# Best Sat Nav for use in Ireland.



## shamrocklady (17 Sep 2012)

Could anyone advise on the best Sat Nav for use in Ireland.  
One of the Daily Deal websites are advertising an R17 Sillicone Sat Nav from Sillicone 17 at a much reduced price.  
Does anyone have any knowledge on this sat nav.

Thanks in advance.


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## awfulpest (18 Sep 2012)

the best option really is google maps if you have a smart phone, but if you don't then the cheapest gramin nuvi can be had for less than 100 euro and should have all the maps pre loaded. Or you might be able to pick one up cheaper on donedeal etc or second hand on amazon.


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## Purple (19 Sep 2012)

The best option if you have a smart phone (by a mile) is the "NavFree" app. It's better than Garmin but it eats power so only use it if your phone is plugged in.
[broken link removed]


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## itsallwrong (20 Sep 2012)

Never even heard of that brand. Probably for a reason.
TomTom have a very good range (have the GO730)
Do you want a full functioning SatNav or a phone app?
Don't expect too much from a basic cheap item.

Any SatNav is only as good as the maps installed on it or what it has access to.
Can the model you are looking at do that?
Roads kind of stay the same (ish).  Towns and cities can change drastically.
Won't be much use to you if it can't keep up.


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## landmarkjohn (24 Sep 2012)

I think a Tom Tom with lane guidance and UK/IRL maps is a good sat nav, €130 in Powercity.http://www.powercity.ie/?par=20-31-047906&pages=1&prod=047906&brands=TOM TOM&image= 

Tom Tom and Garmin are the top brands.


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## Purple (25 Sep 2012)

The new iPhone maps (with all the mistakes) is based on TomTom maps. That doesn't say a lot for them.
I do like my Garmin but for searchability and keeping up to date the NavFree app is better and the display is just as good.


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## KoolKid (6 Oct 2012)

Stick with TomTom or Garmin & you can't go wrong. Other come & go & your left with out of date maps. Both TomTom & Garmin release updated maps every 3 months. TomTom also have mapshare that allows you make your own map corrections & also use corrections made by other users. Their live traffic is very good as well.


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## ajapale (6 Oct 2012)

Tom Tom maps are really bad in rural Ireland.  The Garmin ones are better.

Google Maps are the best in my opinion but are do any of the sat nav devices work with them?


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## rraido (7 Oct 2012)

ajapale said:


> Tom Tom maps are really bad in rural Ireland. The Garmin ones are better.
> 
> Google Maps are the best in my opinion but are do any of the sat nav devices work with them?


  +1 on this


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## AlbacoreA (7 Oct 2012)

Dunno if any of them are that. Good I find all of them can be out of date. Garmin ones I've used have been more than 12 months out of date. Google maps has all the road names wrong near me.


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## Purple (7 Oct 2012)

ajapale said:


> Tom Tom maps are really bad in rural Ireland.  The Garmin ones are better.
> 
> Google Maps are the best in my opinion but are do any of the sat nav devices work with them?



Yea, the one I keep plugging used google for searching and, as far as i know, uses google maps.


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## KoolKid (7 Oct 2012)

TomTom maps have improved over the last 18 months.
Tom Tom owns Tele Atlas which is the maps they use. It was Google who were using Tele Atlas, not the other way around.
They have also switched their live service from Google to TomTom places.


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## ajapale (7 Oct 2012)

KoolKid said:


> TomTom maps have improved over the last 18 months.
> Tom Tom owns Tele Atlas which is the maps they use. It was Google who were using Tele Atlas, not the other way around.
> They have also switched their live service from Google to TomTom places.



No, TomTom maps haven't improved much over the 18 months for rural ireland. They use TeleAtlas. Google also used Teleatals (for Ireland) until they booted them out during the summer. Since then Google have been very proactive in dealing with reported problems. I know because I have reported about 50 since June and they have fixed about 48 of them often within hours.

I reported lots more to TeleAtlas and despite assurances that they had fixed the Issue they never made the fix.

TomTom are very poor for rural Ireland.

aj


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## tallpaul (8 Oct 2012)

From having used both, Garmin seems better than TomTom for overall coverage. In addition, for those advocating using your smartphone, I think a dedicated GPS unit is better over time, primarily as there is no ongoing cost to use (many units now come with lifetime map updates) and you are not reliant on mobile phone coverage to use.


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## Seagull (9 Oct 2012)

The verdict from people who have used both seemed to be that Garmin has the better maps for Ireland, but that tomtom is nicer to use.


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## Slim (9 Oct 2012)

Purple said:


> Yea, the one I keep plugging used google for searching and, as far as i know, uses google maps.


 
Is the Navfree available for the android phone?


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## Purple (9 Oct 2012)

Slim said:


> Is the Navfree available for the android phone?



Yes. It's available on both.

I's a huge App to download because all the info is held on the phone. This reduces the cost of using it as there's no internet connection required.


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## Latrade (9 Oct 2012)

Purple said:


> Yes. It's available on both.
> 
> I's a huge App to download because all the info is held on the phone. This reduces the cost of using it as there's no internet connection required.


 
It's one of the better ones, the downside is as there is no connection required you miss the live information that some offer like traffic, etc. Waze is a pretty good smartphone app for this as it's constantly updated buy users and the live traffic information is good (but annoying for very heavy traffic you're stuck in). Very quick on correcting routes too. As with all these user-updated apps, it needs a critical mass to make it more accurate and workable.

As to the OP, as has been indicated on the thread, the bigger question isn't so much the device but what mapping service does it use. Having a good, accurate mapping service is handsdown more important than a device that looks nice.

In my experience, if you're simply going from address to address, then most are ok for that. Garmin on devices is probably the best and Google on smartphones is probably still the best for accuracy of addresses and in what routes to take.

I've found Tom Tom has an allergy for Motorways other more direct routes and likes to take you on some very scenic routes off the main roads. This is fine if you don't mind very narrow roads that are essentially two stips of mud with grass growing in the middle as you pass under bridges with kids playing banjos on them.


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## ajapale (9 Oct 2012)

Latrade said:


> The bigger question isn't so much the device but _*what mapping service does it use*_. Having a good, accurate mapping service is handsdown more important than a device that looks nice..



I agree with that Latrade.

Whats frustrating about Tom Tom is not the inaccuracies as such but their lack of ability (interest) to fix the errors in timely fashion.

aj


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## Slim (9 Oct 2012)

Purple said:


> Yes. It's available on both.
> 
> I's a huge App to download because all the info is held on the phone. This reduces the cost of using it as there's no internet connection required.


 
Thanks for that.


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## KoolKid (12 Oct 2012)

ajapale said:


> No, TomTom maps haven't improved much over the 18 months for rural ireland. They use TeleAtlas. Google also used Teleatals (for Ireland) until they booted them out during the summer. Since then Google have been very proactive in dealing with reported problems. I know because I have reported about 50 since June and they have fixed about 48 of them often within hours.
> 
> I reported lots more to TeleAtlas and despite assurances that they had fixed the Issue they never made the fix.
> 
> ...



I am involved in map corrections around Ireland & I can list hundreds of corrections I have got addressed. If you want to forward me anything in particular I'll get it looked at.
What map are you on at the moment.?


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## ajapale (13 Oct 2012)

[broken link removed]

Hi Koolkid,

Here is an example from Killarney Co Kerry. The teleatlas map directs people onto live CIE railway tracks.


aj


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## KoolKid (15 Oct 2012)

From R876?
Can you give me a route to simulate this?


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## ajapale (16 Oct 2012)

Sorry I posted an image but it seems to have disappeared.

Using http://mapfeedback.teleatlas.com/mapfeedback/index.php search for 1 Bridgefield, Killarney or 1 Dennehy's Road (sic). You can clearly see the rail line incorrectly marked about 50m west of the actual track and a road marked "rail track" with junctions onto public roads where the live railway line actually is.


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## KoolKid (16 Oct 2012)

Your picture does show. I see what you mean no.
I'm on it.


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## franb (7 Nov 2012)

TomTom is what I use.


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## Purple (7 Nov 2012)

Since I upgraded my iPhone software the NavFree app itn't working properly.


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## ajapale (28 Dec 2012)

KoolKid said:


> I am involved in map corrections around Ireland & I can list hundreds of corrections I have got addressed.



Hi Koolkid and a happy Christmas and New Year.

TeleAtlas still haven't fixed that dangerous situation in Killarney.

Do TomTom still use the dreadful Teleatlas service for Ireland?



ajapale said:


> I agree with that Latrade.
> 
> Whats frustrating about Tom Tom is not the inaccuracies as such but  their lack of ability (interest) to fix the errors in timely fashion.
> 
> aj



[broken link removed]


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## KoolKid (28 Dec 2012)

Tom Tom own TA.


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## ajapale (28 Dec 2012)

KoolKid said:


> Tom Tom own TA.



That's good to know .

So that means that TomTom can get their subsidiary Teleatlas to fix Irish mapping errors in a timely, accurate and efficient fashion?


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## KoolKid (29 Jan 2013)

It seems to be improving.


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## ajapale (30 Jan 2013)

The problem at Dennehy's Bohereen , Killarney (where a live railway line is depicted as a public road) has still not been rectified. Google rectified the problem with in days! 

When it comes to rural Ireland TeleAtlas/Tom Tom dont seem to be as committed as their rivals.


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