5 comments about Navman GPS 3420 for iPAQ H3600, H3700 & H3800 series pocket PCs.

1. I Purchased the Navman 3420 for the iPAQ after becoming extremely dissatisfied with the Pharos Ostia GPS product. See my review of that product. Like the Pharos system the routing software wants to choose you route for you and may not always be the best or most practical way to go. If you want to stick to the interstates, you can't if it thinks another way is shorter. This is also a flaw in the Pharos system, but the Pharos is much worse. Also it does not offer the flexibility to get from point A to point C via point B. But that is the worst thing I have to say about this product. Overall the maps are pretty good and fairly detailed. I have found a few quirks like a missing road segment or bridge which causes the system to route you the long way around as well as a few landmarks that are not in the right place, but the re-routing capability is pretty good. The maps are fairly good size, probably averaging 50mb and will require a CF card. A 256mb card will do and hold 4 or 5 maps, but I would recommend a 512.
   
   From the hardware point of view, the Navman 3420's GPS antenna sleeve fits the iPAQ like a glove and has an integrated compact flash slot and is still compact enough to fit in a jacket pocket. Also the suction cup windshield mount fits right into the back of the sleeve allowing the unit to be mounted conveniently to the driver.

   The functionality is pretty good and the menus are clear and easy to navigate. Most of the menu items are large enough to be selected with a finger and the zoom and toggle toggles are controlled with the action button. There have only been a few times that the software has gotten `confused' and required a reboot (vs. frequently with the Pharos). You should be up and running right out of the box in the time it takes to load the maps.

   I have not had the occasion to use Navman's tech support, which in itself is a plus, so I cannot comment. I'm not going to go so far as to say it's the perfect product but it's design and operation is practical and sensible. The manufacturer has obviously put some thought into the product. I would like to see further development of the mapping software and more flexibility in route planning, like via waypoints.

   Summary: Overall I'm pleased with this product. Hardware - 5 stars, Software - 3 stars.




2. I bought the Pharos GPS last year and enjoyed the technology, but after purchasing the Navman and using it for one day, I'm already a big fan. I had problems with the cable that plugged into my Ipaq for the pharos. This cable not only supplied power, but it also connected to the GPS device mounted on the dash (there is also a wireless unit available). The cable would fall out and was eventually stripped and useless. I contacted Pharos, but recieved no reply. I purchased a replacement cable...but after a couple of months it came to the same end. The maps are old on the Pharos and my house which is five years old does not show up. The Pharos system also chooses strange routes at times to my various destinations. The Navman's graphics are exceptional. Very crisp. And every street I drove on toda(including my own) is present. Icons can be toggled to appear for restaurants, banks, gas stations, etc. The AI for route choosing is excellent, not to mention additional features that show speed, estimated time of arrival, distance to destination, screen colors to improve viewability during night/daytime (this is important) etc. Flashy user interface. Better voice-over for voice instructions, with improved commands. You can also move the map around without 'unenabling' the GPS. Just click on the icon for your car again to center on the vehicle. The suction cup bracket that connects to the window is absolutely outstanding and included at no extra cost. Your GPS will be floating over the dash aimed at the angle of your choosing as if it was installed at the factory. There is also a CF slot (which I put in a 128mb card). The interface for installing maps is also greatly improved. Even if you pay [$$] more for Navman (which you may or may not) you'll probably save that in replacement parts for Pharos, but the usefulness and added features are worth much more. Truly and outstanding product!



3. I was running the NAVMAN GPS on a iPAQ 3955. To make this short, after doing a "Hard" reset and applying the latest Soft-Paq I could get it to work 1 out of 10 times.

   Another mistake I made was buying a SanDisk 512mb CF card so I could store the program and maps (You'll get about 1/4 of the US on the card.) You can't install the program to the CF card as it will not function and the program (4.3mb installed) definitely slowed down my machine.

   Just so you know I sent it back to Amazon and was refunded.




4. Very unreliable. Clumsy user interface. Couple of times I had to pull over and wait for the stupid thing to lock on the sattelites. Often needs a PDA reset. Imagine having to reset your PDA , start the program again and enter the destination again while driving in traffic.



5. I have been using the Navman 3420 coupled to an Ipaq 3850 for over 1 year and am constantly disappointed by its performance.

   1) Maps are full of errors, old, and there have NO updates during the time I have owned this product. Even my own street is misnamed in the software.

   2) When traveling across country, there is no way to program waypoints or to select one's own routing. This is terrible and really a pain. I mean this is why you want to buy a GPS unit right? When you follow the routing selected by the software, be prepared for a wild ride anywhere...maybe even through a corn field, no kidding it tried to route me through a corn field!

   3) If you would like to load several maps on one of the larger compact flash cards and navigate through 5 or more states, GOOD LUCK! You will need an Ipaq with more than the 64mb of sdram found on the 3850(understand sdram on an Ipaq is not upgradeable). They say you will need 7 to 10% of the map area used on the compact flash card in sdram. So if you try to use a 512mb card for example (loaded with maps) then you will need approximately 50mb of sdram? Almost impossible on a 64mb machine as it will use sometimes upwards of 18mb just to run on its own without Navman's SmartST Professional software.

   4) The 3420 does not have an external antenna input. Why is this important? Try using the unit in a large city with tall buildings without one. When you really need it - it will loose the satellite fix.

   Do not waste your money on this device. Wait for a later generation product that is much more refined. Go to Walmart and buy a road atlas for $5 until then.

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4 comments about Pharos PK012 Pocket GPS Navigator for iPAQ 3800/3900/2200/4000/5000 Series with US Maps & Car Charger (iGPS-180).

1. The Pharos GPS for iPAQ has the potential to be a good product, but the current version has some some definate challenges. The Ostia mapping sodfware is fairly easy and frindly to use, but that's where its good points end. The routing is not very intuitive. For example a simple direct route between two large cities connected by an interstate would not route that way. Instead the route has you getting on and off the interstate onto US or state roads several times. Presumably it is a shorter distance that way. I was told that version 4.01 corrects this and was offered a "Free*" upgrade. (*just my opinion, but when you pay for a product that is outdated when you get it, I just don't see is as you doing me any special favor by giving me a "free" upgrade). Well, anyway the upgrade did have an option to stick to highways but it didn't work, the software still routed me the same way. The software decides the best way to get from point A to point C, not you. You can't go via point B. The next issue was the hardware. The cigarette lighter plug would not maintain a connection and any time there was a power loss the GPS signal would be lost. The GPS signal itself was hard to get and hard to keep. I finally determined after much trial and error and frustration that the problem was the connector between the cable and the GPS antenna. I contacted Pharos Tech support via email and received no reply. I called and explained all the problems and requested a new cable. They would not do that, and insisted I send the cable for testing. Not wanting to be down, I requested Pharos ship me a new cable first that I would pay for then they could issue me a credit once they received the old cable and determined it was bad. They would not do that either. The only way they would work with me was for me to send them the cable for them to test and return within 2 days. I did. Three weeks later I got my old cable back, no explaination, no repair, just a box with a cable. Still didn't work.

   Summary: Concept - 5 stars, Software - 2 stars, Tech Support - minus 100 stars. Maybe a real software company will buy Pharos someday because they really do have some good ideas, but do not seem to be able to make them wouk right and clearly know nothing about customer service or relations. For now, buy a Navman, I did and while it's not 100% perfect, it's pretty good and I'm happy with it. See my review for that product.




2. The unit installed very easily. The 12v connector worked very well and did not disconnect. Both the gps unit and the pda were powered from the 12v connection. The software loaded easily on the laptop and transferred to the iPAQ with no problems. The maps require a little forethought. However, loadiing all of the state of Indiana still left lots of room on an SD card for other things. The system takes about 90 seconds to acquire satellites and then routes very well. Have only used it for local routing, but that is where I would need help most anyway. I already know how to use the interstates to get from one large metropolitan area to another (i.e. Chicago to Cleveland is relatively easy get on the interstate and stay on it). Sometimes it tells you about an exit just a little to close to the ramp. The voice prompts are very helpful.



3. I have a 3900 series IPAQ and installed the software per the instructions. First problem, I could not open more than three maps at one time even though the book says ten. Second problem, there are gaps between the maps. I tried to have it plot me a trip from Atlanta, GA to Pensacola, FL. This is a straight-forward trip, but because of missing sections between the maps, it could not. Third problem, every second or third time I powered down the PDA when stopping for gas, I had to do a soft-reset to get the thing working at all. The system had no problems reconnecting to the GPS signal(s) during gas stops, except for these lockups, it usually took 30 to 45 seconds. Maps were accurate along the route, where maps were available. I found no updates available online to fix these problems. For around town I think it works great, but for any kind of distance, I would look into a different solution/product.



4. I find it hard to review this product since I bought a new one online (not Amazon) and the ostia software was not in it. The company does not back their product. They would not help me in no way. I do not like sending business to a company that does not look out for their customers. I don't think Pharos is a company anyone should buy from. I am on disability and have memory problems if anyone has any suggestions please let me know.

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