We would like to buy a Sat/Nav before we go off to Spain next month. A couple of guys suggested that the Garmin was the best for caravana's as you can set it up for a truck so that you are not taken down small roads etc. that are unfit for larger vehicle's. Does anyone know if this is true or had experience with this problem? D & B
Sat/Nav
- Thread starter robert_374234520
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Hi Robert
You will see my comments about the lorry, under Tomtom 1 on previous page.
We have Europe on ours so it should be fun.
Allyson
You will see my comments about the lorry, under Tomtom 1 on previous page.
We have Europe on ours so it should be fun.
Allyson
I'm a Garmin user and fan.
Firstly make sure if you buy a Garmin you get one that has
"City Navigator Europe NT v9" mapping or you will only have partial coverage of Spain. Some other brands also do not have full Spanish mapping yet! Garmin prompts and mapping is better than Tom Toms in my book but Garmins have less gimicks!
Upgrades to V9 mapping are still in the Garmin postal and order system so don't buy with V8 mapping as V9 may take a little longer to
arrive as an upgrade !!
You can set Sat Navs to "truck" but ONLY average speeds alter, it does not take you on lorry friendly wide roads. You still have to check out where you are going re narrow roads or mountains.
Also be warned. Sat nav set to fastest route means you are taken on routes with highest speed limit. So it might not be the direct or quickest route.
For all sat nav questions of any brand try - http://www.pocketgpsworld.com/ and go to forums!
You can also join up and get speed cam data base and new free POI (point of interest) down loads.
For European POI's try -
http://www.poihandler.com/ many POI's are free and it's only about 10 or 12 euros for full POI use per annum.
Remember that to load all European POI data you will likely need an SD card.
Units such as Nuvi will run a 4 GB SD card
Firstly make sure if you buy a Garmin you get one that has
"City Navigator Europe NT v9" mapping or you will only have partial coverage of Spain. Some other brands also do not have full Spanish mapping yet! Garmin prompts and mapping is better than Tom Toms in my book but Garmins have less gimicks!
Upgrades to V9 mapping are still in the Garmin postal and order system so don't buy with V8 mapping as V9 may take a little longer to
arrive as an upgrade !!
You can set Sat Navs to "truck" but ONLY average speeds alter, it does not take you on lorry friendly wide roads. You still have to check out where you are going re narrow roads or mountains.
Also be warned. Sat nav set to fastest route means you are taken on routes with highest speed limit. So it might not be the direct or quickest route.
For all sat nav questions of any brand try - http://www.pocketgpsworld.com/ and go to forums!
You can also join up and get speed cam data base and new free POI (point of interest) down loads.
For European POI's try -
http://www.poihandler.com/ many POI's are free and it's only about 10 or 12 euros for full POI use per annum.
Remember that to load all European POI data you will likely need an SD card.
Units such as Nuvi will run a 4 GB SD card
Hi. I suggest you visit www.pocketgpsworld.com These people are experts and have given me considerable help setting up my TomTom.
Andrew
Andrew
SNAP-just like I posted ;-)Hi. I suggest you visit www.pocketgpsworld.com These people are experts and have given me considerable help setting up my TomTom.
Andrew
Hi There,
I hope this is some use to you,I have recently bought a TomTom 910,covers all U.K,all Europe,and even Canada,and the U.S.A,which came in handy on our recent trip to Canada at Xmas,(no we did not take the Caravan),and it was Fantastic,without having to keep downloading maps etc,these are all built into this system,HOWEVER on a trip to Looe in Cornwall it got me on a B road for 17 miles,which tested my Towing skills,but we survived to tell the tale,We cannot YET find a download for wide vehicles,but we shall keep looking!The alternative is to check the route and avoid them,(which is easily done),The 910 is so easy to use,but the Garmin has wide load/lorry on it,So different systems have there good/bad points,so whichever you choose i am sure you will be well impressed.Good Luck
I hope this is some use to you,I have recently bought a TomTom 910,covers all U.K,all Europe,and even Canada,and the U.S.A,which came in handy on our recent trip to Canada at Xmas,(no we did not take the Caravan),and it was Fantastic,without having to keep downloading maps etc,these are all built into this system,HOWEVER on a trip to Looe in Cornwall it got me on a B road for 17 miles,which tested my Towing skills,but we survived to tell the tale,We cannot YET find a download for wide vehicles,but we shall keep looking!The alternative is to check the route and avoid them,(which is easily done),The 910 is so easy to use,but the Garmin has wide load/lorry on it,So different systems have there good/bad points,so whichever you choose i am sure you will be well impressed.Good Luck
Craig and others PLEASE NOTE.
TRUCK / LORRY setting on Garmin and most other Satnavs does not mean it finds wider roads for you.
It just alters average speeds data on the unit to suit a vehicle different to a car and allow for lower speed and acceleration.
I have posted this fact above !
TRUCK / LORRY setting on Garmin and most other Satnavs does not mean it finds wider roads for you.
It just alters average speeds data on the unit to suit a vehicle different to a car and allow for lower speed and acceleration.
I have posted this fact above !
Hi Andrew
Cud you plase tell were do you go on Pocketgpsworld to set your TomTom up thackyou.
Mark
Cud you plase tell were do you go on Pocketgpsworld to set your TomTom up thackyou.
Mark
Hi. Initially I set it up myself, but not being very technical and the handbook being a bit brief I had a few things I did not fully understand. I was recommended the site and registered on it for free. I then went into the members forum and if you scan down you will see sections on all makes of systems. I posted a few issues on there and had replies back very soon from people who really know what they are on about. I asked them to feed back in non tech language. I then officially joined up for a month for two pounds to enable me to download all the speed camera info and finally the voice overs for this rather than warning sounds. I can keep these on permantly or I can pay another 2 pounds in a few months to download any updates. I could take out the annual subscription fotHi Andrew
Cud you plase tell were do you go on Pocketgpsworld to set your TomTom up thackyou.
Mark
Mark & Sharon.
You need to go here.
http://www.pocketgpsworld.com/modules.php?name=Forums&file=viewforum&f=93
The Tom Tom forum has a lot of information, check out the "stickies" and older posts first as they may well answer your questions.
I was one of the early founding members who has free lifetime membership, if you want full access to speed camera data base you need to pay to join up as Andrew has said.
The Pocket GPS world site is now run as a pro business but still relies on many helpers such as the moderators.
There is a provision for adding information to the site re new speed camera placings or cameras being removed on roads and road works.
The data base is updated monthly and you get rewarded if camera position you report is added to the data base.
You need to go here.
http://www.pocketgpsworld.com/modules.php?name=Forums&file=viewforum&f=93
The Tom Tom forum has a lot of information, check out the "stickies" and older posts first as they may well answer your questions.
I was one of the early founding members who has free lifetime membership, if you want full access to speed camera data base you need to pay to join up as Andrew has said.
The Pocket GPS world site is now run as a pro business but still relies on many helpers such as the moderators.
There is a provision for adding information to the site re new speed camera placings or cameras being removed on roads and road works.
The data base is updated monthly and you get rewarded if camera position you report is added to the data base.
We have a Garmin i3 and find it most useful. It is a basic sat nav and to that end it does what it says on the box, navigate you to your destination. It can be set to Truck/bus which guides you away from minor roads unless that is the only option within it's paramaters and also avoids steep hills.
Now as with any computerised system "garbage in = garbage out" so a basic route knowledge and a map should be kept to hand incase the sat nav guides you too far astray from your desired route.
Garmin have plenty of updates available for downloading straight from "tinternet" so you should have no problem finding a map to suit you.
I always say " why pay for bells and whistles you aint gonna use" when a "guiding hand" is all you need.
The tiny Garmin has a powerfull voice so it can be heard easily and the screen I find is realy only for quick reference.
Finally due to it's compact size it is very easy to hide from thieving eyes unlike Tom Toms which seeem to have to have pride of place smack bang in the middle of the windscreen on full view to the scally wags!!
Steve.
Now as with any computerised system "garbage in = garbage out" so a basic route knowledge and a map should be kept to hand incase the sat nav guides you too far astray from your desired route.
Garmin have plenty of updates available for downloading straight from "tinternet" so you should have no problem finding a map to suit you.
I always say " why pay for bells and whistles you aint gonna use" when a "guiding hand" is all you need.
The tiny Garmin has a powerfull voice so it can be heard easily and the screen I find is realy only for quick reference.
Finally due to it's compact size it is very easy to hide from thieving eyes unlike Tom Toms which seeem to have to have pride of place smack bang in the middle of the windscreen on full view to the scally wags!!
Steve.
Sorry to disagree with you Steve. We have Nuvi's and I3's.
Set to "Truck" the I3 DOES NOT guide you away from hills and narrow roads and nor do other Garmins like the Nuvi and other Satnavs.
You can check with Garmin and they will also tell you that they don't do what you say as well!
Re Truck/Bus settings
" accounts of Garmin's conversations on this, the choice of vehicle has no bearing on route calculation or road choice at all. According to what's been posted as commentary about this, it's sole purpose is to assist in providing timings / speeds on certain types of roads. "
Early part of 2006 I dropped in the cards from our older I3's at Garmins Romsey HQ for a free update. I had a long conversation with one of the experts there and brought up this very point and he said virtualy the same as above.
They use Navteq mapping and it would be part of the Navteq road surveying and then Garmin programming to enable such a feature for trucks or caravans. The setting is part of the Garmins setting not the mapping!
You can go to the Navteq wab site like I did and email them re this point, if enough people keep on about it we may get some action!
Truckers tend to use more expensive Satnavs that you can enter a route on to avoid narrow roads and low bridges.
Set to "Truck" the I3 DOES NOT guide you away from hills and narrow roads and nor do other Garmins like the Nuvi and other Satnavs.
You can check with Garmin and they will also tell you that they don't do what you say as well!
Re Truck/Bus settings
" accounts of Garmin's conversations on this, the choice of vehicle has no bearing on route calculation or road choice at all. According to what's been posted as commentary about this, it's sole purpose is to assist in providing timings / speeds on certain types of roads. "
Early part of 2006 I dropped in the cards from our older I3's at Garmins Romsey HQ for a free update. I had a long conversation with one of the experts there and brought up this very point and he said virtualy the same as above.
They use Navteq mapping and it would be part of the Navteq road surveying and then Garmin programming to enable such a feature for trucks or caravans. The setting is part of the Garmins setting not the mapping!
You can go to the Navteq wab site like I did and email them re this point, if enough people keep on about it we may get some action!
Truckers tend to use more expensive Satnavs that you can enter a route on to avoid narrow roads and low bridges.
Hi, Thank you everyone for all your comments we have found them really helpful. Just got to decide which one now! I bet we still get lost!!!!!!
Robert
Robert
Just a note for Simon.
Some Ebay Speed cam offerings were free data bases that others made money from. The Pocket GPS speed cam software was one that others used hijacked and charged for I believe when it was free from the site.
If you are not updating your speed cam database each month what you bought last year is now probably a waste of time in a lot of areas.
PGPSW web site changed to a pro offering with monthly and some time more frequent updates the the database for a modest charge with more chance of you being kept up to date with new and changed speed cam sites.
Some Ebay Speed cam offerings were free data bases that others made money from. The Pocket GPS speed cam software was one that others used hijacked and charged for I believe when it was free from the site.
If you are not updating your speed cam database each month what you bought last year is now probably a waste of time in a lot of areas.
PGPSW web site changed to a pro offering with monthly and some time more frequent updates the the database for a modest charge with more chance of you being kept up to date with new and changed speed cam sites.
My husband has just bought Tom Tom one. Can we download any maps onto this sat nav. Also do we need an at "home charger" for this outfit or does the Tom Tom charge up when in use. We don,t use the car everyday and it will be mostly used for going from site to site.
Tom Tom Obne should come with an in car charger and I believe a 240Volt charger can be bought as an extra.
You really should check out
http://www.tomtom.com/index.php?Lid=1
and
http://www.pocketgpsworld.com/
You really should check out
http://www.tomtom.com/index.php?Lid=1
and
http://www.pocketgpsworld.com/
sorry to disagree with you chris...
I have a garmin 510 deluxe. i use it in my truck and car.
In truck mode it DOES actually take a diffeent route, compared
to car mode, on some of the routes i use regular, to the piont
that a use a b road which the garmin shows as a very thin route
compared to its normal disply for A roads. it deems this Not
an option for truck mode and trys to make me turn round.
In car mode it just recalculates.
As for which is better... navteq mapping is better than atlas.
garmin has navteq.. tom tom has atlas....this from a mag called
PDA and sat navs?
having used Atlas on my pda, {via michelin} and tom tom on
the works trucks, i tend to agree i found navteq better for me.
At the end of the day, no system is fullproof, but for my money
if i buy a sat nav system i want the money to be spent on
sat nav, and not a photo album or music player which comes with
it, and no doubts detracts from what you actually wanted...
I have a garmin 510 deluxe. i use it in my truck and car.
In truck mode it DOES actually take a diffeent route, compared
to car mode, on some of the routes i use regular, to the piont
that a use a b road which the garmin shows as a very thin route
compared to its normal disply for A roads. it deems this Not
an option for truck mode and trys to make me turn round.
In car mode it just recalculates.
As for which is better... navteq mapping is better than atlas.
garmin has navteq.. tom tom has atlas....this from a mag called
PDA and sat navs?
having used Atlas on my pda, {via michelin} and tom tom on
the works trucks, i tend to agree i found navteq better for me.
At the end of the day, no system is fullproof, but for my money
if i buy a sat nav system i want the money to be spent on
sat nav, and not a photo album or music player which comes with
it, and no doubts detracts from what you actually wanted...
Giovanni.
If you are talking about the C510, I think you have the only one in the world that does what you say!
I also believe that I posted that Navteq mapping is considered the better bet.
Re the Truck setting you are the one that is wrong!
If you check out your 510 I am pretty sure you will find that it uses the same City Navigator mapping as most Garmins, the mapping and Garmin system to not support routing based on things like road width that would effect access by large vehicles.
Navteq and the systems support speed based averages etc and a truck being sent a differnet route may be down to other settings or re speed averaging not suitability of the road for a truck.
Having spoken with experts at Garmin Europe at length re this very point on more than one occasion and had email correspondence with Navteq on the same you are wrong or not understanding what the machine is doing.
Even the City Navigator Europe NT V9 version does not accomodate road widths etc and that is only just being delivered this year to upate existing machines.
If you search the internet web sites you will even find many reports re your 510 and others sending trucks down narrow roads and even tracks.
My professional contacts who truck all over UK and Europe use fully routable Sat Navs to set routes and avoid such problems as narrow roads as the lower priced units under
If you are talking about the C510, I think you have the only one in the world that does what you say!
I also believe that I posted that Navteq mapping is considered the better bet.
Re the Truck setting you are the one that is wrong!
If you check out your 510 I am pretty sure you will find that it uses the same City Navigator mapping as most Garmins, the mapping and Garmin system to not support routing based on things like road width that would effect access by large vehicles.
Navteq and the systems support speed based averages etc and a truck being sent a differnet route may be down to other settings or re speed averaging not suitability of the road for a truck.
Having spoken with experts at Garmin Europe at length re this very point on more than one occasion and had email correspondence with Navteq on the same you are wrong or not understanding what the machine is doing.
Even the City Navigator Europe NT V9 version does not accomodate road widths etc and that is only just being delivered this year to upate existing machines.
If you search the internet web sites you will even find many reports re your 510 and others sending trucks down narrow roads and even tracks.
My professional contacts who truck all over UK and Europe use fully routable Sat Navs to set routes and avoid such problems as narrow roads as the lower priced units under
Giovanni,
When you set the vehicle type (Garmin) or prefer road setting (TomTom), neither of them automatically change your route.
You may see a new route - as you say - but what you see as a different planned route is an artefact of the calculation process finding the faster route.
Which combination of roads at different speeds (truck, car, bicycle, prefer A roads, whatever) gives the shortest journey could well be a different route or could still be the same.
None of the mapping databases currently has the road width encoded - the different widths you see on the screen is just a representation.
Robert
When you set the vehicle type (Garmin) or prefer road setting (TomTom), neither of them automatically change your route.
You may see a new route - as you say - but what you see as a different planned route is an artefact of the calculation process finding the faster route.
Which combination of roads at different speeds (truck, car, bicycle, prefer A roads, whatever) gives the shortest journey could well be a different route or could still be the same.
None of the mapping databases currently has the road width encoded - the different widths you see on the screen is just a representation.
Robert
SNAPGiovanni,
When you set the vehicle type (Garmin) or prefer road setting (TomTom), neither of them automatically change your route.
You may see a new route - as you say - but what you see as a different planned route is an artefact of the calculation process finding the faster route.
Which combination of roads at different speeds (truck, car, bicycle, prefer A roads, whatever) gives the shortest journey could well be a different route or could still be the same.
None of the mapping databases currently has the road width encoded - the different widths you see on the screen is just a representation.
Robert
Speaking of which, surely there's a market out there for the Caravaner's sat nav?
One that will tell of or avoid low bridges or unsuitable roads. Perhaps road widths should be included, obviously that is an incredible amount of information to store, but an average could be taken and used as a guide.
I think my TomTom is great, but it has taken me down some dubious roads. Even using a map wouldn't make things any better, the information isn't there either.
So any entrepreneurs in the house?
One that will tell of or avoid low bridges or unsuitable roads. Perhaps road widths should be included, obviously that is an incredible amount of information to store, but an average could be taken and used as a guide.
I think my TomTom is great, but it has taken me down some dubious roads. Even using a map wouldn't make things any better, the information isn't there either.
So any entrepreneurs in the house?
Lol.
wWhat people need to do is email the mapping suppliers and the likes of Tom Tom and Garmin.
Garmin use Navteq
http://www.navteq.com/
wWhat people need to do is email the mapping suppliers and the likes of Tom Tom and Garmin.
Garmin use Navteq
http://www.navteq.com/
we have a TomTom910 - Beware !!Hi There,
I hope this is some use to you,I have recently bought a TomTom 910,covers all U.K,all Europe,and even Canada,and the U.S.A,which came in handy on our recent trip to Canada at Xmas,(no we did not take the Caravan),and it was Fantastic,without having to keep downloading maps etc,these are all built into this system,HOWEVER on a trip to Looe in Cornwall it got me on a B road for 17 miles,which tested my Towing skills,but we survived to tell the tale,We cannot YET find a download for wide vehicles,but we shall keep looking!The alternative is to check the route and avoid them,(which is easily done),The 910 is so easy to use,but the Garmin has wide load/lorry on it,So different systems have there good/bad points,so whichever you choose i am sure you will be well impressed.Good Luck
it tried to insist that we swam across a river with our caravan in tow - and the bridge 200 yards away had been there I would think , judging by style , for at least 30 years
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