Navman F 20 Local

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***Navman/The Navman F20***

I have always been skeptical about navigation systems, in particular hearing about the systems directing people the wrong way. However, the F20, is supposedly the simplest, most reliable GPS navigation system on the market today. So on recommendation from friends and because it fitted his price bracket, it led to my other half buying this Navman for £150-£250 (he wouldn't tell me the exact ...
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I tested the Navman on route to Watford recently. I vaguely knew the route, so I decided to test the system and purposely missed my junction on the M1 to see what it would do. I was very impressed when it instantly rerouted to accommodate my route. I have also learnt many new routes from the system, which have come in handy to avoid traffic. What I found particularly useful is it tells you if there is a speed camera nearby by beeping loudly ... more

Since passing my test 3 months ago, my family has noted my poor navigational skills. On recent drives to Portsmouth and Eastbourne (where getting lost doubled the journey time!) I relied on print outs from AA and the old fashioned A-Z. You can imagine my joy at receiving a Sat Nav system for Christmas!

***Navman/The Navman F20***

I have always been skeptical about navigation systems, in particular hearing about the systems directing people the wrong way. However, the F20, is supposedly the simplest, most reliable GPS navigation system on the market today. So on recommendation from friends and because it fitted his price bracket, it led to my other half buying this Navman for £150-£250 (he wouldn't tell me the exact cost!) from Halfords.

The packaging itself is enough to get anyone excited! The device came in a small, colourful, rectangular box highlighting the features and capabilities of the system. I was so excited to play with my new toy, and couldn't wait to prise the box open, but it wouldn't budge! It took me 10 minutes to figure out how to open the thing! Once inside I wasn't disappointed. It had everything I could need including;

1. The Nav Man F20
2. A 12V power socket
3. User manual
4. FAQ guide
5. In car mounting bracket

***Installation***

I had heard from TV adverts and friends that sat navs require complicated installation. However, installing the device into the car is so simple even I can do it!. Attach the simple suction cup holder to a suitable place on the windscreen and plug in the cigarette lighter power unit. After answering a few simple questions about the type of roads you like etc, the system is up and running. I didn't have to read the instructions until wanting to use it for directions.

***Hitting the road ***

The non-reflective 3.5" touch screen looks and works exceptionally well. When mounted on the windscreen you can just reach out and programme information in. It is easy to see in sunlight and resists fingerprint smudging. It is also great to store. I simply unplug and pop in my handbag. It makes a clicking sound when placed safely.

The F20 has four buttons arranged along the right-hand side of the screen. There's a Navigate button that returns you to the map view from the menu system and scrolls through various views during navigation. The Menu button takes you to the top-level menu. The best feature this sat nav has to offer is the dedicated buttons to find the nearest petrol station or car park - ideal when you're somewhere unfamiliar, or like me a new driver who is getting used to finding the appropriate parking spaces! If you're holidaying in the UK or fancy a drive, the system also shows you points of interest (zoo's/theme parks etc) which are nearby! Or if you're not sure where you have left your car, you can program your car location, and use it as a navigational system to assist you back to the car!
On the right-hand side of the device, there are two buttons for controlling volume, making it easy not to navigate through a menu tree to find the volume control for making adjustments.

Being the big kid that I am, I couldn't wait to get started, and with 95-100% coverage of the UK I was confident it was going to work. I programmed in my home address, which I stored as "home" on the system. This must be entered before it allows you to search for anything else. If wanting to go to this address I simply have to press 'home'. Favourite addresses can be stored in the 'favorites' section.

When going to a new address, the F20 allows you to choose between the quickest route or the shortest route by using the postcode, street name of town/city search. Once you've selected a destination, the F20 calculates your route and takes you to the navigation view. There are actually four navigation views you can scroll through by pushing the navigation button. The main view is a 3D view that adds a turn arrow with the distance to turn in the upper right-hand corner. The direction and name of the street are shown in text across the top of the screen. The second view is a 2D view that adds the "Next turn" graphic with the distance after the initial turn. The second turn is shown as a smaller graphic below the first turn. The third view is the list view showing turn directions, the distances between turns, and names of streets. Finally there's a "zoomed out" route overview that shows the distance to go and the percentage of trip completed.

I tested the Navman on route to Watford recently. I vaguely knew the route, so I decided to test the system and purposely missed my junction on the M1 to see what it would do. I was very impressed when it instantly rerouted to accommodate my route. I have also learnt many new routes from the system, which have come in handy to avoid traffic. What I found particularly useful is it tells you if there is a speed camera nearby by beeping loudly and beeping again if you go over the speed limit for the road you are on.

You can choose to either have a man or woman's voice giving you the directions or can actually see the route on the screen. I would recommend the audio option, as trying to watch the screen can be distracting and dangerous when on the road. When needing to make a turn, the system gives you two warnings, one ahead of time and one just before you have to make the maneuver. This is great for ensuring you are in the right lane. Also useful in the lower left-hand corner of the screen is an icon that displays GPS status and signal strength. In the lower right-hand corner is a field that you can customise with one of six choices: Time; Battery Condition; Speed; Heading; Distance to Go; and Estimated Time of Arrival.

*** Problems ****

In a nutshell, the Navman alerts you to speed cameras and calculates the shortest route. What it doesn't do is give you traffic updates so in effect it could direct you to a route that is blocked off. However, you can buy a T1 Traffic Pack for real-time traffic updates for a one off fee rather than a monthly subscription. This is due to be launched at the end of January 2007

The only issue I had with this system is that there is no mains charger. With the in car charger having a battery life of 2 hours, I am considering purchasing a mains adapter from the Navman website for about £15.

Also worth noting is vehicles with a heated windscreen may require an external GPS antenna.

*** Summary ***

Since hearing some horror stories from friends and the press, I was skeptical about sat nav systems reliability and ease of use. However, take the F20 out of its box and it's ready to use with an easy to use menu display on its high-quality, finger-friendly 3.5" touch-screen. And if you thought GPS capabilities and features would command a high price, think again. The F20 introduces a wealth of new features previously only found on much more expensive GPS navigation systems in the price bracket of £150-£250 (depending on what store you visit) As a unit at the lower end price bracket, this Navman F20 is an exceptional buy. However, you still need to be a competent driver and use your own common sense when driving and employing the F20 - and just to be on the safe side, keep you're A-Z nearby in the car!

*** Contacts ***

01293 780 950 Monday - Friday 9am - 5.30pm

www.navman.com

 

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