Time Searcher
24th April 2008, 17:50
We will be moving to Portugal in the foreseeable future and although I have smartnav fitted in the ZTT [which we will be taking with us] the smartnav subscription costs are too high for travel between UK and PT as well as using it in PT. I did a long search as to what might be a satisfactory alternative and after having had a hire car with a satnav fitted, I was pleased with NAVTEQ maps etc.
So back at home we had a look at the Garmin nuvi 760 - it has proved to be brilliant - we took it to Glasgow Airport long stay 10 days ago using it in parallel with smartnav. The Garmin gave the same 'avoids' and gave me the confidence that it was a suitable alternative to smartnav. We took it to Portugal and installed it in the hire car and travelled from Faro to Northern Central Portugal, completing some 2800 kms in the week. Accurate on all but the roads that were only opened in the last month!!!, has all town and country roads that we wanted. It has too many features to list but has speed camera detection or rather warnings as well as handling traffic problems and offered suitable alternative routes. I put a 4Gb card in it and used the FM transmit feature to play the mp3 through the in-car radio [which mutes when advising on routes etc.] It gives the same detail, proved to be most useful when walking in Lisbon city!!! when used in hand-held mode. Updates available as downloads - should be future proof for about the next couple of years I guess.
Purchase price was about the same as one years subs to smartnav which offered a much less service - so all in all, I think it a good buy.
Martin
So back at home we had a look at the Garmin nuvi 760 - it has proved to be brilliant - we took it to Glasgow Airport long stay 10 days ago using it in parallel with smartnav. The Garmin gave the same 'avoids' and gave me the confidence that it was a suitable alternative to smartnav. We took it to Portugal and installed it in the hire car and travelled from Faro to Northern Central Portugal, completing some 2800 kms in the week. Accurate on all but the roads that were only opened in the last month!!!, has all town and country roads that we wanted. It has too many features to list but has speed camera detection or rather warnings as well as handling traffic problems and offered suitable alternative routes. I put a 4Gb card in it and used the FM transmit feature to play the mp3 through the in-car radio [which mutes when advising on routes etc.] It gives the same detail, proved to be most useful when walking in Lisbon city!!! when used in hand-held mode. Updates available as downloads - should be future proof for about the next couple of years I guess.
Purchase price was about the same as one years subs to smartnav which offered a much less service - so all in all, I think it a good buy.
Martin