Garmin sat nav advice please (1 Viewer)

[Terry]

Hi after hijacking Forestboy's thread I thought I had better start my own
I currently have a old ( 4/5 yrs) out of date TT 300 that will not update the maps (gets to 98 % then bombs out) Now I am not the most patent guy so have decided to get a new Garmin which I had one before the TT and liked a lot better.
I have been to Halfords today and looked at some new Garmins the guy then threw me a wobbler by saying I needed the traffic version (a lot smarter) that detoured me around traffic jams oh: Is this just a £30 gimmick or a good thing to have? I will be getting around £30 for my old TT 300 so it is not costing me anything unless I knock 30 quid off the new price which at only £70 for a standard one - £30 only leaves me paying £40 for the new one or £120 for the traffic one = £90 (nuvi 200T )What should I do ??
terry

 

[pappajohn]

its a good gimmick but make sure there are no on-going subscriptions to traffic divert.
your radio set to TA will do just as well as when you get a radio traffic alert you can just re-route.

if its subs free then go for it.:thumb:

 

[ralphman]

hi i've just bought a tomtom for my husband with european maps but didn't have the traffic so bought a traffic thing that plugs in the satnav & just sticks to the windscreen for £19.99 with no ongoing subscription at all don't know if you can do something similar with the garmin & btw it works perfectly .

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[GJH]

Terry, I also have TT Go 300, bought for me at Christmas 2005 so about the same age as yours. I get annoyed with the fact that the mapping isn't all that good but have never had a problem with updating the maps.

When you say it gets to 98% then bombs out, does the program crash or is it just that the SD card is full? If it is the latter then a larger SD card will solve the problem (I have a 1GB card in mine now). Create a folder on the PC, copy the contents of the current SD card to the folder, copy from the folder to the new card then update the map file on the new card.

Still might not like it as much as Garmin but it's a cheaper solution

Graham

 

[Terry]

Hi Graham, I have tried myself several times (failed) and also a couple of mates one of which is into sat nav's in a big way :thumb:
I have found some Garmin ones on Amazon starting at £70 so if I get 30 for my old unit ,it will have only cost me 40 :thumb: and I get the unit I should have got instead of the TT - nothing wrong with the TT just my preference :thumb: and as you say around 2005 everyone, as now saying get a TT or garmin.I opted for the TT to replace a nicked garmin.
Now I have to decide is the Traffic worth paying extra for ?? does it do what the young lad said ?-it automatically tells you when approaching a traffic jam and re routes you ? or is it a case of me turning off the road then letting it re-route ?--- if that's the case the TI on the radio does that !
I hate buying things only to find it is cheaper from so & so then it does not do what they said so trying to do my homework before diving in
Either way £70 or the £100 with traffic will not break the bank (just yet) and I may well throw the TT in a cupboard as a spare or for when someone wants to borrow it
terry

 

[GJH]

Hello Terry,
Looks like you're gonna have to pay out summat whatever doesn't it
Because of the problems I've had with out of date mapping on the TT I've been looking at Garmins from time to time but haven't jumped because I'm not convinced their mapping is much more up to date Suspicious mind If I ever do get another one I'll probably get a Garmin simply because I got a bit cheesed off with TT

There's usually two of us anyway so the passenger can use printed atlases, especially close to a site where recommended route doesn't tally with what TT says.

I agree with John on the traffic alerts. We diverted round a bad crash a few months ago having heard about it on the radio but that involved looking at the printed atlas (easy enough with a passenger). The sat nav traffic alerts are supposed to automatically re-route you but if there is an ongoing subscription it can get to be a bit expensive. There's also the possibility that a diversion might be down narrow roads as well

Whatever you decide I hope it gives you what you need

Graham

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[Spacerunner]

I have a Garmin 765T, T for traffic.

The subscription free 'traffic' is a useful little tool but no more than that. It works perfectly but you do have to be in range of the transmitters so ita really main roads only.

All in all the 765t is a good unit and does its job well. It took us all the way round France 'turn perfect'.

 

[Terry]

Hi S/R so does it turn you away from the jam automatically or do you have to leave the m/w then let it find a route ? Is it worth the extra £30 ?I must say I am leaning towards it.:thumb: BTW it is subscription free :thumb:
terry

 

[wizzer59]

Hi S/R so does it turn you away from the jam automatically or do you have to leave the m/w then let it find a route ? Is it worth the extra £30 ?I must say I am leaning towards it.:thumb: BTW it is subscription free :thumb:
terry

Hi Terry
I have an old garmin nuvi 660 with traffic and I have to say given the choice I probably would not have it again because it usualy tells me about the traffic when its too late or when I get to where its supposed to be a snarl up there's nothing there.

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[Spacerunner]

Hi S/R so does it turn you away from the jam automatically or do you have to leave the m/w then let it find a route ? Is it worth the extra £30 ?I must say I am leaning towards it.:thumb: BTW it is subscription free :thumb:
terry

Yes, it recalculates the route automatically.

However it is only as good as the information it receives. So somewhere like the M25 it works really well as the data is usually kept up to the minute. You do have to make the decision though whether to stick to the old route and take a chance when rerouted on more remote routes.
Another useful feature is that when planning routes it checks to see if there are any hold ups on the preferred route. You can also switch between traffic map and standard map. The traffic map allows you to see any traffic problems in the area, not neccessarily on your route.

Any more questions PM me and I'll get the manual out, wherever it is!:Blush:

 

[Terry]

CHEERS both of you :thumb: even more confused now I am now leaning towards saving the 30 quid I tend now just to go where it says -- right or wrongly,it has sent me up a few farm tracks etc, but always got me there :thumb: OH JOY
terry

 

[Sam]

Hi after hijacking Forestboy's thread I thought I had better start my own
I currently have a old ( 4/5 yrs) out of date TT 300 that will not update the maps (gets to 98 % then bombs out) Now I am not the most patent guy so have decided to get a new Garmin which I had one before the TT and liked a lot better.
I have been to Halfords today and looked at some new Garmins the guy then threw me a wobbler by saying I needed the traffic version (a lot smarter) that detoured me around traffic jams oh: Is this just a £30 gimmick or a good thing to have? I will be getting around £30 for my old TT 300 so it is not costing me anything unless I knock 30 quid off the new price which at only £70 for a standard one - £30 only leaves me paying £40 for the new one or £120 for the traffic one = £90 (nuvi 200T )What should I do ??
terry

Hi Terry,

I bought a new Garmin with European maps and traffic alerts recently (nuvi 660). It works really well. The traffic alert is very usefull although you have to have a thin cable going up your windscreen. Make sure you look at bundles on the internet as I found them a lot cheaper than Halfords.

Sam

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[Terry]

Hi Sam cheapest I have found is Amazon ?????
terry

 

[Sam]

Hi Sam cheapest I have found is Amazon ?????
terry

Nice - I'll keep in mind for future reference.

Sam

 

[Terry]

Hi All I ended up buying a nuvi 200 w/s from what turns out to be our local ish (10 mls away)Toyota dealer garage off ebay £74 for a new one not a refurb
Any one know of a free site to download more POIs from ? camp-sites etc,
terry

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[scotjimland]

Hi All I ended up buying a nuvi 200 w/s from what turns out to be our local ish (10 mls away)Toyota dealer garage off ebay £74 for a new one not a refurb
Any one know of a free site to download more POIs from ? camp-sites etc,
terry

I was going to suggest Facts .. but that aint free ..

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CAMPINGCAR-INFOS

Both Clubs have POIs and of course our own download section :thumb:

 

[Terry]

never looked at our DL section :thumb:
I have, I think, done with facts,never seem to visit much now better on here without the agro
terry