satnavs - how accurate ?

[Thunderchild]

I'm considering buying a satnav but i keep reading of people that went the wrong way etc so I wonder just how accurate are they ? is there any particular one you would recomend spending as little as possible but getting a decent unit ?

Regards
Simon

 

[ericgibbs]

I'm considering buying a satnav but i keep reading of people that went the wrong way etc so I wonder just how accurate are they ? is there any particular one you would recomend spending as little as possible but getting a decent unit ?

Regards
Simon

hi,

The Tom-Tom seems to get good reviews.

BTW, getting the sat-nav stolen from your car is now the top of the car crime list.
Some people have them mounted on a detachable bracket, take it with them when they leave the car..

 

[Thunderchild]

I'm getting this one:

**broken link removed**

from what people say it is solid and good value for money

 

[Mikebits]

I have a little handheld Magellan Explorist. I think it is great, I take it with me on all my geology field trips. Great for finding spots when you know the coordinates from say Google earth. The cost was around $150.00 US. I have more detailed tropo maps than stock unit but they cost extra. For driving, the screen is a little small, but still usable.
One cool feature is it can track a path you take, so if your out in the boonies you can just backtrack your steps. A modern day, bread crumb trail.

 

[picbits]

Get the £50 one from Ebuyer and hack it Its called the Navigo

Very nice bit of kit for not a lot of money and with the hack you can run TomTom on it.

 

[kchriste]

I'm considering buying a satnav but i keep reading of people that went the wrong way etc so I wonder just how accurate are they ? is there any particular one you would recomend spending as little as possible but getting a decent unit ?

I think you mean GPS. SatNav is an outdated system that predates GPS and I'm not sure if it is even operational anymore.
EDIT: I see now that the marketing people have hijacked the name.

 

[Mikebits]

I think you mean GPS. SatNav is an outdated system that predates GPS and I'm not sure if it is even operational anymore.
EDIT: I see now that the marketing people have hijacked the name.

Yeah, when I was in the Navy we had Sat-nav and that was when Davy Jones (Not the guy in the band) was a recruit.

Anyways I can see how you might call GPS, sat-nav as there are satellites involved and they provide your receiver with navigational info

 

[ericgibbs]

I'm getting this one:

**broken link removed**

from what people say it is solid and good value for money

hi TC,

I saw a demo of a homemade 'head up' display for a car nav system [TomTom].
It worked fine, it was demonstrated on 'The Gadget' UK, TV prog

All the guy did was to use the back half of a clear plastic DVD case.
He reversed the TomTom screen 'write' so that the headup display would be the correct way round.

 

[Nigel Goodwin]

Basically it's an 'aid' - it's not something you should follow slavishly, use your common sense, and pay attention to road signs - folowing your GPS the wrong way down a one way street is no excuse at all!.

A month or so ago we had a suitable story round here, a Dutch trucker (driving the largest truck allowed on UK roads) ignored all the road signs about weight restrictions, and single track roads, and tried to follow his GPS down 'Riber Road'.

Now Riber Road is a VERY steep, VERY narrow road, with multiple hairpin bends - I avoid it when possible, even in a small car or van. He came down it in the middle of the night, wiping walls out at both sides, until he became wedged. The police had to wake all the residents, and get them to move all their cars - and then had machinery brought-in to push the truck sideways, in this way they were able to get the truck down the hill - there's no way it could negogiate the hairpins without sideways movement.

I most admit to been impressed, I wouldn't have thought it was possible, but if you can push the front and back of the truck sideways in opposite directions it obviously makes many things possible

 

[jpanhalt]

Just what we need - more drivers on cells phones while using their navigation system.

You should know where you are going before you get on the road.

John

 

[Thunderchild]

Just what we need - more drivers on cells phones while using their navigation system.

You should know where you are going before you get on the road.

John

as Nigel said I intend using it as an aid not to go off blind folded I've lived in Italy for 15 years and have just come back to the UK so have very little knowledge of the area (I could take you anywhere in my local area in italy and point you in the right direction for anywhere in italy itself) its like I've just been born again with a driving license and the car key inhand. I've driven across europe and I'm more comfortable doing that than trying to find the local cinema, in todays caotic life its a bit difficult to stop someplace and ask for directions especially if you on a dual cariageway in town, I'd probably use it as much on my bike and on foot as well as in the car to move around unknown towns. (like the one 1 mile away)

 

[jpanhalt]

@Thunderchild,
I was not referring to legitimate uses like you and Nigel describe. I was referring to the idiots on American highways - the ones who have a cell phone permanently on their ear, are eating or smoking, and trying to drive at the same time. When I am following one of those people and see their head keep ducking down to look at something on the seat, I get really nervous. There should be a simple way to warn the person they are about to tailend.

John

 

[ericgibbs]

@Thunderchild,
I was not referring to legitimate uses like you and Nigel describe. I was referring to the idiots on American highways - the ones who have a cell phone permanently on their ear, are eating or smoking, and trying to drive at the same time. When I am following one of those people and see their head keep ducking down to look at something on the seat, I get really nervous. There should be a simple way to warn the person they are about to tailend.

John

John,
Its illegal to use a cell phone whilst driving in the UK.

 

[Thunderchild]

@Thunderchild,
I was not referring to legitimate uses like you and Nigel describe. I was referring to the idiots on American highways - the ones who have a cell phone permanently on their ear, are eating or smoking, and trying to drive at the same time. When I am following one of those people and see their head keep ducking down to look at something on the seat, I get really nervous. There should be a simple way to warn the person they are about to tailend.

John

yea I know what you mean john I still haven't forgotten the american woman that thought it actually possible to set off in her camper put it on autospeed control and go into the back to make a sandwidch, naturally she sued and won because the manulk did not say you couldn't do it duh its because of ******** like that that stupid laws are being made to limit everyones freedom in the name of protecting us from ourselves. the gov should apply the general rule : incompetent ? - DON'T do it - if you do and f u c k it up : YOUR PROBLEM

 

[Thunderchild]

John,
Its illegal to use a cell phone whilst driving in the UK.

yet people still do it I bought a headset because I got fed up with agency's that were that dumb that they would send me on a job 30 miles away and then ring me up 15 minuits after the job was over and where was I of course ? in my car on my way home from the job THEY gave me some ******** will just be ********

 

[JimB]

You should know where you are going before you get on the road.

A very simplistic view I think.
So I assume that when you visit some city for the very first time, you have a detailed map of your route photographically printed in your brain?
You know all the one-way streets, no right (or left) turns, and exactly wher to be positioned on the road to make the next turn you require.
And you can do all this while negotiating the traffic where none of the other drivers know or care less that you are somewhat lost.

SatNav?
A brilliant tool for safe navigation on the roads.

However, there can be odd little hiccups such as the one cited by Nigel earlier in this thread.

I response to the original question, yes they are generally very accurate, there can be little wrinkles in the map but not too many to worry about.
I have a TomTom Go500 (model is now superceeded) and find it invaluable, but still use a map for planning a route to understand the alternatives.

JimB

 

[Nigel Goodwin]

I response to the original question, yes they are generally very accurate, there can be little wrinkles in the map but not too many to worry about.

Main problem is out of date maps, new roads don't appear - I had an interesting experience going to York University - I was on a motorway, but the GPS was going crazy saying I was in a field!

 

[JimB]

Main problem is out of date maps, new roads don't appear - I had an interesting experience going to York University - I was on a motorway, but the GPS was going crazy saying I was in a field!

The A1 around the Leeds/York area?
The poor thing has a fit!

JimB

 

[AllVol]

yea I know what you mean john I still haven't forgotten the american woman that thought it actually possible to set off in her camper put it on autospeed control and go into the back to make a sandwidch,

Maybe you should Scope that urban legend. I heard it was a Chinaman making coffee in his motor home!

 

[Thunderchild]

Maybe you should Scope that urban legend. I heard it was a Chinaman making coffee in his motor home!

I'd beleive it of some people ya know its easy to be that stupid staraight road assumes the thing will keep going straight.