A quandry in need of advice!

[c2rm]

What am I after?

1. A satnav device that allows me to add custom POIs such as the PGPSW speed cameras.
2. The ability to make RELIABLE hands free calls.
3. Up to date mapping

What I dont need but would happily have if it were part of the solution.

1. Anything more than UK mapping.
2. Live services or HD Traffic

What I currently have

1. tomtom go520 with RDS traffic thing (not usb) and mapping that is now 37 months out of date

Problems

1. The hands free calls on my device are so problematic that when in use it is more of a hazard than an asset.
2. It is slow to start and sometimes I have to resort to using the reset button

What I have considered.

1. Garmin 1490
2. New tomtom 550
3. Any refurb tomtom
4. Update mapping on current device and buy an IO (or similar) bluetooth gadget to connect to the radio

Thoughts

1. I dont like the mapping ont jhe garmin but the free traffic etc is very good value
2. Does the 550 let me add POI and what is the hands free like
3. If I go for a refurb which one is best for hands free?
4. Should I refurb or buy new maps?
5. Who uses the IO and is it any good?

Any and all help, advice or comments would be welcome

Thanks

[DennisN]

The x20 devices REALLY introduced us to the reset button! They also introduced us to serious crashing during handsfree - that seemed to be linked to RDS-TMC usage, but not exclusively.

MikeAlder uses the IO play and swears by it. But my preference was the TomTom which could handle text messages too (until I changed to an incompatible phone, now all I get is phonebook and handsfree calls).

I have a new 550 (two months old) and I use it for handsfree. It's far better than the x20s because it has volume that suits my aging ears. But I'm a teeny bit worried that it may be going the same way as the x20s - this last week I've had a couple of days when it went through periods of answering incoming calls but not having anything there. I have subscribed to Live services because the Google Local search and HD traffic are so good (the other stuff - cameras and fuel prices - aren't).

I also have a refurb 520 with RDS-TMC (USB version) which seems to perform far quicker. I did give it a try with handsfree and it worked fine (albeit I have it on an older Navcore version because TT reduced the volume in Navcore 8.351 and haven't yet restored it). But it's off handsfree now and working very well - beats the 550 hands down by a long time for speed of route calculation and recalculation.

And an XL Live IQ Routes, 10 months old (note, NOT the v2) which I first thought was the answer to my prayers (albeit without bluetooth handsfree). But good old TT have upgraded it to being the slowest device I've got for calc/recalc of routes. And it's started to crash and reboot randomly (but frequently).

And a GO 700 which beats them all (April 2007 map) - not in use now since the external aerial function packed up. Occasionally I give it a run out to remind myself of what TT used to be like in the good old days.
_________________
Dennis

If it tastes good - it's fattening.

Two of them are obesiting!!

[mikealder]

I have been using the iO-Play for around 18 months and I am still impressed with it, works everytime and is used daily. Have a read of my thoughts on the unit Here
As long as the battery in the 520 is still holding up I would update that and keep hold of it, get an iO for the car and use it for both handsfree audio and music/ nav instructions from the TomTom (both devices connected at the same time) and phone calls are routed through the car speakers - Mike

[pcaouolte]

I also have an io-play device and can confirm that it works very well.

It is a bit fiddly to get the tomtom instructions played over the car speakers as my phone, a Nokia 5800, hogs both the Hands Free connection and the A2DP connection.

The only solution that I have found is to switch off the phone's bluetooth until after the tomtom has connected to the io-play and then switch the phone's bluetooth back on. In this way the tomtom will connect using A2DP whilst the phone connects using hands free protocol. It would be much easier if I could disable the A2DP protocol on the phone but I have not found any way to do this.
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Paul

[c2rm]

Hi folks - thanks for the answers. A few follow ons if I may?

DennisN - I started reading your reply with renewed hope that tomtom had resolved their issues and would now be able to move on to solving world peace. By the end though I am just not convinced I want to pay out for a 550 only to find similar problems that I already have.

One thing I cant fault the 520 for is the speed of calc and recalc. I currently have a blackberry 8900 but texting reading is not important to me.

Mikealder - great topic on the IO play. Having read it through it is now top of my list and something I need to see and handle. Does it support voice dialling? What do you mean by the battery holding up? The 520 has never been good without external power but I never use it as such. Is there a level where the battery performance will impact on its use with power?

If I upgrade my maps will I get the advanced lane guidance feature? Is it any good and do I need it?

pcaouolte - more useful info on the IO-play but, to be honest, I am happy for navigation instructions to stay on the tomtom and just use the IO for calls. My tomtom is cabled to my vw radio but not too sure if the IO connection will take this connection.

Of course, if I go this route (no pun intended!) I know that I will want to max out the capabilities of the new gadget and it might be at the expense of my key requirements - good navigation and reliable hands free. Any thing else is requirement creep!!

More investigation reqd

[DennisN]

My problem with the IO-Play (and I haven't got one so I may be talking total rubbish!) is you can't make calls from it and I think it doesn't display caller ID, both features of the TomToms which I find indispensable. I've been handsfree since long before anybody said anything about it, so that's vital and I've used one TT or another for it ever since 2005 (since 2006 I've owned at least two, now five and will become six on Saturday), so I've been able to swap the handsfree around them - not perfect, but I get by. Like you, I use my devices always plugged into power, so battery is no problem, unless perhaps a completely dead battery means you can't use it under power. Certainly you wouldn't be able to do a quick plan in the kitchen before setting off.

Why not go my "route" and get a 550 and run the pair side by side? But I'd tend to take Mike's advice before many others.
_________________
Dennis

If it tastes good - it's fattening.

Two of them are obesiting!!

[BJB]

[DennisN]

It's a TomTom Renault Carminat - comes with a £14K shell round it called a Kangoo van!
_________________
Dennis

If it tastes good - it's fattening.

Two of them are obesiting!!

[pcaouolte]

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