OT: Sat nav

[Terry Casey]

As is mine but the pronounciation of street and place names at times is incomprehensible, whereas my previous Tom Tom (same voice!) was surprisingly accurate.

Overall, I preferred the Tom Tom. It had a tiny compass in the top left corner - very useful when taking unscheduled diversions around blockages and it could be changed to a full screen compass rose, if preferred.

Unfortunately, it stopped talking to the PC shortly after the guarantee expired (!) so that the maps couldn't be updated. It was interesting to see our path across the fields as they upgraded successive junctions of the A1, but we didn't have any problems until it completely stopped working half way through a holiday in Spain!

I managed to get back to where we were staying without much difficulty but then we started a search of the town for a paper map which, fortunately, we found or we would have had to cancel the rest of our planned excrsions. (This was a winter break for sight seeing and a bit of warmth, not laying out on the beach!)

Hence the replacement was not a Tom Tom.

Similar here but for a different reason.

We had Landranger maps for most of SE England which catered for virtually all journeys and my wife was adept at giving me precise directions. However, there are times when the map doesn't quite seem to accord with reality - usually in rural areas with no distinguishing features and an overcast sky - so no directional info, either!

She came up with an idea of her own, and it worked! Simply look for overhead power limes and compare with map - if they tallied, we must be on the right road and, if they weren't it was usually easy to work out what had gone wrong.

The problem started when we took the car to Belgium and the OS maps were replaced by the excellent Michelin 400:1 maps.

On our first foray out into the countryside, I was told to turn right about a quarter of a mile ahead. No turning! Half a mile? No! The road just went on, dead straight. Eventually, I found a safe place to pull over. She pointed to where we'd been and the turning about a centimetre further on on the map!

One cm = 500m on the OS map - 2,000m on a 2km:1cm map!

She had similar problems getting back to using the OS maps again on our return. The give her the AA road atlas for a long journey and it was chaos again!

[NY]

Likewise with the A684 Bedale bypass either side of A1 J51. Our (built-in) Honda sat nav *still* doesn't know about it, despite me spending ages downloading a new set of maps a few months ago, so we do a bit of off-roading through the ploughed fields around there ;-)

We've got the Viewranger app and GB 1:50,000 and 1:25,000 maps on our phones and tablets which means that we can always see where we are and where "that road" leads when we come to a junction. There have been a few occasions when my wife has directed me onto a little country lane that is barely surfaced because it is shown as a yellow road on the OS map: having the map linked to a GPS position means that you can never get lost so are more likely to get adventurous when you think "I wonder where this road goes".

[Clive Page]

What I might try to do is open mine up and see if I can replace the battery. The case is, of course, designed to be un-openable by the consumer, but with a suitable array of fancy screwdrivers I might manage it. I successfully replaced the non-replaceable battery in a shaver some time back, even though it was soldered in to the printed circuit board. Has anybody done that with a recent TomTom device?

[T i m]

I nearly agree, *some* (= very few ITRW) are like that and generally only to the point of being numerous.

Yup, and one of the options I missed from the earlier / more tekky Garmins (but may be on some of the later / commercial / specific models).

But isn't that effectively what you get with 'North up' view? eg, the whole display is a compass with North at the top? If you are one of those numpties that use it in 'Track up' mode you deserve everything you get! ;-)

Shame.

Doh. UK spec model not designed to be used in the Sun (but was probably waterproof). ;-)

I generally pick up one of those big AA roadmap's you can sometimes buy from petrol stations for 99p but I generally re-cycle the old one completely unused. ;-(

Ok.

The Mrs was ok at reading the map and advising directions, but not whilst we were moving (she once felt seasick in a mobile library as people were getting on and off). ;-(

Imagine that on the back of a motorcycle at night, in the rain and at

70 mph, whilst wearing motorcycle gloves ... ;-(

Neat (given reasonable visibility etc).

Doh!

And hence why some of us first got to appreciate the GPS. ;-)

Nothing like doing 70mph on a motorway ... for one hour before you are woken up to be asked by the driver if we are going the right way ... only to note from the gantry numbers that we weren't. Another hour at

70 mph just to get back where we were 2 hours and 140 miles earlier ... ;-(

A "take the 4th exit at the roundabout in 1.2 miles" would have save us all that wasted time and fuel.

Cheers, T i m

[Bill Wright]

No I don't think it would.

Bill

[swldxer1958]

My Garmin Nuvicam has a compass as default, but when you enter a destination the fields are set up to change to ETA, distance to destination and speed.

See:

[swldxer1958]

Sorry - it includes height ASL as well in feet.

[polygonum_on_google]

I use HERE WeGo on my phone. Pretty good. Downloadable maps. No charges.

One thing that makes phone apps often preferable to dedicated devices is that I can switch to walking mode when I park. Or public transport mode (though I've never actually used that).

[T i m]

<snip>

By 'dedicated' do you me 'built into a car' (in which case that makes sense as you aren't likely to walk your car anywhere) or just dedicated satnavs in which case, mine used to have various modes of transport, including 'Off road' that wouldn't force you to follow roads etc.

I'm not sure how that would differentiate from say a lorry (for bus / coach) unless it actually had the bus routes etc?

Cheers, T i m

[polygonum_on_google]

By dedicated I meant both built-in and units like Tom Tom that stick to screen (or what have you).

I can put in a destination into HERE and it offers car, public transport, foot and bicycle. The public transport option does look up bus and train services, ferries, aerial trams, connections, etc. And checking, I have just noticed Taxi and ridesharing and Car club options as well.

Say I drive 20 miles and park. Then switch from car to foot and carry on using it. Changes from roads to paths and pavements. But retains the destination.

My old Tom Tom (I sold it on many years ago) was a shape that would not comfortably fit a pocket nor be very pleasant to carry in my hand. Whereas my phone is fine either way.

As I would be carrying my phone anyway, having to carry a satnav device as well would be unwelcome.

[T i m]

<snip>

Ok? I've never had a car with a GPS built in but I have had plenty of dedicated removable jobbies.

That's good, but presumably does need a data connection to give all that?

As would my Garmins.

I have had both (horses for courses).

But possibly not so fine out on the handlebars of your cycle / motorcycle in the pouring rain and operated with gloved fingers?

I agree in principal but in practice I'd rather also carry a self powered dedicated GPS than a phone plus external battery pack.

Cheers, T i m

[FMurtz]

Also the phone navigation seem to keep giving instructions in tunnels like where to leave etc, my sat nav gives up with no satellite to talk to

[alan_m]

I've only encountered the sat nav in a Citreon Picasso (hire car) and it was truly shit. The most un-intuitive user interface I ever encountered. When typing in a place name it seemed to have some form of strange text prediction algorithm where it only presented you with a keyboard with a limited number of character it thought you may type next. This maybe OK when typing in French names/places but a PITA in the UK.

[polygonum_on_google]

Of course it needs a data connection to provide the full panoply of options. But it does download the full maps for whichever countries you select.

And, without a data connection, satnavs utterly fail at one of the things they potentially excel at - highlighting problems ahead. And routing based on how busy the roads are.

[T i m]

<snip>

Some of us find that pretty intuitive, even without a SatNav! ... ;-)

Cheers, T i m

[swldxer1958]

My Garmin 3790T has a driving/cycling and pedestrian mode and has done since 2010.

[T i m]

<snip>

So no good with just a 'basic' phone with a nice 4 day battery life?

Assuming you have the space (and a Smartphone). ;-)

Except my SatNav doesn't have a mobile data connection and does pretty well at indicating problems ahead (and without any data / subscription costs and no matter how far away from mobile data service it is).

Rod, is this you?

See above.

Have you actually used a recent SatNav?

Cheers, T i m

[swldxer1958]

My Nuvicam uses DAB radio traffic updates, has free all Europe map updates, a 6 in screen, has a dashcam and costs NOTHING extra to run. The only problem is that Garmin have gone backwards in their satnav range as their top of the range stuff is not as good as the Nuvicam.

[Jethro_uk]

I really can't believe anyone would have paid *specifically* for it.

We only have it because it's in the package that gets the adaptive cruise control.

I can't remember what stupid figure Citroen think people will pay to keep it updated - c. £300 as a one off, or £50 every time.

[Jethro_uk]

I remain sceptical. When I was using ny Garmin (dedicated Sat Nav) I was coming back east along the M3 and *just* caught sight of the signs saying the next exit (mine) was closed due to an accident.

I managed to pull off - so was in unfamiliar territory. The ****ing sat nav tried everything in it's power to redirect me onto the original route

- starting with rejoining the motorway on the exit I had just taken off. Luckily I sensed it's game and ignored it from there on. Noting that (a) I had no *legal* way to control it while driving, and (b) that it needed to be a few miles clear before it "got it" and actually chose another route rather than the blocked one. It was all the more galling as it was supposed to have lifetime maps & traffic subscription.