Garmin Streetpilot i3 £164.99

mark398

Xstyle wrote:

£159 from Comet, in stock.
http://www.comet.co.uk/comet/html/cache/647_285005.html?cm_ven=Kelkoo&cm_cat=Feed&cm_pla=GPS%20Navigation&cm_ite=285005%20GARMIN%20I3

I am thinking of getting this for my father in law... big man, taxi driver!
(he wears glasses when watching TV) ... not sure about driving.

Q1. Will the screen size be ok for him?

Q2. Is the scroll VERY easy to use?
Not sure if touch screen would be better for him ... but then it would need to be a bigger screen...

Q3. Do you need to buy the Garmin GA27C Antenna as well??

1. Depends what you're using it for. If using to follow a route planned by the i3, then the display is quite bold and clear, as you're only really interested in the turn coming up. If you're trying to use the i3 like a map then the display is really too small, even if you have good eyesight.
2. The i3 is quite easy to use, not very intimidating at all. The scroll wheel is hard to control if the car is moving, otherwise fine.
3. Shouldn't have to, as long as you don't have a car with heated windscreen elements (Fords) or matalised reflective coating (Renaults).

davey_browning

Do you know if the Garmin i3 would work ok in a Clio, couple of years old, just the fairly basic 1.2 model? Doesn't have a heated front window.

Cheers

Gambler

should do, but I have a UV windscreen, got an aerial off ebay for £12, works a treat.

monkey44

noticed in Woolworths today that there's £20 off in store, from £169.99 to £149.99, the first of many discounts I guess.

davey_browning

Yipeeee!!! Got mine yesterday, was showing £169.99 on the shelf but when it went throught the checkout it was £149.99. Lovely bit of kit.

Can you put rechargeable batteries in it? It has a setting for changing the battery type, does this mean that if you put rechargeable batteries in it it will charge them up when the power is connected?

davey210

davey_browning wrote:

Yipeeee!!! Got mine yesterday, was showing £169.99 on the shelf but when it went throught the checkout it was £149.99. Lovely bit of kit.

Can you put rechargeable batteries in it? It has a setting for changing the battery type, does this mean that if you put rechargeable batteries in it it will charge them up when the power is connected?

No it does not recharge batteries,but chargers with 4 batteries can be bought
for £7.99 from tesco

davey210

Just been to somerfield and spotted the garmin i3 for £149.99.They also had a medion 17" tft monitor for £99.00

UltraViolet68

I purchased one of these Garmin StreetPilot i3 systems and I am very impressed.

Kwik Save are having an electrical sale currently and so both KS and Somerfield have reduced the price of a lot of the electrical items that were already cheap.

Garmin StreetPilot Sat Nav as already mentioned is only £150 now.
There is also a GPS speed camear detector thing for £60 IIRC
Portable TV with DVD player combie for £79
20" TV I thing was £69
32" LCD TV (one on display, had a VERY good quality picture - was playing the Finding Nemo DVD and it looked better than my Sony at home!) £399

Anyway, back to the Garmin - I like it a lot, screen size no issue as you just listen to instructions. I like the estimated time of arrival although it seems a bit optimistic.
But I would like to have a hard wire option rather than attaching to cig lighter, also a case to pop the unit into when I get to my destination as having it in my bag unprotected could lead to marked screen quite quickly.... so - anyone know where I can buy a case for it and perhaps a second vehicle suction mount (I would like to transfer between my cars without having to keep removing this from the windscreen)

colin_tomlinson

UltraViolet68 wrote:

anyone know where I can buy a case for it and perhaps a second vehicle suction mount (I would like to transfer between my cars without having to keep removing this from the windscreen)

As a matter of security, it is recommended when leaving the car that:-

1. You take your Sat Nav system with you.
2. You put all the accessories (holder, charger, etc) in the glove compartment.
3. You clean the ring mark off the windscreen.

So maybe it's worth just taking the holder with you as well?

With regard to a case, I don't think there's one specifically for the i3, although Maplin sell the Garmin 3815 case.

colin_tomlinson

Can anyone please tell me the difference between the Garmin i3 Street Pilot and the Tom Tom One? (I appreciate one is scroll wheel and the other is touch-screen with a larger screen!) Has anyone tried both?

It seems the current price difference is £70, and I wonder if the Tom Tom One is worth the extra money?

Garmin i3 £149.99 in Woolworths (see above)
Tom Tom One £219 in PC World (Web exclusive - £279.99 in store)