Got one of the Costco 2730s arriving here tomorrow and have a couple of questions. 1. Will the "hockey puck" antenna for the XM radio pick up the signal on the dashboard of my car or will it have to be mounted on the roof. It would be nice to be able to use it in the car also. 2. My only experience with a GPS is the 276C and the screen scratched very easily. Do I need to use a film over the touch screen on the 2730 or is it made out of some type of material that won't scratch.
The xm puck will pick up just fine on your dash or at least it did in all of my vehicles in the southeast. The screen appears to be different than the 276 or other non touch screen garmin models. I am sure over time it will degrade but my 2610 and 2730 never should signs of wear, scratchs etc. Mike
My Costco Garmin 2730 arrived yesterday, and I am very impressed, I have been using a GPS V deluxe for a couple of years os this is a huge upgrade for me. I updated the latest firmware and usb drivers from the Garmin site as no CD was included in the pack? I am now checking out some routes posted on here and some POI files.
Hi, Check to see which version of mapping software is preloaded on your unit,then go to Garmin's site.If you don't have the latest,they will send you the update on disc for free. According to the Garmin site,a DVD with City Navigator NT should be in the box.Again,if not,they will send you the latest one for the asking,after you register the unit. JR356
Depends on how good the antenna is, the rake of the windshield, and you can not have a metallized windshield. I have a car XM mounted in middle of my dash in my miata, and only have problems when the car is going in a particular direction and it loses signal some. I mounted a home XM anntenna in center of my dash up near glass in my Murano as a temp kluge and it worked well too (but Murano windshield and dash length is HUGE). These are based off of cheap antennas with my XM Tao, won't have the 2730 till later today to play with.
Just a quick note on the "puck" - it is magnetized and works well on the vehicle roof - easy on/off so you dont have to "mount it" like some antennas. I use my 2730 in rentals and take the puck with me. I have had limited use with one on the dash - it really depends on the rake of the windshield, and where you live...the further north you are the more acute the angle to the satellite so the higher the likelihood of putting the antenna into a shadow. Not exactly sure where the birds are - but most of these satellites tend to be over the gulf of mexico.
Most (not all) communication satellites are located in geo-synchronous orbit, at 22,500 miles above the equator. If you care exactly where a particular bird is, you can look up them up on http://www.lyngsat.com/. Info on the two active XM birds are at: http://www.lyngsat.com/xm3.html http://www.lyngsat.com/xm4.html
