Tom Tom 3 GPS

[NJH26]

Whilst waiting for my car to come back from the dealership after its recent visit with scally car thieves, I've decided to treat myself to a toy. Just bought an IPAQ bundle with H2210 and Tom Tom 3 software, it has cost £400 and apparently I can get speed camera software downloaded for free to turn it into a mini road angel.

If anyone has any advice or experience of IPAQ / TOM TOM 3 please let me know, if not, I'll post my thoughts when its up and running (car repairs allowing!)

Cheers
Neil

99' V40 T4

[SG]

I've been using TomTom on an iPAQ 3970 since version 1.

For the money it's excellent.

Have a look at www.pocketgps.co.uk. The forums there are excellent if you've got any questions about the software. You'll also find the speed camera database there and the software add-on you need to use it.

Hi,
I've been using Tomtom for the past 3 years now and i have to say that it is the Muts Nuts! Really really good, i'm on my third pda now and don't dream of going any where without it. My previous pda was a 2210 and after a while I gave up using my Bluetooth GPS and bought a Compact Flash one which works great. An application that runs with TT is POI Warner (Point Of Interest) found at http://www.navigating.de/ its free to download and use and if you pay an extra €8 a year you get a really good speed camera system. I have not found a camera that it doesn't know yet! Oh and thats a system for all over europe!!! Worth checking out. That mixed with my Euro Beltronics 550 radar/lazer detector and i'm pretty much proceted against camera's and speed traps (fngers crossed).

Good bit of kit!!!!

Hope that helps

[NJH26]

Well I've been using it for a couple of weeks now and I'm pretty impressed, the system will always get you there (though not always via the fastest route). Also downloaded POI Warner and the speed camera software which works fairly well (found 2 cameras it doesnt know so far!).
g

Aaarrgh Neil,

Did you buy it solely for the Sat Nav facility or did you get it mainly for its PDA uses?

The reason I ask is because TrafficMaster do a system called SmartNav. Obviously it is a navigation aid but it also contains the facility to warn of speed cameras (at extra cost) but it also has the facility to upgrade to RAC Trackstar (also at extra cost) - something I know you were considering.

Having said all that, the basic package is £499 plus installation but by the time you've added all the options the price will be nearer £800 plus subscription costs so I guess your Ipaq works out a lot cheaper.

I hope you're enjoying having your car back on the road.

Regards

Andy

Used TomTom since my Honeymoon in Italy (didn't want to get lost...) I am sooo impressed with it. The only time it didn't do well was in the center of Florence - but then that was due to Florence being under heavy road remodification at the time. The paper maps were useless as well...

At a cost, and with wireless networking, you can get the traffic news on TomTom and it will automatically route you around it. Haven't got this though so I can't say how good it is.

Stu

[NJH26]

The IPAQ / Tom Tom package seemed the best value when I stacked it up against Navman 620 / 630 and several other systems. I've noticed plenty of gripes about the maps being out of date but so far its surprised me as its shown shortcuts through area's that I know pretty well that I just hadnt known about. Can use the IPAQ for pretty much anything I guess but I'm just keeping it as a GPS system. The speed camera data is fairly good but there are a few omissions, I'm trying to get in touch with Warner to have the ones I know about added or ammended.
The POI database on warner is a bit of a treat too, I have uploaded the burger king database which is a bit of a treat and also the strip bar file which has the mrs demented!

"also the strip bar file which has the mrs demented!"

I want one! Where's the best place to buy one from?

Hi,
http://www.navigating.de/ is where you get the speed camera system. If you look at the forum page on http://www.pocketgps.com you'll see lots of topics about the software. I think its great!

Oh i found the 1st speed camera it hadn't known about the other day on the M5/M4 junction! But my Bell Euro 550 picked it up.

I also haven't tried the Tomtom Traffic Application as i use a Bluetooth Handsfree kit and don't want it to cut out of that on long journeys. But everyone says in the GPS forum above thats its really good.

The maps can be wrong on occasions (The new M6 Junctions) but generally on the whole their fine.

I also read a review the other day stating that PDA Navigation was far more advanced than the in-built kit you get in new cars. I don't think i would ever buy an in-built sat nav system. I'm a heavy PDA user (posting using it now!) and firmly belive thats its a better system.!

Hope tha helps, sorry its so long.

You're posting on a PDA? I'm a heavy user - but more for a diary, or reviewing docs on the train (saves getting the laptop on display) than to surf / enter extensive text...

As to being more advanced than built in ones, I'd go with that. My boss has it built into his A6. It's difficult to enter addresses etc into, and is simply an arrow pointing left or right rather than a rendition of the map to really let you see where you have to be.

I quite like the 'take the next left and then stay in the right lane' instructions as well. Saves you cutting across 4 lanes of traffic when it annoces the next instruction...

Stu

BTW I can read a paper map, and managed with one for 10 years, but this is soo much better - providing you have your paper map as a backup :)