Sat Nav Portable and In Car Manufacturer Fitted

[Crockers]

I like the integrated feel and look of the sensus system and now it's also a camera locator it fulfills my needs.
I had comand in my Merc which isn't as good as the sensus IMHO.
As for portables. Yes they are very good but I really can't stand the look of one stuck on a windscreen.

I have driven at night and seen some right idiots with their Tom Toms fixed just under the rear view mirror on DAYLIGHT MODE. What idiots.

[volvorocks]

Originally Posted by Crockers

I like the integrated feel and look of the sensus system and now it's also a camera locator it fulfills my needs.
I had comand in my Merc which isn't as good as the sensus IMHO.
As for portables. Yes they are very good but I really can't stand the look of one stuck on a windscreen.

I have driven at night and seen some right idiots with their Tom Toms fixed just under the rear view mirror on DAYLIGHT MODE. What idiots.

The cost was high though, and after reading about how long it takes to update the sat nav, a choice well made methinks to not tick the box on the options list!

[volvorocks]

Originally Posted by wooble

The first time I ever used a (borrowed) sat-nav, must be about 6 years ago, it took me to the centre of Bristol and then got itself stuck in some kind of loop and instructed me to keep going round a large roundabout ad infinitum.

Yes, have had that when the sat nav kept saying turn left, and just kept taking me round the block..lol!

Originally Posted by Moosejaw

Agreed.


I do have a sat nav but nowadays I rarely go anywhere I haven't been before so I hardly ever need it, but I've been glad of it a few times. Don't ask me what brand it is though, I only bought it because they were doing a few dirt cheap in Morrisons a year or so ago.

What brand is it?..lol

I travel to many places I do not know so sat nav is very handy, and TBH I sometimes struggle going to places that I do know!!!!!

I think a side effect of satnav use, is you tend to not notice places you pass through as much as you would withought sat nav.

[Rustee]

I use an old Tom Tom europe when in unfamiliar areas although I don't trust it after it tried to make me turn right the wrong way up a one way street in Wokingham.

It also seems slow to respond sometimes and confuses bends with corners so you need your wits when using it.

[mikealder]

As for telling you to turn in to a no entry road there are two things that spring to mind:

1/ You, as the driver have the responsibility to obay the road signs at all times, if the Nav unit gets it wrong and you follow it is your license that will collect points and your pocket that gets hit with fines.

2/ When did you last update your map, whilst new roads don't get built too often one way systems within towns and city get altered quite often.

You can't blame the nav unit if either of the above apply, this is applicable to any Nav unit, the major plus point to devices from Garmin or TomTom is that they still offer map updates for devices that are years old albeit at a cost, the charges they apply are still considerably less than you would pay to update a factory fitted Nav unit - Mike

[galloot633]

I have a tom tom 530 , and I just wouldnt go any where without it, The times in the past when weve almost got to our destination but found ourselves going round and round in some strange city ( with the accompanying argument ) the early versions did have a habit of freezing at the most inapropriate moment, but if you keep them regularly updated they seem ok, Ive not had one freeze for years, as for map updates, there is the odd new junction but realistically you dont need them,it is easy to get new maps for free, which is what I do, but I only do that because I like manipulating software, Id really love a permanent install , with no wires that could be hidden from view at the flck of a switch
dave

[Rustee]

Originally Posted by mikealder

As for telling you to turn in to a no entry road there are two things that spring to mind:

1/ You, as the driver have the responsibility to obay the road signs at all times, if the Nav unit gets it wrong and you follow it is your license that will collect points and your pocket that gets hit with fines.

2/ When did you last update your map, whilst new roads don't get built too often one way systems within towns and city get altered quite often.

You can't blame the nav unit if either of the above apply, this is applicable to any Nav unit, the major plus point to devices from Garmin or TomTom is that they still offer map updates for devices that are years old albeit at a cost, the charges they apply are still considerably less than you would pay to update a factory fitted Nav unit - Mike

I agree, the satnav should only be used as a pointer, the driver needs to make the decisions. I don't update the software as it's not used that often but the street in question has been one way for donkeys years.

There is a village in Suffolk with warning signs telling lorry drivers not to follow their sat navs as if they do they will have problems with a low bridge and sharp bend. You would think that the satnav companies might offer a lorry friendly version or alter the software.

[mikealder]

Originally Posted by Rustee

You would think that the satnav companies might offer a lorry friendly version or alter the software.

They do offer truck versions of the software but they also charge a bloody fortune for it so a good proportion of truckers purchase the car units, follow them and get stuck - Mike

[volvorocks]

Originally Posted by mikealder

1/ You, as the driver have the responsibility to obay the road signs at all times, if the Nav unit gets it wrong and you follow it is your license that will collect points and your pocket that gets hit with fines.

Originally Posted by mikealder

They do offer truck versions of the software but they also charge a bloody fortune for it so a good proportion of truckers purchase the car units, follow them and get stuck - Mike

I think if I drove a truck (heaven forbid) I would get a truck sat nav whatever the cost really.

My old sat nav sometimes told me to 'now turn right' or similar and it was just a hedge or a wall or a one way street, so common sense is needed..lol

When towing I always check out the route on the net to see if the roads are ok. I was towing once and (whilst it was my mistake, although an easy one to make) the sat nav said 'turn left in 300yards',which I did only to find it got narrow within half a mile and was no more than a single dirt track.I could not back up nor turn around,and none of the houses had 'wide turnaround drives' that I could have 'trespassed' into...lol. I had to carry on for a good mile and do a U turn at the junction and go back.Luckily nothing was coming the opposite way (ie another idiot towing a caravan..lol). When I got back onto the main road, the correct left turning was about 25 yards further on the left and hidden behind trees.Easy mistake to make. Had the dirtiest van on site upon arrival!!

Regards

[Wiznae]

I looked at Garmin and was very impressed but a friend showed me one that he purchased on Ebay - It is a 5" Bluetooth 4GB 3D UK Europe Map POI DDR 128 MB Sat Nav from Gomallgo £56.99 with free updates - I was so impressed I purchased one put a 16bit mini disk in it and dowloaded USA and Canada Maps and POI - It is absalutely fantastic I drove over 2000 miles in Florida and the info was bang on and later this year I am going touring in Canada then New York State where I will use it again

Even here in Britain it is great, very clear and full of usefull information - I am so glad I did not lash out the money for the Garmin