Satellite Navigation

In our fourth show, we took a look at Satellite Navigation, and toured some of the features of one of the more popular in-car satnav systems. This page contains information on using Sat Nav.

We featured SatNav in Show 04 of our online radio show.

You can listen online with our pop-up Pod Player, save as MP3 or subscribe via iTunes.

What is Sat Nav?

Satellite Navigation is a system that uses orbiting satellites, known as GPS (Global Positioning System). A Sat Nav unit receives signals from these satellites, and combines the signals with map information and other data. The practical upshot is that if you have a Sat Nav unit, you will be able to use the SatNav to work out where you are, and find the most convenient route to your destination.

In-car satellite navigation was, until recently, fairly expensive and needed to be professionally installed. Today, there's a range of portable satellite navigation units that can now be carried around in your pocket, and then fixed to a removable cradle in your car. These handy units can be moved from car to car, they're very easy-to-use, and they provide you with spoken and visual prompts (which you'll sample in Show 04).

Getting Sat Nav

There are a number of different makes and models of in-car Sat Nav units around. They include models from Garmin, Navman and Magellan. We're particularly fond of the TomTom range (for styling, features and price)...

TomTom One on Show 4
Us, interviewing Yoda on the TomTom One, for show 04

Pictured here is a screenshot of the TomTom One , which is a portable in-car navigation system. This is the unit we demo'ed in our fourth show, and is a truly impressive unit. Since recording Show 04, two new versions of the TomTom One have been released, and now look pretty sleek and stylish.

As well as supplying vocal instructions and a moving map, the TomTom One it has UK street address and postcode lookup, supports Points of Interest (such as hotels, petrol stations, cash machines, etc) and it can use different voices (we tried John Cleese and Yoda in Show 4).

TomTom One in action
Navigating with the TomTom One

The TomTom One can be upgraded with new versions of software and data over the Internet. You can also add a speed camera database and subscribe to an optional live travel news data service (using Bluetooth to connect to your mobile phone).

Below is a list of online suppliers of the One:

The TomTom One is available online for:

£101.60 from Dixons
£114.87 from Comet (online price)
£114.88 from PC World (online price)
£119.99 from Argos

SatNav on a mobile?

How's about this as an option - you can now buy mobile phones with a built-in GPS receiver. We're fans of the XDA Orbit, from o2.

This phone combines a phone and Windows Mobile PDA, with a GPS receiver, so you have a one-box phone, organiser, Internet and email device, that's capable of satellite navigation with no extra hardware. If you're into your power phones, and fancy being able to navigate in your car or on foot with just a phone, this could be what you're looking for. It works with TomTom's navigation software, and with some suppliers, comes bundled with TomTom or CoPilot. This phone is available direct from www.o2.co.uk. The XDA Orbit is also carried by T-Mobile, where it's known as the MDA Compact III.

There's also the Nokia N95, released in 2007 that does just about everything it's possible for a mobile phone to do, including GPS, 5 Meg camera, wi-fi and stereo speakers. More on the N95

Sat Nav on your mobile?

If your existing mobile doesn't have a built-in GPS receiver, there are some other options. If your phone supports Java applications and has Bluetooth, you may be able to get Sat Nav or on-device using some mapping software and a GPS receiver.