Sat nav recommendations please

dandelion · Nitrous Nuisance Joined: 18 Feb 2013 Karma :

Hello there,

I have a friend at work asking about a satnav recommendation but i have no clue. Budget is of £100 New or used. He currently is using his phone but it looses signal often and he commutes from Shillington to Hemel Hempstead without using motorways (hasn't done his test yet).

Know of any good deals?

Cheers

MCN · Super Spammer Joined: 22 Jul 2015 Karma :

GPS Navigation for a bike will cost more than the budget new.

2nd hand may be an option but even that is not ideal as there will be very restricted support from the OEM for 2nd hand. i.e. repairs and more importantly up-dates for the system and mapping.

Tomtom or Garmin are the better higher end but there will be chinese units out there too.

I would look for Garmin as they have wider usability than Tomtom.

It will need to have:
A mount. (They normally need a cover to protect the terminals when the unit is removed.)
A power supply. Wired to ignition live or battery.

An important function for motorbike use is Bluetooth or headphone connection. And a screen that is clear in sunlight. Some devices are better at that than others.

All the above will be ruthlessly contradicted by some of the folk on here but I have used GPS since before SatNav became a word and owned several bike and car SatNav devices.
____________________
Disclaimer: The comments above may be predicted text and not necessarily the opinion of MCN.

Skudd · Super Spammer Joined: 01 Oct 2006 Karma :

I've had a Zumo 400 for about 9 years. It hasn't had any updates in all that time, but gets me to 99% of the places I want to go. The other 1% I check up on Google and find the nearest point on the Zumo using my brains to find the last mile or so. (like we did before sat-nav)
____________________
Famous last words of Humpty Dumpty. " Stop pushing me "
Petty Anarchists look at "1984".............. The Visionary looks at "Animal Farm".

weasley · World Chat Champion Joined: 16 Oct 2010 Karma :

I use a s/h TomTom Urban Rider I got on eBay. I do not use a Bluetooth headset, I just rely on the screen (and knowing generally where I am going anyway). No need for a wired power supply unless the journey is over about 3 hours (I do have a cable wired up, but rarely use it). The good thing about it is that it is fit and forget - no worries if it rains and you can use it with gloves on.

Phone - if you use a dedicated satnav app with downloadable maps then you don't need a signal, and it saves the battery life. All you really need is a decent mounting solution (and power).
____________________
~~Yamaha XJ600 | Yamaha YZF600R Thundercat | KTM 990 SMT~~ | BMW F900XR TE

dandelion · Nitrous Nuisance Joined: 18 Feb 2013 Karma :

Thanks for the recommendations guys.
I'll pass the info along to him!

Personally I use my Samsung phone and a mount for £8 off amazon but he wanted a proper satnav. This info will give him lots to consider.

Cheers

conker · Nitrous Nuisance Joined: 22 Mar 2013 Karma :

https://www.chinavasion.com/china/wholesale/GPS-Sat_Nav_Devices/Portable_GPS/All-Terrain-4.3-Inch-Motorcycle-GPS-Navigation-System/
You do need to install software yourself though.

chris-red · Have you considered a TDM? Joined: 21 Sep 2005 Karma :

Buy/Obtain a proper mapping app. Not all of them stream the maps like google. There are many where you can download the maps so your phone runs as a satnav and doesn't require a network connection.
____________________
Well, you know what they say. If you want to save the world, you have to push a few old ladies down the stairs.
Skudd:- Perhaps she just thinks you are a window licker and is being nice just in case she becomes another Jill Dando.
WANTED:- Fujinon (Fuji) M42 (Screw on) lenses, let me know if you have anything.