Navigator in the car: review, specifications, description, how to use and reviews

Such a gadget as a car navigator, has a huge popularity among motorists. Install a navigator in the car and lovers of autotravels, and taxi drivers, and courier service employees, and just those who are poorly focused on unfamiliar terrain. This is an electronic device that displays various terrain maps, routes a pre-ordered route and simultaneously indicates the location of the vehicle. In this article we will talk in detail about car navigators.

Principle of operation

In the mid-nineties, the GPS system was developed and launched in the United States. One of the components of the system are twenty-four space satellites that move around the Earth with certain routes. From a height of twenty thousand kilometers, satellites cover the entire territory of our planet and send special radio signals to Earth. Subsequently, radio signals are picked up by ground-based GPS-navigators and converted into information about the location of the car and its direction of travel.

The built-in navigator in the car is capable of simultaneously receiving signals from three different satellites and using a certain method to find and indicate its location on the planet. For final and more accurate correction of the location, information from the fourth satellite is included in the work. Due to this definition of the coordinates of the car is reduced to one or two meters, which is a very high indicator. About how to use the navigator in the car, is detailed in the instructions for using this device.

Description and functions

At first glance, the device looks like an ordinary plasma TV, but only smaller. Unlike the TV, on the color display of the gadget, various maps of the terrain are being broadcast with roads, streets and houses. In this case, all roads, streets and facilities numbers have a certain designation and names and inform the driver about it.

Device screen

The difference between navigators, as a rule, lies in the size of the liquid crystal display. What else do you need to know when buying a navigator in a car? Prices can be changed due to the width of the display. The device can be both with a small screen of 3.5 inches, and quite impressive dimensions - 7 inches. In general, the resolution of the display is 480x800 pixels, which is enough to display a graphics card. But there are also those who have the ability to reproduce various photo and video materials. Almost all of them are equipped with touch screens. Therefore, having such a navigator, it's quite easy to make a route on the car even at the moment of movement. The overall dimensions of the device are selected taking into account the preferences of the car owner, the nature of use and free space in the car. At the moment, the market offers the consumer several screen sizes :

• 3.5 inches,
• 4.3 inches, the aspect ratio is 16: 9,
• 5-7 inches - widescreen models.

If you choose between 4: 3 and 16: 9 aspect ratios, then it is advisable to purchase large-format navigators into the machine. The feedback of owners of such devices speaks about the convenience of using them. On the screen of this format is placed on an order of magnitude more information, while motorists with "attached" vision do not feel any discomfort when operating those. According to drivers' reviews, it is advisable to choose a navigator for trucks with a large diagonal. Trucks have a large cabin space, and the navigator can be located from the driver at a considerable distance, while not at the expense of visibility. On a device with a small screen, you can not see the detail of the picture. Therefore, to purchase a three-inch device is not the most reasonable solution.

Voice functions

All modern navigators are equipped with a voice assistance function. It perfectly helps when driving at high speed and in city traffic, the density of which does not allow to be distracted to the screen of the device. Voice assistance on time warns about a possible rebuilding and turning, will indicate the optimal speed for the traffic, and also warns against its possible excess on the road. The voice information function of the driver can be turned off if desired.

Lack of wire connection

The functionality of the device is complemented by the possibility of wireless data transfer via Bluetooth or Wi-Fi. You can also connect to it a mobile phone and various auxiliary headset.

The navigator, installed in the car, is powered from the car's on-board network via the cigarette lighter socket. It is also equipped with a battery with a recharge function. It allows you to use the navigator in standalone mode for a long time.

Information equipment

Even the most advanced navigator absolutely will not bring any benefit, if it does not have navigation maps. Maps are specialized software that consists of certain graphic information. The range of installation programs has a wide choice with various additions and innovations. Buying a good navigator in the car, it is necessary to consult the seller about the compatibility of the device with one or another security. Since it is often found that certain programs do not approach the device or do not fully expose their capabilities.

At the moment, the most widely used motorists have purchased the following programs: "Autosputnik", "Navitel", iGo, Garmin, CityGuide.

Standard equipment

Like any electronic device, navigators are optional for easy use. Having bought a navigation assistant, you can find a holder for the navigator in the car, which allows you to install the device either on the windscreen of the car, or on the dashboard. In this case, the installation site should not prevent a good overview of the traffic situation and interfere with access to the controls. It can be fastened to the windshield, but better on the center console, if its shape allows it. The kit also includes a power adapter and USB-cable for connecting additional devices to the device. As a supplement, it can be equipped with a carrying case. It is mandatory to have a manual for operation and a warranty card.

Price category

It is important to know the following information when purchasing a navigator in a car: the prices for it will depend on its functionality and dimensions. More affordable devices are budget segment gadgets. In equipping these, only the basic navigation functions are present. A little more expensive will be multi-functional gadgets. In addition to their basic capabilities, these devices also have different ports for connecting additional devices, a larger display size and clarity of the image, and are equipped with various Internet and radio modulators. The most expensive are the navigators of the so-called premium class, which are equipped, as they say, under the full program.

It should be noted that due to the rapid development of technologies, navigation devices are regularly improved and already budget models are equipped with functions that were yesterday the advantage of advanced devices.

So how much is the navigator in the car? As already mentioned, everything depends on the functionality and equipment, as well as on the manufacturer. Usually, the price of a famous manufacturer's navigator includes, so to speak, the value of the brand. To purchase the simplest device will need about $ 25, and already more advanced navigation devices can reach a price of $ 750, which can exceed the price of a second-hand domestic car.

A few tips

Deciding to purchase a navigator in a car, it is important to adhere to certain criteria when choosing:

• The device must fully meet your needs.
• At different points of sale, the same model can have different card sets and bundling, often associated with holiday promotions.
• Pay attention to the fastening for the navigator in the car.
• If you are not going on a long journey to the car, it is not necessary to buy the whole set of cards at once.

How to use the navigator in the car?

First of all, it is necessary to fix the device in a place where it will not interfere with driving the car and where it will be possible to easily see the picture at the same time. Then you need to turn on the device, then the search mode of satellites and data setting will appear on the display. Basically it takes about one minute. Next, you need to familiarize yourself with the navigation controls using the instruction manual. In the future, when working with the gadget, the values of the controls are stored in your memory.

Perform a number of operations to configure the navigator according to preferences and maximum usability. To do this, select the settings item in the navigator menu and set the desired operating parameters according to the prompts. It is very important to set the appropriate time zone, units of distance and coordinate system. In the map menu, it is desirable to enable the rotation function. When driving an auto map on the display will simulate a movement similar to the view through the windshield.

In the "Navigation" section, select the type of transport, in our case the vehicle. In the subclause "Pulling" you need to set the parameters of the location of the machine on the route, the most optimal is the distance of about ten meters.

In the "Route settings" section, you must select a specific type of route that will maximally satisfy the needs of the travel route. If you select a short route, the device will build the shortest path to the destination.

When traveling on an unfamiliar terrain using a navigator, it is important to pay attention to road signs in order to exclude the possibility of violation of traffic rules.

Reviews

Many motorists study user feedback before buying a device. However, opinions about the benefits of this device vary and depend on the specific model. So, most owners of inexpensive navigators often note a small discrepancy in the rates. One does not interfere in any way, and they are quite happy with the device, and some motorists do not like it. In addition, the feedback often indicates the possibility of an autonomous operation of the device from its battery. Here, too, positive and negative reviews about the navigator depend on the model. Another criterion in the reviews is the availability of additional functions. Some people in this gadget have only one function - navigation, while others give additional opportunities in the form of reading music files, photos and videos. Since the range of these devices is now huge, it is often only reviews and are the decisive factor in the selection.

The result

Installation of a navigation device in our era of technological breakthrough can not cause any surprise. The route with the help of paper maps and road atlases of roads is a thing of the past. The most acceptable was the use of electronic navigational aids. Motorists are happy to resort to such assistance in connection with the accuracy of the navigators, their availability and practicality in operation.

So, we found out how to choose the right car navigator for your car.