Phones & satnavs for idiots. Help!

Thrifty tips, ideas, news & experiences on anything around the home to shopping to re-cycling etc.
Post Reply
User avatar
Mo
Legendary Laner
Posts: 15368
Joined: 30 Apr 2007, 09:39
Location: Cheshire (nr Chester)

Phones & satnavs for idiots. Help!

Post by Mo »

I've just about come to terms with using email but I don't have a mobile phone (I've managed to kill any I had), and I did have a TomTom but no longer.
The snag with the simple version was that if there was a diversion it kept trying to take me back to the original route, and road signs don't tell you how much of the road is blocked, they just bring you round in a big loop and back to where you were, almost - they don't know where you were aiming for.

Now the idiot question. Can I get a satnav that does reroute round road closures but doesn't need clever phones that charge a monthly contract fee. I can't imagine getting internet on my phone.
Dance caller. http://mo-dance-caller.blogspot.co.uk/p/what-i-do.html
Sunny Clucker enjoyed Folk music and song in mid-Cheshire
Totally Scrambled
Site Admin
Posts: 13291
Joined: 07 Jul 2009, 20:33
Gender: Female
Location: Wateringbury, Kent

Re: Phones & satnavs for idiots. Help!

Post by Totally Scrambled »

Mo,
Not sure what you are asking. Are you after a phone that has sat nav built in? If you are then you would need one with GPS built in so it knows where you are and I'm pretty sure it would need to connect to the interweb to update directions. On smart phones you can download an app for satnav but some are better than others and charges may apply for using them. If you used it a lot then a contract would probably be the cheapest way to go rather than trying to use a pay as you go tariff as it would be annoying if you ran out of credit half way to where you wanted to be.
You can get a satnav with lifetime map updates and traffic avoidance all included for a reasonable price now so that there would be no extra costs for keeping your maps up to date.
Hope that's some help.
Dom
Ali Woks My World
User avatar
Mo
Legendary Laner
Posts: 15368
Joined: 30 Apr 2007, 09:39
Location: Cheshire (nr Chester)

Re: Phones & satnavs for idiots. Help!

Post by Mo »

I don't know what I'm asking either.
But since the last time I had a mobile phone I didn't use it, I think I'm asking, can you get a satnav that will divert you round closed roads, without needing an internet phone.

Whats the cheapest way of not getting lost on the way back from a gig, alone in the car, at midnight, 50 miles from home.
Dance caller. http://mo-dance-caller.blogspot.co.uk/p/what-i-do.html
Sunny Clucker enjoyed Folk music and song in mid-Cheshire
Totally Scrambled
Site Admin
Posts: 13291
Joined: 07 Jul 2009, 20:33
Gender: Female
Location: Wateringbury, Kent

Re: Phones & satnavs for idiots. Help!

Post by Totally Scrambled »

I would say a sat nav that has traffic avoidance built in and that comes with lifetime map updates is what you should be looking for. You'd just pay for the unit with no further costs until the day it died, just plug it into the 'puter however often they allow you per year to get the latest map updates.
Dom
Ali Woks My World
User avatar
Mo
Legendary Laner
Posts: 15368
Joined: 30 Apr 2007, 09:39
Location: Cheshire (nr Chester)

Re: Phones & satnavs for idiots. Help!

Post by Mo »

I tried to read the Which report, but couldn't figure out which models did that.
Dance caller. http://mo-dance-caller.blogspot.co.uk/p/what-i-do.html
Sunny Clucker enjoyed Folk music and song in mid-Cheshire
User avatar
HensAloud
Legendary Laner
Posts: 1783
Joined: 16 May 2010, 17:51
Gender: Female
Location: Somewhere past Shakespears Birthplace

Re: Phones & satnavs for idiots. Help!

Post by HensAloud »

I'm not sure if this will be of help, I have a sat nav on my phone downloaded from the App Store it doesn't need internet access as it works on GPS. You can end up with lots of gadgets but a phone nowadays will do most things.
Angela
Usually Barking Up the Wrong Tree
User avatar
Mo
Legendary Laner
Posts: 15368
Joined: 30 Apr 2007, 09:39
Location: Cheshire (nr Chester)

Re: Phones & satnavs for idiots. Help!

Post by Mo »

Is your phone a pay as you go, if not how much is the monthly contract. All this talk about apps sets my brain spinning.
Dance caller. http://mo-dance-caller.blogspot.co.uk/p/what-i-do.html
Sunny Clucker enjoyed Folk music and song in mid-Cheshire
Mercedes
Legendary Laner
Posts: 2238
Joined: 01 Jul 2010, 13:21
Gender: Female

Re: Phones & satnavs for idiots. Help!

Post by Mercedes »

I have a smart phone on PAYG and only pay £3 a month for 100Mb of data. However it doesn't take long to use up that amount of data if you are using it as a Sat Nav. To be honest I'm not sure if there is any Sat Nav that will know of any temporary road closures. We used to have a Road Angel and we could update that but it was never completely up to speed :?
Lyn
_______________________________________________
Gold/White Shih Tzu, Green Cheek Conure
User avatar
HensAloud
Legendary Laner
Posts: 1783
Joined: 16 May 2010, 17:51
Gender: Female
Location: Somewhere past Shakespears Birthplace

Re: Phones & satnavs for idiots. Help!

Post by HensAloud »

Mo wrote:Is your phone a pay as you go, if not how much is the monthly contract. All this talk about apps sets my brain spinning.



It's on a free network £15 or so forever no top ups, you get a bit of advertising when on the internet. I'd better not mention the network name but can PM it to you if you're interested. I bought my phone so after the initial outlay I'm freeeeeeeeee {rofwl}
Angela
Usually Barking Up the Wrong Tree
Post Reply