At last, technological fail rectified

[Suff]

Lots of technical stuff, some human stuff and a bit long. Sorry.

As you probably know I bought an older Peugeot 508 recently for a very good price. But the satnav sucked. Long story short, it was so old it became impossible to update and I broke it. So I bought an Android Satnav from Aliexpress with integration into my stalks and controls. It was very successful, eventually, after I finally worked out what the Chinglish instructions really meant.

But being a Geek I went in and "pushed buttons". Yes I had read the manual but to be honest it didn't make much sense so I thought I'd "have a look". I got it set up in the end by a bit of osmosis but I lost all the buttons on the side. Which is a bit of a pain when you want to go to the home screen and it won't respond.

Today I found out one of my "reset" actions on a configuration screen "reset" my side buttons. I have now reconfigured them and all is serene and working again.

Note to self. If you can't work out what they thought they meant, don't just "push buttons".

Yes, I know, I will ignore my own note the next time this happens....

Love the Satnav though. Now I have it paired with TomTom and set up for Android Auto it is really really good. The old Peugeot "thing" was crap in comparison. My 6 year old Citroen one is also not very good in comparison but as it has two 7" screens it is actually a bit more functional. But not as nice. And the TomTom which is the navigation system costs me £8 a month. The one for Android costs me £24 a year.

I get into my Peugeot, start TomTom on my phone and drive. It connects, starts my music and switches on the navigation.

On my Citroen I have to fire it up, select music, select input, choose bluetooth. Wait. Time out. Do it again. Wait. This cycle repeats for 3 or 4 times in the worst scenario. Then I have to run my own music app. I could use Android Auto but it is not well updated and no way as good as the Android device in the Peugeot. Oh and I have to have it connected by the cable. I forgot that bit. Which is most of the reason I don't use it on the Citroen.

[Kaz]

Technology is great - when it's on our side!

[Suff]

And when you have your brain switched on... Fortunately I did read the name of the little Can Bus box before I installed it and I did recognise it in the list of options when I started to interpret what they thought they had said.

Sadly the Chinese version of English instructions did not say READ THE NAME OF THE BOX AND REMEMBER IT, PUT IT IN HERE DOOFUS. Or words to that effect.

[cromwell]

I've got a map...

[Suff]

I've got a map...

You know I have a street map of:

London
Brussels
Paris
Zurich
Stockholm
Amsterdam
Frankfurt

One thing I've never been any good at was reading the map whilst driving through the cities.

Also I like the speed camera advice and being able to see where I am in a long journey without having to see the signs and dodge around the trucks to read them.

Also does your map update itself? When they build a new road you have to go out and buy a new map. But tough if you are on that road, trying to find your way around and your map doesn't have it. I had this exact experience with the M11 after it was made and I came in from Germany with a really old map. This was the issue I faced with the Peugeot satnav. For those who know the road I was on the A46 heading to Nottingham and the A46 A52 intersection and on the way to the large intersection the satnav didn't have the dual carriageway on it. I don't really remember when it was done but I have a feeling I was not yet a teenager.

Not all tech is defeated by "old stuff".

[cruiser2]

I have a sat nav in my car. I use it sometimes but I have usually been to most of the places I visit.

Used it once last year to navigate on a new road which had been opened round Preston. Got hopesly lost but managed to get back onto an old road I knew.

I still have lots of old maps which I bought and used when I was working. Took them toour local Reference Library but they said they do not want them.
Seems a shame to throw them away.

I see reports of people going to the wrong place with a similar name. Theyhave relied on Sat Nav.