Garmin NavTalk GSM / GPSD Review

Overall Rating

Size, build quality, customisation within menus, features, suitability for purpose, phone, software

Street level mapping, weight, screen

This Garmin NavTalk GSM / GPSD Satellite Navigation system is an excellent piece of kit for someone like me who works as a photographer in the wilderness (out of office hours of course!). It provides full and accurate referencing to your location (within 3 metre accuracy) and has the added advantage of having an integrated phone which eliminates the need to carry a second unit. However, whilst being good in the wilderness, it is not so great at getting you there in the first place. At street level it is virtually useless and doesn't even recognise that most city streets actually exist on the display. It's voice commands, whilst clear are misleading as it doesn't know the instruction to go straight on, it will say 'in 300 metres keep left', even if straight on is to the right. Through giving me a false sense of security when I first had it I have made many many wrong turns. The display is somewhat more accurate but again it can often send you the wrong way. To be fair, the Navtalk is not designed as a navigation device, but as a GPS unit. The software through the computer is actually very good, with full street-level capabilities. However, it doesn't translate to the unit. You can only use it as a sort of sat nav unit if you pre-programme the route before you leave home. I tried programming a location through the unit which was 1 mile away from where I was at the time and because it only knows motorways and A-roads as a rule, it tried to send me on a detour of over 20 miles. Because my car has a metallicised athermic windscreen the GPS signal is hideously unreliable and often loses reception without the re-radiating external ariel (at a cost of around £60). For in-car use the screen is just that bit too small and too dark. You don't have the option to take a quick glance at it as you have to stare at it until you can make the green out from the black. The level of equipment that came free with mine (including £100 worth of in-car kit) was enticing, especially as the shop was the second-cheapest. In summary: A GPS unit for waypoints on foot? Absolutely. A satnav unit for a car? You'd be quicker walking.