What would you guys say is the best Sat Nav unit available? Ive been looking on ebay and there seems to be loads of different makes and models from TomTom, Navman and Garmin to name a few.
Do the units come with postcode finders already installed or would I have to buy one of the CDâs for this then install it using my PC?
Do they cover mainland Europe?
Once Iâve got the main unit what other add-ons can I buy for it? (Like the speedcamera location CD etcâŚ)
Do they mention weight limits, low bridges ect when planning the route?
Would I need a power adaptor to make it work in the truck?
I guess at the price they cost I can expect to never get lost againâŚâ â
Thanks.
This is an ongoing argument I have with my wife. The quote below comes from this thread!
brummie:
We live on a main road, perhaps a couple of miles long. At one end of the road are her business premises, at the other end are her sistersâ home and business premises - we live in the middle of the two. She only uses her car to go to work and have her hair done at her sistersâ shop.
Things have changed⌠Her, and her sisters, have just started leasing new premises together so she could have her hair done whilst sheâs at work! The new premises are on the same road we live on but slightly closer to the house - 500 yards away!
Anyway, the wife announces last night that she still wants this GPS unit in her car! 'What the [zb!] for, are you looking for different ways to get to work without getting lost? I asked her. I couldnât possibly repeat her reply!
My mate has got a Garmin StreetPilot III (now the Garmin StreetPilot 2160) and he reckons its the âcanineâs gonadsâ. Also, Tom Tom are about to release a waterproof version into their range - designed for bikers (amongst others).
I have tom tom go and happy with it. It as dropped
about 3 times and only got a little scuff on it. It donât
have a full postcode on mine but I think tom tom 5
does have. Also tom tom go comes charged up with
uk maps loaded so you just take it out the box and its
ready to use. speedcamera download I think is free.
I donât think they mention weight limits, low bridges
ect when planning the route yet. Tom tom go comes
with a 12/24 volt charger that goes in to the cigarette
lighter and works in trucks. I can also get European
maps for just under ÂŁ100.
A member of this forum,is also a mod on that site.
I have a Navman iCN610,and as an entry level unit,itâs ok.I have downloaded the speed camera datbase to it,which is updated monthly,and you can also have othe POIâs,(Points of interest.) on it,like bridge heights,etc,providing the information is available.
If you want European maps for this unit,you have to purchase them seperate from Navman,so you might as well pay that bit extra,and get a more specced model from them,like the 510,as they have them already.
A member of this forum,is also a mod on that site.
I have a Navman iCN610,and as an entry level unit,itâs ok.I have downloaded the speed camera datbase to it,which is updated monthly,and you can also have othe POIâs,(Points of interest.) on it,like bridge heights,etc,providing the information is available.
If you want European maps for this unit,you have to purchase them seperate from Navman,so you might as well pay that bit extra,and get a more specced model from them,like the 510,as they have them already.
Im not too fussy about having satnav, that discussion has been flogged to death on this forum. Im curios, can you run tomtom on a laptop instead of a PDA?
I was talking to a bloke at shepton mallet who sells laptops with sat nav and he was saying in about six to eight weeks their new cd will have bridge heights in it and routing to avoid low bridges.
** Satellite navigation systems to be made âmore realisticâ **
Calm delivery of accurate information unnerves experienced motorists
by Flash Gorman
Manufacturers of in-car satellite navigation systems have responded to requests to modify the manner in which their systems operate. A typical âSat Navâ system has a computerised voice that calmly informs the driver which way to turn on the approach to a junction. Whilst this might seem ideal, it transpires that such automated perfection does not work in the real world.
Married drivers, in particular, find it difficult to adjust to using the systems. Veteran driver Bob, from Coventry, summed up the situation. âI just canât get used to being told which turn to take before I actually reach the junction. My wife usually does the navigation for me and she always tells me to turn just after weâve passed the junction. Itâs also a bit unnerving that it doesnât get increasingly irritated with me as the journey progresses.â
Mindful of such criticisms, a new system was unveiled by Ford at the recent UK Motor Show. Called âSatNagâ, this system professes to give a âreal world navigationâ experience and includes a number of innovative features. The first thing the driver will notice is that they have a choice of navigation personalities. These include: âHad an argument last nightâ, âHopeless at directionsâ and âDidnât want to come out in the car in the first b***** placeâ.
The driver will also be to select the level of anticipation present in the system. This will dictate the amount of violent braking required to make a requested manoeuvre and can even be set to miss every other turn.
To round things off, the system can be pre-programmed to âflare upâ and refuse to give any further directions. In the deluxe model the system can actually get sufficiently irritated to storm out of the car and refuse to get back in again despite extended pleading from the driver.
i have just splashed out and bought my self a gps unit.
it is a pda with the route 66 software and comes with france, spain and the beneulx maps all ready installed (i live in france) but cant tell you how it works or if it is any good yet as i havent tried it or sussed out how it all works
it also comes with 17 other countries on cd rom and they can be down loaded on to another memory card.
once i have got it sussed and start using it in anger i will let you know if it is anygood or not.
salut
chris
caveman have look at alturion there stuff looked ok when i had a peek last saturday should get some software to play with as soon as i email them they have truck routing and bridge heights built in apparently ill let you know what i find in a few weeks
Dratsabasti:
** Satellite navigation systems to be made âmore realisticâ **
Calm delivery of accurate information unnerves experienced motorists
by Flash Gorman
Manufacturers of in-car satellite navigation systems have responded to requests to modify the manner in which their systems operate. A typical âSat Navâ system has a computerised voice that calmly informs the driver which way to turn on the approach to a junction. Whilst this might seem ideal, it transpires that such automated perfection does not work in the real world.
Married drivers, in particular, find it difficult to adjust to using the systems. Veteran driver Bob, from Coventry, summed up the situation. âI just canât get used to being told which turn to take before I actually reach the junction. My wife usually does the navigation for me and she always tells me to turn just after weâve passed the junction. Itâs also a bit unnerving that it doesnât get increasingly irritated with me as the journey progresses.â
Mindful of such criticisms, a new system was unveiled by Ford at the recent UK Motor Show. Called âSatNagâ, this system professes to give a âreal world navigationâ experience and includes a number of innovative features. The first thing the driver will notice is that they have a choice of navigation personalities. These include: âHad an argument last nightâ, âHopeless at directionsâ and âDidnât want to come out in the car in the first b***** placeâ.
The driver will also be to select the level of anticipation present in the system. This will dictate the amount of violent braking required to make a requested manoeuvre and can even be set to miss every other turn.
To round things off, the system can be pre-programmed to âflare upâ and refuse to give any further directions. In the deluxe model the system can actually get sufficiently irritated to storm out of the car and refuse to get back in again despite extended pleading from the driver.
with the route 66 software you can specify for trucks as well as cars, got me head around it abit now and seems to be quite clever, well cleverer than me anyway
chris
im still thinking about buying one but cant make my mind up i think il just wait for the price to come down.
saying that il still be to tight to get one then.
I picked up a MIO 168 from www.globalpositioningsystems.co.uk with a 512Mb card - comes complete with 10-30v car/truck charger and works fine - no need to connect an external aerial. Tried TomTom 5 & Destinator - out of the two I prefer TomTom - I believe there is a âpoints of interestâ file around that includes bridge heights although that wonât alter the routing.
It has tried to send me down a few roads that have restrictions on, but it will normally re-route pretty quickly rather than trying to convince you to do a U turn and go back on yourself. Overall it is a useful tool, especially when you are given no map / flakey directions - although I try not to be over-reliant on it !!
