Ontario Agriculture

The network for agriculture in Ontario, Canada

I think I need a car gps...any advice?

Hi Everyone

 

Just returned from a 3 day trip and once again I am aggravated by my poor map reading/navigation.

 

I'm thinking about getting one of those gps for the car. What do I need to know. Heard Garmin is the best. Any suggestions appreciated.

Views: 363

▶ Reply to This

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Sue Shafer on February 9, 2010 at 3:37am
I have a Tom Tom and love it. I find it to be very user friendly.
Permalink Reply by Frank Borszcz on February 9, 2010 at 4:35am
I have a Garmin, its great but sometimes takes you out of your way. I have done a few experiments while traveling to a known destination. I input the destination data into my Garmin just to see what way it would take me. More often then not it chooses a route I normally would never take. I think most GPS systems are like this, think they choose the main highways. Just remember to update your GPS, this is easily done on the GPS makers website. I have heard that Tom Tom and Garmin are the best so either way you will have a good system.
Permalink Reply by Roadrunner on February 18, 2010 at 3:50am
I don't have one...are they easy to use? Also how much is a good one?
Permalink Reply by John Anstey on February 21, 2010 at 4:08am
I have a Tom Tom. Its great. It also allows you to correct any errors on the maps, and pickup corrections made by others, when you sync online. Lots of options to plan your route: shortest distance, shortest time, etc.
Permalink Reply by newbie on February 21, 2010 at 7:49am
If you have a smartphone(blackberry or equiv.) with GPS built in(most newer phones do), download google maps for free.
Permalink Reply by Jacqui Laporte on February 23, 2010 at 5:07am
I have a Garmin...I like it, but here are some ideas for you:

- I like my Garmin because it allows me to categorize Favourite destinations....You can group them for Personal, Business, Kid Stuff, specific trips, whatever categories you choose. It makes it easier to find them later.
- Rural locations are sometimes tough because you often need the new Municipality name, not the old township or mailing address. Maybe some of the other GPS units are better at this, I dont know.
- You can set it to avoid gravel roads (or in our case, stick to them!). What I havent found it able to do is exclude No Winter Maintenance roads....
- One thing I havent been able to figure out easily is to have a north arrow on the screen. Unlike a map, the GPS tells you which way to turn, left or right, but it doesnt tell me which Im currently going! With a map, you can always orient yourself when you get to an intersection. I finally found a way to do that, but its not easy on my Garmin. I think Google Maps is better at this....
- I also like the ability to zoom in or out - to see more of the map than just the immediate direction.
- Get one with a big screen! Although you should have it on Voice when driving, because GPS do fall under the distracted driving rules!
- Mine came with a car charger with a REALLY long cord on it. That was great, because when you put the GPS on the display unit (on the window using the suction cup thing) or the dash, I found that the charger cords are not long enough.
- I got my GPS at Canadian Tire for $150 - $200, I think...I think that's a fairly standard price, and I just waited for one to come on sale.

▶ Reply to Discussion

RSS

Agriculture Headlines from Farms.com Canada East News - click on title for full story

Spring Wheat Condition Improves; Winter Wheat Harvest 11% Done

The 2026 U.S. spring wheat crop improved over the past week but remained slightly below a year ago, while the winter wheat harvest moved ahead quickly and crop ratings remained historically poor. Monday’s USDA crop progress report rated the national spring wheat crop at 52% good to excellent as of Sunday, up 5 points from the previous week but still a single point below last year. In North Dakota, the largest spring wheat-producing state, the crop was rated 61% good to excellent, up 3 points from a week earlier. Minnesota improved to 86% good to excellent, up from 78% the previous week. South Dakota rose to 52%, compared with 44% the previous week, while Montana remained under heavy stress at just 10% good to excellent, although that was an improvement from only 1% a week earlier. Spring wheat development continued to advance. Planting was 98% complete, up from 94% a week earlier and ahead of the five-year average of 95%. Emergence reached 87%, up from 72% the previous week and

Manitoba Seeding Nears Completion Amid Stormy Conditions

Manitoba seeding is nearly wrapped up, even as severe storms brought intense rainfall, strong winds, and hail to parts of the province.  The weekly crop report on Tuesday showed seeding across the province at 93% complete, up from 71% a week earlier. That’s just modestly behind 99% last year and the five-year average of 95%, after earlier weather-related delays.  Precipitation was highly variable across Manitoba over the past week, with stormy weather between June 2 and 4. Environment Canada confirmed three tornadoes, including sightings in the Manitou and Carman areas. Heavy rainfall in parts of the Northwest later in the week triggered overland flood warnings, while portions of the Northwest, Interlake and Central regions have now received more than 60 mm of rain since May 1.  Despite the stormy weather, seeding of most major crops is nearly finished. Spring wheat seeding is mostly complete, although the Northwest is still only about 80% done. Corn planting is complete, while cano

Supervised autonomy solution aims to optimize field operations

EMILI is using Verge Ag’s Launch Pad software to automate route planning on Innovation Farms powered by AgExpert during the 2026 season. In May 2026, Innovation Farms Associate Sarah Wilcott worked with Verge Ag to generate tillage plans specific to the farm’s field boundaries, elevation, and equipment. The plan was then synced to a John Deere 590 tractor before tilling began. Verge Ag’s Launch Pad is a web-based precision agriculture platform that aims to unlock autonomy on a farmer’s existing equipment.  “The current version uses smart heuristics to estimate how ‘costly’ any maneuver in the field is, along with various meta-heuristic algorithms to optimize the route ordering,” said Verge Ag Product Manager AJ Nolin. Its core feature is Path Planner, which helps farmers plan out the most efficient route before any equipment enters a field. The made in Canada technology is designed to be accessible and cost effective. It uses standard GIS shapefiles, costs only $5 to plan seeding f

CANZA Marketplace available for farmers

The marketplace is open to Ontario farmers first with plans to expand across Canada

Supporting wood-waste innovation in the Kootenays

A Kootenay-based project is receiving provincial funding to convert forestry waste into a soil supplement, benefiting agriculture and forestry sectors, while supporting training and good-paying jobs in the region. “People in rural communities are finding innovative ways to create new opportunities for their families and neighbours while caring for the environment,” said Ravi Kahlon, Minister of Jobs and Economic Growth. “By turning wood waste into valuable new products, this project is creating jobs, supporting local businesses and helping build a stronger future for the community. Through our Look West strategy, we are investing in the people, ideas and industries that keep rural British Columbia thriving.” Through the Rural Economic Diversification and Infrastructure Program (REDIP), the Province is providing approximately $182,000 to Wildsight to support its Fire for Healthy Soils project in Creston. The funding supports a pilot project to convert wood waste into biochar, which is

© 2026   Created by Darren Marsland.   Powered by

Badges  |  Report an Issue  |  Terms of Service