Sat navs

[Gordon Steadman]

As my navigator is getting tired of reading a giant map in the car, we thought we would look into the possibility of getting a bit modern and having some electronic help getting about.

No doubt I will get a variety of opinions but..... any recommendations? Europe maps a must of course but nowt else needed. Basic, cheap and reliable is all we ask. 'Turn left, turn right and here we are' sounds good.

I'm not sure it would be sensible to buy something like this on eBay but then what is? Second hand? Do they last?

[struth]

Use google maps on your phone if you have one. Thats what I use and it costs nowt. does turn by turn etc.

[Ali Tait]

If you have a smartphone, download Waze. It's free.

[walpurgis]

I use one of these, works a treat!

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Binatone-R430-4-3-Inch-Western-Europe-Sat-Nav-GPS-Satellite-Navigation-R430WE-/181644325104?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item2a4ad870f0

[struth]

I use one of these, works a treat!

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Binatone-R430-4-3-Inch-Western-Europe-Sat-Nav-GPS-Satellite-Navigation-R430WE-/181644325104?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item2a4ad870f0

The boys got his mate one of those for his xmas (think it was the British one and was a little cheaper. He seems to be happy with it.

I used to use other apps but have now been using the google one for quite a while and it is pretty accurate....even has the walkabouts via the camera etc. pretty good.

[walpurgis]

I don't actually get to use mine much. The chauffeur is pretty good at finding his way about.

[Gordon Steadman]

Thanks folks. I really know nothing about this stuff. I don't have a mobile phone of any variety. I notice they all run on Windoze. I assume this means that it would be necessary for updating and adding maps etc.

I run a Mac and although it will run Windoze, I have no intention of updating that just to allow me to play with the sat nav. I just want to plug it in and have it lead me by the hand - or steering wheel. I suppose I could get a friend who is yet to run a proper computer do updates for me.

The Binatone one looks OK but there are a few all the way from China and HongKong at half the price and twice the bits. They double up as MP3 players and games machines!!:rolleyes: I imagine they would get lost in transit.

[struth]

Not many use windows Gordon. Most use the Android system or apple if your posh. with android you just down load the free app from the play store. You get a decent camera and a phone too believe it or not :eyebrows: You dont have to spend a fortune. But if you dont have a phone and dont want one then a cheap sat nav like the one geoff shows will do nicely. you'll get free map updates for a year too I think.

[walpurgis]

I've just given away a ten year old one that never had its maps updated and it was only the odd road junction or new bit of dual carriageway that it didn't recognise. No big deal. Lets face it, if it lasts even half that long you'll be thinking of a newer model anyway. Things move on.

I actually keep two of the Binatones. One for each of the two main cars.

[Gordon Steadman]

Not many use windows Gordon. Most use the Android system or apple if your posh. with android you just down load the free app from the play store. You get a decent camera and a phone too believe it or not :eyebrows: You dont have to spend a fortune. But if you dont have a phone and dont want one then a cheap sat nav like the one geoff shows will do nicely. you'll get free map updates for a year too I think.

Bad writing by me, I meant all the SatNavs seem to run on Windoze!!

[walpurgis]

I'm fairly sure most of them run on Android type systems. I doubt Windows gets much of a 'look in' here.

[struth]

Think the binatone uses windows ce operating system

[Gordon Steadman]

Think the binatone uses windows ce operating system
The Chinese ones do too!

[walpurgis]

Can't say I've actually bothered to look at what my Binatones run on. They work, so that's all I'm bothered with really.

[Gordon Steadman]

Can't say I've actually bothered to look at what my Binatones run on. They work, so that's all I'm bothered with really.
Sounds good to me. I was just concerned in case of trouble should I decide to update the maps. The French are building roads like mad right now. Every time we go on a journey, the route seems to have changed.

[shane]

Sat Nav apps on mobile phones are definitely not free, with one exception. As you drive, they download the map data across the mobile network. This means that they need a 3g connection as well as a GPS signal in order to work. The amount of data they use is not inconsiderable, so if you are charged for data on your phone tariff it gets expensive, and if you're roaming it's frightening. However, it does mean that they're always up to date. The only exception to this is the NavFree app, which downloads the whole mapset for your country when you install it. Works a treat but make sure you install it on a wifi connection as it's half a gig of data. The ad free app is £1.99, with an extra £1.99 for each additional country IIRC. https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.navfree.android.OSM.ALL&hl=en_GB

None of this will interest you, Gordon! About eight years ago I bought a Tomtom Go 710. It's a doddle to use, it's never gone wrong and it works a treat. The only problem is that the maps are a bit out of date now and an update is about £40 or so, but it's not much of a problem. They seem to go for £30 - £50 on Ebay.

[Marco]

Hi Gordon,

Get yourself a new touch-screen head unit/music system for the car, as most decent ones these days have sat-nav built in - and good ones at that. Keeps it all neat and tidy, and upgrades your sounds, on the go, at the same time. Job done! :)

Marco.

[Beobloke]

Whatever you do, don't get the Bonnie Tyler satnav. All it does is tell you to "turn around" and then every now and then it falls apart.

[Gordon Steadman]

Hi Gordon,

Get yourself a new touch-screen head unit/music system for the car, as most decent ones these days have sat-nav built in - and good ones at that. Keeps it all neat and tidy, and upgrades your sounds, on the go, at the same time. Job done! :)

Marco.

That sounds like an expensive option.

I do Cheap see and I don't listen to music in the car as we have discussed in the past.

[Gordon Steadman]

Whatever you do, don't get the Bonnie Tyler satnav. All it does is tell you to "turn around" and then every now and then it falls apart.

Does it predict the total eclipses too?

[Marco]

You could always change... ;)

Marco.

[Gordon Steadman]

You could always change... ;)

Marco.

Much too old to do such a thing:)

[Mark Grant]

Sounds good to me. I was just concerned in case of trouble should I decide to update the maps. The French are building roads like mad right now. Every time we go on a journey, the route seems to have changed.

I would buy a TomTom model that includes free lifetime map updates.
TomTom release new maps about every 3 months.

The cheap makes wont include free maps and if you google to try to find 'free' maps for low cost makes you will probably end up with a virus.

I suggest something like a Tom Tom 25 (that's a discontinued model I think)
http://www.amazon.co.uk/TomTom-Start-Maps-Lifetime-Updates/dp/B00AILGDQG/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1423514689&sr=8-1&keywords=tom+tom+europe

or
http://www.amazon.co.uk/TomTom-Start-Lifetime-Western-Europe/dp/B00NAV1VCC/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1423515244&sr=8-1&keywords=TomTom+Start+50+WE+5+inch+Sat+Nav+with+Li fetime+Maps+of+Western+Europe

6 inch screen:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/TomTom-Start-Lifetime-Western-Europe/dp/B00NFBUHFO/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1423515457&sr=8-1&keywords=TomTom+Start+60+WE+6+inch+Sat+Nav+with+Li fetime+Maps+of+Western+Europe

The 5" and 6" screen are both the same price at the moment so that is a good price for a 6" screen which is much higher resolution (more pixels).

or:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/TomTom-5-inch-Lifetime-Western-Traffic/dp/B00LEKAECE/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1423514798&sr=8-3&keywords=tom+tom+lifetime

Really top model if you want to spend with pinch zoom screen like a smartphone:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/TomTom-6-inch-Lifetime-Europe-Traffic/dp/B00L221ZW2/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1423515830&sr=8-1&keywords=TomTom+go+600

Make sure the description of whatever you buy mentions western Europe maps and Lifetime map update and you will be OK.

It would be daft to buy something that needs map updates paying for each time when they can be included for life of the device for around £100 to £130.

More choices to look at on TomTom website but you wont need models traffic updates from a smartphone as you dont have one.

http://www.tomtom.com/en_lv/products/your-drive/car-navigation/

[Gordon Steadman]

Thanks Mark, that is really useful.