Excellent product - one of cheapest too! (Navman F20)

Member Name: Coxy1974

Product:	Navman F20
Date:	18/12/06 (2114 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Get from A-B - used to have to factor in getting lost time into my journey but no more

Disadvantages: Double check the left from right!

After getting lost for the thousandth time my family decided it was time for me to join the 21st century and get one of these little gadgets.

So on the Internet I went armed with my £200 budget from early Christmas money. I had very sepcific requirements

1. Easy to use
2. Light
3. Easy to fit
4. Fit in my handbag

After looking at many different models on the net and a headache later I decided to hit the shops and actually ask people.

1st stop Halfords - Tom Tom One and the Tom Tom Europe were pushed at me as the salesman kept saying that places like the Isle of Man etc weren't covered by the Tom Tom One. £249.99 that one was way too expensive and I felt didn't meet my needs. I asked about the Navman F20 as it was on special offer and he said that I didn't want to go for that one as the customer service wasn't brilliant if it broke and they had better dealings with Tom Tom. I decided I needed more advice as being a girl I am a bit of a Technophobe.

PC World was the next stop - salesman brilliant. Had choices between the Navman F20 and the Tom Tom - I had already decided that the others that had built in MP3 players etc weren't for me - I just wanted one to get me from A - B without me getting lost.

The Navman alerts you to speed camera's and calculates the shortest route. Doesn't give you traffic updates but you can buy an extra piece of kit for a one off fee aleviating the pain of parting with a monthly subscription. After asking the salesman what the difference was between the Navman and the Tom Tom he just said price. So over to Curry's I went.

I asked to see them working - what amazed me was by the time the salesman had worked out how to switch on the Tom Tom I had programmed a route on the Navman - brilliant - no need to read the instruction manual. You really don't! I bought it on the spot.

Over lunch I programmed in my home address and other favourites that I might need. It works on either postcode, street name of town/city. You can also programme in points of interest so if you're like me and always end up dying for the loo halfway up the motorway and wonder how far the next services are the Navman finds out for you. You can choose to either have a man or womans voice giving you the directions or can actually see the route on the screen. The 3.5" touch screen is great as when the Navman is mounted to the windscreen you can just reach out and programme information in. Best of all is that it warns you if you go over the speed limit for the road you are on so if the road signs are 'hidden' then you know if you are speeding.

It was easy to fit with the suction cup on the mount and it is very flat - about an inch and a half thick so fits in my handbag a treat and the mount comes off the windscreen easily to fit in the glove compartment.

The only issue I had is that there is no mains charger only an in car charger but with a battery life of 2 hours this isn't major anyway. You can buy them from the Navman website for about £15.

I tested the Navman on route to Manchester recently and purposely missed my junction on the M6 to see what it would do - worked a treat, instantly rerouting.

Some downsides are that yesterday it did tell me to try to exit right off the M1 - not possible unless I wanna dice with death over 4 lanes nears Kegworth! And it doesn't always come up with the point of interest you want. I tested it with a restaurant I was trying to find in the Derbyshire Peak District last week and resorted to ringing 118 118 to find the number and then ask for the postcode!

Summary: Does exactly what it says on the box