street gps

[nate]

hey guys
after some feed back on the navmans and tomtoms and whatever other brands there are..
i need one for my work, or would come in very handy, i hear some of them you can download your street maps on them to update them..

any feedback would be great :)

[hillbilly123]

As far as I know the TOM TOMS are easiest to d/load the maps I have the latest ones for Nokia Symbian????
Navman you can only run them in one unit as you have to register them on NAvman website to get the key to run them. I have just given a friend a set of Aussie maps for a wedding pressy and installed them on a card for the unit and they are all keyed together. Incidentally the maps were cheaper in UK than here for an Aussie map Still cost $250AU eqiv

[billiardbrett1]

I bought one of the Garmin 510 models, and have found it great. The only minor hiccup is that some streets don't register with the unit. By this I mean that some minor back country roads won't come up on the screen when you type in an address. When you actually do find the road, the name comes up on the screen bright as day. I think it has something to do with getting the right locality typed in as some of the more remote areas have names we don't know.

[nate]

ah ok cool thanks guys
:D

[Whatsthatbeeping]

Tomtom one Nate, got one before xmas. I've spen most of my adult life driving in and around Brisbane for work and thought that there is no way that these things can be quicker than the ways that i know. But i've been proven wrong.

The Tomtom is easy to use and re-routes pretty quickly. only down side is the battery life is a little short (2hrs) but if its pluged in to the car charger theres no probs.

You can down load red light cameras and speed cameras as well or add your own POI's as you go.

I find that now what i do is drive the way I know to a suburb and then let the TomTom direct me to the address

And the price was under $580

[nate]

cheers mate :)
i drive a truck with bob cats and excavators around and if i take a wrong street its a bit of a pain doing a u turn in it, so i thought if i had one i wont stuff up

[3F62]

Bought a Hitachi 401 last week....... Only early days but easy to use.... great screen & very compact with a 4'' touch screen..... voice very clear.....takes a external SD card for MP3 & movies etc......
Only prob so far is it doesnt turn off with accessories & has to be shut down....

[Jeeps]

I bought one of the Garmin 510 models, and have found it great. The only minor hiccup is that some streets don't register with the unit. By this I mean that some minor back country roads won't come up on the screen when you type in an address. When you actually do find the road, the name comes up on the screen bright as day. I think it has something to do with getting the right locality typed in as some of the more remote areas have names we don't know.

I recently bought one of those. It's very very very good. Benefits (and the reasons i bought it) that the Garmin have that Tom Toms & Navmans don't have are:

1) 8hr battery life. Others have 2-3hr batterys
2) Audibly reads street names
3) When plugged into ciggarette lighter, it turns off and on with the engine. My tom tom mates are always complaining about have to always turn theirs on and off every time they get out of the car.
4) More stable. I previously had a tom tom and it froze sometimes. My mate's tom toms sometimes freeze too. The garmin is unstoppable :)

[nate]

garmin sounds like a winner so far, whats the price for one of these?

[Jeeps]

I paid $650 in january but i saw them this week for $548 after cashback

[nate]

sweet, cheers mate

[billiardbrett1]

I got my Garmin at Harvey Norman for 699 last year but have seen them under $600 the other week. If you are using it in the work truck try leasing it. You can claim it on your tax that way. It works out dearer in the end but it is only costing me $45/month.

[nate]

should be able to claim it on tax anyways ay.

[Jeeps]

dick smith has it on special on their front page http://www.dse.com.au/cgi-bin/dse.storefront

[Jeeps]

Be careful though, everytime i lend it to my old man i can never get it back :)

[hillbilly123]

Also be aware that no matter what you buy its not the final cost. Map updates are the most expensive part of the whole thing. I bought a set of Aussie maps for a NAVMAN 520 and got them from UK for $250 posted which was much cheaper than buying them here. Toyota Sahara GPS updates are up to $400 for the latest ver 13 CD.
Just something to be aware of

[nate]

fark that man!!

[Jeeps]

i don't think i'll need to update mine for a few years as it has streets in it on new estates in my area that aren't even laid yet :)

[Risto]

Just bought a Garmin Nuvi 660, which is my third Garmin and is amazing. The sensitivity is ridiculous and route calculation very fast. The wide screen is a boon too and stupid-bright.

It does not have the more camping oriented features my VistaC has (altitude, sunset/rise times, water proof), but for 'street driving' its the mutt's nuts. The map coverage (Sensis/Garmin City Navigator Australia v7) is pretty good, but no digital (or paper!) map is ever going to be 100% correct - it simply takes a wee while for new and remote roads to get mapped.

This one retails for $1,300,- but got it for $910,- form JB-Hifi of all places! :-) Used to shop at Johnny Appleseed, but the Melbourne branch has disappeared up their own arses, so they won't get any more of my $$$'s.

[brooksy]

I am thinking of buying my first GPS also & have come down to these 4. Navman iCN 720 - $750
Navman N60i - $850
TomTom GO 910 - $850
Garmin Nuvi 660 - $830

I like the advantages that the last 2 have because of the Bluetooth & MP3 capability. The TomTom has a 20GB memory :eek:


brooksy

[Risto]

Jeez, where did you see the Nuvi for $830,-...?

[brooksy]

Jeez, where did you see the Nuvi for $830,-...?

E-Bay, buy it now :D . Yes it was an Aussie distributer. They were starting at $650 to bid on. I haven't seen 1 sell for more than $850 yet. The TomTom at $850 was at buy it now price also.


brooksy

[Cracka]

Hey Brooksy, if your after a Garmin GPS send me a PM and I will what price I can get for you.

[brooksy]

Sent PM Cracka :D


brooksy

[chuckybear]

Got a MIO for $250 recently.

Great system.

Can even tell it you are dring a car, truck, bus, taxi, emergency vehical, even tell it you are walking.
I recently did the Dayboro to Wood ford run across MT Mee, it had all the streets in it, even the dirt tracks.
Very impressed with the unit. And for the cost, fantasic

[VinVIn]

ALL the navigations have just had a price drop, and currently SENSIS is offering $50 cashback on all purchases, so if your interested in buying one, let me know, and i'll hook you guys up with whichever one you want.

Gimmie a model and i'll give you a price - legit, i sell them at work :)