Cheap(ish) SatNav

[#1]

Not having the best sense of direction (actually, none at all) SWMBO has expressed a wish for a SatNav for when she drives on her own.  I have suggested she cooks enough meals for two or three days, just in case While her Samsung Galaxy S3 does have this capability it isn't exactly easy to place it somewhere convenient without it falling every time a corner is turned. Also, even with the volume at it's highest it isn't particularly easy to hear.
eBuyer's offer seems good but I'm not too sure it really is the bargain it's made out to be.
Their site says it has Spoke Street Names (TTS) but other sellers indicate that this is for 3 months only. Can't find anything about what happens after that time.
I've also read that the map is updated the first time it is turned on but can't find about additional updates, if any.
She also wants to be able to have various voices available so she can choose one that she may find easier to hear.
Does anyone have any practical experience of the Navman F610 EZY 5'' Widescreen Sat Nav - UK & ROI?
Perhaps there is a better option someone could recommend?
Thanks.

[#2]

My Samsung Galaxy S3 sits in it's holder attached to the windscreen.
I can't always hear what the person says but much prefer to see the map and judge where to position myself in the road for a turn.
I am running Google maps and have had no problems so far.

[#3]

Thanks Strat.
Didn't know you could get such holders but after a Google search I found two as examples:
totaldigitalstores and eLifeStore.
Are these the sort of things you are referring to?

[#4]

What type of car is it? Sometimes you can buy an OEM satnav secondhand quite cheaply and fit it.
(I did that very successfully on one of mine)

[#5]

It's a Vauxhall Zafira (13 plate).
From what I've seen it's no easy task to add SatNav capabilities after the car is built. We could have had a 5 disc CD changer with SatNav added when the car was being built but that would have added another £1000 and I don't need a SatNav
Hence, as it's only SWMBO who wants a SatNav device I am looking at a cheap option if possible.
I have just put the idea of a holder for her SIII but she doesn't like using it as SatNav. She want a 'proper' one

[#6]

Quote from: Mav

Thanks Strat....................... Are these the sort of things you are referring to?

Those linked in your post are quite posh compared to mine which is more general purpose and I've had it for years.

[#7]

Some of the "cheapo" shops, and £1.00 shops do various holders... as do some Market Stall holders who specialise in Mobile Phone stuff...
alternatively... a blob of "blu-tak" or similar will hold it on the dash board quite safely...

[#8]

Quote from: Mav

It's a Vauxhall Zafira (13 plate). From what I've seen it's no easy task to add SatNav capabilities after the car is built.

Probably a bit too new to get a unit cheaply, but swapping them to upgrade is often much easier than you'd think as the connections are very standardised, certainly for one manufacturer let alone model range. 
As an example I have an ex-Mondeo unit in my Ford Focus and it was a straight plug-in on all the wiring including CD changer and remote stalk. The only add-on was the GPS aerial which I hid behind the tax disc holder.

[#9]

I use an Android phone in a car holder mounted on a weighted mounting plate (search for 'friction dash mount' on eBay for examples).  Rather than Google Maps I use TomTom as it means it works when there's no mobile signal.
Before changing phones I used a Galaxy S2 and the volume was never turned all the way up...

[#10]

If you have a tablet then Tom-Tom works rather nicely with a good big view - much easier to see at a glance, recently installed it on my Motorola Xoom 2ME, very pleased with it (and cheaper than renewing my map subscription on my aging Tom-Tom Live XL).

[#11]

I've got Navfree installed on a couple of android devices ( Nexus7 and ZTE phone) and works quite well with no need for data connection.

[#12]

I've just replaced my ageing Nokia 5800 which I used for my satnav. I've now replaced it with a Nokia Windows Phone which also has the satnav on it - just got to buy a windscreen holder for it.

[#13]

My current car came with a sat nav installed (Honda) and I took the thing out as it was total rubbish. The Sat nav used a special disk which was several years old, to get a new disk which would have updated maps cost £70 and even worse the screen was not a touch screen.
For the same money I bought a Garmin sat nav that came with free map updates for life.Mine just has UK maps the ones with euro maps cost more. Also purchased a bean bag looking device that the sat nav sits on so it can easily be removed.
Do not buy anything that sticks on the screen or leaves a mark when you move it as this is an advert to thieves you have a sat nav or other item worth stealing.
I am well pleased with the one I have but you do need to be aware that whilst they may take you on the shortest route between A & B it may not be the best route.

[#14]

I use google maps or Navfree on the galaxy, or apple maps or Navfree on the iPhone, only really use Navfree on places that have been newly built, as the map apps seem to take longer to update new builds.

[#15]

Some people seem to have "lost their way"... 

Quote

Not having the best sense of direction (actually, none at all) SWMBO has expressed a wish for a SatNav for when she drives on her own.

Map reading from Google maps or any "static" type map, requires a certain amount of sense of place, and direction...
From the above, it appears that map reading by itself is not sufficient for SWMBO... she needs the SatNav to show her where she is, and the directions she must follow to get to the destination... and if she should make a mistake and turn the wrong way, eventually the SatNav will give her correct directions to achieve the desired destination.