Car GPS system and "R" roads

S

Sparki74

Registered User
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Hi, have any of you any suggestions for car GPS systems - my mate lives in Cork but comes from Monaghan - I've heard that many of the GPS systems concentrate on the major roads, but not the R roads, is this correct. I would be grateful of your suggestions. Thanks.
 
Re: Gps

I have used

Navigon 5 - great user interface, but only covers main roads (new version being released Q4 2006 with updated maps)

Destinator 6 - interface not as good but uses Navteq Q1 2006 maps, which cover all the R roads.

Navteq (and one other company) have mapped all of Ireland so ensure whatever product you use has the latest maps. Some popular manf are Garmin, Tom Tom (who all use the Navteq maps)


If you have a PDA with Bluetooth then purchase

1. GPS product
2. Bluetooth GPS receiver
3. At least 1GB SD card for storage (product may come on SD card anyway)

Check the various manf websites as they all have details of their coverage and online product demos, many will also have an online store so you can check pricing.

Eoin
 
Re: Gps

emul said:
Navteq (and one other company) have mapped all of Ireland so ensure whatever product you use has the latest maps. Some popular manf are Garmin, Tom Tom (who all use the Navteq maps)
Click to expand...
Only Navteq have full mapping for Ireland at the moment and the majority of SatNav manufacturers use them. TomTom and others such as iGo uses TeleAtlas mapping who only have superficial mapping outside of the big cities and major N roads. They say they're working on it though.
 
Re: Gps

You can pick up second hand sat-navs on ebay etc. quite cheaply. I'll second the advice about getting a device that supports navteq maps. I've been using a bluemedia satnav i got on ebay for less than €200 for about 6 months now, surprisingly good coverage (can't fault it yet) in Ireland and am often in Monaghan too where coverage is excellent.
 
Re: Gps

I use Garmin with Europe mapsource v6 . There is street level mapping in the more populated areas, but remote areas even lack national roads in some areas.
 
I am using Route66 mobile. Their maps are ok - but still lack the coverage of the smallest of rural roads.

Anyone happen to know whose maps Route 66 use?
 
Re: Gps

ajapale said:
Hi RS2K,

Im assuming that this is a mis post and that you intended to add more?

aj
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No. I think they are pricey and add very little in the context of Ireland.

In Europe and for long intercontinental journeys fine, but they are not needed to navigate from Dublin to anywhere else really.
 
Re: Gps

RS2K said:
No. I think they are pricey and add very little in the context of Ireland.

In Europe and for long intercontinental journeys fine, but they are not needed to navigate from Dublin to anywhere else really.
Click to expand...


I would agree to a certain extent. However, each potential customer has to decide for themselves if its worth it. If you have a job that requires you to call out to houses either urban or in the sticks, it would be nice to have a gps system that you can rely on to get you there without having to depend on drawn out directions.

For me, if it saves me the irritation of being unsure in where I'm going even just a couple of times a year - its worth it for what i've spent (my system didnt cost me much as I already had a decent phone to run it off).
 
Re: Gps

serotoninsid said:
I would agree to a certain extent. However, each potential customer has to decide for themselves if its worth it. If you have a job that requires you to call out to houses either urban or in the sticks, it would be nice to have a gps system that you can rely on to get you there without having to depend on drawn out directions.

For me, if it saves me the irritation of being unsure in where I'm going even just a couple of times a year - its worth it for what i've spent (my system didnt cost me much as I already had a decent phone to run it off).
Click to expand...

Sounds entirely reasonable.
 
Only Navteq have full mapping for Ireland at the moment and the majority of SatNav manufacturers use them.
Click to expand...

I hope we can still expect them to get better in the coming months. If Route 66 mapping is done by navteq as petermack states above, theres still work to be done as far as i'm concerned.
They need to map all the little boreens - cos for rural use, thats where satnav can come into its own.
 
Was just in Argos in Armagh where they have an Acer don't know model reduced from £219 (€322) to £149(€220) I did ask about coverage and maps included but they said they didn't have a clue about it. It's not covered by the money back warrant because of the reduction.
 
serotoninsid said:
They need to map all the little boreens - cos for rural use, thats where satnav can come into its own.
Click to expand...

In Ireland we're severly restricted by the lack of proper postcodes, introducing these would aid satnav systems enormously.

I read an interesting article some time ago which highlighted some of the problems with mapping in Ireland. One part of county Cork had the eight seperate locations with the same placename which only local knowledge or already knowing exactly on a map where you were going would help. You can of course zoom in manually on the map if you do know this put it detracts from the simplicity of just banging in the postcode as in the UK.
 
Eurofan said:
In Ireland we're severly restricted by the lack of proper postcodes, introducing these would aid satnav systems enormously
Click to expand...
With route 66,it shows each 'townland' as you pass through - but only on the main roadways. If they extended this to ALL roads, then it would help a lot.
Of course, the problem with having duplicate placenames would have to be overcome somehow...
 
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