Cobra Electronics 7700 PRO GPS

Brian. I am SO happy I googled this prior to ordering another unit off Ebay this evening. My father is a owner op and has a 3 yr old Garmin unit thats designed for car routes. I am looking to buy him a truckers unit for Xmas and was battling between the Garmin 465T and the Cobra 7700. I know you work for Cobra so your personal opinion will be to choose the Cobra, that goes without saying .. However, can you just give me the differences between the two? The MAIN selling point that I was leaning towards the Cobra was the 7" screen. My Father is 60 yrs old and his eyes are not what they used to be. However he has prior experience with Garmin and I know he was pleased with their product. What other pro's would he benefit from if I choose to order the Cobra for him over the Garmin?

Thanks!!

 

A few more ?'s.

Will a screen protector be offered for it?
Can a universal dash mount be used instead of a suction cup mount that comes with it?

 

Okay Brian I spent about three days lurking off and on reading the TND 500 thread before I decided to finally join the forum. I am very interested in buying a truck specific GPS hopefully in the very near future. In any event, I just noticed your 7700 Pro thread as well. Thus, let me ask you the following same questions I asked the TND 500 lead beta tester guy.

My first questions are regarding truck stops and other truck specific POIs? How many truck stops are contained in the database? Does the database include all of the franchise truck stops and also all of the independent truck stops? Does it indicate the truck parking size of the individual truck stops, whether they charge for overnight parking, if they do repairs, if they have scales, etc.? How about the food offerings, does it indicate the food offerings for all of the truck stops, independents and franchise truck stops?

What other POIs are included with the 7700 Pro truck specific POI database? For instance, does it show weigh station locations, rest areas, turnouts, parking areas, turnpike service plazas, truck washes, and stuff like that, and is it easy to filter your searches so that you can narrow your searches down?

Does the 7700 Pro POI database also contain Wal-Mart Supercenters, because I like to hit a Wal-Mart Supercenter about once or twice a week, plus they make great alternative parking spots when all the truck stops are full?

How accurate is the POI database? I’ve used four-wheeler GPS units in the past but their POIs were usually off by several hundred yards more often than not. Now since a four-wheeler can go anywhere, this wasn’t a big problem. However, in a big truck if the POIs are not accurate, this could present a potential problem in certain situations. Thus, I’m curious…how accurately will the 7700 Pro route you to truck specific POIs?

Will it tell me to turn left at an exit when I really should turn right and vice versa or will it take me directly right to each one of the POIs? How about when I’m out in the boonies off the main roads in the middle of nowhere, will it find me the closes truck stop or closes truck stop with scales and then route me directly to them with accuracy?

How about Canada? I get to make several trips into Canada each year; does the POI database also cover Canada as well?

Another question I have is my company sends me a legal truck route when they send me my fuel location at the time I am dispatched. Can I configure these legal truck routes in the 7700 Pro and is it easy to do so?

Also, can I save my trips for future reference? If it does that it would be nice.

How about multiple stop trips? I sometime get multiple stop trips; does the 7700 Pro handle multiple stop trips easily and optimize those stops?

And what about the auto-rerouting feature or what a lot of my fellow drivers call the exit problem? Will the 7700 Pro reroute you every time you pull into a rest area, truck stop, or weigh station and can the route change depending upon where you are at the time in relation to your final destination?

Another thing I would like to know is can I save my company terminal locations, drop lot locations, shipper locations, consignee locations, etc. for future reference and to save time when routing to them again with the 7700 Pro and is it easy to do?

How about if I pull into a rest area for a 15-minute break, can I hit the where am I button to see where I am to quickly fill out my logs?

My next series of questions is concerning the truck specific routing. Specifically, how good is the truck specific routing? Can I finally toss my big, bulky, and heavy MCRA out the cab once and for all and into the nearest dumpster?

Or is the 7700 Pro like other GPS units that are made for cars in that you still have to check your routes with a MCRA before you begin driving to make sure they are legal for 18-wheelers? In other words, how reliable and dependable is the truck routing? Do I need to watch out for restricted routes, low clearances, and low weigh bridges?

Once again thanks Brian for all your help and for this very helpful thread. I will look forward to receiving your responses to my questions. It’s getting close to Christmas and I’m hoping that Santa will have a new truck specific GPS for me under the tree on Christmas morning.

 

Jesus, that was a friggin novel! ^

 

Hello Brian.
The things that drives me nuts with my current unit.

1. Sometimes when I put in the address it will tell me it does not exist.
I feel if I put in an open lot it should take me there. I pull a flatbed and go to a lot of new construction sites. or oil well sites.


2. If I want to update my unit by down loading the latest maps it will cost me over $100. If I spend $ 500 for this unit will up dates be free?

3. Does the unit have storage for addresses that I might want to keep, so When I am going to the same place again I won't have to re-enter the info?

4. With my current unit sometimes if it wants me to use one road but I know a better way, instead of recalibrating for the way I want to go it might tell me to make a U turn for 20 miles before it gives up and recalibrate's. Kind of reminds me of my wife. lol

5. Does it show your ETA time, and current speed on the screen? Also what speed is it programed for? With the unit I have now on a 300 mile trip from my starting point I know I can subtract at least 30 mins. from my ETA time and I only drive 65 or what ever the lower posted speed limit is.

Thank you in advance for taking the time to answer my questions.
Merry Christmas.

 

i love my new cobra 7700