Garmin StreetPilot 7500

Designed primarily for use in lorries, coaches and people-carriers, the Garmin StreetPilot 7500 is a professional satnav system. The 7000 series from Garmin is a premium range offering satellite navigation systems for the professional driver.

The StreetPilot 7500 has a large, 7-inch colour touch-screen display and comes pre-programmed with City Navigator NT software for Europe.

The user can monitor traffic delays on the planned route ahead using the optional FM TMC traffic information receiver (available separately). By adding the receiver to the StreetPilot 7500, delays caused by road accidents, roadwork's and weather-related problems can be received by the user and acted upon.

This information is of great benefit to the professional driver, allowing them to instruct the StreetPilot 7500 to calculate a new route avoiding the potential hold-up ahead.

In-vehicle entertainment is also important to break up the tedium of the long distance journey. The StreetPilot 7500 has an internal MP3 music player and can also read audio books (audio books available separately).

MP3 music files can be stored on separate SD memory cards and the system will allow browsing by artist, album, song or genre. All music and audio books can be broadcast over the vehicles existing sound system through the systems built-in FM wireless transmitter when the StreetPilot 7500 is used in conjunction with a suitable in-vehicle stereo system - see the Garmin website for more details on this feature prior to purchase. The sound is muted when the StreetPilot 7500 is issuing spoken navigational instructions.

The Garmin StreetPilot 7500 contains all the features you would expect from a top-of-the-range system. The system automatically calculates optimised routes, provides turn-by-turn voice instructions, displays progress with the use of 2D or 3D maps. The StreetPilot 7500 will also calculate a new route if the user strays off the pre-planned route, either by accident or intentionally - this hands-free functionality is great - it means the user can concentrate on driving and has no need to interact with the StreetPilot 7500 whilst driving.

The unit also speaks street names - no more "turn left in 300 metres" - it is now "turn left into London Street" - again another great feature making the journey safer - quite often where roads are grouped closely together it can be difficult in differentiating which road the satnav system is instructing the driver to turn into.

Multiple-stop Route Optimisation

This is another great feature of the StreetPilot 7500. At the start of the journey, the user can enter a number of stops/destinations and the 7500 will calculate the optimum order in which to visit each location on the journey. The optimum route can be planned taking account of multiple destinations - ideal for couriers, delivery drivers and professional sales people who all have to make several "calls" in the normal working day. The savings alone from this benefit would cover the cost of this system in no time at all.

The system can also be modified with the addition of Points of Interest (POI's) - these can be added to the system using the POI Loader software, available from the Garmin site. A Points of Interest database contains details of hotels, restaurants, cashpoints, shops, post offices, hospitals etc. At any point in the journey, the user can call up this database and ask the unit to find the location a local amenity. If say the vehicle was running low on fuel, the user would simply pull up the list of local petrol stations and instruct the 7500 to navigate to one near to the vehicle's current position.

Dead-Reckoning - losing satellite signal does not mean dodgy navigation.

One of the main concerns many users have about purchasing a satellite navigation system is just how accurate the system is in relation to the presentation of the vehicle's current position and the progress of the vehicle along that route.

User's have previously complained about loss of satellite signals due to tunnels, forests and driving in built-up inner city areas, where the satellite navigation system does not full site of sufficient satellite's in order to calculate current position, direction, speed etc.

The Garmin StreetPilot 7500 overcomes this issue with the use built-in dead reckoning sensors - these allow the system to continue navigating the vehicle based on the previous last known position - a great leap forward in technology!

Controlling the StreetPilot 7500 is done either by use of the touch-screen menu system or with the infra-red remote control which comes as part of the package.

The side and back of the unit contain the integrated speaker, mini USB port for connecting the system to a PC, an AV input, the SD memory card slot and a 3.5 mm audio jack for optional headphones or line-out to the vehicles audio system.

The StreetPilot 7500 represents the creme of the crop and you will not get much better than this. Ideal for professional drivers, the added features of this system will cover the cost of the StreetPilot 7500 in no time.