Sat Nav/GPS Help Needed....

[Lady-Bob]

Gotta get me a Sat Nav but have a few questions that I hope someone can answer for me .....

1. What's the difference between a GPS system and a Sat Nav system - or are they one and the same thing?

2. If you have one - how cheap did you get yours for and what facility do you wish it had?

4. What's best... one that I have to mount on the handlebars (fnar fnar!) or one I can put in my pocket.

5. Does it matter how many megs and whether it is a pocket Pc as well etc.,?

6. I don't want one that knows my exact loccation on the planet (Big Brother is for Channel 4 only in my mind) so which ones should I avoid?

I've gotta stop getting lost and I've gotta relieve Milesb from his Human GPS duties for a while.

Any advice I can get on this would be most helpful

[slob]

1. What's the difference between a GPS system and a Sat Nav system - or are they one and the same thing?
Global Positioning System uses US military satelites to work out exactly where you are, Sat Nav implies some sort of additional mapping route calculating function


6. I don't want one that knows my exact loccation on the planet (Big Brother is for Channel 4 only in my mind) so which ones should I avoid?
Not much use if it doesn't know exactly where you are Bob!

http://www.globalpositioningsystems.co.uk
and check out this thread
http://www.ukmonster.co.uk/monster/showthread.php?t=13108
personally, I'd wait for this to be released
http://www.tomtom.com/products/product.php?ID=71&Language=1
It'll want to be waterproof if it's going on the bars. Most of my mates swear by the Tom Tom kit. Mine's a Garmin eTrex vista which is very basic(it does some mapping but won't talk me through a route)and surprisingly waterproof.
I'll show you what it does next weekend.

[dean]

I have a GPS system(magellan), which (as far as i can work out) is primarily designed for non road use (the great out doors) for things like trekking etc. As mentioned the Sat Navs give instructions and have road mapping where as the GPS is designed to be used in conjuction with O/S Maps. I have used GPS in the wilderness before (well, the brecon beacons) and it works well. In fact i will soon be doing some enduro riding in the beacons and the GPS will be an essential tool then.

For road use, the new TOM TOM system seems to do just the job.

[br1an]

If you want a gps you can use on your bike that includes a built in lithium battery and that comes with all the maps of Europe then get yourself a GARMIN QUEST for about £320 it's the size of a mobile phone and it's waterproof .You can also illegally download maps of the usa and canada for it.

If you want an excellent in car gps then get yourself a TOMTOM GO 300 for £339 from Maplins with a £30 off voucher taht you get when you sign up to their newsletter.

Here endeth the sermon.

Bry...still monstering although the idea of a BMW R1150 GS is becoming hard to resist. :eek: :D

[A Yerbury]

...these "birds eye view" pictures of the UK work quite well? I believe they even feature roads, motorways, and top tourist spots such as legoland?

Regards.
Al.

ps. Splendid breasts Brian -applauds and makes a speech-

[slob]

I think the point is to level the playing field a bit for the less cartographically gifted Al.

[A Yerbury]

I think "OI! stupid! turn left here" is doing a little more than just "leveling the field!" still, each to their own IMO etc! it's all good!

Al.xx

[slob]

...these "birds eye view" pictures of the UK ...
slightly off topic but have y'all had a play with http://earth.google.com/? which I think is quite groovy and will interface with a GPS for 20 bucks.

[A Yerbury]

slightly off topic but have y'all had a play with http://earth.google.com/? which I think is quite groovy and will interface with a GPS for 20 bucks.

yes it's great. thanks for reminding me, as now I have BB I can zoom into my garden!!!

Alex.

ps. the above was not sarcasm it really is great! I use it instead of one of these "turn left here, this is your house" devices.

[Zimbo]

I agree with the others, the Tom Tom is the way to go. I've got a Navman 610 and the tom tom 300 is better all round, so much so that I think I'll change it!
Tom Tom have also just released a bike version, haven't seen that yet but assume it runs the same map / route software.

[JamesH]

Hey Bob.
Check out the GPS threads on http://www.ukgser.com/forums/
Those Beemer owners have got pretty much every GPS you can buy between them.
I myself have a Garmin III with a touratech mount, my Dad (SimonH) has just got a IV and Kaysee has just got a Quest. I'd PM him if you want to know more.
http://img277.imageshack.us/img277/881/img09002sq.th.jpg (http://img277.imageshack.us/my.php?image=img09002sq.jpg)

What I'd say about our Garmins is that they are waterproof and ruggedised for use on a bike, the software is also easy to use, the mounts are very good (so it doesn't vibe at all) and it runs off the bike battery with wery little drain.
If you do decide to get one I'm sure Dad will help you fit it (we had to make a small ally plate to fit it to my VTR) and we can get you copies of the european maps.
I've been meaning to come down to a Kent meet, so I'll probably see you soon.

James

[MilesB]

I've gotta stop getting lost and I've gotta relieve Milesb from his Human GPS duties for a while.
Bob... I enjoy route finding - Its one of the few skills I have that I can show off in public :eek: :D

Actually the route finding bit is generally quite easy - it's being a human sheepdog that is more challenging :lol:

Miles

[JMo]

Garmin are (as James H says) well made, rugged and easy to use - but the problem with a lot of GPS units like that is the screens are rather small for 'at a glance' use (especially on a bike)...

However, I was really impressed with the unit Boon has on his Monster - very slim, large touch screen, and has an earphone outlet for voice commands... best of all, he said it was only around £170 including UK and north Europe mapping, and you can put new memory cards in and download from PC etc. and locate your destination by map, town/address or postcode - top stuff!

I might have to get one myself!

Send Boon a PM?

xxx

[lord vader]

Bob
only worth it if you are going to use it in the car, or you could make it water proof in a tank bag etc but i bought a the Palm Zire72 hendheld with brackets the lot from John Lewis the other week reduced from £349 to £199 and once you register it up dates you for postcode search etc
added bonus of handheld computor, Mp3 player, Inbuilt Cammera/Video and All blue tooth connected so no wires trailing everywhere.

so far so good and i do beleive it to have been a bit of a bargin.

[Desmondo]

Bob,

I have a Tom Tom GO in the car and its a great bit of kit. You can download all sorts of additional points of interest from the net ( I have all the speed cameras and the unit gives you advance warning as you approach one) Now and again it gets a bit over enthusiastic ( it took me up a police access road onto the M25 as the shortest possible route!
The bike version looks like it will be great although I suspect it might be quite expensive compared to some of the alternatives.

Des

[Lady-Bob]

Garmin are (as James H says) well made, rugged and easy to use - but the problem with a lot of GPS units like that is the screens are rather small for 'at a glance' use (especially on a bike)...


Slob showed me his on Sunday at the BBQ (oooooh MATRON!!!)

His Garmin was extremely basic (can't remember which one) and the map wasn't an ideal one as it didn't show the finer detailed points of a route. He didn't have voice commands either.

I wonder which one Slob has?

[slob]

I wonder which one Slob has?
http://www.ukmonster.co.uk/monster/showpost.php?p=120674&postcount=2&highlight=garmin+etrex+vista

[Lady-Bob]

http://www.ukmonster.co.uk/monster/showpost.php?p=120674&postcount=2&highlight=garmin+etrex+vista

Oops ... word blind mate! sorry :o

[Boon]

Hi ya this is the GPS I have ...! HALFORDS do them