OT: In-car sat nav - any recommendations

[Nwanko]

Does anyone have any experience of in-car sat navigation systems?

What is good - what to avoid?

Will be used for UK and mainland Europe - (Spain, France)

Thanks for any advice

 

[Superseagull]

Try this website. It seems to offer the best prices and has some good reviews of all the main SatNav systems, and user forums.

http://www.globalpositioningsystems.co.uk/

Seems to be three main software choices for low budget systems, TomTom, Garmin or Navman. As for hardware you have to decide whether to have a dedicated GPS unit or run it off a PDA.

I plumped for TomTom and a PDA so I could easily take it out of the car and carry it with me. leaving a SatNav system in a parked car seems to attract the low life scum at the moment.

 

[El Presidente]

I bought the Medion PDA portable system from (*COUGH*) Aldi for £229, and it is fine

 

[tinx]

My nokia 6680 coupled with bluetooth GPS off ebay and a copy of Tom tom from questionable origin works perfectly and cost lest than 50 quid in total.

 

[surrey jim]

If you do alot of miles get the panasonic Navtech - it is by far the best system out there (as a sales rep ive tried lots of systems) but is quite pricey, advice is not to get one that wholey relies on GPS as when you are near hills or in a tunnel or having bad weather they tend to f*** up

 

[surrey jim]

its disk also has maps for all over europe

 

[zefarelly]

I've got a road map printed on paper, works a treat. I also use autoroute / google maps for specifics in unknown towns

common sense and logic don't seem to be very fashionable these days

 

[ATFC Seagull]

If you do alot of miles get the panasonic Navtech - it is by far the best system out there (as a sales rep ive tried lots of systems) but is quite pricey, advice is not to get one that wholey relies on GPS as when you are near hills or in a tunnel or having bad weather they tend to f*** up

Doesn't have the KC stadium on it though does it?

 

[Beeercan]

Buy a Map

 

[Cian]

Buy a Map

I'll second that, decent large-ish scale map book, with town plans for large towns; and a map book of London and maybe Mancland/Birmingham should do you fine. Sat Nav is just an utter annoyance.

 

[chez]

Get youself a decent PDA and install Tom Tom on it. Absolutly no way I could do my job without my sat nav. Its a brilliant invention.

 

[Bwian]

Sat Nav is just an utter annoyance.

No!

Driving around in circles, trying to read a map whilst guessing which road is which because some twat hasn't put a sign up at a T junction is an annoyance.

SatNav makes getting around easy and I agree that it is a great invention.

 

[Cian]

No!

Driving around in circles, trying to read a map whilst guessing which road is which because some twat hasn't put a sign up at a T junction is an annoyance.

SatNav makes getting around easy and I agree that it is a great invention.

Except when the DVD is out of date and the system starts squaking TURN LEFT! TURN LEFT! And there isn't a bloody left turn for 800 metres!!

 

[skr80]

Except when the DVD is out of date and the system starts squaking TURN LEFT! TURN LEFT! And there isn't a bloody left turn for 800 metres!!

lot of these are not dvd based, for the medion ppc with tomtom, you can 'obtain' the latest updates and maps as you go along. e.g. I have the europe maps and usa.

That said, its not too often I travel somewhere I don't know, so its a good 'toy' to have for me. That's why I went down the ppc with the programe loaded into the sd card...

 

[Shropshire Seagull]

Oooh, I'm interested in this too ....

How do "updates" work and are they expensive?

I mean, new roads are bulit, one way systems introduced, streets pedestrianised, etc. Do you have to subscribe (like an anti-virus update) to get new maps, say every month or year or what?

Do they charge lots for this?

Do you buy UK only "maps" on DVD and how does it load up on to a PDA?

I have a palm M130 which has a Secure digital drive (but no sound facilities) and I only really use it as a diary and address book - could this become a SatNav system?

 

[skr80]

Oooh, I'm interested in this too ....

How do "updates" work and are they expensive?

I mean, new roads are bulit, one way systems introduced, streets pedestrianised, etc. Do you have to subscribe (like an anti-virus update) to get new maps, say every month or year or what?

Do they charge lots for this?

Do you buy UK only "maps" on DVD and how does it load up on to a PDA?

I have a palm M130 which has a Secure digital drive (but no sound facilities) and I only really use it as a diary and address book - could this become a SatNav system?

tomtom have provided at least three updates that I know of - current versionis 5.1. You load maps onto your pda, into the maps folder of tomtom via pc. unsure as to update price tho.. have seen plenty on ebay for sale map wise. palm 130 may be ok if you use an intergrated gps ariel / holder / speaker such as:

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=5797158900&rd=1&sspagename=STRK:MEWA:IT&rd=1

I am not an expert on this, but lots of info on the web...

 

[surrey jim]

Doesn't have the KC stadium on it though does it?

Hey you wanted a lift up so stop complaining - neways got the new updated disk now should have the KFC for next year

 

[Yorkie]

I've got a road map printed on paper, works a treat. I also use autoroute / google maps for specifics in unknown towns

common sense and logic don't seem to be very fashionable these days

I agree. Unlike most women, I am very good at map reading and do all our navigating.
It must be my naval background.

 

[El Presidente]

I agree. Unlike most women, I am very good at map reading and do all our navigating.
It must be my naval background.

Naval background? How does staring at your belly button improe your map reading skills?

 

[Yorkie]

Naval background? How does staring at your belly button improe your map reading skills?

You'd be surprised at how much I have learned from navel gazing