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Posted: Fri Feb 20, 2009 1:04 pm Post subject: Please Help
I've never had a sat nav and I am now looking to buy one but I am so confused about the different choices. I am going to New Zealand later this year and I am not sure but can all sat nav's have different countires maps downloaded onto them or is it only certain models, also map updates (for UK) are these free or do you need to pay for them (how much?) and the same with traffic jam updates and speed camera alerts do all sat nav have these or are their certain models which you need, and lastly signal strength do certain makes have a better signal than others cause I don't fancy being stuck in New Zealand with the signal down on my sat nav driving low on petrol. Many thanks for looking hope someone can shed some light
Joined: Feb 01, 2006 Posts: 2543 Location: Rainham, Kent. England.
Posted: Fri Feb 20, 2009 5:25 pm Post subject:
I'll start the ball rolling for you.
Quote:
I am going to New Zealand later this year and I am not sure but can all sat nav's have different countires maps downloaded onto them
Nav'N'Go - iGO have maps for many countries including New Zealand.
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also map updates (for UK) are these free or do you need to pay for them (how much?)
iGO software costs around £120 for E and W Europe inc UK and ROI. They have in the past given free updates for a couple of countries, Hungary being one, and if maps have been updated within a couple of months of purchase, other times they have been offered approx half price.
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and the same with traffic jam updates and speed camera alerts do all sat nav have these or are their certain models which you need,
I don't use traffic jam updates but you can get speed cams from here for £19 per annum and once sunscribed you stand a chance of gettting free lifetime updates, subject to certain conditions, whcih you can check in the speed cam area.
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and lastly signal strength do certain makes have a better signal than others cause I don't fancy being stuck in New Zealand with the signal down on my sat nav driving low on petrol. Many thanks for looking hope someone can shed some light
Most devices use the SiRF 3 chipset so are all similar in that respect. Tall buildings can cut the signals down or if driving a vehicle with an athermic (heat resisting windscreen) signal strength can be lower but in general there are not as many problems as with the older SiRF 2 chipset.
(My son did a year backpacking in Oz with his Mio 168 with iGO 2006+ software, no problems except the odd hiccup in certain parts of Sydney when the tall buildings apparently reduced the sats to 3 or 4 instead of the usual 7, 8 or more). _________________ Formerly known as Lost_Property
And NO that's NOT me in the Avatar.
To sum up Lost_Property's comments it means that you should use a PDA so that you can use virtually anybody's Navigation software and not a PNA which uses and tied to its own software and usually nobody elses,The other benefit with the PDA is that you can also use other non Navigation software that could be usefull, needless to say I have to admit being a dedicated PDA user.[/quote] _________________ Moto G5s Plus, Sygic 17.4.8
To add to my previous comments, I would imagine that if you find that you do not like your installed software when in a strange country it would be easier to source alternative software for a PDA than a dedicated PNA unit perhaps. _________________ Moto G5s Plus, Sygic 17.4.8
Theres an active Open source map project for maping New Zealand. Provided you get a Garmin (or compatable) device, you won't have to pay for routeable maps, although I have no idea how good they are. (Any Kiwi's out tehre able to comment?)
As other projects are underway for otehr countries, and they all seem to have settled on the Garmin map formats, I would personally choose a Garmin unit.
NZ Open GPS
(The site seems to be down at the moment. I hope is a temporary issue)
Joined: Jun 04, 2005 Posts: 19991 Location: West and Southwest London
Posted: Mon Feb 23, 2009 2:51 am Post subject: Re: Please Help
I'll state the case for the dedicated satnav (with specific reference to the TomTom models, simply because those are what I know.)....
lazy1996 wrote:
can all sat nav's have different countires maps downloaded onto them or is it only certain models
Hard to generalise, but certainly a New Zealand map is available for the TomTom models. Whatever brand you buy, it is wise to get one with a memory card slot for expansions and new maps, otherwise you are restricted to the size of the internal memory and you will have to temporarily delete one map to make room for another (if it will fit at all). For example you cannot fit a whole Europe map on a model sold with just a UK map UNLESS it has a memory card slot.
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also map updates (for UK) are these free or do you need to pay for them (how much?)
TomTom provide a free update service where SMALL corrections can be made by users and then shared with others.
But no major satnav company supplies free full updates to its maps, that is how they make their money!
Go to any companies website and they will tell you how much new map costs. As an example, a new UK map for a TomTom costs £50 if you don't have one already, but a subscription for the next 4 quarterly map releases costs £7.95 per quarter if you do.
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the same with traffic jam updates and speed camera alerts do all sat nav have these or are their certain models which you need
Not all have "Traffic" or Speed camera capability, but most of the big names models do. Again, just have a quick look at their websites for prices.
Best Speed cams are from here, and Lost Property's prices are a little out of date... current price is ~£16
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and lastly signal strength do certain makes have a better signal than others
They are all pretty good now if they use the SirfStar III chipset or equivalent.
I would go for a dedicated sat-nav rather then a PDA every time. Something designed to do one job will always be better than something trying to be a "jack of all trades" in my opinion. For a start, won't most PND's will have a bigger screen than a PDA?
Joined: Feb 27, 2006 Posts: 14901 Location: Keynsham
Posted: Mon Feb 23, 2009 9:40 am Post subject:
aj2052 wrote:
To add to my previous comments, I would imagine that if you find that you do not like your installed software when in a strange country it would be easier to source alternative software for a PDA than a dedicated PNA unit perhaps.
My underlining and bold. Should probably qualify this by adding Providing you speak the language to go shopping AND have computer access to load software to it. I imagine my HTC Advantage would not suffer this problem, being a Windows Mobile machine, with Internet to download etc, etc - but it did cost close to £700 and I'd hate to think what the download of a bunch of Mb might cost whilst roaming!!
I'd agree with Andy_P, dedicated satnav every time. _________________ Dennis
similar benefit here with my Asus PDA having Wifi, subject to being available of course. but in the overall argument of PDA versus PND I think their will always be two schools of thought i.e. The Dedicated PDA users and the Deidcated PND users who will probably only stick up for their own and always will, personally I can see arguments both for and against Andy's PND reasons, perhaps one day somebody will write a Pros and Cons list for each, that is if they can keep up with the model releases. _________________ Moto G5s Plus, Sygic 17.4.8
Joined: Feb 01, 2006 Posts: 2543 Location: Rainham, Kent. England.
Posted: Mon Feb 23, 2009 4:13 pm Post subject:
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but in the overall argument of PDA versus PND I think their will always be two schools of thought
That's true, although I wouldn't say it was an argument, it's more what you require from your device. When I originally started out I basically wanted a Pocket PC, I looked at several and found the Mio 168 which had built in GPs, as a result I purchased one with TT3.
If it's a straightforward GPS required then obviously a dedicated one is all that's needed, however, if you want Contacts, Calendar (for birthdays etc), Calculater, Excel etc. then a PDA is the way to go.
I have to differ with Andy_P, that makes a change , on
Quote:
I would go for a dedicated sat-nav rather then a PDA every time. Something designed to do one job will always be better than something trying to be a "jack of all trades" in my opinion. For a start, won't most PND's will have a bigger screen than a PDA?
When I had TT5 on my Mio 168 and then Mio P350, I wasn't 100% satisfied with performance. I've since changed to iGO software and there is a world of difference, faster lock on, more sats and rarely does it lose a signal.
The actual map on my 350 is approx 2" square, the top part being taken up with next turn and turn after that, ETA etc and signal and battery strength. the lower portion with name of road you are on.
In my opinion, the main advantage of going the iGO route is you're not stuck with the same device, I could quite easily go for another Mio (PDA or phone), HP, Asus etc and use my existing software and maps (they are locked to the SD Card, not the device), try changing from TT to Garmin, or vice versa, and keeping the same maps.
Whichever one you decide on you'll find driving to unfamiliar area so much more relaxing.
EDIT. To add, whichever device you decide on don't forget to make a back-up on your hard drive. As PGPSW say back-up, back-up, back-up. It could save you a lot of grief. _________________ Formerly known as Lost_Property
And NO that's NOT me in the Avatar.
Another option - seriously worth considering if you travel occationally, is to use cell phone based solution on a Java/GPS capabl cell phone. There are free solutions with free mapping for most of the civilised world, (and New Zealand). You only need to pay data charges.
Watch the data charges when roaming, can be very expensive, BUT for say a week or two, may work out cheaper than a couple fo hundred quit for maps you will never use again, and the comprimises may well be worth it.
As for manufacturers that have NZ maps - Tomtom, Navman and Garmin all actively sell system there, as well as a few others. Don't limit yourself to Tomtom (Although they are very good)
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