Advice please on Satnav and Camera Detectors

jdp1962

jdp1962

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I've currently got a Navman ICN 510 mounted on the centre vents with a Brodit clip & mount, and a Classic Road Angel on the far right of the dash top, using the windscreen suction mounts. Both are hard-wired. The RA's 3-year subscription is almost up, and I'm thinking of taking the opportunity to replace them both with a one box solution.

To make the install easier, I figured if I went for either a Navman or Road Angel unit, I could then just plug the new system into whichever existing cable applied, and not have worry about hard-wiring new cables in.

The Road Angel 6000 is currently on offer in Halfords for £169.99. The equivalnet Navman model looks like being the N20, and the best price I've found for it is about £225.

So, anyone got any views on which one is better? The RA will be on a monthly subscription for camera updates. Does anyone know if the Navman has an update system? Oh, yes, and will the cables for the old kit be compatible with the new?

Cheers
 
The road angel 6000 is good but its really slow and the navigation can be a bit iffy, id go with anything from the garmin nuvi range (because they are amazing) and update it with speed cameras from mypocketgps. Which i've just done for a customer and its really simple. Gonna go and try it out now.
 
I've had loads of different stand alone sat-nav units, the ipaq with navman jacket, the navman ICN510, the Mitac Mio 296+ and now the TomTom 510.

the Tomtom will blow you away, its so quick! Honestly get down to halfords and ask for a demo, it also comes pre loaded with speed camera warnings and you can customise the map colours (all of them), and the startup screens ( I have the audi logo on startup).
 
ive just had the garmin Nuvi 310d for my birthday 2day! Had a quick blast out earlier and it seems top notch! came preloaded with all speed cams and has european maps on aswell! Well worth it! i was going to get the RA but as said ive been told its a bit slow!
 
I sell a lot of sat navs and the only ones i've never had back is the garmin's. Been doing navigation the longest and it shows.
 
I'm always dubious of having to rely on the pocketgpsworld camera database though...

I've got a couple of PDAs that I use for sat nav; and I've got a Road Angel for my safety-camera warning needs; I do put the pocketgpsworld database on the PDAs too though; and I've gotta say they're far from infallible - I've been past a significant number of cameras that the PDAs haven't known about (updated the day before); and the Road Angel has known about them. I'm just not sure a database maintained by its users is ever going to be as competant as one which is maintained by someone who's paid to do exactly that.

The other annoyance is that of course the PDAs aren't aware of whether the camera is with or against flow of traffic so they warn regardless whereas the Road Angel only lets you know when it's a camera that could possibly get you. I think the main cause of this is that the POI-warning code written into satnav units is pretty basic, and doesn't consider the direction you're appoaching the POI from, just that you're near it; and also the pocketgpsworld database seems patchy on its information about camera positioning, if you zoom right in sometimes you can see the camera is located to the side of the road (and I guess this has been done in case decent POI-warning code comes along which allows you to specify direction), but there again some seem to be sat in the middle of the road (and I guess these records would need to be altered if decent code ever did crop up).

Anyway, just some points to think about; but IMHO putting a 'third-party/user-based' POI database on a sat nav box is never going to be as good as having a Road Angel / Snooper (notice I don't mention any of the other (cheaper) manufacturers - I have the same concerns about their databases).

Regards,

Rob.
 
FactionOne said:
I'm always dubious of having to rely on the pocketgpsworld camera database though...

I've got a couple of PDAs that I use for sat nav; and I've got a Road Angel for my safety-camera warning needs; I do put the pocketgpsworld database on the PDAs too though; and I've gotta say they're far from infallible - I've been past a significant number of cameras that the PDAs haven't known about (updated the day before); and the Road Angel has known about them. I'm just not sure a database maintained by its users is ever going to be as competant as one which is maintained by someone who's paid to do exactly that.

The other annoyance is that of course the PDAs aren't aware of whether the camera is with or against flow of traffic so they warn regardless whereas the Road Angel only lets you know when it's a camera that could possibly get you. I think the main cause of this is that the POI-warning code written into satnav units is pretty basic, and doesn't consider the direction you're appoaching the POI from, just that you're near it; and also the pocketgpsworld database seems patchy on its information about camera positioning, if you zoom right in sometimes you can see the camera is located to the side of the road (and I guess this has been done in case decent POI-warning code comes along which allows you to specify direction), but there again some seem to be sat in the middle of the road (and I guess these records would need to be altered if decent code ever did crop up).

Anyway, just some points to think about; but IMHO putting a 'third-party/user-based' POI database on a sat nav box is never going to be as good as having a Road Angel / Snooper (notice I don't mention any of the other (cheaper) manufacturers - I have the same concerns about their databases).

Regards,

Rob.
Click to expand...
Thanks for that, Rob. You've just helped me make up my mind. The camera detection is the main priority for me, as I use it every time I get in the car, whereas I don't use the satnav all the time. I tried using the satnav w a memory card that had camera positions as well as mapping, and I hated it, and quickly reverted to using the RA for camera detection.

If and when I replace the two with one new one, it'll definitely be an RA unit.
 
Randomjim said:
I sell a lot of sat navs and the only ones i've never had back is the garmin's. Been doing navigation the longest and it shows.
Click to expand...

I was under the impression Magellan were the oldest.
 
You may be right but there not as big now. Never seen a magellan though.
 
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