SatNavs

[Silver_Shiney]

I've had three problems with a satnav so far.

Bristol redid the city centre a few years ago and TomTom got completely lost with the new road layout.

Garmin told me to turn right onto a Florida slip road 50 yards after the slip started. By this time, there was a concrete barrier blocking access.

Another time in Florida, Nokia told us to carry on over a flyover. I was certain that we should be turning right onto the freeway under the flyover, but we carried on. Eventually the software told us to hang a couple of left turns - back onto the freeway we'd passed over.

I don,'t always find it clear which exit to take at a roundabout as sometimes the map image doesn't update quickly enough and it's not safe to take my eyes off the road long enough to study the screen.

[Onelife]

I have a new Tom Tom 5000 Traffic sat nav which has free updates for life and generally seems pretty good at avoiding trouble. It can also be voice operated with varying success depending on background noise. To wake it up into this mode you have to say "Hallo Tom Tom" and it starts listening for your instructions. On a recent journey it suddenly went into listening mode for no apparent reason. Then I realised that on the radio was Adele's new single "Hallo"!

Hi Sir Merv...I'm in the market for a new sat nav as the ones we use presently are 10+ years old and well past their sell by dates. We've been managing okish but on a recent visit to York we encountered major problems with the nav not recognising the new road layouts, this wasn't at all surprising seeing that we have never updated our sat nav's.

Anyhow...to avoid finding ourselves making another 60 mile detour I think its time we invested in a new sat nav...I've been looking at the Tom Tom 500 and the 6000 but still undecided as to which one I should go for. I have also looked at the Garmin nuvi 2589.

Knowing that you are a man of impeccable taste would you recommend the Tom Tom 500 to a friend?

Kind regards

Keith

[Mervyn and Trish]

We've got a 5000 and are very pleased with it. The 6000 has a bigger screen but we haven't found the 5000 too small. The 5000 and 6000 stand alone. The slightly cheaper 500 and 600 have the same basic features but need to tether to a mobile phone and use it to pick up the traffic information. For the sake of saving a few bob that added complication didn't seem worthwhile. We'd certainly recommend the 5000.

[Onelife]

Hi Sir Merv....many thanks for your recommendation.

Just a few questions if l may.....can you use the sat nav straight out of the box without having to download maps? e.g. dose it have UK maps preloaded? Is the 3 D buildings navigation preloaded?

There seems to be quite a few new function's... are the easy to navigate ?

How often are you required to update maps ?

Thank you

Keith

[Manoverboard]

It was being reported, a month or three ago, that Tom-Tom were having problems with the maps on their newer devices so with this thought in mind I purchased an ' as new ' ( used once / got a replacement car with an in-built SN ) 6" Garmin nuvi65-LM from a guy with a 100% record on e-Bay for a tad over £60 plus postage. At the time Argos were selling them for £179.99.

ps ... this model is a non 3D variant.

Decisions, decisions

[qbman1]

With our flower demos, we visit a lot of towns and cities not too familiar too me, often in the dark and rain and fog, especially at this time of year. Whilst I always get a fair idea of where I am going beforehand, either from a good old map book, Google Maps or AA Routefinder (sometimes all three), I still rely on the SatNav to guide me in the right direction. It does make you wonder how we managed before we had all this technology.

[Mervyn and Trish]

Hi Sir Merv....many thanks for your recommendation.

Just a few questions if l may.....can you use the sat nav straight out of the box without having to download maps? e.g. dose it have UK maps preloaded? Is the 3 D buildings navigation preloaded?

There seems to be quite a few new function's... are the easy to navigate ?

How often are you required to update maps ?

Thank you

Keith

It was easy to set up out of the box. Just turned it on and it guided you through the steps. I found the menu system reasonably intuitive but for some of the clever bits you do need to check the instructions on line as what comes on paper is minimal. It includes map and software updates for life. The only subscription is if you want to keep the speed cameras up to date. There were some update issues when the model first came out but these seem to have been resolved. We've had no problem. And the software updates have added some new features and improved others. You get an email when new maps are available but there is no pressure to load them immediately.

[Raybosailor]

We were stopped by the Gendarmes at the toll booth and searched on Saturday morning and asked if we were carrying any weapons,.

as if you'd say "yes"...

He would not have been posting on here

No David I don't think the Bonne Nouvelle prison has free WiFi

[qbman1]

Peculiar name for a prison, Ray ? Perhaps they would let you pop out to Macdonald's !

[Raybosailor]

Peculiar name for a prison, Ray ? Perhaps they would let you pop out to Macdonald's !

I seem to remember reading about it being nicknamed the "Bonne Nouvelle" when it was upgraded from one of France's most notorious prisons but apparently it isn't anything like the 4* hotels of correction that we have in the U.K.

Edit, I would rather eat prison food than dine in Macdonalds, I only use them for a cuppa and free WiFi.

[Mervyn and Trish]

I'm sure most satnavs can guide you to your choice of prison or McD. See what I did there Modplods?

I find the Satnav useful, even on journeys I know well, for example to remind me of the distance to the motorway exit so I can decide whether I have time to pass the line of lorries, or to find a way round hold ups. The new one is good at that. But I despair of those who are so totally dependent they will drive to the wrong end of the country because they mistyped the postcode or off the end of the pier because the gizmo said so.

[qbman1]

I usually print off a copy of the satellite view of the last part of my journey from Mr Google's Maps so I can recognise where I am supposed to be going when I get there. Can be a problem in the dark sometimes !

[Manoverboard]

My Satnav also works in the dark ... rather well actually, especially as it helps to identify tight bends in the fog etc.

[Onelife]

Hi Sir Merv....many thanks for your recommendation.

Just a few questions if l may.....can you use the sat nav straight out of the box without having to download maps? e.g. dose it have UK maps preloaded? Is the 3 D buildings navigation preloaded?

There seems to be quite a few new function's... are the easy to navigate ?

How often are you required to update maps ?

Thank you

Keith

It was easy to set up out of the box. Just turned it on and it guided you through the steps. I found the menu system reasonably intuitive but for some of the clever bits you do need to check the instructions on line as what comes on paper is minimal. It includes map and software updates for life. The only subscription is if you want to keep the speed cameras up to date. There were some update issues when the model first came out but these seem to have7 been resolved. We've had no problem. And the software updates have added some new features and improved others. You get an email when new maps are available but there is no pressure to load them immediately.[/quote]



Thanks Sir Merv....l'll be popping along to Halford sometime over the next couple of days so watch this space.

Many thanks

Keith

[qbman1]

My Satnav also works in the dark ... rather well actually, especially as it helps to identify tight bends in the fog etc.

Thanks for the advice - I'll remember to put luminous ink in my printer next time !

[Silver_Shiney]

Hi Keith

If you've got an Android phone/tablet, would you not be better off using Google Maps or one of the many free satnav apps?

[Raybosailor]

Cost you a bit in roaming data charges unless you have got one of those roaming packages Alan

[qbman1]

The charges in Europe are capped from next April and then scrapped altogether from June 2017. He'll be OK in the UK anyway

[Mervyn and Trish]

My experience is phones are great at being phones, but can't match Sat Navs at being Sat Navs. I prefer to watch TV on my 40" telly too, rather than my squitty little phone screen, and my Bose hifi outperforms the phone too....

And there are no charges for the traffic data on the Tomtom 5000 and 6000.

[Onelife]

[quote="Silver_Shiney"]Hi Keith

If you've got an Android phone/tablet, would you not be better off using Google Maps or one of the many free satnav apps?[/quote


Hi Mr Shiney...l'm not into all this high-tech stuff such as smart phones etc so l'll stick with what l'm comfortably with for now....but thanks anyway.

I'm now leaning towards the Garmon nuvi 2508 LMT-5 it has good reviews and it retails at a price that won't break the bank.

Regards

Keith

[Silver_Shiney]

Cost you a bit in roaming data charges unless you have got one of those roaming packages Alan

The ones I'm using rely solely on the signal from GPS - besides, my Hudl doesn't have a SIM so I can't run up any charges

[towny44]

Cost you a bit in roaming data charges unless you have got one of those roaming packages Alan

The ones I'm using rely solely on the signal from GPS - besides, my Hudl doesn't have a SIM so I can't run up any charges

Doesn't a hudl work like other tablets then where you can only use free wi-fi hot spots or your own wi-fi, otherwise won't that greedy Mr Google want to charge your credit or debit card, sim or no sim?

[Silver_Shiney]

You need to kick it off at home, John, but there's no fee

[Raybosailor]

Am I missing something here? If a Hudl doesn't have a mobile sim then surely there's no 3G/4G coverage so how does it pick up satellite co-ordinates ?
I suppose you might save the route and use it offline but there won't be any turn by turn commands

[towny44]

You need to kick it off at home, John, but there's no fee

Go on then tell me how it works, or do you have a secret app that transforms it into a satnav?