Best Sat Nav for a coach driver?

[davethelostdriver]

As the title says, I'm looking for the best sat nav for a coach driver, I used to use a Garmin as that let me set it up on "bus" and was supposed to keep me out of trouble combined with the data from lowbridge.com...all went well until one night I set it for the quickest way out of cheltnam...the road got narrower and narrower, until the branches scraped the sides to bits and every 5 yards all you heard was thump, thump, thump of branches off the roof. Then got presented with a wee hump back bridge with a 7 ton limit, I went over, two very very tight 90 degree turns later and i'm on a dirt track over a field!! (got 52 folk behind me at this point, thankfully it was pitch dark and they had had a few!!)....then came out on the main A road...I turned off the Sat nav then and have never used one since on a job, rather plan my route and check maps now...(and at the same time aquired the nickname thats my handle on here when i had to go back and admit to what I had done as the coach was a total mess, requiring a full re-spray).:poster_stupid:

so heres the question, what sat nav do you use, does it have an option for keeping the larger vehicle out of trouble, I've done a websearch and the snooper range have launched with truckmate sat nav, anyone use one, it keeps you away from single tracks, low bridges and width restrictions automatically when it is planning the route, and lets you set it up exactly for your length, width, axle weight the lot, but at £269 for the cheapest model and £399 for the top of the range i want to see if it does what it says on the tin first.

if anyone wants to admit to any other Sat Nav cock ups at the same time...hey I've put mine, we are all human...dare say we can all go "there go I, but for the grace.." and any Sat nav recommendations are most welcome.

Dave

[Karl]

Dave, i think one of the Swans guys bought one that you could setup the length and weight of the coach. Can't find the thread at the moment where they posted about it. Sure they will be able to tell you about it. Think it was Jonny or JP.

[Matt]

Pirate uses the pronav. He got it maplins. He will probably tell ya about it later..

I use a tom tom 710. Its ace! The problem as with all sat navs it always wants to take you where you cant go!! If i dont like the look of the road i dont go down it! Plus if i see a blue sign saying M5 i follow it, doesnt matter what tommy says. All work well with common sence, but for ease of use tom tom is the best i think, i can have it planning a route in seconds, then brouse the route to see if its taking me off the beaten track as they say..

[Karl]

I quite like the one that comes built on the Beulas. Simple to work, and like Matt says, a bit of common sense too and its fine.

[coachdriverjed]

with any sat navs you got to use comon sence with them, if it looks too tight to take then you dont do it, if your leaving a town you just follow the motorways signs instead if the satnav tried to take you over places.

best bit of advice i got for ya

[william mcroberts]

tom tom pro looks the bizz ,i had a garmin fitted to a 13m bova i used to drive but it wasnt much good:poster_oops:

[wales181]

i use a cheap (less than £100) rac sat nav which can be set up for wagons and up till now i haven't had any cockups from it yet

[johnpirate]

I have a ProNav from Maplins .You put the size and weight of the vehicle in.Its still tries to send me under a 9ft 6in bridge near work.The problem is that not all roads that are unsuitable for large vehicles are not marked up as such by councils and mapping companies.It does tell usually about height and weight limits if they are marked clearly.But they are the ones you spot yourself.If you say hgv friendly routes only it can add miles to your journey.Seventy miles in one instance.I ignored it as you would.It was only advertised in Maplins for a month and they dont sell them anymore.I think they must have had a lot of complaints.I like it as a tool there are alot better sat navs out there.I think it will be a couple of years before an effective large vehicle sat nav is on the market.:pirate2:

[Matt]

Dont shoot me down here, but i never go anywhere without my Phillips Proffessional road atlas! Biggest scale there is. Shows every motorway juction in detail! Best £20 pound i ever spent..

[william mcroberts]

being a true scot i got my philips atlas for £3.99 :thumbup:

[coachdriverjed]

well in reality i think most of us got them for free, with service station points or vouchers

[coachdriverjed]

and i usually use AtoZ's as there reliable and ofcourse free at service stations with our vouchers:roflmao:

[Andy]

I found a baragin late last year in Halfords, A Becker BE7827 for £119, they had it has half price on the website, Did some research and it turns out they are very popular in the states and make the built in ones for Ferrari and Lambourgini.

Went to local shop and they had never heard of it, I asked them to look in the back and they discovered 2. They showed me it saying they would not be able to show me how to use it and looked puzzled as to why I would want it.

Got it out of box and it's very easy to use, I use the lorry mode and the directions on the map are so clear, even has a road layout appear on the screen when approaching a motorway or Trunk junction complete with overhead sign, and puts a red arrow under the direction for you.

Also has that Live traffic management rerouting thingy, but only works around Birmingham and London as far as I can see so far. It really comes into own on the continent where the Rerouter has worked wonders everywhere.

Although you can download new maps for it, you can't download a new voice, which is a pity as the american woman on there does my nut, so I turn her off. Would be nice to have John Cleese, would make passengers laugh too.

I have it programmed for most of my long trips, but I only use it as a back up to my written route, or if im Diverted, it is like my co-driver sitting there following me and helping when I need it. But she goes where I was going anyway so thats a good sign.

[purplescotty]

I use a tom tom 910 but as posted before always check the route first and you can get some hight and width warnings restrictions downloaded from the tom tom web sight

[daleman]

although i dont need to use them now i've still get my truckers atlas that has bridge heights etc in and my tom tom which i added to by downloading info off one of the truckdriver sites i used to visit. combination of the 2 with a bit of common sense usually worked:grin:

[Supertractorman]

I found a baragin late last year in Halfords, A Becker BE7827 for £119, they had it has half price on the website, Did some research and it turns out they are very popular in the states and make the built in ones for Ferrari and Lambourgini.

Went to local shop and they had never heard of it, I asked them to look in the back and they discovered 2. They showed me it saying they would not be able to show me how to use it and looked puzzled as to why I would want it.

Got it out of box and it's very easy to use, I use the lorry mode and the directions on the map are so clear, even has a road layout appear on the screen when approaching a motorway or Trunk junction complete with overhead sign, and puts a red arrow under the direction for you.

Also has that Live traffic management rerouting thingy, but only works around Birmingham and London as far as I can see so far. It really comes into own on the continent where the Rerouter has worked wonders everywhere.

Although you can download new maps for it, you can't download a new voice, which is a pity as the american woman on there does my nut, so I turn her off. Would be nice to have John Cleese, would make passengers laugh too.

I have it programmed for most of my long trips, but I only use it as a back up to my written route, or if im Diverted, it is like my co-driver sitting there following me and helping when I need it. But she goes where I was going anyway so thats a good sign.

Andy

I also have a Becker and am very pleased with it. Nice big screen and good directions.

David

[Langers]

I took my Tom Tom 710 for repair in London just round the corner from Warwick road coach at the Sat Nav repair centre they can be found on web and they said they could alter the programme on the sat Nav for use on large vehicles and avoid unsuitable roads.I always check on a map before travel and use the navigate via options to help. Im researching mre on this at moment. Hope help

[bigsteve61]

Sorry lads i know that im an old fart but what is wrong with looking at a map put it in you head or write little notes and drive the route it looks so more pro .You cant learn a city by looking at a 5 inch screen I know that some tour companys like ledger want you to have sate nav in you coach because they think that a coach driver dose not have a brain, but try to work with it switch off at least you will lean more and know were you are ..Like i said i am an old fart but i have done most of euorpe and the uk for 25 years without one .:thumb_yello:

[Andy]

Kind of agree with you, I research the route and plug in the destination and only turn the sat nav on for the tricky bits, ie, towns I don't know or complex interchanges for positioning of the coach.

The other thing I find sat nav handy for is, in the dark, you can see a bend approaching, makes it a bit safer.

[bigsteve61]

why do you look at a sat nav at night to see how bad the bend is the white lines on the road tell you that and the chevrons > i had a second driver with me and we went to switzerland and he did the same as you looked at his sat nav to see how bad the bend was he drove at 80 k and he overtaken by loads of coaches includind my mate missis witch i found hard to swallow if he spent more time looking and reading the road we would have been doing 100 km because the motorway is cambered and it dose not show you that on a sat nav. :wink_5:

[Andy]

I did mean more rural roads... Motorways tend to be of a standard, so you wouldnt really look then.. but on the minor rural roads, every little helps, to quote a supermarket slogan.

Also I'm not as competitive as to worry that someone has overtaken me, woman or not, as long as I give my passengers a comfortable ride, get them there safe and am within my hours, the others can go as quick as they like and I won't get in there way.

Last time I was in Switzerland, I had white knuckles coming down a mountain road towards Interlaken, was going nice and steady only to be over taken by Service buses and Double trailered lorries on blind bends etc.. I guess you drive to what your used to. I'm not a risk taker on the road.

[decker]

Driving within your own limits and comfort zone in unfamiliar areas minimises risk and maximises safety and comfort. I am with you Andy, I always drive very steadily in new unfamiliar areas.
That is not to say I don't do the same when I know the road. lol

[classy]

I use a TomTom 730 with TMC, and although I take little notice of the traffic alerts, I swear by the Tomtom, I would never leave home without it.

Instead of spending hours planning my route I just program my Tommy, check the route quickly on the computer and off I go, all done in a few minutes!

Most problems caused by SatNav systems are down to owner errors, putting the wrong input in etc, there is just a simple rule of thumb, if the road doesn't look good, then it ain't, avoid it the SatNav will do the rest.

I'm afraid I disagree with most on this point, I think SatNav should be compulsory on all coaches!

And with the latest models you have several functions that really do assist you like 'lane guidance' for example, it really does help you be in the right place at the right time.

[bigsteve61]

That is a fare comment Andy like i said mate i am an old fart i am happy nowadays trundling along at 40 mph looking at scenery :driving:

[Matt]

For the first time i wish i had followed the sat nav. I didnt and ended up in a right mess!!!! 30 mins getting out of it.:poster_oops: No dents though...

[johnpirate]

Called in at Norton Canes services.The phone guy there had The Snooper Truckmate on sale.These seem very good they have even made it asfar as Radio 2 talking about them.He wanted £450 for them abit less for the UK only one.So I had a bit of a route around.I,ve seen the S2000 model for £350ish.And there is Snooper 600 truckmate model for between £250 and £299 which seems okay as well.You know me though I cant resist a new toy so I can see one of these making its way to my workbag.If it does I will report my feelings as and when I know more about them.They have the usual features ,But they look to include a camera warning that picks up mobile ones .It also can tell the difference with cameras as to which side of the road they are on.There is a live traffic monitor which after using a Navman one a few years ago I really like.The updates according to the bumf are free for the life of the machine which has to be a good move.

[no1_maynedriver]

im for and against most of messages on here!! :poster_stupid: although i do have mine on all the time im in the coach, and do use it where ever im going i still carry around and look at my road map and a to z! i use a tom tom 1! ive never had a prob yet, but like drivers have said use ur common sense and you should have no probs wot so ever!! :drinks_cheers:

[classy]

Called in at Norton Canes services.The phone guy there had The Snooper Truckmate on sale.These seem very good they have even made it asfar as Radio 2 talking about them.He wanted £450 for them abit less for the UK only one.So I had a bit of a route around.I,ve seen the S2000 model for £350ish.And there is Snooper 600 truckmate model for between £250 and £299 which seems okay as well.You know me though I cant resist a new toy so I can see one of these making its way to my workbag.If it does I will report my feelings as and when I know more about them.They have the usual features ,But they look to include a camera warning that picks up mobile ones .It also can tell the difference with cameras as to which side of the road they are on.There is a live traffic monitor which after using a Navman one a few years ago I really like.The updates according to the bumf are free for the life of the machine which has to be a good move.

If you want more info on these a visit to www.pocketgpsworld.com will tell you all you need to know about these devices.

[montymunroe]

I'm a bit perplexed by this Sat Nav phenomenon. What is wrong with using a map to plan & follow your route. Surely this will enable you to absorb the route & surrondings you are travelling, not just depending on a little screen & strange voice to guide you (very unprofessionally in my humble opinion). I'm not a technophobe by any means, but sometimes you just don't need gadgets!!
If you were to ballot (sensible) passengers,I am sure they would put a good Coach Driver using his knowledge & map skills up against a Sat Nav any day. I would personally feel ashamed if I had to rely on such a gadget to do my job. Is it not just laziness to use one???

[Matt]

I'm a bit perplexed by this Sat Nav phenomenon. What is wrong with using a map to plan & follow your route. Surely this will enable you to absorb the route & surrondings you are travelling, not just depending on a little screen & strange voice to guide you (very unprofessionally in my humble opinion). I'm not a technophobe by any means, but sometimes you just don't need gadgets!!
If you were to ballot (sensible) passengers,I am sure they would put a good Coach Driver using his knowledge & map skills up against a Sat Nav any day. I would personally feel ashamed if I had to rely on such a gadget to do my job. Is it not just laziness to use one???

Your gonna start somthing now:laugh::laugh:

I use sat nav, im not lazy i can read a map and plan a route. They are an excellent driving aid. fully loaded with all the speed cameras they can help you keep a clean licence, not that i speed. Many points of interest plus mine has all the phone numbers in for all POIs listed.

I used to be the same as you, you dont need sat nav i used to say. However when your on a Newmarket job and you have 8 pickups in citys and town centres you have never been into and all you have is... Drake St, behind newspaper office????? What you ment to do buy an AtoZ of every city centre??? I personally think you can look unproffesional bungleing your way round a strange city centre looking for your passengers!

Each to their own though eh:biggrin2:

[Supertractorman]

I like to plan my route the night before on the computer and on the map, but I find the sat nav is great when you get near your destination and find there are numerous one way streets in front of you, and it guides you to the right spot. Warnings of delays on your route can be handy as you can use an alternative route if available and keep moving. I was one of those people who never thought a sat nav was worthwhile, but it is a useful back up on many occasions when you go to a new area especially over the water.

David

[montymunroe]

Well, you's are right about one thing. You are supposed to get an A-Z for whatever town you visit. its common sense really. If you can read a map & you have a nose for directions, then you definitley don't need a Sat Nav. For God's sake what did Drivers do before them? We used our head! We've all had dodgy directions and/or addresses, but we've got round them & found the pick up points, hotels, etc. Thats what seperates the professionals from the amateurs, the little bits of knowledge that we use to acheive our goals. Remember, not so long ago we didn't have mobiles that worked in Europe, yet we still managed to keep in touch with the Depot & be on time for our next job. Come on Guys, don't let the skills die, they are what make professional Drivers what they are.

[Matt]

Its called keeping up with the times fella! Why buy 20 AtoZs when you have every one to hand in the form of a sat nav? Dont get me wrong i have town plans for a lot of major citys London, Manchester, Birmingham, Edinburgh, Glasgow oh and Blackpool. And as i found out yesterday the Blackpool map was totaly usless! New pedestrian zones, local bus lanes!! How did i find where i was going?? I used my loaf dude! Bit of banter with the passengers, explaning the tour of the back streets was included in the price LOL. :thumbup:

Bet you have a mobile dont you? You just kept with the times when you bought one. So whats different with sat navs? Just because drivers use a sat nav doesnt make them any less professional. Only if they follow the buggers and drive off a cliff:roflmao:

[classy]

I suppose we should all be cranking our motors with a starting handle just like the good old days :question:

[montymunroe]

Sat navs are not keeping up with the times, they are contributing to the lack of skill the driving industry is guilty of. I agree, some technology is wecome & indeed needed, but not all. I hear from Drivers on here that they research their route by map & P.C. before they set off. If so. then what is the point of the Sat nav?
I was in the Navy in the early eighties, & Sat nav was a new invention. The ship was equipped with this latest technology, but you know what, we still took bearings & cross referenced with charts, etc. I wondered why, but the Captain said, 'its a machine, & machines cannot be trusted'. Keep the human element & we can understand our surroundings.
As for crank handles, we still have them. Only now, they are called keys!!

[classy]

As for crank handles, we still have them. Only now, they are called keys!!

We still have maps, only now they are called Sat Navs !!

[Matt]

Told ya you would start something:driving::thumb_yello:

[montymunroe]

Show me a Sat nav that will show you the road gradient. Show me a Sat nav that will give you a viewable overall pic of the country/ area you are in. On a 3, 4, or 5 inch screen? I don't think so. You would need a 20 inch flat screen to do the job of a decent Michelin guide. Again, follow the pro's. The foreign drivers lead the way again. Sat navs do not play a part here that they do in the UK.

[classy]

Show me a Sat nav that will show you the road gradient. Show me a Sat nav that will give you a viewable overall pic of the country/ area you are in. On a 3, 4, or 5 inch screen? I don't think so. You would need a 20 inch flat screen to do the job of a decent Michelin guide. Again, follow the pro's. The foreign drivers lead the way again. Sat navs do not play a part here that they do in the UK.

Foreign drivers can't use sat navs because they are too busy watching DVD's on their laptops placed on the dashboards while driving...really leading the way :thumbdown:

[neverest]

Sat navs are not keeping up with the times, they are contributing to the lack of skill the driving industry is guilty of. I agree, some technology is wecome & indeed needed, but not all. I hear from Drivers on here that they research their route by map & P.C. before they set off. If so. then what is the point of the Sat nav?
I was in the Navy in the early eighties, & Sat nav was a new invention. The ship was equipped with this latest technology, but you know what, we still took bearings & cross referenced with charts, etc. I wondered why, but the Captain said, 'its a machine, & machines cannot be trusted'. Keep the human element & we can understand our surroundings.
As for crank handles, we still have them. Only now, they are called keys!!

Why do :censored: non-satnav users always assume that all those of us who have the extra tool in our box rely on satnav alone to do our job?? I research and plan all my routes using paper atlases and/or internet maps, but none of these can safely be consulted when actually on the road and driving, and none of these constantly monitor my ETA ("when are we going to get there, driver??"), or give an instant indication of the best route around an unexpected problem in unfamiliar territory. OK for you guys doing local or repetitive touring work, but for those like me going anywhere and everywhere, often at short notice, my satnav is as indispensible as my A2Zs, Philips Atlases, helpful advice from guys who've been there - not forgetting, of course, my trusty laptop and :pain: mobile modem!!!!

By the way, I use an ancient tomtom 300, but it does the trick:thumb_yello:.

Remeber what happened to the Luddites.

[classy]

I am just amazed to learn that after driving for two decades all over Europe and even further afield I am not an experienced coach driver, just because I keep up with the times and believe my passengers deserve the very best, my Mummy would be so upset God bless her :driving:

[Victor Meldrew]

On the Lib Dem site there is a handy list of locations where using satnav can get you into trouble.

I can only assume they are in Lib Dem constituencies.

Get stuck here. (http://www.libdems.org.uk/home/baker-sat-nav-dangers-must-be-tackled-204636298;show)

Victor.

[classy]

Some of the reasons given are laughable for example "SatNavs directing large vehicles down Otley Road which has a primary school on it." or Lorry traffic coming into Bath merely to get out again on the north-south route when the A350 would be more appropriate..

[thedupleman]

got to add my considerable weight here as someone thats done loads to help everyone with satnav

satnavs are the future-like it or lump it.in 10 years time your map will be as obsolete as a bedford.

the coach industry is well known to be populated by that elusive animal-the it was better 20 years ago bear,which is always a grizzly.

no-it wasnt better 20 years ago.yes you got more tips and people thought more of you.however most of us were sat outside rough ****ty nightclubs-which we aint anymore and we are certainly not freezing to death in a tired old ford.
remember the headaches of looking for places........no internet,so scouring for leaflets or asking the fat awkward driver in the same hotel...."have you been there?"
you used to worry-will i find it ok?
you dont anymore you just bung it in satnav and it-more or less-gets you there-no worry.you look proffessional as hell........but even if it gets you lost.......you would have got lost without it anyway.
"how long is the journey driver"
in the satnav it goes-bang there's your answer......not er er er think its an hour-and turns out to be 3.
so many people in this industry accept nothing new.we are so afraid of change even when it makes the job easier which sat nav does.
just remember..........how many folk used to say......"i dont like auto's give me a stick anytime" but had never driven one-so yeah heres a stick.....round your head!
how many knock astronic now............running on the words of others but never drove one.
sat nav is the same.
the best advice is buy the best you can afford.but if you can only afford cheap you'll always want better so its better to save up.
i say tomtom 100pc.......and i know!!
i spend my life programming them!!
yes it'll make you lazy.......but its bloody good.
and no before you ask..........i NEVER had trouble finding my way before it
but its made my life easier.and thats got to be good

[bernie]

i managed to get hold of tomtom works and put it on 530 works great .in preferences you can choose vehicle ie truck , bus, car then put your vehicle dimensions in weight height lenght you get the idea .been using for 6 weeks now .never sent me towards low bridge or narrow road (yet)
if you register at http://www.digital-forums.com/ (free) look under section for sat nav follow link for tomtom works .be able to download . got it working fine on 520 530 720 one xl .it must have memory card slot .cos internal memory isnt enough to put full euro map on .i can help out if somebody gets stuck . fairly easy to put on ,but some computer savvy is needed .:thumbup:

[rubble69]

Sorry lads i know that im an old fart but what is wrong with looking at a map put it in you head or write little notes and drive the route it looks so more pro .You cant learn a city by looking at a 5 inch screen I know that some tour companys like ledger want you to have sate nav in you coach because they think that a coach driver dose not have a brain, but try to work with it switch off at least you will lean more and know were you are ..Like i said i am an old fart but i have done most of euorpe and the uk for 25 years without one .:thumb_yello:
The sat nav on leger coaches is not for just for use of the drivers it is actually more for passengers to get an idea of where we are in relation to the rest of europe most of the time you will find the screen in dash of our coach switched off...... Personally im with you i always have map down side of seat...... I cant belive the number of drivers who have been doing our job for a number of years but now seem to be unable to leave the yard with out sat nav :dunno: perhaps im just stuck in my ways but its still the old fashioned map for me & if im bored i set sat nav then go opposite way on purpose the blaupunkt system leger use has got a german woman who gets really stressed when you ignore her :thumbup:

[Scotty]

Im very interested in getting the truckmate as a helpful tool in addition to conventional methods.

The truckmate allows for the weight and height etc of your vehicle, it has a large 7" screen and TMC. Plus it even has built in free view so when your hanging around you could watch a bit of telly while you wait.

I seen someone on here wrote that a sat nav does not show gradients etc. This truckmate does, it will tell you of gradients up, gradients down, tight bends. always handy to know of in advanced.

Has anyone got this Truckmate yet???

[Matt]

Tried the snooper truck thing jobbie! Information overload!!!! Always beeping its nuts off! Speed cameras, bad bends, low bridges etc. Add gradients to the mix and your looking at the screen more than the road! Sat navs in my book are a tool for navigating, not for telling you the obvious you can see on the road signs.

The roads ive just been on in Germany round the Mosel and the Rhine was interesting to say the least. A good map and a very outdated sat nav got me round just fine. For example the bridge right out side our hotel had a hight of 3.7m our motor was 3.65m. Would fit you all think, not a chance!!! Due to the angle of the road and the wheel base of our coach, the front may have gone under but as the road started to rise the air con pod would have been in bits.

Now you just know a driver would blame the sat nav when it all ended in tears.

[hagar]

what is the recommended sat nav for use in london, thx

[alan mcculloch]

I would recommend before driving check out a good map or Google Earth.Know your route bridges 1 way systems and weight limits then set up your sat nav with way points. too keep you on your chosen route.I do Glasgow and Edinburgh from timeto time would not like to do city driving on sat.-nav. alone.

[Jonesy93]

I'd keep a GOOD AtoZ handy too. here are places in London that the SATNAV won't get you too - or at least that's what my Dad often found with his!
- Roads get closed for local/National events as well and you don't always hear about it until it's too late!
At the very least make sure you have a phone number to call!

AM

[bernie]

six posts earlier . posted about tomtmom works .that was 4 months ago.still using works ,its never sent me on narrow road or low bridge . put it on loads of tomtoms at work .got small problem with favorites ,when deleting .but i can live with that.really is dogs danglies .if i could find a site to host files ill post on net with readme on how to do it .about 2 gig if anyone know of hosting site .free of course.thats if enough people are interested . map is western and central europe. :smile27:

[paul c]

being a tight jock i have me £3.99 aa atlas and multimap on
my phone if push comes to shove i have a good tounge in
my head.

[jcjdavis1]

being a tight jock i have me £3.99 aa atlas and multimap on
my phone if push comes to shove i have a good tounge in
my head.

Hi. I hate stopping someone to ask for directions, 99% of the time English is not their first language.:smile2: Jim

[paul c]

Hi. I hate stopping someone to ask for directions, 99% of the time English is not their first language.:smile2: Jim

sounds about right,or theres never anyone around to ask.:frown2:

[ahwtoo]

I've just invested in a snooper S7000 truckmate, its supposed to be able to tell you about/navigate around, weight limits, low bridges steep gradients etc......being a part timer means I don't gain as much experience as the true professional so I need all the help I can get!
Its also got a free view tv, MP3 and Mp4 ideal for those times when you are killing time and ur up to date with all the cleaning!!
I just need to program in how I like my coffee and it'll be the best thing since sliced bread!!!
I'll keep you posted - maybe from Timbuctoo! but then I do use commom sense most of the time.......but thats another story!:smilewink:

[paul c]

just bought a new sat shiny garmin satnav.i used to be dead against them but this one has paid for its self already it comes preloaded with lots of p.o.a info including telephone numbers which saves a lot of hassle and when travelling down little a or b roads at night its great because you get early warning about the twisty stuff so more passenger comfort which means better tips,bonus.
plus know when someone asks when will we arrive i can be accurate in telling them instead of pulling a number out of the air.
I am know converted satnav is the way ahead burn your maps.:cool2:

[greenliner708]

Hi. I hate stopping someone to ask for directions, 99% of the time English is not their first language.:smile2: Jim
And that's just in the UK!!