4. Mounting the nuvi 760 in the Car

Like other Garmin nuvi's, mounting the nuvi 760 in the car is a simple matter that doesn't require any professional installation. Simply attach the windshield mount to the glass, dock the GPS, and connect the power to the cigarette lighter.

Figure 15: Windshield Mount, Attached to the Windshield

The secret to Garmin's highly effective mount is its simplicity: simple, lightweight construction with very few moving parts makes for a reliable, solid connection that will stand up well to normal wear and tear.

Locate the area on the windshield where you want to mount the GPS, then press the suction cup mount against the glass and lower the locking lever into place to secure the mount to the windshield.

Note that some States prohibit you from sticking anything to the windshield. If you happen to live in such a state, you can use the permanent adhesive mounting disc (included) to attach the mount to the dashboard instead of the windshield glass. I strongly prefer using the windshield - it's much easer to remove, and when it comes time to upgrade to a new GPS, there's nothing "permanent" to remove.

Figure 16: Connecting the 12v Power Adapter to the Cigarette Lighter

The included 12v cigarette lighter power adapter (GTM 20 in the U.S. version) pull double duty, acting as power adapter and FM traffic data receiver.

The combined 12v Adapter and FM Traffic receiver is a little longer than you might expect, but then again it's also got the traffic receiver built into it, which means you won't need an extra unsightly antenna for traffic data.

Figure 17: Connecting the 12v Adapter to the Cradle

Thankfully the 12v adapter connects to the cradle instead of the nuvi unit directly, making it that much simpler to dock/undock the nuvi 760 from the windshield mount.

Once the 12V power adapter is connected to the cradle, it's ready to be snapped onto the tip of the windshield mount.

Figure 19: Attaching the Cradle to the Mount

Garmin's excellent windshield mount derives much of its strength from its simplicity; to connect the cradle to the mount, you simply press the cradle onto the mount until you hear it "click" onto the ball of the mount. Together, the two pieces (cradle and mount) form a socket and ball type joint that can easily be angled into the desired viewing angle.

There are no screws to loosen, or levers to unlock - adjusting the nuvi is simply a matter of applying slight force and adjusting the cradle.

Figure 20: Docking the nuvi 760

With the windshield mount, 12v power, and cradle assembled, we're ready to mount the nuvi 760.

Fit the bottom of the nuvi 760 into the cradle and tilt the nuvi back (towards the windshield glass) until it snaps into place, as shown above in figure 20.

Figure 21: Undocking the nuvi 760

To release the nuvi 760 from the cradle, press the release button located on the underside of the cradle, and tilt the nuvi away from the mount.

Docking and undocking the nuvi is extremely simple, and even easier than previous Garmin nuvi models.

Figure 22: Garmin nuvi 760, Mounted in the Windshield

The nuvi 760 is a handsome looking GPS. With just one wire (12v power cable) visible, the 760 is a sleek, modern looking GPS that doesn't clutter up the dashboard with lots of wires or oversized mounting hardware.

In my testing I found Garmin's mount excellent, holding the nuvi securely in place an vibration free, even when driving at highway speeds. Adjusting the viewing angle of the mount was easy, thanks to the innovative mount design that doesn't require any knobs or levers when making adjustments.

5. The Map Screen

Figure 23: nuvi 760 vs nuvi 660 Map Screen

Whether navigating to a destination or simply driving around, you'll spend most of your time using the nuvi 760 looking at the map screen.

The nuvi 760's map screen has an updated look compared to the older nuvi 660. Figure 23 (above) shows a side-by-side comparison between the nuvi 760 and 660 series map screens.

Compared to previous nuvi map screens, the 700-series screen is slightly more refined; the anti-aliasing has been improved, creating smoother lines along the map; icons have received a slight 3D bevel-effect treatment; zoom icons have been made slightly bigger, the text is slightly bolder, and the information bar (the green bar across the top) has been made thinner.

I found the updated map screen an improvement over the older style map screen: those familiar with Garmin nuvis will find everything where they expect (everything still functions the same way and is in the same position as it was on previous nuvi's/SteetPilots), but the visual presentation has been enhanced slightly.

I'd like to see Garmin roll out the updated map screen to the entire nuvi line via free firmware updates, including the popular 300 and 600-series nuvis, although I'm told there are no current plans to do so.

Figure 24: nuvi 760's Map Screen

The map screen is displayed automatically when navigating to an address. The route the GPS has calculated is marked with a magenta line, as shown above in figure 24. The map screen can also be manually invoked by tapping on "View Map" from the Main Menu.

Figure 25: Using the nuvi 760's Map Screen

Figure 25 shows the map screen, as displayed when navigating to a destination:

1. Text Bar - This text bar displays the current navigation instruction. Tapping on this bar opens the turn list (a list of all up-coming turns)
2. Zoom Out - Zoom out the map display
3. Speed Limit - When available, the nuvi 760 displays the speed limit for the current road you are driving on
4. Vehicle icon - This customizable icon represents your vehicle on the map. Tapping on the vehicle icons allows you to save your current location (even if there's not a valid street address at your location)
5. Arrival Time - Displays your estimated arrival time. When not en route to a destination, your current speed is displayed here. Tapping this icon opens the Trip Information page
6. Menu - Tap the Menu icon to return to the Menu page
7. Turn In - Displays the distance to the next turn. Tapping this icon displays the Next Turn page (a detailed view of the upcoming turn) and repeats the last voice instruction
8. Highlighted Route - The highlighted route is "painted", or marked, in magenta color
9. Zoom In - Zooms in on the map display

Figure 26: Trip Information Screen

Tapping on the Arrival Time area (#5 in figure 25) brings up the trip information page, which displays a running counter of various statistics about the "trip", or since it was last reset.

Figure 27: Turn List

The Turn List, available by tapping on the text bar (the horizontal green bar across the top of the Map Screen), displays a list of all upcoming maneuvers. Each turn can be selected to view a more detailed view of the turn (Next Turn page, shown below).

Figure 28: Next Turn Page

The "Next Turn" page is available by tapping on the lower-right icon from the map view ("Turn In", as shown in figure 25), and displays a detailed view of the turn. This split-screen view shows a 2-dimensional drawing of the turn on the left side of the screen, and a text description of the turn on the right side. Also displayed are the distance and time to the turn.

Tapping the up/down arrows in the lower-right portion of the screen cycles through the upcoming turns, one at a time. Voice prompts are also announced as each turn is viewed.

Figure 29: Speed Limit Indicator

Also unique to the nuvi 700-series is the addition of a speed limit indicator on the map screen. When the nuvi 760 knows the posted speed limit for the road you are traveling, the speed limit is displayed on the map screen, as shown above.This feature can also be disabled if you prefer not to see it.

Overall Garmin's map screen is well implemented and carefully designed. It is easy to read and does a good job displaying key information without being cluttered or confusing. For example, notice how the green information bar across the top of the map screen mimics the color and font used on actual highway signs. Also notice how the angle of the 3D map makes it easy to see upcoming maneuvers.

The map screen is one of the most important aspects of any GPS, and the nuvu 760 gets it right.

6. Finding an Address

The nuvi 760 allows you to input a destination address a number of different ways, but probably the most common method is to use a street address. In the following example, we'll enter a destination address in New York City: 135 Central Park West.

Figure 30: Accessing the Where to? Menu

It doesn't get much simpler than this: after powering on the nuvi 760, the Main Menu screen appears, as shown above in figure 30. From here, you can view the map, search for an address, adjust system settings (wrench icon), or adjust the volume (speaker icon).

Also notice that the Main Menu displays the GPS signal strength, Bluetooth icon, battery level, and current time.

To begin entering a destination address, tap "Where to?" from the Main Menu.

Figure 31: Using a Street Address as a Destination

Most of the time you'll probably be driving to a street address (as opposed to a business name or intersection). After tapping on Where to? from the Main Menu, tap on Address to begin inputting a street address.