Car Navigation Systems

Welcome to the Car Navigation page, this is our guide to buying in car satellite navigation products that use GPS technology such as the Tom Tom, Navman, Navigator and Garmin satellite navigation systems.

Satellite navigation systems are a great advancement in navigation technology, they offer the ability to pin point your exact location anywhere in the world and hold full information on roads so can tell you exactly how to get to any location. This means that where ever you are you can input your destination and then the satellite navigation system will be able to tell you how to get to that location, as it always knows where you are it can even correct you if you make a mistake. All of this means that the days of getting lost and reading maps are over, all you need is a satellite navigation system and you cannot get lost. Satellite navigation systems work by using on screen maps, some also have audio voices which can tell you where to go, the audio instructions along with a map on screen makes navigating very easy.

Satellite Navigation systems use a technology called GPS, this stands for Global Positioning System and it is a very complex and expensive technology, the good thing is that now it's in operation it's very cheap and easy for people to use. The GPS technology was developed by the American government but was soon released for everyone to use, the basis of the GPS system is 27 satellites which orbit the earth. These satellites cross the earth in such as way that there are always 4 satellites in view from anywhere on earth, the GPS navigation system that you buy uses these 4 satellites to work out it's own location. The GPS system in your car receives the signals from the satellites and does not send any data, one thing to consider is that the GPS system will need a clear line of sight to the satellites. This is not a problem in most areas but sometimes in forested areas or areas that have lots of tall buildings there can be problems, these are unusual though.

GPS navigation systems have lots of useful features, the main one is the screen that displays the map and other useful information. The map of your location is displayed on the screen and as long as the GPS system can receive the data from the satellites then it can also track your location, this means that it can change the map as you move so that you can always see your current location. This also means that the satellite navigation system can give you other useful information, it can tell you how far you have traveled, how fast you are traveling, how long you have been traveling and you average speed, all of this information means the satellite navigation system can output cool features such as estimated arrival times for your destination and a visual image of the route you have traveled.

There are also many features to look for when buying a satellite navigation system, the first is the quality of the screen. Most in car GPS systems use an LCD screen, it's best to look for the models with high resolution as they will offer a better quality of image for the maps. Some systems also have a touch screen so there's no need for buttons, touch screen models offer more flexibility as you can select items on the screen. Also look out for models that have 3D technology, 3D maps are much better to use as you can see hills and valleys and the 3D maps also look better.

Most satellite navigation systems are portable, they use a stand that you install in your car and then place the GPS system in that stand. This has many advantages, it means you can place the GPS unit where ever you like so it is easily visible and it also means you can take it out and anywhere you like, this means you can use it in other vehicles if necessary. You can also get satellite navigation systems that are installed professionally into the car and cannot be removed, these are bigger and have larger screens but are more expensive, if you are looking for a cheap GPS system then the portable models are best.

There are many types of satellite navigation systems available, one of the most popular is the Navman. Navman GPS systems are high quality with large high resolution screens and touch screens, Navman systems are also portable and very easy to install. Tom Tom systems are also very popular, they also offer large high resolution screens with touch screen technology. Tom Tom systems also offer lots of useful information, they can tell you accurate instructions using a voice which tells you step by step where to go, it can also give you a choice of routes including the quickest or shortest routes and also enable you to avoid toll roads and congestion charge areas.Tom Tom and Navman GPS systems are also cheap to buy as they are portable, you can move them from car to car easily and they are very easy to install.

So when buying a satellite navigation system there are a few points to consider, the main thing is the portability if you are wanting to move it between cars. The size and quality of the screen is also important, high resolution and 3D technology are worth looking for as is a touch screen. Then there is the model, the Navman and Tom Tom systems are very popular but there are lots of others, these include Navigator and Garmin. If you are wanting to buy a cheap satellite navigation system then have a good shop around, many of the shops have cheap special offers listed so finding a satellite navigation system can be quite easy, their prices have come down quite allot so there are plenty of cheap models available.


TomTom XL Classic V2 - UK & ROI From Halfords , &, 43", car, compact, gps/car, halfords, nav, navigation, sat, slim, ultra, unit, widescreen... £139.99	Garmin Nuvi 265WT Sat Nav - UK, ROI & Europe From Halfords , &, 265wt, bursting, european, experience, garmin, gps/car, halfords, mapping, nav, navigation, nuvi, sat, traffic, updates, widescreen... £149.99	TomTom XL Classic V2 Sat Nav - UK, ROI & Europe From Halfords , &, 43", car, compact, gps/car, halfords, nav, navigation, sat, slim, ultra, unit, widescreen... £149.99
NVX-P1 (GPS) From SatNav2U , 'the, car, device, navigation, nvxp1, personal, satellite, simple', sony... £249.99	Kenwood DNX5260BT Double Din Navigation From Halfords , &, 6", din, double, gps/car, halfords, monitor, nav, navigation, sat, touch, wide... £699.99