mrklaw

anyone interested in this? I was looking at PDA/GPS combinations, but this sounds ideal. Can easily set it up and move it from my car to my wifes. Also seems to be a full Tom tom 3 software, so should be comparable to PDAs.

Anyone know if you can still download the speed camera POIs to it, and whether there are any obvious limitations (given that I wouldn't be planning to use a PDA as a PDA anyway)

Or are PDAs really easy to use? I was thinking of one with plug in GPS antenna to have it all in one anyway.

RRH

the pda's are really easy to use. if you're using it to go from customer to customer etc you can import addresses directly to TomTom with third party software, so in effect you can get the addresses directly from Outlook.

the new tomtom device seems pretty expensive compared to pda and tomtom, but is maybe a bit more tidy when installed? having said that mine only has one lead going to it.

there are some good deals on at the moment, so shop around before you commit.

mrklaw

how do you do one lead? I figured at least one from GPS to PDA and one from PDA to charger?

Is there any advantage using a CF plugin GPS? It would reduce the wires so I simply charge the PDA, but do they work less efficiently than a separate GPS antenna in the front window?

Other than that I guess I'd use a wired GPS, as bluetooth seems pointless if you have to have a wire for power anyway.

RRH

The one lead goes in to the bottom of the pda, then splits, half going to ciggy lighter, the other half to GPS.

CF antennaes are great, but only if you have another card slot as the full GB map is 100+meg.

The new version of TomTom has a traffic feature which it uses with your mobile via bluetooth. if you're using a bluetooth GPS you're going to have probs as bluetooth can only communicate with one device at a time- I have a bluetooth cat kit and it buggers up the traffic feature

I am about to sell my old pda if you fancy one at a sensible price? PM me if its of interest.

BuRR

http://www.pocketgps.co.uk/uksafetycameras.php

BuRR

and use this too - http://checkpoint.oabsoftware.nl/

mrklaw

If there isn't anything inherently bad about CF GPS, then I think I'd lean towards the HP2210, which has CF and SD - so space for GPS and memory for maps. Then its just a charger cable and jobs a goodun. I think ?

Although the wifi version is also tempting, just in case I want to browse scoobynet in Starbucks :P

Any good sites for cheap prices?

RRH

pc world had an excellent deal on the 2210- £299 including tomtom3. they sold out pretty quickly! the beauty of using a CF GPS is that you can swap vehicles really easy.

I've now got the 4150, I paid £260 through dabs.com, although expansys seem quite good on price amongst others. be careful with totalpda and totalgps, prices look good but they're ex vat.

Chris L

I've just posted up details of my setup on Andy's thread here. Hand Nav has some very good bundle deals.

Chris

joni

A word of warning.............the Pocket GPS camera database is not as comprehensive as the subscription sites....at least not yet. I have an Ipaq and wired TomTom3 (package price from Dixons recently for £299) and am pleased with the Satnav function...but I won't be flogging my Geodesy just yet. I know of two cameras, one Truvelo and one Gatso both installed for over a year that are not yet on the PGPS database. I can't cope with relying on a database that has "most" sites.

OllyK

ID them on your PDA when you go past, synch with checkpoint and then it will be in the database for everybody to benefit from. Many of the databases of things like RoadAngel and others work on the same basis, you see a camera that you are not warned of, you tag it, then when you synch the database it uploads the ones you have identified. They won't accept it in to the DB on a single sighting, but if a couple of other people ID it as well it will be accepted and or they will send a member of their checking team out to validate it.

Chris L

Joni has got a point - I've come across one camera that wasn't on the Checkpoint database. I would consider paying for one if it was a good as Road Angel's etc.

Incidently, there is a full review of Tom Tom Go here

Chris

RRH

I must admit although TomTom is excellent I still use a B2.

I used to use the Ipaq software for speedtraps but found it wasn't always totally accurate.

The software from trafcam is supposed to be excellent, although I've bever used it.

Chris L

Trafcam looks very good and they now do a fully integrated version for Tom Tom on pocket PC. First year sub is £79 and then £49 after that which compares well with Road Angel and others. If it is as good as Road Angel, then I'll be impressed. In the 6 months I had Road Angel, it didn't miss a single camera and I never had to enter a new one.

Chris

OllyK

I think you may mean TomTom Traffice which integrates in to the "blue camera like things on poles" to allow you to avoid traffic jams. It uses a phone connection, preferably GPRS to contact the base station and notify you if there are jams ahead, then re-route you using the TomTom navigation software. I may have missed something, but I don't think this has anything to do with speed cameras.

Chris L

Nope - Trafcam - subscription based speed camera database. Up to now it hasn't been possible to run this kind of software and navigation software at the same time. Trafcam now do a fully integrated version that works with Tom Tom.

The Traffic service is provided by Tom Tom.

Chris

OllyK

Sorry I misunderstood, thought you were suggesting that TrafCam WAS a TomTom product.

There have been a number of integrated camera apps for TomTom around for a long time (in part because TomTom proivde an SDK). I use CheckPoint, cameras are just one element. Can't access the TraCam site from work to see if it looks significantly better, but the CheckPoint one is free and so far has proved reliable (unlike the TomTom GPS unit).

Chris L

Trafcam isn't a POI service - it was originally written as a stand alone product. Becasue of the way the GPS feeds work - it wasn't possible to have the Trafcam app working at the same time as the Tom Tom nav software. Now they integrated it properly. Thinking back, I remember that the Checkpoint / pocketworld GPS speed camera database also failed to register a couple of cameras in Slough - and they've been there for at least 4 years. It just makes me slightly hesitant to rely on it totally. I read some very good reviews of Trafcam and the accuracy of its database is meant to be on a par with Road Angel etc - which is why I'm interested.

Chris

Kiwi

I use Trafcam & Tomtom. Both work very well. Trafcam very occasionaly does not have a camera on its database but the system can learn new cameras. Database gets update fairly frequently.

Overall package is excellent.

Kiwi