Ballistic

I'm looking for a portable satnav unit that I can share between 2 cars for use in the UK
Ideally, as well as route guidance, I would like information on speed cameras, road works, traffic delays, petrol stations, hotels etc
Someone recently recommended to me the new 'Navman PiN Pocket Pc' which I can get from Halfords for £399
Is this unit any good, or are there better devices available for a similar budget?

douglasb

I had a quick look at the Navman website. Some obvious plus points to Navman (over TomTom3 on a different Pocket PC) are that the GPS receiver is integrated in the PC so it's cable free and easy to swap between cars. Also, (assuming that you will be travelling in Europe) maps of 16 European countries beat TomTom's "Britain only with major European roads"; European maps for TomTom cost something like an extra £100.

Against the Navman are that the processor isn't wonderfully powerful (300 MHz against 400 MHz for a similarly priced iPAQ with TomTom), and that unless the Navman maps are particularly compact you will need additional memory to actually run the software (same criticism can be applied to iPAQ and TomTom).

Have a look at http://www.totalpda.co.uk/ to see what else could be available.

Ballistic

douglasb

Thanks for that link, had a look at the site, most interesting.
Can any of these devices warn of fixed speed camera locations?

gregh

anything that runs TomTom can have speed camera warnings, and then customisable POI (points of interest) that can include petrols stations, hotels, Wifi sites etc.

Check these specials from Total PDA, check they include the mounting and charging kits for your car.

4701 TomTom 3 Bluetooth + HP iPAQ 2210 New 1YR 26 £329
4699 TomTom 3 Bluetooth + HP iPAQ 4150 New 1YR 52 £379

regards,

greg

r32

What about a Tomtom go unit?
Mines pretty damn good!

jowl

I've got an iPaq 4150 and tomTom bluetooth....It's fantastic and saved me some points on a trip down the A1...it give me advance warning of EVERY speed camera (and even a couple that weren't there but were obvious spots for a mobile camera)

I had an Arkon Powered speaker mount which is easily loud enough to hear even with loud music on and the bluetooth just sits on the dash somewhere.

I plan on getting the Siedo 2500 mount for the Scooby with the hardwire kit....then to tranfer between cars, All I have to do is move the bluetooth module (less than the zize of a mobile phone) and the PDA. Easy.

Of course, TomTomGo has everything in one bundle if you don't need a PDA.

Ballistic

Do any other devices apart from Tomtom give speed camera warnings?

Wurzel

iTrader: (1)

I have a Navman PiN and it is very good at what it does, you get everything you need in the box including maps of 16 major european countries and mounting kit, power adapters etc and a 128MB mem card.

The PiN is also very good as a Pocket PC the V2 software that comes with i is good for its age but I would wait until next month when the new V3 software comes out, it is so much better then the existing stuff.

Also the new V3 software is compatabble with the Pocketpc.com or whatever it is called speed camera database, you can import it as an active POI.

The PiN is also hand if you want to walk round town as the aerial is integrated onto the PDA.

I have no experience of the TT but Navman are coming on in leaps and bounds adn I can recommend their kit. I also have the iCN630 which is also a good buy but alot dearer than the PiN, but just as easily transferable between cars.

They have new products coming out in the next month or two which look very good so if you can wait then I recommend you do so. I don't think you will be dissapointed.

carl

That's fine until you discover that one of your cars (Renault, Peugeot, some Mercs) has a heat-reflective windscreen, and the only place the receiver can go is up by the rear-view mirror, or on the rear parcel shelf.

Wurzel

iTrader: (1)

You can also get external magnetic aeriels for all of Navmans devices that you could just stick out the window or through the door seal.

Ballistic

The primary car I wish to use the satnav in is a Citroen C5 and it does have a heat reflective windscreen.
Are you saying that the Navman integrated receiver will not work if it is just mounted on the dash, and if so how much is the external receiver. I'm keen to minimise the amount of wiring so if a device with an integrated receiver will work so much the better.
Does the Navman come with 128Mb of RAM as standard or do you have to buy a memory expansion pack?

carl

That's exactly what I'm saying.

We had the same problem with my wife's 206CC -- but fortunately we have a Tomtom Bluetooth GPS receiver so it either goes in the "blank" area near the rear view mirror (it's for putting electronic passes in and the suchlike) or on the rear parcel shelf.