Hello all,
Just reading on the BBC website about the regulations for using mobile phones in the car - does anyone know if an iPaq based GPS system will still be legal?
Thanks,
--
Lee
MINI adventure in progress
|
Hi Lee,
I use the iPaq with Kane Car Gear and all the documents state that you must not make changes to the unit whilst on the move, even though it is fitted to the dash in the appropriate bracket.
No more complicated than selecting a new radio station in many events, but would be easy to try some of the more complicated stuff if you got carried away.
I don't see that it's any different to those fitted in a car as standard, although that said, you can be prosecuted for adjusting these (as well as radios) if in the opinion of a Police Officer you are driving without due care and attention as a result of your actions.
I await the presence of DVD to fill in the gaps and point out any glaring inconsistencies......
|
Thanks for the reply ND,
I use TomTom 2 (welcome to the dirt tracks of your area!) and have it fixed to the dash too. I don't usually need to bother it when on the move, but I was interested that there might be some new legislation specfic to PDAs in the new act.
The downside with my car is that with radar detector declaring "Ka Band" on one side and "AT THE ROUNDABOUT, TAKE THE THIRD EXIT", it can get quite noisy in the car although it's never lonely.
Come to think of it, why are all voice systems based on female voices? Anyhow, I too will keep an eye out for DVD... :)
--
Lee
MINI adventure in progress
|
The downside with my car is that with radar detector declaring "Ka Band" on one side and "AT THE ROUNDABOUT, TAKE THE THIRD EXIT", it can get quite noisy in the car although it's never lonely.
I trialled the Camera database for the iPaq for 30 days (uses the Kane software) and the combination of "Specs Camera Approaching/Frequent Mobile Trap/Gatso Approaching" and "Keep Left 500 yards", all with the same voice and frequently over the top of each other drove me mad.
Come to think of it, why are all voice systems based on female voices?
I downloaded a Northern Comic voice patch and it didn't improve things one iota. The French Maid voice was even worse! I have yet to try the delights of "football manager".
I didn't bother taking up the offer of the speed camera database as I found the system to distracting and I don't tend to rag the car enough to risk a speeding ticket..... he says, clutching a small tree for luck.
|
>>I downloaded a Northern Comic voice patch and it didn't improve things one iota. The French Maid voice was even worse! I have yet to try the delights of "football manager".
:-)
Sounds quite interesting. I loaded the Spanish voices for SatNav but got a bit confusing... A friend did however replace his standard voice for "You have arrived at your destination" with "Whooooo-hoooooo!". Now that would drive me nuts!
Good luck with the tree; I don't speed at all around town, but have still fitted a radar detector to the old Clio, which couldn't break the limit even if I wanted it too...I was just fed up of finding speed cameras and not being sure if they were actually 40mph zone or not, with no signs to be seen.
I'm off to find a large pile of timber to touch, just to be sure!
Lee.
--
Lee
MINI adventure in progress
|
The discount supermarket Aldi is doing a special offer bundle - a Medion clone Windows based PDA (400 MHz, 64MB on board, 512MB of card storage) and GPS navigation pack for £349 all in. Okay, it's probably not the greatest portable PC ever but it's got to be worth a look as a cheap and hopefully easy to get hold of sat nav alernative.
Only downside is that they don't take credit, only debit cards.
|
Just updating the thread. They have another offer on them - bit cheaper as well.
www.aldi.co.uk/specials_01_11/1.html
On sale from the 13th
"Personal Digital Assistant £269.99
GPS mobile navigation system and handheld organiser that can play
music, DVD movies and games. 256MB MMC memory card with an additional
64MB on board. TFT display with 65,536 colours. Includes major roads
of the UK, Ireland and Europe. Direction voice output, colour and
arrowhead navigation. Satellite based positioning, for distance
information and instructions of the route. Extensive collection of
games including Jawbreaker, Backgammon, Cruel, Snake, Solitaire and
more. Includes DaVideo Software which enables you to watch a movie
that you may have downloaded on to a seperate MMC card. Complete with
Microsoft Active Sync, enabling you to synchronise your PDA with your
PC. Manufacturer’s three year warranty and customer helpline."
|
Odd how when you click the link above, the title bar in your browser says "Dual Suspension Mountain Bike"!
They must use the same web designers as Mr Brewer;-)
|
I've just upgraded from TomTom 2 to TomTom 3 and as I do most of my driving in the sticks, I was only too aware of v2's inclination for sending you down dirt tracks. Fortunately v3 is far less inclined to do so, and is IMO a worthwhile upgrade.
On the TomTom 3 CD there is a folder called Voices, and you can select Jane, which is the female voice as per V2, or Tom who is male and speaks to you in a stern upper class tone. The male voice is also more bassy and I've found its much easier to hear on my PDA, especially with the radio on the car at the same time.
|
|
|
