Anyone have Sat Nav ?

[exISeuro]

I have always wanted Satellite navigation and have been tempted to buy the Navman PIN.

Should i do it ? anyone have experience with one or any other systems ?

I dont want to buy it and regret it

Of course it's not a necessity, but it would be nice to have

[bigdongers]

heres a recent similiar thread http://www.ozhonda.com/forum/showthread.php?t=14661

I have an IPAQ with bluetooth GPS and Destinator 3 softare. It does pretty much exactly what the Navman PiN does. I am a consultant so it comes in handy for me when I go to see clients where I havnt been before. However mainly, I know how to get where Im going so its not really getting that much usage.

It is a cool gadget though

The software has its limits though. It has gotten me lost a couple of times directing me to dead ends and wanting me to do U turns on a one way street!

[LOC888]

Hey Bigdongers, is there a mounting bracket for the for the ipaq? How is the battery life on the ipaq?

[exISeuro]

Sorry i should have searched.
IBTL !

[bigdongers]

Hey Bigdongers, is there a mounting bracket for the for the ipaq? How is the battery life on the ipaq?

battery life on the IPAQ is crap so you really need to get a cig lighter charger for it. But I went one better and got an Arkon powered mount. This sticks securely to the windscreen and also has a spare USB port for me to charge my Bluetooth GPS receiver. I bought it from Organiser World http://www.ow.com.au/products/arkon_accessories.htm

Its a little fidly but in all works well.

[REV888]

Today I went and bought myself a Navman Icn 510.

So far its just so amazing! what a small little machine can do.

Could not stop using it for most of the day.

Will post some photos up when I get a chance

[fabcat]

I have had a navman pin for over 6 months. It works pretty well. Some cool features:

- routes well. it occasionally (often) will not go by the very best route, however it will get you there in the end without you having to resort to a street directory.
- reroutes quite quickly if you ignore its directions.
- uses a 3d map view which works very well
- It is also a pda so you can run windows mobile 2003 software on it and of course use it as a pda.
- built in gps receiver (good and bad) good in that there is less fidling around than using a bluetooth unit - bad in that you have less choice in antenna placement unless you use an external antenna. Hasn't been a problem in my pintara. Can someone tell me if gps reception works on the dash of a euro (is the windscreen metalised like some bwm's)?
- Since it is a pda, you can put addresses in your pda contacts database, and used this to navigate to your contacts address in the navman software - cool.
- navman pin comes with a car connection kit
- well priced - less than $900 now
- good battery life
- small - fits in your back pocket. Transferable from car to car.

Not so good features:
- It is not built into the car so it always looks a little messy attached to your windscreen. I think I would prefer a built in setup despite the extra cost.
- You always have to take it with you when you leave the car so it doesn't get stolen - so there is the minor inconvenience of connection and disconnection.
- It annoys my girlfriend when it gives me voice directions because she would rather tell me what to do

I have used a copy of destinator 3 on my navman pin for about a week when I first got the pin and found it to be very frustrating compared to the navman software. It makes much more routing mistakes and I just had to stop using it and went back to navman. It was just that annoying.

Please note that Destinator working poorly for me is most likely related to the quality of the routing info in the maps. I live in Sydney, so for Sydney - avoid destinator 3. It may work great in other areas. The destinator maps are actually more detailed than the navman maps (more small streets and more points of interest, also destinator maps show street numbers where navman does not) however the large amount of routing mistakes in destinator are a huge issue.

I have heard good things about the copilot software that you can get with a mitac mio 168 (navman pin is a rebranded mio 168) but I have not used it. If you get it try and get the latest software. Copilot 5 has been out overseas for at least 6 months but I have only seen version 4.5 in Australia. V5 looks really good. Not too sure about v4.5. It is missing some of the features of navman. Have seen this for AU$859 (copilot 4.5 and 168 together). I have not seen any Australian reviews of this though - only overseas.

Another unit I was considering before I got the pin was the Garmin's StreetPilot 2610. It got excellent reviews. This is a dedicated car navigation unit. It is an on dash unit and is transferable from car to car and has some nifty features. Costs more than a pin though - seen it for $1550.

hope this helps.

[exISeuro]

Thanks for the replies guys !
I've decided to go with the Navman ICN510

Will be picking it up Thursday night (pay day)

REV888 ..... pics ! please

[LOC888]

how did u mount the nav?

[exISeuro]

The navmans come with a windshield suction mount.

I cant wait :|

Im choosing the ICN510 over the Pin beacuse i need the points of interest feature.

The wifey likes restuarants and such.

[REV888]

Damn I can never upload anything on this Site.

Thoese who want pics of the Navman GPS system PM me with your email address and will send it to you.

[bigdongers]

Damn I can never upload anything on this Site.

just go to http://www.imageshack.us/ and upload your pics there. no registration needed. It even gives you the code to copy and paste into here to display the photos.