Sat Nav without a PC

[JumboBeef]

My FIL likes my TomTom and now wants one of his own However, he doesn't have a PC or any sort of internet connection.

I know with my TomTom I have to update it once a week so it knows where the satellites are. How would this work for someone who doesn't have a PC? Are there any Sat Navs which do not need up dating via PC?

Thanks.

 

[Ian_Mac]

Have a look on www.blackspot.com they do a system which requires no PC.

 

[JumboBeef]

Thanks. Expensive then...............

 

[timwood2000]

I know with my TomTom I have to update it once a week so it knows where the satellites are.

You do not need to have to update your TomTom so it knows where the satellites are. I have one of the first ones (GO300), and I have never needed to do this! I have updated speed cameras etc, but never satellites - isn't that the whole point that they find you?

 

[Ian_Mac]

Probably worth searching the web for a cheaper price.

Tomtom also do some Live updates, again not cheap.

http://www.tomtom.com/products/category.php?ID=0&Lid=1

 

[Rory]

I know with my TomTom I have to update it once a week so it knows where the satellites are.

I've never heard of that before.

Unless you have the TomTom with Map Share - automatic correction of map errors (note it's not updates, just map errors) - then you would normally only need to connect it to get new maps, which some people probably never bother with.

 

[wemorgan]

I thought with TomTom that you didn't need to update it.
But by updating it you got quicker GPS links and latest maps, speed camera etc

 

[JumboBeef]

My TomTom is a GO720. It says to update at least once a week to down load the 'Quick Fix' sat finder. This is in addition to updating map shares and speed cameras.

Details here:

http://www.tomtom.com/plus/service.php?ID=18&Lid=4
http://www.gpslodge.com/archives/008838.php

 

[wemorgan]

So this just speeds up the time it takes to get a GPS lock, rather than requiring it to get any GPS lock.

Edit: The TomTom LIVE service is roughly £10/month. Or for a one off £40 you can buy a TMS plug in arial for traffic updates, as I did.

 

[BTB 500]

So this just speeds up the time it takes to get a GPS lock, rather than requiring it to get any GPS lock.

Correct. The weekly download is a table of where the sats. will be, it will work fine without ... just take a bit longer to get a lock.

 

[SilverSaloon]

you dont need to update the tomtom at all. updates are just for updated maps and for speed cameras etc.

just do it for him when he visits you should be enough.

my wife has a tomtom and its working fine and i've not updated it since november sometime. (must do it this weekend )

 

[Rory]

My TomTom is a GO720. It says to update at least once a week to down load the 'Quick Fix' sat finder. This is in addition to updating map shares and speed cameras.

Details here:

http://www.tomtom.com/plus/service.php?ID=18&Lid=4
http://www.gpslodge.com/archives/008838.php

Thanks - didn't know about that. My kids have a 530 which, as it's simply a newer version of the 520, I would imagine is covered.

Older daughter used it last weekend and did say it took absolutely ages to get a fix but they thought that was because they were already moving when they turned it on. It certainly normally gets a fix pretty quickly whenever I've tried it.

 

[IanA2]

I have an old Tom Tom which I use as back up, it has never been updated and is probably the most reliable!!

 

[BTB 500]

Older daughter used it last weekend and did say it took absolutely ages to get a fix but they thought that was because they were already moving when they turned it on. It certainly normally gets a fix pretty quickly whenever I've tried it.

Normally takes longest if you've driven somewhere with it switched off, then turn it on. I guess it looks for the sats. where they were last, and if it can't find them goes into a full search (if it doesn't have the 'quick fix' download).

 

[st13phil]

I know with my TomTom I have to update it once a week so it knows where the satellites are.

You don't actually have to do this: your GPSR (GPS Receiver) doesn't have to be updated with ephemeris (satellite position calculation) data from a PC to be able to find the satellites it needs, all that does is speeds up the initial acquisition time because the GPSR "knows" approximately where to look for the satellites rather than having to sequentially scan the sky to find them. The main GPSR manufacturers call this "HotFix". Without the "HotFix" data it will just take longer - perhaps up to 1 minute or more after a period of non-use - before the GPSR will be ready to provide navigation.

Many of the latest Garmin Nuvi devices take the ephemeris data transmitted by the satellites and store it away, using the data to predict where to look for satellites for the next 3 or 4 days rather than relying upon a periodic update from a PC connection. I believe that some of the latest TomTom devices do something similar.

BTW, if you want to confuse your GPSR use it to drive to the airport then turn it off and put it in your case before flying to another continent where you should turn it on again