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 Post subject: Sat Nav?
PostPosted: Sat Sep 01, 2012 1:46 pm 
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Joined: Fri Apr 21, 2006 1:20 am
Posts: 2948
Location: Over here!
Whatever your views from a personal point I would not be without one - they save me money from driving around in areas that I am not familiar with - in fact they are worth their weight in gold in terms of saving fuel.

I have always used TomTom but bought a Garmin as an emergency - it is Okay! but I prefer TomTom as I know my way around it, and generally find it a lot better. As you have probably worked it out mine has gone on to another life, and I was wondering as there are so many versions out there - who thinks what is the best Sat Nav i.e version, signal, clarity, and general use etc etc?

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 Post subject: Re: Sat Nav?
PostPosted: Sat Sep 01, 2012 2:10 pm 
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Joined: Tue Jul 26, 2011 8:11 pm
Posts: 498
Location: Ayr
As to Tom Tom/Garmin.

My Tom Tom's maps were so inaccurate, with so many incorrect Street Names locally, that I dumped it and got a Garmin. I have only found 1 incorrect Street Name in the 2 years that I've had it.

As for use. It's a boon when I'm 30 miles from base, in a Town that I really only know the High Street.

But most importantly, in calculating Fares.

For example, some local Towns cover huge areas and can be as much as 8 miles across. If the Drop-off in on the other side, that can add 16 miles through traffic, to your journey, so lots of extra time and fuel. Accurate pricing, before giving a quote, is essential to my personal profit. My Sat Nav will give me a reasonable view (+ or - 5%) of what I need to charge.

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 Post subject: Re: Sat Nav?
PostPosted: Sat Sep 01, 2012 4:26 pm 
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I also use my Garmin for the bluetooth for my phone. The traffic avoidance is also useful.

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 Post subject: Re: Sat Nav?
PostPosted: Sat Sep 01, 2012 9:06 pm 
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Joined: Sun Jan 28, 2007 8:58 pm
Posts: 3486
Location: Plymouth
There are no choices Garmin every time - I too use it as the bluetooth for the phone.

I still have my now very old Garmin - still works fine and it is 9 years old - it did have a short holiday at Garmin UK at five years old, it was refurbished and they didn't bother to charge even though out of warranty - that one is not voice controlled but is an early PDF.

I also still have an even older hand held Garmin - I think it must be 14 years old - still works but is not touch screen. That is loaded with all the UK, Eire and a large part of France. It also has all the Charts (Sea Maps) for the English Channel from the Isles of Scilly right round to North Foreland - still useful if I am doing a Yacht Delivery.

When on a boat I only have Garmin for satnav, though on my last boat I had two (backup) and a Furuno that was on the boat when I bought it.

Go for a Garmin NUVI and you won't go wrong - the lifetime maps is worth the expense by the way.

The voice control lets me search an address for out of town work easily, I answer the phone by voice and even dial using voice. It could only be improved by being a PDF as well.

Tom Tom, that's just a toy and regularly leads people up the garden path (and onto Railway Tracks and in to Canals.....).

I suppose you could say I am a Garmin fan.

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 Post subject: Re: Sat Nav?
PostPosted: Mon Sep 03, 2012 11:31 am 
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Posts: 2948
Location: Over here!
Out of interest of the opinion of other users, I googled "Garmin or TomTom", it would seem that many tend to go with the one that they started with, and that there is not much between them.

Having said that I am impressed with Chris the Fish having one that has lasted 9 years! The ones that I have purchased have always been TomTom - this will be my third Sat nav in 7 years..............is he lucky - or is it the norm?..............or have I been unlucky - or is it the norm?

Chris what was your "Garmin Version" ?

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 Post subject: Re: Sat Nav?
PostPosted: Mon Sep 03, 2012 4:16 pm 
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Joined: Thu Dec 15, 2011 8:45 am
Posts: 9967
Location: Braintree, Essex.
I bought one of these in April http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/7-Car-GPS-SAT ... 416a5bf712 They are cheap and do the job with free upgrades for life.

If you're on a street at night it even shows you what side of the street the odd and even numbers are on, it's a cracking bit of kit for the money with a large screen which is also brilliant.

It comes with speed camera locations and all the other little add ons. Can't go wrong at that price.


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 Post subject: Re: Sat Nav?
PostPosted: Mon Sep 03, 2012 9:22 pm 
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Joined: Sun Jan 28, 2007 8:58 pm
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Location: Plymouth
cabby john wrote:
Chris what was your "Garmin Version" ?

I just found another even older - maybe 17 years - put in batteries - it works but the maps are way out of date - I will still keep it as a position (lat and long) only backup on my next boat.

My GPSmap 76 has current maps and charts but is not touch screen and is "Grey Scale". About 14 years old and still of use.

The PDA is the Garmin iQue 3600. Touch screen, colour, up to date maps, runs on Palm OS but interfaces easily with all Windows from 98se onwards and works fine with windows 7. Still in full time use. Only drawback, additional programmes (or apps if you like) for Palm can be clunky and difficult to find. The slightly later iQue was windows OS but the screen resolution was lower.

The newest with voice control, acts as hands free by blootooth with my phone etc is a Garmin Nuvi 3790 and is about two years old. Only drawback is that it does not do much in the way of PDA stuff - no diary etc - but my phone does that now.

While the phone has a satnav facility, it is not as good as the Nuvi.

Backup from Garmin is excellent. My limited knowledge of Tom-Tom is that the after sales just does not come close.

All in all, my next one will be a Garmin as well.

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 Post subject: Re: Sat Nav?
PostPosted: Fri Sep 07, 2012 5:43 pm 
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Joined: Sun Oct 16, 2005 12:07 am
Posts: 2596
Location: Hampshire (HC)
I hope you're right, Nidge. Just bought one. It will get a good test: Manchester, Cumbria and Birmingham twice by mid-November. If someone reminds me in a couple of months, I'll let you know what it's like.


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 Post subject: Re: Sat Nav?
PostPosted: Fri Sep 07, 2012 6:47 pm 
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Joined: Mon Mar 21, 2005 8:44 pm
Posts: 10591
Location: Scotland
Chris the Fish wrote:
There are no choices Garmin every time - I too use it as the bluetooth for the phone.

I still have my now very old Garmin - still works fine and it is 9 years old - it did have a short holiday at Garmin UK at five years old, it was refurbished and they didn't bother to charge even though out of warranty - that one is not voice controlled but is an early PDF.

I also still have an even older hand held Garmin - I think it must be 14 years old - still works but is not touch screen. That is loaded with all the UK, Eire and a large part of France. It also has all the Charts (Sea Maps) for the English Channel from the Isles of Scilly right round to North Foreland - still useful if I am doing a Yacht Delivery.

When on a boat I only have Garmin for satnav, though on my last boat I had two (backup) and a Furuno that was on the boat when I bought it.

Go for a Garmin NUVI and you won't go wrong - the lifetime maps is worth the expense by the way.

The voice control lets me search an address for out of town work easily, I answer the phone by voice and even dial using voice. It could only be improved by being a PDF as well.

Tom Tom, that's just a toy and regularly leads people up the garden path (and onto Railway Tracks and in to Canals.....).

I suppose you could say I am a Garmin fan.


When entering a destination are Jane's first words alright my lover :lol:


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 Post subject: Re: Sat Nav?
PostPosted: Sun Sep 09, 2012 8:25 pm 
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Joined: Sun Sep 09, 2012 4:38 pm
Posts: 5
Only ever had the one prat-nav, Garmin Nuvi 1340 I think is the model (the one without blue-tooth) the lane assist is boss, all the fuel tools, nice big screen, touch screen is bob on too, nice loud audio.

it's pretty thin/light/accurate when using it in "pedestrian mode" No doubt there are bigger/better/feature packed sat nav's out there but for the 40 quid (second hand) I paid for it, defo no complaints.

cheers


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 Post subject: Re: Sat Nav?
PostPosted: Thu Sep 13, 2012 6:23 pm 
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Joined: Sun Oct 16, 2005 12:07 am
Posts: 2596
Location: Hampshire (HC)
Got it, Nidge. On first 'play' in areas U know, it seems to do the job. Only one criticism so far: The screen isn't too good in bright light. But at under £50, it represents good value, IMHO.


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 Post subject: Re: Sat Nav?
PostPosted: Fri Sep 14, 2012 11:40 am 
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Joined: Fri Apr 21, 2006 1:20 am
Posts: 2948
Location: Over here!
cabbyman wrote:
Got it, Nidge. On first 'play' in areas U know, it seems to do the job. Only one criticism so far: The screen isn't too good in bright light. But at under £50, it represents good value, IMHO.


This is a new one on the block for me. Who replaces/repairs them when/if they go wrong, any history on the company that makes them, do local stores sell them???

The screen sounds a little on the large side!

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 Post subject: Re: Sat Nav?
PostPosted: Sat Sep 15, 2012 7:21 am 
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Joined: Thu Dec 15, 2011 8:45 am
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Location: Braintree, Essex.
cabbyman wrote:
Got it, Nidge. On first 'play' in areas U know, it seems to do the job. Only one criticism so far: The screen isn't too good in bright light. But at under £50, it represents good value, IMHO.



I've had not problem with my screen, it comes with a screen shade which keeps out most of the sunlight.


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 Post subject: Re: Sat Nav?
PostPosted: Sat Sep 15, 2012 7:23 am 
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Joined: Thu Dec 15, 2011 8:45 am
Posts: 9967
Location: Braintree, Essex.
cabby john wrote:
cabbyman wrote:
Got it, Nidge. On first 'play' in areas U know, it seems to do the job. Only one criticism so far: The screen isn't too good in bright light. But at under £50, it represents good value, IMHO.


This is a new one on the block for me. Who replaces/repairs them when/if they go wrong, any history on the company that makes them, do local stores sell them???

The screen sounds a little on the large side!



There's not a deal that can go wrong with them, there's free map upgrades for life, the sound is brilliant, the large screen makes it better for upcoming streets which you can't see on normal sized screens.

For £50 you can't go wrong.


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 Post subject: Re: Sat Nav?
PostPosted: Wed Oct 17, 2012 2:17 pm 
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Joined: Sun Oct 16, 2005 12:07 am
Posts: 2596
Location: Hampshire (HC)
OK then. It got a good test as follows:

Day 1: Hampshire to Manchester, Trafford Centre then out to hotel.

Day 2: Manchester to Cockermouth and Silloth.

Day 3: Silloth to Cockermouth and Keswick, and return.

Day 4: Silloth to Cockermouth, Buttermere and Honister Pass, return via Bassenthwaite.

Day 5: Silloth to Cockermouth and Birmingham, Cadbury's World, and Hotel.

Day 6: Hotel to Bullring and return to Hampshire.

The unit was very impressive and coped well with a mixture of conditions: Motorway, city centre and Lake District lanes. The settings ensured the routes were reasonable, not unnecessarily long but not sending us off down farm tracks.

My sole criticism, like most LCD displays, remains the difficulty in seeing the screen in bright sunlight; I didn't get the shade that Nidge apparently has.

Excellent value for money. 9/10


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