Sat Nav question

[brucemillar]

Folks Can somebody help me please. On Mercedes Comand Systems you can see that the depth of the actual system caters for the installation of the gears that scroll the map up and down - left and right etc. How do Garmin and Tom Tom manage to hide all their gearing but still get their maps to scroll?

 

[GordonTarling]

Micro-miniature engineering - some of the gears are smaller than those in your digital watch.

 

[brucemillar]

Well I think it's brilliant. Not once, have I had a map tear or get jammed. Admittedly I am only using the UK map so I assume that this takes up less space on the rollers than the larger European maps etc? The way it can change maps seamlessly from the daytime map to the nightime map, is just astonishing. No creasing, tearing ripping. It just works.....and all of this is in such a small space.

 

[Druk]

They use special map paper Bruce which has a very thin coating of tallow for lubrication. Research by the Milk Marketing Board has shown that tallow from Aberdeen Angus bulls has the best internal wind-up qualities.




.

 

[markjay]

Micro-miniature engineering - some of the gears are smaller than those in your digital watch.

Correct. I use a bit of engine oil to lube the gears every now then, otherwise they start to squeak.

 

[brucemillar]

They use special map paper Bruce which has a very thin coating of tallow for lubrication.

Did you say "tallow"? You do realise that I am veggie (I am not making this up). Thank god that the actual screen means that my fingers will not come into contact with the paper.

 

[brucemillar]

Correct. I use a bit of engine oil to lube the gears every now then, otherwise they start to squeak.

Ah. So that explains the small hole in the side of the unit then. I wondered how you got the oil in.

 

[Druk]

Did you say "tallow"? You do realise that I am veggie (I am not making this up). Thank god that the actual screen means that my fingers will not come into contact with the paper.

This is a common misconception. Touch sensitive glass is tallow permeable to allow for occasional frontal replenishment.

 

[brucemillar]

This is a common misconception. Touch sensitive glass is tallow permeable to allow for occasional frontal replenishment.

I have now elected to wear my forensic burglary gloves when in the car.

 

[Yugguy]

Tiny little men, held against their will.

 

[BTB 500]

It's a common misconception that the map moves around. In fact the COMAND system is far more sophisticated. A large map is mounted flat under the floor of the car, and a moving camera slides left/right & forward/backwards over it. What you see on the screen is the output from this camera. The maps are stored on rollers (like the number/destination display on a bus), and can be switched almost instantly. That's how the day/night change is achieved.

 

[brucemillar]

It's a common misconception that the map moves around. In fact the COMAND system is far more sophisticated. A large map is mounted flat under the floor of the car, and a moving camera slides left/right & forward/backwards over it. What you see on the screen is the output from this camera. The maps are stored on rollers (like the number/destination display on a bus), and can be switched almost instantly. That's how the day/night change is achieved.

Would that be why my map freezes in the North Sea when I park over a puddle?

 

[brucemillar]

....an issue that I do have with Comand/Mercedes.. Why did they not make their cars wider to accommodate a wider box, to allow for the wider/longer 6 & 7 digit Post Codes? Or they could have used smaller buttons?

 

[Druk]

....an issue that I do have with Comand/Mercedes.. Why did they not make their cars wider to accommodate a wider box, to allow for the wider/longer 6 & 7 digit Post Codes? Or they could have used smaller buttons?

The car floorpans are plenty wide enough but they make the map pages smaller to allow for the inner sills rusting. Can't have brown stains on the maps

 

[brucemillar]

The car floorpans are plenty wide enough but they make the map pages smaller to allow for the inner sills rusting. Can't have brown stains on the maps

I once mistook a bit of poo on a map for Sittingbourne. Then realised it wasn't a mistake !!!

 

[Ted]

I once mistook a bit of poo on a map for Sittingbourne. Then realised it wasn't a mistake !!!

I think that was Staines.

 

[markjay]

Ah. So that explains the small hole in the side of the unit then. I wondered how you got the oil in.

No! Don't squirt oil through that hole or you'll find that the map skids out of control.

Instead, the oil should be dripped into the SD Card slot.

If you don't have an SD Card slot, you can make one, Google 'how to add an earphone jack to iPhone7' - it's the same principle.

 

[davidjpowell]

huh.. Have the inmates escaped again?

 

[brucemillar]

No! Don't squirt oil through that hole or you'll find that the map skids out of control. Instead, the oil should be dripped into the SD Card slot. If you don't have an SD Card slot, you can make one, Google 'how to add an earphone jack to iPhone7' - it's the same principle.

I do not have a Sexual Disease at least not that I am aware of? How do I get the card slot without the disease?

 

[markjay]

I do not have a Sexual Disease at least not that I am aware of? How do I get the card slot without the disease?

You can't - you usually get the disease from the slot.