Cobra Electronics 7700 PRO GPS

Purchased unit from TA due to 45 day return policy. Have traveled approximately 4700 miles this week (team) with only the following minor hitches: Pilot Travel Center in Jamestown, NM not listed in POI's...tried to input an address in Belle, WV that I knowingly forces me to travel under an overpass with a 13'6" height. The unit would not accept the address under the computation for Trucks under any circumstances. I shut off the unit, set the unit up for car and the unit accepted the address. Of course, I re-checked my directions and made sure that the programmed route was acceptable for trucks and it lead us directly to the address. So far the unit is 6 for 6 dock to dock. My wish list to date is as follows:

1.) I would like for the unit to display the current town/city/locale. I would like to be able to refer to the unit for this information when filling out my log book. I know it sounds like I am being lazy and that I can easily look at my atlas, but this is a wish list folks.

2.)When traveling toward the next turn, the unit displays the next turn prominently in a status box on the right side of the unit, however, when approaching the next turn, the unit changes and then displays the currently road of travel in that status box, then displays the next turn at almost the last moment in a statement at the top of the unit. Why the change? I'm used to it now but it was rather unsettling at first.

3.)Would like to be able to program the unit to alert me to upcoming rest areas, weigh scales, and travel centers withing a 10 mile radius like my previous Co-Pilot Truck software.



I am pleased to date with the accuracy, detail, and large display of the unit. I look forward to testing the unit with Hazmat and allowing it to to lead me to a destination in the cluttered Northeast such as New Jersey or Philadelphia. Because of horrible directions from shippers in both of these locations, I felt compelled to purchase a new unit in the first place. My Co-Pilot software is out of date and I was not about to plunk down another $200 bucks for software that leads to premature destruction of an expensive laptop (have worn out 2 of 3 USB ports using the external antennae) and for software that cannot be updated on a yearly basis without purchasing new software all together.

 

Your response to my item #2 was absolutely correct. I apologize for not being able to clarify prior to your response but I have been putting insome long shifts. What I actually experienced is the following as I duplicated the trip and experienced the same situation twice:
1. I was traveling on I-64 W in West Virginia and was approaching the junction of I-64 and I-77. I recall the unit displaying mileage to I-77 when in fact the highway signage denotes I-64 over I-77

Upon reaching the junction, the unit displayed distance to I-77 when I felt that it should have displayed distance to I-64 as my next turn. I assume the unit displays I-77 as the direction of travel as the highway now turns north and I-77 continues north. As I traveled north, the unit displayed I-64 as my next turn and as I approached the turn it provided distance to I-64 westbound. This is where my confusion set in. But as I traveled the route the 2nd time, I understand what actually happened.

I do not wish to provide erroneous information on the product so I hope that this explains why I had the initial criticism. The unit has worked virtually flawlessly for both me and my co-driver who isnt even a quarter of the techno nerd I am and I am far from being one.

One of the biggest joys to date is the unit's ability to reaquire its satellite link after tunnels and recalculate and reaquire the route after leaving the route for pit stops and or detours. Tonite I followed the route suggested by my company to a destination that differed from the route suggested by the unit and the unit quickly recalculated and matched the recommended course. I have not had this same experience with two other GPS providers for any of the aforementioned.

I'll get the other information to you in a day or two as I am now very sleepy. Again, I appreciate your timely responses.

 

Is there any videos on the net about this unit?

 

if Brian says it's ok I can do one and post it

 

Is there any way to test or demo a GPS? $500 is a lot to spend and not get what you are looking for?

 

I'd really like to see this video wx4