Trafficmaster Smartnav - who uses it? (1 Viewer)

[Bridie]

Hi

I've never had a SatNav, but now we have a Trafficmaster Smartnav that has come with our new Citroen campervan with free use for a year.

No real instructions with it (probably wouldn't read them until last resort!) and website not much help.

To add places (POIs) you phone in and say where you are going (address and PC). I think I can also add them manually and maybe online as well. Not sure about using abroad as post codes not as accurate as here.

So, anyone else have this system? What's your thoughts and tips.

 

[Wildman]

from what I can see, very little is kept on your GPS itself, the system appears to be a pay as you go wifi service + GPS where the wifi supplies the info required. I can foresee lots of problems with this in dead spots. However keep us informed as to how you get on I'll be watching this thread with interest as it seems an inovative way of providing the service, no wonder the boxes themselves sell on ebay for around £10.

 

[BwB]

I've got this on my day van. It was said to have three years "free" usage on it but it was in dealer mode when I got it home so I had three months to play with it before needing to register.

You put the post code in of where you want to go. It phones Control and gets the directions and then off you go. It has a built in mobile phone which it does all this through (you can get the number off the system so people can phone you via the device if you need to (you can't make outgoing calls)).

If you don't have the post code or you don't know the exact address it will automatically call their control centre and you can talk to a person about where you want to go and they will send the directions to the machine.

They also have an optional tracking service if you'd like to subscribe to that. I don't think it will store POI's on the system. It has a memory of the last few places you've visited but that's all.

The system reads like it should work quite well. Control have the latest maps and traffic information so you should always be up to date. If you take a different route the device will phone up for new directions.

They don't (didn't) cover anywhere outside the UK. At the time I was spending a lot of time in France so had to keep my normal GPS system at the ready and in the end never continued using the Citroen system. Never did register to use it although it does sometimes phone the Control and they ask me if I'd like to register.

So, it's good if you've got nothing else or need a tracker but I found it clumsy for day to day use. I just use it as a clock and compass now

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[Reallyretired]

If it only uses postcodes it wouldn't be much good in France where often the whole town has the same postcode.

I'd buy a proper satnav, my brother had one of these and although fine in UK is no use abroad, and you have to pay a subscription.

 

[Stephen & Jeannie]

Don't look Ethel !!!

I had one fitted in my Van from new ! used it for the first free year, absolutely fantastic :thumb:, just press the button, a real person comes on line ! "Good morning Stephen, where is your destination today ?" This is in France I may add. Address given and off we go ! Route changed if accidents etc !oh:

BUT........Don't sign up for the second year ! A tom-tom works out cheaper !
Just have the tracker now !:Cool::Cool::Cool:

 

[Bridie]

BUT........Don't sign up for the second year ! A tom-tom works out cheaper !
Just have the tracker now !:Cool::Cool::Cool:

Thanks

That is what I thought. Didn't realise you could continue to have the tracker without using the SmartNav

:thumb:

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[Curtisden]

Thanks

That is what I thought. Didn't realise you could continue to have the tracker without using the SmartNav

:thumb:

Hi I have one of these on my Fifer.
Works a treat and much much better than TomTom traffic. Keeps you right up to date on the route ahead giving you options as the conditions change.
Coming back from Scotland in late October after picking up my Fifer it snowed and it changed the route several times as the A1 became blocked ahead of us.
But when the 3 years is up I will have to think hard and long about the cost. £150PA
Use my TomTom overseas as it has my Aires data on it.
Just updated the maps for £32 Europe wide.
Peter