Aftermarket Sat Nav suggestions - not Tom Tom

[television]

Yes I have to do that. My house is number 12 the house opposite is number 4 when I get home Flossie (sat nav) says destination at number 4, I just look to my right and there is my house.

Malcolm

 

[Wezzel]

Bargain!

How's this for bargain basement sat nav?

I have just ordered from the web a new Nokia 6670 mobile complete with free Route 66 GPS pack.

It only covers the British Isles but it means I don't have to have another bit of equipment spoiling the smooth lines of the dash.

And above all it's cheap - £4.95 to £39.95 on O2 (depending which tariff you subscribe to)

Woo, Hoo.



If anybody is interested, here is the link:

http://www.mobilefun.co.uk/o2/5815.htm

 

[clive williams]

I have a map.

Clive

500E
E320CDIT210

 

[996jimbo]

I have a map.

Clive

500E
E320CDIT210

I have a good, honest mans sense of direction.



I also have a TomTom.

 

[maddog]

I have had a Garmin Streetpilot 3 for about 4 years now , i cant believe the Tom tom can be much if at all better although i like the map on the tom tom.

The Garmin even finds you all the local amenites when you are travelling and is portable and waterproof.

Cant fault it really

 

[Bumper]

I have had a Garmin Streetpilot 3 for about 4 years now , i cant believe the Tom tom can be much if at all better although i like the map on the tom tom.

The Garmin even finds you all the local amenites when you are travelling and is portable and waterproof.

Cant fault it really

Its not the sat nav unit that is accurate it is the mapping software that is installed on the unit. I run a mitac mio pda with tomtom mapping software in it, and is very accurate and has speed camera, point of interest and numerous amenities listed on the map. Tomtom maps are designed by tele atlas one of the largest electronic mapping software companies. You will probably find the Mercedes maps are developed by navteq or tele atlas.

 

[dogsbody]

Aftermarket Sat Nav suggestions - Tom Tom

For Baghdad or Bust, the reason why I posted a separate thread is because it was a call for technical information regarding stereo connections for speakers and ways to dismantle the dash for the external aerial. It was not a comment on which make of GPS system. I dont regard this as odd, just sticking to the theme of the thread

 

[Baghdad or Bust]

Depends on your definition of accurate. In fact if we are talking raw data it is a function of the way that the Sat Nav software - not mapping data interprets the signal and relays this in either MGRS/ Lat Long format. In the good old days of P and M codes civilian units only had access to the P codes and this provided a fix within 100m. M codes its down to under 1m on all three axis. However any fix is reliant on the number of satelites that can be seen and their relationship of orbit to the unit and the time that the unit thinks it is. The acutal core function of providing a fix in space is easy to do. The hard part is putting that data into a format and presenting it for the simple brain to be able to work with. I use two different types of GPS - one a runners personal wrist GPS and the other a relatively old Garmin unit on the dash. most of the time i am using them in direct routing mode to give me a rough heading to my final destination - or to a safe haven.

Navteq is one of the more complete map packages. Teleatlas that pioneer use for instance is known to lag quite badly for the UK.

 

[Baghdad or Bust]

For Baghdad or Bust, the reason why I posted a separate thread is because it was a call for technical information regarding stereo connections for speakers and ways to dismantle the dash for the external aerial. It was not a comment on which make of GPS system. I dont regard this as odd, just sticking to the theme of the thread

Just seemed odd as you really added little to the thread except to say you had started another one......

 

[merc300e]

Aldi -Median Satnav

If you want cheap and good have a look at Aldi's offering. About £220. It's self contained with aerial and battery that lasts for about 3 hours - so can be used out of the car if you wish. Very quick recovery if you miss a turn. Touch screen so dosn't need a stylus. Takes postcode and house numbers. Much better than the one in my Lexus LS400. Worth a look.

 

[Jay Kilby]

What after market Sat Nav have people had experience of? Good or bad? however do not bother with the TomTom thingy - it looks naff and not befitting of a car of the status of a merc, it looks all Halfords.

Thing is Tom Tom is the best at the job if you want it to look good as well change your head unit for the likes of a Becker no one will even know you have sat nav then

 

[Baghdad or Bust]

What utter rubbish. Tom Tom is far from the best at the Job. I have gone for an Alpine unit that quite frankly knocks spots off the Tom Tom and its like. I would suggest you try those units and do a comparative test as i did to work out which is the best before make such ludicrous statements. If you want cheap and nasty then its perfectly in order.

 

[jberks]

Of the affordable portable sat navs, TomTom is the best and the most flexible in terms of what it will run on. Simple as that.
(every review, including 5th gear last night comes to the same conclusion). Sure, on a tech spec, garmin etc may have it beaten with a better stat here or there, but the bottom line is that for most of us the critical thing is how usable it is and whether it gets us where we want to go and can we afford the damn thing. TomTom fits the bill perfectly. The fact that a particular system is 0.5m more accurate or 30 seconds quicker to start makes no difference to me when approaching a motorway junction or selecting the correct exit off a roundabout. I need a satnav approximately once every 2 months so I'm not going to spend thousands fitting units into both cars and then more money again every time I change cars. If I used them every day, I'd probably have ended up with command, as I don't TomTom is perfect.

However, if you are looking at £1000++++ DVD based fitted systems or your life depends on accurate routing, then thats a whole different arena.

 

[996jimbo]

I agree totally with jberks above.

Last car I had I spent £2k putting sat nav in and then sold the car a year later, with the nav in. £2k for a years use. This time I decided to go for a portable so's I could take it with me but expected to have to accept a compromise.

In fact I've found the Tomtom better than the fully installed system to read and follow, more useable, pretty much as accurate and far cheaper.

So far as neatness - the down side is the cable. But if I run it on battery I reckon it is neater than a din type unit that blocks the centre vents.

 

[television]

Navman 635 or 650, largest screen, die cast chassis, good sound,accurate to within 3 meters, very slim, a dream to use

Malcolm

 

[Bumper]

What utter rubbish. Tom Tom is far from the best at the Job. I have gone for an Alpine unit that quite frankly knocks spots off the Tom Tom and its like. I would suggest you try those units and do a comparative test as i did to work out which is the best before make such ludicrous statements. If you want cheap and nasty then its perfectly in order.

What software does the alpine run on?

 

[Jay Kilby]

What utter rubbish. Tom Tom is far from the best at the Job. I have gone for an Alpine unit that quite frankly knocks spots off the Tom Tom and its like. I would suggest you try those units and do a comparative test as i did to work out which is the best before make such ludicrous statements. If you want cheap and nasty then its perfectly in order.

mmmm not too freindly are you and if you have £1500 - £2000 to blow on sat nav because you cannot read a map that all well and good. how ever pound for pound Tom Tom is the best out there representing value, function, and ease of use, there are better i agree but you pay the price for it and it is fixed to one car. i guess it is all dow to how big your wallet is and how much having a unit stuck on top of your dash bothers you.

Jayk

 

[Baghdad or Bust]

What software does the alpine run on?

Uses Navteq data

 

[Baghdad or Bust]

mmmm not too freindly are you and if you have £1500 - £2000 to blow on sat nav because you cannot read a map that all well and good. how ever pound for pound Tom Tom is the best out there representing value, function, and ease of use, there are better i agree but you pay the price for it and it is fixed to one car. i guess it is all dow to how big your wallet is and how much having a unit stuck on top of your dash bothers you.

Jayk

My dear boy - i can read a map rather well actually. As a qualified Navigator i also understand the use of technology. I also am rather partial to not trying to read a map book whilst attempting to drive, even you i am sure would admit that it is not ideal.

As people have mentioned the review on Fifth Gear lets not forget what has also been said on there - these toys are one of the most stolen items from cars with the police even advising people to remove the sucker marks from the windscreen.

The person who sold on his SatNav costing him £2k.... why on earth did you do that? Did you not keep the original unit and merely have it replaced?

Personally i find the screen small and pokey on the Tom Tom unit, i dislike the mapping, i want a traffic warning system that works, does fast reroutes, gives me options pretty much what i have. I am not keen to throw money away and have a system that gives me what i need. In my everyday work i wear a GPS unit, carry a back up on me and use a car mounted unit to monitor my position whilst out on the road. I take navigation very seriously and have found all the rinky dink little units wanting.

 

[996jimbo]

The person who sold on his SatNav costing him £2k.... why on earth did you do that? Did you not keep the original unit and merely have it replaced?

No. It was not a din type system - I modified the dash slightly to have the screen integrated in to the dash (P38 Range Rover). If I had taken it out I would have had a hole in the dash. I could have bought and fitted a new dash, then paid to have the system wired in to my new car. Or I could have reduced further expenditure by buying a portable system.