Sat Navs?

[1 shot willie]

On the look out for a new Sat Nav for the camper van.
Used to have a "Snooper"......which got smashed after being dropped on the way to the car....and then stood on

Been looking at the "Garmin Camper 770 LMT
Think it comes with Free map updates and traffic.....for the life of the unit.

Garmin Camper 770LMT-D 6.95 Inch Sat Nav with Full Europe Lifetime Maps, Free Lifetime Digital Traffic, Bluetooth and Wi-Fi, Black: Amazon.co.uk: Electronics

Free delivery and returns on eligible orders. Buy Garmin Camper 770LMT-D 6.95 Inch Sat Nav with Full Europe Lifetime Maps, Free Lifetime Digital Traffic, Bluetooth and Wi-Fi, Black at Amazon UK.

www.amazon.co.uk

Any experienced "Tech heads" had any experience of this unit....how do you rate it?

 

[Ystranc]

Any of them are only as good as the software so as long as they're regularly updated there shouldn't be too much difference. They're all a bit useless on minor roads around Wales.

 

[saxonaxe]

" They're all a bit useless on minor roads around Wales. "

There are two roads within about a mile of where I live where BIG notices are displayed..*Do not follow Satnav*

On one of the boards someone has added..."Unless you can reverse 3 miles".....

 

[1 shot willie]

So.......stay the fluff away from Wales......... then should be fine egh

 

[Matt]

id be more inclined to get a 10" tablet and install google maps on it ... then connect the tablet via wifi to your phone ... .. then you can sit and watch films on the tablet when you get lost

 

[divebuddy]

Garmin are fairly good. I have had four different makes and the Garmin with free updates has done well.

 

[Ark79]

What about the tomtom? It’s been a while since I have seen or used one, they was all the rage about 10 odd year ago. I remember we downloaded ozzy osbourne for the voice over it was amazing

 

[1 shot willie]

What about the tomtom? It’s been a while since I have seen or used one, they was all the rage about 10 odd year ago. I remember we downloaded ozzy osbourne for the voice over it was amazing

Hi Mark

It would have been ok ten years ago having "Ozzy Osbourne" as a voice over........not such a good idea these days though....bless him

The two front runners for us are the Tom Tom and Garmin.
From the reviews (and I have read a few ) they all seem to have their pros and cons......and having an up to date road atlas as a back up and cross reference will be a must have.

Both units have a fairly reasonable campsite directory built into them...... giving details of facilities and places of interest near to your chosen site.
Free map up dates and traffic/cameras for the life of the unit is a bonus....... as subscriptions could work out quite expensive with other model types.

I did buy a Garmin a little while back to replace the Snooper that got broken.....had a bad experience when trying to register the product......need to see past that and maybe register on line rather than over the phone.
Took it back and got a refund.

Its looking like we will be going for the "Garmin" option at the moment.

Thanks for the input all.

 

[Matt]

Good choice mate

 

[1 shot willie]

Good choice mate

Cheers Mucker ......apparently..... there is no such thing as a wrong road......it's just a different route to explore and enjoy
Must remember that saying when sat in the middle of a river up to my "orchestra stalls" in water

 

[1 shot willie]

Well after much thought and research we made a choice reference the Sat Nav.
Did not buy either of the ones we were looking at in the end.

Finally decided on a Garmin 890.....managed to get a £46.00 discount too from Halfords

Ideal unit for what we need and a piece of cake to set up and update....thank you "Number 1 Son"

Will give it a good shake down and probably add a reversing camera to it.

Happy days.

 

[Bopdude]

When I was shopfitting years ago we were doing a Halfords store, the Garmins were on special so I had a word with the manager and got a bit more knocked off, used it going home that Friday and returned it on the Monday morning after 'it' nearly killed me. Having been used to TomTom previously and the maps / roads being so good that you could almost drive without looking out he window I found the Garmin map / road was all over the place, in that a slight bend in the road wouldn't show as a bend at all and a hairpin would show as a slight bend, as said, returned and swapped for TomTom again, never looked back.

EDIT: sorry if that came too late @1 shot willie

 

[Ark79]

Spot on bill

 

[1 shot willie]

When I was shopfitting years ago we were doing a Halfords store, the Garmins were on special so I had a word with the manager and got a bit more knocked off, used it going home that Friday and returned it on the Monday morning after 'it' nearly killed me. Having been used to TomTom previously and the maps / roads being so good that you could almost drive without looking out he window I found the Garmin map / road was all over the place, in that a slight bend in the road wouldn't show as a bend at all and a hairpin would show as a slight bend, as said, returned and swapped for TomTom again, never looked back.

EDIT: sorry if that came too late @1 shot willie

@Bopdude


No not at Al........thanks for your input mate


Sorry to hear that....and glad you came to no harm

At the speed we will be traveling around at (Meandering along.....no rush or hurry) we will hopefully not have the same problems.......and slip around those hairpin bends nicely

If we buy a Ferrari........may think again.....and buy the TomTom

 

[1 shot willie]

Nearly lost it with the Sat Nav while skipping through the menus and options.....getting to know the machine.
Some of the functions would just NOT work. no matter what I tried.

"THATS IT"........came the cry........they can shove their Sat Nav up their arse......bloody useless things................no good in Wales either .......nor hairpin bends

THEN......I saw this.....

Garmin suffers global outage after suspected ransomware attack | CyclingTips

Then calm returned to the household.......the dog came out from behind the settee again.

Seems Garmin have been ransomed

 

[saxonaxe]

I 've got a smaller but equally unhackable one for the bike...................

 

[saxonaxe]

Right on topic this.....Son and his Mrs have just left for Lancashire. Major drama, they don't want to use Motorways, M4, M5 and then M6 but his okey cokey all dancing 'phone will not load some kind of route planner..AA was it? Something, anyway won't load ( duff signals around here)

After much encouragement from me they will venture into the terrifying unknown, all of 3 miles, to where they should get a signal which will tell them how to journey into the vastness of wales and lands beyond, to safety...
Apparently SatNav in his car is not required as his phone does all that...when it can get a signal..They'll probably turn up later having got lost and driven in a circle....

 

[Bopdude]

That's the thing, why is it you can get sat nav signal anywhere but lose phone reception ?

 

[saxonaxe]

I imagine because the Sat Nav signal is literally a link between the device and Satellites in low orbit. The device gets a number of signals from multiple Satellites which give it a 'fix' for position, rather like taking a number of compass bearings to fix a position. I got regular positions from my Sat Nav when halfway across the Atlantic, all accurate to within metres.
The mobile 'phones rely on relayed land based signal fixes from physical masts, so if you are in mountainous country or where land features or sometimes even atmospheric conditions effect the phone reception, then your hand held phone in Sat Nav mode relying on masts, is not nearly as effective as a dedicated Sat Nav instrument like a Tom Tom etc: getting it's signals directly from space.

 

[divebuddy]

I believe you can get a "plug-in" satellite unit for your phone. Not sure how much.