Satnav survey.: Motoring Motoring Discussion forum

Motoring Discussion > Satnav survey.	Miscellaneous
Thread Author: FotheringtonTomas	Replies: 51

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Wed 24 Nov 10 20:55

Satnav survey. - FotheringtonTomas

OK. Who *doesn't* use "satnav"?

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Wed 24 Nov 10 21:08

Satnav survey. - Iffy

Me.

I'd have thought a SatNav would appeal to me, but it doesn't.

I would have one if I regularly needed to find streets in strange towns.

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Wed 24 Nov 10 21:14

Satnav survey. - Stuu

I do. My Garmin serves me well.

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Wed 24 Nov 10 21:20

Satnav survey. - Runfer D'Hills

I wouldn't want to be without mine now. Really useful to me.

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Wed 24 Nov 10 21:20

Satnav survey. - Old Navy

I only use mine when long distance pensioner roaming in the UK. I don't use one when driving abroad, I like to be a little "adventurous".

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Wed 24 Nov 10 21:22

Satnav survey. - Zero

I use mine all the time,

I just dont have home programmed on it

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Wed 24 Nov 10 21:25

Satnav survey. - Old Navy

>> I just dont have home programmed on it
>>

It's easier than putting your address in every time. :-)

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Wed 24 Nov 10 21:29

Satnav survey. - Zero

I know where I live, I know where I am so I just need to point the car N S E or W

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Wed 24 Nov 10 21:30

Satnav survey. - Old Navy

>> I know where I live, I know where I am so I just need to
>> point the car N S E or W
>>

Magnetic or true?

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Wed 24 Nov 10 21:57

Satnav survey. - Zero

Given the size of the UK, it dont matter. London is a big place you cant miss it.

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Wed 24 Nov 10 21:23

Satnav survey. - Dave_

I'd rather not use one, but some customers expect the driver to have it and only give a vague address plus full postcode so it's a necessary evil these days. I don't pay it any attention until the final mile or so, as it often chooses bizarre trunk-road routes.

My unit cost me £30 from Cash Converters, it's an LG something-or-other and it was cheap because the battery won't hold a charge. No problem for me, as it's always plugged in when I'm using it anyway.

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Wed 24 Nov 10 21:22

Satnav survey. - Tooslow

Me. Not got one. Just splashed out £4 on a 2011 road atlas at 2.5 miles to the inch. It has our village on it, therefore it has everywhere on it.

John

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Wed 24 Nov 10 21:25

Satnav survey. - Perky Penguin

The map is fine but who uses it for you when you are driving and lost?

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Wed 24 Nov 10 21:28

Satnav survey. - Old Navy

>> The map is fine but who uses it for you when you are driving and
>> lost?
>>

That would be SWMBDisO.

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Wed 24 Nov 10 21:28

Satnav survey. - Tooslow

Navigator / entertainment director / weapons officer (if only), aka wife. She's a good navigator.

If I'm on my own I note major roads and junctions (from map). As posted above it's easy for the first two hundred miles then you have to pay attention.

John

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Wed 24 Nov 10 21:31

Satnav survey. - RichardW

No satnav here - we have the 5 quid road atlases too. Where's the fun in not arguing about where you are with SWMBO??? Can think of only a handful of times one might have been half useful. My mate's got one, and seems have lost the abilty to navigate anywhere on his own - even sets it for travel to friend's houses! What happens when it has a fit and says No in the middle of a journey....???

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Wed 24 Nov 10 22:11

Satnav survey. - Perky Penguin

Says "No" in relation to what?

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Wed 24 Nov 10 21:35

Satnav survey. - Tooslow

SWMBO recently went to company's Birmingham office. It's an easy drive, possibly two sensible routes. She's driven it many times. It's easy. Last time she got a lift. Satnav took driver off M6 toll. Drove alongside M6 toll. Took him back onto M6 toll....

I can get lost without computerised assistance thanks. And I pay less on the M6 toll by staying on it :-)

Dunno what brand it was.

John

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Wed 24 Nov 10 22:04

Satnav survey. - Runfer D'Hills

Trick is to treat it as a map which is always open on the right page and in your line of sight. You don't need to obey it religiously or at all if your own knowledge or road signs or traffic conditions tell you there is a better option. It's just another instrument like any on your dash which you can choose to use or not but if required and treated as such it can be jolly useful.

Other lesser known uses include assistance with night driving on open roads. A quick glance at the nav will give you advance warning of a tight bend or a minor junction etc. In this way it helps with pre-planning of hazard avoidance.

Estimating times of arrival is another handy feature if trying to keep to a schedule ( or indeed estimating what time you will be home for dinner ! )

It is not generally a good plan to rely on its total accuracy but it can be a very useful tool in helping to confirm your driving decisions in addition to the traditional methods.

I used to steer by the sun when in an unknown location so I could get a rough compass bearing depending on the time of day. Not a bad way of finding places if you know where they are in relation to your present location. My nav has a compass on it which is always showing my actual bearing so even if I've not programmed a destination in I'll tend to leave it switched on if only for that facility.

To be fair, if I only ever went to the same places, I'd not bother with it but in my case I'm often going to somewhere new. I take it with me when in other European countries too and use it in hired cars. Takes all the stress out of travelling alone in a strange land.

I think they're a great invention.

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Wed 24 Nov 10 22:15

Satnav survey. - Old Navy

Summed up nicely Humph.

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Wed 24 Nov 10 22:25

Satnav survey. - Stuu

The great thing with sat nav is if you ignore it or take a wrong turn, it wont give you grief and you can turn the volume off. I cant do that with the wife and a map, lord knows ive tried.

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Wed 24 Nov 10 22:56

Satnav survey. - Armel Coussine

I don't.

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Wed 24 Nov 10 22:59

Satnav survey. - R.P.

Having been an "user" for 5 years I do admit to using it on long journeys for speed camera warnings and the last few hundred meters to zoom in on exactly where I want to go. The bike's BMW branded Garmin 660 packed up in France fortunately I had decent paper maps to find the Gite on the Somme - I really enjoyed it actually. Not essential though.

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Wed 24 Nov 10 23:07

Satnav survey. - Bellboy

i dont have one
i only go on known slug trails most weeks
if going for a drive i never know where im going but let the steering wheel take me
i very rarely lose my sense of direction

however if im a multi drop driver or someone who doesnt know harris from tweed they must be a blessing
downside?
young unns who have no idea where yorkshire is because a map is so last century

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Wed 24 Nov 10 23:33

Satnav survey. - rtj70

I first got sat nav via an HP IPAQ in 2004 (Jan)... and the Navman software was crap so got TomTom. Eventually had TomTom 5 (?) and traffic on that and used it to avoid traffic etc. Worked well.

Fast forward a bit and I got a Nokia N70 and had TomTom on it (licence allowed me to move it for the pedants). And then I had to travel and my company SIM had no data... so back to the IPAQ.

Anyway now have a TomTom 720 (which I have used for traffic info via GPRS), Nokia e51 (with TomTom when needed using Bluetooth GPS) and now an Android phone with Google navigation and GPS.

Most useful of all though? OS maps on the Nokia. And now on Android. But more features on the old Nokia. And my old MemoryMap on the 7 year old iPAQ was best of all.

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Wed 24 Nov 10 23:43

Satnav survey. - RattleandSmoke

I have one but I don't use it very often because I like to be in complete control of routes. It does come in very handy for the Heatons though. I always get lost round there so the sat nav can be a god send.

I use satnav on my Nokia N97 Mini and my Samsung Galaxy S (I use which ever I don't want the battery to drain on) if I am in a strange place and walking about but use it for maps rather than navigiation.

Is there anyway on either Google maps (android) or my tom tom that I could preprogramme an exact route?

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Wed 24 Nov 10 23:48

Satnav survey. - Zero

yup, you use waypoints.

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Thu 25 Nov 10 13:04

Satnav survey. - Snakey

I use mine very rarely.I tend to plan my route (for a long journey) using an map or online (such as the AA) and make a few mental notes as to which junctions I need to change at.

When I get nearer I sometimes switch the satnav on to guide me the last few miles. Case in point, I drove to Edinburgh and the sat nav guided me through the one way systems and ring roads straight to my hotel. Would have probably got lost otherwise as it was unfamiliar (driving) territory!

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Thu 25 Nov 10 13:07

Satnav survey. - RattleandSmoke

That is pretty much how I use mine. I have a job in a place called Heald Green next week. I know how to get there via Northenden and Styal Road so I will be going that way but I will need my sat nav once I get into Heald Green so I am not trying to find roads in the pitch black.

Last edited by: RattleandSmoke on Thu 25 Nov 10 at 13:07

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Thu 25 Nov 10 13:20

Satnav survey. - Falkirk Bairn

Sat navs are great for the "last mile" - trying to find a hotel / street etc - only proviso is that the house /street / hotel was not built in the last 5 years - everyone I know seems to have a system which is up to 5 yr old/ out of date - even if they buy the latest updates.

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Thu 25 Nov 10 13:28

Satnav survey. - Mapmaker

Sat Navs are generally great for the last mile or so. But nothing beats pre-planning.

Went to Looe to stay in a B&B. Friend driving. (Actually, I was driving - friend's car.) No road map, no pre-planning, but a Satnav. And the satnav took us up a long route for a mile or so along the back streets between walls that were narrower than the wing mirrors on the car. Then it took us back down onto the main street........

I don't have one, but when I do, I use it like Humph says. Nothing to add really.

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Thu 25 Nov 10 13:25

Satnav survey. - Bromptonaut

Got a Garmin Etrex for walking/cycling. Mostly used for route logging but capacity to locate precise position is useful walking in mist or in generally featureless terrain.

Never needed one in the car though I could see the attraction finding hotels or whatever in strange cities. I tend to visit the same places regularly on holiday and there are only so many routes to Dover or the Western Isles ferry. My partner is also an excellent navigator.

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Thu 25 Nov 10 13:51

Satnav survey. - Redviper

I use a tomtom and its one of the best purchases I’ve made
I find it invaluable for allowing me to navigate around a strange city or town.

Much safer and easier than glancing down at a map and its never taken me down a farm track over a cliff that seems to happen to some people.
Using Google Earth I put in the co-ordinates for Cadwell Park when I 1st went down and when I go down now, and it takes me right to the entrance - brilliant

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Thu 25 Nov 10 14:07

Satnav survey. - hobby

I'm another rare user... Navman N40i from way back with European mapping... Its been a boon when abroad as none of my family can read a map to save their life! I occasionally use it over here as well, but usually even though the address is entered I tend to ignore it until the last few miles as I've done the research on a paper map beforehand like many of you!

Its great for finding Formula 1 Hotels in Belgium and France where they seem to be hidden away... and it gives us a laugh when on a new stretch of Autobahn and we are ploughing through a forest or field and cross a side road... at which point it tells us to preform a u-turn... Perhaps i should add that the most up to date maps I've found are the 2007 versions!!

Last edited by: hobby on Thu 25 Nov 10 at 14:08

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Thu 25 Nov 10 14:09

Satnav survey. - Fenlander

Trying to stay true to FT's question.... I don't not use one.

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Thu 25 Nov 10 14:46

Satnav survey. - R.P.

Hear what you're saying about the map reading o the move - wouldn't dream of doing it whilst driving - never thought twice about having a map in the map case on a tank bag on a bike - can read a map on the move on that. I also write the route on a piece of paper if unfamiliar with it. Excellent past time especially in a bar in the depths of France - all part of the experience !

Viewing a destination on Streetview also a great help...

Last edited by: Pugugly on Thu 25 Nov 10 at 14:47

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Thu 25 Nov 10 15:15

Satnav survey. - Crankcase

Use one all the time and haven't driven more than about six miles since 1997 without one.

Use it for commuting as much as anything - there are three "sensible" routes to work and the ability to leave the drive and have a snapshot in real time of the traffic on all three is a godsend.

Means you always get the best route at that precise time, and if there's some unexpected obstruction then it will often whisk you down some sideroad you've never heard of and you pop out past the problem.

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Sun 28 Nov 10 09:45

Satnav survey. - Mike H

Totally agree with all your comments Humph.

Mine is a pretty old integrated unit (Saab 9-5 2004) and has two drawbacks. One, the mapping is contained on a DVD and dates back to 2002, and secondly, it often freezes if you try to do anything too clever like using it to find your way to a destination.......

And I can't be bothered to pay £170 for a 2008 version of the mapping, I could buy either a lot of maps or a reasonably good aftermarket satnav for the same money, but I don't need either ATM.

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Thu 25 Nov 10 15:38

Satnav survey. - borasport

Mine stays in the glove compartment most of the time - it's a rather old Navman
I'll be in the market for a new one next summer when we go to austira-
needs -

european street level mapping
ability to upload poi's
ability to display current speed in KPH (metric speed display on the skoda is so small as to be invisible without squinting and it doesn't have metric on the dial

all recommendations will be considered :-)

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Thu 25 Nov 10 15:58

Satnav survey. - Armel Coussine

I have always been able to make sense of a decent map. That, and having quite a comprehensive picture of London already in my head, made me quite a good minicab driver although I am not the 'type' (if there is one).

My strong impression is that people under 40 who can't read or write but only look at screens depend on satnav, very often get lost, never know where they are having simply followed instructions on a screen, and become comically indignant when they telephone for further instructions which can't be given because the idiots don't know where they are.

Like modern education, the human rights act and h&s legislation, satnav is turning us into a nation of helpless, faffing, infantilised wimps. Or anyway those of us who prefer digital images on a screen to something tangible.

I always think of it as pratnav.

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Thu 25 Nov 10 16:43

Satnav survey. - Runfer D'Hills

>> I always think of it as pratnav.

It really depends how it is used. Like any machine, its operator or user can use it wisely or foolishly. That doesn't confer any valid criticism on the piece of equipment. Used astutely, a satnav can be very handy indeed. As I mentioned before, it is best treated as an addition to the driver's existing skills and regarded as simply an additional source of information rather than as an instructor to be obeyed.

The most capable of cars, for example, can be driven badly. That does not mean they should not be driven by those who are able or willing to operate them skillfully.

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Fri 26 Nov 10 14:39

Satnav survey. - Armel Coussine

>> The most capable of cars, for example, can be driven badly. That does not mean they should not be driven by those who are able or willing to operate them skillfully.

Well put of course Humph. I'm sure satnav has its occasional uses.

Of course if Google or whatever has made a mistake users can be sent to the wrong place nearby. That is what happens with our Sussex address. Flags up a couple of houses nearly a mile away. Leads to endless trouble in the fine tuning, because people don't know which way they are facing any more than where they are.

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Thu 25 Nov 10 16:12

Satnav survey. - Zero

>> Mine stays in the glove compartment most of the time - it's a rather old
>> Navman
>> I'll be in the market for a new one next summer when we go to
>> austira-

You'll be out of luck, no-one has mapped Austira yet.

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Thu 25 Nov 10 16:21

Satnav survey. - Crankcase

From their own descriptions:

Garmin:
Coverage includes detailed maps of Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Northern Italy and Eastern France. Powered by NAVTEQ, a world leader in premium-quality digital map data.

TomTom:
Detailed seamless map fully covering Great Britain, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, France, Monaco, Italy, San Marino, Vatican City, Spain, Portugal, Andorra, Belgium, The Netherlands, Luxemburg, Sweden, Denmark, Norway and Finland

Last edited by: Crankcase on Thu 25 Nov 10 at 16:22

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Thu 25 Nov 10 16:27

Satnav survey. - R.P.

Owning a clunky old TT7 and a top end Garmin - Tom Tom any day of the week.

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Thu 25 Nov 10 16:22

Satnav survey. - Iffy

I was sitting next to a woman who was about to be given an address over the telephone for her next appointment.

Interrupting the caller, she said: "Just give me your postcode and I'll put it in the satnav."

I thought this was rude and ignorant.

The stupid woman had no ideal where she was about to drive to, and was content to rely entirely on the satnav.

Apart from anything else, as a lone female employee out on her own, she ought to put a note of the address in her desk diary in case the appointment turns out to be a Mr Kipper job.

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Thu 25 Nov 10 16:28

Satnav survey. - movilogo

I use Sat Nav and love it.

Yes it does make mistakes on some odd occassions but life would have been more difficult without it.

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Thu 25 Nov 10 16:37

Satnav survey. - Statistical Outlier

Iffy, read your missive and instantly thought if this:

xkcd.com/783/

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Thu 25 Nov 10 17:53

Satnav survey. - Dulwich Estate

There are 3 of these gizmoes in the 4 cars I am chief fixer, servicer, tyre pressure tester, MoT taker, accident / breakdown adviser, financial adviser and sadly often washer too.

I have installed, set-up and played with all 3 of them. I have even tried using one in my own car for a long period , but no - I find them irritating. As for estimated time of arrival - that's my Mastermind subject. 60mph = 1 mile per minute, 30mph = 1 miles per 2 minutes, then add a dash of 15mph and some congestion time and voila - ETA.

Last edited by: Dulwich Estate on Thu 25 Nov 10 at 17:55

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Thu 25 Nov 10 17:56

Satnav survey. - bathtub tom

My kids bought me one last year, some obscure make that went broke. I didn't use it until I got this little job delivering vehicles. It's the only way to quickly find an address you've never been to.

It does give some strange routings. I was recently going to known town and when I was a couple of miles away, it still reckoned I'd fifteen to go. I call her miss guided!

Recently went to Leicester in a motor whose power socket was dead. I got hopelessly lost and spent an hour in busy traffic until I found my way.

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Thu 25 Nov 10 22:04

Satnav survey. - Dulwich Estate

My smug response really didn't consider "It's the only way to quickly find an address you've never been to."

Living in the Tescopolis I use the good old A to Z for the last mile or so. If venturing out into the badlands of The Home Counties or Up Country I tend to plan the mission as the allies might have planned D Day - plenty of research, but I do draw the line at checking if the moon will be full.

If I had multi-visits or there was a chance of an unexpected business diversion I would probably use one. Early retirement means that's not now likely - but who knows when the money runs out and when we get 1930's style German hyper-inflation which is maybe only a few years away.

Last edited by: Dulwich Estate on Thu 25 Nov 10 at 22:05

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Fri 26 Nov 10 17:21

Satnav survey. - Duncan

I considering buying an update DVD for my MB COMAND sat-nav system. Does anyone know of this company. Are they ok?

map man, 24 st chads road, rubery, birmingham, WEST MIDLANDS B45 9DJ GB

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