In-car satellite navigator advice?

[Debbie Astle]

Phill, a TomTom One would fit nicely in her handbag! The bigger ones are a pain to carry around. I’ve seen a few good deals on the telly for these lately (thats UK TV). We’ve got the Europe maps one and it’s excellent. Two sets of friends visited recently, together, but one with the TomTom and one with a Garmin – the Garmin couldn’t find us! 😀

Debbie

[Peter Normington]

phil how about the nokia 95 mobile phone and satnav combining the 2 means saving even more space although 02 do charge a fee for the voice over directions, on a weekly or up to 3 year subsription, but its not a fortune, worth a look

Peter

[Warren Beard]

Hey Phill

I use an Indago, on the higher end of the market but with excellent back-up support if you have any problems with it, it also has a European map and has camera alerts to keep he on the straight and narrow 😉

It is also a slim sleek design and very easy to use with lots of additional features on it.

You can also subscribe for £4.99 a month for on-line map and camera updates and this subscription is also a full guarantee which is also a bonus.

But like I said it is a more expensive make 😕

Cheers

Warren

[Nick Monir]

I’ve use Tom Tom ones Phil and would highly recommend one. Got them in the vans and car and swear by them. Think you can pick them up for about £150 now. They seem to be the most reliable, easy to use and popular choice.

[Robert Lambie]

I’ve used the Garmin sat nave for a couple of years now and ive really happy with it. i use it in the van mostly when i am going to odd locations but mostly when i am doing a signage tour around the uk. since having this i have probably knocked off about a half a day to a day in wasted time traveling the wrong way. i left just before midnight and fitted signs panatrim signs in manchester, wallasey, liverpool then arrived in Exeter around 11am… not a chance of that happening without accurate navagation. i litrally pulled up at work places and the sat nav said, "arriving at desitnation" thats after hours of driving… i did sway on the tom-tom as i have heard nothing but good reports but i think it comes down to how wide spread you want the sat-nav to cover and "what it covers" for the price. by that i mean… you can get scotland only. or uk only… or europe. that kinda thing…
also…
some include to the minute traffic reports… include petrol stations and hotels etc etc
after a few days on the go once i stuck in traffic in London city centre and notice i had nearly zero petrol… i simply punched in for petrol stations and it instantly found all the petrol stations around me. see the closest, i hit "take me there" and it did… without that ide have been done for…
same goes for food places like mcdonalds or even hotels… all on the sat nav and easy to find. "never" would i do a signing tour without it these days… stuff the old map and apprentice getting us lost every five minutes. :lol1: :lol1: :lol1:

i think this is the one i have… cost about £250 couple of years ago but ide expect it much cheaper now.

[Chris Dowd]

I have the Tom Tom One, got the Europe version. did a job in Vienna recently and it was spot on. Also just bought the USA and Canada maps for it (£65), used it in Florida 2 weeks ago, and again spot on. It’s even more accurate than the built in one I have in my car.

Go with the Tom Tom One Phil, you won’t regret it!

[John Singh]

Chris!
You have one built in the motor and you laid out for another?
😕

[Chris Dowd]

Had the Tom Tom 12 months now John, and the Car 6, so the Tom Tom came first.

Gets used in the vans by the staff as well now.

[John Childs]

quote John Singh:

You have one built in the motor and you laid out for another? 😕

I would too John. Built-ins tend to be Garmin based and TomTom is so much better. New Honda GoldWings come with built in Garmin, I’ve tried one, and it was horrible.

I’d recommend TomTom One.

[David Rogers]

Have used TomTom for years and always found it accurate & intuitive to use.

Presently use TT one (2nd ed.) for myself & 5 of them in other works vans.

Used Garmin before (van got screwed and it was nicked) & it is was a superior system…just a crappy interface.

Downside is the constant ‘need’ to update the maps with INCOMPLETE maps. It may take 18months for TomTom to receive & integrate the latest roads & steets into the next release…no big deal for me, drives the fitters (blinds) nuts!!

[Phill Fenton]

I’ve just been reading "Practical Classics" car magazine. They have done a product test on these and have rated the Navman S30 their best buy. The TOM TOM One was rated pretty highly too.

[Harry Cleary]

Would you not be afraid that she would get lost if this software breaks down? The old way is usually the best way!!!Send her to geography classes Phill. 😀 😀 😀

[Steve Morgan]

SatNav systems are brilliant – I use two different types frequently but you can’t beat looking at a map first, especially if you have a long journey planned.
As Harry says – study geography first.

Steve

[Andrew Simmons]

I am a TomTom fan, used it since 2004 I think, have used it since version 2, it is now on version 6.

As mentioned you can use it on the standalone devices which are excellent or if you have a mobile or PDA that supports it you can use it on there.

I have both the PDA version and the Nokia N95 version (although the internal GPS goes not work with TomTom yet) but our car requires the GPS in a particular place to work properly because of the windscreen coating.

I did use one of the little Garmin SatNavs and really did not like that, although as a Garmin are generally regarded as exceptional GPSs in the Marine and Aviation industries.

But I would really recommend having a map with you as well, I have a few nasty stories of having the sat nav let me down when I was map-less.

Cheers

Andrew

[Glenn Sharp]

two of our lads compared the Tom Tom One & the equivalent Garmin one

The only distinction they could make was that if you went the wrong way…the Tom Tom One was quicker to redirect you…other than that there was very little in it….I think The Garmin one was £10 cheaper