Sat-Nav Questions

[Tosh McCaber]

Some Sat-Nav questions:

1) Are they as good at detecting speed cameras, in comparison with dedicated devices such as Road Angel (which I have borrowed and found to be absolutely spot-on)?

2) For those who have used a sat-nav device, what are your experiences with your own brand? Any better than others, etc? Are the more expensive ones worth the extra money?

3) How much are the charges for updating the database, and at what intervals do you need to update?

Thanks for any feedback.

[MOSTAFA]

I would not touch another Road Angel with a barge pole. I bought the RA Navigator when it first came out 500 pounds plus - it never worked spent half its life going back and forth from Northampton. Within a year they had superceded it 4 times.

GPS is GPS and you can download the camera positions free now.

As for the sensors against Mobile camera's forget it and don't listen to what you are told about how they protect against the honest bobby with his laser gun. By the time your censors work - you are nicked my friend - believe me.

As for mapping - I have spent hours writing the Road Angel about when they are going to update the Road Angel Navigators Mapping as promised on their website. After threatening thwem with court action they did - it must ave cost at least a pound because half of Britain does not exist - and if you ever have to (GOD FORBID) do not ask it to take you to Haverfordwest!!

Sorry to rant but go elsewhere

[green granite]

1) Are they as good at detecting speed cameras, in comparison with dedicated devices such as Road Angel

Sat navs cannot detect speed cameras, all they have is a database of all known speed camera positions.

[MacBoero]

As has already been said, GPS units don't detect speed cameras. You load known camera positions into them as POI (Point of Interest) databases. I use a Garmin i3 and keep it up to date using the camera database downloaded from:
http://www.pocketgpsworld.com/

Their database isn't free, but costs only £19 a year. If you spot a new camera and notify them, giving a lat-long fix for the new camera. They verify it, and if you are the first to notify them of a particular camera you get free lifetime membership.

[Background Noise]

TomTom now includes speedcamera databases with their models, the first update is free (and comes inclusive with the first map update) thereafter its an annual subscription. Map updates are free for the first year I think. This only applies to TomTom standalone devices - not TT Navigator6 for instance, installed on a PDA. Since it works off the database its only as accurate the day the database was made although you can add or remove locations, and update the same to TomTom. You can get plenty of false alarms, from out-of-service fixed sites and unused mobile sites, and you can obviously miss new sites.

[planecrazy.eu]

The dedicated RoadAngles just for Speed traps are ace, there multi satnav thing is the rubbish...

I have used TomTom since they was launched, and i spent two years selling GPS when i worked in retail, and can vouch that TomTom is the best all around GPS, the thing just works out of the box.

--- With regards to that roadangle GPS, i had to do a trip from B'ham to south devon, it took 5 mins to calculate the route, then told me that the route was to long, and to re-enter a shorter route.

I have taken TomTom around Europe, and its great at telling you when the cameras are coming up, in germany i cant even visually see some of the highway speed cameras.

TomTom offer a paid subscription service, but as said, you can get the free ones of the net, however, I have always stuck with the paid service, think its only £5 per month, and keeps those points and fines away.

NavMans I recon are the next best thing to TomTom, and have a few "cool" features. But, why have the next best thing, when the best thing is the same price.

TomTom has loads of pretty good addons, and they work pretty flawless, even the traffic systems works "OK", not always right, but is sometimes.

[Background Noise]

Just updated my TomTom and checked out speed cameras prices - £16.60 per year.

[dazdaz]

Hi all
Without changing the flow of this thread, could I ask quick question?

I've had a TomTom Go 300 for the past few years (never came with the speed camera data with the UK map) I'm thinking of uploading the new road map with speed camera data. I have a spare 1GB SD card from a camera (all pics deleted/card formatted in camera.

Could I use this card to upload the new map/speed camera data base? Or would I have to buy a new card seeing the one I have has been used in a camera?

Daz

[matt_hooks]

Now here's a radical idea. Instead of worrying about where the cameras are, why not try sticking to the speed limits if you're that worried about points etc. I personally couldn't afford to lose my licence, so I make a conscious decision to keep my speed within the speed limit. Not being self righteous, I can understand the urge to go faster, but the consequences of getting a speeding ticket are not worth the risk for me.

The GPS databases show you only fixed camera sites and mobile camera sites, none of them can prevent you being caught by the good old bobby on his otorbike or in his car with a handheld speed detector, or the bobby sitting in an unmarked car in a side road.

The laser/radar detectors are great, for telling you when to expect a ticket in the post. As said above, unless you are very lucky and pick up a stray reflection from a car in front, the chances are by the time your detector starts to whine you've already been clocked. The radar devices you might have more luck with, but the laser ones have a very narrow beam with very little scatter for the detector to pick up.

[Tosh McCaber]

When I used the Road Angel, I found that, when the RA told me I was at 70mph, my car speedo read 74mph. Presumably, (as I took it!), the GPS was accurate, as opposd to the car speedo. Are all the sat-nav speed indicators accurate?

[spannersatcx]

dazdaz, yes you can use that card, the latest map for a Go300 is only 118mb, so a bit of a waste. The latest map will cost £39.95 and is available to download, you'll probably have to do it from TomTom home though.

matt_hooks the latest TomToms have an overspeed warning that can be set to remind you that you have gone a bit over the speed limit. Most people don't deliberately go out with the intention to break the speed limit, it's so easy to wander over. I think the speed camera warnings actually prevent a lot of speeding and are a good thing.

Tosh, yes they are acurate as long as you are not on a major incline, car speedos can overread but never underread (from build and by law)

[Pontius Navigator]

As for the sensors against Mobile camera's forget it and don't listen to what you are told about how they protect against the honest bobby with his laser gun. By the time your censors work - you are nicked my friend - believe me.

Yes and no.

If everyone is driving within the speed limit then the laser will not be fired and you will get no warning before you are done.

OTOH is the laser is used I get a 5 click burst on my RLW but this is not site specific. I have picked up laser warnings up to 5km away. The effect is that you drive like on eggshells as you have no idea where the laser gun is.

As for driving within the speed limit - I contend that that can be simply dangerous. Certainly I am not condoning breaking the speed limit but driving at 35 mph or less behind someone on the open road who is determined not to exceed 40! well!

[Milt]

Most aviation oriented car drivers and aircrew will want the penultimate GPS Navigator which has the capability for the insertion of multiple way points in Lattitude and Longitude and ideally map references as well.

The ultimate unit will be combined with a UHF transceiver, mobile phone, distress beacon, camera and will you then want music as well? This ultimate unit will also need to be compatible with that second satellite system which may already be up and operating.

Until the development costs for the present spate of units are recovered and prices become reasonable I will be content with my hand held Magellan GPS315 velcroed to the instrument panel or the car dash. It currenly contains 150 of my carefully collected way points for future reference and route planning.