View Full Version : Sat nav
b.thornell
14-04-2006, 13:41
Hi, I have a sat nav system that has UK maps only, does anyone know if there are maps available for Florida and where is the best place to buy?
Cheers
pieman790
14-04-2006, 13:57
Depends on the sat Nav system, some you can buy map for but others are not upgradable.
NickClark
14-04-2006, 16:26
What make is your system
b.thornell
14-04-2006, 19:37
Hi, It's A ROADCOM RC400
NickClark
14-04-2006, 19:41
Sorry, not heard of that one. Comp Usa stock a large variety of satnav maps. Try them [u]compusa.com</u>
Magical Dreams
18-04-2006, 16:15
We use the TomTom 300, as advised by Martin off here (Ticket Guru)
We bought the USA Maps which were around £115, and we have never looked back.
Used it on our last 3 trips and found it to be excellent
orlandodaze
03-07-2006, 22:52
This year we ended up with a Sat Nav in the car and we just love it, Auto Betty as the kids have named her has become a family member and has made going places we havent visited before very easy .I would strongly recommend it to anyone whether a first timer or a seasoned Florida traveller .
If you plan on staying mainly in Orlando, is it still worth getting, for a two week holiday?
I guess it makes driving on the other side of the road easier, as you don't have to worry about where you are going so much, as concentrating on staying on the correct side of the road. Am I right?
TracyAndDean
04-07-2006, 02:30
We have the Navman sat nav and have just purchased the USA and canada maps off Ebay for £85.
We originally purchased disks which turned our Navman into a PDA with USA maps on for £18, what a waste of money! cheap is not always best and we ended up buying the orginal maps in the end.
eclipsed
04-07-2006, 02:39
We have a Dell PDA and bought TomTom U.S.A. for it.We have used it for a couple of years and it hasn't let us down.
lorraine51
04-07-2006, 03:15
The beauty of Sat Nav in Florida is that it keeps you on track and that eases any pressure for map reading. We saw a shopping centre set off the road on our last trip and it took us twenty minutes to try and find the road into it but a least with the sat nav we got back on the right road back to Orlando after a good spend though.:)
Madabouttigger
04-07-2006, 22:33
I've got Navman and purchased the USA maps - cost around £100, direct from NavMan, they look very good and very detailed, already got the accommodation programmed in and various restaurants that we like. It will be intresting to see if it takes us on the route we would have gone or if it finds a quicker way. Will be a goodsend when we travel out of town.
Wife just got me the tomtom 910 for birthday, I was only looking for a sat nav with UK/western Europe (tomtom 710)but am I glad she did (driving in Florida next month), for £100 more that the 710 you not only get full Europe but full USA and Canada as well... I love it so anyone looking to buy one and you do drive in the USA or anywhere abroad for that matter it is well worth getting the one with the maps you need, tomtom maps will cost you around £110 for each country so add on's will set you back a bit..
Deano
Albert the Frog
18-07-2006, 19:43
Well I've bitten the bullet and bought one and the US maps direct from Navman-I got a manufacturers refurbished at what I think is a fairly decent price-I just hope it all works!!
Madabouttigger
18-07-2006, 20:28
Hi Albert-
Ive got the Navman 520icn and use it all the time in the UK. Ive got the USA maps - direct from Navman and have had no problems installing them and pre programming in all the places we want to go. just cant wait to get there now!
Diane
Deladuro
19-07-2006, 22:20
On the grounds that I'd be using it for SAT NAV, I thought I'd post this question under this topic....
Although I've been to the States a couple of times before, I haven't had the need to check if their car chargers (cigarette-lighter thingies) are the same as UK. I'm sure someone here will know - or if I wiil have to get hold of a different US adapter.
Regards
Del.
petenamy
20-07-2006, 11:16
Hi Del,
Yes they are just the same as the UK cigarette lighters.
LiesaAnna
20-07-2006, 12:03
hubby just bought the TOM TOM 300 looks like im redundant!![msnwink]
VIvandPhil
20-07-2006, 14:37
I have been told that it's illegal in Florida to attach a Sat Nav device to the windscreen. I only found out after driving all week with one attached. (the Statute, is 316.2952 if anyone wants to have a look - (http://www.flsenate.gov/statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&URL=Ch0316/titl0316.htm). Has anyone had any problems using one ?
Albert the Frog
20-07-2006, 15:02
That's not borne out by this in the same section;
MOTOR VEHICLES Chapter 316
STATE UNIFORM TRAFFIC CONTROL View Entire Chapter
316.303 Television receivers.--
(3) This section does not prohibit the use of an electronic display used in conjunction with a vehicle navigation system.
I can't see (pardon the pun) that it would be a problem otherwise it would cause major ructions!
I used my TomTom in Apr/May with no problems.
caroline
20-07-2006, 16:15
From what I read of the 2 sections you are allowed a sat nav that is viewable from the front seat of the car but it should not be attached to the windscreen - although I have to say we've seen loads of people using them in this way.
pieman790
20-07-2006, 17:29
The ruling about attaching items to the windscreen varies from State to state. I was under the impression that in Florida it was not illegal to attach items to the windscreen.
<blockquote id="quote" class="ffs">quote:Originally posted by caroline
From what I read of the 2 sections you are allowed a sat nav that is viewable from the front seat of the car but it should not be attached to the windscreen - although I have to say we've seen loads of people using them in this way.
[/quote]
SunLover
20-07-2006, 18:21
I would assume that as a lot of the car rental desks at Orlando and Sanford airports are now offering Sat Nav with window fittings (although not as competitively as OV [msnwink]) that it must be acceptable in the State of Florida.
caroline
20-07-2006, 19:18
Here you go, this is from the Florida statute
316.2952 Windshields; requirements; restrictions.--
(2) A person shall not operate any motor vehicle on any public highway, road, or street with any sign, sunscreening material, product, or covering attached to, or located in or upon, the windshield, except the following:
(a) A certificate or other paper required to be displayed by law.
(b) Sunscreening material along a strip at the top of the windshield, so long as such material is transparent and does not encroach upon the driver's direct forward viewing area as more particularly described and defined in Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards No. 205 as the AS/1 portion of the windshield.
(c) A device, issued by a governmental entity as defined in s. 334.03, or its designee, for the purpose of electronic toll payments.
If you want to read it in full http://www.flsenate.gov/statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&Search_String=&URL=Ch0316/SEC2952.HTM&Title=->2005->Ch0316->Section%202952#0316.2952
VIvandPhil
22-07-2006, 14:32
Seems like I have stirred up a bit of debate !
(2) A person shall not operate any motor vehicle on any public highway, road, or street with any sign, sunscreening material, product, or covering attached to, or located in or upon, the windshield, except the following:
I think that is the correct interpretation - you can attach them to the dashboard but not to the windscreen. That's what we were told on the last day of our holiday after using it all week !
If the car hire companies are handing out ones that fit onto the windscreen then I guess it's not too much of a problem (but I would not like to have to argue the point with one of the Highway Patrol men!).
florida4sun
22-07-2006, 15:27
This is refering to signs, sunscreen covers and signage. Satnavs, lazer dectectors do not come into it. If they did you would not even be able to have a rear view mirror.
<blockquote id="quote" class="ffs">quote:Originally posted by VIvandPhil
Seems like I have stirred up a bit of debate !
(2) A person shall not operate any motor vehicle on any public highway, road, or street with any sign, sunscreening material, product, or covering attached to, or located in or upon, the windshield, except the following:
I think that is the correct interpretation - you can attach them to the dashboard but not to the windscreen. That's what we were told on the last day of our holiday after using it all week !
If the car hire companies are handing out ones that fit onto the windscreen then I guess it's not too much of a problem (but I would not like to have to argue the point with one of the Highway Patrol men!).
[/quote]
Sorry, but this is becoming very muddy for me and I'm confused (very easily these days! [msnwink])
Can I, or can't I attach my NavMan to the windscreen in Florida?
We did at Easter - to be honest didn't give it a second thought. I've seen others with them on the windscreen but then they might be ignorant Brits like me! [msnembarrased]
Many thanks!
For anyone thinking of getting Sat Nav do yourself a favour and get a PDA. I bought a Dell Axim X51, 2 GB Sd card and a bluetooth receiver for the same money a standalone would have cost. However I now have a top of the range PDA which will do all kinds of things as well as keep me entertained in the airport with Wifi and MP3/movies.
Maps and software can easily be found on the web [msnwink]
Only thing is you'll need to be a bit Techy to set everything up but it was easy enough.
pieman790
01-08-2006, 20:00
We have used ours several times in Florida now without any problem.
Car rental companies and this site also rent them out so i am sure that if there was problem then we would have heard about it before now.
shaunboxer
03-07-2008, 21:03
Can you hire the Sat Navs when in Florida as this would seem a good idea for us, as I am sure we lose 2 days of our holiday going around in circles [msncool]
You can hire one before you go from the above car hire site.
<blockquote id="quote" class="ffs">quote:Originally posted by shaunboxer
Can you hire the Sat Navs when in Florida as this would seem a good idea for us, as I am sure we lose 2 days of our holiday going around in circles [msncool]
[/quote]
I'm sure you would loose more than 2 days[msnwink] I'm glad I brought mine over with us. I still take turns etc too early sometimes but it would be a total nightmare without one. Worth its weight in gold. Take it this way....if mines packed in while over here, I would need to go and buy another to get me through the rest of my holiday here[msnsmile2]
billsharp01
20-07-2008, 17:26
I have the Garmin Nuvi 270 (at the moment available at about £170) it has Europe and North America and if you buy now you can a free update to the 2009 North America mapping. I just paid £53 to update. The European mapping was updated this year. Haven't used it in the USA yet so can't tell you what its like, but it has lots of restaurants, theme parks etc in it's data bank. I'll post in early September with my experiences!!!
We have GO720 which we bought in Florida and was loaded with USA and Canada. We then bought the UK mps from Tom Tom £29.95 and loaded them onto an SD card it all works great
I have been using a Tomtom Go910 for nearly 2 years with the business and find it in valuable for finding deliveries.
I just bought a new Tomtom Go720 as a second unit, this is brilliant.
It was bought as a "recertified" unit, which means Tomtom had to take it back and test it for faults then replace anything faulty before re-selling as recertified.
I did a lot of research and found that the returns can be just open box issues, but because they are returned they all have to be checked.
It means you get a unit which has been tested thouroughly before been released.
I got it from a reputable online site for $239.99 + $6.99 delivery.
I took it out of the box and you can't tell its used in any way. Works perfect.
Oh and its got the latest US maps and Tomtom still warranty it for a year.
Robert5988
23-07-2008, 02:20
I find satnav great for finding a particular location, but less successful for route planning.
For instance, I live on the East coast near Melbourne and wanted to go to Sanibel on the West coast(I do know the route but just testing)
If I enter the fastest route it takes me North to the SR528 and then past Orlando on E4 and then E75. Not only is this some 50 miles longer than the best route, but you are on some of the busiest(toll) roads in Florida.
Entering the shortest route, takes you through housing developments and minor roads to save a mile or so. The only way is to look at a map and enter the 'go via' points. Even then it tries to take detours off major roads to save tiny distances.
tommycatz
30-04-2009, 01:03
<blockquote id="quote" class="ffs">quote:Originally posted by Magical Dreams
We use the TomTom 300, as advised by Martin off here (Ticket Guru)
We bought the USA Maps which were around £115, and we have never looked back.
Used it on our last 3 trips and found it to be excellent
[/quote]
£155! [msnoo]I didn't realise the maps were that expensive.
<blockquote id="quote" class="ffs">quote:Originally posted by tommycatz
<blockquote id="quote" class="ffs">quote:Originally posted by Magical Dreams
We use the TomTom 300, as advised by Martin off here (Ticket Guru)
We bought the USA Maps which were around £115, and we have never looked back.
Used it on our last 3 trips and found it to be excellent
[/quote]
£155! [msnoo]I didn't realise the maps were that expensive.
[/quote]
If you look again you are quoting something from 2006 !!
They are no way near that expensive now.
You could get a brand new unit with new maps for that.
Elaine62
01-05-2009, 12:50
I bought a tomtom one last year in walmart loaded with us maps. have never bothered to buy uk maps as happy to read a map for some reason!
anyway just switched it on to see if it's working and just get an orange screen with a picture of a tomtom on it, will that be because I don#'t have uk maps and so it doesn't know where it is, so to speak??!
bargainqueen
04-05-2009, 21:31
Sounds probable. We bought one from Halfords which has Europe and US maps as well as UK. We have used it in Spain and when we went to Florida this March. When we switched it on then OH thought it wasn't working but as soon as he went outside the villa it started searching for a satellite signal and worked from then on.
Only problem was the "voice" couldn't pronounce Irla Bronson Highway, still made us laugh each time we heard it.
You can upload maps from the internet for other countries but I'm not sure how much they cost.
5th time in Florida for us last month and the first time we have used Sat Nav.
We hired a Garmin Nuvi from Dollar @$12 a day but really appreciated it.
At the overall rental price for a 2 week vacation you can buy one of your own in WallMart, however my main concern was finding my way to the villa from the airport on arrival so buying one a day or so later was not an option.
I just entered the address and zip after picking my car up and we were sorted!!
can i ask,
is it safe to leave sat nav (on show) in your car in florida or is it like the uk where its best to hide it?
thanks
florida4sun
19-07-2009, 12:51
If you leave it on view in an y country someone will steal it. Remove the mount and unit and leave in the trunk.
<blockquote id="quote" class="ffs">quote:Originally posted by donny
can i ask,
is it safe to leave sat nav (on show) in your car in florida or is it like the uk where its best to hide it?
thanks
[/quote]
<blockquote id="quote" class="ffs">quote:Originally posted by donny
can i ask,
is it safe to leave sat nav (on show) in your car in florida or is it like the uk where its best to hide it?
thanks
[/quote]
I always remove the satnav unit and put it in the storage in the arm rest. I never bother removing the windscreen mount.
<blockquote id="quote" class="ffs">quote:Originally posted by donny
can i ask,
is it safe to leave sat nav (on show) in your car in florida or is it like the uk where its best to hide it?
thanks
[/quote]
We always removed it, the instructions with it said to leave it in the trunk - which with the car we had - a five door hatch with no luggage cover!! was a useless idea.
As it happened everything stowed in the glove box, sat nav unit, weighted mount (not a suction one) and the lead.
We are planning to take our SAT NAV next month. Is it still OK to fix it to the windscreen?
Thanks Nadine
florida4sun
15-04-2010, 14:46
Yes but make sure you removed the mount from the screen when not in the car.
<blockquote id="quote" class="ffs">quote:Originally posted by noodler
We are planning to take our SAT NAV next month. Is it still OK to fix it to the windscreen?
Thanks Nadine
[/quote]