Satnavs - do people still use stand-alone?!

[HurricaneSmith]

I use the integrated sucker on my TomTom to stick it either at the bottom right when travelling solo or the bottom centre when travelling with Yvonne.

I won't lose any sleep about newspaper articles saying anything different.

 

[nabsim]

Early hours I did the 30 odd miles from Gretna to Moffat using google maps on my iPhone 7 Plus. It did the job fine but innvan was far or small and not easy to read. This may have been worse as I had satellite view on so will try again but so far for me stand alone 1 phone 0

This is in relation to navigation in the van, I do use phone maps when not driving and find them very good for that. I will add the 7 plus screen is bigger than some tomtom units I have had and they were clear as a bell

 

[Okta]

I tend to use my iPhone in the car and iPad Mini in the mh. I am not surprised the satellite view was difficult to see, I think it would also use more data. I turn the night mode image off at night, because I find it less clear, and simply dim the brightness on the daytime mode to a very low level.

 

[nabsim]

Y

I tend to use my iPhone in the car and iPad Mini in the mh. I am not surprised the satellite view was difficult to see, I think it would also use more data. I turn the night mode image off at night, because I find it less clear, and simply dim the brightness on the daytime mode to a very low level.

es I suspected the view setting made it worse which is why I mentioned it, I had been looking for likely park up spots then just used the directions to take me there. Will change view next time. I also gave the Michelin sat nav on phone that I got free when I bought all the aires and that didn’t look bad

 

[Caz]

I do, it's got a much bigger screen than my phone so much easier to see. It's Garmin. I wouldn't trust a Tom Tom - either stand alone or on my phone.

 

[Minisorella]

My 7-year-old Garmin Dezl has motorhome dimensions, weight limits and free lifetime maps and live traffic updates, plus camera capability and a bluetooth link to my phone for hands-free answering of calls, etc. I have another satnav in my car and both sit on those brilliant little bean-bag holders, so each vehicle is always ready to go.

For important things, I'm a great believer in dedicated tools for specific jobs rather than trying to save money. I understand and enjoy tech, so not phobic or uninformed and I've tried various routing apps over the years on my Samsung Galaxy S7 and ageing iPad but none of them measured up to either Garmin or TomTom satnavs. Not having a co-driver, I like to double-check routes on Google or paper maps before I set off and stop to check again if I get diverted but the satnav does the best job, keeps me in the right lanes, tells me when I go over the speed limit, alerts me to speed cameras, can be programmed with umpteen 'via' places, doesn't eat my data, doesn't lose signal, doesn't disappear if the phone rings, doesn't make me squint to see it and, unlike my phone, isn't likely to end up being left on a loo windowsill or in a shop, or be dropped on a concrete path or be stolen from my handbag... yep, all 4 have happened

Reminds me, I had a combination washer/dryer once... drove me utterly bonkers and took forever to get through a pile of laundry in the winter. Give me a dedicated machine every time

 

[Bigbarry]

I use a Snooper with 7" screen that I can see and hear easily the preloaded sites and POI's has been excellent value over the years and the added bonus is I can use it to pick up TV channels when we are not talking to each other!

 

[Flostravels]

IPhone is useless. It’s always being used to reply to someone, look up something or change the music at the wrong moment. Tomtom stays where it lives!!
Great for planning though...

 

[Okta]

IPhone is useless. It’s always being used to reply to someone, look up something or change the music at the wrong moment. Tomtom stays where it lives!!
Great for planning though...

I don’t do those things with my phone when I am driving and find iPhone or iPad very reliable for navigation.

 

[Flostravels]

I don’t do those things with my phone when I am driving and find iPhone or iPad very reliable for navigation.

Nor do I. It’s the other navigator

 

[Okta]

Nor do I. It’s the other navigator

Fair enough but perhaps a bit harsh to describe “iPhone is useless” when it is down to operator choice. We avoid interupting navigation if there are junctions imminent but if it shows the next one is miles ahead we might check something out.

 

[nabsim]

Fair enough but perhaps a bit harsh to describe “iPhone is useless” when it is down to operator choice. We avoid interupting navigation if there are junctions imminent but if it shows the next one is miles ahead we might check something out.

I tried iPhone again yesterday on map view and it was a hell of a lot easier to see. It was only for a short hop from co-op to green frog so will need a bigger test, still seemed too small (dash is quite far in van) may be I haven’t given it long enough and not getting right spot in varifocals. One thing though, Caz did ask why am I not using the sat nav

 

[RV2MAX]

I have a Garmin Dezl 7" for screen size , and its greater capabilities , and prefer to not have all eggs in one basket, a phone can take pics ,but you cant clip on a 400mm telephoto lens . @Minisorella just about sums it up .

 

[wildebus]

Am I right in thinking a lot of peoples vans have no rear windows? if so, the position where the rear-view mirror would be is ideal for a nice sized Sat-Nav system (this is where Renault fit (or at least used to) their TomTom units.
When I had my Renault Master with a bulkhead, I used to have the Sat-Nav+ Reversing Camera Combo Screen fitted there. I will later today be moving my Garmin Camper Sat-Nav Device in that same location and take the rear view mirror off as not a lot of use.

 

[Growlie69]

Seeing the TomTom Raffle, (thanks Phil), I'm just curious, do people still use Stand-alone sat-navs any more?
I was very much a TomTom fan and had dedicated unit for years and produced many POIs, but phones nowadays are so much better hardware. TomTom Go with global maps, live traffic/cameras etc, is £15/year for Android at least - and we can use the same system on both of our phones - so single cost. Maps all off-line too, and with google and OSMAnd, maps and POIS all offline too.
(Both car and van have built in satnav, but only ever use that as backup).
With 2.4A USB charger the phones get charged as well as routing.
Just can't see where the "physical" satnav units have any benefit anymore?

I'm sure it has been favourably answered but yes we do use them. You can position it near the driver. The speed can be checked at a glance and none of our vehicles have a built in unit so not an option for us. You won't or shouldn't lose your licence for pressing one screen on your sat nav, you could on your phone. We have a Garmin and it is excellent. Come on a long way from the early Tom Tom.
Each to his own.

 

[Spike]

Seeing the TomTom Raffle, (thanks Phil), I'm just curious, do people still use Stand-alone sat-navs any more?
I was very much a TomTom fan and had dedicated unit for years and produced many POIs, but phones nowadays are so much better hardware. TomTom Go with global maps, live traffic/cameras etc, is £15/year for Android at least - and we can use the same system on both of our phones - so single cost. Maps all off-line too, and with google and OSMAnd, maps and POIS all offline too.
(Both car and van have built in satnav, but only ever use that as backup).
With 2.4A USB charger the phones get charged as well as routing.
Just can't see where the "physical" satnav units have any benefit anymore?

Yes, we use two. One stays in front of the driver and the other (newer one) is used by the Co-Pilot to find thing on the way ( shops, Aires, fuel etc).
It saves the driver fiddling with the screen while driving. Cheers. Spike

 

[Deleted member 2943]

Seeing the TomTom Raffle, (thanks Phil), I'm just curious, do people still use Stand-alone sat-navs any more?
I was very much a TomTom fan and had dedicated unit for years and produced many POIs, but phones nowadays are so much better hardware. TomTom Go with global maps, live traffic/cameras etc, is £15/year for Android at least - and we can use the same system on both of our phones - so single cost. Maps all off-line too, and with google and OSMAnd, maps and POIS all offline too.
(Both car and van have built in satnav, but only ever use that as backup).
With 2.4A USB charger the phones get charged as well as routing.
Just can't see where the "physical" satnav units have any benefit anymore?

 

[Deleted member 2943]

I'm sure it has been favourably answered but yes we do use them. You can position it near the driver. The speed can be checked at a glance and none of our vehicles have a built in unit so not an option for us. You won't or shouldn't lose your licence for pressing one screen on your sat nav, you could on your phone. We have a Garmin and it is excellent. Come on a long way from the early Tom Tom.
Each to his own.

I still use my Garmin - reliable and taken me all over Europe - I don't have a built-in screen of any sort and I don't own a smartphone! Often driving alone, but sometimes with wife as navigator! And we use those old-fashioned things called maps!

 

[2cv]

We have a built in TomTom which works well, but our planned replacement van doesn’t so I’d assumed we would need a stand alone unit, but it seems I need to look at using a phone instead!

That’s not a move from a Bentley is it!

 

[Crystalight]

Having run into both width and height problems in the past whilst using other sat navs, meant for cars (and also with printed maps).
We have recently bought a dedicated Tom Tom Camper-van sat nav offered at a greatly reduced price from Tom Tom, just put in the height, width, length, weight etc. and drive. We have found it to be perfectly reliable and saves us a lot of arguments!!!