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carl Occasional Visitor
Joined: 23/12/2002 19:34:14 Posts: 43 Location: Sweden
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Posted: Wed Apr 28, 2004 9:08 pm Post subject: TomTom 3 map problems and more... |
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Hi,
I started a thread about problems I had with installing TomTom 3 upgraded maps on my SD card, but the thread vanished while this forum was down. Well, it so seems that the culprit is my SanDisk (sic!) 256 Mb card despite the fact that it has worked flawlessly with TomTom 2. Installing to a Viking 256 Mb card goes without a hitch (fingers crossed!)
Now my TomTom BT GPS should be up and running again but for one thing - the GPS unit has developed the "always on green light" syndrome that is well documented elsewhere in this forum.
My unit is not quite three months old and it has seen very light use - probably having been recharged less than 10 times in total. Tomorrow it goes back to the supplier which, for some reason, has stopped selling TomTom BT units.
Is there any hope that a replacement TomTom BT unit will be more reliable or should I insist upon a refund on the argument that they will have to do so sooner or later anyway? And, if I decide to buy a different make of BT GPS unit, what specifications does it need to have if I intend to use it with TomTom software?
Carl |
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lbendlin Pocket GPS Staff
Joined: 02/11/2002 22:41:59 Posts: 11878 Location: Massachusetts, USA
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Posted: Wed Apr 28, 2004 9:17 pm Post subject: |
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You may want to save yourself the hassle. Go for the refund. Any BT GPS receiver works with TomTom Navigator... Get one with a replaceable battery ... _________________ Lutz
Report Map Errors here:
TomTom/TeleAtlas NAVTEQ |
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clem Regular Visitor
Joined: 15/10/2002 20:16:43 Posts: 86 Location: United Kingdom
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Posted: Wed Apr 28, 2004 9:47 pm Post subject: |
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It's personal preference but I can't recommend the following setup enough:
- Fortuna Clip-On - rechargeable battery, small, durable, gets up to 10-11 satellites, instant fix (within 10 secs max) and has XT mode which is pparently really good for indoors (havent used it) - oh and its pretty cheap
- Integral 512MB SD Card (£90 from ValueFlash) - Made in Japan, rebadged Panasonic, flawless large file transfers (100MB +), near instant address lookups in TTNAV 3, and a Land's End - John Ogroats normal route calc in 40 seconds (which for an SD card is the fastest I've seen posted).
:D |
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carl Occasional Visitor
Joined: 23/12/2002 19:34:14 Posts: 43 Location: Sweden
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Posted: Wed Apr 28, 2004 9:54 pm Post subject: |
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Thanks for your quick response. About the replaceable battery: A quick check shows that this feature appears in units having a price premium of 30% or more. Is it worth it considering that (judging from the TomTom experience at least) the overall quality of the unit is more important than achieving many recharge cycles? |
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carl Occasional Visitor
Joined: 23/12/2002 19:34:14 Posts: 43 Location: Sweden
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Posted: Thu Apr 29, 2004 8:12 am Post subject: |
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Hi again,
Perhaps I am misinterpreting the reason behind Lutz'es suggestion to get a unit with a replaceable battery. I thought he referred to the fact that a rechargeable battery can be recharged only a couple of hundred times, a number that never will be reached within the average life span of a TomTom BT GPS unit as I see it.
There might be another and more relevant reason. Taking the battery out and shorting the appropriate connectors inside the unit should be the fastest and most reliable way to bring the unit back to a "factory fresh" state. (A refresh button would be a nice alternative!) Taking the battery out might solve quite a few of the problems discussed on this forum, at least if I may judge from experiences with other BT units like mobile phones and such.
Another question: clem gives a personal but highly positive view of the Fortuna Clip-On BT GPS. Reading the Fortuna forum on this site (which I did not do before following the advice to get a TomTom BT GPS to replace an ageing Navman 3000) finds quite a few horror stories just like the ones you can find about TomTom. (I do realise that only the dissatisfied users find a compelling reason to write here while the vast majority of customers never find this site.)
Lutz advises me to avoid the hassle and buy another unit. In the considered opinion of the GPS staff - is the Fortuna Clip-On a good alternative in this case?
Carl |
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