Jump to content

Sat Nav replacement


just john
 Share

Recommended Posts

[quote user="Salty Sam"]For both Android and Apple devices, also worth considering is: http://blog.copilotlive.com/na/2012/05/09/free-copilot-gps-app-makes-its-debut-on-the-app-stores/

The application plus 1 country map is completely free. Once installed, you don't need a data connection as the mapping is already within your phone/tablet.

The map database can be extended, together with other add-on features, for reasonable cost.

[/quote]

Interesting ... Thanks for that.

Just to clarify, the Navfree OSM maps are carried on the phone - it doesn't need a data connection to do the route planning or download the map for that particular journey (which is what currently happens with Google's navigate programe), just in order to carry out the address search.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The problem I had with Copilotlive, occurs when traveling through a tunnel or other area of poor reception. When in a tunnel all devices loose satellite lock but with TomTom it knows it is a tunnel and continues to route so if your turning is at the end of tunnel TomTom will alert you via the map but CoPilot requires sat lock before continuing so you can miss exits, I did frequently. CoPilots plus was the draggable maps but I believe TomTom and others now do this.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

The use of a phone or tablet relies upon the inbuilt GPS receiver which will never be as accurate as a device designed primarily for navigation.

The problem you refer to in CoPilot, can also be found on many older models of GPS receivers but modern devices as you say, cope with tunnels even down to telling the user the length and if necessary to their route, which lane to be in.

It's certainly not limited to TomTom.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

[quote user="just john "]

 I've ordered the garmin (http://www.gpscompared.net/tomtom-start-60-europe-vs-garmin-nuvi-2595lmt/ ) a bit of compromise, no 6" screen but a decent reduction, 5" Sat Nav with Europe Maps, Lifetime Map Updates and Traffic Alerts, Bluetooth and some of the better reviews on Amazon.

I'll update after a trial go, I hope it's plug and play . . . .

[/quote]

Not quite plug and play, the manual has to be downloaded, and uses different speak to TT, so word search was not that productive, I'm just hitting buttons in time honoured fashion.

Firstly it is quicker to calculate, the maps are almost up todate (denied the existance of the postcode for LD lines Portsmouth dock though, which was a bad start), I like the larger graphics and am slowly working my way around the screen displays, like the time/mileage remaining to destination rather than calculating. Major bad point is that there is no power light display, and worse the connection loosened during the crossing so it appeared connected but wasn't charging, within a few miles it ran out of battery, don't much like that old hardware, where is the magnet or whatever non mechanical power link!?. Reconnection and onward was instant though. I was pleased to see accurate messages telling of roadworks etc, and the 'danger zone message' coincidently occurred just before some very discreet cameras[:D] not that I needed to adjust my speed of course . . . so far so good.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The time/mileage remaining was a part of the free firmware upgrade on the Tomtom units a while ago.  I will check my TT for the postcode you mention for Portsmouth, just out of interest.  In general though you are pleased?

EDIT: no postcode for the ferry on my 730 unit but has got the ferry in the POI, my maps are not updated from the day I bought the unit but not much would have changed I suspect apart from a couple in Croatia and I am not paying for that!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

[quote user="Frederick"][quote user="Benjamin"]That looks fabulous Frederick. Have you used in in France yet and how was the mapping?

[/quote]

 Not yet Ben ...later this month .. I have a pal who got one and he has just driven to Malta where he has a place via Sicily  . He has got there !  He bought it as it also  has Malta in  the maps 

[/quote]

I can say Ben that I am very satisfied with the performance of the Chinese Sat Nav  .It has brought me down to 85 no problem .   Have to remember to choose    "short" or "fast " when setting off or it will direct off the motorways .It gives half mile .1/4 mile and  400 feet turn off warnings  and  to "then enter highway "   Also the number of the exits off roundabouts .The French map is up to date. as far as I can tell ... A good 54 quids worth I think ...   

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 month later...

Bumping this back up:

I have just received my Chine sat nav (bearing in mind Tom Tom are made in Chine too)  I have gone for the 5" with the latest SIRF V GPS unit so if it loses sat lock it should try and gain position from mobile phone cells or WiFi services. Only minus it doesn't have blue tooth on this version. It actually runs IGo 8 satnav software which runs well and quite quick, there are also a host of other features like 3D mapping showing gradients of hills/valleys etc and tall buildings for city use (not tested this yet).  There are also additional bits for instance the journey breakdown showing total time for the journey average speed and stop time.  All in all a really good little unit so far and who's complaining for £42, oh and who produces some of the maps? Tom Tom! so I get 2 years of updates included for that price which is only £3 more than just one update on Tom Tom.

I have been using my brothers TT 1005 unit for a couple of weeks prior and I wouldn't buy one at 50% off, they have gone backwards not forwards with the user interface, you need to press a button to bring up numbers for the postcodes and then back to letters like some mobile phone keypads whereas the old versions displayed the full keyboard required for entering postcodes and it slow to start, slow to accept key presses and slow to react.  The only good thing was the HD traffic, In the worst street I have found for sat navs to loose sat lock (Prescott Street) near Tower Bridge the Tom Tom was useless too and just did exactly what all my previous units have done and wildly spin the map round.  Hopefully the new sat nav will fair better, and I am looking forward to using it across France in a couple of weeks.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...
Thanks for the feedback Frederick.

Our Garmin, bought last year, has just got us safely on a tour around France. Because we only received one of those "quick start" manuals we are constantly finding new features. Our problem is much the same as Théière's in that we can pay aroung £47 for a map update or we can buy the £54 sat nav.We're off to Portugal in January so we'll need current mapping as I believe they've started charging on a lot of the autoroutes. I think we'll probably buy the new one but keep hold of the Garmin.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 3 months later...
A quick update on the garmin I bought, (http://www.gpscompared.net/tomtom-start-60-europe-vs-garmin-nuvi-2595lmt/  a bit of compromise, no 6" screen but a decent reduction, 5" Sat Nav with Europe Maps, Lifetime Map Updates and Traffic Alerts, Bluetooth and some of the better reviews on Amazon.

More than happy despite the difficulty of wading through a manual, search for some addresses will deny existence unless you have exactly the spelling they have, unlike Google and other search engines which will off you the nearest town with that spelling; and as I'm just discovering a bit difficulty on selecting toll information, even avoiding toll roads is a pfaff, hence my need for a bit of pre-planning, out of all the route planners Mappy.com seems to suit France particularly well, funny that, I assumed Michelin had it covered. Mappy is also better for budget hotels especially the smaller privately owned.

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Just in case it helps anyone - we bought a Tomtom start 25 which I am pleased with, however the stalk or arm is extremely short and as we have a Citroen C4 with a very big and somewhat 'distant' windscreen .....it was difficult to fit. Those handy dashboard mats wouldn't work either, the suction was wrong and the edge of the mat too deep, although we couldn't find a Tomtom mat to test.

In the end we bought an Tomtom extender arm and we fit it onto the quarter light.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

My personal view is that removable sat-navs should not be fitted on any windscreen, they are bound to block some portion of the view. We fitted our Becker unit to the quarter light on a Citroen Xsara Picasso and it was the perfect position.

You don't really need it in view all the time, audible instructions and a quick glance at the screen occasionally are all that you need (IMO).
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I put mine on the screen under the mirror, since I check the mirror a lot and it doesn't take my eyes off the road view, I like to see the next direction speed limit etc, I did try it once on the quarterlight but found it was taking my eyes off the ahead view and it fell off when slamming the door!

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

It might be worth a search on line for the mounts that fit by hooking into the heater vents .. Mine came with one and as there is a vent to the right of my steering wheel its off the window and out of sight 

.  This sort of thing 

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Easy-Vehicle-Vent-Mount-Garmin/dp/B006ON654M/ref=sr_1_13?ie=UTF8&qid=1358612947&sr=8-13

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
 Share

×
×
  • Create New...