satnav advice
 

looking for a cheap as chips satnav for morocco, i know nothing about these things so bear with me if ask daft questions

Hi
-cheap as chips..some basic car GPS
-Morocco..i would say Garmin
perhaps any (second hand?)Garmin car GPS (Nuvi..)with SD memory card,
map is another story IMHO
Cheers

If you are putting it on a bike then it really needs to be waterproof, which narrows the choice down somewhat. You will also need mounting hardware and cable. If you buy a Garmin Zumo then this should be included, otherwise you buy it separately.

For free maps see the sticky topic.

trying to get something cheap is usually a recipe for spending more money in the long run.

You can get a garmin car sat nav for about 100 quid, while a motorcycle ones start at about 300. As mentioned above, the car ones are not waterproof, vibration proof or dustproof. You could theoretically carry one in your tank bag, but it will be hard to read since it will be too low and hard to read because it will be behind the shiny reflective plastic that is the tank bag cover. If you really want to do it cheap then do it that way.

But in the end you will eventually buy a motorcycle unit and have spent more money than if you had bought a motorcycle unit in the first place.

Similarly ... there are brands that are cheaper than Garmin. In fact most brands are cheaper than Garmin. You could buy those to save money. But then you have to buy maps. Most free maps only work with Garmin units.

So in the end you have to buy an expensive brand and the expensive motorcycle units.

The smartest way I would recommend for you to save money on a GPS is .. some shops on the internet sell reconditioned garmin units. Handtec.co.uk is one of them. Usually they are Garmin units that had faults, got returned and exchanged for a new one, and have been factory reconditioned by Garmin themselves. These reconditioned units come with guarantees and are often 30% - 50% cheaper than "brand new".

Here's one I would recommend ... A fully reconditioned Zumo 400 for GBP 202.
http://www.handtec.co.uk/product.php...-special-price

where are you Helen?

satnaveasy will find Cheap Sat Nav systems online GPS Garmin deals TomTom offers Car satnav Reviews for UK and Europe market

I got one of these for a car satnav ,fantastic job just make sure that the satnav dosnt have a flip up antanay on the back my did and every time I closed it down to fit into the bag it turned off the gps so I got a cheap garmin And it works fine. eBay.ie: GPS SATNAV CASE MOTORCYCLE BIKE CYCLE MOUNT WATERPROOF (item 330552132285 end time 09-Jun-11 06:40:05 BST)

If you're in Europe and trying to get an expensive Garmin for less money, buy it in the USA mail order and shipped to an American address (of a friend?) who is coming over and will carry it for you. Or you bring one back if visiting the USA. You should, of course, declare this item with Customs when you arrive. :(.

I did this a few years back and got my 60csx half price (when the ex rate was 2 to 1 usd to gbp). Currently it's 1.6something to 1, so still not bad). Bought it via AmazonUSA who will post to an address different from the card holder's.

I'd suggest an outdoor/ backpacking unit like the 60csx or the newer 62: as suggested they are also rugged and water resistant.

You would need a mount/cradle (v. cheap from RAM, rather than the Touratech equivalent) and the maps themselves. These can free from OSM for example, or acquired on the internet.

HTH
Chris

cheers for the advice guys,sory for not reponding sooner, not been on the interweb for a few days.

He's right you know !! Buy the right unit in the first place. I've lost count of the amount of times I've gone for cheaper "almost" options only to get pissed off with them and end up buying the proper kit later on. Spending more cash in the long run....

I think it's something we all do :oops2: