Navman ICN 320

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The Navman also has a Back-On-Track facility which automatically recalculates your trip for when you have the radio on too loud that you miss a turn. I have never had to use this but I tested its efficiency by deliberately missing a turn and sure enough it directed me back to where I should be.
The display preference screen can change the time zone, 12 hour/24 hour clock and whether you would prefer miles or kilometres. ...
.../> The map on screen is 2D, which works fine for me as I have witnessed the all-singing and dancing 3D models working and in my opinion I found it to be distracting. I can use this unit when I go to France as it covers European countries. I believe you can download maps for other countries not covered.

Personally I struggle with technical terms and technical things in general but I have found this navigation system to be straight ... more

I'm a skinflint when it comes to gadgets, as well as a skinflint I'm also not technically minded and have no interest in the latest gadgets which claim to change your life. However, I was sufficiently interested in an in-car navigation system to get me from A to B in the quickest time possible.
After a quick search I decided upon the cheapest one I could find from Halford's online at £168.97. I didn't fancy splashing out over £200 for a system that in theory would do exactly the same as a cheaper one.

Four days later my package arrived and after ripping open the box found a rather immense user manual (about the thickness of your average user manual) After tossing this aside and pressing enough buttons I had the system working in five minutes. It's easy! Choose the language you want, read the warning message (and accept to quicken things up), next you can choose a choice between having a female or male voice, set your time zone then you are off and running. To go through each stage would be utterly boring but it's as easy as pie even without having the manual as the system gently prompts you through the process.
You have to slot the memory card into the side of the set. The maps are stored on this memory card in which a GPS (Global Positioning Signal) can determine your exact location and calculate your route.
The power adaptor socket will fit into your cigarette lighter and a red light will confirm you have power. The trickiest aspect of this whole shebang was getting the windshield suction mount to stay sufficiently suctioned to my windshield. It's not cool to be driving along then have your SatNav come unstuck and clatter along the dashboard. It gave me an excuse to wash the inside window and amazingly this small action made the world of difference to the suction stakes.

To calculate a route the 'Go To' screen will be displayed in which you will need to insert an address by either using the street name, postcode or area in general. The screen will change to a keyboard affair where you have to toggle around the keyboard to select your characters. Generally I enter the street name then when found I add the house number to pinpoint the exact location. You can enter a Point of Interest (POI) which varies from a petrol garage, airport or railway station. Quite handy if you are in an unknown area and need more petrol. Once you have found your location you can save the information for later usage or press 'Go' to start your journey. Previous journeys can be saved as favourites.
I found that after each usage and bringing the unit indoors (Don't leave it on display in your car) there is sufficient power to input all the information in the house instead of sitting in a freezing car doing it.
So you've managed to get the unit stuck on the window, you've found your address and you are ready for the off. You will need to press 'go' and the unit will search for the signal, this can take up to a minute depending on your location, the weather (I think) and other matters out of your control. Your voice will guide you towards your destination. Now I don't know about anyone else, but personally I like to keep my eyes on the road and found the voice commands alone are sufficient to get me there. There is the duality of having an instruction screen too, which tells you a mountain of information. Amazingly it's not at all confusing as this list would suggest:

Your current location
The following instruction
Distance to next instruction
Name of your next location
Map of the next instruction

I occasionally glance at the unit upon entering a roundabout where I can double check on the exit I should take, but apart from that I tend to listen to the voice. Occasionally the voice gets on my nerves, especially if it's a town centre when every turn warrants an instruction. It's blessed relief when on a motorway and you hear the words "Continue for 24 kms" You know that you can relax and you won't be bothered for a while.

The Navman also has a Back-On-Track facility which automatically recalculates your trip for when you have the radio on too loud that you miss a turn. I have never had to use this but I tested its efficiency by deliberately missing a turn and sure enough it directed me back to where I should be.
The display preference screen can change the time zone, 12 hour/24 hour clock and whether you would prefer miles or kilometres. You can also set the brightness using this screen.
The map on screen is 2D, which works fine for me as I have witnessed the all-singing and dancing 3D models working and in my opinion I found it to be distracting. I can use this unit when I go to France as it covers European countries. I believe you can download maps for other countries not covered.

Personally I struggle with technical terms and technical things in general but I have found this navigation system to be straight forward to install and use. I don't have to set out on a journey I'm unsure of with a 30 minute 'buffer' zone where inevitably I would drive around in circles watching my petrol bars lower. I no longer have to check every road sign whilst simultaneously trying to keep an eye on the driver in front and I no longer have to plead to innocent passers-by for directions.
The big advantage over a roadmap is the fact that I don't have to stop to check my position at every junction. Plus the fact that I must have spent a King's ransom on roadmaps and must have the largest collection of UK streetmaps in the entire country. I always lose them or they get stomped all over as I leave them on the floor in the car.

Overall I suspect the map on screen isn't the crystal clarity of the more expensive models or this unit hasn't got innumerable additional features, which in truth I wouldn't get around to using anyway, but what I need it for and the hours I have saved from driving randomly around, the navigation system works extremely well.
Finally I should or must add the look of the unit; it is a slate grey and black colour with silver navigation buttons. I'm no expert but I do think this unit looks very slim line and sleek and certainly looks more expensive than the £170 I paid for it.
 

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