Sat Nav Basics Explained
by Paul Haughney on 2007-09-22
Introduction
Sat Nav devices are by far the most popular car accessory available these days. Sat nav's uncanny ability to help you sniff out an obscure location has made it one of the hottest selling items and with good reason. Sat Nav is a 'win win' situation for all road users and is set to banish two well known, if not always accurate, gender-based driver traits, namely that men would rather drive around lost before asking directions while women will never again feel their sense of direction is in doubt.
Navigation
Stay focused on the road and have your passengers take over the navigation with the help of a sat nav. Satellite Navigation Systems or GPS work by retrieving your exact location and traffic information from orbiting satellites and feeding the data to an in-built LCD screen. The calculated location is then presented on a detailed map so that you can track your movements en-route to your destination. Most sat nav models also come with a user selectable voice which tells the driver when to take a turn or warn them of any known problems such as a speed camera.
Speed
The latest sat navs often come laden with extras such as speed-trap locators or the ability to navigate by photos on their maps, but you don't necessarily need the bells and whistles. Although you should be aware that the camera locations can change and so you'll need to buy updates occasionally if you want to ensure you avoid any unwelcome points on your licence. Of course you could just drive at the speed limits! In a recent study of company car drivers covering over one million miles, it was found that drivers with a GPS safety device fitted to their vehicle were 50% less likely to have an accident and 74% less likely to have a speeding endorsement.
Price
From pocket money-priced covers that help make your sat nav unique, to high-quality cases, external antenna and GPS receivers that connect wirelessly to your PDA via Bluetooth, there's a great range of sat nav and other sat nav accessories available at reasonable prices. Competition is fierce, which means low prices, but also bewildering choice. No matter how modest or swish your tastes, there is a well-priced model to suit you. Well priced, and European maps are only £40 more. Choosing between the two devices may well come down to price. Compare prices and products before you buy with a comparison shopping service. So expect to pay around £100 for a decent sat nav model to over £500 for a model which has speed trap warning or traffic jam information alert functions in-built.
Conclusion
Adding cheap sat nav is a great way of instantly upgrading your car and making journeys go more smoothly, safely, and economically. In fact you could also do your bit for the planet by using your sat nav to plan your long trips better and cut down on un-necessary 'lost' mileage which invariable happens when using a paper map.
Now is a great time to buy a sat nav as the competition is fierce so there are many great bargains to be had.
Sat Nav devices are by far the most popular car accessory available these days. Sat nav's uncanny ability to help you sniff out an obscure location has made it one of the hottest selling items and with good reason. Sat Nav is a 'win win' situation for all road users and is set to banish two well known, if not always accurate, gender-based driver traits, namely that men would rather drive around lost before asking directions while women will never again feel their sense of direction is in doubt.
Navigation
Stay focused on the road and have your passengers take over the navigation with the help of a sat nav. Satellite Navigation Systems or GPS work by retrieving your exact location and traffic information from orbiting satellites and feeding the data to an in-built LCD screen. The calculated location is then presented on a detailed map so that you can track your movements en-route to your destination. Most sat nav models also come with a user selectable voice which tells the driver when to take a turn or warn them of any known problems such as a speed camera.
Speed
The latest sat navs often come laden with extras such as speed-trap locators or the ability to navigate by photos on their maps, but you don't necessarily need the bells and whistles. Although you should be aware that the camera locations can change and so you'll need to buy updates occasionally if you want to ensure you avoid any unwelcome points on your licence. Of course you could just drive at the speed limits! In a recent study of company car drivers covering over one million miles, it was found that drivers with a GPS safety device fitted to their vehicle were 50% less likely to have an accident and 74% less likely to have a speeding endorsement.
Price
From pocket money-priced covers that help make your sat nav unique, to high-quality cases, external antenna and GPS receivers that connect wirelessly to your PDA via Bluetooth, there's a great range of sat nav and other sat nav accessories available at reasonable prices. Competition is fierce, which means low prices, but also bewildering choice. No matter how modest or swish your tastes, there is a well-priced model to suit you. Well priced, and European maps are only £40 more. Choosing between the two devices may well come down to price. Compare prices and products before you buy with a comparison shopping service. So expect to pay around £100 for a decent sat nav model to over £500 for a model which has speed trap warning or traffic jam information alert functions in-built.
Conclusion
Adding cheap sat nav is a great way of instantly upgrading your car and making journeys go more smoothly, safely, and economically. In fact you could also do your bit for the planet by using your sat nav to plan your long trips better and cut down on un-necessary 'lost' mileage which invariable happens when using a paper map.
Now is a great time to buy a sat nav as the competition is fierce so there are many great bargains to be had.
About The Author: Paul Haughney is an avid car driver covering 1,000's of miles each year. He is also a converted Sat Nav user and also has an online resource for www.cheapincarsatnav.co.uk/tom-tom-sat-nav.html ">tom tom sat nav.