Hema Navigator GPS unit
Submitted: Tuesday, Aug 26, 2008 at 12:28
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PradoTrev
Hi all
Attended a presentation last week given by Peter, MM for hema.
Being new to GPS it looks like this is the unit for me.
Peter explained if you want a street turn by turn unit you will be able to buy better units cheaper. This unit was designed for a plug and play if you want to run a lap top and remote screens this is not the unit.
It is for remote travellers who want to know where they are (and the recommend a back up to a map) and it has a comparable city turn by turn to what is on the market.
I was impressed
20 satellite capacity
all Hema maps come preloaded
You can add most maps in addition (excluding propriety maps)
Easy to use while driving
Easy to put in way points
Maps where you have been
good quality extras
Manuals and DVD tutorials available on line.
When you hear how they designed it and who for it is a good piece of equipment and something I will be adding to the arsenal before the Xmas get away. I would like it to be cheaper in price but even at $1000 it is still fair value. I look at it this way the extra i pay now could pay for itself in fuel costs by not getting lost.
Big yes from me but i no expert so it looks good to me.
TM2CW
Trevor
Reply By: Member - Graham H (QLD) - Tuesday, Aug 26, 2008 at 12:41
Tuesday, Aug 26, 2008 at 12:41
If you look on the gps Australia
forum there are threads that say this is a Mio 520 rebadged and the Mio is only about $450 and with a hack can be made to do exactly what the hema does.
There are other units talked about on that site with more features for a lot less as
well
AnswerID:
322260
Follow Up By: Member -Pinko (NSW) - Tuesday, Aug 26, 2008 at 13:03
Tuesday, Aug 26, 2008 at 13:03
I do not believe in hacking.
Copyright is for a reason.
Like if someone pulled the carpet from under your income stream you'd be the first to complain.
Like if you were employed by Hema for a couple of years developing this technology and boss gives you the dcm because he cannot pay your wages because the profits have been STOLEN by hackers.
Stan
FollowupID:
589259
Follow Up By: PradoTrev - Tuesday, Aug 26, 2008 at 13:17
Tuesday, Aug 26, 2008 at 13:17
Call me old fashion but all my software is original and registered so it goes around, and I'm hope that prices will come down.
Plus Hema is Aust owned and the cash stays here and im all for that.
Yes i know the unit is imported, go where the expertise lays.
FollowupID:
589261
Follow Up By: Mr Pointyhead - Tuesday, Aug 26, 2008 at 13:26
Tuesday, Aug 26, 2008 at 13:26
The Hema Navigator is a rebadged Windows CE PND. However, the value that Hema is adding is that it includes all the maps and software and is ready to go. A friend of
mine reviewed it for one of the 4x4 mags and he said that it is as close to the perfect nav device for the 4x4 users as he as ever seen (And he has written books on the topic).
Yes, you can create your own similar device by buying a cheap Win CE PND and modifying it, if you have the skills and time to do that. In my case that is what I did, but as a software engineer I have the skills to be able to do that, and I am willing to invest the time.
However, for most people who do not have the computer skills or the time, the Hema device is the way to go. The premium you are paying is for is an out of the box solution that just works, which is what most people want.
FollowupID:
589263
Follow Up By: Member - Captain (WA) - Tuesday, Aug 26, 2008 at 14:18
Tuesday, Aug 26, 2008 at 14:18
I think the term hacking is a bit misleading here. One can legally purchase OziexplorerCE for $40 and put it on a MIO 520. Thus you now have a legal version for way less than the $1,000 HEMA unit.
However, you still need to add the maps which come with the HEMA unit so the price differential in reality is closer to $200 at the end of the day for a legal version.
For an IT literate person, the "better" solution is the MIO 520 as you can then add all sorts of WIndowsCE programs. But for the average non-IT literate person the HEMA is a great product that works straight out of the box and the $200 is arguably good value to save you the hassles.
All about horses for courses.
Cheers
Captain
FollowupID:
589274
Follow Up By: Sand Man (SA) - Tuesday, Aug 26, 2008 at 19:09
Tuesday, Aug 26, 2008 at 19:09
Captain,
If you add the cost of a turn by turn city navigator software like Route 66 (which is also included in the Hema price) you will probably only break even. Route 66 is around the $200 mark.
The Hema appears to be a complete solution "out of the box" requiring no further instalation or configuration issues for the average user.
I think it is a great solution for consideration.
Bill.
FollowupID:
589323
Follow Up By: Member - Dick (Int) - Tuesday, Aug 26, 2008 at 19:27
Tuesday, Aug 26, 2008 at 19:27
Having used both Route 66 on Hema Navigator and City Navigator on several Garmins, there is no comparison. City Navigator is
miles ahead. There are streets in Newcastel that have been there for 20 years that are not on Route 66.
FollowupID:
589331
Follow Up By: Sand Man (SA) - Wednesday, Aug 27, 2008 at 07:44
Wednesday, Aug 27, 2008 at 07:44
Dick,
I'm not actually promoting Route 66, but using it as an example for cost comparison purposes.
I use TomTom for city navigation and it's unsurpassed IMO.
Also have a copy of CoPilot Navigator 6 on the PDA which is also very good, although a little outdated now.
Bill.
FollowupID:
589438
Follow Up By: The Explorer - Friday, Sep 26, 2008 at 11:19
Friday, Sep 26, 2008 at 11:19
I think a better term to use is "unlock" as apposed to "hack" in this instance. You can unlock a range of Mios to run OziExplorerCe and a host of other programs making the Mio a very versatile unit indeed. Price and this hidden potential is hard to ignore if you are in the market for device that will run Ozi + street nav.
Unlock program is available here
MioPocket
Cheers
Greg
| I sent one final shout after him to stick to the track, to which he replied “All right,” That was the last ever seen of Gibson - E Giles 23 April 1874 Lifetime Member
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FollowupID:
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Reply By: Member -Pinko (NSW) - Tuesday, Aug 26, 2008 at 12:45
Tuesday, Aug 26, 2008 at 12:45
Hema navigator
We have one and found it great. We have just returned from the
hay river track where in some
places GPS is important. If a wrong turn is made it is visually evident. The fact that waypoints are easily edit is good and waypoints added to a route. We do not have a PC and the related mapping software so this filled the bill everything can be done on the navigator. Good value for us.
Stan
AnswerID:
322262
Follow Up By: Member - Kingsley N (SA) - Tuesday, Aug 26, 2008 at 16:25
Tuesday, Aug 26, 2008 at 16:25
Pinko,
I am just wondering how the Hema coped with Oziexplorer and no PC for downloading tracks. Is there a track marked on the included map for
Hay River? I would have thought that you would be "Trackless" along there unless you preplanned waypoints via straight lines. I'm not picking on you, just interested because I decided to stick with OziCE on an IPAQ Travel Companion. I was able to upload a route and waypoints from the Treks here on ExplorOz to my PC (using OZIExplorer) and then onto the IPAQ.
I do like the new OziCE format and I believe the Hema unit uses one of the pages available.
GPS navigation works best when the display shows your position in relation to a planned or displayed track.
Kingo
FollowupID:
589289
Follow Up By: Member -Pinko (NSW) - Tuesday, Aug 26, 2008 at 17:03
Tuesday, Aug 26, 2008 at 17:03
Hi Kingo
Hay River track is in the fourth edition of Hema's Great Desert Tracks North East Sheet and is also included in the Navigator maps.
The trek notes From ExplorOz are very helpful.
When applying for permits through Direct 4WD Jol Fleming sends a further two sheets of waypoints which we added to the ones already on the Navigator along with those on the trek notes.
We did not miss to my knowledge any POI on that trip. From Poeppels to Batton
Hill we did not see a soul for six days. You mention traveling in straight lines, the
sand dunes marked on the map are very accurate (I suppose this is the art of the mapmaker) We spent a lot of time traveling in swales but when you zoom the Navigator up to 130% and with the arrow on the screen of where you exactly are the dune ends and the track follows around it or where the track traverses a dune it is actually on the screen. The same when traveling around the edge of a salt pan, the point of the arrow is spot on. I hope this makes sense Kingo?
Regards
Stan
FollowupID:
589295
Follow Up By: Member - Kingsley N (SA) - Tuesday, Aug 26, 2008 at 19:06
Tuesday, Aug 26, 2008 at 19:06
Thanks Stan,
That makes sense. We did the trip last year and enjoyed it immensely. We travelled in the opposite direction and had no real navigation problems. My Hema digital maps are from an earlier edition and the track was not marked. I used the 2003 NATMAP Raster Maps which are probably a bit too detailed with very faint lines. At that time I had all the maps on a PDA with a small screen. My IPAQ 312 has a much brighter and larger wide format screen. Of course I can add any digital maps manually to OziCE and I am waiting for the 2008 edition of NATMAP.
Anyway the HEMA Navigator seems a good bit of gear with a simple operation.
Ooroo
Kingo
FollowupID:
589321
Reply By: ExplorOz Team - Michael - Tuesday, Aug 26, 2008 at 12:59
Tuesday, Aug 26, 2008 at 12:59
Hi Trevor,
We stock the Hema Navigator in the ExplorOz Online
Shop, and so far I have only had positive feedback. Kerry, our ExplorOz Advertising Consultant actually purchased one, and from what he has told me, he is very impressed.
On a side note - If you do end up purchasing one, keep in mind that if you purchase it from the ExplorOz Online
Shop, you will receive a complimentary ExplorOz
Membership (valued at $60).
Hema Navigator - Click HERE
Any questions, just let me know!
AnswerID:
322264
Follow Up By: PradoTrev - Tuesday, Aug 26, 2008 at 13:21
Tuesday, Aug 26, 2008 at 13:21
I am always open to gratuitys, and yes you are in mind I try to support what i use and use what i support so it wont be long now I I will have member behind or in front of my name.
it's just the coin it need now to do it.
These dam 4bys arnt cheap
FollowupID:
589262
Follow Up By: Member - Dick (Int) - Tuesday, Aug 26, 2008 at 18:40
Tuesday, Aug 26, 2008 at 18:40
I purchased my Hema Navigator in the ExplorOz Online
Shop and it was delivered to me in Newcastel very promptly as is the usual case with things purchased from the EO
Shop.
Would I buy a Hema Navigator again? Probably not, I prefer the Garmin GPS.
FollowupID:
589313
Reply By: GoneTroppo Member (FNQ) - Tuesday, Aug 26, 2008 at 13:31
Tuesday, Aug 26, 2008 at 13:31
Used
mine on two week long
Cape York trip. Very happy.
It did everythingthe box said it would. Reception is nothing short of amazing.
I too do not believe in hacking stuff.
Besides the time you spend stuffing around for many people is worth more than the extra you spend.
BTW not sure where you are but Guests in Melb are $900 even.
AnswerID:
322269
Follow Up By: Member -Pinko (NSW) - Tuesday, Aug 26, 2008 at 13:44
Tuesday, Aug 26, 2008 at 13:44
Yes my friend I could think of nothing worse than putting 150 litres of diesel in your truck at the Innaminca bowser the going into pay and find that someone on the other side of the world has hacked your account while you were on holiday and drained it.
Stanley
FollowupID:
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Follow Up By: ExplorOz - David & Michelle - Tuesday, Aug 26, 2008 at 15:16
Tuesday, Aug 26, 2008 at 15:16
Gee $900 this is against Hema's requests to try to maintain the RRP. Anyway I will match the price if you can prove to us that this is what they are selling it for. Of course we may have to adjust the member rewards/freight or similar however if we are given the chance we will match or better any price on this unit. Send information or requests to orders at exploroz dot com.
FollowupID:
589282
Follow Up By: Member - Norm C (QLD) - Tuesday, Aug 26, 2008 at 19:26
Tuesday, Aug 26, 2008 at 19:26
I thought Retail Price Maintenance was against the law in Australia.
Nice to know you will match prices David.
I've just put up another thread on 'best navigator' as I am looking to buy one (
well Kathryn says she will buy it for me and thats even better). So the Hema Navigator is now on my short list. If I decide it is the one for me, you would probably be my preferred supplier David on the basis of your price match offer and my ongoing support for your site.
Norm C
FollowupID:
589330
Reply By: Member - Kevin R (QLD) - Tuesday, Aug 26, 2008 at 15:03
Tuesday, Aug 26, 2008 at 15:03
We just spent 3 weeks in central oz using ours for the first time. It performed perfectly.
Cheers
Kevin
AnswerID:
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Reply By: Member - GREENDOG - Tuesday, Aug 26, 2008 at 17:24
Tuesday, Aug 26, 2008 at 17:24
Thanks for the feed back Trev,i'll be looking into one when my insurance come's through,cheer's GREENDOG
AnswerID:
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Reply By: Gramps (NSW) - Tuesday, Aug 26, 2008 at 18:00
Tuesday, Aug 26, 2008 at 18:00
Ryda currently list the Mio C520 for around $335 shipped and will price match.
Ryda
Don't get too stressed about the 'hacking' terminology in this case. All you're doing is adding to the unit's capabilities.
If, like me, you already have legal versions of the maps included in the Hema product then buying the Mio and adding the maps is certainly the sensible option.
After all, that is exactly what Hema have done in the first place.
AnswerID:
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Follow Up By: KennyBWilson - Tuesday, Aug 26, 2008 at 19:53
Tuesday, Aug 26, 2008 at 19:53
$295 from
Here
But a 7inch screen might be the way to go if running OziCe
Shame on Hema for hacking
FollowupID:
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Follow Up By: The Explorer - Friday, Sep 26, 2008 at 11:25
Friday, Sep 26, 2008 at 11:25
Hello - the 520 unit is listed as "discontinued" on the Ryda website. On the Shopping Square website link above it is listed as "coming soon".
If anyone actually knows where you can get one please let me know - my mate is trying to source one and is getting desperate. Next best option is c720t.
Cheers
Greg
| I sent one final shout after him to stick to the track, to which he replied “All right,” That was the last ever seen of Gibson - E Giles 23 April 1874 Lifetime Member
My Profile My Blog Send Message
Moderator |
FollowupID:
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Follow Up By: Member - Chris & Debbie (QLD) - Friday, Sep 26, 2008 at 15:20
Friday, Sep 26, 2008 at 15:20
Hi Greg
I think you will find that the 520 has been replaced with the Mio Moove 360 which according to their web site should now be available.
I purchased the 520 about 3 months ago and have found it a great unit, have unlocked windowsCE that is on the Mio and can run Ozice with Hema maps using Mio Pocket installed onto an SD card. I do not know if Mio Pocket will run on the Moove but assume it would.
Chris
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