will limit you to roads and footpaths. If you want to walk across fields you need to use the off road mode.

  Regarding the satellite signal problem, did you manage to establish a signal before setting out on your walk?

• 59 Neil // Dec 30, 2007 at 10:04 pm

  Super review and some great comments.
  I`m buying one tomorrow!
  My only query would be of an alternative mount. I dont want it stuck to the window or any sticky patches on top of my dash, can you recommend any alternatives?

  Thankyou.

• 60 Harish Verma // Dec 31, 2007 at 4:57 am

  I bought 250W a couple of days ago. I came across your review and found it EXTREMELY HELPFUL. Here are my comments/questions:
  1. Was disappointed not to have a “detailed ” manual. Could’nt find one on the Garmin website.
  2. My unit is for N. America. Having not found some of the more popular department stores in my neighbourhood, more than two years old, I thought that the map may have to be updated. Regretfully, there is no update available. There is no information as to how old the presently loaded maps are.
  3. I have looked up and found many POI files on the internet. If I have downloaded POI’s for say all Walmart Stores from one source and I come across another file (perhaps in a different format), and decide to download the second file, what happens to the first file?
  4. How can one install comany icons along with the POI file? Will the icons show up, when the POI shows up?
  5. Your review states that your 250 came preloaded with speed alterts etc. for UK. I am not sure if the N. American versions comes the same way? I have found some POI files of POI’s of speed alerts and red light cameras. How do they work? I mean, once you have downloaded these, how do you know that they are working?
  5. If I carry my 250 W to UK, will it work there?
  May have more questions. Hope you won’t mind.
  Thanks again for a very helpful review.
  Harish

• 61 Dean // Dec 31, 2007 at 9:30 am

  Hi Neil - I’ve got no experience of alternative mounts so not in a position to recommend anything for you.

  I have seen some web sites that sell spare mounts for the nuvi but don’t know if they are any better than what Garmin supply.

  I have also seen sites that sell an adhesive plate which you attach to either the dashboard or window, which you then attach the existing Nuvi mount onto. But I don’t know if they leave any marks when removed.

  My personal favourite mount is the ones used on the Sony nav-u systems. They don’t leave any marks when removed.

• 62 Dean // Dec 31, 2007 at 8:23 pm

  Harish

  To answer your questions.

  1) I agree. Garmin only do a quick start guide for the Nuvi 250W which I find irritating at times. If anyone else knows otherwise please let me know.

  2) If you tap the wrench icon, select Settings, scroll down and tap Map, then tap Map Info, it will tell you which version and maps you have installed on your Nuvi. The latest maps are City Navigator NT v9. You can also try this page to see if map updates are available. Anyone who purchased a Garmin GPS after May 1st is entitled to a free upgrade if your unit does not have the latest maps installed. Just make sure you register your Nuvi with Garmin. There are rumours of Garmin issuing a map update for the Nuvi 250W in Feb/Mar 2008 so keep any eye out on the Garmin web site.

  3) Don’t have much experience in this area. You can download custom POIs onto the Nuvi which I don’t think interfere with the preinstalled Garmin POI data. As far as I know, if you download custom POI’s onto the Nuvi then it will overwrite existing custom POIs with the same file name. You can avoid this by renaming any POI files you download to the Nuvi to make sure the name is unique and not already in use.

  4) This web site may be able to help. They have a good list of POI icons and there is a discussion board too in case you get stuck.

  5) I guess the only way to tell if the safety camera POI works is to drive past areas where you know safety cameras/red light cameras exist and see if it warns you of them. The speed camera plugin web site I mention in the review is a good one, although it is only Europe based, it has a map which shows camera locations which can be useful in testing out the Nuvi.

  6) You would need to have the UK maps installed before your Nuvi will work over here.

  Hope this helps.

• 63 Neil // Dec 31, 2007 at 8:49 pm

  Thanks Dean.
  After a bit of searching it seems there`s plenty aftermarket items to choose from regarding mounts,
  thanks again for all the advice,

  Neil.

• 64 Dean // Dec 31, 2007 at 8:54 pm

  Rick - The only information I could find on the eTrex was this link. If you scroll to the bottom there is a comment from a guy who used MapSource to input custom POI onto the Nuvi 250W.

• 65 Harish Verma // Dec 31, 2007 at 10:30 pm

  Thank you Dean for your reply.

  Question: My new 250W worked fine for a couple of a days. But today I am finding that it does not readily connect to the satellites. The troubleshooting guide says to take it out in the open till the green bars light up. I have done it once, but when I brought it in the house, it is sluggish in connecting to the satellites. Is there something wrong with the unit, or is it normal behaviour for this unit? I have 30 days to take it back to the dealer for exchange. After that I have to send it to Garmin.

• 66 Dean // Dec 31, 2007 at 11:22 pm

  It is normal for sat nav devices to be sluggish in connecting to satellites indoors, since there may not be a direct view of the sky. I normally position the sat nav close to a window when establishing a signal indoors.

• 67 Pat // Jan 3, 2008 at 3:33 am

  Hey guys,

  I noticed my Garmin 250W taking a long time to acquire signal and I tried to do a master reset with no luck. When I hold the lower left nothing happens, although when I held the lower right it asked if I wanted to clear user data. When it restarted it asked for my location/time zone but never tried to re-acquire the signal like when I originally purchased it.

  Any ideas/help?

  Thanks!

• 68 Lori // Jan 3, 2008 at 6:50 pm

  Hey there,
  This reveiw is awesome. I got my 250W for Christmas and was thrilled. It worked fine for a day or so, and then I started having trouble with accessing the satellites. I called Garmin, and I sadly sent it back for a new one. I am hoping that this on will work better. I LOVE my Garmin, but was very frustrated with not being able to connect to the satellites, either in-door or out-door. I also did the reset, several times. I am hoping a new one will correct the problem.
  Thanks,
  Lori

• 69 Dean // Jan 3, 2008 at 7:52 pm

  My advice is to always acquire a satellite signal outdoors the very first time it is used. It can take up to 20 minutes to get a signal. Thereafter it should get a signal much quicker, typically a minute or less.

  Indoor reception will be variable. I found standing close to a window worked fine, but as I moved away from the window reception dropped. If a GPS signal cannot be obtained indoors then it will switch to ‘indoor’ mode which means you will not get a signal. You will need to switch off the Nuvi and go outside to reacquire a signal.

  Outdoor reception should always be good. If it always takes a long time to get a signal outdoors then it would be worth contacting Garmin.

  Hope this helps.

• 70 Pat // Jan 3, 2008 at 10:16 pm

  Thanks for the advise!

  PS: Great review too

• 71 Bob // Jan 3, 2008 at 11:34 pm

  Hi,
  Great reviews Dean.
  Having read the most useful reviews of any site, i’m now torn between the Garmin 250W and the Sony NVU53 for my first sat nav.
  I like the dash mount system of the Sony, is the standard Garmin suction pad suitable for dash mount and does it leave marks ? Also does the Garmin software support Windows Vista?

• 72 Dean // Jan 4, 2008 at 8:51 am

  The standard Garmin mount is not suitable for the dashboard. They do include a permanent adhesive mount for the dashboard but that would not be easy to remove later.

  Not sure if the software supports Vista. I would contact Garmin first.

  Both the Garmin and Sony are great sat nav systems. I prefer the Sony because of the dashboard mount and road names included in the voice directions, but Sony are new kids on the block compared with Garmin.

  The Sony does have a few flaws but I still like it. The Garmin overall seemed a more robust system.

  If you really want a dashboard mount and don’t mind the flaws then consider the Sony, otherwise go for the Garmin.

  If you get a chance, see if you can visit a store and ask for a demo of each before you buy.

• 73 Brian // Jan 4, 2008 at 9:41 pm

  I am having difficulty connecting my computer as I need to download Geocache information. I am using my camera USB connection cable. My computer recognises the unit and I have downloaded photographs with no problem. “EasyGPS” and “GSAK” software will not recognise the unit and fail to download data. Any ideas????

• 74 Pat // Jan 5, 2008 at 7:51 pm

  Hi to all, Many thsnks to all for coments and help.
  ITS PEOPLE LIKE YOU THAT MAKE THE WORLD A BETTER PLACE TO LIVE IN

  Best Regards
  Pat
  IRELAND

• 75 Dean // Jan 8, 2008 at 5:54 pm

  Brian - Can’t help I’m afraid. Have you tried contacting Garmin for help?

• 76 Daniel // Jan 8, 2008 at 9:18 pm

  hi dean and every1. ive got 1 of these and im looking for some funny voices like the ones you can get for a tomo tom. anybody know where u can buy/download any of these for the garmin. would be much appriciated. cheers

• 77 Dean // Jan 8, 2008 at 10:13 pm

  It is not as easy to install funny voices onto the Garmin like it is with TomTom.

  The sound files on the Garmin are bundled into a .VPM file which needs to be split out into its constituent parts and then modified.

  If you’re technically minded then read this link which shows a utility for modifying Garmin sound files. Not sure where you can download funny voices from. But the link above should help.

  Good luck!

• 78 rebecca sparrow // Jan 9, 2008 at 1:13 pm

  Hi Dean,
  I purchased a Garmin Nuvi 250 as a present for my husbands 50th. On the first use in the car the voice and sound stopped working. I have tried the master reset without any luck. I have tried to contact Garmin Product Support in the UK but cannot get through. The mute button is not switched on. Can you help please

• 79 Dean // Jan 9, 2008 at 7:11 pm

  Rebecca - If the mute button is not switched on then the other thing to try is setting the volume to the loudest possible setting.

  If that doesn’t work then I suggest you try contacting Garmin again. These are the support numbers I have for the UK:

  0808 238 0000 (free)
  0870 850 1242

  Are those the numbers you tried?

• 80 Sony nav-u NV-U73 Sat Nav Review // Jan 11, 2008 at 8:38 am

  [...] Garmin Nuvi 250W Widescreen Sat Nav [...]

• 81 Jason // Jan 11, 2008 at 9:05 am

  Dean,

  thanks for a very good review.
  One question though, can the 250w display lat and long co-ordinates on screen for where you are? The Garmin site mentions this as a feature on the 770 but does not on the 250w page.
  This will be the first gps device if I purchase and I was wondering if all do this as standard?
  Thanks.

• 82 Sony nav-u NV-U53 Sat Nav Review // Jan 11, 2008 at 9:21 am

  [...] Garmin Nuvi 250W Widescreen Sat Nav [...]

• 83 herbert Dune // Jan 13, 2008 at 5:40 pm

  My NUVI 250W takes extreme long to find (if any) a satellite…. This is not normal at all… am I the only one ???

• 84 Dean // Jan 13, 2008 at 9:49 pm

  Herbert - How long does it take to find a satellite signal?

  I found the very first time I used the 250W it took a long time to find a satellite, but thereafter it found a satellite in less than a minute.

  If it takes ages to find a satellite, even out in the open, then I suggest you try a factory reset, then switch back on whilst out in the open. That can often fix it. After doing a factory reset it may take longer than normal the first time it acquires a satellite, but thereafter it should be quick.

• 85 Martin // Jan 15, 2008 at 5:45 pm

  Dean,

  Very clear review. I’m caught between the 250 and tom tom one europe v3. Any advise woulkd be much appreciated.
  Also, the 250 signal reception problems as mentioned by many of your respondents is a bit of a concern to me.
  Thanks, Martin

• 86 Lori // Jan 15, 2008 at 8:13 pm

  Dean,
  I got the replacement 250W, and I love the system. I do however have connectivity problems; either I cannot find a satellite or I lose the connection frequently. Is this a typical problem? I did a system restart, twice now. I even try turning on the system through an open window. I have better luck getting a signal with this new 250W, but I’m afraid that it doesn’t get it often enough, and I was also wondering whether storing destinations had any effect on the ability to find the satellite signals?
  Thanks,
  Lori

• 87 Martin // Jan 15, 2008 at 8:39 pm

  Dean,
  As per my concern in message number 86 the next email (97) reiterates connectivity issues. It seems Garmin are not addressing something very fundamental.
  What do you think?
  Thanks, Martin

• 88 Dean // Jan 16, 2008 at 10:18 am

  I experienced no problems with the satellite signal on the Garmin system I tested. It would typically pick up a signal in less than a minute.

  Some car windscreens contain a special coating which is known to hinder reception, not just on Garmin but other sat nav systems too. An external antenna is recommended in these cases.

  Storing destinations on the Garmin won’t affect reception.

  My advice would be to stand outside, clear of tall buildings, and see how quickly the Garmin picks up a signal. If it takes more than 5 mins then do a factory reset. After a factory reset it may take up to 20 minutes to get a signal, but thereafter it should be a minute or less.

  Martin - if you get an opportunity. Try visiting a local store where someone can demo both systems for you, and see which one picks up a signal faster.

• 89 bill ford // Jan 20, 2008 at 3:29 pm

  dean

  me again, can you explain to me how to do the following;
  I was trying to locate through the menu the airport at Poitiers in France which is a nearby landmark to my sisters house in France. The reason being thus even though i put her rural complete postal address in we have used for a year or so the garmin comes up with nothing!

  so my intention was to find the airport on the system and then follow the roads to her village and thus store the location in the system for a trip in the summer.

  can you give me a step by step guide through the menu on how to find POI in other cities?

  thank you in anticipation

  bill ford

• 90 mark // Jan 20, 2008 at 4:19 pm

  i have a garmin 250w, great bit of kit. I have a problem when trying to charge it in the car it goes in to USB mode and i lose the view of the map is this normal

• 91 Dean // Jan 21, 2008 at 12:43 pm

  Hi Bill,

  I no longer have the 250W to provide you with step by step instructions unfortunately. You will need to do something along the following lines. From the main screen press the magnifying glass icon and then select Points of Interest. The Nuvi will default to showing POI near your current location, but there should be an option on that page to search for POI near another city, which is what you want.

  The only manual I can find on the Garmin web site is the quick user guide but that doesn’t go into sufficient detail. You could try contacting Garmin directly if needed.

  Sorry I can’t be of any further help.

• 92 Lori // Jan 21, 2008 at 3:04 pm

  Dean;
  I have the XM receiver in my car (not from the factory). I noticed that when I turned off my XM off completely, I received a stronger signal for the Garmin (it went from 3 bars to 4-5 bars within a few seconds). I initially tried moving the GPS away from the center of the windshield and noticed a difference (I keep my XM in the center near the radio), but didn’t make the connection. Then I tried leaving the GPS centered and then turned off the XM, and also noticed a difference. I thought the GPS, and XM systems are supposed to check for emissions, is it possible that this is a problem?
  Thanks,
  Lori

• 93 Dean // Jan 21, 2008 at 9:54 pm

  Mark - Are you navigating to a destination at the time the map view is lost?

  Lori - I’ve got no experience of XM. That service is not available in the UK. Sounds like you need to experiment with the position of the antenna.

• 94 mark // Jan 22, 2008 at 12:36 am

  hi dean, yes i am navigating,could it be the wrong charger as i bought my 250w second hand

• 95 Dean // Jan 22, 2008 at 5:49 pm

  Hi Mark,
  Garmin do sell replacement chargers on their web site, which is one option to try out. Not cheap though, about £15 ($28). Not sure if that will fix the problem though.

  The Garmin chargers are 12 volts. Do you know if your charger is the same voltage?

• 96 Dean // Jan 22, 2008 at 5:57 pm

  Amazon also sell the chargers too. I couldn’t find one for the Nuvi 250W but this one for Nuvi 310 looks the same. It is cheaper too, only £9.99.

  Garmin nuvi 310 car charger

• 97 Anthony // Jan 23, 2008 at 3:36 pm

  I have entered a comment twice now, but it does not appear, then when I try and repost it, the site says “you have already said that” . So where is it ?

• 98 Anthony // Jan 23, 2008 at 3:39 pm

  Is there a limit on the text as it still will not appear ?

• 99 Anthony // Jan 23, 2008 at 3:42 pm

  I though I had already posted this but it seems to have gone astray. I am torn bewteen this model and the Sony NV-U53, I like the dash board mount on the Sony but I dont like the fact that the ’safety camera’ alert does not tell you the speed detection of that camera. 1) From the screen shots I am presuming this model tells you the speed detection of the ’safety camera’ you are approaching. Can anyone confirm this please ? 2) Can anyone confirm that you are notified of the ’safety camera’ information if you do NOT have a route planned, IE will you be informed of these cameras if you are just driving around or does it have to be on a navigated route ? 3) In the review it states “If you need to add a via point (stop) to your route then you can do that too”, yet on the website it states “Auto sort multiple destinations (provides most direct route): no” So can you or cant you plan multistop routes ? Thank you

• 100 mark // Jan 23, 2008 at 4:59 pm

  HI Dean the charger is 12 volts,i have used my mates charger as he has the same sat nav and it still going to U S B mode?

• 101 Dean // Jan 23, 2008 at 5:31 pm

  Anthony - The comments spam filter on this site blocked your comment for some reason. I’ve re-instated the message now.

• 102 Dean // Jan 23, 2008 at 6:58 pm

  Hi Anthony,
  The Nuvi 250W does not support true multiple destination support. You can though, whilst navigating to a destination, enter a second destination and use that second destination as a via (stop) point.

  I can’t remember if the 250W shows the speed limit when approaching a safety camera, or if it warns you of safety cameras when a route has not been planned. You could try contacting Garmin.

  The NV-U53 has some nice features and an excellent dashboard mount, but it does have a number of niggling issues. Sony support has also come in for some criticism from several readers. The navigation side of the U53 is good, but the niggling issues would mean the Garmin gets my vote. Garmin have been producing GPS devices far longer than Sony.

• 103 Dean // Jan 23, 2008 at 7:11 pm

  Mark,
  One other thing you can try. Do you get the same problem if you use your sat nav in your mates car?

  If you do get the same problem then maybe it is not the charger but the Nuvi itself that has the problem. Have you tried doing a factory reset? If that doesn’t work it would be worth giving Garmin a call.

• 104 Anthony // Jan 23, 2008 at 7:59 pm

  Dean, thank you for finding my message ?!!?
  I shall try Garmin tomorrow about the safety camera info.

  If you buy the additional USB lead, will this charge the unit from your computer, or do you need another charger to charge it at home ?

  Thanks

• 105 mark // Jan 23, 2008 at 10:09 pm

  yes i have the same problem in my mates car,and no i haven’t reset it as yet i will try that next.THANKS FOR THE HELP.

• 106 Dean // Jan 24, 2008 at 8:48 am

  Anthony,
  You’ll need to buy a USB cable for charging the unit from a computer and a separate AC charger if you want to charge it at home.

  I found these on Amazon. Cheaper than the Garmin web site:

  Nuvi Home Travel Charger

  Nuvi USB cable

• 107 Anthony // Jan 24, 2008 at 10:15 am

  Thank you Dean, I have just spoken to a Holly at Garmin and she assured me that the safety camera information DOES give me the speed of that camera, AND it will perform this duty when jusr travelling around with no set route planned. I am a bit wary as you have used one and did not think it did this. If I bought one and it did not do as Holly said, what do you think the chances would be for returning it as it did not fulfill what I was told (especially as I wont be buying it from garmin direct) ???

  Also, can I ask, as you no longer have your unit, what model did you change for ?

  Any one else out there use this machine and can confirm the ’safety camera’ questions ?

  Thanks

• 108 Anthony // Jan 24, 2008 at 1:35 pm

  To be sure I have rang Garmin again and spoke to a Murray and he has assured me concerning the ’safety camera’ alerts, so I have ordered one with delivery tomorrow for £140.oo

  Now I need those pesky leads and additional chargers.

• 109 Dean // Jan 24, 2008 at 6:51 pm

  Good choice Anthony. I’m sure you won’t be disappointed with the Garmin. My Nuvi was a review model that went back. That’s the only reason I no longer have it.

• 110 Anthony // Jan 26, 2008 at 11:14 am

  Bill Ford, sorry for the delay, you may have the answer by now, but I have just purchased this unit, so if you do the following:
  Where to ?
  Food, Hotels etc
  NEAR at the bottom
  A different city - OK
  POITIERS - done (it found it after POITI)
  Poitiers, 86
  Transit
  Air transportation
  It comes up with “Aeroport de Poitiers-Biard” 1.5 miles away, so I presume thats the one.
  Clicking on that brings up details
  Click ’show map’ at the bottom
  You can then go from there.

  Good luck

  I would choose Paris 75

  Transit

• 111 Anthony // Jan 26, 2008 at 11:17 am

  Sorry ignore the Paris bit, thats where I thought you were going and forgot to edit the post.
  Oops

• 112 Anthony // Jan 26, 2008 at 11:19 am

  As from the previous post, you may have gathered that the Nuvi arrived on time, and I got a USB lead off ebay for £3.98 which arrived the same day. So far I love it.

  The killing point over the Sony for me was the safety camera alerts (I now know they are supplied by Cyclops) and the fact that they advise me of the speed I should be travelling at, and it does this in plain ‘driving around’ mode as well which is a real licence points saver and one of the main reasons I have the confidence to get rid of my old Road Angel now.

  Also on a minor point I have already downloaded loads of free POI to the system with ease, which even lists all my local chip shops, very important to me, Ha ha

  Great reviews on both enabled me to make my decision.

  Thank you

• 113 Gary // Jan 26, 2008 at 6:38 pm

  Hi, Dean. Bought a Nuvi 250W today on your recommendation - thanks! Also tried the Sony NV-U53 (on offer for £99.99 in Halfords with newspaper coupon this weekend) but liked the styling and interface of the Nuvi much more, and also decided to get Europan mapping for cheaper price than NV-U73 .
  One fault to complain about though - the charger adapter is a very loose fit in my car (bog standard Nissan) , and if I go over a speed-bump it pops out! I’m taking it back for replacement tomorrow, but has anyone else had this problem?

• 114 Neil // Jan 27, 2008 at 4:31 pm

  Despite the tempting Halfords offer on the NV-U53, have gone for the Nuvi, thanks to both the Dean’s reviews and Anthony’s comments (who had the same choice dilemma). One of the other points that swung it for me was the ability to add custom POI into the Garmin - always one for remembering a good pub, I thought the ability to pop these into the unit would be invaluable.

  Cheers
  Neil.

• 115 Anthony // Jan 28, 2008 at 4:47 pm

  Neil, Gary hope you enjoy the Garmin as much as I am, My car charger is fine but I am a non-smoker, could the lighter be worn on your car ?? (obviously clutching at straws here).

  I think we have made the right decision as all the ‘posts’ for the Sony seem to be complaints at the moment.

• 116 Andrew // Jan 28, 2008 at 11:59 pm

  H ello Dean,
  I am consdering purchasing the Nuvi 250w ,
  Tom Tom one XL europe or Navman S70. My preference based on the MAP.. is the NUVI which is NAVTEQ, rather than the TELE-ATLAS of
  Tom Tom. I am shortly travelling from dover to zurich and wanted to have a demo of the units. I went to the local halfords for a demo. The NUVI 250W , taken outside, never acquired the satellites. Even after reset. 15mins later. (Based on previous comments this is worrying). The tom tom XL … also failed to acquire the satellites. Whether this was an this was due to the sales chap not knowing his product … I don’t know. I will go to another halfords branch and try it out. None the less the NUVi 250w seems to have a foundamental problem if it can’t acquire satellite positions out in the open.

• 117 Andrew // Jan 29, 2008 at 12:09 am

  Apologies for spelling fundamental as foundamental

• 118 Dean // Jan 29, 2008 at 10:33 am

  Hi Andrew,
  Let me know how you get on. Tall buildings can block the satellite signal so that might explain why neither the Garmin or TomTom acquired a satellite. You could always buy one and take it home, then stand right out in the open away from tall buildings and trees and see if it picks up a satellite, wait up to 20 minutes. If it doesn’t acquire a satellite then take it back and ask for a refund.

• 119 Anthony // Jan 29, 2008 at 10:27 pm

  Andrew, my 250W took around 10 minutes to initially find the satelittes on the very first start up. Now it takes around 5 seconds. Still very new to me but today I thought I would deliberately choose different turnings to what it suggested (I knew the roads anyway) and by the time ’she’ can say “re-calculating” it is virtually done, I would say about 3 seconds to re-route, I was amazed.

  It may take a while first time, but stick with it, its an amazing piece of kit.

• 120 David K // Jan 30, 2008 at 9:42 pm

  Dean
  I’m looking for a sat nav for under £200 with the following.
  1. 4.3″ screen
  2. a sat nav with ac & in car charger
  3. a system that states the road name to take as well as direction
  4. most up to date maps of UK + ok maps of europe
  5. good solid adhesion holder
  6. up to date speed camera’s
  what do you reccommend ?

• 121 Anthony // Jan 31, 2008 at 4:47 pm

  David, The Nuvi 250W does the following:
  1) Yes
  2) In car - Yes, AC - No
  3) States road names in text not in voice
  4) NavTeq maps (the best) City guide 2008, cant get newer to my knowledge
  5) Window holder is very good, have not tried dashboard mount
  6) Camera’s info supplied by Cyclops

  For all that you want this ‘post’ for the 250W would not suffice.

• 122 simon // Feb 3, 2008 at 3:18 pm

  my garmin 250w hates motorways and will do anything to avoid using them can you help
  thanks
  simon

• 123 Dean // Feb 3, 2008 at 9:40 pm

  Hi Simon,
  It’s possible your Nuvi has been setup to always avoid motorways. Go into the settings screen and you will find a section on avoidances. Make sure motorways is not selected on this screen.

  There is also another option in the settings screen where you can tell the Nuvi to use either the shortest or fastest route. It would be worth checking that screen and seeing what is set.

  Let me know if that helps at all.

• 124 Willy // Feb 4, 2008 at 3:08 am

  I have several POI in Favorites. Is there a way to delete them. Thanks.

• 125 Anthony // Feb 4, 2008 at 12:21 pm

  To delete things from your favourites, just go into ‘Favourites’, select the address you want to delete, when it opens up in the bottom right it says ‘edit’ press that, then on the next screen you will have a ‘delete’ option at the bottom.

• 126 Willy // Feb 4, 2008 at 3:53 pm

  Thanks Anthony. That worked.

  Willy

• 127 Neil // Feb 4, 2008 at 5:30 pm

  Apologies if this has already been answered… Ive now bought the 250W and so far I’m impressed. The visual speed camera alerts showing lcoation and speed are working fine, however the only audbile alert I get is a bong/beep/ping/peep (not sure exactly what I’d class it as!). Anyway, it’s just single note. Is there an option for a voice aleart (ie, “30mph speed camera ahead”)?

  Cheers
  Neil

• 128 Dean // Feb 4, 2008 at 5:54 pm

  Hi Neil,
  I don’t recall seeing an option to change this in any of the settings screens.

  The only way to do this, as far as I know, would be to edit the Garmin sound files and replace the bong with some other sound or voice.

  The sound files on the Garmin are bundled into a .V