REVIEW COMMENTS: Navman GPS 3400 (Europe)

Dave

I've seen a couple of instances where you'll have a Y fork, and you'll be travelling up to the left and it won't tell you to turn or bear left, but in the cases I've seen, the straight on option physically on the road, is the left hand branch. I've seen this on TomTom Navigator as well, so I think it's more of a map problem.

Dave

Please post any comments you have about the Navman GPS 3400 Hardware Preview/Review and SmartST Pro Prevew/Review in this message.

Tom Symonds

Has anyone else noticed a problem I've noticed with some of the turns on Smart ST. Sometimes the red line on the map pointedly turns onto a new road, but there's no instruction for it, and most importantly no voice command. If you're trying not to look at the map (ie keeping your eye on the road) this can be bloody annoying.

I've also noticed it sometimes gives the wrong exit at roundabouts - usually "take the first exit" rather than the second. I can't see why this should be, but both of these faults should be looked at for future updates.

Walter Mit · Occasional Visitor Joined: 20/08/2002 12:12:05 Posts: 10

Dave,

I took up CoPilot on their great offer ($199 for Pocket CoPilot 3.0 and a Navman sleeve). But, unfortunately, I live in the UK. The unit will be delivered mid to late November (friends visiting). When the unit arrives, I want to have UK software on hand to start playing with it right away.

So, sometime during the 5 weeks (and when during that period doesn't matter, since I won't have the hardware) I need to purchase either Navigator or SmartST.

Advice is well and truly appreciated.

PS: If you ever need fodder to convince sponcers/suppliers that your site influences buying decisions, feel free to quote me. My purchase decision will be made almost entirely from information gathered here.

Dave

Walter, it'll be a tough fight!

. Watch this space for a few more articles on pretty much the same subject (without trying to say too much!)

You know, I'm now starting to realise how manufacturers feel like when they're near completion of bringing a product to the market. As soon as everyone gets wind of it, everyone wants to see it NOW. It's the same with our articles.

CalleyW

I have purchased Navman 3400,and have been only a couple of comments so far.

A) It seems to take longer than your averages for a cold TTFF.(however, it does depend on the location)

B) I was a little disappointed that the voice directions do not announce the name of the road/street into which you are being directed,as per the pocket co-pilot.

Calley

Walter Mit · Occasional Visitor Joined: 20/08/2002 12:12:05 Posts: 10

So, head to head: TomTom Navigator vs. Navman SmartST.

A new grudge match.

Who wins?

Dave

NickE, the power cable is one to fit an iPAQ 3600 series (the small round plug). If you have a 3800/3900 series iPAQ you'll have a sync converter which you use to insert this into. It will both power the iPAQ and charge it at the same time.

spagger

The supplied power cable does indeed charge the Ipaq !

NickE

One thing I'm not clear about - the website shows that it comes with a power cable, but is that only to power the sleeve or does it feed the iPaq as well?

spagger

Having purchased Navman 3000 in June this year, I was keen to try out the new SmartST Pro upgrade. I placed an order with RIA Technologies on 25th september.

The first problem I found was that the application wouldn't run on my 3630. I had to remove a few apps to free up memory.

I have found that TTFF has improved, with Satellite fixes obtained within a minute from a cold start.

I read in the review that the new software doesnt notify the user that satellite lock has been lost.

Doesn't the icon that is used to represent your moving vehicle change status from BLUE to RED ?

Thanks

midsearcher

Whilst the SmartST Software is far better than the old "TomTom" trip and city software for driving, it is now not possible to define a destination by grid reference. It is also still not possible to import any "waypoints" or locations from other apps or even a text file.

This is a major minus point for anyone into geocaching.

I used to use trip/city for getting to the nearest road to a geocache point and then used Pocket Navigator or my Garmin across fields/woods etc.

Dave

Hey, you've got me sold! Or not!!!

I do think postcodes are very important for the UK, and with most UK streets, one postcode will show one side of the road, where another postcode will show the other side of the road, like odds and evens. Although some roads are very long and a postcode could host 20 houses, I still think postcodes are worth entering, however if you are making a europe wide system, then compromises do have to be made, and I guess this is one of them if postcode usage would practically be useless for other European countries.

Walter Mit · Occasional Visitor Joined: 20/08/2002 12:12:05 Posts: 10

I don't think this has anything to do with compatability issues.

There was a good description of why selecting destinations by post code was NOT included for Europe, was that European postal codes are very low resolution. In the UK a standard post code will resolve to within 4 or 5 buildings. That is sufficient for navigation purposes.

In the rest of Europe, post codes are only unique to within a city-wide area, making post code navigation impossable.

I guess they figured, why bother implementing that functionality for only the UK?

So, Dave, would you consider this a deal breaker?

Garry Platt

Having tried to load the Navman onto my iPAQ 3970 and failed I wonder of this is an aspect of none compatability with the 39 series iPAQ?
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Garry Platt

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