Page 1 of want a good but cheap GPS/sat nav

Hi I want to buy a good value for money GPS/sat nav.................
I was told I can make use of my mobile(LG 8168) to make up one...
any suggestions?????

Tomtom GO 300 from amazon.co.uk

On the subject of GPS/Sat Nav (hope you don`t mind me asking). Other than give directions etc., do they also give traffic warnings and detours to take avoiding them - or do I need something else? I know some cars that have them Built-In do that.

Thanks

Niteowl

Quote:
do they also give traffic warnings and detours to take avoiding them

You would have to pay a subscription for those services, more than likely a different hardware package required as well.



I quite like the Helpdesk people in a benevolent (as opposed to malevolent) way as they do some valuable work in preventing us being inundated by every halfwit who can work a phone.

Quote:
do they also give traffic warnings and detours to take avoiding them

That would be the Trafficmaster system you need. I`ve had one about 8yrs now, you don`t have to renew your sub every year if you don`t want to. I just renenwed mine last year after a couple of yrs lapse. It`s about £30 a yr at the moment, and the cheapest unit is the Freeway, it`s a standalone battery powered unit, that speaks voice commands (there are more expensive ones that show your traffic on a map). It`s around £80 I think (I got mine free as an upgrade when they went digital a few yrs ago). It`s just a small unit that stands on the dash. The batteries last ages by the way, I`ve only changed them once in this new unit, in about 4yrs. But it doesn`t get used that often, only on longish trips.

I`ve just returned from a holiday in Scotland and this combined with my Medion SatNav I got from Aldi last year were invaluable, especially the SatNav. It got me right into the centre of Edinbugrh and back out again in one piece...lol

They don`t seem to show the standalone Freway unit on their website, only the Oracle, the built in version in some cars. You`d have to phone up and ask about one.

http://www.trafficmaster.co.uk

As for the GPS, the Aldi one is proving great value, and I heard from a GPS site I go on that the Navtech maps you get with it are more up to date than the TomTom ones. Plus it`s also a Pocket PC too which is handy.

This item was edited on Sunday, 22nd May 2005, 10:01

HD462 & Rassilon, thanks for the useful info. I had a look at the traffic master link and found their prices very steep (smartnav +installation+annual subscription apx £880).
Have I got this right, for example I would need

i) Traffic Master subscription - Freeway(annually)
ii) Medion Sat Nav (and occasional updates)
iii)And installation

??? Thanks Niteowl

This item was edited on Sunday, 22nd May 2005, 11:33

Quote:
Have I got this right, for example I would need

i) Traffic Master subscription - Freeway(annually)
ii) Medion Sat Nav (and occasional updates)
iii)And installation

??? Thanks Niteowl

Depends what you want. You can buy expensive Trafficmaster systems well into the hundreds of £`s. The Freeway is a small standalone unit, no display screen, just gives a voice announcement of traffic holdups within 10 miles / two motorway junctions. This is £80 and includes one years subscription in the price. Renewal subsrciption are £30 a year (only gone up from £24 over the last eight yr or so, so not bad). That is only just over 50p a week, so if you`re on the road a lot you should save that cost if it stops you burning fuel sat in a traffic jam.

Personally, if you only want one thing, I find the Pocket PC SatNav much more useful. It really is worth it, especially if like me you have a Mrs who is map illiterate...lol. I`m great with maps, you can`t drive and navigate at the same time, and there`s often nowhere to stop to check a map.

Aldi should be due to do their offer again soon I should think, or Halfords have one on offer at the moment for £350, but its a lower specced Pocket PC, and more expensve than the Aldi ones, even with Halfords offer.

As for installation, the Pocket PC just plugs into yout cigarette lighter to power the PC and GPS receiver, nothing really to install. The Freeway is just powered by batteries, and can be taken anywhere, from vehicle to vehicle.

I think the thing you might be talking about is Trafficmasters own SatNav and Traffic unit which is all combined, which needs installing. But do you really need something that expensive, and possibly less versatile than the two seperate units I`m talking about...both can easily be moved from car to car. :)

edit:
Just watched the demo of the Trafficmaster SmartNav. I can`t see it does anything extra that the combination of a Freeway unit and seperate Pocket PC SatNav will do. The voice commands on the Navtech software (that the Medion Pocket PC uses), are very clear, and it automatically re-calulates the route should you stray off the route it has you on.

You can input postcodes just the same to find your destination. I did that to find Mary Kings Close on the Royal Mile in Edinburgh on Friday while we were on holiday. It took us right to the street all the way from Ayr. I hate driving in city centres, there`s no way I would have driven in the centre without it, it`s a lot like London, cars and buses flying everywhere. It even tells you if you need to veer to a left of right lane if a road splits, take 3rd exit from roundabout in 200yds etc, that sort of thing.

I`d say if you wait for Aldis next offer it`ll probably be around £250, so with a Freeway too you should be looking at about £350 for both units, or slightly less. This is a photo of the Freeway, they don`t show it on the Traficmaster site now for some reason. Maybe to push people towards buying the more expensive products. You`d be best phoning up and asking for one, if you want one.

This item was edited on Sunday, 22nd May 2005, 14:58

HD462, Many thanks for your clear explanation (and photo) :) . I was after something cheapish, portable which also gives the trafic info and you`ve sumed it up very well.

I`ll look into the traffic master freeway in more detail and also wait to see if Aldi come up with another offer. Now I know what to look for.

Thanks again. Niteowl

There is no need for Traffic Master, if you get a Sat Nav system with TMC (Traffic Message Channal) enabled, it should recive Traffic reports by radio (normaly classic FM in the UK) and will automaticaly redirect you around the traffic jam.

Hope this helps, let us know how you get on.
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Regards, John72.

Niteowl,

I`ve just seen Lidl are doing a Pocket PC GPS with bult in receiver for £199 this week in their specials. Depends where you are as it`s a south-west only offer. It`s different software to the Medions so don`t know what it`s like, but just thought I`d point it out in case you`re interested. The sites showing it as on offer now. But I`ve just got an email newsletter from them which says its available from the 30th. So maybe different times for different regions??

Chances are, if they`re doing one now, Aldi won`t be far behind as they often do the same sort of prodcuts close together.

Lidl Offer

This item was edited on Monday, 23rd May 2005, 23:13