Do you use SAT NAV? recommendations pls

[hampden98]

Hi,

looking for a SAT NAV that is good for UK and Toronto, Canada area.
Any recommendations?
Thanks,

Ted.

[~Alan~]

I used to use a Tom Tom, but now prefer Garmin.

There are so many models available to chose from.

[Moggy C]

I've used both Garmin and TomTom on dedicated units. Of the two I prefer TomTom, but there isn't a lot in it.

I have also used Co-Pilot Live on a smartphone and found it both excellent, and a lot cheaper than the other two.

In the air I use SkyDemon, which is a brilliant bit of kit.

Moggy

[~Alan~]

In the air I use SkyDemon, which is a brilliant bit of kit.

Moggy

Purely out of interest, what sort of information does that give you ?

[Banupa]

I recently bought a Garmin with world maps. It works great in the UK and no probs at all during 2 weeks touring AZ & CA over Xmas. It was about £159 and worth every penny! Oh yes, I also have an old small Garmin I've used for about 6 years and apart from the odd trip through fields (according to the map) it's also been great. It would still be fine if I upgraded it's maps.

[AutoStick]

Forget sat navs & get yourself a good Road Atlas ( About £2.99 ) & plan your journey the night before . Even the best sat navs are only as good as the installed softwear.

You will end up driving down one way streets , over cliffs , end up in a dead end cul-de -sac or stalling in a swollen river crossing .

The prolonged use of sat navs also causes you to lose the brains natural instinct of " Sense of direction" . You then believe the sat is god when it tells you " Next right " & you end up in an ally in a dubious part of town .

As a sat nave user you will also spend 25% of your time with your eyes OFF the road losing a total sense of spatial awareness & wondering where the Eff you are , while Basil Fawlty or Joe Paqsquale instucts you to " turn left . turn left , turn left . "



I know you mentioned Canada but with all due respect , if you get lost for more than 10 mins in UK , you need to pack up this driving nonsense ..By now not only does your wife think you are a Knob , she knows you are a knob , as she emerges from the local corner shop with directional Instructions !!!


Yea nav aids in planes no prob !! In a car ?? get a grip ....even sir Frances Drake did with out .

[Moggy C]

Purely out of interest, what sort of information does that give you ?

It's a composite system. You can plan routes on your desktop, pick up weather and NOTAM, then squirt the lot to your phone / gps unit / iPad and use that to navigate. In this mode it provides you with airspace and terrain information also - invaluable.

There is a 'light' version of the planning tool available free and unfettered. I am just headed out and haven't time to search, but a bit of googling should get you there.

It's fun to play 'what if' on

Moggy

[charliehunt]

Forget sat navs & get yourself a good Road Atlas ( About £2.99 ) & plan your journey the night before . Even the best sat navs are only as good as the installed softwear.

Yea nav aids in planes no prob !! In a car ?? get a grip ....even sir Frances Drake did with out .

Very funny! Seconded!

[Creaking Door]

Looking for a SAT NAV that is good for UK and Toronto...

Make sure you fit a set of tyres that are good in the wet.....if you’re driving to Toronto from the UK!

I inherited a six-year-old Garmin a while back; it has been much more useful than I would ever have guessed (and I’m really competent with maps and have an excellent sense of direction).

I’m still amazed that this technology, which would have been science-fiction fifty years ago, is available to buy for the price of a couple of tanks of fuel!

[~Alan~]

I had a look at the demo video on SkyDemon. It looks pretty comprehensive.
Not cheap I should imagine ?

[Lincoln 7]

[QUOTE=Creaking Door;

I’m still amazed that this technology, which would have been science-fiction fifty years ago, is available to buy for the price of a couple of tanks of fuel![/QUOTE]

Warren, Today on Radio 2, it was stated that the transporter beam as used in Star Trek, (Beam me up Scotty) has actualy been invented, but can only move small items from A, to B.
In my lifetime, the things that have been invented are amazing,
Jim.
Lincoln .7

[AutoStick]

Nice one Jim ! But has a sense of humour tablet been developed yet ?? It could develop amazing on line sales for Internet forums users .

[hampden98]

Hi,

thanks for the replies.
I'm not looking to replace my maps but more to supplement them for those occasions where the map and road sign don't match and you get lost. Also for looking for parking, town areas hard to get to places etc.

I'm off to Hamilton for the airshow and though it might be useful for navigating an area I've never been before. For finding places not obvious or for marking a route before I travel. Might be handy navigating to from the airport etc.

Do I buy a SAT NAV and then add the maps or should I get a bundle? The Garmin bundle (previously mentioned) looks like a good one.

ATB,

Ted.

[bazv]

I have a garmin,no complaints so far...
I only use it as a guide rather than follow it unquestioningly - but I find it really useful in the last couple of miles in (say) a strange town.
It also gives me an approx ETA and gives traffic warnings (although that is sometimes a little patchy).

rgds baz

[~Alan~]

I have a garmin,no complaints so far...
I only use it as a guide rather than follow it unquestioningly - but I find it really useful in the last couple of miles in (say) a strange town.
It also gives me an approx ETA and gives traffic warnings (although that is sometimes a little patchy).

rgds baz

I go along with that. You get to know how reliable they are by using them on a route you are familiar with.
They don't always know about traffic hot spots, where you may get held up.

If going to a new area, I always consult the map first and write down a few notes.

[bazv]

Mine does have a traffic symbol...if green then all ok ahead,but if it turns red and with an audio warning (this is the patchy bit) - it is not infallible.
But at least it usually gives some advance warning in conjunction with radio traffic info...

[David Harvey]

Hello Ted,

I was thinking of buy a sat nav a few months ago but instead bought a Samsung Galaxy Ace smartphone from Tescos for £99. I have loaded Google Maps which can be saved offline so that I do not run up data charges. It doesn't have all of the bells and whistles provided by a serious (and more expensive) sat nav but as a tool to use alongside some decent paper maps, I am very pleased with it. As a bonus I can use it to playback music and podcasts and sometimes to make a phone call.

[neil osborne]

I go along with that. You get to know how reliable they are by using them on a route you are familiar with.
They don't always know about traffic hot spots, where you may get held up.

That's where Tom Tom Live Traffic is worth it's weight in gold.

My job would be a lot more difficult without it.

[~Alan~]

Doesn't the Live Traffic only become effective on motorways and major routes ?

[Lincoln 7]

I have an Indago, with free lifetime updates, which is fine, however, I also have a Tom Tom, and it's better, inasmuch, as if your on a Motorway, you can easily miss some road direction signs, but the Tom Tom, gives you well in advance which lane to be in, and this has come in very handy at times. Plus you also get the usual Dreaded speed cameras, and Spec warnings.
Verdict???
Tom Tom, it's never led me "Up the creek" yet.
Jim.
Lincoln .7

[Lincoln 7]

As a follow on regarding my opinion re Sat Navs, I have noticed the speed on my vehicles speedo is higher than the speed readout on my Sat Navs, anyone know which is the most accurate?.Speedo, or Sat Nav?.
Jim.
Lincoln .7

[paul178]

Sat Nav Jim.

[Lincoln 7]

Paul178.
Thanks Paul, it did make me think .
There used to be a 6% Statuary Speed defence allowing for speedo error, as a defence should one be caught speeding.it was worth knowing.Speed cameras are less forgiving.
Jim.

Lincoln .7

[bazv]

Yes most car speedos overread by up to 10%,I always drive to the gps indicated speed

[Lincoln 7]

bazv. Thanks, I too will stick to Sat Nav indicated speed. in the future.

Jim.
Lincoln .7

[~Alan~]

Yes most car speedos overread by up to 10%,I always drive to the gps indicated speed

Yes, I've done this for some time. I also use one of these :

http://www.indic8tor.com/index.asp

[Lincoln 7]

Alan, If you use your Sat Nav as a speed indicator, why are you using indic8or as well, is it a "Belt and braces " reason?.
Jim.
Lincoln .7

[~Alan~]

Alan, If you use your Sat Nav as a speed indicator, why are you using indic8or as well, is it a "Belt and braces " reason?.
Jim.
Lincoln .7

The Indic8or is always in my van, the sat nav only when I need to find an address I'm not sure of.
In the car I only use the sat nav.
I do have a Beltronics camera detector in the car, but that has stopped working.

[Lincoln 7]

Ahh, I see.
Jim.

Lincoln .7

[neil osborne]

Doesn't the Live Traffic only become effective on motorways and major routes ?

Nope, works on any road....

http://www.tomtom.com/en_gb/services...ffic/#tab:tab3