View Full Version : Talk to me about TomTom (or other Sat Nav)
Matblack
20-11-2007, 15:42
I'm going to get a stand alone TomTom unit, I don't like using the mobile as a sat nav unit any more. Its too small, its not loud enough and its hard to find somewhere to position it properly, it also restricts my options on phones.
So the plan is to buy a stand alone unit but I am a little confused as to which to get, do I go for a Tom Tom or not? If I go for TomTom do I get one which will connect to the phone and use the traffic service, is it worth the extra cost? I'd quite like something which does traffic cameras too :/
MB
I believe the vast majority (if not all) the current TomTom range will do speed cameras. Not sure about the traffic service or how useful it is though.
Traffic is still a bit hit and miss apparently. I had a month trial on the last TomTom setup and I really didn't know whether to trust it or not :/
The official Speedcam updates will cost you money unless you want to download from the net, but all of the TomTom's will work with this.
As for what one to get, I have no idea. There seem to be so many different variations about now, I don't have a clue what does what.
LeperousDust
20-11-2007, 18:49
If you just want basic routing get any, the top models 720 920 have map share hard drives for music bluetooth profiles etc... then 910 (older 9 series version) same without mapshare but it's likely that will be updated soon as...
For generic hands free bluetooth stuff and few cool features 5 series is excellent value for money. Best thing about the 9 series is it talks the road names out to you too! Calculates everything MUCH faster (better hardware) but i'm not sure if its worth the extra (at least not to me). For general not much use a to b stuff and no need to hands free through tomotm (ie your radio or headset does that) get the cheapest second hand unit you can is my best advice :p
Summary:
They all route the same, the more you pay the quicker they do it, and you get a few extra bells and whistles that sat navs don't "really" need but are cool if you want to spend the money...
Justsomebloke
20-11-2007, 19:03
I can find out from to Actual users if you like mate. One of my mates got his 350 quids out the other day & upgraded from the 1 to the latest one. He is a mad white van man & uses it daily. Not the cleverest spanner in the box either so if he can use it anyone can.
My other mate has the 1 but he thinks it's ****e. He has a bit of nouse about him much like myself ;) & is more akin to taking is own detours.
I think it would depend how much you would Actually use it but then you ricch boys have enough spare dough so wtf treat yourself.
One tip though is to carry baby wet wipes in the car to wipe the Sucker mark of the screen when you remove it. Thieves use the sucker mark to let them know what cars to rob/break in to. ;)
One tip though is to carry baby wet wipes in the car to wipe the Sucker mark of the screen when you remove it. Thieves use the sucker mark to let them know what cars to rob/break in to. ;)
Malc giving out the same advice as the Old Bill! Whatever next? :D
I would go for the 910 or 920. The road names feature is great. Instead of "take the second exit" where you are left with the question of "is it counting that bus exit as an exit", it will say 2nd exit A414 towards X. I used to commute from Kidderminster to Chelmsford often and that would knock hours off a horrendous journey.
A good example is going from yours back through the tunnel. Using the traffic it will re-route you off the m25, bypassing 5-6 miles of queueing traffic and drops you down on the ramp right beside the crossing booths. :D The traffic is ~£40-50 per year but its worth every penny.
The pocketgpsworld maps end up on bittorrent so there isn't a need to subscribe, but that £40 for traffic includes cameras. Another nifty feature is "quick sync". If you are going to be using the unit, sync it with your pc and it will download where all the satellites are for the next 24 hours. So when you switch it on, it syncs very quickly
LeperousDust
20-11-2007, 19:48
As i said 910/920 are the best, but even after you pointing that out Zirax, it wouldn't convince me to pay more really. The quick sync is that really just 910/20 territory? Traffic comes with all of them, same service with all of the devices, and the road feature is good i agree, but its still more of a gimmick only rarely truly handy. I now move from Edinburgh to Liverpool on and off and granted i know the way without tomtom so i don't actually use it anymore, but when i did need it road names aren't such an issue. A quick glance at the map and road layout checking where the arrow is pointing will more than suffice for myself.
910/920 by far the best, but i still ask are they really worth the extra features? Map share is the latest greatest i actually DO want. To get this you need the 720/920, not sure if the 520 is even out and if it uses the newer series 7 OS. So for best feature price i'd say 720, bells and whistles and if you don't worry about the money 920 (maybe 910 if you slightly worry about the money :p). 5xx or whatever secondhand XL GO whatever you can find if you just want a bit of navigation help. Becuase lets face it, us men are great without sat-nav so why admit defeat and buy the best :p
I am tempted by the 920 for the updating maps. Its also for street level mapping in Europe, no idea if the others do it. Oh, and you get a bluetooth remote which is cracking to update routes / replan without having to reach forward and touching the unit. Without looking at the screen, tap, right, right, tap middle (on the remote) will manually force a traffic update.
Justsomebloke
20-11-2007, 20:29
Malc giving out the same advice as the Old Bill! Whatever next? :D
They maybe where i heard it from mate. It certainly isn't through experience as i haven't had a motor for a couple of years up until recently & have never owned a satnav. It stuck in my mind though & is well worth passing on. Same sort of thing applys to milk being delivered after you have all left for work or the paper boy not pushing your paper All the way through the letter box. Neither good :)
leowyatt
20-11-2007, 20:46
Get yourself a tomtom one and the maps can be added for nothing :) The traffic wasn't bad but to be honest I don't think it's worth the subscription as I just tell it to find an alternative route when I hit the jams.
LeperousDust
20-11-2007, 22:26
I am tempted by the 920 for the updating maps. Its also for street level mapping in Europe, no idea if the others do it. Oh, and you get a bluetooth remote which is cracking to update routes / replan without having to reach forward and touching the unit. Without looking at the screen, tap, right, right, tap middle (on the remote) will manually force a traffic update.
It still doesn't convince me :p Map share you'll get with all of them soon, it can be had on the 720 anyway. Bluetooth remote not my thing really, remotes in cars just shouldn't happen at any time, all these silly remotes for a stereo thats right in front of you is just silly! Street level mapping are just about the maps, whatever maps you download the tomtom uses... The usual map set is UK and "Major" roads of western Europe, but its possible to get the full map of Europe (its fricking huge though, so buy a new SD card :p).
I don't know about the remote units except they are all overall pretty similar and all work really well. I wouldn't go down any other route such as Garmin or any others, TomTom do have the lead on it IMO and it's a fair lead too. I've always had TT on PDA's or phones, but I've used other people's TT XLs and Ones and they just "work". The nice feature is the BT connectivity for dialing/answering/and calling numbers of POIs (really cool feature IMO), though the traffic updating thing you might as well use the TA button on your radio in the car, it's far more effective.
Updates to maps can be expensive but I'm not sure what the new ones are like for that - do they offer a subsidy or subscription?
The speed camera thing is not going to be as a good as a proper camera box - but I believe it's getting better.
Matblack
20-11-2007, 23:23
I'm very tempted by the 520 its doesn't have the Europe maps but I can get them at a later date and it will make it seem a lot cheaper to buy them when and if I need them. I've wanted a hands free kit for the car for a while too so that would kill two birds with one stone. Its not like I drive a lot but I like having sat nav when we do go somewhere :o
I don't think I can justify the extra for the 920, although you can get a reconditioned 910 for ~£200
MB
leowyatt
20-11-2007, 23:28
I was originally going to have to buy the CA map as our tomtom only came with the UK but with the help of a small program I managed to activate the map on our go and just needed to get a bigger card.
If you need all the features of a tomtom then go for those but our One works brilliantly and we get Eddie Izzard to direct us :D
It still doesn't convince me :p Map share you'll get with all of them soon, it can be had on the 720 anyway. Bluetooth remote not my thing really, remotes in cars just shouldn't happen at any time, all these silly remotes for a stereo thats right in front of you is just silly! Street level mapping are just about the maps, whatever maps you download the tomtom uses... The usual map set is UK and "Major" roads of western Europe, but its possible to get the full map of Europe (its fricking huge though, so buy a new SD card :p).
Well you're just an awkward sod aren't you :p Each to their own, I picked the 910 for the road name reading, remote, europe street mapping in a box that could be ordered quickly.
With the hands free kit, you have to plug it in each time you install/remove the cradle. You need to plug an output from the TT to your stereo. So each time you install it, you need to plug in a mic, and a lead to the stereo, then the power, then the unit (unless the design has changed).
Matblack
21-11-2007, 10:49
My thinking was that the hands free would use the TomTom speaker and comunicate with the phone via Bluetooth, no?
MB
I'll check it tonight. It will communicate with the phone through bluetooth.
Although I haven't tried it yet, I'm pretty sure the hands-free will work via Bluetooth with just the mic plugged into the TT unit.
Random link if it's helpful:
http://www.hotukdeals.com/deal/55455/tomtom-one-v3-gps-satellite-navigat/
I recommended the 510 to my Mum when they asked what to get (though I would have recommended an XL had they been out at the time), so I can't really not recommend the 520, can I?
That's not to say I wouldn't recommend the 920 as well, but I'm of the opinion that a One/XL/510/520 will do most people fine, with the higher-end models reserved for those who need to travel a lot.
Just checked my 910 manual. Yep it connects via bluetooth. You'll need to plug in a mic to the windscreen mount and it can use the tomtom speaker. You have the option of having an audio output to your stereo if it supports it.
We have a TomTom XL and it's great. Has speed cameras on and keeps trying to connect to Leon's bluetooth for traffic updates whilst we're driving along. The only gripe I have is that sometimes it just seems to miss a turning, although it'll show it on the map. Most odd!! That's all I have to add to this thread.
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