GPS Systems

[Dog]

My GPS system came as standard on Wifelet II it is inbuilt and needed some finding but now it is fully operational this system has the ability to scream directions and has built in dyslexia as standard. The plus sides are that sewing, cooking and light garden duties are available as are some more adult services which can be accessed after use of special passwords and pressing of certain buttons.

[Pierre ZFP]

I thgink I need an upgrade on my OH1.5 GPS.  It always seems to be a little late with the instructions. 'TURN RIGHT THERE' what the next on the right? 'NO THE ONE WE JUST PASSED!'

[Jonzjob]

Pierre, you forgot to mention "NOT THAT LEFT!!!" [Www]

[Benjamin]

I thought I had a software glitch with mine as it started dropping into sleep mode as I approached major conurbations. However I found that by just gently nudging the side of the unit with my elbow everything came back to normal.[8-|]

[Clair]

I have on occasions had to reboot my system after a few errors. It usually happens when the vocal unit begins to slow down and sound slurred and when the wrong map is uploaded... most annoying as it usually happens late at night...

I have sometimes thought of getting a more recent and more interactive unit...[img]http://www.websmileys.com/sm/dressed/bek101.gif[/img]

PS: I should add mine is a TimTim-Brum57

[powerdesal]

You should be aware that the older versions dont come with an off switch, no idea if new ones have one. The version in questions has a super sensing mode which, if the verbal prompt is not obeyed switches into 'told you so' mode. This can get quite annoying. After a set time (pico-seconds?) it switches to 'have it you own way' mode and then refuses to be re-programmed until the next stop.

[Clair]

[quote user="powerdesal"]You should be aware that the older versions dont come with an off switch, no idea if new ones have one. The version in questions has a super sensing mode which, if the verbal prompt is not obeyed switches into 'told you so' mode. This can get quite annoying. After a set time (pico-seconds?) it switches to 'have it you own way' mode and then refuses to be re-programmed until the next stop.[/quote]

So you must have the same as mine!!! Are you thinkng of changing  too????[:-))][:P]

[Pancake]

Can you mount them on the dashboard as well as the screen.....[;-)]

[mmaddock]

Sorry for the late reply, been away..

In the box I got screen mounting, 3xdiscs with software & maps (tho they aren't at all necessary as it works out of the box fully loaded with maps), protective carrying case, in-car charger, UK & euro mains charger, USB lead - maybe some other bits I forgot?!  As for the manual to be honest I'm not sure as I have never even opened it - it is that easy to use!  I do know you can get the English manual online in PDF format though as I have seen it on the Navman website for download.

As for the other question, I'm not sure if you can change the road speeds - I haven't seen that option I have to say.  The one thing Tomtom is good at is allowing you to change just about every possible option, but (for me at least) I'm more than happy with it setup exactly as it is, so I don't see the need to mess with the settings - but I do know some people like to fiddle with everything going!

The only problem I have come across so far, is that the maps are a little too up-to-date - it has the A88 [A28 (Sees) to Caen] on the maps, but it isn't actually completed yet!  Not a difficult job to add that road as an "avoid area" so it doesn't use it though, and I'd prefer it to have it on (so I can just remove the avoid area later on when completed) rather than have to buy new maps next year!!

BTW, the new Sirf GPS chipset is AMAZING!  I stuffed the Navman in my glovebox at one point, and it kept navigating even from in there - I could hear it directing me!  I even got a signal (albeit from only one satellite) sat on the car deck in ferry at the very back!

Matt

[powerdesal]

Strange voices from the glovebox - thats really really spooky  [geek]

[David]

Matt,

Thanks very much for your very helpful postings about the Navman N60i.

Brilliant postings of your happy experience, especially as you have experience of TomToms, and you comment on your opinion of the differences.

You have convinced me to buy a Navman, but my OH is at me to buy a Garmin, as her friend says they are easy to use.  As my OH has been left to drive quite long distances by herself when I have been taken into various hospitals, I must consider her opinion, especially as she is not exactly computer or GPS literate.

I wonder if you have experience of Garmins, and if so whether it would be too much to ask if you could give your opinion of them with regard to Navman and TomTom, so that I can get her agreement for me to buy my Navman?

Many thanks for your help,

David

[Chezstevens]

As previously mentioned my wife has used her Garmin 2610 GPS for 2 years with no probs - took 10 mins to learn.  Garmin 2720 or 2820 plus the Nuvi range also allow POI's (Points of interest) that you can load from your computer - this includes speed camera locations.

Garmin mapping software includes all of western europe and most of eastern europe. An upgrade, every couple of years, costs $75.  Check out the costs of the software before committing to a make.  

I will now bow out since enough has been said about the popular makes - ''you makes your choice and live with it''

[David]

Many thanks for that Vern,

I had not forgotten your previous post, but I wondered if anyone with experience of both could compare a Garmin to a Navman, in the way that mmaddox was able to compare the Navman to a TomTom.

Best regards,

David

[mmaddock]

David

I've not had any experience of Garmin I'm afraid.  I did consider them, as Garmin is obviously a well known name in the GPS industry (before in-car "Sat-Nav" took over).  I think I discounted the Garmin systems as I recall the prices were generally higher than their equivalents.  I have to say, I can't see that even a complete beginner would have any problem using the Navman system - it is particularly easy if you are going between already known locations as you can select the location from a photograph!

Check out the navman website and you can see a demonstration of the system in use, might help make up your/her mind.

Matt

[mmaddock]

P.S. I'm back in the UK at the moment and noticed that Halfords have the N60i on special offer £299.99 - that's a very good price, most other places it is £389.

Matt

[Mikew]

I found that my Navman 520 maps showed the new bypass roads round Angouleme before they were opened! I bought the unit last year. Complete with UK and full Europe maps from QVC (UK) by internet/post, and at a very good price.

 PS, it had full UK and continental charger plugs in the box...

 

Todays Special Value:

http://www.qvcuk.com/ukqic/qvcapp.aspx/main.detail.frames.y.tpl.uktsv.item.tsv/left.html.file.tsvmetadrill,html/walk.html.%7Ctsvmetadrill,html

[Bob T]

N60i 454€ here at www.cdiscount.com, so not much differnt to the UK.

[mmaddock]

Yeah, I bought mine in France for 460€, but in the UK they aer around £389-ish, so £299 is a good price for the UK

Matt

[Benjamin]

[quote user="David"]

I am thinking of buying myself a simple GPS system, no bluetooth, ipods, etc, but simple to use and with a large screen.

Any thoughts anyone?

Many thanks,

David

[/quote]

Like David I am thinking about getting a fairly simple GPS system. It won't be a working tool for me, more of a gadget.

Auchan (hypermarket) are advertising a Navman F20 for 200€. Do any of you out there have any opinion of this model?

If the answer's "cheapskate" then just say it; I can take it.[:$]

[Pierre ZFP]

CHEEEEEEPPPPSKAAAAATE !

Sorry, don't know what came over me [;-)]

I looked at the NavmanF20 to and wondered.  I expect all the models have the same chipset and they use Crippleware to disable some of the functions on the lower models.  Now if you could just flash the ROM ...........

[Will]

I got Mrs Will a Tom Tom One Europe for Christmas. I don't recall the exact cost, but it certainly wasn't expensive (pretty much the same in Britain and France I seem to remember). It has full maps for all of Europe, few unnecessary functions (there are dearer models for those who need Bluetooth or whatever it is called, etc).

For finding your way somewhere it couldn't be simpler, and if you want to take a different route it just gets on with it and quickly re-calculates rather than getting arsey with you. I've never used any of the others, at least not the up-to-date ones, though I do have some experience with the maritime equivalent (known as ECS or ECDIS and costing many, many thousands of euros rather than a couple of hundred). But our daughter had a Navman and wants a Tom Tom instead.

[Pierre ZFP]

If my PDA ever gets repaired I will look at getting a GPS gizmo that fits in the SD card slot, that way I have 2 devices for the price of one!

I don't want a Tom Tom because of the stupid adverts, I don't care how good they are

[hastobe]

[quote user="mmaddock"]no stupid bluetooth mp3 junk that you can't use whilst navigating anyway! 

[/quote]

We just bought the Garmin Nuvi for Christmas (which comes with bluetooth) - which I had thought would be a waste of time...but it's quite cool.  When you call up a point of interest (e.g. restaurant) using blue tooth as hands free for your phone it enables you to dial the restaurant directly through the sat nav.  (Kept the OH good all christmas day - I had a lovely quiet time....especially as he went out for several hours to 'play' [:)] )

Kathie

[Benjamin]

Thanks for that Will.

I probably should have said that I'd like European mapping as we do go south and also return to the UK occasionally.

When you start trying to find the price of additional SD cards with maps of other countries (the F20 I mentioned only has France as standard) you realise that it's probably as cheap or cheaper to buy a system with them pre-loaded. For example the F20 at 200€ soon grows in price to around the cost of your wife's TomTom One Europe.

The F20 gets good reviews on the web for a budget model but there did appear to be software issues last year resulting in confusion in the centre of large towns.

It's now a decision as to whether I pay the extra for a "toy" although apart from the Lambo I didn't get a lot else for Christmas [:D]

[hastobe]

That's the decision we came to - we had the nuvi because, with GB and European maps preloaded, it seemed as good a value option as buying a cheaper system and then paying extra to download European maps etc.  We honestly didn't think we would use the other gizmos (bluetooth, Jpeg viewer, MP3 player etc) - but did have fun playing with them and can now appreciate some of the extra functionality it gives.

As an aside - we have found the navigation in towns to be spot on - it did try to send us the wrong way up a one way street once - but corrected itself.  Navigation to rural locations was a little more suspect - it got the remote B&B in Lucy (nr Neufchatel-en-Bray) completely wrong and sent us 10 miles in the wrong direction - I won't go into the domestic that was created by this!  The owners of the B&B said they had had at least 10 visitors try to find them with SatNav - and not one had been successful (one had been sent the wrong way along a motorway and had been in a collision that had killed a friend of theirs) - so I assume its a general problem with SatNav rather than one with Garmin in particular.

Kathie