Satellite Navigation GPS Units - any good?

[Don]

Has anyone tried out these new fangled SatNav units? Having been on hols recently and relied on the Mrs map reading skills I would now consider such a thing....she may be bad but I''m no better so no finger pointing there...! If you have a fixed unit did it involve unpleasant ruining of trim - which would devalue the car if sold without it? Anyone tried the much cheaper hand held units like StreetPilot? Comments much appreciated.

[WalterU]

a year and a half ago I bought a Galaxy with a unit in it with a big screen. Since then I am convinced of them. All my cars are now fitted with them. They really work. FANTASTIC!!! If you want to reroute because of a road block or traffic jams - just turn off the road! The system recalculates and leads you around it! SatNav in combination with a "Personal Roadwatch 1800" is an unbeatable combination!! Now to practicals. I only know the german market, so I know Blaupunkt do a Model RNS 150, which I have and its very good. Becker do an even better system, used by Mercedes (called Radio 30 APS by Mercedes). They are a standard radio size, so no messing about with your dash, take the old radio out, put the new one in. There are units available with a big screen. DONT TOUCH! they cost more, make your car and your dash look idiotic, and are no better. Units have to be fitted by experts. At least in Germany your looking at 1400 - 1500 pounds sterling for system incl. fitting. Other companies do them, but go for the germans - they invented them as far as I know. If youre in the Dover area, I can show them to you. Rgds, WalterU

[jarrett]

I have a VDO MS5000 fitted to my Tuscan Speed 6 (RR). It is a CD based system with its own player and 6" colour screen (in silver so it blends in with the Tuscan dash beautifully). Works wonderfully when the Tuscan speedo isn't playing silly buggers! It is completely separate to the CD and car kit but that doesn't cause any problems, was necessary due to the lack of space behind the Tuscan dash, makes it easier to remove later. Have to disagree about the screen. Makes understanding where you are and where it is taking you much easier. Especially when you need to do things like rerouting. Find it essential when I am going somewhere new, plus the database includes info on petrol stations (plus lots more!) which can be life saving in a TVR! If you can justify the cost, mine was just over £2K including fitting, then go for it.

[WalterU]

quote:Have to disagree about the screen. Makes understanding where you are and where it is taking you much easier. Especially when you need to do things like rerouting. Find it essential when I am going somewhere new, plus the database includes info on petrol stations (plus lots more!) which can be life saving in a TVR! If you can justify the cost, mine was just over £2K including fitting, then go for it.

I don't want to get into an argument about this, but as I have both (a big screen unit and a radio unit), I think that on balance you don't need the big screen, especially if you have problems integrating it in your dash. Most times, it has to be sited on top of the dash, and that IMO looks awful. Almost all the systems are CD based. If you use a "radio" unit, you need a CD changer, because the Nav CD sits in the CD slit of the radio. You also have to remember that 1 CD = 1 country. I bought a set of CD's for every country in Europe. At 100 pounds sterling per CD it cost almost as much as the unit itself Rgds, WalterU

[Don]

Thanks for the replies, chaps. What I really want is a unit that can work alongside my existing stereo, fits into a standard DIN socket - and has the screen built into that - as I don't want mounting holes put into the trim. I'll keep looking....thanks, though!

[WalterU]

quote:Thanks for the replies, chaps. What I really want is a unit that can work alongside my existing stereo, fits into a standard DIN socket - and has the screen built into that - as I don't want mounting holes put into the trim. I'll keep looking....thanks, though!

thats exactly what I mean by the small radio unit. You take your existing radio out, put in the satnav unit (which is a DIN size and is radio/CD player/satnav system rolled into one). This has a small inbuilt screen. It cannot show you maps, but you have the voice ("at the roundabout take the third exit" and on the screen pictogrammes and a distance bar that gets smaller as you near the exit. You use your existing speakers. Look at the blaupunkt site (www.blaupunkt.com?) for the Model RNS 150 Rgds, WalterU

[WalterU]

correction. Try www.blaupunktusa.com/travelpilot/travelpilot_index.html There, click on the Model RNS 149. You'll get a very good idea of what I mean. The RNS 149 has been superseded by the RNS 150, which I have got. Smashing unit. Rgds, WalterU Edited by WalterU on Saturday 18th August 19:17

[Graham and Rosie]

quote: I don't want to get into an argument about this, but as I have both (a big screen unit and a radio unit), I think that on balance you don't need the big screen, especially if you have problems integrating it in your dash. Most times, it has to be sited on top of the dash, and that IMO looks awful. Almost all the systems are CD based. If you use a "radio" unit, you need a CD changer, because the Nav CD sits in the CD slit of the radio. You also have to remember that 1 CD = 1 country. I bought a set of CD's for every country in Europe. At 100 pounds sterling per CD it cost almost as much as the unit itself Rgds, WalterU

Couple of things Walter, first, just because you didn't like the screen doesn't mean no one else will, horses for courses and all that, it is a personal choice and some people will prefer to see a complete map layout rather than just the next junction - I know I would, difficult to explain why, I just like to know what is around me I guess!! Second, they now do Sat Nav systems that are DVD based, so you can get the whole of Europe on one disk - no idea of the costs (I am sure it will be more!! ) but it saves buying loads of disks if you need to cover Europe, and alo it saves having to stop to swap the disk (unless you have a system with a multi disk changer) Totally off the subject, what car did you go for in the end Walter? I remember you looking at the Chimaera last year (it was you who came down to Lydden in the TVR Centre Chimaera wasn't it?) Just interested to hear what you bought for the monstrous mileages that you do!! Cheers ================ Graham and Rosie

[WalterU]

[quote/] Couple of things Walter, first, just because you didn't like the screen doesn't mean no one else will, horses for courses and all that, it is a personal choice and some people will prefer to see a complete map layout rather than just the next junction - I know I would, difficult to explain why, I just like to know what is around me I guess!! Second, they now do Sat Nav systems that are DVD based, so you can get the whole of Europe on one disk - no idea of the costs (I am sure it will be more!! ) but it saves buying loads of disks if you need to cover Europe, and alo it saves having to stop to swap the disk (unless you have a system with a multi disk changer) Cheers ================ Graham and Rosie agreed, and in new cars where I order SatNav with the car, I'll always take the big screen. However, if you retrofit, you nearly always have to site the big screen on top of the dash - and that IMHO looks awful. But in the end its everyones decision. DVD: to my knowledge only Panasonic does one. That means you have to like the Panasaonic system. I don't. I agree totally - its horses for courses. I was expressing my opnion based on my own experiences. Rgds, WalterU