Uses for old SatNav ??

[tonyishuk]

I have an old TomTom, no longer supported, but still functioning ok.

 

Any inspired , or otherwise, ideas on finding a new use for it as a speedo, speed camera warning etc ?

 

I don't mind a bit of jail breaking to get a different display, or even using different maps ?

 

Rgds

[Derek Uzzell]

Alternative uses for an outdated sat-nav have been asked about previously on-line and the only practicable suggestion I’ve seen is “You could throw it at passers by”.

 

It’s a dedicated-use type of device and all its functionality depends on up-to-date mapping. If the mapping is no longer accurate, then everything else (speed, speed-camera warnings, etc.) that spin off the mapping will be similarly inaccurate.

 

If yours is still working OK, I suppose you could give it to someone who has never had a sat-nav and might be considering buying a TomTom device to practice with. - but old sat-navs are miserable cranky things compared to recent models.

[Clive_Adams]

The only problem with "old" gadgets is that they are soon superceded by newer technology, you may want to consider if its got bluetooth and you don't have any other phone hands free ability that's probably the only use for it, otherwise, bin.

New maps on an old resolution screen along with a slower processor, mm, don't think that's a good idea.

Speedo if its large enough to read especially if you can have it in klm or mph, a possibility there?

Having said all that your new replacement should have all that and more built in, bin.

[Nicepix]

Derek Uzzell - 2019-05-20 2:26 PM

 

Alternative uses for an outdated sat-nav have been asked about previously on-line and the only practicable suggestion I’ve seen is “You could throw it at passers by”.

 

It’s a dedicated-use type of device and all its functionality depends on up-to-date mapping. If the mapping is no longer accurate, then everything else (speed, speed-camera warnings, etc.) that spin off the mapping will be similarly inaccurate.

 

If yours is still working OK, I suppose you could give it to someone who has never had a sat-nav and might be considering buying a TomTom device to practice with. - but old sat-navs are miserable cranky things compared to recent models.

 

My old TomTom was at least ten years old and I only swapped it because TomTom had stopped doing updates so it was stuck in France at 80kph mode. I have still got it just in case they revert back to 90kph :-D

 

Regards being user friendly; I'd rather have the old TomTom if it was working properly than the two new Garmins I have now. It is far easier to locate an address that you don't know the exact correct spelling for with the TomTom than the Garmins. Also, the TomTom would indicate the exit to a roundabout as "D64 Figeac" rather than "Boulevard General de Gaulle" as the Garmins do. If I knew the name of every street I passed though I wouldn't need a satnav and the big green signs with road numbers and destinations are far easier to spot at a distance than some pokey little blue plaque stuck half way up a gable end. The Garmins are also more prone to counting the exits from roundabouts incorrectly as they sometimes count pedestrianised streets and factory entrances and sometimes don't.

[Derek Uzzell]

I’m in a similar position to Tony as, in addition to my current Garmin nuvi 2559LM sat-nav, I have an elderly Garmin nuvi 1340. The latter still works, but it would cost to update its ancient mapping and it lacks the functionality, speed and reliability of the 2559.

 

I’d like to use the 1340 as an enormous digital speedometer (something that I think Tony had in mind) but, realistically, that’s a non-starter. Old Garmins could show speed on a ‘data’ screen-display, but that’s not what I want.

[witzend]

tonyishuk - 2019-05-20 10:29 AM

Any inspired , or otherwise, ideas on finding a new use for it as a speedo, ?

 

Thats what I did with my old Garmin it has a full screen speedo when switched to Speedo mode much better than struggling to see KM's on fiat dash. Don't need camera warning etc as thats on new unit

[Derek Uzzell]

I think your reference to “Speedo mode” may refer to the data screen-display I mentioned in my last posting.

 

This is accessed by pressing and holding down the ‘speed button’ on the main map screen and, on my nuvi 1340, then shows the speed in the left half of the screen with the right half displaying data values (Mileage, Bearing, Elevation, Max. Speed, etc.). My nuvi 2559 functions similarly, but the speed reading is centralised at the top of the screen-display and there are a lot more data values below. The feature is OK, but what I’d really like is the whole of the old sat-nav’s screen showing the speed without any data being displayed. (Perhaps I’ll mount the old sat-nav on the motorhome’s passenger side as my wife seems to take a keen interest in how fast I drive - then again perhaps not!)

 

I don’t know if TomTom devices have a similar capability, though I notice that (in 2011) this webpage

 

https://www.tomtomforums.com/threads/full-screen-speedometer.25355/

 

discussed obtaining a full screen speedo on a TomTom sat-nav.

[tonyishuk]

Well that was a surprise ! Trip master works on my old Tomtom XL Live !

 

To see the what and how is on ;

 

http://www.webazar.org/tomtom/tripmaster.php?lang=uk

 

 

Full details of how to install are given on the site above. I needed both Tripmastrr 3.1 and the plugin.

 

After installation there is a third main menu screen with an icon for Tripmaster. Select and up it ready to go.

 

There are a lot of functions which are fully described on the web site.

 

Some of the forum pages came up with unreachable 404 error, but this does not affect the matter in hand.

 

Thanks to those that pointed me in the Tripmaster direction.

 

Rgds