Garmin Nuvi 660/ Road angel 7000 anyone used / got one?
Garmin Nuvi 660/ Road angel 7000 anyone used / got one?
10 December 2006, 01:14 PM
#3
Scooby Regular
Join Date: Nov 2004
Posts: 63
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Just bought a RA 6000.
Was warned it was slow to start up and slow to plot a route with only 5 figure post code.(windows based software)
But I bought it firstly as a camera detector.
Initial thoughts in the first week;
Nice compact size.
Start up OK
Sat lock OK
Camera detection OK, even displays regular mobile van locations.
Very slow battery charge, 12 hrs+ for full charge.
As yet to test battery time
Biggest problem it has yet to plot a route.
Set even a close destination and its still trying to plot 2 hrs later.
Current speaking to RA about this issue.
My advise would be if sat nav was main priority then go elsewhere.
If you want a good camera detector then its good.
Any 6000 owners out there who can assist in my route plotting problem
I would be greatful
Was warned it was slow to start up and slow to plot a route with only 5 figure post code.(windows based software)
But I bought it firstly as a camera detector.
Initial thoughts in the first week;
Nice compact size.
Start up OK
Sat lock OK
Camera detection OK, even displays regular mobile van locations.
Very slow battery charge, 12 hrs+ for full charge.
As yet to test battery time
Biggest problem it has yet to plot a route.
Set even a close destination and its still trying to plot 2 hrs later.
Current speaking to RA about this issue.
My advise would be if sat nav was main priority then go elsewhere.
If you want a good camera detector then its good.
Any 6000 owners out there who can assist in my route plotting problem
I would be greatful
10 December 2006, 05:59 PM
#4
Scooby Regular
Join Date: Sep 2001
Posts: 1,873
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Got a Nuvi 660. As a navigator it's excellent. Full postcode search, auto re route if there's road works or queueing traffic ahead, very powerful GPS receiver (even works indoors it's that sensitive!), very fast processor for reroutes.
It has bluetooth hands free which I thought I'd never use but it actually works well. Find the nearest indian restaurant, navigate there and it even knows their phone number so you can ring them up to make a booking all from one device.
Downsides? Loads of extra gimmicks like translators and MP3 players that I could do without to be honest. Don't get the FM transmitter in UK versions so if you did want to play MP3's it's on the internal speaker or a headphone socket to aux-in only. You can't configure the screen, on my previous garmin I always had it configured with speed and miles to destination up on the front page with this one you get miles to next turn and ETA and can't change them. But these are small gripes compared with the improvements. I still like it.
But as a speed camera database it's not too good, bit vague in alerts, doesn't appear to be speed or direction sensitve, database is out of date (but to be fair I havn't worked out how to update it yet). It's definetly a navigator with camera POI's bolted on whereas the RA7000 is a camera database with a navigator bolted on. Depends which is your main reason for having it.
As a navigator I'd definetly recommend it but I've got an Origin B2 camera "detector" and I'll be running both.
It has bluetooth hands free which I thought I'd never use but it actually works well. Find the nearest indian restaurant, navigate there and it even knows their phone number so you can ring them up to make a booking all from one device.
Downsides? Loads of extra gimmicks like translators and MP3 players that I could do without to be honest. Don't get the FM transmitter in UK versions so if you did want to play MP3's it's on the internal speaker or a headphone socket to aux-in only. You can't configure the screen, on my previous garmin I always had it configured with speed and miles to destination up on the front page with this one you get miles to next turn and ETA and can't change them. But these are small gripes compared with the improvements. I still like it.
But as a speed camera database it's not too good, bit vague in alerts, doesn't appear to be speed or direction sensitve, database is out of date (but to be fair I havn't worked out how to update it yet). It's definetly a navigator with camera POI's bolted on whereas the RA7000 is a camera database with a navigator bolted on. Depends which is your main reason for having it.
As a navigator I'd definetly recommend it but I've got an Origin B2 camera "detector" and I'll be running both.
10 December 2006, 07:41 PM
#5
Thanks both for the detailed response
I am using the classic R/A for camera alerts and thought about updating to one of the new r/a's with more features, clock ( no clock in my elise) and the useful speed limit read out near camera's.
This got me thinking about trying to find a unit that will do both, from what I have read the garmin units come highly rated for sat Nav but I was unsure about camera location. The r/a claims to do both but as logbrog has said its a bit slow!!! the newer 7000 is supposed to to much much better but I dont know of anyone who has tried it.
One of the 7000's great features is that you can turn off the sat nav side of things when you dont need it and have a full r/a unit which is nice but how good is it?
I was hoping that one good unit would do both job's but it does not appear to be the case
I might be better off buying a cheaper sat nav and keeoing the r/a as well but its just more dash board clutter
On paper the r/a 7000 does the lot but how good is it???
The garmin is neat with lots of good things about but if the camera database is pants then its just an expensive sat nav unit.
As with a lot of things the more you look into them the more unsure you become.
Kev
I am using the classic R/A for camera alerts and thought about updating to one of the new r/a's with more features, clock ( no clock in my elise) and the useful speed limit read out near camera's.
This got me thinking about trying to find a unit that will do both, from what I have read the garmin units come highly rated for sat Nav but I was unsure about camera location. The r/a claims to do both but as logbrog has said its a bit slow!!! the newer 7000 is supposed to to much much better but I dont know of anyone who has tried it.
One of the 7000's great features is that you can turn off the sat nav side of things when you dont need it and have a full r/a unit which is nice but how good is it?
I was hoping that one good unit would do both job's but it does not appear to be the case
I might be better off buying a cheaper sat nav and keeoing the r/a as well but its just more dash board clutter On paper the r/a 7000 does the lot but how good is it???
The garmin is neat with lots of good things about but if the camera database is pants then its just an expensive sat nav unit.
As with a lot of things the more you look into them the more unsure you become.
Kev
11 December 2006, 08:34 PM
#6
Scooby Regular
Join Date: Sep 2001
Posts: 1,873
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
More info here. It's a Caterham BB calleed Blatchat, free to read but you can't post. One of the guys runs a car electronics shop ooop north and sometimes does demon deals for fellow blatchatters. He talks about his experience with the 7000 compared with the older 6000 and also with Garmin's.
11 December 2006, 11:41 PM
#7
Wow some usful info there
I've gone out and bought a tomtom710 today online from currys, with a promo code it cost me £280 delivered so i'm happy with that. It has all the features I want with bluetooth, full europe street level mapping, full europe camera database + much more.
Its not a slim as the r/a 7000 or the garmin nuvi but you cant have everything lets hope it does the job.
Thanks for your help.
Kev
I've gone out and bought a tomtom710 today online from currys, with a promo code it cost me £280 delivered so i'm happy with that. It has all the features I want with bluetooth, full europe street level mapping, full europe camera database + much more.
Its not a slim as the r/a 7000 or the garmin nuvi but you cant have everything lets hope it does the job.
Thanks for your help.
Kev
Trending Topics
12 December 2006, 12:24 AM
#8
Scooby Regular
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Ascended to the next level
Posts: 7,498
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Used the works Garmin Nuvi a few times. I think its great to use. A few little gripes with the voice description on some directions (some cross roads are announced as turn right, then left etc). And you need to make sure its set on the right vehicle mode, otherwise it can send you up single track roads (its designed so you can walk around with it as well as use it in the car - I forgot that, with interesting conseqences 
).
Handsfree is good quality, and menu system is good to use.
Gadget show review of the Garmin was very unfair IMO, I think they maybe getting backhanders to sway opinions
Mate has Navman, which I think has better maps and direction announcements, but its not so good at recalculating routes when taking diversions (but it gets there if you use your intiative and ignore it for a about 3 re-calculates). The menu is also not as nice to use imo, and gps signal didn't seem quite as strong.
).Handsfree is good quality, and menu system is good to use.
Gadget show review of the Garmin was very unfair IMO, I think they maybe getting backhanders to sway opinions
Mate has Navman, which I think has better maps and direction announcements, but its not so good at recalculating routes when taking diversions (but it gets there if you use your intiative and ignore it for a about 3 re-calculates). The menu is also not as nice to use imo, and gps signal didn't seem quite as strong.
Last edited by Shark Man; 12 December 2006 at 12:27 AM.
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post