Navigon 5100 Car GPS Receiver

Next to Rifle Marksmanship, the two most important skills I learned as a young soldier were dismounted, and later, mounted Land Navigation. Indeed, the ability to effectively use a map and compass was stressed so much that everyone in my peer group shared an equal amount of disdain for getting themselves (or those they led) lost. Twenty years later, I still get nervous when I don't know where I am or where I'm going.

Bad enough to get lost in English speaking countries, but now my wife and I live in Germany, and both of us have a long way to go toward fluency, much less to be totally comfortable with the way the locals drive. But after a quick, confusing car trip to Switzerland I returned convinced that it was time to invest in a navigation system. And so, I dropped by the local AAFES (military discount store) and laid down the money for a Navigon 5100 series Mobile Navigation Device.

How it works

Although Global Positioning Systems (GPS) have been around consumer markets for quite a while now, there are still those who are unaware of how they operate. Basically, mobile navigation works by determining an unknown location as it refers to two or more known points. In old style map and compass navigation, known points were seen on the ground and on a map, and reverse angles (back-azimuths) were taken from each point relative to your position and drawn on the map. One's position was determined to be where the angles intersected (also known as triangulation).

In the case of GPS, the fixed points are satellites in geosynchronous orbit which constantly transmit their position and altitude along a specific frequency. The mobile device you purchase is capable of reading each frequency and uses the same process of triangulation to determine its location on the globe. The data is then overlaid on a map interface, seen on the device's screen.

What's in the Box

The Navigon 5100 ships with an impressive ensemble of accessories. Inside you'll find the actual unit, a slim (1/2 inch) rectangular device finished in glossy black with a 3.5 inch LCD screen, a black, sculpted vehicle mounting arm approximately 8-10 inches in length, a 12v car charger cable, dash-mounting adapter, external antenna, and a 4GB SD map card. A multi-lingual instruction manual in both hardcopy and on CD is also included, as well as an attractive "quick start" fold out guide.

One important note—Navigon is a European company. The 5100 series device is offered in the United States and includes only US/Canadian maps, whereas the same device bought in Europe only carries European maps. I purchased a special "military edition" which included both European and US/Canadian maps which also identify the locations of Military Post/Base Exchanges (PX/BX). Military installations themselves are not identified. Either way, the device operates the same regardless of what map package you purchase.

Operating the Navigon 5100

Setting up the device is easy. Just insert the SD Map Card into the unit and turn the device on. Initialization is challenging. You must hold down the power button for six whole seconds on initial startup and every startup thereafter.

NB. Another review said that every time you hold the button down for six seconds the device will reset and you'll lose all of your data. This isn't true with my unit. I have to hold it down for at least six seconds to both turn it on and off, and I've never lost any data out of memory.

Another thing that makes initialization difficult is power. There is little to no battery power left on the unit out of the box, and all you get is a car charger. Since initial startup can take up to twenty minutes, your stuck with either setting up the device in your car (making use of the 12v adapter), taking a chance that what little battery power left in the unit will be enough, or buying a home-charging adapter separately. I took a trip in the car.

The vehicle mounting system is beautiful and quite effective. The base of the mounting arm attaches to the windshield by way of a heavy-duty suction cup that more than sustains the weight of the device. On the other end, the mounting bracket rotates right and left and swivels in all directions so you can customize. The mounting arm itself is longer than similar ones which ship with models like Garmin and Tom Tom, a welcome feature for short people who don't have arms down to our knees! The Navigon 5100 ships with a dashboard mounting adapter for those who want a more permanent solution. Basically, it's a disk with adhesive on one side which is applied to the dashboard. The suction cup of the mounting arm's base is then applied to the dashboard disk instead of the windshield.

Once set up and fully charged (which takes 3-4 hours) the Navigon 5100 works beautifully. It operates through a touch-screen interface that is highly intuitive. All navigation routines begin however with an onboard disclaimer, advising you never to operate the device and drive at the same time. You have to acknowledge same before the map will come up. The unit must establish communication with at least two satellites before offering navigation solutions. A three-satellite lock is accurate to three meters. Overall, the unit is capable of tracking up to 24 satellites at one time.

The main screen offers a slew of options, allowing the operator to select a new destination by entering a country and city or postal code, full address, or conduct a search of POI, (Points of Interest) in a city or country. There are also "Saved Destinations" "Show Map" and "Take Me Home" buttons. As you type names or numbers into the screen, all similar looking names/numbers begin to appear. A simple finger-tap selects the entry and moves onto the next data point. When a "Start Navigation" button lights up, the device has determined a solution and is ready to begin. You'll be guided along the way through a combination of written, graphic, and spoken directions (via a female computer voice). You can select what language she speaks in, including British or American English, adjust the volume, or turn her off completely. Sorry, no male voices.

You can fine-tune the device through the "Options" button, adding as much or little information to the view screen as you are able to handle. Fully enabled, the Navigon 5100 will display your current speed, elevation, distance to destination, remaining trip time, local time when you'll arrive at destination, and the current speed limits.

Two other features worth mentioning are Reality View ™ and Traffic Management Center. While approaching a difficult highway interchange, Reality View ™ works by presenting an extremely graphic replica of the interchange, complete with signage on the view screen. It looks like an exact copy. Voice-assist talks you though the intersection and once accomplished, Reality View ™ switches off.

Traffic Management Center monitors local traffic alert stations and depicts traffic jams real-time, on the screen. Traffic "jams" show up on the screen as bold red arrows, denoting the direction of flow. Alerts appear and disappear relative to ones position on the map.

Problems

Despite a lot of intelligent design and robust offering of options, the Navigon 5100 suffers some design flaws. I was a bit put out by the limited charging option offered in the box. It seems logical that most people aren't going to perform initial setup in their cars, hastily tabbing through the instruction manual. For what I paid, including the home-adapter would have been a small consolation. Also, the touch-screen is not very sensitive. Often, I find myself having to really press down to make an entry. Moreover, the input keyboard is small, so it's easy to miss one key and instead hit another. Certainly a "Handheld PC" stylus will work, but one isn't included and if it were, there is no receptacle on the device to hold it.

Final Words

Regardless of the design flaws mentioned above, I'm very happy with my purchase of the Navigon 5100. I bought it just prior to a week long trip to the Bavarian Alps and found it quite useful both in finding our way from the house to the hotel, and local businesses and restaurants. It does, however especially in Europe; pay to preview the entire route profile. We were driving along and before we knew it, we were in Austria! I'm not upset mind you; it was a beautiful region to drive through. I just wasn't expecting a border crossing!

Technical Data

Dimensions: 107x84x23 mm
Weight: 145 g
CPU: Samsung 2440-400 Mhz
Battery: LiIon, 1200 mAh, 4 hours operating time fully charged
Display: 3.5 inch LCD

Price: $580 US.