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cneate

Hi

I have just done some initial tests with the new Truckmate GPS which has the option to set up for use with a Truck or Car. You can input the dimensions of your vehicle & it will pick an appropriate route for you.

The software for updating speed cameras/low bridge data & map updates is easy to use..you just click on a link on the computer screen with the Snooper connected via USB & it lists the available updates..you then click on the ones you want & it tells you when to disconnect the USB..All done Smile

I have done some initial tests using the Truckers Atlas as a reference. I used to to map out a route for two local villages that are awkward to get to from our home. One route for Truck(MH) & one for Car. On both occasions the Car route selected narrow back lanes & low bridges. The truck route picked a good selection of A & B roads which are suitable for our MH Smile

. This is a good sign as some people had expressed concerns the setting the unit for use with a truck would not make any difference to the route it would select. It will hopefully select sensible MH detour routes when used with the Traffic update facility(included with the product).

The GPS receiver in the unit picks up 10 satellites from inside the house so will hopefully maintain a good strong signal when in use.

We are off to Lincolnshire tomorrow for a few weeks...I will give the unit a good test out & post again when I have 'put it through it's paces'!!

rickwiggans

Good review - thanks. Look forward to hearing how it does out on the road. Is it possible to uplaod custom POI's to this unit, and if so do you know what format is required?

lindyloot

Hi cneate where did you purchase it from and how much ?, we have been looking for something like this for our Motorhome
Many thanks Lin

cneate

Rickwiggins

Had a quick look through the handbook....not sure if POIs can be input manually..nothing obvious but the POI index in the unit is pretty exhaustive!!

Lin

Got ours from here:

http://shop.instant-shop.com/Snooperdirect/product1110186catno50186.html

I have since found one cheaper but not sure if it includes free lifetime updates of maps/speed cameras/low bridges etc...all included in the product linked above Smile

lindyloot

Thanks cneate, that is the site we looked at. I sent them an email and yes it does have lifetime updates included.Lin

rickwiggans

Thanks for that. I'll try a quick Google before the footy starts

cneate

Hi all,

I have now had the chance to test the Truckmate GPS with the MH & our car. Here are the observations so far:

1: The unit definitely uses different routes for 'Trucks' as opposed to 'Car' setting. It generally routes the vehicle using larger A & B roads when 'Truck' is selected & uses smaller lanes & roads through housing estates etc when 'Car' is selected.

2: When the low bridge database is installed you get a warning on the screen that a low bridge is being approached with the bridge height displayed & an audible warning. The low bridge data is NOT embedded into the map data so the route will not automatically avoid low bridges...so don't throw that Truckers Atlas away jusy yet!! But at least you get plenty of warning before you rip the roof off the van Shocked

3: The software for updating the speed camera/low bridges & schools database is downloaded via FTP(File Transfer Protocol). This worked fine at home using Orange broadband but failed from our site here using T-mobile unlimited £1 per day deal. It appears the Tmobile block FTP uploads/downloads on this deal. If you do try to get the updates (using T-mobile £1 per day), the file will be overwritten with an empty one......leaving you without any low bridge/speed camera data on the unit!!

4: The map data seems to be missing some place names which makes it harder to navigate to a destination without a postcode(Hopefully, later map updates will remedy this?)

5: Snooper direct customer service is not very good. I have sent four emails to them regarding issues with the camera/low bridge database which we have now figured out on our own! No reply from them to date Sad

Other than a few niggles, the unit works pretty well.

flyboy

Uhm, I think I will stick with my Garmin 770. nice to know what's on the market. Thanks for your honest report.

whistlinggypsy · NW Rally Co-ordinator