Satnav advice please!

skullfunkerry

I've been using a TomTom Satnav for a while, and I absolutely hate it... crappy directions, incorrect lane guidance, and bizarre routes for no apparent reason (the other day it took me off the A21 on the way to Hastings, through a couple of tiny little villages and then back onto the A21 about a mile further down from where I'd left it, ffs. I checked and there weren't any traffic problems, either).

I've been trying alternatives on my phone and the best one has been Apple maps, but I have an issue with that where my phone gets too hot when it's in the windscreen on a sunny day.

So, I've been looking at Garmin units. They seem pretty good, and not too expensive, but they need to connect to my phone over Bluetooth to get traffic updates etc. I stream music from my phone in the car, so I've looked into it and it looks like I can have 2 bluetooth connections simultaneously.

So my questions to you lots are:

1. Am I right about the Bluetooth thing?
2. Do you have any other alternative suggestions of Satnav?
3. Do you have any links to a phone holder for the windscreen with built in sunshade?

57Deluxe

"After, 400yds, turn right, turn right"

KrisGee

Maps in your phone. One device to operate, one charger, less clutter, clearer view through the windscreen. I have a fancy garmin satnav that's not been used once since I started using phone maps 2 years ago.

PC_Dave

Waze on your phone. Done

skullfunkerry

KrisGee said:

Maps in your phone. One device to operate, one charger, less clutter, clearer view through the windscreen. I have a fancy garmin satnav that's not been used once since I started using phone maps 2 years ago.

That's my ideal, and I thought that I'd solved it with Apple maps, but after a 20 minute journey on a sunny day my phone was super hot and there was a notification saying 'phone is too hot', which concerned me a little bit...

olafgarten

skullfunkerry said:

KrisGee said:

Maps in your phone. One device to operate, one charger, less clutter, clearer view through the windscreen. I have a fancy garmin satnav that's not been used once since I started using phone maps 2 years ago.

That's my ideal, and I thought that I'd solved it with Apple maps, but after a 20 minute journey on a sunny day my phone was super hot and there was a notification saying 'phone is too hot', which concerned me a little bit...

How is it mounted? You can get mounts that attach to your Air Con vents and they will.cool the phone down. 

Schnozz

I just bought the £89 Garmin one from Currys for the UK & Ireland.

I've just come back from 2 weeks in Scotland and it worked a treat - You update it from your laptop.

KrisGee

olafgarten said:

skullfunkerry said:

KrisGee said:

Maps in your phone. One device to operate, one charger, less clutter, clearer view through the windscreen. I have a fancy garmin satnav that's not been used once since I started using phone maps 2 years ago.

That's my ideal, and I thought that I'd solved it with Apple maps, but after a 20 minute journey on a sunny day my phone was super hot and there was a notification saying 'phone is too hot', which concerned me a little bit...

How is it mounted? You can get mounts that attach to your Air Con vents and they will.cool the phone down. 

That's what I use. The magnetic one with a round metal bit that sticks to your phone/case, very easy to put on and take off, holds very well too.

notanon

KrisGee said:

olafgarten said:

skullfunkerry said:

KrisGee said:

Maps in your phone. One device to operate, one charger, less clutter, clearer view through the windscreen. I have a fancy garmin satnav that's not been used once since I started using phone maps 2 years ago.

That's my ideal, and I thought that I'd solved it with Apple maps, but after a 20 minute journey on a sunny day my phone was super hot and there was a notification saying 'phone is too hot', which concerned me a little bit...

How is it mounted? You can get mounts that attach to your Air Con vents and they will.cool the phone down. 

That's what I use. The magnetic one with a round metal bit that sticks to your phone/case, very easy to put on and take off, holds very well too.

I've done 5+ hours regularly with various Android phones and Google maps on the dashboard no where near the vents. They get fairly warm but no real problem.

What happens when you switch from Apple maps to Google maps any difference?

skullfunkerry

notanon said:

KrisGee said:

olafgarten said:

skullfunkerry said:

KrisGee said:

Maps in your phone. One device to operate, one charger, less clutter, clearer view through the windscreen. I have a fancy garmin satnav that's not been used once since I started using phone maps 2 years ago.

That's my ideal, and I thought that I'd solved it with Apple maps, but after a 20 minute journey on a sunny day my phone was super hot and there was a notification saying 'phone is too hot', which concerned me a little bit...

How is it mounted? You can get mounts that attach to your Air Con vents and they will.cool the phone down. 

That's what I use. The magnetic one with a round metal bit that sticks to your phone/case, very easy to put on and take off, holds very well too.

I've done 5+ hours regularly with various Android phones and Google maps on the dashboard no where near the vents. They get fairly warm but no real problem.

What happens when you switch from Apple maps to Google maps any difference?

I didn't use Google maps for long enough for the phone to get hot, really. It was even more annoying than the TomTom! I think I'll stick with Apple maps, and if it keeps getting hot I'll have a rethink. Thanks all!

NickL

If you get a standalone satnav, go for one that updates wirelessly. My (admittedly fairly old) wired TomTom is not compatible with the power saving features on my newer laptop. The USB goes to sleep and disconnects without an obscure registry hack which makes the computer unstable, so I can't update the maps.

Grunfeld

NickL said:

If you get a standalone satnav, go for one that updates wirelessly...

I agree about the wireless thing.  I got a TomTom Go 6200 a couple of weeks ago because my old TT was rendered obsolete by the inability to update maps.  The new learning curve was frustrating and initially I couldn't stand the damn thing but that's improving with practice.  

Also, with attaching phones and sat navs, I got really fed up with temperamental suction mounts and after much trial and error with different suctions, bags, vents, and magnets, can say that this stuck on top of a flat disc has finally been the successful outcome!

thumpingrug

Waze.  absolutely bloody brilliant, and free.   Never let me down.

Grunfeld

Roughly how much data does something like Waze gobble?

That new Tomtom Go 6200 I bought... sent it back yesterday because mercifully it died -- an honourable hari kiri for being so utterly shit.  So I'm thinking of Waze now but.... I don't have a huge data allowance per month on my current deal.

martinw

Google maps.
Been using nothing else for years, including all over Europe and in the US.
Brilliant directions, 100% accurate journey times, live traffic with rerouting, free updates.
And it's on my phone, so no extra kit.

m_c

I've been using TomTom Go on my android phones for the past few years.
IIRC it's £15 for a year, and it does everything I want it to. The only thing it really has over google maps, is it includes fixed speed cameras.
I have compared it to google maps, and I find TomTom is better at traffic and finding diversions, but google is much better if you don't have the exact post code of where you're trying to go.

thumpingrug

Grunfeld said:

Roughly how much data does something like Waze gobble?

That new Tomtom Go 6200 I bought... sent it back yesterday because mercifully it died -- an honourable hari kiri for being so utterly shit.  So I'm thinking of Waze now but.... I don't have a huge data allowance per month on my current deal.

@Grunfeld ;

Google Maps use around 0.6MB of data per hour and  Waze uses only about 0.23MB an hour and it will go lower than that if you plot your directions or maps while you're on Wifi. Mobile data needs to be turned on for the GPS and other location services running in the background but they, too, use less data

stickyfiddle

Use Waze. It's miles better than Apple maps and reroutes you based on upcoming traffic without you having to do anything. 

I have no idea why anyone with a smartphone ever considers paying for a satnav. 

Grunfeld

@thumpingrug -- ta!  I currently have 2GB per month, which I never use, and so long as I remember to turn Waze off when I'm not using it then that should be sufficient. 

I cannot fathom how and why the Tomtom device could be so rubbish given that google maps have had this sussed for years.  Pointless detours, but the latency of the device was insane -- I mean the latency where I press the screen and it eventually responds.  You know when a server is running really slowly, it was like that all the time.  The actual map display/ location latency was fine.  Anyway, I'm having a think about a Garmin because I just kind of dislike the way Waze and all of these things want to connect to everything else in my phone like contacts and photos and stuff, but I might give it a go.