[Mihai]

Was looking to get a dedicated portable one (not add-on for PDA or mobile phone). There are many different receptors, is Sirfstart III a good one?

What happens if you go through a tunnel, how long before you regain the signal?

If you take a wrong turn, can it guide you back to the original route, or do you have to stop and reprogram it?

What about updates and maps? What different suppliers/software is there, and how do you update the maps?

[d7mcfc]

I have a Navman icn530, it is great as far as I am concerned. Have no experience of others though, to compare it to.

If you take a wrong turn it recalculates the journey to put you on the right track within seconds.

I haven't been through any lengthy tunnels in it! Do you have a lot of these near you??

I think they update them periodically and it is all done via USB for the Navman.

One of the best purchases I have ever bought!

[NicoR44]

I love to use TomTom Mihai.

: http://www.tomtom.com

[ivox3]

What happens if you go through a tunnel, how long before you regain the signal?

When you come out.

[aitraaz]

Yeah tomtom is the leader and for good reason. Just one thing - approach your navigator's instructions with some healthy scepticism - if you do exactly what it instructs you there's a good probability you'll find yourself doing 180 km in the wrong lane on the highway...

[Mihai]

So if you want to update the maps, or get maps for a different region, you have to get them from the same company that manufactures your gps, or are there collections compatible with tomtom, or another gps?

[aitraaz]

I mean, if for example, you purchase a tomtom, its really in your best interest to use maps that come with tomtom, as that is their business, and they do it well. So you hook up your gps device to your box via usb, download or purchase updates and maps, and them send them to the tomtom device. There may be some kind of hack (to use compatible maps) but I'm not sure it makes sense really. If you want more liberty than a proprietary system can offer, i guess you could use a PDA with only a gps remote device (bluetooth), so from the PDA you can use the gps bluetooth signal in more liberal ways or with different applications etc etc...

[Mihai]

Ok, it's starting to make sense now

[Mihai]

http://www.tomtom.com/plus/service.php?ID=5&l=2

[NicoR44]

hehehe, yes that one is really really funny!!

Cause I'm very old and I need the money

[b-kandor]

I love to use TomTom Mihai.

: http://www.tomtom.com

TomTom is the best (afaik)- I use it on my palm but they sell it standalone.

My receiver is a bluetooth job, I forget the chipset etc. That was a couple of years ago. I think anything past first gen is ok.

Kandor

[Hervé]

I don't have one... never needed one.. but getting lost gives you nice surprises sometimes.. no..? .... never had a portable phone either.. I am so allergic..

edit:spelling

[Boris Ulzibat]

I have a GPS built in in my head
lol
Yep, SirfStarIII based GPS receivers are considered the best.
My relative has one (the all-in-one PDA-phone actually).
It has guided him around some severe jams successfully without any reprograming.
After you miss the turn most of GPS now rebuild the route on the fly. decause you do not create the route in them, you set a destination point, the route is generated dynamically, based on your currenr position.

Hope this helps.

[Mihai]

Hervé, it can be quite useful, not just giving you accurate directions. You can also use it while riding your bike, or on foot. So you don't have to constantly fold/unfold your map if you go to a new city. You can program it to avoid highways with tolls, there are sites where you can download iteniraries, or points of interests that people have shared. If you're running out of gasoline, you just push a button and it guides you to the nearest gas station, or it finds you the nearest restaurant, hotel...it alerts you of radars, some have a built in mp3 player, picture viewer and video player. Plus by programming it so it gives you the shortest route you can actually save money and time so it can be a good investment. Usually there is also an optional service you can buy that guides you through traffic jams. I know in most european countries this can save you hours in the holiday seasons . For an entire vacation, it could save you days...

The one I'm looking at, the Fujitsu Siemens Loox N100 is really compact and great design. It actually runs Windows CE 5.0 which you can unlock, so you can use it as a PDA too.

[Hervé]

well I am an old folk.. so before leaving home..

- I plan my trip on a map.. with... Internet.. easy, fun .. so much infos..
- I don't have a bike
- when walking in forest (nordic walk.. I like it mind you.. hehe), I know the place so well, I could go blind..
- I never drive fast, so radars are not a problem
- I only listen the local radios... for local flavour..
- I don't consider it as an investment (you'll trash it in a few years..-)
- I always go in vacation when "normal people" stay home.. (read people that have to deal with kids school vacation.. ) so traffic jam is non-existent.. and prices are much cheaper.. and places are not crowded, and usually you feel very welcome...

.. basically, this is why I won't buy one... besides, sometimes I do like to get lost a little... very often you find yourself in the middle of nowhere in cool or weird places..

Now maybe If I was to cross America.. then maybe.. you'e right.

Voilà.. hehe

BTW, Philippe moved to rue D'Alsace in Montpellier.. he says it's better..

edit : spelling..