Navevo Pronav PNN-200 satellite navigation
Price: £199.99 (£173.90 ex Vat)
Manufacturer: Navevo 01462 476 444
Specifications: 400MHz Centrality CPU • Centrality Atlas III GPS receiver • 64MB Rom/64MB Ram • 4.3in colour TFT touchscreen (480x272 pixels) • Windows CE 5.0 • Software supplied on 512MB SD card • Bluetooth hands-free interface.
Verdict
Pros: Guidance can be tailored to vehicle type, weight and size; points of interest specific to professional drivers; integrated Bluetooth for hands-free mobile calling
Cons: UK and NI maps only
Overall: A competent sat nav with added features that will appeal to HGV and other professional drivers
Mobile satellite navigation devices are all very similar, with what you buy mostly down to price and personal taste. The Pronav PNN-200, however, is different.
It’s designed specifically for use by HGV, delivery van and other professional drivers, with a clutch of extra features and additional types of information not found on your average consumer sat nav.
The Pronav looks like an ordinary palm-sized sat nav, with a bright 4.3in colour touchscreen and the usual suction-cup attachment to stick it on the windscreen. It can be used standalone using the rechargeable batteries, but an in-car power lead is still included, plus a 512MB SD card containing the software, maps and information database.
A USB cable is also provided to connect the sat nav to your PC. No CD is included though, but it is possible to put the PNN-200 into USB disk mode and copy files directly to it from a host computer. Support for Microsoft Activesync is built in too.
We popped the SD card into the review unit and were able to start using it to work out routes almost straight away. It took a while to get a good satellite fix, but no longer than on other sat navs we’ve tried and we found the interface clear, responsive, and very easy to follow. A stylus is provided but is easily lost, and fingers proved equally effective.
Maps can be displayed in both 2D and 3D and the instructions are clearly spoken with plenty of volume adjustment, although the speaker is at the rear of the screen and we did have to turn the radio down at times to hear it properly. The guidance instructions, however, were accurate and timely with new routes quickly calculated when we took the wrong turning.
In terms of functionality you get the usual route planning and guiding features for the UK and Northern Ireland, with facilities to plan routes using both postcodes and place names. When you start, however, you’re prompted to enter your vehicle details, such as the type (HGV, light van etc), plus its size and weight. The software can then plan routes to suit the vehicle you’re driving. For example, it can automatically avoid low or weak bridges, steep hills, cross-winds and other hazards to which the specific vehicle is susceptible.
Other useful options include the ability to identify sites such as HGV petrol stations, loading bays in London, penalty charge hotspots and transport cafes. Another extra feature is built-in Bluetooth, which can be linked to your mobile phone, so phone calls can be made and answered via the sat nav rather than rigging up a separate hands-free system.
Music and photo players are also included, along with an ebook reader, although we doubt many drivers will use these options, except when parked, as they can’t be used while the sat nav is guiding.
The quick start guide tells you most of what you need to know and we found the Pronav PNN-200 very easy to get to grips with. However, you do need to spend some time getting used to how it all works before using it on the move.
Unfortunately you can’t get any European maps for the Pronav software, so it’s not suitable for international travellers, although free UK map and information updates are available throughout 2009. A six-month trial subscription to a service providing safety camera alerts (fixed and mobile) is also included in the price.
Source : pcw.co.uk
Price: £199.99 (£173.90 ex Vat)
Manufacturer: Navevo 01462 476 444
Specifications: 400MHz Centrality CPU • Centrality Atlas III GPS receiver • 64MB Rom/64MB Ram • 4.3in colour TFT touchscreen (480x272 pixels) • Windows CE 5.0 • Software supplied on 512MB SD card • Bluetooth hands-free interface.
Verdict
Pros: Guidance can be tailored to vehicle type, weight and size; points of interest specific to professional drivers; integrated Bluetooth for hands-free mobile calling
Cons: UK and NI maps only
Overall: A competent sat nav with added features that will appeal to HGV and other professional drivers
Mobile satellite navigation devices are all very similar, with what you buy mostly down to price and personal taste. The Pronav PNN-200, however, is different.
It’s designed specifically for use by HGV, delivery van and other professional drivers, with a clutch of extra features and additional types of information not found on your average consumer sat nav.
The Pronav looks like an ordinary palm-sized sat nav, with a bright 4.3in colour touchscreen and the usual suction-cup attachment to stick it on the windscreen. It can be used standalone using the rechargeable batteries, but an in-car power lead is still included, plus a 512MB SD card containing the software, maps and information database.
A USB cable is also provided to connect the sat nav to your PC. No CD is included though, but it is possible to put the PNN-200 into USB disk mode and copy files directly to it from a host computer. Support for Microsoft Activesync is built in too.
We popped the SD card into the review unit and were able to start using it to work out routes almost straight away. It took a while to get a good satellite fix, but no longer than on other sat navs we’ve tried and we found the interface clear, responsive, and very easy to follow. A stylus is provided but is easily lost, and fingers proved equally effective.
Maps can be displayed in both 2D and 3D and the instructions are clearly spoken with plenty of volume adjustment, although the speaker is at the rear of the screen and we did have to turn the radio down at times to hear it properly. The guidance instructions, however, were accurate and timely with new routes quickly calculated when we took the wrong turning.
In terms of functionality you get the usual route planning and guiding features for the UK and Northern Ireland, with facilities to plan routes using both postcodes and place names. When you start, however, you’re prompted to enter your vehicle details, such as the type (HGV, light van etc), plus its size and weight. The software can then plan routes to suit the vehicle you’re driving. For example, it can automatically avoid low or weak bridges, steep hills, cross-winds and other hazards to which the specific vehicle is susceptible.
Other useful options include the ability to identify sites such as HGV petrol stations, loading bays in London, penalty charge hotspots and transport cafes. Another extra feature is built-in Bluetooth, which can be linked to your mobile phone, so phone calls can be made and answered via the sat nav rather than rigging up a separate hands-free system.
Music and photo players are also included, along with an ebook reader, although we doubt many drivers will use these options, except when parked, as they can’t be used while the sat nav is guiding.
The quick start guide tells you most of what you need to know and we found the Pronav PNN-200 very easy to get to grips with. However, you do need to spend some time getting used to how it all works before using it on the move.
Unfortunately you can’t get any European maps for the Pronav software, so it’s not suitable for international travellers, although free UK map and information updates are available throughout 2009. A six-month trial subscription to a service providing safety camera alerts (fixed and mobile) is also included in the price.
Source : pcw.co.uk
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