Will a GPS work?

[SALYBOW]

We are moving to Buttonwood next month. My husband is "directionally challenged" :shrug:;he gets lost a lot. Is there any benefit to buying a GPS when the area in which we will live is not yet on any maps. Will it even know about golf cart paths? Would a better idea be to pin a tag to him and hope somone returns him as they did with Paddington Bear? We got lost 73 times when we were there to purchase our home. :(

[kb8tpw]

I share your pain, my wife is the picture you see in the dictionary when you look up "directionally challenged". We have been here a day or so over two weeks, live in St Charles, where things are relatively simple yet and if we head any direction but to the Colony shopping center (where there is a ladies clothing store) on 466A she does not have the foggiest idea. She has started taking notes, even drove a time or two with my navigation and direction, but we haven't broken the code on how to get over this. Having said that about the shopping center on 466A, she can't diffeerentiate between 466 and 466A quite yet. I know we'll overcome this, but the wife that drove me everywhere I went in Ohio suddenly is the passenger. To answer the GPS portion of your question. It is very sporadic just yet and the map folks are a little behind, though it varies, if you compare google maps, mapquest, and others you'll see that they are not quite up to speed with the new areas just north of 466A and west of Buena Vista. I don't think it matters which GPS unit you have, as far as I know Navteq does all of the mapping. I have a Magellan GPS andf when I turn off of Bailey Trail I turn into a field. When we were doing our prospecting last year and before we found a GPS very helpful in the established areas. I think it is Mapquest that has our srteets only, the remainder being sand. We're still unpacking boxes, and all of those things, so in a week or so we are going to have to intensify our navigation 101 efforts. I'm working on some of the lesser traveled roads just out side of the villages - like to never found the license branch yesterday, seems like the little blue sign eluded both of us a time or two and I ended up plugging it in to GPS and "Presto" there it was. Avoid lines for that and make an appointment over the internet in Lady lake officve - just a suggestion that may herlp a bit..

[otherbruddaDarrell]

Go to Walmart/target or an auto parts store and get a nice dash mount compass.
I have one on both my carts.:coolsmiley:

[Pturner]

Hi Salybow,

TV is confusing to navigate at first. Just wait 'til you start navigating the cart trails!

Get the $5 TV map for sure. A compass in your car and golf cart are most helpful. Here are basics that will help you get around:


Morse Blvd. and Buena Vista Blvd. are the main North-South roads in TV.
(At the present time) Morse Blvd. runs (north-to-south) from 466 to 466a.
(At the present time) Buena Vista Blvd. runs (north-to-south) from Hwy 42 to 466 to 466a.
Canal Street also runs North-South, but only from 466a to the heart of Lake Sumpter Landing. It ends at Stillwater Trail.
From 466a (what is currently the far southside of TV) to 466, there are six through-streets between Morse and Buena Vista. (actually five, as Odell Circle goes between the two twice). Travelling north from 466a, in this order they are 466a, Odell Circle, Bonita Blvd, Odell Circle again, Stillwater Trail and 466.
Stillwater Trail is the main East-West road into Lake Sumter Landing.
The shortest distance between Morse Blvd. and Buena Vista south of 466 is the Odell Circle leg between Stillwater and Bonita. Stillwater Trail is the second shortest, followed by Bonita, followed by the southern leg of Odell Circle.
North of 466 is considered "the north side" of TV. North of 466, only El Camino Real connects Morse Blvd. and Buena Vista. It is the longest distance between the two.

Other than that, there are two types of streets in TV. One type (such as Baily Trail, St. Charles Place, parts of Odell Circle and Stillwater Trail) lead to the entrances to multiple neighborhood Villages. The other type is intra-village neighborhood streets with houses.

Please, please, anyone correct me if I've made any errors or clarify if I've confused.

Hope this helps!

[chacam]

We are moving to Buttonwood next month. My husband is "directionally challenged" :shrug:;he gets lost a lot. Is there any benefit to buying a GPS when the area in which we will live is not yet on any maps. Will it even know about golf cart paths? Would a better idea be to pin a tag to him and hope somone returns him as they did with Paddington Bear? We got lost 73 times when we were there to purchase our home. :(

My understanding is that men are born with a natural sense of direction that is always right. Maps are sometimes wrong but men can always find their way.

[Ohiogirl]

According to my sister, her husband has to use the GPS to go north or south on Buena Vista or Morse or anywhere there's a roundabout - they flummox him. He has to hear it tell him to exit at the 2nd roadway. Go figure - he's a guy, right? She doesn't get it either - and they've been here 8-10 times, but only for a few days each time.

[jblum8156]

Funny, I've been living here since Oct. and only in the last month do I feel somewhat confident getting around. My GPS doesn't recognize my home, but it does recognize the location of my mailbox on Odell Circle, so I simply programmed that location in and named it Home. The good thing is that wherever I roam, if I get lost, the GPS can always get me home.

[SALYBOW]

SOUNDS LIKE IT MIGHT BE A GOOD IDEA TO GET HIM A GPS. I FIGURED THERE WOULD BE SOMETHING NEARBY THAT THE GPS WOULD RECOGNIZE EVEN IF IT DOEN'T RECOGNIZE OUR HOME, WHICH IT WON'T. aFTER ALL THE TROUBLE WE ARE GOING THROUGH TO MOVE, i WOULD HATE TO LOSE HIM.:cry:

[billcolley]

Hi,
I closed on my place the day before Thanksgiving this last year. My GPS is a Tom Tom and has always found my place in the village of Hemingway on Misty Ct. , which is right next to 466A. If you get a GPS with the latest set of maps and keep them upgraded, and you do not find your house you should be able to find something close.
Hope this helps.

[k2at]

I find the gps invaluable to me in the Villages. When we are looking for a particular house in any of the villages, the gps takes us right there. Saves buying a $5 map of all the streets. Also my gps has all the golf courses, rec centers and eating establishments. Nice having the GPS. If u get a garmin, u can buy lifetime upgrades for $82 which gives you 4 upgrades per year as long as u own that particular Garmin. Tuff to beat that offer.

[Russ_Boston]

Can't help in this area. This MAN has never had a problem with any directions inside TV. The $5 map is all i need to find a street I haven't been to.

Follow Pturner's great simple basic street map and have fun.

[Rag Bagger]

You bet. Your GPS will always give you a Lat/Lon but the software will most likely be behind the time so the GPS won't be able to identify all the streets.

I don't think the software companies (map Makers) will ever add the golf cart paths.

I travelled all over the country for fur years in our RV using Delorm in a laptop and never once got lost. But here it is useless in the newer sections.

[LB]

Get the $5.00 map at the sales center and study it to learn the major North and South roads as well as Odell Circle and Canal St. Then use the GPS, it will then make sense to you more.LB

[SALYBOW]

My understanding is that men are born with a natural sense of direction that is always right. Maps are sometimes wrong but men can always find their way.

I did not know that when I married Mr. RIght, his first name was "Always" :bowdown:

He still is directionally challenged. LOL :confused:

[Pturner]

I did not know that when I married Mr. RIght, his first name was "Always" :bowdown:

He still is directionally challenged. LOL :confused:

:1rotfl:

BTW, I agree with the Garmin recommendation. In addition to frequent and inexpensive updates, I find the directions to be more accurate than others I've used. Yes, Garmin uses the same Navteq maps as others. However, I've read that Garmin's software has the best algorithms for calculating routes and it tests as the most accurate of the major GPS brands.

p.s., I love your new avitar.

[cologal]

I just switched from Garmin to Magellen mainly because Garmin doesn't allow you select the Most Use of Freeway's. My Magellen so far has all the TV areas I have wanted to visit. Also Magellen's user interface is easier to use with much less typing.....

[Hawkwind]

The problem with Garmin, and maybe others, is that they change models every six months. Yes that is not uncommon in the electronics world but you cannot move the maps from one unit to another without doing a hack (and yes it can be done).

Just how expensive and how long one keeps their unit will determine if the life time upgrade is a bargain. On the cheaper units you get one free upgrade of the maps so if you upgrade models every couple of years it may be cheaper to buy a new unit and forget the yearly updates. The quarterly maps change very little.

It would also be nice if Garmin would just give you the changes as you already have 95% to 98% of the information already.

Trying to keep up to date in TV is next to impossible as they are building roads faster that the mapping company can add them.

[Bogie Shooter]

Most people find that after you are here awhile it all makes sense. The best advice is to buy the map, and then look at it. If you look at the main streets and learn their direction...you will never get lost. Even if you do the map will lead you to your destination.
Very hard to believe someone cannot find CR466.

[bobcat]

The $5 map has been extremely helpful during our 2 trips to TV. We looked at it constantly and continue to look at it while researching houses for sale. But does everyone keep a map in each vehicle and unfold it every time they go somewhere new? Wouldn't it be great if there were smaller, pocket size maps for smaller areas or individual Villages? This is just wishful thinking from a potential Villager!

[chuckinca]

[QUOTE=Pturner;267919]Hi Salybow,



[LIST]
Morse Blvd. and Buena Vista Blvd. are the main North-South roads in TV.
(At the present time) Morse Blvd. runs (north-to-south) from 466 to 466a.
(At the present time) Buena Vista Blvd. runs (north-to-south) from Hwy 42 to 466 to 466a.


Minor correction:

Morse Blvd Runs (North to South) from 441/27 to 466 to 466A.


.

[Pturner]

The $5 map has been extremely helpful during our 2 trips to TV. We looked at it constantly and continue to look at it while researching houses for sale. But does everyone keep a map in each vehicle and unfold it every time they go somewhere new? Wouldn't it be great if there were smaller, pocket size maps for smaller areas or individual Villages? This is just wishful thinking from a potential Villager!

Hi Bobcat,
Believe it or not, it gets easier. Once you know the main North-South arteries and the East-West connectors you can get to any commercial areas. That's it!

To get to a particular Village, you just need one more piece of information. Which road goes to the particular Village. What makes this easier than it might seem at first is the fact that the road to every Village is directly off either one the N-S arteries, one of the East-West Connectors. (Are there exceptions, anyone??)

N-S artieries: (Morse Blvd., Buena Vista Blvd. and Canal St. Canal St. is only on the southside of TV.)

East-West connectors- south of 466: (Odell Circle south of Bonita, Bonita, Odell Circle north of Bonita or Stillwater Trail)

East-West connectors - north of 466: El Camino Real

[Disclosure: I don't know if they are commonly referred to as arteries and connectors. This is just how I've organized navigating TV in my mind. It works great for me, so try it.]

Ok sure, to get to an individual house, you then need to know the 2 or 3 turns on the neighborhood streets. So, when you are looking at many houses, you need your street map handy. However, once you've bought a home here and you're just going to visit a friend's house, your friend can just tell you what turns to make off the main road.

Try this approach and see if it makes it easy. It sure did for me-- and I am directionally challenged. Let me know if it help, ok?

[logdog]

We've had a TomTom for about three years and found it very helpful outside TV. However, our newer neighborhood in TV was still showing as a cow pasture. We were at Target earlier this week and I happened to be in the GPS area. I was tempted to get a map upgrade for $70 when I noticed TomToms on clearance for $33. It was an upgraded model from the one I had and it came with a one time map upgrade. When I brought it home and turned it on, it found our year old street but not our six month old house number. After the map upgrade, it recognized our house and several Points of Interest that I know are only about 3 months old (i.e. Sakura in Colony Plaza). TomTom is a very basic GPS but it will help you get around and you can't beat the price. It does not recognize golf cart trails (don't believe any GPS does) and it won't show any areas that are less than 3-4 months old.

[Pturner]

GPS gets us to our house in TV; however, we live on the northside. :mornincoffee: