Satellite Navigation on a 3.2

[Milu]

After reading the article on the Becker sat nav unit in 911 & Porsche World I am very tempted to make the investment.

Does any one have any experience with the Becker or is there anyone that can make a recommendation. The auto electrician I use favours Clarion but it also happens to be the brand he carries. The unit he showed would need underdashboard installation and I don't think I can afford the space.

[rstoll]

You will find a $2.00 road map is much more accurate.

[bell]

i've been a technician in this field for 11 years (mobile video/audio/security) and have played with a good handfull of navigation units.
i think that the alpine dvd based unit is the best out there, it uses the flip out style monitor and has a separate unit for the dvd map. the alpine wires into your vss and reverse wires and also uses the satalite for accuracy, as most of them do, but i found that the alpine is accurate down to less than 10 feet and thier map is VERY thorough. most of the navigation units have simalar features but you will find that the most of flip out monitor will be VERY close to touching your dash of your 911 when flipped out and it can cause "visibility" problems because of this.
i have not played with the beccker unit though, do you have any info on it?
hope this helps

[jyl]

I was thinking about the various Garmin GPS/auto nav units that are designed to sit on the dashboard. http://www.garmin.com/mobile/products.html

In addition to being much cheaper than a dashboard unit, and not taking up room that I could use for a stereo or gauges, it seems they'd be less likely to be stolen (since you'd simply remove them when not using) and I like the idea of being able to bring the unit along on a vacation or business trip to use in the rental car - which is when I think I'd really need sat nav. After all, in my daily driving, I hardly ever need navigation aid - I can usually remember how to get to work and home.

Perhaps you could start with one of those Garmin devices and, if you find sat nav useful, then sell it and go for a dash-mount unit.

Any comments on the Garmins? I have nothing to do with the company.

[island911]

If you really want the GPS integrated in the deck, I would say the Becker is top-notch. However, I like the fact that my Becker and GPS (Garmin) are seperate devces.
Device integration has really gone over the top, IMO. Just because it can be done doesn't mean it should be done. In the case of GPS/mapping it's all about the screen. (rstoll is right; you will find a $2.00 road map is much more useful.
Also, with GPS/Mapping, the improvments are being made at a rapid pace. At the rate it's going, it won't be long before you will be seeing HUD's (Heads Up Display) coupled with mapping for an AR (Augmented Reallity.)

In the mean time, Handspring PDA's have a cool GPS add-on.
Myself, I plug my Garmin (Vista) in to my notebook cmptr. With a good map program, this set-up is hard to beat. . .. it's even more useful than a $2.00 map.

[claptrap]

My wife has a Garmin Streetpilot 3 purchased off of Ebay for $700. Works great. The color LCD is readable in daytime, tells the next exit coming up, has 32 meg to hold downloadable streetmaps, gives speed and direction, is a 12 channel and acquires very quickly (which was a problem with my older 8 channel handheld). Display map zooms in and out, we can program a route into it from the PC very easily. It sits on the dash without having to drill holes or adhesive velcro. Easy to move it from car to car or I take it on
business trips. It's supposed to have voice, but we haven't figured that one out yet. It has proven very
useful for us. Hope this helps.

Scott.

[stormcrow]

I use the gps for both land and sea. The question you have to ask yourself is how often will you use it? Do you get lost often.

I use the map source for getting directions to locations. I have a garmin/magellin/earthmate/ which I can plug into my computer with microsoft streets and trips program and I can locate my position and go get directions for going just about anywhere.

I use my computer primarily for marine navigation and it does the job. I also have another gps which shows streets/bouys/aids to navigation that I use for a back-up.

There are a lot of options out there, but the big question is if you make the investment will you use it?

Steve

[bell]

i've seen the garmins before, very sleek and portable.
yes theft can be a problem with the indash units (like the alpine) because they can all play dvd's and thats what the kids want nowadays, i usually replace 1 a week at our shop for peoples insurance companies, since you don't need it in the car all of the time i'd stick with the portable setups or maps.

[Milu]

There's a lot of food for thought given above. Thanks guys.

I've played with the Garmin a little while back but it's not for me, although the possibility of moving it between cars would be great.

How much would I use it? I can get myself lost going to the supermarket! I often have to visit clients located in the back of beyond and then hidden away, so it would be useful. I've used sat nav and found it helped a lot, even when it was to go somewhere not recognised by the system as I could put the location in memory after finding it the first time. In using sat nav I have found that not all roads are posted, I was told by a technician that the memory can "lose" pieces and the cd needs to be reloaded. The one I was using refused to believe in the existence of the Milan Venice motorway for 200klm, similarly it once plotted a route 70 klm longer than necessary because it didn't have a mountain pass in it's memory, the system went berserk for 20 minutes until I reached a road it recognised. Recently I drove with a client to Orleans in France and his Audi factory fitted sat nav didn't believe in Orleans! We ended up using a map to augment the sat nav and post alternative destinations. But it was still very useful, especially as the new roadmap we bought wasn't up to date.

In the next few weeks I'll take a decision. If I go ahead with the investment I'll post.

[Roland Kunz]

Hello

Buy american products buy Becker

Now from the german view Becker is the best price relation.

OK the Panasonic, Kenwood solutions give a Monitor for the same price but they are little toys made for parking lots or traffic jams and not a slick toll.

If you need a Display you have to go to the VDO Dytona ( formerly Philips CARin ) or Blaupunkt systems.

In germany the nav companys are much faster then the carthographs and the next generation will be able to update online and integrate actuall traffic orientatet solutions realtime.

Grüsse

[Joeaksa]

Have used the Garmin Street Pilot for two years now and would not drive without it. I travel a lot and end up in different cities and use it every day. Get in a rental car and plug in the hotel info and it takes you there immediately... never get lost again.

Also has an excellent database of shopping, service and transportation facilities. I got the 64 meg data chip and can put half the country in it. Bought the nationwide database on the internet for $150 and really use it.

I would not ever buy a built in unit as you have to divert your eyes off of the road to look at the map. My Garmin sits on top of the dash, held in by velcro and I look over the steering wheel out the windshield and simply bring my eyes down a bit to see the GPS, then back up to see the road.

New on Ebay for $700 with factory guarantee... have now seen them for $600 or so.

Joe