GPS - which is best?

[UberMonkey]

Looking at some gps devices... which is the best one? value for money too (dont want a great gps costing £5,000)

i know MurrayMint likes his tomtom :) what other ones are there? and whats good/bad about them?

[Georgecooldude]

I have the TomTom Go 300.

Cost me £370 about 4 months ago. Beleive they have come down to about £300 now.

Definatly recommed this one. You can go to pocketgps.co.uk and download the speed camera locations along with KFC and MCDonald locations (how cool is that).

Only problem is the size of the SD Card. If you want all the addons, like KFC, speed cameras, gyms, and all the other points of interest you probably need a 256mb SD Card. These are fairly cheap nowadays tho.

(I used my TomTom to find i26) The postcode got me to burger king area and then I followed the signs afterwards.

Postcode search is pretty good but the street name and street number is even more accurate.

[Murray-Mint]

You need the LAN POI file for Tom Tom!

www.murray-mint.co.uk/download/lanpoi.zip

StratLAN, i-Series, and CLUK in one POI file.

Lan Organisers: send me the full address of YOUR LAN and get it added.

[UberMonkey]

how would u get the POI file onto the tomtom? (i've never used one)

[Optimus]

GPS - because looking at road signs is so 20th century...

[wizard1974uk]

Originally posted by Optimus
GPS - because looking at road signs is so 20th century...

He was asking which GPS is the best, not should he get one. ;)

[Guv]

The TomTom Go units are great.

A PDA with bluetooth GPS receiver with TomTom on is also great.

I use TomTom mobile on my Nokia N70 (used to use it on a 7610) with a bluetooth GPS receiver.
I chose that option as it cost me a total of £70, works well and does exactly what I need. Plus, I always have my mobile on me and I keep the receiver in the car so I don't need to mess around finding things if I want to use it. However, if I didn't have a series 60 or windows mobile phone I would probably go with the PDA option.

[DVA - Mark]

Yup Also use TomTom on the PDA Cant Fault it cost me £300 for that i for the PDA TomTom Software and Car Kit

Mark

[Georgecooldude]

Originally posted by MurrayMint
You need the LAN POI file for Tom Tom!

www.murray-mint.co.uk/download/lanpoi.zip

StratLAN, i-Series, and CLUK in one POI file.

Lan Organisers: send me the full address of YOUR LAN and get it added.

Nice! These are going on my TomTom! :D

[FL1X]

TOM TOM

/me flees

[[NZ]Rubberducky]

I use tomtom on my c500, cant fault it really and would recommend it.

I can't compare it to other software however as I haven't used anything else.

[Zenith]

I wholeheartedly recommend my PDA.
Mitac Mio 168.
http://www.globalpositioningsystems.co.uk/images/products/big/mio168.jpg
http://www.globalpositioningsystems.co.uk/mio-168-pocket-pc-including-car-kit-description.html

Built in GPS aerial, Windows Mobile 2003 and comes with everything you need to put it in the car out of the box for £200. It takes SD memory cards, which you can get in 256MB/512MB/1GB flavours. Downsides are that it doesn't have integrated wifi or bluetooth. For this price point though, you get what works. It connects to your PC with a custom USB lead and by using MS Activesync (free download) you can update various aspects of your handheld.

You will also need GPS software and TomTom is the best I've tried for it. You can buy the PDA, memory card and software separately for about £360 inc.VAT and delivery.
Alternatively, you could get the PDA, memory card and software all in one for £349.95 inc.VAT and delivery from
http://www.globalpositioningsystems.co.uk/mio-168-and-tomtom-navigator-3-gb-and-256mb-sd-card12-description.html

As Murray pointed out, TomTom takes POI (points of interest) which are custom points on the map. TomTom can also warn you when you're within a certain distance of POI's... making them a great way to know where speed cameras are. This site right here (http://www.pocketgps.co.uk/uksafetycameras.php) has a set of POI files for fixed Gatsos, most mobile camera sites, red light cameras and those damn SPECS cameras which track average speed between two points. You can put the POI files on your PDA via Activesync. It is updated monthly and while it isn't as up to date as say Road Angel, it is more than adequate for most driver's use. I drive 150-200 miles a day and find it covers almost all the "known" camera points in my area.

I'd like to add that I don't have any affiliation with GPS.co.uk apart from I bought my PDA from them. :)

[Cheez]

Originally posted by wizard1974uk
He was asking which GPS is the best, not should he get one. ;) He was making a sarcastic comment on using GPS when roadsigns do the job perfectly well, not suggesting he use GPS. ;)

[Murray-Mint]

Yes, www.globalpositioningsystems.co.uk is one of the best sites in the UK for buying GPS stuff - very quick delivery, great service.

POI files can also be copied direct to the SD card to the map directory.

[andyf]

Based off Zenith's comments, this looks good:

LINK (http://www.globalpositioningsystems.co.uk/mio-168-and-tomtom-navigator-3-gb-and-256mb-sd-card-description.html?PHPSESSID=ed1316126b6febed5de1f03204b966be)

Mio 168 + Tomtom 5

[UberMonkey]

does that (TomTom Navigator 5 Software & GB Maps (Preloaded SD Card) + Mio 168) comes with EVERYTHING i'd need?

[andyf]

Originally posted by UberMonkey
does that (TomTom Navigator 5 Software & GB Maps (Preloaded SD Card) + Mio 168) comes with EVERYTHING i'd need?

Click on the button that says "What comes in the box" or similar. I saw cigarette lighter charger + dashboard mount and didn't bother reading any more.

[Zenith]

Originally posted by UberMonkey
does that (TomTom Navigator 5 Software & GB Maps (Preloaded SD Card) + Mio 168) comes with EVERYTHING i'd need? Yes. Absolutely. :)

Thanks for finding the better package andyf :) £50 cheaper.

The SD card is preloaded with TomTom so it should run/install the first time you turn the PDA on. The ONLY catch is that it is a 128MB SD card which is pretty much maxed out for TomTom.

Car windscreen mount.
Car ciggy lighter charging lead.
AC adapter for charging at home.
USB data cable.
Soft case with a thin metal plate inside to protect the screen.

I've recommended it to a number of people, and 3 of my friends have bought one on the strength of my recommendation and seeing mine in action. For the price, you simply can't complain. The TomTom 300 unit costs about the same as the full setup for this PDA, but you get all the flexibility of having a PDA as well (Pocket Word, Pocket Excel, Pocket Media Player etc).

[andyf]

Zenith old bean - couple of questions.

Kit arrived today, am fiddling with it now.

First off, what should the GPS Device be set to in TomTom ?

Currently it appears to have come pre-selected as Other Cable NMEA GPS, 4800 baud rate, Serial Cable on SP2. I've just stood out on the balcony and this has picked up a signal - huzzah - but can I up that data rate above 4800?

edit - they've given me an external aerial too - very nice indeed.

[Zenith]

Nice one andyf! I thought it was ubermonkey asking about GPS, not yourself. I don't think you'll be disappointed. :)Originally posted by andyf
Currently it appears to have come pre-selected as Other Cable NMEA GPS, 4800 baud rate, Serial Cable on SP2. I've just stood out on the balcony and this has picked up a signal - huzzah - but can I up that data rate above 4800? Other Cable NMEA GPS > Serial Cable on SP2 > 2400 baud is what I have.

The main thing to bear in mind with the baud is that the satellites are all transmitting their signal in the same way at the same time. The theory goes that the higher the baud, the more satellite signals you can lock onto. I find that having the baud at 4800 makes it *harder* to get as good a signal as it does on 2400 baud. I don't know why, but I've tried 1200,2400 and 4800 for extended periods of time and found 2400 to be "the sweet spot".
1200 has trouble locking on fullstop.
4800 seems to lock on for a short time, then lose the individual satellite signals.

The external aerial is in case you have one of those metallised windscreens or a windscreen with the "invisible" demister. The metal would affect your ability to suck in a good signal, so having the external aerial helps improve your reception in those circumstances. I find that the flap on the back is more than adequate for normal driving around and quite often I don't even have to click it open

[Jez_Gafys]

????? Zenith the mentioned baud rate is the speed of data between the device and gps receiver nothing to do with the transmission between the gps and the satelites. So I cant see how setting its to 2400 makes a difference to teh number of satelites. My device supports 12 satelites 9600 is recommended but id get 12 regardless of speed (of cause too high/low maybe non at all cause the serial port wouldnt be working to spec).

The speed between the gps and satelites would surely be the baud rate divided by bits per frame?

[andyf]

Originally posted by Zenith
The external aerial is in case you have one of those metallised windscreens or a windscreen with the "invisible" demister. The metal would affect your ability to suck in a good signal, so having the external aerial helps improve your reception in those circumstances. I find that the flap on the back is more than adequate for normal driving around and quite often I don't even have to click it open

Hmm, tried to launch it this morning while on the drive in, but it refused to get enough signal strength sitting in the small space next to the gearstick. I waved it up near the windscreen and the signal strengths started spiking up, but I couldn't really drive while holding it there.

How does the external antenna connect up? I can't see any mounting socket or anything to plug it into ..

[Er00]

We always find that if the gps system is next to the bit between the windscreen and the drivers window (yes, ok, I suck at describing...) then we hardly get any satellites and takes ages to get going, but if you move it a couple of inches so it's kinda facing out of the window without metal in the way it works a lot better (funny that actually... XD)...so if you want to shove it up near the windscreen, make sure it's kinda line of sight with the outside :p

[Zenith]

Originally posted by andyf
How does the external antenna connect up? I can't see any mounting socket or anything to plug it into .. See that little rubber bit at the bottom of the aerial flap? Lift it up and there is a little plug for the extension aerial there.

Jez, I know what you mean about the baud rate being between the aerial and the guts of the handheld. In the case of this particular device I tried 1200, 2400 and 4800 baud and found 2400 "better" than the other two when it comes to making a lock and maintaining it.

[Murray-Mint]

And this is where I pimp the Tom Tom Wireless GPS Reciever (Mk II). My PDA is mounted in the middle of the windscreen, the GPS reciever is in the little storage area in between driver and passenger seats - 4 bar signal.

[andyf]

The mains charger they've sent me has a small 'hole' style connector, like a mobile. Unfortunately the PDA has a flat connector :(

[Zenith]

Originally posted by andyf
The mains charger they've sent me has a small 'hole' style connector, like a mobile. Unfortunately the PDA has a flat connector :( That's because you plug the USB data lead into your PC, then plug the AC charger lead into the USB data lead. Take a look at this pic and you'll see that one end of the lead is offset to one side. That's where your AC charger plugs into it.

http://www.globalpositioningsystems.co.uk/images/products/big/mio_active.jpg

Then when you plug the USB lead into your PDA, it charges it up at the same time as providing data connectivity.

I also tried different baud rates today.
1200 works, but is slow to lock and can't "hold" the lock too well.
2400 locks well and maintains the signal.
4800 seems to take longer to lock, but doesn't maintain a lock that long. When I was looking at the GPS Status page, I was seeing a lot of "churn" in the satellite locks. e.g. sat 19 might lock on, but sat 10 would drop.
9600 baud simply didn't work. At all. No signal. No locks.

[andyf]

haha Zenith I feel like a damn noob :D Couldn't spot the antenna hole, couldn't figure out how to charge it!

Successful test on the way home from work though. Quite fun. Although it told me to take 3rd exit on a two-exit roundabout despite the little graphic showing 2nd exit. But otherwise jus' fine.

[Er00]

Least it doesn't crash on roundabouts ;)

[Plasma]

Originally posted by Zenith
I wholeheartedly recommend my PDA.
Mitac Mio 168.
http://www.globalpositioningsystems.co.uk/images/products/big/mio168.jpg
http://www.globalpositioningsystems.co.uk/mio-168-pocket-pc-including-car-kit-description.html

Built in GPS aerial, Windows Mobile 2003 and comes with everything you need to put it in the car out of the box for £200. It takes SD memory cards, which you can get in 256MB/512MB/1GB flavours. Downsides are that it doesn't have integrated wifi or bluetooth. For this price point though, you get what works. It connects to your PC with a custom USB lead and by using MS Activesync (free download) you can update various aspects of your handheld.

You will also need GPS software and TomTom is the best I've tried for it. You can buy the PDA, memory card and software separately for about £360 inc.VAT and delivery.
Alternatively, you could get the PDA, memory card and software all in one for £349.95 inc.VAT and delivery from
http://www.globalpositioningsystems.co.uk/mio-168-and-tomtom-navigator-3-gb-and-256mb-sd-card12-description.html

As Murray pointed out, TomTom takes POI (points of interest) which are custom points on the map. TomTom can also warn you when you're within a certain distance of POI's... making them a great way to know where speed cameras are. This site right here (http://www.pocketgps.co.uk/uksafetycameras.php) has a set of POI files for fixed Gatsos, most mobile camera sites, red light cameras and those damn SPECS cameras which track average speed between two points. You can put the POI files on your PDA via Activesync. It is updated monthly and while it isn't as up to date as say Road Angel, it is more than adequate for most driver's use. I drive 150-200 miles a day and find it covers almost all the "known" camera points in my area.

I'd like to add that I don't have any affiliation with GPS.co.uk apart from I bought my PDA from them. :)


Zenith, how long have you had this unit? had any problem with it?
Don't get me wrong but for the price you pay it is an excellent GPS unit, although there is a "re-badged" one, identical to that unit which if for sale cheaper. I have a little inside knowledge which i though you should be aware of.....there is a problem with the mainboards on these units. The only port on the unit is the one at the bottom, this is used for everything from charging to plugging in a cradle and syncing with your PC. The problem is that the connection at the bottom is built on the mainboard and is only help together with a small bit of solder. The isn't strong enough by any means and eventually the port on the bottom will dissapear up inside the unit. Ever had this problem? if not then your lucky.

[Zenith]

Originally posted by Plasma
[snipped for brevity] Ever had this problem? if not then your lucky. I've had it since February this year (Jan 2005 manufacturing date).
I do have one slight problem with the port, but that is because of the position of the windscreen mount and the charging cable. The dashboard sort of pushes the charging cable to one side, so I've taken to looping the charging cable around the back of the windscreen mount and bringing the cable straight up into the port without a problem now.

When it comes to plugs on electronic devices, I tend to be on the careful/gentle side. I've had plugs stop working on devices before now because of being forceful. Since I use this GPS EVERY day, I'm more careful than usual with it. :)

Thanks for the advice though. I'll keep it in mind.

[andyf]

I'm losing my patience with this Mio. It runs out of battery after being left for maybe 2 days and loses all its settings.

Firstly - why the hell is it running out of battery after 2 days when its not on? Is it a 'fake' off when I press the power button and its really on? This is stupid. I want to turn the damn thing off so the battery doesn't just fall over and die.

Secondly - what the hell is with having the settings memory sitting in volatile ram? I have to set everything up everytime I forget to leave it plugged into the mains constantly. Absolute ball-ache, especially when I throw it on the car charger with a fairly urgent need to get a route up, and have to spend time pissing about setting the stylus/screen up, 'learning' how to cut and paste a calendar entry, and then all the tomtom preferences.

[Zenith]

That's odd. I find that I can get a good 5-6 hours non-stop use on a full charge, and it has held a charge well for almost a week without use.

When you click the button on the top left, it is a soft off button that puts your PDA into "standby".
Do you make sure that all running programs are closed down?
Start > Settings > System tab > Memory > Running Programs tab
Click on "Stop All"

I've got a small program that allows you to access the memory functions directly from the Today screen. It is called DS Memory Manager and can be downloaded from this site right here (http://www.pocketgear.com/software_detail.asp?id=10705). It does seem that you've got a lot of programs running at any one time and that does soak up some juice while in standby.

[BC Species]

I got my Tom Tom about a year back from Dell as I wanted to go for a system that was based on a PDA, I'd definately recommend the Tom Tom system though I've had no real problems with it.

[Tsung]

http://www.bcvr.co.uk/images/roadsigns/DIR001.GIF
http://www.bcvr.co.uk/images/roadsigns/DIR002.GIF
http://www.bcvr.co.uk/images/roadsigns/DIR008.GIF

I use.. .Road signs... It's free :D

[WhiteKnight]

Originally posted by andyf
I'm losing my patience with this Mio. It runs out of battery after being left for maybe 2 days and loses all its settings.

Unfortunatly the MIO is a PDA with gps features, not just a gps, so it has all the shortcomings of a PDA.

I dont know why they dont use flash ram to store all the config data, would make so much more sense. But every PDA ive seen does the same thing when the battery dies.

I know my old asus one had a tool, however, that would backup the config to flash ram when it detected the battery was running low.

Problem was it didnt work if the thing was in standby, which is invariably when the battery died.

You could however run the backup manually, and then restore after a batttery death within about 30seconds.

Sill a balls-ache tho.

Personally ive got one of the TomTom GO`s... and i must say, its just brilliant.

If you`re gonna change to it, get the 500 (the one i have) not the 300. It has Bluetooth functionality and a host of other useful features that the 300 doesnt have.

Best of all.. all the config data is held on the SD card, so when (if) the battery dies, you wont lose any settings.

I say "if"... ive had it in my car for nearly 2 months now, and ive never had a situation where the battery was even 50% low...

[Er00]

We've got a Tomtom since I last posted and it's excellent, picks up signal a lot better than our navman used to, has nice big buttons, etc.

I kinda assume that "off" tends to mean "still has some vague GPS connection which doesn't take very much power, but still some", considering how quickly it turns back on, and how quickly it refinds satellites (ie almost instantly if not entirely instantly..)

[WhiteKnight]

No, when its in standby mode, it does have some residual power to maintain the system state, but it re-acquires its position quickly cos it does some clever math based on your last known position.

If you turn it off, drive 50 miles, and turn it back on, it takes just as long to acquire as if it was cold booted.

[King-Kodiak]

Originally posted by WhiteKnight

If you`re gonna change to it, get the 500 (the one i have) not the 300. It has Bluetooth functionality and a host of other useful features that the 300 doesnt have.

Best of all.. all the config data is held on the SD card, so when (if) the battery dies, you wont lose any settings.

I say "if"... ive had it in my car for nearly 2 months now, and ive never had a situation where the battery was even 50% low...

Be warned. If the Go500's Bluetooth capabilities are anything like the Go700 (which we have for testing when the directors haven't ****ing pinched it), it's not very good, and generates problems with a number of handsets. (Don't even try Sharp phones with it, we tried 7 different models, and NONE would even pair with it). Also, you can't voice dial through the Go700 (probably a minor point for anyone here, but if your on the road alot, it might prove annoying)

As a GPS unit, the TomTom Go units are top notch, nothing like them. As Bluetooth units, they aren't up to scratch by a long way.

If you are gonna get one of the TomTom Go's and use Bluetooth with it, I'd be happy to double check if your handset works with it (if we have tested it, and we've had the Go700 sinec at least october, so odds are we would have tested your handset, unless you have some very obscure russion penguin phone).

[WhiteKnight]

Yeh, there are limitations with the bluetooth, however for what i need (answering calls on the road) it works just fine.

If i wanna actually make a call, i`ll wait or pull over.

[Elbonio]

Im waiting for google to bring out Google Earth GPS