mincedLifeCentral

A local electronics retailer had the Navman iCN630 on a serious special, so I dipped my toes, um, wallet into it...

The unit is chunky enough to fend off attackers as you jog through a dodgy park at night, but won't be of much use finding an escape route. Not containing its own battery power confines it to either the AC transformer or the car's cigarette lighter.

Everything else is well put together. The suction mount is secure in the windscreen, the LCD screen is watchable both in exterme glare and nighttime conditions, and the voice guidance is loud and clear.

Unfortunately it didn't work properly inside my car as it demands 5V and 2.5A... to put this in perspective a typical ten year old CD walkman uses 4.5V and 500mA. It was just too much juice for the cigarette lighter to provide, with the net result of the unit blacking out as soon as there is a decent load (eg. speech playback). This, and the lack of an internal battery, I deem to be a fatal design flaw (probably somwhat rectified in the iCN635).

Having said that, tried it in another car and it worked wonderfully as long as the electrical contact is secure. So, if you spot a cheap one, have a go as long as you have an opportunity to get a refund - like I did.