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A no-frills sat nav device for under £200
The Navman F20 is the first from the new Freedom range, and makes no bones about the fact that it’s an entry level device. Priced at around £180 it’s one of the cheapest new models on the market.
Despite its entry level features you’ll still find eight-digit postcode searches and an integrated Sirfstar III GPS receiver. Maps of the UK and Ireland are supplied and you can upgrade with additional coverage via the MMC card slot on the side.
Those used to higher end sat-nav devices might find the Navman's lack of customisable features on the F20 a little restrictive. Maps aren’t particularly detailed but show an accurate position on the road and it has a fast time-to-fix response (how long it takes to locate the necessary satellites at startup).
Journey information such as distance to destination, speed, direction and estimated time of arrival are all available on a separate screen a button press away. In terms of preferences you can change a range of basic features such as units of measurement, and there are manual zoom controls on the main map, but there’s not a lot to do in terms of tweaking the unit’s behaviour.
Navigating and viewing a route itinerary is very easy, but there is no option to avoid specific roads or parts of your journey.
One interesting feature is the safety camera database, enabled with a simple ‘on’ or ‘off’ setting on the menu. When turned on it tends to dominate the display - you’re notified with flashing red text at the bottom of the unit when approaching a camera. A year's subscription to camera database updates will set you back £33.
Despite the F20’s basic nature its simplicity does hold a certain charm. It’s probably safer than a lot of the high-end devices as there’s really not a lot to fiddle about with while you’re driving. It does the job of finding a route and guiding you to your destination well, so if you’re in the market for a no-frills solution this could be your man.
Also consider:
Mio C710
Mio’s high-end satellite navigation device comes packed with a wealth of
features
Tomtom Go 510
A stylish and well-featured GPS from the market leader
Mio Miomap v3
The latest version of Mio’s mapping software brings it in line with the rivals
Read more reviews
Pros: Good value for money; accurate mapping; very easy to
use; handy safety camera display
Cons: Very limited in terms of additional features
Overall: As an entry level device the Navman F20 is an
effective, no nonsense option
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well worth the price
wow i like it ,it cost me £129.99 from halfords ,any usb cable that you from the market will fit ,cost me 99p.it does what it is supposed to and is a very reliable unit.have had 3 tom tom one's all gone back due to software errors.ok the navman man doesent have loads of extra features ,but it has all you need to get from a-b & back,who really wants one that plays mp3,view photos etc.
Posted by draigen, 06 Jun 2007
F20 Cheap and not so cheerful
Bought one on line had it 4 hours taking it back!! Probably not fair, but this is a horrible machine. The screen is very cluttered, you have to purchase an additional connection pack for the pc to up load POIs, the voices are terrible and you can't change them. I really dislike the software and am simply going to take it back. It is cheap and it is well made, but go and have a good look at one before paying out any money.
Posted by R Munson, 16 Apr 2007
F20....a bargain!
I bought an F20 from Ebuyer for £99. Worked sraight out of the box and I too bought an 83pence USB cable and downloaded the software from Navman's site. Basic but accurate and easy to use!
Posted by Churzen, 19 Jun 2007