GPS Tracking Devices

[grasscutter]

What I'm trying to do is put my car on the map in real time as I drive without a destination. If I had an actual destination, it would be so much easier keeping track of where I'm at compared to driving around without a destination. I spend a lot of time driving in residential neighborhoods and a lot of them are like driving through a maze. It's real easy to get lost and I find myself driving in circles on the same streets I've already driven on. It would be so much easier if my car was a bright red arrow on a map that I could see as I'm driving.

So what I need is some kind of GPS device that tells me where I'm at in relation to the neighborhood street that I'm currently driving on. My car is too old to have built in navigation and I don't have a cell phone with GPS either. In the meantime, I'm looking at Apple Maps on my computer and trying to memorize the map the best I can before heading out onto the residential streets. Sometimes I'll print a paper map off of Google Maps, but I find myself never looking at it.

 

[Jetronic]

any stand alone or built in navigation device does this.

 

[Sumboodie]

Google maps on your phone, Garmin, etc.

Printing maps? I remember doing that 15+ years ago.

 

[rstcso]

Here is a Garmin GPS with 7" display for $69.99 on Amazon. It also has a 20% promo code. Just click on that button and the price drops to $55.99 in the cart, plus tax. It comes with all the necessary accessories to mount it in your car and pre-loaded with 2025 maps for North America. You can set locations, such as your Home, which can be used for turn-by-turn directions to get back to. Depending whether you're going to a location or just driving around, the display shows the street you're on and distance to next turn, or when just out for a drive, your relationship to other streets. Also displayed are the current posted speed limit and how fast you're going.

 

[eljefino]

Even if you don't have phone service you can download google maps for a particular local region over wifi.

Standalone GPSs are passe, maybe you can find one at a yard sale for a few bucks. IIRC they show "ready to navigate" with your car centered in the map of the surroundings.

 

[doitmyself]

Even if you don't have phone service you can download google maps for a particular local region over wifi.

Standalone GPSs are passe, maybe you can find one at a yard sale for a few bucks. IIRC they show "ready to navigate" with your car centered in the map of the surroundings.

I'm throwing you under the bus, eljefino . Download Google maps with what? Based on his question, at most maybe he is has a flip phone without any apps?

@ rstcso's link would seem to be exactly what the OP is looking for (He mislabeled it as Garmin brand). Hands and eyes concentrating on driving while the GPS unit talks him to his destination. For entertainment, it's fun to deliberately take a wrong, convoluted route and listen to the navigator make corrections (often quite well!).

 

[edyvw]

Even if you don't have phone service you can download google maps for a particular local region over wifi.

Standalone GPSs are passe, maybe you can find one at a yard sale for a few bucks. IIRC they show "ready to navigate" with your car centered in the map of the surroundings.

Actually, they are not. They thrive and are available regularly for fairly cheap prices.
Garmin has a lot of units available. I will soon get one as I took out the audio system from the Sequoia and installed a Kenwood 10" unit for CarPlay. But, I ain't paying subscription for GPS map and unit with GPS is like $600 more. So, a standalone GPS when out of cell signal to use CarPlay Google map is a cheap, reliable solution.

 

[grasscutter]

Here is a Garmin GPS with 7" display for $69.99 on Amazon. It also has a 20% promo code. Just click on that button and the price drops to $55.99 in the cart, plus tax. It comes with all the necessary accessories to mount it in your car and pre-loaded with 2025 maps for North America. You can set locations, such as your Home, which can be used for turn-by-turn directions to get back to. Depending whether you're going to a location or just driving around, the display shows the street you're on and distance to next turn, or when just out for a drive, your relationship to other streets. Also displayed are the current posted speed limit and how fast you're going.

How detailed is the map? Does it show little silhouettes of the houses next to the residential streets?

Apple Maps is a good format but it doesn't put my car on there.

 

[Rand]

any recent smartphone or stand alone GPS can do it.