any hints on a GPS?

[blitz]

I'm going on a big trip in a couple of weeks and will be driving through several cities which I haven't been through before so I thought it could be worth getting one of those car navigation GPS.

so does anyone have any thoughts on what is the best value for money units around??

Blythe

[Signal1]

I use a TomTom 910. Fantastic unit with directions voiced which saves having to look at the screen too often. Great wide screen, excellent quality and brightness and reliable. Has a 20GB HDD, Bluetooth for your phone and the cradle has heaps of ports so you can connect power, microphone, ipod, mobile, stereo and some other weird stuff.

Love it but is overkill and I really only use 25% of the features but got it for the voiced directions. $1100 is a lot though but you can get them on ebay for under $1000. Maps are quite good but when you get in to small tracks, it looses it's way.

[ladas]

Totally concour with what Signal has to say.

For door to door navigation in towns/cities it's great.

Just not very good off the beaten track.

The blue tooth interface with the phone is great

[ladas]

Have a peek at these

http://www.kalkonline.com.au/gps-navigation-c-176.html?osCsid=aaa9e816650ce596f1b5e867628bbb47

[Outlaw]

my old mans got one of the Mio ones for $550... used a few times and seems quite good and easy to use... also got the hard drive but no bluetooth

[dobbo]

A few of the guys at work have bought the new Nokia phones with GPS on them, innitially I was impressed but when the map showed Lake maquarie as a blank area I was a bit dubious

[abaddonxi]

A few of the guys at work have bought the new Nokia phones with GPS on them, innitially I was impressed but when the map showed Lake maquarie as a blank area I was a bit dubious

Think it might be something satanic to do with your sig. I'm sure Lake Macquarie was there the other day.

:D

cheers
Simon

[dobbo]

Think it might be something satanic to do with your sig. I'm sure Lake Macquarie was there the other day.

:D

cheers
Simon


Well it was there this morning when I went to the shops

[loanrangie]

Have a peek at these

http://www.kalkonline.com.au/gps-navigation-c-176.html?osCsid=aaa9e816650ce596f1b5e867628bbb47

That looks like a good deal, at least with a pda you can use other software unlike the TT910 even though it has a 20gig hdd you cant use other software on it like Ozi Ex or load different maps.

[chunk]

Hi there Blitz, I have the little brother of the TOMTOM 910 which is the 710 the only difference between the two is that the 910 has a hard drive and an MP3 player built in. So unless you want to store photos or songs on it just buy the 710 and save a couple of hundred dollars. Either way both units are excellent.

[Signal1]

I use a TomTom 910. Fantastic unit with directions voiced which saves having to look at the screen too often.

Sorry Blitz, wasn't too clear, 910 actually voices the street name to turn into and upcoming changes in directions by street name which means you don't need to look at the screen - most GPS voice standard directions.

Happy hunting - lots of choices out there. :D

[p38arover]

My experience with car nav systems has been almost totally negative.

Because I'm not exactly sure how (in the dark) to get to my son's place in Newcastle, I thought I'd use my iPaq 1930 with Destinator PN to guide me.

What a bloody annoying joke! What a waste of space! What a waste of time! What a thoroughly annoying piece of crap!

During the trip, the system would suddenly decide my position was slightly off the motorway and start telling me to do U-turns or right turns or left turns - whatever was necessary to get me back to the motorway (which I'd never left).

When I arrived in Newcastle, it gave accurate directions - although 200 metres too late) on where to turn (until it came to a right turn which had become a no right turn since the maps were published). Naturally, didn't turn right so it had to recalculate a route (actually, it was continually recalculating routes because its instructions to turn usually arrived after I'd passed the turn-off).

By the time I'd got near where my son lived it was lost. The streets were close together and the continual loss of position of 50-100 metres meant it had no idea how to calcualte a route. The fact that the iPaq couldn't recalculate fast enough to enable instructions before I'd passed it's calculated turn meant it was worthless.

I wouldn't waste my money on a nav system! They are a gimmick.

Ron

[abaddonxi]

My experience with car nav systems has been almost totally negative.

Because I'm not exactly sure how (in the dark) to get to my son's place in Newcastle, I thought I'd use my iPaq 1930 with Destinator PN to guide me.

What a bloody annoying joke! What a waste of space! What a waste of time! What a thoroughly annoying piece of crap!

During the trip, the system would suddenly decide my position was slightly off the motorway and start telling me to do U-turns or right turns or left turns - whatever was necessary to get me back to the motorway (which I'd never left).

When I arrived in Newcastle, it gave accurate directions - although 200 metres too late) on where to turn (until it came to a right turn which had become a no right turn since the maps were published). Naturally, didn't turn right so it had to recalculate a route (actually, it was continually recalculating routes because its instructions to turn usually arrived after I'd passed the turn-off).

By the time I'd got near where my son lived it was lost. The streets were close together and the continual loss of position of 50-100 metres meant it had no idea how to calcualte a route. The fact that the iPaq couldn't recalculate fast enough to enable instructions before I'd passed it's calculated turn meant it was worthless.

I wouldn't waste my money on a nav system! They are a gimmick.

Ron

Signal problem? My handheld GPS gets signal intermittently in the Defender unless I have an external antenna plugged in.

Cheers
Simon

[Blknight.aus]

My mio 168 digiwalkger gave me great sevice with copilot live in it and as it was a pda it also ran oziexplorer ce all this for the princley sum of $400 (end of stock sale)

I Just got the mio a701 and its rocking, phone, pda gps all in one...

$700 from fleabay or $999 from jbs hifi after some "im not paying that much" type haggling.

[Phantom]

Hi

Choice regularly have articles on their site about GPS units. The latest is dated 11/06 and compares about 6 or 7 models over $499. Their site is www.choice.com.au. I used their report to buy mine (Garmin) and have been pleased with it

If you are not a subscriber they will allow you to buy articles.