GPS

ROAMIN · Veteran Member

GPS

Smokeydk · Guru

Hi.....My daughter has a TomTom....but its spent most its life having software problems.....the firebrigade I'm in uses Garmin...they pretty good brand

Dave

dave06 · Guru

well an expert on G.P.S. I am not, however having said that I do talk to a lot of people and the one's in the know lately seem to go for the Garmin nuvi 760, it's got the 4.3" widescreen (nice and big so you can see it, always a good thing) the price is around the centre mark at roughly $350

you can spy an article about it here

http://www.gpsreview.net/garmin-nuvi-760/

seems to tick all the boxes

I use a logic gear sl350f and have had no problems with it, however it is starting to have a couple of little stumbles, the citys keep changing their roads and the roundabouts confuse the hell out of our "naggin nancy", I dont mind the odd foible as I only use it in citys, anyway hope that helps just a wee bit.

Cruising Granny · Guru

I have a Tom Tom One.
It's been very reliable. Of course the thing can't know about changes in road configurations unless they're programmed in.
Map updates are available on the internet. Just plug in and buy them.
That's where I have a problem. Still working on it with Tom Tom.
The best one is the one which is easiest to use and read. The cost doesn't seem to reflect the actual value.
I just suggest you do your homework, ask the guy in the shop and make your decision on what you want the gadget to do for the money you're prepared to spend.
Have fun with it. Granny

mike and Judy · Guru

When visiting the cities, I think I have the best of all KIDS, , Brisbane I have my daughter and s/i/l, both who drive for L A N D S , a sort of subsiderary to the ambulance, so they keep me imformed of changes, , Sydney I dont go anywhere near it, ,and Melbourne my son who is about to become a grey nomad himself, is a relieving station master,so is all over the city and suburbs
Funny that , I dont feel any older,
For the last 20 odd years have had a hand held garmin, I'm on to my seond, easier to use and a lot smaller,

Roostertales · Senior Member

For me I don't currently need as I usually find my way with conventional maps.

Is the purpose mostly for traversing unknown cities and heavily populated area's ?

Mike

drongo & wendy · Senior Member

haha son brought me one so as a tester he set it up on one of our Melb. trips yep great directs me from home to the hume hwy get to outskirts of melb tells me vear left turn left 600 meters so do that turn right 11 ks this is easy so turns right straight into a road block,i hour later get through it, to go a few ks, road reconstrution sob sob misses needs a pee i need a pill but i think the same day arrive at sisters. next day sends me into melb right to where i need to go beauty couple days later i type in from the city to back home mongel thing wanted me to go back to sisters.

wonder where that blooy thing is

dave06 · Guru

they do funny things for inexplicable reasons I scratch my head with naggin Nancy quite often and oh boy do we have some rows and many times threatened to throw her out the window ( you are exceeding the speed limit, you have missed your turn, route recalculation)

but on our last trip to Melbourne she was absolutely fantastic, did not miss a beat, we had no idea of where we were (heading in to port Melbourne over the bridge off the westgate freeway) she took us right to the ship, thank god

I prefer to pour over maps with an ale or a coffee when I am out on the open road, but in a city with 5 lanes of traffic going each way at 100 kph in peak hour and absolutely no idea of where I am going then I rely on naggin Nancy and she comes through every time, sometimes strangely but always gets me through

when I upgrade I will look at the Garmin simply because I think they are the most trusted name in gps navigation, updates can be more costly than a new gps so I dont bother, sales people will try to sell you the item that they make the most money out of and most of the time it is already 3 years behind, higher price does not guarantee a better product, mid range seems to be fine

the one that I would honestly like is the inbuilt pioneer with the 8" screen, reversing camera, DVD, mp3 player, navigator, 6 stack CD but it is a wee bit out of my price range so I will keep dreaming

Cruising Granny · Guru

Unfortunately I don't have a live navigator on board, and it's really hard to read a map while towing a van through city traffic.
I bought it to get me around large towns and cities, and it's very handy to find exits on motorways.
He gets a bit confused when it comes to finding small places or new areas, but once I get there he tells me where I am, even though it didn't compute when I was actually looking for it. Jeez, talk about frustrating. I have also threatened to give him the flotation test in the nearest river. Albany in WA was his biggest challenge, because it's the worst sign posted place I have come across in all my miles around this country.
Generally I would be lost, literally, without my Tom. He's not partner material. He is however one of the only blokes I take instructions from, but only after I programme him first.
Cheers Granny

Popeye · Senior Member

Roamin go here http://www.gpsaustralia.net/ This guy is in WA he has his own garmin shop. Great to deal with. All questions answered by him or others. You can get all updates from him too

dave06 · Guru

the other thing that I like about the Garmin is that it can take "shonky maps" as updates, these are in no way "shonky" that is just a name given to them, I have checked the site out and downloaded a few updates just to verify that they are safe and all seems to be above board

you may veiw the site and download free shonky maps for your Garmin from here

http://shonkylogic.net/shonkymaps/

Basil Faulty · Guru

Yet Again ALDI have a very good one of these GPS Navigators for $199, if you don't like it they will give you a refund. The ALDI ones have text to speach and free upgrades. Agree you need the largest screen possible.
I have a Navemate bought via the net seems to work well.

Basil Faulty · Guru

Psssssssssssssssssssst I can sell you Track Ranger real cheap, just don't ask why I'm selling it....

mike and Judy · Guru

Got a mate in Sale who has a Hino Rainbow, he has a GPS and a reversing camera riged to a 240v 17 tv with a video plug and inverter to 12v
Need the room for it, beauty of a pic, clear as if you were using it for tv viewing
thats for me in the Daydreamer

xina · Guru

I've got a [yet to be used] Hema. I figured it has all the maps I'll ever need on it already. I like things as simple as possible. Exy., but for me, worth it.
Cheers,
xina.

ROAMIN · Veteran Member

Hi Xina,
Is that a Hema Navigator from what i have heard they good to a lot of 4x4 clubs and drivers use them but need $$$$$.
Any way thank you for info.

Roamin.

ROAMIN · Veteran Member

Hi Basil,
Thank you for the offer to buy Track Ranger but i will pass ha ha no need to say more.

Roamin

ROAMIN · Veteran Member

Popeye,
I am a little bit far away to do that as i live in Victoria and cost of postage would out weight any savings.

Roamin

ROAMIN · Veteran Member

Dave06,
Checked out Web Sites the one with review of navi 760 was Amercian but price was alright but was Amercian $$ and exchange rate is not good.
But Shonky Maps could be worth while.

Roamin.

dave06 · Guru

I almost bought one myself off ebay the other day, brand new unwanted gift, 2009 maps loaded went for $360, I think if you went to somone like dick smiths they are around the $580 mark, keep an eye on ebay, I would never buy one out of a shop,

but the Garmin website is firstly yankee land but the site does tell you what you are getting and what it can do

i know of a couple of blokes that have dropped "shonky maps" on their old Garmins and they work like new and havent let them down yet, so when I update mine it will be a garmin

the hema apparently is greatly over rated and over priced

xina · Guru

Hi Roamin. That's the one. I know it's expensive, but I don't have to up-load any other maps on to it.
Cheers,
xina.

whoppa · Veteran Member

Hi guys,
I have a tomtom and belive it to be the best thing since sliced bread.
Absolutly no problems ,I have Australian and New Zealand Maps loaded.
I have used it in NZ/QLD/NSW and it has save no end of disputes.
Will be getting heaps more use when we head off to OZ in may.
It is the smallest and cheapest tomtom you can buy.
Also lots of extras you can get for tomtom.
speedcams (handy in NSW) why so many there?
celebrity vioces ,have john clease or ozzy osbourne tell you were to go.
only ever minor errors in maps and keep up to date via PC and map share.
But although I belive all gps units will do a good job ,i picked totom as it appears to be the most universal world wide with lots of support networks.
Also has a backup and restore facility with pC software

dave06 · Guru

nothing like word of mouth from a user thanks for that, not sure if I'd want ozzy osbourne on my gps,

"you went past the fxxx turn off man oh fxxxx it, SHARON He WENT PAST THE FXXXX TURNOFF SHARON"

and john cleese

"right you've just past that one, never mind we'll just find another one wont we, right take this one they all go there in the end dont they, not as if we're stuck with just one now is it"

Smokeydk · Guru

Checked.My local RAA

Hema Navigator GPS
The Hema Navigator is your on and off road navigator for all of Australia. Features street navigation with voice guidance, large 4.3" trouchscreen and Hema 4wd topographical and OziExplorer mapping

$990.00.....now thats a lot of money

Ended up buying

Hema Australia Easy Read Road & 4WD Atlas
Pages are enlargements of the standard Hema Road & 4WD Atlases.The road section includes regional state maps, CBD maps, City throughroads, a national park facilities grid and a 4WD section.

RRP$39.95

Dave