I am looking at possibly buying a Rover 75, 2000/01 model. Some cars I have seen advertised include sat nav.
Question is, as any sat nav system is only worthwhile if it has up to date mapping, can anyone out there with a Rover with sat nav confirm that they can keep it up to date with upgrades, whether paid or free?
If so how? Do you have to go through Rover to do so?
|
Sat Navs are made by very few companies. Most use one of two different map databases. You can buy map upgrades from the maker of the sat nav kit, or one of the updates from the mapping companies
(for example I know of Renault Carin sat nav users using maps and software upgrades for BMW's bought cheap on the net.)
You can get your upgrades through Rover if you wish, not cheap tho expect to pay between 100 - 200 quid.
|
I think its Philips Carin 582/??
You can get up to date Cds for VDO/Dayton
that work, especially cheap on ebay.
It is also best to update the operating system these discs are harder to fined.
|
|
I shouldn't worry too much. How much has been done to our roads in the past decade, let alone the last 3 or 4 years? And how often are the databases revised anyway?
|
I think a lot Badger, (it does give you a percent of how much info changes anually on the VDO Dayton online shop)
When I got mine ex-equipment to retrofit, about a year ago, mine came with a 1999 CD, and it was awful, especially if you live near a road that has changed or a new road and have to use it almost daily. The later maps are also more detailed, give better descriptions of Exits etc... obsiously they had worked on the problems and confusions of older CDs.
I would never pay the full £175 or whatever for a CD though.
|
Yes, I take your point, Schnitzel. I suppose I have to get it into my head that we not dealing with a paper map (which our brain can intelligently interpret as necessary) but with a computer, and computers are accurate but stupid. If it comes down to 'left here', 'right there' then even a minor change at a junction could stop it dead.
A friend has had a Dayton for about 4 years and I'm impressed. If I may divert for a moment, are you happy with yours?
|
Mine is a Philips Carin (which was the base for the VDO Dayton who bought them out) It was only £130 off ebay from Holland.
It is the one that was a £1200 option when the car was new.
I got map CDs cheap on ebay too.
It is an older monochrome one with no maps, just text and pictograms. I am thrilled to bits with it, my eyesight it not very good at reading a map unless I put glasses on that aren't as good for driving, and at night I can't even read a map by the interior light, even though I can see the road fine, I am long sighted.
It is brilliant, but the map data is still far from perfect to this day, not so much lack of new roads or changes, it's more junctions are misinterpreted that were back in 1999, maybe its my equipment, but for example, there is one road which forks left or right and rather than just saying keep to the righ, turn right etc.. it says turn left and in 50 yards turn right, which is a service road for people coming down the left fork and wanting to turn hairpin left into the right hand fork, You'll get there sure, but not the best way, and if you miss the turn it will instantly send you down the next suitable road that joins up with the one you missed or your route. The main reason I got it was I am interested in such things and the way they work!
|
Thanks -- the example you give, of the fork, is the kind of situation I had in mind.
I am now at the age where I need reading glasses. I also need a pair of very weak driving glasses, not because any vision defect has been found on testing but because I used to get headaches on longish (2 hrs) journeys that a pair of 'borderline' long distance specs cleared. I've now had these done as bifocals, with the main lens at driving distance and the lower segment at instrumentation distance.
|
I have extensively used a VDO Dayton MS5000 - which was the next philips carin as fitted standard to top range renaults and Beemers.
Its superb. Telling you where to postion in the road (ie " keep left"), warning of junctions etc etc. Its full colour mapping and very accurate. It lacks the "bird view" feature tho.
|
|
|
|
|
Thanks for the replies. I think I may avoid buying a 75 with sat nav and, when I need it, investing in a stand alone product.
|
|
|
