Sat Nav Help

[ianking]

Going out with the old boy this weekend as he wants a Sat Nav. I dont know anything about them so I dont know why he wants me to go along, perhaps its because my old man is seroiusly scared of anything electronic and computer like.

Anyhow whats a good unit to go for. No more than £200. Will only be used in the UK. Would like to put in a post code and get directions from it. Has to be super easy to use. One with bluetooth might be good as well if the bluetooth handsfree phone bit is any good.

Any suggestions? :confused:

[FergusM]

TOMTON one is excellent, does postcodes etc and real simple to use. It does not have a bluetooth bit...but heard most of them are pants as bluetooth phone headsets anyway.

You'll get one for £100 http://www.find-satnav-deals.co.uk/ or add the traffic module for a wee bit more ££

[vintageb3]

I think the questions you should ask yourself are: How much does it cost to update the maps? Would it cost as much as buying a new unit?

I bought Kim and my Dad Garmin units for their Christmas presents a few years ago. About a year later...a nag screen came up and pointed out the maps were out of date.

I found a hack on the net to bypass this nag screen.

There may be other ways of updating maps...but I can't comment on that;) :D

mark

[FergusM]

Well the TOMTOM one V3 comes with "mapshare" so for the first year at least you plug it into your home PC and it will update the maps.

After the first year I hear that it is about £25 a year subscription...though not 100% sure on that...worth checking.

My dad has a older TOMTOM GO...it certainly does not have a "nag" screen... but the maps are certainly out of date, you end up driving down some roads where the TOMTOM thinks you are in the middle of a field...it always sorts itself out when it reaches an older bit of road though so not that much of an issue.

[ianking]

I have heard lots of Storys where Tom Tom units were freezing up and going faulty.

The only unit I have used was a Navman that I borrowed from Sarahs work when I was going somewhere in Glasgow centre. It was easy to work and got me right to the door.

[FergusM]

I have also heard of issue with TOMTOM, but my dad's / brothers have booth been faultless for years... also 2-3 guys I work with have bough TOMTOM One's and had no issues...

If I was buying one I'd get one from somebody like Halfords etc...that way you can easily exchang if any issue.

[AeroJonny]

My mate has a tomtom one which has been faultless and when i borrowed it, I found it clear and easy to use. So much so that I picked up a Tom2tom One V3 XL on for my sister's christmas. (the XL is due to the larger 4.3" screen) An absolute bargain at £130 from Halfords.

[euan]

I have to be honest, I've not used a TomTom, but everything I've heard about them is that they are simple to use and well built. If I were buying a Sat Nav, it would be something exceptional that got me to look at anything else.

I used a pioneer one that my Dad had before he got his X5 with nav in it and the bluetooth in that was faultless. However, if bluetooth is a consideration and you can get a SatNav for 130 quid in Halfords, I'd do that and spend the rest on a Parrot Bluetooth kit. I used one in my Dad's company cars and it was superb, think they are about 100 quid.

[duncan]

Big Road Atlas out of Tescos £1.99 and keep the change. ;)

Colleagues have had the TomTom One, and returned them twice, but the later versions sound to be more reliable.

[The Dogfather]

Sorry Duncan, it all ways makes me laugh when someone suggests a map instead of a SatNav ;)

Its a bit like suggesting a calculator as an alternative to a laptop. My suggestion would have to be TomTom, I've got the software on my PDA, my Nokia N95 and I had a TT One. All are excellent.

[duncan]

Thats OK VB, I always laugh at people with Sat Navs as they fork out over £100 because they can't read a map, and still end up on the wrong roads. ;)

In '98, before SatNavs were available, I used Autoroute on the Laptop plugged into the GPS reciever to go to Germany. Yes, It was handy, but it didn't cost me a bean, as I had all the things anyway.

[The Dogfather]

But the Laptop wouldn't have re-directed you around traffic problems or given you voice instructions so that you never had to take your eyes off the road. In the grand scheme of things I reckon £100 is a bargain.

I never had a SatNav take me the wrong way, although sometimes the maps are out of date and there's a quicker route but you can usually spot that yourself and the Satnav will recalculate.

[duncan]

Meah, horses for courses.

[Craig]

Tom Tom gets my vote. I have the older version that you can't update, but I only use it occasionally. ;)

I have used mine and some of the newer ones.

If he wants one with bluetooth, then I would go for the middle of the range. Think it is the 520 now..:cool:

[Sheilz]

My TomTom One had to be replaced four times and eventually it was upgraded to a 300 for free. Easy to use with an easy to follow screen, though even with upgrades (£70+ cant remember exact cost) the maps can still try to trick you into driving over roundabouts etc! I have used mine a lot and as a 'slightly mature specy wearer' who peers over or under her glasses, its the safest option for me. By the time I'd deciphered anything on an Atlas in front of me I'd probably have killed a couple dozen people :eek: