GPS suggestions

[weird]

I'm looking at getting a GPS , as a suggested BD prezzie, i.e. suggestion to the better half, and wish to take it to Europe in the new year to get a gist of the local surroundings (that is not getting lost) and also for the car here in OZ.

Any suggestions ? I am a total newbie to the GPS world ... is it easy to get maps for overseas, and take the unit as is and it just works ? Any suggestions or experiences with this ? Thanks in advance.

 

[tech/a]

I'm looking at getting a GPS , as a suggested BD prezzie, i.e. suggestion to the better half, and wish to take it to Europe in the new year to get a gist of the local surroundings (that is not getting lost) and also for the car here in OZ.

Any suggestions ? I am a total newbie to the GPS world ... is it easy to get maps for overseas, and take the unit as is and it just works ? Any suggestions or experiences with this ? Thanks in advance.

I have Tom Toms in all company vehicles. excellent.
When I go O/S I ALWAYS hire and insist on GPS.

If taking your own then make sure you can get the chip.
Tom Tom do it.That I know.
Remember to set it to English if in a foreign country.

Look for those with features of places of interest,nearest Gas station,Motel etc.
Navman are Ok I believe.

Most phones in the higher end have GPS capability.

 

[bassmanpete]

When you buy one here in Oz you'll get the latest map for Australia. Go anywhere else and you'll have to buy the map for that country. Don't know if you need separate maps for each European country or if the EU is covered by one purchase. Googling should soon sort that out.

We recently moved from Melbourne to an area close to Port Douglas. I borrowed a TomTom but it was only really useful in a couple of places. Took the outback route through Bourke, Cunnamulla, etc. No signal on the mobile, couldn't pick up a radio station (AM or FM), averaged seeing about one vehicle (usually a truck) every 15kms and not a peep out of the TomTom for 200kms or more at a time. Then this voice would say "In 800 metres turn right." Scared the s**t out of me the first time it happened!

The map wasn't up to date either and near Innisfail there was a new stretch of road. At one point the TomTom told me to "Turn right in 200 metres". At the time I was on a raised stretch of new road about 30 metres above a swamp!

If your map's up to date they are very good. I used to spend 10 minutes studying a Melway and memorising a route to somewhere new. With a GPS system you can set it up with start point & destination in less than a minute and just drive off and follow it's directions.

 

[Bill M]

I would like to buy one of these too. Is there any real differences between Navman, Tom Tom or Garmin?

I only want to use it in Australia, there's a Garmin Nuvi 310 for sale now in Dick Smith for $278 (says $200 off) is that a good brand and is it a good price?

 

[weird]

Funny you should mention that Bill, as that's the only particular model I have actually seen, from a guy at work. I said I was a newb with these !

Anyhow the work mate loves his 310, not sure why he carries it to work when he catches a train to the same place everyday ... perhaps because he drives to the station and doesn't want it pinched ...

But he did suggest looking at newer models as I believe that model has been out for quite some time. Although as I mentioned he is really happy with it.

Found a quick but old review,

http://www.cnet.com.au/cartech/gps/0,2000438599,339272199,00.htm

Unfortunately, overseas to him is Tasmania, while I did see that the model had some pretty interesting overseas features like some basic word translation and phrases, it hadn't been trialed and tested by himself, so he wasn't able to really comment on using it in general O/S, i.e., for its actual purpose.

 

[theasxgorilla]

I have a Garmin Nuvi 360T. The T is for traffic, as in it will receive live updates on traffic situations and plot routes around them.

The unit has a very basic user interface, which I like. As an IT guy the last thing I need is another complicated piece of technology. My friend has a Mio and he hates it. As a fellow IT guy he has found that he never actually reaches that point where he feels an intuitiveness about the interface. On the other hand, his MIO is a much "sexier" looking unit and has an interface with more wow-factor, but what good is that if you can't use it easily?

I have the European maps...it covers all of Europe including various parts of eastern Europe. I've used mine literally all over Europe from the Randstad in Holland, to narrow streets of Venice (on foot), to northern Sweden.

Map updates are a must really, since I've already had mine (out of the box) try and steer me off course on numerous occasions. Updates cost $130 USD.

As tech/a has mentioned, pre-loaded points-of-interest are a huge plus...and the ability to load custom POIs can be advantageous. I have all the fixed speed cameras in Sweden loaded with an alert preset to trigger 1km before I reach them.

 

[Boggo]

I have been using a Navman F20 for about 3 years now, no problems with the unit, a few issues with the operator though.

If you tell it to take you to the centre of Noosa for example, you will finish up out in the scrub as that is the actual centre of Noosa, you need a street name or the centre of Noosaville instead.

Up and down the Pathetic (Pacific) Highway it tells you where all the cameras and fixed radars are.

All those updates are here
(Tom Tom files can be converted to any make of unit) http://www.ozpoi.com/UpdateHistory.html

POI converter here http://www.poiedit.com/index.htm

The hook turns in Melbourne CBD can be good for a laugh sometimes, it thinks that you are turning left and starts to recalculate a new route and then when you actually turn right "she" really loses it.

I haven't tried any of the Garmin units, I have used them in aircraft and they are reliable and functional (there is an extra zero on the price though)

Main advantage of these units, they save many arguments

 

[tech/a]

Will say that one of the Tomtoms stopped accepting touch screen instructions.
Just wouldnt go to the next area of direction.

There are times when the map isnt up to speed and in the UK showed me in a paddock for 1 mile or so while I was on a freeway.

In Adelaide the only place dumb enough to have a freeway which changes direction at 2pm and 2am the GPS has you circling endlessly back onto the freeway when its not open in the right direction.

Quickest route and not using freeway functions can be handy.
Setting of radars is also good as mentioned.
Should have a built in radar detector!

 

[glenn_r]

I've had a Tom Tom for just over a year now and I've had no problems with it, I like the way it picks up fixed speed/red light cameras and you can download updated locations from other users on their site.

It can scare the crap out of you on long highway drives when all of a sudden a voice warns you about an upcoming turn, otherwise their a great piece of kit as it saves a lot of arguments with my Wife whose street directory reading capabilities are similar to a 2nd Lieutenant's map reading abilities....

 

[RUSHIAT]

I have a mate who has a GPS, and he reckons the Computer Swap Meets around Melb every Sunday are a great place to pick up software for it!

 

[2BAD4U]

I've had a TomTom One XL for about 2 years. It's good, doesn't give too many wrong directions. The only problem I do have with it is the battery life. You only get about 1.5 - 2 hrs so don't forget your cable.

 

[weird]

Been reading the reviews on the choice .com.au site. I should subscribe, was over at a mates place today that does.

The Tom Tom Go720 rates the highest in that review (09/08) over 14 other models and brands.

Also have been reading other reviews on other sites. Looks pretty good .... around $500 looking at DSE (dick smith).

2BAD4U, the Tom Tom XL rated the 2nd highest in the review, so also sounds like a very good unit.

 

[r34ztune]

I sell all the major brands- navman, mio (made by navman), tom tom, garmin, and aeropro.
All use the same maps however, they all use different software and this is what makes the difference, features aside, the number 1 factor in GPS is how the software works and calculate routes.
The best software works the fastest, won't make mistakes, and will always take you the quickest possible route. We tested all makes on the same journey, and the results were VERY different. At the end of the day this is whats important.
If you want features, simply pay more, however at the end of they day all the features in the world won't keep you happy if your GPS can't tell you where to go.
New features include.
- bluetooth, Fm transmitters, global maps, walk features, advance guidance control, map share, live traffic updates, milelage reporters, hardrives, talk to speech, 3d landmarks, inbuilt reversing cameras, ALL WANK FACTOR.

 

[Bill M]

they all use different software and this is what makes the difference, features aside, the number 1 factor in GPS is how the software works and calculate routes.
The best software works the fastest, won't make mistakes, and will always take you the quickest possible route. We tested all makes on the same journey, and the results were VERY different.

Thanks for that, so in that case which one has the best software and won't make mistakes? I'd rather pay a bit more for an accurate unit, don't want the extras either, thanks.

 

[awg]

I bought a TomTom 3.5", for $220.

In my opinion, you dont really want an expensive one, as these items are updated very fast, and will be available in mobile phones at low cost within a year or 2.

make sure you get one that talks, trying to look at them would be dangerous.

I mainly bought mine for when I have to drive in Sydney.

The speed camera warnings are a godsend, in areas where you are not familiar (especially Sydney)

The interface is very intuitive, you would not even need a manual.

I was advised the cheap, crappy brands have poor software, that will misdirect you

 

[r34ztune]

The main players are Tom Tom, Navman, and Garmin.
Software speed - Go Tom tom or Garmin, Navman is terribly slow, and frequently freezes.
Route calculations - By far the best here is Tom Tom, most units are "main road centric", however in peak hour the highways are usually the slowest route to go, some new units come with IQ routes which calulate routes on speed limits, and average speeds, rather than total km's travelled.
Software failures - again tom tom and garmin best here. Return rates on navmans are horrible, we get at least 1 per week, which has to be sent back. Having said that no unit is perfect, and being a computer no unit is prone to software failure.

-BTW NUVI 310 is old, which is why it is being reduced.
-Speed camera alerts are a feature worth having, however all now come standard.
-And in response to original question tom tom 930 comes pre-loaded with maps of america and europe, saves having to pay and download.
NB - DONT GO A CHEAPIE ITS NOT WORTH IT, ALL BASE MODELS NOW START @ $199

 

[agathos]

I own a Navman S 30 series a few months ago the evening before I went for my work related country trip to Busselton.

Pretty helpful generally.

2 things:

1) Navman S30 tend to die off for no rhyme or reason, then resets itself automatically. Sometimes, the screen goes blank for a few minutes.

2) There are a few ocassions where it directs me to a red dirt track owned by mining companies (great introduction to mining companies in the South West of Western Australia).

But on the whole, Navman is a piece of reasonably reliable equipment that gets me from point A to point B.

I think you can se the preference to what routes you want, and that could make a diference to the travelling outcome.

One final point - the traffic cameras being warned are only those that are stationary. They can't warn you and me of the nasty Multi-Nova that are usually hidden behing George Bush, with final "Anytime, anywhere" thank you sign when we've been snapped!

All the best.

 

[Bill M]

The main players are Tom Tom, Navman, and Garmin.
Software speed - Go Tom tom or Garmin, Navman is terribly slow, and frequently freezes.
Route calculations - By far the best here is Tom Tom, most units are "main road centric", however in peak hour the highways are usually the slowest route to go, some new units come with IQ routes which calulate routes on speed limits, and average speeds, rather than total km's travelled.
Software failures - again tom tom and garmin best here. Return rates on navmans are horrible, we get at least 1 per week, which has to be sent back. Having said that no unit is perfect, and being a computer no unit is prone to software failure.

-BTW NUVI 310 is old, which is why it is being reduced.
-Speed camera alerts are a feature worth having, however all now come standard.
-And in response to original question tom tom 930 comes pre-loaded with maps of america and europe, saves having to pay and download.
NB - DONT GO A CHEAPIE ITS NOT WORTH IT, ALL BASE MODELS NOW START @ $199

Thanks for all your input, I got a good idea what to look out for now, cheers.

 

[Boggo]

The Garmin seems to rate well in the US.
If their portable GPS units are anything like the aviation related items they are producing then they would be very good.

http://www.gpsmagazine.com/buyers_guide.php

I cannot find a link I did have to another site in the US where Garmin had a percentage rating in the high fifties while next was Tom Tom in the thirties.

 

[roland]

Looking for a unit more suited to a motor bike is somewhat harder. Since I am after something that tellls me where I am rather than how to get there, my demands are different.

Most of the better units tend to be pretty good in the navigation area, and most use the same map data from Sensis, so not much choice there. Since there is quite a monopoly in the map data, the on going costs of keeping up to date is a real bummer.

So far I haven't been happy with any of the offerings available for "out of town" - I'm yet to see a package that clearly shows all the fire trails through the back of Lithgow....

I believe Google have open sourced their Android operating system which I believe will tie in wireless (cell phone) comms with GPS and Google Maps connectivity. Being able to flip between map data and satellite no matter where you are on the planet is when I will flip the wallet open to upgrade from my trusty Magellan Meridian.

Actually, this is getting close:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wWNa...ile/default/maps.html&feature=player_embedded