Need a new SatNav - Ideas Please.

[BigBob]

Hi Guys - after some help.

My trusty old Ipaq PDA has given up the ghost so need to buy a new satnav.

Not looking for any 'all singing all dancing' features just a plain reliable model.

Would prefer a fairly large screen (I use it in a motorhome a lot)

Need maps of UK and W Europe - how do I tell how old the maps are BTW?

Thanks in advance


BB

[sherman]

Any tomtom with european mapping they are robust and easy to use.

[waremark]

Tomtom XL IQ Routes Europe. About £180 recently (Live version £20 more). If you don't want to spend that much the XL Classic Europe looks pretty much the same but has a cut down version of the software for about £130 (I would personally prefer the wider range of options in the fuller version of software). I expect Garmin's similar models may be slightly cheaper. All Tomtoms are likely to come with a latest map guarantee allowing you to download an update if the one installed before you bought it is not the latest.

Presumably you have seen the thread Difference between '750 GO live' and 'XL live Europe'??? I suggest you check with Networx, who is apparently offering PH Mates a great deal on the 750 Go Live.

Personally I would not bother to economise by choosing a cheaper brand than TT and Garmin both of which are known to be excellent.

Edited by waremark on Tuesday 2nd March 18:41

Edited by waremark on Tuesday 2nd March 18:43

[amir_j]

if you need a nw phone then now is a good time, get a smartphone, on htc hero its only £20 for copilot, saves carrying anything else about

[BigBob]

Thanks for the advice chaps.

Being an occasional user I don't see any point in going overboard of features/cost.

Typical usage would be perhaps 2 trips a year to Western Europe in the motorhome and perhaps 6 weekends in the UK.

I know my way around the UK fairly well having hauled my butt around it for the last 40 years so tend tend to use it as a safety-net should I have to do an unexpected detour and to warn of scameras.

You've helped me narrow the field down a bit so I can start looking in earnest over the next few weeks.

WRT the phone idea - might have thought about it if it was only for the car but any mounting point on the motorhome is a fair way away from my eyes so really need the larger screen.

Cheers


BB

[clonmult]

amir_j said:

if you need a nw phone then now is a good time, get a smartphone, on htc hero its only £20 for copilot, saves carrying anything else about

Or the better option .... a Nokia 5230 on payg for between £80 and £100, put in a micro SD card, and install the FREE Nokia Maps application. Install the maps for any location that you want, again for Free.

Used it for the first time yesterday - after having variants of TomTom, Sygic McGuider, Route 66 and the Navman, it was a very pleasant surprise. Worked absolutely perfectly, didn't miss a beat. Its also got Lonely Planet and Michelin guides built in.

[mikef]

waremark said:

Presumably you have seen the thread Difference between '750 GO live' and 'XL live Europe'??? I suggest you check with Networx, who is apparently offering PH Mates a great deal on the 750 Go Live

I went with this, the Go750 has Europe coverage with a year's live updates included free until the end of the month