I read many discussions about Sat Nav.How many times do people actually use it? Every day? Once a week? Month?

Just seems like a toy to me rather than a tool for all those who haven't got to visit somewhere different every day(ie most of us).

Please just give an honest sensible answer so I can understand all the fuss and maybe consider it myself without being a bit blinkered

Dont use mine every day. Probably about once a week. I've got to say its the best 'toy' I've ever owned. Takes all the hassle out of driving somewhere. Bought it about 3 years ago when I started having to drive around london for work. Wouldn't be without it now.

The only downside I find is that as I dont have to look at roadsigns or junctions when I'm driving somewhere new, when I get there I have no idea of where I've been or how to get home!

I should also add that its makes driving a lot safer. No more having to map read and drive at the same time for me!

I don't use mine (TomTom Go 700) on local journeys, ie within 5 miles of home, but do use it on all other journeys - not least because it converts my 6230i into a handsfree phone which is legal to use when driving. The free speedtrap database is also very useful.

I use mine for any journey where I don't know the route, simple as that.

For example, tomorrow I'm going to London to stay with a mate, so I have entered his post code and house number into TomTom and then saved his house as a favorite, so tomorrow, I jump in the car, stick TT on and follow the voice prompts and display to get down to his house without any buggering about with pieces of paper or maps.

I use mine when going to see a customer or supplier on a work related trip. Takes some getting used to, putting your faith in a box of tricks!

The best befature is the "home" favourite. When I've finished a visit I can just set it to take me home.

I use mine for just about all "non-local" journeys both for the speed camera database and directions as well.

I frequently need to go to strange places through work so it's really handy

SWMBO is a rep so it's used a lot, hers is PDA based so it's also a work tool. We tend to use it on longer journeys, even if you know the route it's handy if there is a need to divert and also to keep track of arrival time and distance to travel etc.

That's the reason I bought the PDA based system, only used for journeys I don't know.

Any time I dont know a journey I use it, and the journey is such a breeze, gives you confidence

Sometimes I use it weekly, sometimes monthly, depends where I am going

I dont use it all the time but definently would not be without it

I also bought a PDA with Tom Tom installed. I use the PDA everyday at work and the sat nav when going on a journey im not familier with. The best bit was when I first got it I said to SWMBO we are not taking a map this is all we need. Small debate (row) ensued and I won. So off we go with no map just the PDA sat nav. Yep you guessed PDA crashed lost sat nav... Had to go and buy a bloody map :( Oh and eat lots of humble pie as I said sorry Still its not crashed since..phew!

I use the one in my van most days when working out of town and life is so much easier with it and i probably couldn't be without it nowadays but the one in my car hardly ever gets used but then neither does the dvd as i don't do much driving in the car nowadays,last time i used it was to get to trax

I use mine quite a lot...helps to find the most obscure route to my destination...ended up scarping the sump and grass brushing both sides of the car the other week on the way to chesham...my they like their lanes deep and narrow.

I'll use it if the traffic ahead looks busy, turn on turn off the m-way, let it work out the route back.

I tend not to use it if swmbo is in the car, as I listen to it and not her which leaves bruising.

I'd use it more if I was not such a tight wad and buy a proper mount so I can charge the gps unit.

It went flat the other night and I missed a turn in Wimbledon...the 2.5 mile journey took nearly 3 hours, one fracking annoying moment to go flat, traffic was heavy, a-z at home, I'll use tom tom to go round the traffic...was going ok till it went flat...so it has it's moments, but thats more human error than anything.

Anytime i dont know a route or sometimes i get caught in traffic locally i may jump off down a backroad which i dont know... wack it on and i can make sense of where i'm going.... certainly takes the hassel out of driving.. and much safer.... u pays ur money....

We do a lot of caravanning and I always have TT on, but not necassaraly with a planned route, me n TT have had some horrendous arguments over routes I want to take and routs IT wants to take, I always win though, my destination is in my favorites, but after 20 years as a HGV driver, I tend to know my way around the country pretty well, but what I do is when Im around 10 -15 miles from destination, I will fetch up the route and follow it from there and have never had a problem that way, also when I get on site, I will put my location in favorites so if we go out anywhere, even in an area I dont know too well, it will always get me back to the site

Also remember, sat nav is a TOOL to be used not followed blindly

I use mine almost all the time. I trust a GPS speed reading more than the car's speedo.

I only use it for going somewhere new. I also use it in my glider with glide nav softwear.

Better than listening to SWMBO.

Used mine tonight to find somewhere obscure outside Exeter I'd never been to, to drop off a hired gas bottle heater as this tenant heating had died, and having heating was essential. Picked up gear from known hire outlet, turn on sat-nav, "turn left 200 yds, then left" etc etc, all the way to this person's house.

Its times like that it comes in useful - Finding places I've never been to is good - and as Colin says, turning off a logjammed motorway is good, and with my map view on the screen, it shows you a wide "map" on the route you're heading, so its clear if there's a possible route through to the general direction I'm headed.

Also remember' date=' sat nav is a TOOL to be used not followed blindly[/quote']

Indeed, wise words for they are most usefull in identification of short straights requiring the maximum sling shot speed achievable for the corner given it's radius.

I use Tom Tom Mobile 5 on my Nokia Symbian phone and I'm impressed.

I use it quite a lot - both for going somewhere I've not been before - maybe a couple of times a month - but also for somewhere I do know the way to, but I just want to get the speed camera warnings (which can be downloaded free from http://www.pocketgps.co.uk/ - a usful site that has lots of product reviews on as well).

Other things I like are the ability to see turns and bends in the road ahead - on the North West Briskoda section drive into north Wales this summer there was a hairpin bend on the hill down into Ruthin which had one or two members twitching I believe - but the Sat Nav showed it and allowed me to adjust speed accordingly!

The graphic as you come up to a roundabout is useful - it shows which exit you are going to take. If you are on a dual-carriageway, you can use this to make sure you are in the right lane as you approach it.

Like Col D and others, I have used it a couple of times to get off the motorway if the radio traffic announcements warn of an accident or other delays.

Getting into detail there are a few features on my Tom Tom 5 that weren't on the earlier version - and I guess may not be on other systems. One is the ability to navigate to the "town or city centre" if it is somewhere you just fancy going to have a look round - on the older version you had to input a street name and house number which often I didn't know.

Another is the ability to navigate to a point on a map - I have some journeys where I know where I'm going but i don't know the address so you can just move a cursor to the required point on the map.

I like the 3D view - some systems don't have this.

Finally prices seem to be dropping all the time - my Dad is after one, but he's on holiday for most of December (SKI-ing or Spending the Kids Inheritance) and I would think there will be some bargains to be had in the January sales!

I'd use it more if I was not such a tight wad and buy a proper mount so I can charge the gps unit.

Col - does ur GPS have to be hard wired to the unit? I use a bluetooth one which is in the boot (stuck to the window ledge with a bit of blu-tac!) and permanently plugged in to the 12V outlet.

Having said that, not sure if the Octy hatch has a 12V socket in the boot, so maybe no help whatsoever!

Everytime I venture out of the local area, simplt because it's available then should there be traffic jams / accidents whatever and I want to re-route instead of sit in it.

No hard facts on this, but I am sure it has probably paid for itself several times over in fuel and most importantly, time.

Indeed, wise words for they are most usefull in identification of short straights requiring the maximum sling shot speed achievable for the corner given it's radius.

Absolutly, I had fun with mine earlier this year in Norfolk on some of the back roads, quick glace tells you which way and how tight bend is so you get speed something like before it, good fun, also handy for when your stuck behind a tractor or something, you can see any straights coming up and prepare accordingly :D

And for letting you know if there are any side roads hidden that might make it unsafe to overtake as well.

Very handy , especially at night

Other things I like are the ability to see turns and bends in the road ahead - on the North West Briskoda section drive into north Wales this summer there was a hairpin bend on the hill down into Ruthin which had one or two members twitching I believe - but the Sat Nav showed it and allowed me to adjust speed accordingly!

Well said that man, I was on that very same drive and used TT for the exact same purpose! Was a little worried about the guy in the Rover 200 behind who had to come alongside to stop :eek:

Has been useful for me in reading the road on many occassions. Scottish Highlands, trying to find a hotel, in the rain, at night for example. Godsend...

Have it running for any journies outside the local area, as much for speed camera warning as knowing where to go really. And much easier now since I wired up the mount for power last weekend As Colin says, it's bloody annoying when it goes flat, as it did by the end of that N.Wales drive coindentially

Steve