Road Angel Adventurer 7000 Review

The makers of the Navigator range of GPS systems have come up with the Adventurer range. What is the difference between the Navigator 7000 and the Adventurer 7000? Very little it seems if you are only interested in traveling by car.

Primarily the difference lies in the ability to go 'off-road' and use Ordnance Survey maps and the Memory-Map software and treat the unit as a PND (Portable Navigation Device) to go on your adventures by foot. The unit is designed to be rugged and waterproof and is small enough to fit nicely in your hand.

Street level mapping for the whole of the UK is preloaded so you can just get in your car, enter your destination and go for it. Once you arrive, take the unit out, switch to the preloaded Ordnance Survey Landranger maps that cover all Britain's National Parks, and hit the pavement (or more correctly the trail). The unit is fully compatible with Memory-Map V5 software so additional data can be downloaded as needed.

With all the same features for road navigation as the N7000, this just goes a step further and is ideal for the trail blazers among us.

The lithium-ion batteries hold their charge for up to 8 hours which is way above the industry standard but very necessary as you head off into the wilderness. The additional features of an MP3 player are also useful here but of course will reduce battery life. The system comes out of the box with a 12/24V cigarette socket cable and a 240V mains power adapter.

The state of the art SiRF star III GPS receiver provides accurate fixes and UK maps come as standard with European as optional. The unit offers Bluetooth connectivity so updates to the maps, software and safety camera database can be downloaded via your mobile phone. Alternatively the box includes a PC USB cable to download updates from you home computer.

The display is a full colour 3.5 inch touchscreen with a vibration proof windscreen mount. Like the standard Navigator 7000 the input interface can be very confusing - it is by no means as simple to operate as the TomTom or Mio in the same price range, but once out of the car there is more time to fiddle with the input so the issue is not so negative.

Whilst in driving mode, the unit puts great emphasis on warning when approaching speed cameras. The whole range of Road Angel's navigation products pinpoints this feature as a top selling point, arguably to the detriment of its actual navigation abilities. Audible warnings are given for accident hotspots, primary schools and other congestion zones as well.

If what you really need is a dedicated car navigation system then it has to be said there are better and cheaper options on the market today, but if you really do want to take it on an adventure, then this will probably cost you less than buying two individual systems.