sat nav recommendations? (cheap!)

[MINIme:)]

hi, I was thinking that I might consider treating myself to a cheap sat nav come the Jan sales :motoring:. I wouldn't use it often so I'm not willing to spend much - and I don't have a smart phone before you suggest that! The higher contract charge compared to my current £10 a month would outweigh the outlay on a cheap sat nav within a few short months.

I'd been thinking about this anyway and have just seen an offer on Eastern MINI's facebook page for a Garmin Nuvi 2240 at £70 (reduced from £200). Not had a chance to look it up yet and see if it's an old model or anything - just wondered if anyone had any thoughts. :computer:
or indeed if anyone else would like to be alerted to the offer!

:bye:

[Glorious]

Link to Amazon reviews:

Link (http://www.amazon.co.uk/product-reviews/B00421BLRO/ref=cm_cr_dp_synop?ie=UTF8&showViewpoints=0&sortBy=bySubmissionDateDescending#R26ZZ2HT75QE21)

[Craig]

For me it has to be Tom Tom all day long :thumbs up:

[zimbo]

For me it has to be Tom Tom all day long :thumbs up:

:yes nod:

[GCA3N]

Tom Tom go about £100 easy and brilliant Joanna.

[MINI William]

Wouldnt look past a tomtom

[MINIme:)]

Excellent, well that was quite a conclusive wee survey!! :whoohoo:

I will have a look about. £100 was the ballpark figure I had in mind. All the better if there are decent models for less.

Any partic models, features to look for / things to avoid? I've never had or even used one, always gone with an AA route plan, transferred onto post-its on the dashboard! (Doesn't work in the dark though!) :frown:

[Stewart]

Used a Tom Tom 520GO for years and its never let me down! Always have the Highland Tour run on it ( not that you can really take a wrong turn can you Paul):smilewinkgrin: and when I tour about North Yorkshire!

There is a niffty wee program called Tyre that lets you build routes on your Pc and transfers them.

Oh I see a trip being planned ;)

[MINIme:)]

Thanks Stewart :bye: Do you have to buy map updates every now and then or anything? Is that a hassle and do they cost much?

[MINI William]

Thanks Stewart :bye: Do you have to buy map updates every now and then or anything? Is that a hassle and do they cost much?

You can but map updates but its not compulsory. Im sure the updates are quarterly and can be purchaed as a bundel ie 4 map updates for £X

[Stewart]

I am only thinking about the map updates after the Perthshire run this year, the run ended in a new Cinema complex in Dundee so “Katie” sorry thats the name as it’s the name of the voice took a wee fit as she could not find it and decided after a point to more or less say “Sorry your fecked as I don’t have a clue” So followed the Mini in front ;) The Tyre program had it spot on but no use when the maps don't match to that of an original Tom Tom map of years ago.

When you buy a new one they offer that you have the newest map so you’d be fine for a year or so I guess.

But that is only as the unit was bought like four years ago or something. So considering the use and its saved me a few times when roads have been closed I’d consider the £19 after so many years update quids in. Tightness does not pay when after a fantastic days drive at the end its goes Ape on you…:ragin:

TYRE (http://www.tyre.tk/)

[weefossy]

I've had several different sat navs, both in-car and portable and none have been anywhere close to the basic Tom tom......as everyone has said, it's a no brainer.

[MINIme:)]

cool Tom Tom it is!
I (and 2 colleagues) nearly didn't make it the driving course at Millbrook the other week because the sat nav didn't know a couple of new roads and it all got very stressful - the guy wasn't very comfortable and familiar with the wacky hybrid pool car we were in either which didn't add to the joy!

[Stewart]

When the old Sat Nav is on form it’s a useful tool. I went through the Lakes with a route plotted on it and it was hassle free, you just have to obviously have trust in it. This summer I had both the Tom Tom and I-phone in the car and although there is an official app for the phone, I still think the dedicated unit is still the best and the TT is still very much a class on its own compared the free GPS Apps that would be useful if visiting a new city walking but far to flaky for the car.

[RobSco]

This might be of interest to you Joanna, and both under what you want to pay... :thumbs up: ...Halfords also have some deals on the now... :yes nod:

http://www.argos.co.uk/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/Search?jspStoreDir=argos&catalogId=1500002901&params=AR249&referredURL=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.argos.co.uk%2Fwebapp% 2Fwcs%2Fstores%2Fservlet%2FSearch%3FstoreId%3D1000 1&cmpid=AR249&ET_cid=840286&langId=-1&searchTerms=5043952&referrer=AR249&ET_rid=17649228&storeId=10001&_%24ja=tsid%3A11693%7Cprd%3A%7Ccat%3AAR249

http://www.argos.co.uk/static/Product/partNumber/5042757/Trail/searchtext%3ETOMTOM.htm

[MINIme:)]

Thanks Robert! :bigwave:
I like the screen appearance shown on the second one. I noticed they say 2 and 3 hrs battery life. Is that about normal? Can they be plugged into the charger while active - 2 hrs isn't very long if going any distance. I'll have a look at Halfords later, I should prob go to bed :yawn: can never stay awake at work due to getting hooked on things late at night!! :angel:

[Gismo]

I had the Tom Tom rider for my motorbike and used it a lot on European journeys, never let me down and was easy to set up.
Best to keep it updated, the renewable maps are cheap enough.

All Nav's come with a 12v car charger lead

[Stewart]

The second one there comes with the USB cable as well. I had to buy this last year when I got a twin USB converter from the standard power socket. Worked a charm with both the Tom Tom and Iphone charging away.

I have never once used the battery, it’s always been powered. Yes it’s a cable but you can tuck it behind the Rev counter for example. The Tom Tom is not a permanent addition in the car so it’s only there when I need it.

The 520 GO is showing its age look wise I admit, think the screens have moved on and look better and thinner from what I remember seeing on the passing. PC world Braehead has a section near the coffee machines and fridges when you go in. You should pop in and have a play and see if you like the look of one and then find the best price online.

[Craig]

Thus is the one I have for the Sportage (got built in sat nav in the Punto and QQ) and it's within budget ;)

http://www.amazon.co.uk/TomTom-XL-IQ-Routes-RoI/dp/B003EEM6KQ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1323942997&sr=8-1

[Stewart]

Was in Tesco there and it had Craigs one for the same price and a cheaper TT at £75 but the XL looked far better. Comes with twelve month update service on the maps.

[markjbb]

http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/SearchCmd?catalogId=10151&storeId=10001&categoryId=247401&langId=-1&action=listrefine&constraints=teq%7C%7CBrand%7C%7CTomTom%7C%7Csor%7C %7CPrice%7C%7C1 halfords have some good deals just now on satnav's


i'm thinking about getting a sat nav soon i used the sat nav on my old phone last year to go to stevenage it was good. but two turns away from the hotel i was going to the phone died and yes i had the charger pluged in. so i made a note to self to get a tom tom for the next time i go on a long trip. the top gear one looks good :)


25% off maps http://www.tomtom.com/en_gb/maps/

[Dundee Checkmate]

Got myself a Garmin Navi 1410 £120 from halfords, has Camera locations loads of maps. I'm a lorry driver and it ain't put me wrong yet. Also finds places of intrest, petrol station locations, restaurant locations etc:thumbs up:

[ELFMAN]

I've been thinking about a SatNav for a while, and this info is really handy - thanks folks! :thumbs up:

[MINIme:)]

not sure which of these is better

[/URL]
http://www.johnlewis.com/230936759/Product.aspx (http://www.google.co.uk/) XL IQ 2

[URL]http://www.johnlewis.com/231294503/Product.aspx Start 20 - I think I saw somewhere that this one is newer. It has a 4GB internal flash memory but I'm not clear how much use that would actually be for me. Stewart, did you need to have memory in your device to use the wee programme you were talking about? (tyre I think it was)

Also having never used one, I have a stupid question :smilewinkgrin: When you input your destination can you choose between alternative routes like you can on AA route planner etc?
:bye:

[Stewart]

I think they would be much the same to use. Apart from one has the flash memory so it would be ready for the Euro Maps.


Tyre runs off the PC/Mac and to choose your route with waypoints on a goggle style map that is really easy to do. You do your route and then save it on the PC.

You then just put Your Tom-Tom in the USB TOMTOM Base. I have on my desk. You connect the Tom Tom (TT) in it and the PC knows its there. When you’re in tyre if your TT is connected to its base unit then if you go back into your route using Tyre and there is a tab at the top saying send to TT.

It then saves your Route you done on tyre in a TT format so it can see the file and read it. You just go into itinerary in the TT and load it up and your away.

[Gismo]

Funnily enough, i'm also looking for a sat nav in the US, it will be a Tom Tom, just gotta decide which one.
At the very least i must be able to add a flash card to increase the internal memory, not a lot of the tom tom's have that feature over here

[MINIme:)]

When you input your destination can you choose between alternative routes like you can on AA route planner etc?

If one of those does and one doesn't, what is the purpose of having internal memory?

Stewart the docking thing you need to use to connect with tyre - was that an extra purchase and how much?

[Stewart]

was that an extra purchase and how much
Docking station came with my one. The official TT page give “Micro USB cable to connect to PC/Mac” on the ones you suggested You get documentation, USB cable and car charger. Seems like they have went the cheaper route from the box since my TT that is near on five years old.

in-the-box (http://www.tomtom.com/en_gb/products/car-navigation/start-20-regional/#tab:specifications:in-the-box)


can you choose between alternative routes
When you say alternative my Sat Nav will take you the best quickest route but you can tell it to do an alternative route but not too sure about the options. Only used it a few times when roads have been closed due to something and it’s recalculated another route. Anyone that uses it a lot will tell you.

I’ve either used the postcode get me there or used Tyre like when I’ve been on a mini run and your telling it the exact route you want.

what is the purpose of having internal memory
I can only assume its for the addition EU Maps or US Maps.

Are you thinking about Mini united 2012 in the south of France? only over a few thousand miles.:smilewinkgrin:

[MINIme:)]

Thanks Stewart appreciate your reply - this is totally doing my head in I just want to go down to Currys and buy one of them but can't figure out what the differences are or which one is newer. internal memory is the obvious difference but they don't make clear what you would use that for. SO you can upload the Tyre info without needing memory that you're aware of? The USB would presumably allow me to access info from that programme to transfer it across as long as it has somewhere to store it. It's all so confusing for someone like me that doesn't keep up with these things.
I've been trying to choose an ipod as well :frown: I am just years behind in having a clue what things do it's all getting a bit stressful.

[Stewart]

They all come with memory just not a lot but the tyre file is tiny biggest route being 500 bytes so not even a 1 kb......if you ask me the internal 4GB is just so you can have like the EU maps on it without the need of a SD card. my 520 came with 512 MB and thats all I've needed. I always said if i was doing a Euro blast I'd just buy a new one with the Euro map as it works out about the same as just buying the map for the 520 with the SD card.


Here was my Tom tom you can see the dock they don’t do now!
TT 520 GOl (http://www.easydevices.co.uk/pp/Dedicated_GPS/TomTom_GO/TOMTOM_GO_520.html)

http://www.easydevices.co.uk/pp/Dedicated_GPS/TomTom_GO/images/deskdock.jpg