Rate your SatNav

trippy

Hi, We are looking for a decent SatNav system. We've already tried the TomTom/ ipaq bundle which we sent back as it kept crashing and the cigarette lighter charger stopped working. That said we DID like the TomTom software but all the cables & charging while it was being used was annoying. Then we got a Navman which we have also sent back as we found the software useless. It would supposedly give you the fastest route, then if you took a wrong turn it would recalculate it and take 20 mins off the journey time! We also found it had fewer features than the TomTom like adding favourites etc.
So if you have a SatNav system could you let me know how you would rate it out of 10 and why? I would like one that's reliable. I am also curious about the TomTom bluetooth and whether this eliminates ALL cables/wires. Thanks.

spacenase

I just bought a TomTom Go 300 this week and I think it is excellent! The only wire I have is the car charger plugged into the cigarette lighter socket. The screen quality is fine and so far it's directions have been ok. I've only used it on routes I know as yet and the only time I've disagreed with it is when I know a route is slower due to traffic flow.

They are currently giving one months free TomTom PLUS services and I've activated the traffic function. It uses Bluetooth to connect to my GPRS phone and download traffic info every 15 minutes on route. It's rerouted me twice so far and I've been very happy with it's revised routes.

The only thing I would say is that it's best not to blindly follow it against your previous experience. You may not be following the official fastest route by going the way you know, but the software can't know about the problems caused by heavy lorry use on a single carriageway, or the fact that it takes 10 minutes to get out of that right turn.

On the whole it's fantastic and I'm looking forward to trying it on a route I've never done before.

Fairwinds

I bought one of the Lidl PDA's the last time they were on sale. I think it's a Typhoon MyGUIDE. I believe it is also a MIO 168 clone.

I think it's fantastic - it came with Falk navigator software, which I have now changed to TOMTOM

It has built in GPS receiver, so doesn't need any cables if battery is charged - otherwise a single cable from the cigarette lighter.

stanmoresaver

I've used the old model Tom Tom Go (TTG300 is very similar) for a year now and it is excellent. You will find that when the novelty factor of SatNav has worn off, you will just use the unit for the last bit of a journey, or if like me you download speed cameras etc, at the relevent times of a journey.

Cannot recommend it highly enough- £300 for hastle free motoring!!:D

(A bit bulky if you want to walk with it though- as a few of my friends do)

carl310166

I bought a TT go 700 in Aug,just in time for a trip to the South of France.

It got me there no problem,although i knew the way already,but i really needed it when we left the South for a week in Evian. It directed us to our apartment,even though one of the roads were blocked (we just pressed the "roadblock" function) it directed us around the problem. I also downloaded all the mcdonalds,carrefour etc which was handy.

I like the estimated time of arrival display etc

The only thing i am dissapointed with was that some of the roads are not on the software,the road where i live (for 9 years)is unnamed,a local road that was built about 2 years ago is not on there etc,but saying that,if you didn't know the route you were going,it wouldn't make any difference anyway.

The bluetooth function would be usefull,but i can't hear it in my lorry as it's too noisy in the cab.

I would like to point out that i am very good on directions and maps anyway,but i would like to test it out on someone who gets lost easily,just to see if it is easy to follow,my son is going on a trip soon,so we will find out!

Shawz

I use an iPaq 4700 with Tomtom 5 and a globalsat bluetooth GPS receiver and find it works really well.
The only cable I have connected in the car is the charger cable to the iPaq although it could probably last a couple of hours without it.
I find it all works really well.