All mapped out: need a portable sat nav system for your fleet? Natalie Wallis checks out the Navman iCN630 - sat nav test

Within the last few years the telematics industry has proved its worth to the fleet market. However the problem with both factory-fit solutions and some aftermarket products is that they cannot be trans[erred easily from car to car not much use for companies that have a high vehicle turnover or wish to share systems between drivers.

Not surprisingly the industry has responded to these demands with various portable products--such as the Navman iCN630 lightweight, in-car navigation system This can be easily transferred from car to car while still providing clear street-level mapping with visual and audible turn-by-turn directions for the whole of Western Europe. But does it live up to expectations?

The unit is certainly cheaper than a lot of factory fit systems at 999 [pounds sterling] including VAT, and comprises a 3.8in colour TFT (thin film transistor) LCD screen that fixes to the dash of windscreen. But be warned, before you can go anywhere, you have to install the software and maps that are supplied on the CD-Rom which will require a PC and Lakes about 15 minutes.

Although the iCN630 is portable, its user manual isn't as it's supplied on CD--the only hard copy you get is the Quick Start Guide, which merely gives the basics. I didn't find this very helpful especially when I was trying to operate the unit in the car and I eventually resorted to printing off a copy to carry with me.

The unit can be fixed to the dash of the windscreen using a sucker system of screwed directly to the dash Navman does point out that it should be affixed in a manner that will not cause accidents of obstruct your view. Once in place it was very secure and, as the screen can be angled in any direction, it was easy to see. The only issue I found was that at night the reflection of the display on the windscreen was mildly distracting.

Navman advises users to remove the unit when the vehicle is left unattended, both to avoid theft and because temperature extremes can cause damage. It can be a bit tricky to detach the unit again but practice makes perfect. Stored in its protective case the screen is small enough to carry around easily. The car charger should also be removed overnight.

Open for business

To power it, you just plug the adaptor into the cigarette lighter or power outlet, while a pop up GPS antenna receives signals You do need to make sure that the antenna is flipped out properly and that it has an unobstructed view of the sky, otherwise it won't pick up a signal. The antenna can easily be knocked down when installing the unit and it's a bit fiddly to flip it out again. You also need to have the engine running for a few minutes before the unit will power up.

Once you're up and running, the system is very easy to operate. The buttons are nicely sized, easy to use and well lit up at night. The method used to enter a route is the same as that used on many factory-fit solutions and is quick and easy. You also have the option to enter intersections. To save time, it also offers a save facility for frequently used destinations; you can save up to 100 favourite destinations eight shortcuts--which are easier to access than favourites--and the system automatically saves the last 30 locations under the 'recently used' facility. More extensive data storage needs can be taken care of using the memory card slot.

Various points of interest are also stored under headings such as Accommodation, Food and Drink and Natural Attractions, which are again easy to access and programme in. Routes can be tailored to choose between the fastest and shortest options as well as whether to include toll roads and urban areas. There's no option to avoid motorways though.

Once I'd selected the destination, the unit normally took a few seconds to programme the route. However, I sometimes had a bit of a problem when setting off from home as I apparently live in an 'urban canyon' where the GPS cannot send a sufficiently strong signal through.

You have a choice of four screens: Map Browser, which shows your current location facing north; Navigation Map, similar to Map Browser but the map is orientated to the direction of travel; Next Instruction--which shows the direction of the next turn and the distance to it; and Next Four Instructions, which also gives the total journey distance.

I stuck to the Navigation Map which is easier to use than the north-facing map and also highlights your next turn at the top of the screen. Apparently an ETA is displayed by scrolling across although I didn't manage to find this. Distances can be given in km or miles, depending on preference.

The screen itself is easy to see thanks to its TFT construction. The route is well highlighted though you can adjust the brightness if needed. You can also adjust the scale to go from seeing large areas such as the entire south to focus on part of a road. Even more helpful is the automatic scale adjustment to suit your speed; I particularly noticed this when pulling off a dual carriageway into a side road where the scale was suddenly greatly increased. This is helped by GPS updates every second, which mean that your location is always exact.

The voice of reason

Spoken directions are clear and you even have the choice between three voices, two female and one male, depending on which is less grating! I did find though that regardless of voice or volume setting, the instructions were too quiet, which meant I had to keep the radio turned down.

On the whole, directions were well queued and easy to follow. I did have a problem when I was leaving the M3 to join the anti clockwise branch of the M25--the Navman direction to keep left could have been interpreted wrongly to send me in the clockwise direction. And the system doesn't always pick up on mini-roundabouts and crossroads where you need to go straight on and so doesn't give you any directions there. I found this rather confusing at a staggered crossroads where I couldn't make out from the display which road it was trying to send me down. If in doubt, follow the road ahead! Conversely, like virtually all sat nav systems, it sometimes tells you to turn left or right when you merely need to follow the course of the road but this just requires a bit of common sense.

If you do go wrong, the iCN630 comes with an automatic re-routing facility. Unlike other systems that stroppily tell you to make a U-turn, it calmly and almost invisibly replots the route. It also has an automatic restart feature which will save your destination if you turn the unit off--for instance, if you have to stop for petrol--prior to arriving at it.

In general I found the Navman iCN630 hand herd me throughout the whole process of finding a destination, making it as painfree as possible. It even features a warning message to make passengers confirm that they are not driving the vehicle if they try to operate it in transit--they can turn this off if it starts to get annoying!

In all, a good little system that deals well with drivers' needs on the road while also catering for fleet requirements.

MORE FEATURES FOR 2004

Since we tested the Navman iCN630 the company has launched a new and improved version with additional features to provide an even more hassle-free system for drivers.

Screen views on the iCN630 V2 now include a colour 3D map view which depicts approaching towns and cities appearing over the horizon. Destination searches have also been made more user friendly with the addition of a five-digit postcode search that can calculate a destination's address even quicker.

Meanwhile the 'avoid area' feature gives the driver the option to force the system to replot a route should he/she hear of a problem area of traffic congestion.

On sale now, the Navman iCN630 V2 costs around 999 [pounds sterling] including VAT--the same price as the original unit. For further information, contact Navman on Tel: 01293 780500 or visit the website at www.navman-europe.com

COPYRIGHT 2004 DMG World Media Ltd.
COPYRIGHT 2004 Gale Group