Help me decide on a sat nav.

Buster_Danog

Just thinking out loud here. I narrowed it down to the C510 and C550, but then found out that they both have only one "via point" that you can enter. With postage the C550 looks like £135 for a unit with MP3 and text to speech.

The best thing at the moment looks like the C510 and then if I want to risk doing the hack to get text to speech (not knowing if I will want it that badly) I can do so.

boatman

I don't find one via point a problem, you can always pick the destinations when your at home and it will plan a route for each of them, the destination will then be recorded in the history/recent destinations, you can then pick them out easily when you need them. Athermic windscreens are for the most part on French cars, heated windscreens on Fords might also affect it. Garmin may well have sorted the software out on the C510/C550 but it was quite buggy, its probably ok now, i know that there have been half a dozen updates to the TMC software.

Garetha

I have been using TomTom on a PDA for the last three years - UK, France, Italy, Spain - I'm well impressed - and there are so many ways you can customise it.
However - I now have a Garmin Nuvi 200 - UK maps (but it looks as if it's also got maps of France & Benelux)
This too is great - not quite as flexible - but just as good at the job of directing you. The built in POIs are very comprehensive. (e.g. 'take me to the nearest petrol station, restaurant, etc)

So I'd go with either given a choice, decision down to price in the end.
By the way - Amazon sell a nice case for the Nuvi for £13.44 - I bought my case from Poundland

Buster_Danog

That was one thing I was wonderng Boatman. As long as I can enter more than one destination it should be OK.

I bought the C510 from BT Shop for the reasons I gave above. Also, the TMC wire they provide has some resale value although I suspect this will diminish even more if they ever start being copied by Chinese firms.

Lastly, for anyone who reads this thread in future. I seen a Blaupunkt Sat Nav with MP3 and TMC at the last minute on this site However, the TMC needed to be connected to the stereo and I am not sure if the service was free or if an additional unit was needed. Also, Blaupunkt is not a well known make for sat navs as far as I know. In any case, direct connection to the stereo seems like a good idea given the reviews of the Garmin TMC units.

Thanks for the help guys. I'm a real scrooge when it comes to spending £100.

goldspanners

UPDATE!
i went under glasgows clyde tunnel today and the garmin i3 kept track of the satelites no problem.
amazed!

Buster_Danog

Why did that scare me so much. For some reason I read that in a tenth of a second as the Garmin C510 kept track of no satellites. I had little sleep last night. :rotfl:

Another update is that the link I gave above for the Blaupunkt shows a photo of the Lucca 3.3, but lists TMC which the 3.3 doesn't have. Maybe they have got it confused, but if anyone goes to buy it from them double check first.

Garetha

Franco78 wrote: »

Why did that scare me so much. For some reason I read that in a tenth of a second as the Garmin C510 kept track of no satellites. I had little sleep last night. :rotfl:

Hang on a minute Franco78!
you say you had 'little sleep last night' - but goldspanners wrote his message at 11:27 pm - you replied at 12:52 am - just over an hour later
How much sleep did you actually lose?
You've got to get up early to catch me!

I've noticed that TomTom carries on the planned route when it first loses the signals - assuming the same speed and route.

Buster_Danog

I meant the previous night - or maybe you knew that. Anyway, I'll be trying my sat nav tonight.

gingerdad

scotpics wrote: »

What's wrong with a map? Only costs a few pounds, easily replaced at any garage or bookshop and less likely to attract thieves....:rotfl:

yes but a map dosen't shout out the next turn...... i was unsure about the worth of sat nav till I borrowed one when i needed to do 20 drops in Manchester ..... i have now bought on ... a tom tom 1

GD

goldspanners

Franco78 wrote: »

I meant the previous night - or maybe you knew that. Anyway, I'll be trying my sat nav tonight.

well franco how did it perform?