Garmin Streetpilot C340 Portable GPS Navigation System, Traffic Ready If you’re looking for vehicle navigation that’s powerful and simple to use, the Garmin StreetPilot c340 is just the ticket. Right out of the box, this unit helps you make the right turns wherever your travels take you. With an easy-to-use touchscreen interface, text-to-speech voice commands, a brilliant display that shows the way with 2D or 3D animations, and a massive points of interest database, the c340 has all the basics covered. Plus, you’ll find some great additional features that make it a must-have companion.

Look Mom, no buttons! Garmin has taken simplicity to a new level with the c340.

The c340 is designed with simplicity in mind, although Garmin hasn’t forgotten to add a touch of class. With a weight of under ten ounces and a width of 4.4 inches, the c340 is ultracompact and easy to transport. To keep confusion on the road to a minimum, the only buttons are a rotary volume knob and an on/off switch. The bright 3.5-inch-diagonal display features a touchscreen, making it a snap to input routing information and make quick selections on the road. The c340 sports dual integrated speakers for high-quality voice prompts, a USB port for PC connectivity, and an internal lithium-ion battery that provides power when you’re planning your routes outside the car (approximately 4-8 hours battery life). In addition to an included 12-volt power adapter for in-car power, there’s also an SD memory card expansion slot for use with other Garmin MapSource mapping products. The unit is secured by a suction-mount cradle that fastens to the windshield, allowing for easy portability between vehicles. You can even customize the c340’s appearance with optional colored faceplates that suit your style. While the c340 has an internal GPS antenna, it also has an MCX-type connector for hooking up an optional external GPS antenna.

Finding your way with the c340 starts with inputting a location on the touch screen. Next, the unit’s text-to-speech feature speaks to you just like a back seat driver, telling you the names of streets and when to turn and in what direction. And if you happen to miss a turn–don’t worry, the c340 automatically calculates a new route to your destination. Audible and visual navigation instructions and warnings help you navigate more quickly while keeping your eyes on the road. You can also choose between a 3D mapping perspective or 2D overhead view.

The c340 offers clear, easy-to-read 3D directions.

Another time- and frustration-saving feature of the c340 is the database of preloaded maps and points of interest. Gone are the days of uploading partial maps from your computer to your GPS device: the c340 has them all built in. The unit comes preloaded with Garmin’s highly detailed City Select NT street data of the entire United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. Finding points of interest along your route is made easy with the c340’s huge built-in database of nearly six million hotels, restaurants, gas stations, ATMs, and attractions. Garmin has also made it easy for users to upload custom points of interest–now you can add school zones or safety cameras to your database. You can even turn on a proximity alert to notify you of upcoming custom points of interest.

Garmin really kicks the power of the c340 up a notch with the addition of real-time traffic information. This optional service will display congested areas on a color-coded map, allowing you to avoid traffic by simply pushing a button that calculates a new route. All this wizardry is made possible by the new Garmin GTM 10 receiver that connects to the c340 and other select Garmin products. Note that while the GTM 10 receives digital data from specific FM broadcast stations in select major metro areas throughout the United States and Europe, note that these traffic services are available only in select cities where coverage exists. The service requires the GTM 10 FM TMC traffic receiver and, in some cases, a subscription to enable these traffic capabilities.

What’s in the Box
StreetPilot c340 receiver with built-in antenna, dual internal speaker system for voice guidance and alerts, vehicle suction cup mount with 12-24 volt adapter, dashboard disk, USB interface cable, preloaded City Select North America NT database, and quick-reference guide.
Customer Review: Got the whole wide world in my hands.
Absolutely incredible piece of technology. For anyone who’s never used a street GPS before, this will change the way you drive. Hollywood will have to stop making those lost-teen horror movies.

Pros:

Crystal clear screen - ok so it gets slightly hard to see in sunlight, but never once was I unable to see the words on the screen.

Text-to-speech synthesizer sounds very lifelike. Reads street names like a real person. The c330 model would say “Turn left in 500 ft.” The c340 would say “Turn left on Main Street”

Distance to turn shown on bottom right at all times.

Tells you to bear left or right to exit highway. Always does this with enough time to change lanes. On an interstate, gives you .8 miles advance warning. On a street, gives you 200 ft. warning. Perfect timing.

Accurate to about 10 ft. of your actual location.

Imagine never having to look up your location in some crinkly paper map or go on Mapquest.com ahead of your trip.

Attractions/Points of Interest locator. If you need a restaurant, just pick the type of cuisine and it will tell you all the restaurants nearby in order of distance from your current location. Also shows the direction arrow so you don’t choose one that makes you go back and further away from your destination.

Why buy a $2000 factory option when you can buy this portable unit which is 10x better and can be moved between cars?

Cons: They don’t cost $19.99. And it’s not hooked up to the steering and gas pedals to drive my car automatically. Other than that, it’s the best money I ever spent on technology. I’ve done a ton of research before buying the c340 and it paid off. The next-generation c550 is probably better but also $200 more.
Customer Review: Fantastic
Just got mine today. All I can say is “WOW”. It is the perfect size, very crisp screen, and works flawlessly with the firmware upgrade available from the website. I’m very happy with this device.

This entry was posted on Sunday, February 25th, 2007 at 5:32 pm and is filed under Redneck Stories. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.