Main information

  • Navman iCN 550
  • Navman iCN 550 -

  • From £149 to £395

    Usage: Automotive, Display Size: 3.5'', Supported Protocols: WAAS, Interface Type: USB ...

  • 7.9 out of 10
    Product Score

    What is the Product Score ? The product score is an objective rating for relative product quality provided by alaTest. The scale is from 0 - 10 where 10 is the highest and 0 the lowest.

  • Expert Reviews:
    User Rating:
Review 0 of 20
  • Overall Rating:4 out of 5
  • Accuracy:4 out of 5
  • Reception Quality:4 out of 5
  • Ease of Use:5 out of 5
  • Quality:3 out of 5
  • Value for Money:4 out of 5
  • Recommend Product: Yes

Navman 550TM

By Philip Smith (15/05/2006)
  • Pros: Accurate, comprehensive mapping. Easy to use.
  • Cons: Traffic module an eyesore and not very good.

I already own a Navman iCN635 and I have now acquired a NAVMAN 550TM (£399 from Comet) which comes with street lavel maps of all Western Europe on a hard disk. Build quality not quite as good as the 635 (made in china whereas 635 made in NZ), rattles slightly - probably the hard disk housing but has an internal rechargeable battery which lasts about 2.5 to 3 hours. One minor problem (on both models) - although it is possible to import up to 25 POI files (speed cams etc,) only 16 can be made 'active', this restriction is not documented as far as I can find.
The 550 has a touch screen and it is easier to set up a destination than the 635 but the screen is smaller and seems to suffer more from reflective glare than the 635.
The 550 came with a Traffic module but to use it, you have to drape a wire aerial across your windscreen. The quality of the traffic reports is dependent on FM Radio RDS-TMC data and seems to be pretty unreliable. On a journey from Nottingham to Luton (M1 J25 to J10) it announced a traffic event and irritatingly recalculated a new route every 20 or 30 seconds from Junction 16 downwards. Although I was already aware of the problem (major roadworks from J10 to J6) I allowed the system to override my better judgment and ended up in a traffic queue from Toddington services onwards. If I had used my OWN judgment, I would have left the motorway at J12.
Apart from that - The 635 has already given sterling service whilst driving in the UK, France and Spain, and, except for the traffic module, so far, I am confident that the 550 will do the same.

7 out of 7 people found this review helpful
Was this review helpful to you? (Report Abuse)
Next review »

By d992b295-11d23fa5b3d-26a5 (24/10/2008)

Survive the Postal Strike

Cashback Survey

 

Delivery in time for Christmas!

Read through our guides for tips on how to survive the pending postal strike or more information on the IDIS(Internet Delivery is Safe) certification.

NEW: Discover CashBack on Kelkoo

Get paid while you buy!
  1. It's Free!
  2. Earn up to 25% back on your purchases.
  3. From more than 500 stores.
  4. Receive a cheque in the post!
More details »