Editorial on the MS-5000 Satellite Navigation System, Conrad Anderson UK

Hands-free Navigation by Barry Crawshaw

Barry Crawshaw describes how a navigation system can constantly pinpoint your position on a map, and guide you to where you wish to go (MS-5000). Featured in the MMM April 2002

When you programme a route, you may be on a campsite and therefore off the fully mapped area (in general, only public roads). The system cannot then give full driving instructions, but is still shows the direction and distance to go to join the mapped route.

Introduction
Tired of wondering around country lanes where there are no signposts, looking for CLs? Fed up with trying to get through cities for which you do not have a street map? Do you become ensnared by one-way loops? If so, it is time to consider buying a navigation system.

Muriel and I do enjoy using good maps, and literally hoard street plans. But road closures, changes of layout, lack of clear signs, temporary obstructions, and a hundred other snags still make route finding difficult - especially if you are entrained in a stream of impatient drivers.

Although I test many pieces of equipment in my own 'van, I only keep those those that justify their cost and the space they occupy. However, I have at last been persuaded to take a navigation system for a while - in order to tell you what it entails, and how useful it is. Not only can such a system work out a route for you according to your requirements and guide you along it - but recalculates an alternative way to your destination. And it never gets excited or gives up!

So what does it do? To reduce it to its simplest elements, the system shows you where you are, and guides you to your destination. There are several brands of system that do this but, from here on; I'll stick to the particular product that I am testing. It is the VDO Navigation System, which is now made by Siemens (formerly by Philips).

At its heart is a computer with a CD drive that reads the necessary map information from a disk. A monitor displays a map on which the planned route and the 'van's position and direction of travel are marked. Switching to a second screen, you see guidance on what to do at the next junction. These two screens can be combined in a third, 'split-screen' display. In addition to this visual information, guidance tot he destination is given by voice prompts before each manoeuvre.

The map screen. White line shows selected route. Vehicle marker is black ring with pointed. Inset is distance to next turn, with direction.

Guidance screen shows distance to the next junction (top left), name of the next road (top), name of the present road (below diagram), and distance and direction to the following junction (lower right) .

Split screen display.

Before getting down to detail, this introduction must include a caution. Safe driving is paramount. I have frequently argued against using a mobile phone while driving: even 'hands-free', a driver's attention is partly occupied by conversation. Looking at a navigation screen requires a longer glance tan does a speedometer or a compass. That is not to belittle the eligibility of the display, even on a screen a mere five inches wide. Detail is crystal clear, the text eminently clear and roads (red, yellow, or blue) contrast sharply against the ground colour (pink or grey). Even so, in my view a driver should not look at the screen (and does not need to do so) except when stopped, such as at traffic lights. So that brings me to the navigation equipment and its location.

The equipment
The monitor is the business end of the system. It is commonly mounted in the middle of the dash, so that passenger (navigator) and driver can see it equally well. As I disagree with this practise, I have chosen a spot well to the left of centre, right up against our map table that adjoins the windscreen pillar. The monitor seldom needs to be touched (there are just three buttons for picture parameters), so it does not need to be within easy reach of the navigator.

The flat screen monitor measures only 17cm x 10cm (6.7in x 4in) and is not heavy at 0.5kg (1.1 pounds). It is provided with a roughly semicircular baseplate that can be either screwed to the dash or stuck using its self-adhesive face. Alternatively, you can make up your own mount to avoid direct fixture to the dash. Fitting a visor above and beside the monitor can reduce reflections that make it had to see the screen display. I have not found this necessary.

The combined computer and CD reader. Access to this box (about 19cm x 17cm x 6cm; 7.5in x 6.7in x 2.5in) is only occasionally needed to change the disk, but the unit must be firm and horizontal; though a vertical-mounting version is available. It is commonly mounted under the passenger's seat. In my 'van, we fitted a ply shelf across the seat box. Screwing the computer on this shelf left ample clearance between the computer and the underneath of the seat, and meant that all the space inside the seat box was still available for storage. The connecting cable is routed forward under the cab carpet.

The controller. The comprehensive handbook refers to this as a 'remote control' but, as this miniature keyboard spends most of its time connected to the system by cable, I'll call it a controller for short. It is usual to fit a bracket for this on the face of the dash. In the Ducato, it goes neatly between the glove box and the left-hand fascia vent. Electrical contacts on the controller connect it to the holder in which it rests, the holder being hard wired to the system. The controller can, however, be lifted out of its holder and used as a remote (when it is powered by two AA cells, which can be of the rechargeable type).

The GPS aerial has to be able to 'see' enough sky without being screened by metal panels. The front edge of the dash by the windscreen is usually satisfactory. In a 'van with a GRP roof and overcab, there seems to be plenty of GPS signal anywhere inside: my hand-held GPS receiver seems to 'track' wherever I sit to use it.

Speed pulses. For precision short-range display of the 'vans position, the computer needs continuous feed of the 'van's speed. This information may be obtained from an adaptor fitted in the speedometer drive from the gearbox. Alternatively it may come from pulses already in the engine's electronics.

The monitor was positioned towards the left of the dash.

Installation
This consists of fixing the equipment in position, routing the plug-ended cables that will interconnect it to the 'van's 12V circuits. The total power requirement of the system is 2.5A. There is direct (unswitched) feed to the computer, and a 'sense wire' (usually from the ignition switch) to switch the computer on and off.

I soon found that I did not like the ignition switch being involved. Bear in mind that you would often programme a journey while on site or parked elsewhere. In a modern 'van, when you turn on the ignition, off goes the domestic DC supply (and with it the lights, heating fan, and anything else you might want to have running - thanks to the 'EMC' relay). In my 'van, turning on the ignition also sets off the buzzer that warns the folding step is down. Looking at it another way, there will be many local journeys for which you don't need the navigation system on. The only advantage I can see of ignition-switch control is that you cannot park and leave the system running down the engine battery, I am assured that there is nothing against supplying the navigation system from a separate switch instead of the ignition switch. It would, of course, be wise to include a conspicuous indicator light to remind you that the system is on: if you set the monitor to 'standby' the screen goes dark, and there's nothing else to tell you that the system is on.

In addition to the two wires already mentioned, the other connections to the base vehicle are to earth (chassis), reverse light switch (for change of direction), headlights (brings the display to night mode), and for the speed pulse. One further wire allows the radio to be muted while voice directions are being given by the navigator.

What about DIY installation? I was told by the installer that there is nothing that a careful owner who is reasonably conversant with the 'van's 12V system could not undertake. The time-consuming part is routing cables neatly, made easier if you can remove parts of the dash facing. Connections involve soldering and fitting tags. Components are stuck, screwed or bolted in place. On completion, there is minimal setting up to be done with the software. VDO Dayton actually discourages DIY fitting and does not sell the equipment direct to retail customers. There could, of course, be a significant cost saving: take the advice of the dealer.

A further consideration. Once you have spent your money and acquired the navigation system, you have a superb monitor that can be used in conjunction with other hardware. For example, a little modification to a cable loom and the addition of a changeover switch allowed the pictures from my reversing camera to be displayed on the navigator's monitor. Apart from dispensing with the camera's original monitor, the rearward picture is of very much higher quality than before.

Any PAL signals, such as from a camcorder, TV, or entertainment system can be accepted by the navigation monitor by way of a 3.5mm jack socket. Specific items available from VDO Dayton are a Multimediabox/TV tuner (TV5000); a GSM Communication Interface Box (MG5000) for mobile telephone connection; and Traffic Message Channel (TMC), for more on which see below.

The computer was mounted on a piece of ply fitted to the top of the seat box.

The GPS aerial was stuck near the windscreen.

The system in use
The operation of the computer and monitor is governed entirely from the controller. Single buttons adjust the volume of voice directions, repeat the last instruction, calculate an alternative route, and switch between display screens. Other buttons take you through the various control menus.

As a map. On the CD map of the British Isles, virtually every street or road is named or numbered. Urban areas, rivers, and lakes are colour shaded. The 'van's present position is shown by a small circle containing an arrowhead, whose direction shows in which direction the 'van is facing. This direction is detected by a gyroscope in the computer, which therefore allows the screen to display the north direction. This means that you scarcely need a separate compass, which, even if corrected for deviation, is still subject to errors from transient currents in headlight and wiper cables. The map can be orientated to have north up, or head up (direction in which the 'van is facing is to the top of the screen). You can have the 'van's position symbol move across a stationary map, a page at a time; or have the 'van in the centre, and the map scrolling past (only in north up). With the wide zoom range, the full width of the screen can represent from 2/3 mile to 500 miles. And it is easy to switch all displayed distances between miles and kilometres.

Thus, you can use the system purely as a map across which your progress is displayed. Not surprisingly, the menus include one for calculating such things as average speed, distance travelled, journey time, etc. This menu even allows you to set a speed above which a warning gong sounds. You could use this to alert you to exceeding the speed limit, but it needs a few key strokes to change that speed value, and to switch the alerting on and off. I shall need more time to decide whether this function is helpful in practice.

For guidance. For the computer to work out a route, you have to tell it two things. One is your priority for the kind of route, such as fastest, shortest, and avoid or use motorways or toll roads. The other is your destination.

The destination can be selected in four ways. 1. Type the town, street (and even the house number). To do this, the controller operates a simulated alpha-numeric keyboard on the screen. Entry by grid reference is not possible. 2. Call up an address stored in the computer's address 'book'. 3. Select one from a long catalogue of features such as filling stations, shopping centres, churches, and tourist attractions (no campsites, I am afraid); then choose from the map, or a list, the individual one of these that is your destination. 4. Move a marker across the screen map to your destination, and store that location.

You can also specify what, in other contexts, are usually called waypoints. In this system, they are 'via points', and can be entered in much the same way as your ultimate destination. The system guides you to the via points in turn, then to the ultimate destination.

An on-screen menu. This one sets the speed at which audible warning can be enabled.

As you may imagine, it takes a while to get used to jumping between menus to programme routes by all these methods. The handbook is very detailed and there have been only a few questions to which I have not found an answer; but the instructions are interspersed with hints and extra information, so checking on basic steps is slow. I wrote the keying sequence for the basic routines on a few small cards for quick reference.

After you have activated a route with the press of a single button, the computer takes only ten seconds or so to calculate the first stage of a 100-mile route, and to give the first driving instruction. You can have the on-screen guidance presented in one of three ways. The first is with a map, as described above, with your route traced across the map by a distinctive white line. Information on your next turn is shown inset by a diagram, and distance to go.

Alternatively, 'guidance display' shows, in diagram form, the layout of the next junction and any side roads prior to it, with the route conspicuously in green. The name or number of the present road and of the one to turn into are shown. The distance to the turn counts down continuously in miles or yards (km or m). Lots of other information is there, too, such as a running ETA at the destination.

The third option, which I prefer, is 'split screen' on which each of the above modes occupies half the screen. With any option, the voice guidance gives advance warning of the next manoeuvre, followed by full directions at around 100 yards before the turn. If possible, lane planning should be done following the advance warning, for you may be committed to a lane by the 100 yard point.

If you miss a turn, see the new road is blocked or too narrow, or for some other reason depart from the calculated route, the system (in just a few seconds) plans how to get you back on track; and updates the map, diagram, and voice guidance accordingly. It will go on doing this however far you drive, unless you delete the destination.

If you learn of a serious delay ahead, you can specify one or more additional via points that will take you on a detour around the congestion. This is the halfway stage towards automatic re-routing. This has just become available in Britain, but is well established in some Continental countries. The installation of a suitable (TMC) receiver and the use of the TMC version of the map disk allow the computer to use traffic congestion data to calculate an alternative route automatically whenever necessary!

Preliminary conclusions
At the time of writing, the days are at their shortest and the weather is at its winter worst. I have not used the system on tour, and trials so far have been confined to a few hundred miles of contrived journeys on deliberately cross-town routes and all kinds of roads. Even with some understanding of how it all works, I am still amazed to see that marker moving across the map to within perhaps ten metres of the true position as judged by passing side turnings. This position finding is so useful in unsignposted rural areas.

I have found destination entry by map and by address book to be the easiest. Entering a street name in a town is fine, but the system may not locate a village or rural road by name as a destination, even if it appears on a map. Address entry is based on a town name. Entry by 'point of interest' has been the least successful, partly because the list of categories is so long, and partly because the database seems far from complete: perhaps the operators of filling stations, visitor attractions, etc. have to pay for inclusion on the maps.

Finally, the route guidance has been faultless. Only time will tell how often the system chooses the roads I would have chosen. If I ask for 'shortest route', I shall have to accept that the system will sometimes use a road that is uncomfortably narrow for a motorhome. And it cannot, for example, warn about bridge heights: you still have to be one hundred per cent alert in your driving. After a few thousand more miles, I'll give you some further impressions.

Practicalities
Supply and installation
To request a brochure on the MS5000, contact VDO Dayton (or Conrad Anderson) at the telephone numbers below. VDO Dayton Navigation Systems are supplied and installed by some 30 dealers around Britain, the majority of whom have experience of installing in light commercial vehicles.

The system for this demonstration and trial was fitted by Steve Anderson of Conrad Anderson. This company carries out installations at its own premises (address below), at a nearby campsite or CL, or at the 'van owner's home or other suitable location. This company hopes soon also to have installers for motorhomes based in the north of England and in central Scotland. Conrad Anderson's charge for the MS5000 system, including installation, is £1500. Travel to the 'van owner's address is charged at 35p per mile. Conrad Anderson also offers technical support for DIY installation.

The equipment
Information about traffic congestion carried by radio in the Traffic Management Channel (TMC). Using a suitable receiver, the VDO Navigation System can use these signals automatically to recalculate your route when an obstruction ahead is detected.

TMC was due to come into operation in February 2002. It is already in use in other countries as shown below. To use appropriate TMC signals, you need a receiver MT5000 costing around £150.

The map disk that is bought initially by most customers is Great Britain with Belfast and Dublin. map disks with TMC cost about £150 and are available also for the following countries: Benelux, Denmark, France, Germany, itlaly, Sweden, Switzerland. Maps without TMC cost £100: they are available for the countries listed above and Austria, Australia, Canada, Norway, Portugal, Singapore, Spain, USA. Map disks are updated twice a year.

Contacts
Siemens VDO Trading, tel: 0121-326-1234.

My system was installed by specialist installers Conrad Anderson, 57 Sladefield Road, Ward End, Birmingham B8 3PF (tel: 0121-247 0619, or 0800 2796939; fax: 0121-247 0974; web site: www.conrad-anderson.co.uk).