Sat Nav Reviews

You are here: Home > Binatone Carrera T430 Uk Review > Road Test

Binatone Carrera T430 Uk: Road Test

part of our review of the Binatone Carrera T430 Uk on Monday 11th August 2008

We took the Binatone T430 Camera UK out for a comprehensive road test and here's what we found.

The Score Sheet

Appearance

Out of a possible 11, the T430 scored 10. As a mid-range model, it has a standard mid-range 4.3 inch widescreen. If the screen was just one more inch wider, it would have scored full marks.

Having said that, the model is compact and neatly organised in terms of screen layout. We acknowledge that at some point there has to be a trade-off between size, cost and desirability. Perhaps the market isn't ready for a 5 inch screen (desirability), perhaps the cost is too prohibitive (cost) or quite simply, not many people want a 5 inch screen in their vehicles. As a rule of thumb, systems with larger screens are generally preferred by truck drivers, van drivers and motorhome drivers.

Packaging

The box the T430 is supplied in is medium in size, due only to the length of the reversing camera number plate mount. A car charger and mains charger is supplied as well as a USB cable, despite the lack of software.

A comprehensive printed manual is supplied which is great news for those who like to flick through a manual and discover little gems we didn't know existed in the system.

The screen mount supplied is compact and robust, a tremendous improvement from previous Binatone models.

Overall, the T430 scored 12 out of 15.

PC Software

No software is supplied with the Binatone T430 UK so this section is disregarded.

A USB cable is supplied, presumably to load the system with MP3 music and MP4 videos for use in it's media player.

The website doesn't offer any downloads at present although previous models have seen additional speed camera database downloads so perhaps these will soon be made available for the T430.

Support

Full telephone support is offered by Binatone.

Unfortunately, it looks as though the maps aren't upgradeable (although judging by previous models the speed camera database is). This seems to be universal across the Binatone range which is a shame. It would be great to see upgradeable maps sometime in the future as a selling point as that would result in longer model ownership. If upgradeable maps were ever offered, offering the ability to upgrade the maps on registration for free would ensure up-to-the-minute map accuracy.

Out of 5, the T430 scored 3.

The System Itself

The system turns on very quickly. There's a master on/off switch on the rear that helps to prolong the battery life. When you switch this on for the first time (and then switch the unit on), you have a licence agreement screen, then the main screen. Even this is quick! Using the on/off button at the top takes just a couple of seconds to get going.

The screen quality is very good, with no glare or reflections thanks to the coatings.

The system has all the basic functionality plus some mid-level features such as an MP3/MP4 player (you have to exit the mapping application to use this), itinerary planning, Bluetooth capability as well as speed camera alerts and expandable memory.

The system itself does not come with traffic functionality although this appears to be an optional upgrade, although we cannot confirm this.

The reversing camera functionality deserves a special mention too. This is the first time we have seen such a feature integrated with a satellite navigation system and we love it! Having not got a reversing camera at present, it was novel to play around with the bundled camera. The picture quality was superb, even in wet and dark conditions.

Out of 23, the system scored 20.

The Road Test

The T430 is very easy to use. The menu layout is instinctive meaning it is extremely feasible to plan your first route very quickly without having to read the manual.

The postcode mapping was flawless although we forgot to put a space in the middle on the first attempt (e.g. we should have put AB12 3DE but we tried to put AB123DE).

The POI file is comprehensive but is perhaps not as logically laid out as we would prefer. For instance, we couldn't find Tesco under shops. Luckily the search facility enabled us to find it. Also, Castell Coch is a historic monument but was listed under attractions and theme parks. Again, the search helped us out there.

The planning times and distances were perfect, with time being out by seconds and distance no more than 1 mile.

As for the actual test drive, all destinations were found expect for Castell Coch. Whilst it located it at the right place, it failed to navigate us correctly to the entrance, leaving us 1 mile away. In fact, had we have listened to the system, we would have been taken in the wrong direction and then persistently told to make a 'u-turn'.

The re-route was a little slow taking 20 seconds against our benchmark of 15. This was not disastrous however as the re-route occurred before we reached the roundabout at the end of the slip road.

Overall, out of 30, the T430 scored 27.

Would We Recommend It?

Yes. The system is easy to get to grips with making it ideal for beginners yet it has a wide arrange of features making it ideal for experts. It's an all round system that could be used for a whole host of purposes.

It's especially ideal for camper van drivers as the bundled reversing camera would come in handy for reversing in campsites and in tight lanes.

The Totals

Given everything that we have discussed, the Binatone Camera T430 UK has been awarded 85% in our thorough test. A bigger screen would make it more accessible for those with larger vehicles. The POI file organisation needs a bit of work as does the positioning of certain Points. Nevertheless, this is a robust system with enough to keep everyone happy.

Additional Binatone Carrera T430 Uk Review Pages

Live Binatone Carrera T430 Uk Prices On Tuesday 6th January 2009

Compare Binatone Carrera T430 Uk prices at Compare Sat Nav.