Sat Nav Advice

Albert_32

If anybody could give me advice on which sat nav is the best on the market, I want to do the following:-


1) Spend no more than £400
2) Have the system in the car
3) Want to put various points by postcode and then allow the sat nav to organise the most efficient route
4) Any additional pointers would be helpful

I hear the Tom Tom Go is recommended- would appreciate any comments

Appreciate your help


Cheers

Albert

Godders

I used the Tom Tom software on Friday - straight to the door without a wrong turn. This was the Ipaq version rather than the Tom Tom Go but the route planning and guidance was bang on.

LincsLad_3

Can I ask if you want a dedicated unit, rather than having the additional (non-SATNAV) functionality that a PDA provides?

I use TomTom on an iPAQ PDA, but I believe the TomTom GO device is pretty similar. I don't think the software will work out an optimum route between six waypoints or postcodes, but rather YOU have to tell it in which order to visit them (but am willing to be corrected if the GO can plan an optimal route).

There is also the NavMan series if you want a dedicated device - I have looked at this but prefer the TomTom software and other third-party stuff I have on the PDA so I can enter 6 or 7 character postcodes (NavMan will only take 5 character inputs AFAIK, so well get you to the right area, but not to the right street). I also like the 'time to go' and 'ETA' readouts on my version of TomTom.

Take a look too at Pocket GPS World for reviews and advice. You may want to ask your question there as well.

Albert_32

In answer to your question I want a dedicated unit with the potential to upload a fixed speed camera option.

In your view do you think the TOM TOM GO is a good choice and when you purchase it is plug and go or some hidden extra's like software, holder etc?

Apreciate your time and comments


Albert

LincsLad_3

Well, I like the TomTom software, but would still go for a PDA over a dedicated unit. To each their own tho.

The TomTom Go comes with:

• TomTom GO
• Rigid Suction Mount
• Carry bag
• Screen cloth
• Installation poster
• User manual
• SD card with pre-installed map of your region
• Major roads of Europe on CD which can be installed to GO via the USB cable
• USB Cable
• Cigarette/Accessory socket power cable
• Mains adapter

I suggest reading the in-depth reviews of GO and other stand-alone units on the PocketGpsWorld site given above before purchasing.

nearlyrich

I use Smartnav, installed into the vehicle, suits me but no good if you change cars, nightmare when mine's in for a service, I get lost all the time. You speak to a call centre who find out where you want to go and send the info to the "black box" in the car. Good points are:

It's live and linked to Trafficmaster so you get diverted around problems, it's controlled by a real person so if you are not sure of the post code or exact address you can get some help, eg if you were looking for a customer and you know they are in Bradford for instance but not the exact address, the operator has access to Yell.com and other business databases. After the installation costs it is reasonably cheap to always be in the right place on time, £30 per quarter for all routes. You can get add-ons for locating speed cameras but I don't have that. (Obviously I go everywhere at 30mph!)

The PDA products are fine too, I know lots of people who use them, my choice to go the trafficmaster route was because I didn't want to look at my PDA whilst driving. I would be looking at the map and driving into the car in front knowing my luck.
Hope that helps a little.

LincsLad_3

nearlyrich wrote:

... my choice to go the trafficmaster route was because I didn't want to look at my PDA whilst driving. I would be looking at the map and driving into the car in front knowing my luck.

My PDA/TomTom combination talks to me, so I don't have to look at it the whole time. Presumably SmartNav does the same, or does it have something...errr...smarter?

With TomTom on the PDA (and presumably with TomTom GO as well) you can subscribe to 'TomTom Traffic' via a GPRS connection on your mobile phone, and this will also allow you to route around traffic holdups. Personally I find that Radio 2's half hourly traffic reports are generally fine (and cheaper!).

One advantage of the PDA option is the ability to use the system outside the car. While I wouldn't trust it for trekking across the Gobi Desert, for hoofing my way around various unfamiliar cities, it seems to work fine.

mhuk

have a look at https://www.pocketgps.co.uk for lots of reviews and info- and a forum.

LincsLad_3

Incredible echo in here.