Sat Navs do we need them? (1 Viewer)

[ronald4874]

So very often the word 'Sat Nav' raises its ugly head when in conversation with other motorhome people. If I have mentioned an Aire, in say France, I am asked what are its 'Lat & Longs' my reply invarably is I will show you approximately on your map,--'I don't have a map, just a Sat Nav'.
The conversation may turn to getting through a country with a Sat Nav and how easy it is, no thinking just listening and driving. When asked what happens when you just turn right or left off the road your on and 'get lost' to see the inners of a country, like a lot of people do on holiday, how does the Sat Nav respond, answer it doesn't, you have to start again if you know where your going too.
So very often people use their Sat Nav to get through France and Spain, arriving at their destination without a fault, on questioned they openly admit they have seen nothing of either country, just roads- and they are on holiday.
My question is have we gone too far on gadgets available, are we being brainwashed by the salesman who describes the equipment as being essential, 'everyone has one and no sensible motorhome owner can be without one'
It would be interesting to hear other motorhomers thoughts on this subject.

I was reminded to write on this subject when my son, delivering a new yatch, lost all its navagation instruments just miles out of' La Rochelle, on route to Greece, had to use his sexton and Lap Top only for navagation. He's passed through Messina Straights with 280 miles only to go as of the June 1st.

Keep smiling, maybe your Sat Nav will stay alive.

Ron W.

 

[Planetgen]

Sat nav is number one on my s**t list at the moment, I use a Tom-tom which is as good as useless. I am sure I heard her say "Turn left I think!" Got lost in Deepest Darkest Somerset which is not pleasant!
However after lots of arguments she normally gets me to the correct town!

 

[Ralph-Dot]

No we do not "need" them but if you have one you are never lost, you may not be where you want to be but you do know where you are and that makes it easier to get back on track.

Ralph

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[markymark]

I use my Tom Tom a lot to travel around Europe with work , touch wood it has never let me down yet.
Before i go anywhere i get google maps up and compare with tom tom.

Saves time and alot less stressful

 

[derekfaeberwick]

Don't suppose we do need them, nor do we need the internet nor carpets nor air con nor telly, but!!!!

Rise up ye Luddites! oh:

 

[Griffs]

sa nav

we had a sat nav on our last dodge and to be honest i dont want one on our motorhome ,would much rather read a map dont need any hightec

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[vindiboy]

Most definatley yes ,I think they are a fantastic bit of kit, they take the stress out of travelling in unknown areas, you can confidently drive through any unknown city or town in any Country,don't follow them blindly, use a bit of common sense and you won't go wrong.I am amazed at the number of folks that have one and don't understand the functions on them properly, no wonder they get in a pickle, the old maxim applies, R T M :thumb::thumb:

 

[Ralph-Dot]

If you are lost, maps are of no use, you have to know where you are to use them. With a sat nav you always know where you are, so can use a map.

 

[American Dream]

Well I love my Sat Nav.

Anything that takes the stress out of driving and enables me to enjoy the scenery and experience the Country I am traveling in gets my vote.

I have used it in the USA and it proved invaluable.The UK and Europe too.

No...I don't need it...It just makes driving so much more pleasurable for me.:Cool:

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[derekfaeberwick]

Exactly. :thumb:

 

[Baggins]

good ol' TomTom

Don't use mine so much in UK but found it to be invaluble in Europe where signage, road layouts are different.

As a solo traveller my TomTom was a very good companion indeed on my 3k mile trip earlier this year.

 

[shifter]

So very often the word 'Sat Nav' raises its ugly head . When asked what happens when you just turn right or left off the road your on and 'get lost' to see the inners of a country, like a lot of people do on holiday, how does the Sat Nav respond, answer it doesn't, you have to start again if you know where your going too.


Ron W.

HI RON
i have a garmin sat nav,if you intentionally or unintentionally go off preset route the lady from garmen says RECALCULATING and sets you another route to your preset destination.she will keep doing this every time you vear of course.
wouldnt leave home without her.
CHEERS IAN.

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[Tony Lee]

Actually, the OPs objections to navigators are exactly perfect reasons to have one.

You can turn off the set route any time you please to check out an interesting town or building and when you are ready to resume, you just take notice of the instructions again.

Far from not taking notice of the surroundings, a gps allows the navigator to relax and enjoy the view instead of having his/her nose buried in a map and frantically looking for signs (in an unfamiliar language).
The driver can also relax knowing that occasional lapses in situational awareness are not going to result in getting hopelessly lost in a strange city.

To navigate freely in France for example would require dozens of paper maps and constant attention to road signs, especially in towns.
The cost of the paper maps to cover what we have in Europe would be far more than the cost of the TT plus the electronic maps.

As for directions to camp sites and aires - the books I have have the most useless directions I have ever come across. Maybe usable if you know where it is and are familiar with the address syntax, but rarely adequate for strangers to follow.

Give me GPS coordinates every time.

The argument against GPS that failure causes danger may have merit if you are flying an aircraft or piloting a boat in dangerous waters, but are irrelevant to motorists who can just pull over and sort themselves out.

 

[Road Runner]

one of the best item I have ever bought

but

2 years ago I moved to Wales and find it very hard to go anywhere without it as i never really learn most of the routes

i.e. lazy:Blush::Blush::Blush::Blush::Blush:

 

[sinbad1]

Actually, the OPs objections to navigators are exactly perfect reasons to have one.

You can turn off the set route any time you please to check out an interesting town or building and when you are ready to resume, you just take notice of the instructions again.

Far from not taking notice of the surroundings, a gps allows the navigator to relax and enjoy the view instead of having his/her nose buried in a map and frantically looking for signs (in an unfamiliar language).
The driver can also relax knowing that occasional lapses in situational awareness are not going to result in getting hopelessly lost in a strange city.

To navigate freely in France for example would require dozens of paper maps and constant attention to road signs, especially in towns.
The cost of the paper maps to cover what we have in Europe would be far more than the cost of the TT plus the electronic maps.

As for directions to camp sites and aires - the books I have have the most useless directions I have ever come across. Maybe usable if you know where it is and are familiar with the address syntax, but rarely adequate for strangers to follow.

Give me GPS coordinates every time.

The argument against GPS that failure causes danger may have merit if you are flying an aircraft or piloting a boat in dangerous waters, but are irrelevant to motorists who can just pull over and sort themselves out.

Couldn't agree more, there is also several features like visual compass bearing , time for the journey, arrival time,traffic alerts, etc etc mine also acts as a hands free phone with loud speaker, all my contacts and messages can be accessed via the screen.

There's so much more information on a satnav's that map books simply do not provide, and i guess like the slide rule, will just be history soon.

Map programs are different though , google maps are great for creating a route by adding your own waypoints/poi's, you can even zoom in on satelite view adjust your poi to the exact co-ordinate see what the campsite looks like from above,even meaasure the gateway if you want.

Satnav's can't do this ; but once you have created your route in google you can transfer the route to your satnav.:thumb:

regards

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[Ralph-Dot]

If you have mobile broadband and a GPS aerial you can use Google earth to navigate.

 

[hilldweller]

Yes. They are a tool.

Number one tool is MAP.

But I have to admit that SatNav makes life bearable in French towns where they get you in but never signpost an exit. Once you screw up and go the wrong way the signs for where you want to go are in the rear view mirror and that is particularly bad on a MH.

I can't believe anyone would not carry a map, plain stupid, electronics fail maps don't.

 

[duetto owner]

driven aboard pre sat nav to go calais to la rochelle and a nightmare in nantes and riems wher we got lost.

used sat nav to dusseldorf and took us straight to the door of the hotel, on the return our exit off one of the motoways was closed off no problem the sat nav re calculated from next junction.

would be lost without my tomtom 700 but the maps are originals from a few years ago might have to update them if going abroad again.

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[sinbad1]

I can't believe anyone would not carry a map, plain stupid, electronics fail maps don't.

Can't remember when i last bought a map book.

Your right you need a backup in case.
On planned trips i just take my lappy got google and autoroute and acts as a backup
in the event that TT fails.

If they both fail i've got my mobile

If all three fail i'll just find the nearest pub:thumb:

regards

 

[johng]

only just started using tomtom.. on a pda . very handy a few weekends ago around Milton Keynes with a boat hitched up behind, travelling solo..

want to use on bike this summer for europe, bikes and paper maps dont mix too well, especially after you've overtaken 100 cars/motorhomes, and then have to stop to see where you are

 

[motorhomer]

As others have said, I would not be without a sat nav. It really does increase enjoyment enourmously, you can go off your route and it always will recalculate to get you back when you are ready. And its so much more relaxing in places you do not know.

That said, I would not be without a map as well. A map is much easier when you want to plan a route taking in various places. I then program this into the sat nav.

Also, a sat nav is a tool. Like a map, it is not always accurate and the roads may have changed. So it needs to be used with some care and not followed blindly.

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[Ralph-Dot]

only just started using tomtom.. on a pda . very handy a few weekends ago around Milton Keynes with a boat hitched up behind, travelling solo..

want to use on bike this summer for europe, bikes and paper maps dont mix too well, especially after you've overtaken 100 cars/motorhomes, and then have to stop to see where you are

I used a pda with gps on the bike, I had it in my pocket with an earphone to hear the directions.

 

[hilldweller]

want to use on bike this summer for europe, bikes and paper maps dont mix too well, especially after you've overtaken 100 cars/motorhomes, and then have to stop to see where you are

I failed to do this on the cheap. Had PDA but failed to mount it so I could read it. Rain a problem. I forget why the audio link to the intercom also was unsatisfactory, though I had a tank bag that resembled a rats nest with wires everywhere. Maybe one of the dedicated bike units would be better, though I know TT had a reliability problem with poor mounting brackets/charger.

Then there is theft.

Now the Holy Grail looks to be bluetooth but with the lack of success we've had with a wired intercom I doubt a low power blue tooth device would have the volume to punch through the noise at respectable speeds.

 

[vwalan]

have friends with them. but where is the adventure gone ? i leave home dont really make a plan , have an idea but never know if i,m going to follow any route. seems to me most people need to plan everything . overnighters ,toilet stops. never book ahead you aint got there yet ,its a holiday. i drove trucks all over europe n north africa for years for work only ever had maps , i still use a swiss map of spain from 1974 makes for an excitng journey . why is everybody in a rush , i like to take the old slow winding routes much more fun. if u carry a map n compass your never lost !just not where you think you were.

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[Ralph-Dot]

I failed to do this on the cheap. Had PDA but failed to mount it so I could read it. Rain a problem. I forget why the audio link to the intercom also was unsatisfactory, though I had a tank bag that resembled a rats nest with wires everywhere. Maybe one of the dedicated bike units would be better, though I know TT had a reliability problem with poor mounting brackets/charger.

Then there is theft.

Now the Holy Grail looks to be bluetooth but with the lack of success we've had with a wired intercom I doubt a low power blue tooth device would have the volume to punch through the noise at respectable speeds.

As I said, "I used a pda with gps on the bike, I had it in my pocket with an earphone to hear the directions." but I admit this was only good as long as the battery held out.

 

[Caztur]

I love my Suzie Sat Nav 90% of the time. The other 10%, I argue with her - and half of that time she proves herself right. :Blush: But she never bears me a grudge.

Used to use daughter and map before I met Suzie, we used to argue constantly and sometimes by the time we got to our destination we weren't speaking.

 

[johng]

Brian and Ralph...

I am fitting two cig lighter sockets into fairing inner panels, that should remove the power problem.. bluetoothing to headphones could get around the cable issue?.. (I haven't intercom)

ideally I would like pda playing music, quietly, interrupted with sat nav.. not sure this is possible.. running tomtom and music at the same time.. pda is quite old

whole set up cost £40 including tomtom europe as a single image

Pda can hopefully sit under VFR screen out of the worst weather.. will get a long bendy holder and screw into fairing also.. the main problem is the pda wont work in landscape mode!.. so needs to be upright which isnt ideal

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[hilldweller]

As I said, "I used a pda with gps on the bike, I had it in my pocket with an earphone to hear the directions." but I admit this was only good as long as the battery held out.

I did not try it that way because of 'er indoors behind and the intercom. The real problem with the intercom was wind noise at decent speeds.

 

[johng]

Brian what type of phones does the intercom come with? I ask because here at work i have some shure in-ear ones that completely block outside noise, think earplugs with a tunnel through.. they are brilliant at work, on planes, or a noisy campsite, but a bit uncomfortable in the lid....


sorry gone OT ...

 

[Ralph-Dot]

I did not try it that way because of 'er indoors behind and the intercom. The real problem with the intercom was wind noise at decent speeds.

I got the earphones the wrong way round at first and 'er indoors behind was getting all the instructions oh:.

Ralph

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