GPS recommendations

Currently have a Navman cheap arse GPS ("free" on frequent flyer
points) - I can look up the model if relevant.

Anyway, it's pretty crap, the maps aren't very up to date or accurate
(it has my street for example, but I had to program next door's street
number as "home" because my house number doesn't exist in it's map -
even though the house was built in 1908 - not exactly a new
subdivision...), and the user interface is OK but not great. Other
examples - I went from the Blue Mountains to Mt. White via Wiseman's
Ferry and it was bloody mindedly determined to send me via the CBD
right up to the point when I was a km short of the destination it was
still wanting me to make a u-turn

So... which ones have more up to date maps and options to say "yes I
don't wish to go via a freeway, get over it"

JL

 

I asked a similar question recently and was told to go the Navman
option. I went into the store and asked the option the sales guy would
recommend. There were three brands at entry level that were around the
same price. I told the sales dude I had been recommended Navman but he
convinced me to go with a Tomtom Start and I reckon he was right.
It's worked beautifully, knows all the turns, gives you forward
warnings. Cost $140.

Been using it for a couple of months now and can recommend.

As for house numbers I had been using Copilot Live and had to do the
same thing as it was missing house numbers. Haven't had a problem with
the Tomtom.

 

I am big fan of tomtom. Currently running it on iphone but have run it on a
windows ce platform before. Both are great. No complaints. For what it cost
on iphone ($89) for not much more you can get the hardware chucked in as well.

Fraser

 

have an early aldi,(crap)a tom tom, garmin and igo in a htc phone but
the best by far is a $60 Lazer navig8r with a $10 extra program(that
knows the speed limit everywhere) It does what I want.
You can tap the screen a few timed and it will put up a speedo screen
that has grey up to the limit and red over it which changes as the limit
changes including schools in school time, audible warnings for cameras
the whole time telling you where to turn (if you have set a
destination)tap it again and it will put up the speed and the limit in
numbers if you would rather.
It does not have as many silly things as the tom tom,which are not
needed anyway.

 

F Murtz wrote:

<snip>

The bit that gets me with GPS/Navigators is the variance of how you get
updates of maps and POIs like speed cameras, school zones, etc.

With current prices for units, it can cost more than what you paid for
the box to update the map. :-(

regards,
CrazyCam

 

Mine updates for free. Mind you it wants me to pay $50 for the speed
camera warning option which is more than 1/3 of the cost of the unit.
**** that. Pay attention to the Tomtom. It tells you what the speed
zone is.

 

My Tom-Tom can't find my dad's house number and it's been there for 57
years. OTOH, when we moved in it was Lot 15, then it became 7 for 30
years, then 68 for 15 years, and now it's 11. Just as well I know
where it is.

Theo

 

They can sometimes be confusing and difficult to see.

I've only recently discovered that there is a 40 school zone on a road I
travel at least weekly.

It turns out that a nex-church in Sydney Rd Brunswick is a school. The
school zone signs up on the light poles get a bit lost amid all the
visual pollution, and I have a habit of keeping my eyes on the
cars/trams/bicycles/motorcycles and pedestrians that tend to wander onto
the road with mobile phones stuck on their ears.

The school zone hasn't been a problem, because I just don't get over 40
along there.

Moike

 

+1 on the navig8r for value for money. It does have some drawbacke,
like mine needed a software update after it froze.

On the plus side, the company that puts them together runs a very good
user forum, with lots of company responses, most of which either give a
solution or offer an exchange or refund.

When a couple doing a lap of oz had one die recently, the company person
on the forum accepted that they didn't have the paperwork with them, and
offered to dispatch a replacement unit to a town on their itinerary.

It can do custom routes, but it's clumsy. It has some oddities, like
believing there is a short gap in sydney road coburg that necessitates a
short diversion through the backstreets.

It uses POIDB, a user supported POI database that has a growing number
of targetted POI files. My favourite at the moment is the list of free
campsites around Oz.

Mostly, it does what I need. Finding unfamiliar streets in unfamiliar
suburbs and navigating through unfamiliar towns and cities.

Oh. and map updates are free.

Moike

 

url ?

 

I got mine from the lazer stall at north rocks computer market,but if
you are not in Sydney that is no help.

 

google navig8r.

They come up regularly on catch of the day.

I paid the full list price (around$150) at "City Software" to get one as
a christmas present, and was sufficiently imressed that when the on=line
traders started pushing them out for $59 I figured it was worth a go.

Moike

 

I did find it , checked the site and then hardlys
who had the one of interest at 199 reduced on their special to 159
where the web quotes less again and I will buy one well under 100 online
, it pays to shop
tnx

 

How do y'all keep them dry in this weekend's weather? I assume the
motorbike specific one is weatherproof, and has a screen that can
actually be read in the daylight. What about any others?

I've been borrowing a TomTom, and been sticking it in the map pocket
of a magnetically attached tankbag. Alas, the 1200GS is plastic
fantastic, and the tankbag woudln't stick to it. So I rode to Sydney
with it stuck in my jacket pocket. And occasionally sticking the
charger cable into my jacket, which became interesting when it got
tangled with my foot as I was coming out the service-station driveway.

 

In aus.motorcycles on Sun, 1 Aug 2010 21:39:32 +1000

Bagster.... I had bagster kit on the Hack Guzzi and it was great.

When I got the Norge bagster didn't have a suitable tank cover so I
used a swmotech fuel cap mounted tankbag from motorradgarage.com.au[1]
and it works a treat.

I use the daypack II which is small but holds what I need, doesn't
touch the tank, and has a map pocket available which a GPS sits in
quite well. If you wanted to be Super Geeky you could use one of
their power kits which adds a power source inside the tankbag...

Zebee

[1] excellent place to deal with. Quick, helpful, damn nice people.
Heaps of beemer stuff so head over and see what you can find

 

OK, do anyone do a decent turn by turn voice navigator plus maps for
an Android Phone ? I can see iPhone and WinCE options but can't see
anything other than google maps for the HTC (which has a txt based
turn by turn which isn't much good on a bike)

JL

 

My HTC was running Copilot which worked well enough, although not as
good as the Tomtom. It got me around fine for a couple of years, even
though it didn't pick up a couple of addresses. It also wouldn't avoid
paid motorways.

 

if you have an iphone and jailbreak it you can find tom tom for
free

 

plastic ziplock bag and a laccy band

you know riding in the rain will cause your bike to sieze up and fall
apart

 

Htc diamond touch 2 windows phone can have garmin with spoken commands