really? i just bought a HN5i... oh well... i'm happy with it :DQuote:
Originally Posted by scarry
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really? i just bought a HN5i... oh well... i'm happy with it :DQuote:
Originally Posted by scarry
My Dad has bought several units for himself and friends from China on Ebay. He only pays about $100 for them. They are based on windows CE platform, so he can add Oziexplorer and a multitude of raster maps. He swears by them as they come with free upgrades for their street navigation as well. He told me that they run Whereis Street navigation. He is going to buy another one for himself so he can have one on Ozi and one on Whereis at the same timeQuote:
Originally Posted by flyreels
Other threads on here have warned that Polaris is not worth the money. I was tossing up between VMS & Hema. Went for VMS mainly because of its larger ( 7" )size. I'm not a 100% happy but it does what I want. Doesn't like sunlight on screen. Street mapping could be better. Old Garmin was better. I mainly use it on CFA maps very good. Have tried off road maps yet.
Gary
Thanks for that. I found the other posts and have now a complete change of heart. It was even suggested that you can buy similar from China at 1/4 of the price. I looked them up they look great.Quote:
Originally Posted by 33chinacars
for your info hema have brought out a hema navigator 6
Please correct me ifam wrong, but hema, on their road based maps, use NAVTEQ maps where as most others use whereis. I have used both systems of maps and found that the whereis maps not so good. There are many roads around the district that have been down many years (some over 100) and the whereis maps don't have them named it just marks them as "road". I have sent them numerous emails information on inccorect map detail, missing streets etc and I have never ever had a return call or a return email and the problems are still there after 3 years!! The street I live on was put down in 2005 and it was only in 2012 after I sent ariel photos and a abusive letter to them that they put it on the map buyt never ever entered into anny form of correspondance with me. Navteq had it on their maps in 2006 and named!
I made a comment to navteq via email once on a point with their maps and 6 housr later I had a bloke ring me from America to clarify the point!
Just writing this from my own personal expreinces and not that of "I heard........"
Hi Disco4owner, Thanks for the info on what your dad has done. I am looking at some of the Chinese versions and from what I see I just can't justify the price of a Hema of VPS as they are slightly limited. I am also looking for some with external camera jacks. Does your dad know if Hema maps work on the Chinese versions. I guess this is where it all becomes a little confusing.:eek:Quote:
Originally Posted by Disco4owner
Curse this thread:mad:. My dear wife just said to me about an hour ago that we should upgrade our GPS as our trusty old Magellan Meridian Gold is showing it's age. (I'll still be keeping it in the vehicle though) And now you blokes have got me wondering what to go for as I was thinking of the Hema:confused: Sooooo many decisions. Pardon my ignorance but what software goes on a tablet & would you get "real time" with Google Earth?
The Hema's are essentially a Windows CE Navigation device with customised user interface.
What you get is OziExplorerCE with a Hema customised skin + Hema mapping, and iGo Primo with Navteq mapping.
If you really wanted to build something similar there are reasonable 6" units on flea bay. I bought one of these last year and wasted a huge amount of time customising the skin to make it functionally similar to the HN5i with launch buttons for iGo 8, Memory-Map and OziExplorer. I've also spent a considerable amount of time messing around with the skin for OziExplorer to make it more easily usable without resorting to using a stylus. None of this is necessary with the Hema Navigator.
Another downside of the DIY chinese gps route is that you have no choice but to use "liberated" copies of turn by turn software and mapping, which invariably means checking forums in the hope someone will post the latest update of the maps. At this point in mid-2012 the latest iGo 8 maps I can find are Q3 2011, and there is no way to obtain them through legitimate channels.
I reckon that to roughly replicate the Navigator you would be looking at:
WinCE based chinese GPS: $140
OziExplorerCE License: $40
Hema 4WD Maps DVD: $160
So for $340 you can put together something similar to a HN6i. It's cheap, but on the other hand it is cheap. The windscreen mount that comes with the Chinese GPS is rubbish - get direct sun on the screen and it pops off, go over a decent bump and it pops off. The battery is pretty much cactus after 6 months. Add in the lack of turn by turn updates. And to top it off it requires messing around to pull all the pieces together to get a useful navigation unit, and the result is still butt ugly.
The HN6i costs $745, and on balance I'd say the $400 premium for the HN6i is well worth paying.
cheers
Paul
I use sygic on my iPhone for street gps, it beats tomtom and others hands down...and it regularly updates via iTunes.
I see hema now has an app for iPad, 179 bucks, comes with maps etc. As someone else said, iPad enables you to have music, books tech manuals movies games etc.
Only down side is your own already purchased maps can't be used, I don't know if they can be converted to the usable format via some method though?
There are plenty of very good mounting systems for an iPad for your car available too.
As far as a reversing camera, I have seen rear view mirrors with screens in them, haven't looked into it yet though.
I am currently using a hema5 and it is very good for offroad, on road is rubbish though, pity. I am considering the iPad hema because I like the large and iPad user easy screen to do stuff. The 5" hema is just a bit small.
Anyone using the iPad hema yet? Any feedback?
Cheers
Kev