Looking at the fascinating material on here about sat nav, I am wondering why prices vary so widely.
The wide interest in the Aldi promotion suggests that most here find the bottom end of the market -- and I refer to price only -- quite acceptable and seem perfectly happy with a PDA-based setup or a TomTom.
However, a friend has just shelled out the cost of three or four TomToms for a Dayton setup.
Leaving aside the obvious point that the 'pocket' systems are more easily transferable -- and any after-market system is removable anyway -- just what do the Dayton, Bosch, Siemens, Navigon, Magelllan etc., all the upmarket stuff, have going for them that a PDA or TomTom doesn't?
Or putting it another way -- if money were no real impediment (I wont say 'no object' because it rarely is) what add-on system would you choose?
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The VDO units (and other high-end systems) have speed input from the vehicle's speed sensor, reverse light connection, and two or more internal yaw sensors, as well as the GPS, so they are more pre-emptive, and accurate around complicated estates, or multi-lane junctions, or flyovers over roundabouts etc....
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Full blown installed in car systems
For: Big screen, 5 or 6 inches in most cases. Brighter, auto adjust for night driving, much more accurate (speedo pulse fed as well) Better sound, handy remote control, better satelite reception, no need to load your chosen maps before you go - all there on the built in DVD. TMC (traffic jams) integration. Full post code database, much better map updates.
Against - Cost
PDA Based
For:
Price, portability, you have a PDA as well, can load other GPS based software. Can integrate speed camera database.
Against:
Poor satelite reception in car, visibility, useability and ergonomics in car, sound, messy install (wires, plugs etc), compared to in car GPS systems the software and maps are poor.
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Thanks, fellers -- that's interesting. I've always reckoned that yer gets what yer pays for -- it's just that the 400% or 500% price hike at the top end is so marked, for something that I would not have thought had all that many variables. But we live and learn.
A big,more legible screen is an undoubted advantage and won't come cheap. A yaw sensor -- good grief! What does that do? I know what yaw is (from flying) but how does it relate to navigating a vehicle?
I'm quite intrigued to learn that the full-blown systems take a feed from the car's speed instrumentation. On another thread, weren't we suggesting that GPS offers a check on speedo accuracy? Sounds a bit like the Bolton factory hooter and the clockmaker.
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Yaw. Early detection of change of direction. Got it -- not had me coffee yet . . .
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I use a Palm T3 with bluetooth connection to a Holux GR-230 Gps captor. I use the Via Michelin roadmap too. The major problem with most of the Palm/Windows PDA's is that the UV treated car windsceens block out the satelite signals. You quite often find some of the 'all in one' units give slow response times or recalculate if you stop at lights and then give bad directions. Another problem with Bluetooth set-up is the small battery life of the GPS captor. The Holux seems to last for days and actually works with my UV/heated windscreen. Another problem with the personal orgnansier solution is the download time from computer of maps. And you'll need a 256 memeory card. If your GPS use is a couple of hours per day then i'd go for a Palm solution. Go for Holux solution rather than Kirrio (I sent mine back). The new GR-230 is really reliable. I can't pay £1500 for the in-car system and use the Palm for my contacts, agenda etc.
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A year ago as my own personal present to myself for attaining a certain significant age, I retro-installed an Alpine NVE-N077PS sat nav in my beemer, just prior to a tour down to Munich.
Being DVD based all the data for a long list of countries was on the same disk, thus enabling seamless guidance between countries.
It never failed me - first step being to take me from home directly to the car park of my hotel in Aachen (which I had already plotted before leaving).
Features such as listing all up and coming service areas on motorways, with estimated distances and times, were hugely helpful.
Other features too numerous to mention, and are probably also offered in one form or another by other makes.
For me, and above all, the big benefit was added safety - I was driving on my own, and had no need to try to simultaneously wrestle with a road atlas.
Oz (as was)
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RF - Tomtom has
no need to load your chosen maps before you go - all there on the built in DVD. - if the SD card used is big enough anyway. 1GB covers the whole of Europe and costs about £50. 256MB (£20) covers the whole UK adequately. Maps outside the UK do csot extra though.
TMC (traffic jams) integration. - is it subscription based with built in systems? TomTom offers this for the mobile product that I use, not sure about the PDA based ones.
Full post code database - Possibly useful in the UK, less so in other countries where postcodes aren't as precise. TomTom does go down to the house number though so, if you have the street address it will find it, albeit that this may be a longer process than simply entering a postcode.
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You might find the following website useful:
gpsinformation.net/
Give you an idea of the units available, and reviews them.
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A very useful-looking link. Thanks.
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"TMC (traffic jams) integration. - is it subscription based with built in systems?"
Nope, you do need a TMC module or input feed from the radio to the sat nav. Its broadcast on the Classic FM frequencies.
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