Tom Tom v Garmin
Does anyone use a Garmin satnav in a Land Rover Discovery 3. We currently have a Tom Tom however it often cannot find satellites or takes forever to do so. This is not our first Tom Tom to do this. We are not sure if the heated windscreen is causing a problem. Was thinking of getting a Garmin but wondered if anyone had experience of this working well in there disco. Before anyone suggests using our mobile it is not possible for us as when in mainland UK our mobiles are roaming so data is really expensive.
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No experience of using a sat nav in a Landrover Discovery but Tom Tom's do have to be updated regularly as the part of the program that finds the GPS is regularly updated. It tends to happen to my Tom Tom initially but I find using last know destination usually solves the issue as it soon picks up the GPS once on the move. Not that I wise to get into a debate about TomTom v Garmin but I did not have a lot of luck with the last Garmin sat nav I purchased and got rid of it pretty quickly to be replaced by my current TomTom.
David
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I have three Tomtoms....(one antique one I use in the bike, one Classic XL, my larger long term unit but is now unsupported, and a 'modern' Bluetooth Via model)
as far as I know, there has been an update for GPS software but only a one off change, called something like QuickGps to help lock on.
as long as this has been done there's not a lot else in this area.
TBH, I didn't see much difference.
as DK Says, by the time you got the car moving (or within a minute or so) it's locked on.
if you're driving away from a place you're not familiar with, just give it a tad longer and let it lock on before driving.
good luck.
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I use a TomTom. I've had it several years. Other than in multistorey car parks only had problems finding the GPS during last June when the unit had not been updated for about 6 or 7 months. It usually gets updated March, June, August and December before various tours etc
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as DK Says, by the time you got the car moving (or within a minute or so) it's locked on.
if you're driving away from a place you're not familiar with, just give it a tad longer and let it lock on before driving.
When mine started playing up was 25th June this year when leaving Blaidon Chains site. As 'she' couldn't find the sat I turned right onto the nearby dual carriageway as I knew that there was a roundabout to turn back round on whilst the sat was picked up.
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I have a Tomtom for the car, these were bought before we had cars with their own GPS and of course the cars have Android auto too. We also use Garmin units but these are for climbing in the lakes with OS maps. I haven't noticed any difference between the car's GPS, Tomtom or Garmin in start times.
(we have found its actually much easier to use Android auto with google maps as the phone has already 'locked on')
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I know you said a mobile is not viable but based on the assumption it would be using data. That need not be the case if using the Maps ME app, that works on pre downloaded map "tiles", which you could have downloaded anytime before whilst on a wifi hot spot.
Using that could test if the Disco's heated screen is the endemic issue here that blocks any GPS.
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We have a Disco and a Garmin. I've stopped using it as it's tried to take us down so many wrong routes. Agree that it also takes for ever to find satellites so, all in all, quite useless.
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Just out of interest from one figure I've found (first return on google) google maps uses 0.73 Mb per 20 minutes, so that is 2.19 Mb per hour. Now I was in the EE shop yesterday and I noticed that they have a data sim plan that is £20 for 20Gb. So at 0.00219 Gb every hour that would last well over 9000 hours or well over one year!
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OK I see, but you could buy a cheap phone or use and old one while in the UK and by a data sim?
Does you sat nav not work anywhere in the car? Also you could do a simple test, time the sat nav out side of the car and see if it clocks on quicker which should tell you if it is indeed the car or the nav unit, if it does lock on then take it inside and see what happens?
Once locked on inside does it keep its lock
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As I understand it, the Europe Zone for using your phone as at home does not depend on countries being part of the EU but is an independent agreement.
My phone network (O2) includes Guernsey for monthly contract customers but excludes it for those on pay & go. Similarly, I have recently used my phone on the Isle of Man via Manx Telecom without incurring extra charges as IoM is classed as part of the Europe Zone although it’s neither part of the UK nor the EU.
It could it be worth investigating further, Tomorrow, as it seems the arrangements can vary between network providers and the type of payment arrangement you have.
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no problem at all LL, done that many times myself.
The more (posts) the merrier
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Some people find the 3 Network's data sim to be cost effective and buy their sims on Amazon. From memory, I think you can get 24gb for £25-£30 and that will last for 12 months. It is data only though and other 'sizes' are available.
Check out also O2, Vodafone, EE. Tesco often have decent deals and they use the O2 network.
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yes the Canary Islands and Switzerland aren't part of the EU but still in the 'eurozone' as defined by EE.
Btw Guernsey is in that list
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Trust me Guernsey customers roam when not in Guernsey even Jersey is roaming. That is what happens when are an overseas territory and your own laws, government etc. You may very well have a deal with your company but it does not work in the other direction. There are only 2 network suppliers in Guernsey. Google Maps do not work currently over here either so its not like you can test it very well. Google street map came over and spent weeks photographing all the streets to find that they could not publish them due to very old Guernsey Law.
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I’m sure you know what you’re talking about, Tomorrow, and it’s a bit unfair that it only works one way.
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well why not buy a phone from EE or whoever over here, on contract, and use it there?
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I think there’s a time limit on using it in another country, Corners, a sort of fair use policy but it would bear checking out.
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As I said earlier in the thread there are options that don't require any phone network or data use at all. So statnav can be conducted using a phone with "data" switched off, or as I do on my bike a tablet with no SIM at all.
The one I use is Maps ME in my case the free Android version, but i am aware there are various alternative offerings.
The only thing you need to preempt is where you might ever need to go, and then when on a wifi hotspot download the appropriate maps. It offers, car, bike or walking route options.
So armed with a Guernsey mobile loaded with app and maps, roaming data switched off there is a no cost satnav option. One that would enable you to explore if placed on various locations within the dash area of a Disco with the heated screen, getting a viable GPS signal is on. The two extreme edges of the screen are heater wire free, this is where another radio device my Tyrepal works best.
To answer the original question if a Garmin would work, I would lodge that on the Disco3.co.uk forum as a well targeted source of info.
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Sure is but like I say problems of being oversea territory. My really bug bear is medical. If I have to go to the hospital in England I have to pay even though I have a British Passport. There used to be a reciprocal health agreement but the UK Government pulled out. Then on the other hand my specialist is from Southampton and I go there for treatments. Go figure?
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Madness! Medical care is reciprocal with Jersey, IoM and even Eire. I suppose someone knows the logic behind it. 🙄
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Yes they did pull Jersey as well and they had no agreement for about a year but did manage to get it back but Guernsey has not.I believe the UK wanted a huge sum of money. When I go to Southampton we are private patients and paid for by the states of Guernsey. They pay for Specialist to come to Guernsey once a month.
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,where as the car satnav is not
