Need to buy a Tom Tom

captainawsome

I just downloaded an app on my phone for free. Coupled with the smallest drop of common sense it works great.

The diversions because of traffic jams etc are not all theyre made out to be, often it's quicker to just wait it out in the slow moving traffic than try and follow the rat runs along with a load of other people trying to avoid the traffic.

prowla

If you have an iPhone, the Tom Tom app is a good option; I got that rather than paying for updates for my physical Tom Tom device.

You can also take it with you everywhere.

Iceweasel

AdrianC wrote: »

And how does it receive those updates? Bluetooth from your phone, via your phone's data connection?

It has a built in Traffic receiver. It was 'state of the art' about 6 years ago.

http://static.garmincdn.com/pumac/nuvi750-GPS-Atl_OwnersManual.pdf

I never thought I needed a Sat-Nav - now I can't envisage any journey without one. I put in my destination for all but the shortest journeys.

Any sat-nav without traffic news is 'blind'.

A couple of months ago I was on my way from Aberdeen to Perth - a journey I must have done a thousand times - so no need to listen for instructions of when to turn left or right or which exit to take at a roundabout.

All of a sudden, just past Stonehaven the thing announces - "Standing traffic ahead - route is being re-calculated."

To cut a long story short we were diverted off the dual-carriageway and onto back-roads for about 10 miles before re-joing the dual carriageway further south.

About 10minutes after that the Radio 2 'Sally Traffic person' explained that there was a major accident (with fatalities) on the road which had closed both carriageways.

We kept on hearing about it every 20 minutes or so for the rest of the afternoon.

Some unfortunate souls were stuck on the dual carriageway for over 3 hours until the chaos was cleared.

Only a sat-nav with traffic info can help in those sort of situations.

You need to have faith in the technology though - because when we were diverted off there was no queue or other indication that there was anything unusual up ahead - so there is always the nagging doubt - 'Do we believe this and follow the instructions - or not?'

I've had similar sat-nav diversions before in Germany for example - but always had radio traffic news warnings that there was a hold up somewhere up front.

I think the UK traffic news on the radio is too slow to be of use in every occasion.

When I come off a ferry into Dover I would have to wait at least 30 minutes to hear any traffic report on the BBC - whereas my Garmin decides which is the best route North in only a couple of minutes.

rbarker999

i bought a tomtom off ebay £40 then i downloaded waze to my phone, i found it better than a tomtom so i sold it and use waze now

bod1467

Are you on a promotion drive for Waze?

I'd recommend NavFree over Waze as it lets you download maps, so you're not dependent on a data connection.

chrisw

Iceweasel wrote: »

You need to have faith in the technology though - because when we were diverted off there was no queue or other indication that there was anything unusual up ahead - so there is always the nagging doubt - 'Do we believe this and follow the instructions - or not?'

I'm forever disagreeing with my sat nav and it really annoys my wife - 'you always think you know best', etc, etc.

prowla

bod1467 wrote: »

Are you on a promotion drive for Waze?

I'd recommend NavFree over Waze as it lets you download maps, so you're not dependent on a data connection.

And to close the circle, I'd recommend Tom Tom over NavFree, as NavFree got it wrong (which is why I bought Tom Tom).

patman99

Another waze convert here. I like the fact that it warns of red light cameras and will plot a route designed to avoid gridlocked roads as I found-out when driving from Colchester to New Suffolk College. Waze insisted on taking me off the A12 a junction early and sending me round the back of Ipswich.
Thought it had had a hissy-fit till I spotted the map had marked all the roads that were congested were gridlocked red.

Ebe_Scrooge

To the OP, I'm surprised that you "Need" a satnav. Sure, they can be a convenient tool, but we always used to manage with a good old map, and maybe an A-Z if we were visiting an unfamiliar town. Even now I prefer to plan unfamiliar routes myself using a map, satnavs are not infallible.

If you can't afford one, you'd be mad to get one. I use Navfree on my phone occasionally, it does the job.

AdrianC

patman99 wrote: »

I like the fact that it warns of red light cameras

Perhaps a bit less attention to the SatNav would help you notice the large red warning light that all red light cameras are fitted with?