Thread: In Car GPS

I got the Navman S series Its just the basic one without the camera and its quite good but I find it a slow to refresh. Tells me I am 100 meters from the next turn when I am about 20 meters away. It does the job but if you are like me and want perfection. This isn't the one to choose.

Anybody had any experience with these
http://cgi.ebay.com.au/New-42-channe...QQcmdZViewItem
or
http://cgi.ebay.com.au/51-Channels-i...QQcmdZViewItem

Or does anyone know how or if they work

I bought the TomTom one a few days before my recent trip to Victoria. Managed 2500 stress and hassle free kilometres. It did try to sned me down some dirt roads around WB's place but by simply driving on past it recalculated another route, usually in less than a minute.

Mick

Hi

I have been using GPS's for a few years now. I began with a Magellan GPS 520 and digital maps on a laptop when I used to go off-road (Range Rover).

I moved up to a Magellan Meridan Platinum when the GPS520 was stolen.

The "newer" type of road map GPS was quite new when we took a trip to the USA. As we were driving through many cities and several US states I purchased some Magellan street maps and naviation software. This allowed route planning and caused the GPS to beep when traffic manouvers were near (lane changes and turns etc). This method was MUCH cheaper than paying (then) $800 plus for the newer gps.

This was quite good and reasonably helpful, however after taking a trip to Queensland last year and using (trying to use) the UBD streets and regional street maps on the pc/pda, THAT was hopeless.

I thought of purchasing a road type gps but considered the cost unjustifiable for a one week trip. I reused my Magellan gps for the first few days.

However partly due to a friends suggestion I DID look at the road type gps and purchased a MIO C510 gps device.

WHAT A DIFFERENCE

To see the road so clearly and the spoken instructions are GREAT expecially when compared to the Magellan (off road) gps

It did try to sned me down some dirt roads around WB's place but by simply driving on past it recalculated another route, usually in less than a minute.

The MIO C510 is absolutely terrific. It does a route recalculation within seconds (usually less than 5 seconds) of taking a wrong turn. The device has an SD card (memory) slot that can be used for maps of overseas countries and towns. The slot is NOT used for the Aus Whereis map as this map is BUILT in to the unit itself.

I have had the unit for over a year now and it is still one of the best units out there. The C510 works as my bluetooth hands free unit for my phone, it keeps a list of my contacts and can actually plan a route from my current location to ANY of my contacts. The touch screen allows me to make calls by dialling the number on the screen

It also can be used as a photo viewer and music player. The C510 works great as a hand held gps for walking through towns etc.

I don't think the MIO C510 is available now, here is a review of the product...

http://www.cnet.com.au/pdas/gps/0,23...9271689,00.htm

...I think a newer model is available.

Here is MIO's web site in case you want to have a look at what is available.

http://www.mio-tech.com.au/

BTW their tech support is great if you have any questions.

HTH

I'm hoping to get the MIO C520 for my birthday, it has come up in a couple of Computer Mag reviews as best value for money.

I think it is around $450 if you buy it over the net.

Hi,

I just bought a Hitachi MMP501B, 5" screen with Bluetooth and AV input. My only fault with it is the text to speech voice is fairly ordinary. Its pronunciation of some street names it quiet funny at times.

The screen is excellent and easy to read. It uses destinator software and has the latest sensis maps loaded. It POI's are endless. Red light camera detection, speed zones for schools etc. I use the AV input as a reversing camera.

Cheers

Michael.

If you go here before midnight tonight you can get a GPS for $261.50 delivered to your door. Not a bad place to check out every morning for cheap gizmos.

Mick

Just thought that I'd post an update ,have now placed the Tomtom one XL in the missus new car and have bought a newTomtom 920(not available in Oz yet I believe) in the Rodeo.
Sourced it from the States via ebay has a handy little remote comes with it & tried it out yesterday taking the Rodeo up for a canopy fit-up.

Have'nt done any comparisons with it.

Cheers John

I would not currently recommend any unit that relies on Sensis maps.

The street I live in is not on Sensis V14, but is there on the Navteq maps.
My street has existed for 15 years.

Tom Tom is great to customise with voices etc, but it uses Sensis maps.

Sensis is based a lot on UBD, Navteq on Ausway. That says a lot in itself IMHO.

Wallan is a disgrace on Sensis, And Hidden Valley(Vic) does not exist whatsoever.

So what? you don't want to get to my street?
How many other roads are missing / incorrect?

I have the MIO C520 & it uses the Sensis R14 maps.
I downloaded the latest update that came out this month & today the bloody thing took me up a closed road in the back blocks of Innisfail.

Once I had found the place myself I found that there was a much shorter way in from the other end of the street that I wanted but it didn't even know that there was a road there although it has been there for more than 4 years.

The other thing I have noticed is that the sound craps out if it gets hot.
Power off & on fixes it but sometimes you don't notice it has cut out.
I have to drive with the A/C vents on the screen to keep it cool on a sunny day.

Although not a dedicated GPS, i just changed my phone over to a Nokia 6110 GPS phone, and i am amazed how good it is. I bought a suction mount for the car, and its just like having a small, portable GPS unit. Voice nav is excellent, and the little screen is suprisingly clear. Really pleased with it.

Not bad considering i am now paying less than i was on my old plan.

If Sensis maps are the same as Whereis then I know they are not too good.

I live in a road not on the Whereis maps, but I can zoom right in on my property in Google Maps.

I haven't got a GPS, I use Google Maps and/or a directory.


If I lstened to another bird telling me where to go I'd never hear the end of it!

I have had a Garmin c320 for about 2plus years, just updated the maps.
Never again, I'll keep using the old maps for what there worth. As my computor skills are #%&*@^, I got my son to update the mapping, what a suprise when the bank card statement came, $125 US = $144.39 AUS + transaction fee $3.54 AUS.
The only thing wrong with Garmin is it wants to direct you to main roads and highways all the time.
Last weekend I had a trip up to Koondrook ,to pick up some KD redgum, shortest way from Geelong was thru Ballan,Daylesford,Bridgewater,Kerang.
Garmin was Melbourne,Bendigo, Kerang,an extra 80 to 100 ks.
Its only good in the city ,if you don't know you way around.
nine fingers

Originally Posted by nine fingers

The only thing wrong with Garmin is it wants to direct you to main roads and highways all the time.

Coming home from Phillip Island, the chauffeur likes to follow the highway onto Stud Road, then Bayswater Rd, Croydon Rd and onto Maroondah Hwy. A fairly simple route, but runs into city traffic and is, IMHO, the long way around.

Personally, once we hit Tooradin I like to go the backroads and cut through berwick. Much less traffic and more direct (as the crow flies) but you gotta know the way.

We've argued over which way is better for a few years now... finally agreeing to disagree.

So, guess who got a new Garmin for Chrissie? We decided to let it decide. Coming into Tooradin, it directed us off on to the back roads. "Aha!" I chortled to myself... until it took us into Pakenham. Over the Freeway, through a few back roads, back over the freeway again, a few more back roads. Then onto the freeway (which we'd passed on-ramps for at each cross-over ) and finally towards Dandenong.

We're both a bit puzzled at this, but decided to let it have it's way. OK, off at Police Road, a couple more back streets, then... Eastlink? is Eastlink? Never heard of it! Then the light dawns, as we pull up to the new, "soon to be opened" freeway section to Ringwood. "Soon to be opened" is the key here. OK. Hit the "re-route" function, wait a few seconds... it sends us in the general direction of Stud Road. "Fair enough," I thought, until at the next intersection it tried to get us onto the next on-ramp for Eastlink. "Re-route" again, back to Stud Road and... next intersection it tries for the Eastlink a third time.

That's when we switched it off.

Nice toy, I imagine it'd be handy if you don't know where you're going. But it'd be really, really nice if you could tell it "avoid road such'n'such" when re-routing. [sigh]

It gave us a few laughs though, as it announced the turn-offs in advance. "Turn left at Em Tee Dandenong Road," it advised. [snigger] I wonder how it would have gone if we'd driven through Ess Tee Kilda?