Home > Technical > Satnav. Yes or No. |
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Zagato Site Supporter Member Since: 08 Jan 2011 Location: Billingshurst West Sussex Posts: 5013 |
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28th Mar 2012 7:44pm |
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Retroanaconda Member Since: 04 Jan 2012 Location: Scotland Posts: 2639 |
It's a tool and they can be very useful. But I would never just go on a journey somewhere I'd never been before and rely on just the satnav to get me there. Far too many people do this I fear, and then when there is a problem they're screwed as they've no backup!
For me it's written directions, Google maps printouts, road atlas, a sense of direction, and if I do get lost I can plug in the sat-nav and see if it can tell me where I am |
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28th Mar 2012 9:28pm |
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custom90 Member Since: 21 Jan 2010 Location: South West, England. Posts: 20300 |
I use the Sat Nav only but I also always carry an AA UK road atlas too in case needed. St nav is ideal for cutting down miles saving fuel and time and also getting direct routes. Mine also has fuel consumption and also logs your route's you've driven and can then be viewed later. Also give a fuel cost estimation. |
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28th Mar 2012 9:45pm |
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Retroanaconda Member Since: 04 Jan 2012 Location: Scotland Posts: 2639 |
Some very useful features there. I use Google Maps to find the best route and then a calculator to work out the cost of fuel based on 30mpg My only issue with my big road atlas is it doesn't have a large enough scale for if you get lost in a town or a village or somewhere like that. No problem on the trunk roads, but for more detailed stuff I like to have a printout of my intended route and the surrounding area to cover any eventualities. The beauty of the sat-nav is it's ability to adapt on the fly. If you hit a road closure due to an accident or the like, it will find you an alternate route, regardless of the grade of road or the complexity of the local network. Very useful |
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28th Mar 2012 9:51pm |
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bm52 Member Since: 04 Apr 2010 Location: Kent Posts: 2189 |
I have a Tom Tom. not used a lot in this country. But very useful in France and Italy especially when going cross country on the small roads. It has always been accurate and not caused any problems.
don't rely on it, carry a map and use it as a tool to guide you and don't treat it as gospel and you will find it is worthwhile. BM52 |
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28th Mar 2012 10:21pm |
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yaho Member Since: 26 Nov 2008 Location: Bialystok Posts: 200 |
Garmin 278c here.
Not using as a daily tool, but off-road and abroad is great: - where there are no roads you can plan your route in Google Earth and follow it later - you can save your tracks, revisit them later or share with friends - if you make mistake while on routable map, it will quickly bring you back on right path - detached from the car keeps operating for few hours, just enough for a day long trek in the mountains off the marked paths - plenty of free maps Off course it makes mistakes in route calculations or maps not always are updated but if you do not know your way it is faster way to navigate, than using paper maps, especially as you are only one in a car. ps. Is that true, that all ladies keep maps oriented 'direction-up' (opposed to 'north-up)? Janusz www.yahodeville.com |
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29th Mar 2012 7:12am |
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MartinK Member Since: 02 Mar 2011 Location: Silverdale (Lancashire/Cumbria Border) Posts: 2665 |
Yep - agree - they have their uses, but also they can make you lazy.
4 years ago I had a change of job, and had to go out on the road visiting companies in places I had never been to before. I bought a (£100 Tom Tom) Sat Nav - it was great for getting me where I needed to go (especially around the outskirts of London - an area I don't know). Also useful for your ETA...will you get there in time? The Sat Nav helps there... Last year, we toured around California (San Francisco, Yosemite, Sequoia, Hollywood, Pacific Coast Highway) - we bought a new Garmin just for the trip...awesome! Found every hotel, no wrong turns, allowed us to be tourists and look around without having heads in maps all day But for general use, no, especially at night I find the display distracting. Defender "Puma" 2.4 110 County Utility (possibly the last of the 2.4's) |
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29th Mar 2012 7:21am |
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Go Beyond Member Since: 30 Jan 2012 Location: Headcorn, Kent Posts: 6678 |
We did the same trip last year, ahhh The Big Sur, now that is an awesome drive ! Did the same thing, took our old Tom tom with us having bought the US maps off Ebay, made the whole trip a breeze ! Highly recommended (Sat Nav and the California trip ) |
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29th Mar 2012 8:07am |
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leeds Member Since: 28 Dec 2009 Location: West Yorkshire Posts: 8580 |
Sat Nav is for the guidance of the wise NOT FOR THE OBEDIENCE OF FOOLS
Driving anywhere? As well as turning ignition key, engage BRAIN and use Mk 1 EYEBALLS So if sat nav tells you to turn the wrong way up a one street ignore it! Recalculating, recalculating! Brendan |
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29th Mar 2012 8:22am |
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custom90 Member Since: 21 Jan 2010 Location: South West, England. Posts: 20300 |
I'm not going to say all but useually women in Corsa's and Fords and such like As I said not blaming all but some let the car drive them |
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29th Mar 2012 9:38am |
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JWL Member Since: 26 Oct 2011 Location: Hereford Posts: 3443 |
Bit like the stupid girl that allmost became a trophy on the front of my Defender last night The only reason it wasn't a head on on a blind bend on a narrowish road out of our village was me visiting the hedge and her boyfriend in the passenger seat grabbing the steering wheel It really amazes me that these eejits can squeeze between parked cars at speed in built up areas but out in the countryside they're unable to drive in a safe manner |
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29th Mar 2012 10:10am |
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custom90 Member Since: 21 Jan 2010 Location: South West, England. Posts: 20300 |
Well I've only been driving for just over two years and never behaved like it.I can't even understand how they even manage it. To be honest it's the countryside that takes it up a level with vehicle handling at a higher speed. My pet hate is people aproaching round abouts when your doing everything correctly and they don't even slow or stop |
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29th Mar 2012 10:50am |
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Laurie Member Since: 22 Feb 2008 Location: Sussex, England Posts: 2897 |
I bought a sat nav whilst on holiday in Oz recently which I tried when I got home, but the bloody thing doesn't work. All it says is "Follow the yellow brick road... Follow the yellow brick road..."
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29th Mar 2012 10:54am |
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GREENI Member Since: 22 Aug 2010 Location: staffs Posts: 10379 |
I call them 'chav navs' !
Yes I have one.... came free with the A5, because the standard Audi 'in dash' one is the cats ass!! |
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29th Mar 2012 11:26am |
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