Sat Navs

[The Restorer]

Hi folks,

Anyone out there recommend a decent Sat Nav?

Looked at the TomTom One and Garmin 510 today. Both £199.
I don't want (or maybe i do :wink: ) loads of features. It's just the navigator has recntly decided she "doesn't do navigation in the dark" not really helpfull when trying to find your way with the caravan on the back in the pitch black, heavy rain, kids in the back, middle of the rush hour (you get the picture :shock: ).
Can you get these things so they don't send you down every little minor road (dirt track/single carriageway)? again, not too good with the caravan on the back.

Thanks

Stephen.

 

[tiler99]

I have been using TomTom on my PDA for years, couldnt be without a sat nav now.

 

[andrewm]

Hi folks,

Anyone out there recommend a decent Sat Nav?

I bought the new version of the TomTom One as when it was released. I was waiting for them to release the newer maps. I must admit that I have been very impressed with it. It does navigation - period. It doesn't have bluetooth, MP3 player or any other gubbins like some of the more expensive models but for navigation it is accurate and you can select options like preferring motorways or finding the quickest route rather than the shortest. You can specify a roadblock to avoid particular stretches of the proposed route and when driving if you take a wrong turn it will instantly recalculate the route.

All I would say is do a sanity check on the route that it proposes. I have had it once suggest taking major roads on a route 10 miles longer than the alternative just because it would have got me there 30 seconds earlier! Of course, with a caravan in tow this might be just what you want.

The only problem that I have come across is with new roads. ALthough it has the latest maps there are new roads opening all the time and junctions being redesigned that it will know nothing about. But that is going to be a problem with any GPS until someone introduces realtime map updates.

Well recommended.

Andrew

 

[wizer]

i have played with a few of them and for me the best is TomTom. It Just Works

 

[yellow_lamborghini_2406]

the tomtom was best on test on the gadget show on channel 5 to

 

[Chris Knight]

Another vote for Tom Tom. I did use a Garmin in Oz earlier in the year which was very good too. It seemed somewhat quicker in recalculating the route than the Tom Tom I now have but as the latter has UK, Europe and the USA on it as opposed to just Australia, I guess that the sheer volume of data accounts for it.

 

[woodbloke]

I bought a TT710 for a continental driving holiday earlier this year and experienced some teething troubles with it, now since fixed, would not be without one now....dogs doodas. Halford's I note from the TV, have got a half price deal on at the mo' on all Sat Navs which might be worth a gander - Rob

 

[Freetochat]

I am with the TomTom 910. A little more expensive, but it has all maps on a hard drive, which gives street level throughout UK,Europe, US and Canada. For me worth the £50 extra over card systems.

 

[Shultzy]

The Restorer, have you thought about how many times you are going to use it. It reminds me of a mate who bought a Ford Granada Estate so when he went on holiday he could get everything and the kitchen sink in. He only went once a year and so spent a fortune on petrol for the rest of the year. I think sat-navs are doing for map reading what the calculator did for mental arithmetic - makes you lazy!

I suspect they are like the A-Z mapping software I used to have at work. It never gave me the route I used to get to work even though it was the quickest (lots of rabbit runs).

 

[woodbloke]

Shultzy wrote:

sat-navs are doing for map reading what the calculator did for mental arithmetic - makes you lazy!

There may be something in this I feel....however I went to see someone about five miles north of Andover right out in the sticks last Sunday very early - about 8.30am, nobody around to ask directions and this place was in a warren of back lanes. Trying to find it with a map would have been possible but a bit of a 'mare. In addition, I got to within half a mile of the house and a fallen tree had blocked the road so I went back to the previous junction, tapped in 'navigate by an alterative route' and TT took me straight to my destination by going all round the lanes. It made a difficult job very, very easy - Rob

 

[BrianD]

Hi there,

I can't speak of practical experience of TT but I have a Garmin. It is really excellent and the maps are updated annually.

The only gripe I have got is that you cannot enter a postal code and house number directly. This is really a must for any system you look at.

Do check to see if the TT has that facility as it is more than helpful.

Cheers.

 

[Colin C]

Hi Stephen

I have it on my phone (TT that is ) and for me being dyslexic ( come with a bad memory ), it stops me from spending more time looking at a map than drive.

I also drove to warrington and back ( picked up some bits I bought ) with no problems and every one was happy ( even the kids :shock: ).

I will not do without it

Have a look at the Which web site as you can log on free for three months and have a look at they reviews

 

[Paul Chapman]

I've always been a bit anti-sat nav, but my daughter has recently bought a Tom Tom and I'm so impressed with it that I might even be tempted myself :-k I think you even get a selection of voices, so it doesn't sound too much like the wife nagging :lol: 8-[

Cheers :wink:

Paul

 

[The Restorer]

Thanks folks for all the replies.

Yes i know Sat Navs accused of making you lazy, but trying to read a map on the passenger seat whilst driving is dowbright dangerous, and i know which i'd prefer :roll:

I used top drive trucks all over the south of england so have a pretty well adapted sense of direction.

The current problem is when the caravans hooked up and i'm driving on A and B roads. My concentration is on trying to get the rig through the traffic, you know flicking between all three mirrors and watching the road well ahead. Once it gets dark and a bit rainy and i'm trying to find my way to a new site, it's impossible to map read as well. Wifey used to do navigation but now gets too stressed with the the thought that a wrong turn can result in all sorts of problems with the caravan in tow.

I can map read and navigate to a very high standard. I 'm trained in micro navigation in mountainous terrain (on foot) and have no problem finding my way out on the Welsh (and others) mountains all year round.

The Tom Tom seems the way to go, but i already have a Garmin handheld for pin point location out on the hills (useful in a white out) and the Garmin has free for life traffic master with it.

Off down to Halfords this morning to press the buttons!

Thanks again.

Stephen.

 

[woodbloke]

Paul Chapman wrote:

I think you even get a selection of voices, so it doesn't sound too much like the wife nagging

Paul - Janie on my TT can tell me what to do anytime :lol: :lol: - Rob

 

[Paul Chapman]

Paul - Janie on my TT can tell me what to do anytime :lol: :lol: - Rob

She's probably the reason I've changed my view of sat-nav :lol: 8-[

Cheers :wink:

Paul

 

[tombo]

i bought a tom tom 510 about two weeks ago, £50 more than the tom tom one but worth it in my opinion for the bluetooth hands free phone integration. Plus i think the the screen is a bit wider. Ive been messing around with tom tom on a PDA for about 18 months this is just so much better.

Tom

 

[syntec4]

I have the TomTom One. It does what it says on the tin. I do a lot of driving, about 1500 miles a week. I pretty much know everywhere and never get lost. I have done 1.4 million miles since May 1990 when I passed my test.
However I bought the Sat Nav a few months ago as it saves a lot of stress when looking for a particular building/house number when in heavy traffic. You can also navigate straight to car parks etc, another stress buster. I think its also safer than trying to look at an AtoZ or hand written notes when trying to find an address. I can keep my eyes on the traffic and simply follow the voice directions.
I do quite often ignore the instructions when I know a better route, although the system keeps recalculating to get you right to the front door.
I paid about £200 from Amazon, I reckon the stress it's saved me has made it worthwhile in the few months I've had it. I also have mine connect via bluetooth and my phone/GPRS connection to update the traffic info via traffic master. This is also another plus point if you do a lot of driving. If there is a problem anywhere on the route you have put in, you get warnings and details. I the just dive off the Motorway and head across country to avoid the traffic.
I did borrow a PDA with 'Destinator' software on it to try out just before i bought the TomTom. Although it worked ok, I found plugging in the separate GPS receiver and the PDA was a pain. So I got the TomTom.

Oh yeah one last thing. I drive a peugeot (heap of s*(t) -thats another story, with an Athermic Windscreen, this can cause reception problems. You might need an external ariel if you have a one of these.

a big thumbs up from me.

Lee.

 

[woodbloke]

Agree - if you have a heated front windscreen then an external ariel is a must - Rob

 

[mel]

the tom tom seems to be the most popular
i , myself have the navman icn 520
there are useful features on it to
as i work a lot on banks , the cash machine dispencers {ATMs} are on there as well , listed as points of interest
this one can also be used on foot as it has a battery built in

A point to note here
if your sat nav is independant {battery backed } then it is not classed as a purely vehicle accessory
if the unit is not useable on foot then it is a vehicle accessory
so if it gets stolen from you , say from a hotel room , you cant claim under your insurance
unfortunatly , i speak from experience
had my first satnav {icn520} stolen from my room in a hotel in london
HTH
mel