This article reviews the Sony NV-U73 sat nav system.
Functionally this device is very similar to the NV-U53 which has already been reviewed. Rather than repeat what has already been published, this review will just cover the differences between the two systems. I recommend you read the NV-U53 review first and then come back here to compare both systems.
In a nutshell the U73 offers the following advantages over the U53:
- European mapping
- TMC
- More memory
Box Contents
This is what you get in the box.
- Sony NV-U73
- Vehicle suction cup mount
- Vehicle power cable
- TMC antenna
- USB computer cable
- Quick start guide
- CD-ROM containing application software
The only difference from the U53 is the TMC antenna which you attach to the windscreen and then plug into the side of the U73.
Detailed Specifications
The detailed specifications for both devices are almost identical. They look, feel and weigh exactly the same. The only differences are as follows:
Built-in flash memory
NV-U53: 512Mb
NV-U73: 2Gb
Map Data
NV-U53: United Kingdom and Ireland, plus partial coverage of Belgium and Northern France as far South as Paris.
NV-U73: 21 countries - Andorra, Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Monaco, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, San Marino, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom, Vatican City.
TMC
NV-U53: No
NV-U73: Yes
On the side of the NV-U73 is a socket for plugging in the TMC antenna. Apart from that, it is identical in looks to the NV-U53.
Navigation
The NV-U73 uses exactly the same mapping software as the NV-U53, so it was no surprise to find it selected exactly the same routes as the NV-U53.
Mapping
The main advantage for the NV-U73 over the NV-U53 is the inclusion of European maps covering 21 countries. Here are example routes to Monte Carlo and Helsinki.
You can also navigate to Points of Interest (POI) within mainland Europe. The NV-U73 seems to have a pretty decent sized POI database for mainland Europe. Here is an example of sporting facilities in Rome. There were many more listed than you see in the picture below.
Safety Cameras
The NV-U73 has an impressive set of safety camera features which cover the following:
- Fixed Cameras
- Red Light Cameras
- Average Speed Cameras
To activate the safety camera features you need to register the product with Sony. The registration process involves you providing the unique serial number for your NV-U73. Sony then provide you with a unique activation code which gives you a free 12 month safety camera subscription.
There are no ongoing costs for the safety camera service. Once the 12 months have expired, you can either continue using what you have or you can update to the latest speed cameras by paying for another 12 month subscription.
I found the safety camera features worked pretty well, detecting all fixed cameras I encountered. What I really like is that a voice tells you to “watch your speed” when approaching a camera.
Previous sat nav systems I’ve reviewed just provide a warning beep when approaching a safety camera, which may require you to glance across at the screen to see what the warning is. I prefer a voice warning, it saves me glancing at the screen.
If you also want the safety cameras displayed on the map then you will need to specify that in the POI settings screen. From the main screen select:
More–>Settings–>POI Settings–>Show POIs
Then scroll down and select from the following:
- Speed Monitoring
- Traffic Lights Monitoring
- Distance Traps
Further information is available at the Sony speed cam page.
The safety cameras also include red light and average speed cameras, although I haven’t had a chance to test these out yet. I will update later once tested.
It is uncertain whether mobile safety cameras are included, such as those in roadworks.
TMC
The NV-U73 includes TMC (Traffic Message Channel). The idea of TMC is that it will warn you of traffic problems ahead, such as road closures, and dynamically re-route you around the problem.
To activate TMC on the NV-U73 you need to take out a £20 subscription with Sony. This is a one off payment that is valid for the lifetime of the product.
TMC uses the same RDS channel used by commercial radio stations, so reception will vary depending on what radio stations are available in your area.
Initially I was unable to acquire a TMC signal during testing, but I believe this is down to my local area. Once I had driven further afield I was able to pick up a steady TMC signal on the Classic FM frequency.
There is another radio station which broadcasts almost on the same frequency as Classic FM where I live. I think this cross-channel interference prevented me from acquiring a TMC signal at home. I found the TMC signal non-existent in North Wiltshire, South Gloucestershire and North East Somerset.
Once I had driven into Mid/South Wiltshire and Dorset I found the TMC signal held steady.
In all my tests so far there have been no traffic incidents on the routes I’ve driven, so I haven’t had an opportunity to test how accurate TMC is yet. I will continue using TMC and will report back any further news.
I have though received some useful comments from one of my readers (Darrel) who mentioned that TMC reported a number of false positives, where it reported lane closures when there was none. Perhaps this is a time lag problem, where an earlier travel incident which has been cleared up still shows as a problem on TMC. On another occasion though down the M4 and M40 it worked really well for him.
There is an option in the TMC settings screen where you can set the NV-U73 to either recalculate the route ‘Automatically’ or ‘On Request’. Setting the option to ‘On Request’ might be a good option so you can decide for yourself what to do when TMC reports a traffic incident. You can access the TMC settings screen by selecting More–>TMC Information from the main screen.
Be prepared though for TMC not to work at all in certain parts of the UK. I’ve heard that the TMC service is far better on mainland Europe.
Issues Found
One thing I don’t like with the NV-U73 is the battery indicator. When fully charged the NV-U73 displays a white battery icon on the screen. During testing I noticed this icon suddenly changed to an orange icon indicating that the battery was almost empty.
It seemed strange it would change from fully charged to almost empty in the space of a few minutes. I would have expected the battery icon to slowly change, such as showing the battery as ¾ full, then ½ full, etc. Bear this in mind if using the NV-U73 when not connected to a power source. The battery may drain quicker than you expect.
The other issue I have with the NV-U73 is button presses being ignored. If anything it is worse than the NV-U53 which suffers the same problem. This is only an occasional problem, but when it happens it gets really irritating. This looks like an issue with the touchscreen as using either a ballpoint pen or your finger nail works better. I hope Sony can improve this in the future.
Summary
Overall this is a good sat nav system. The navigation works well and it has a decent set of European maps and Points of Interest (POI) pre-installed. The NV-U73 includes some nice features like voice directions including road names and voice warnings when approaching safety cameras.
I’ve yet to decide whether TMC lives up to all the hype. My advice is to take all the hype cautiously. It does have the potential to provide a useful service but be prepared for the service to be patchy or non-existent in certain parts of the country.
The suction cup on the nav-u range is one of the best I’ve tested so far. You can use the suction cup on the dashboard rather than the windscreen which is a big plus point for me. It is easy to remove too and doesn’t leave any suction marks behind.
The NV-U73 has the potential to become a great sat nav system if Sony can address the issues mentioned earlier, and improve some aspects of their support web site, which has come in for some criticism from several readers.
Pros
- Wide 4.3” screen
- Strong GPS signal
- European maps covering 21 countries
- Accurate up-to-date mapping software
- Voice directions include road names
- Voice warnings for safety cameras
- Easy to use on screen controls
Cons
- No wall socket AC power charger – need to buy one separately
- Buttons presses often ignored
- Unable to enter house numbers when navigating by postcode
- Battery drains quickly when not connected to power source
Despite the NV-U73 weaknesses, this is still the sat nav system I personally use, even though the Garmin Nuvi 250W is better. The voice directions including road names and dashboard suction cup are the main advantages over the Nuvi 250W for me.
Where to buy
Buy the Sony NV-U73T Widescreen Sat Nav for £169.99 from Lemon Digital. Quote “Technical Itch” when ordering for a special price promotion discount.
Buy the Sony NV-U73T Widescreen Sat Nav from Amazon.
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93 responses so far ↓
1 Sony nav-u NV-U53 Sat Nav Review // Jan 17, 2008 at 8:15 pm
[...] If like the look of the NV-U53 but want TMC and European mapping then take a look at the NV-U73 review. [...]
2 Bob // Jan 22, 2008 at 12:55 am
Another good product of Sony…But, I think Sony should also fix the battery system. However, good fitures is nothing if the battery getting low during the important moment. Especially, when we can not find any power source arround.
3 Dean // Jan 23, 2008 at 4:04 pm
I agree. In my tests I found two issues. When the unit is charged via USB a green light is displayed indicating that charging is complete.
However, on disconnecting the unit from the PC and switching on Sony, the battery indicator on screen does not reflect this. You have to do a factory reset before the battery indicator shows fully charged.
In addition, I found the battery only lasted for 90 minutes which is a long way short of what the manufacturer claims.
Sounds like some work is needed in this area by Sony.
4 Brian Coaker // Jan 27, 2008 at 1:43 pm
Hi I read your review for the Sony NU53 I bought it at Halfords this morning for £99.99p but not being that good at setting things up I am having trouble setting home address,it asks do you want to set it ,I agree then I type in the address and press the green tick and it just sits there I switch it off and on again and it asks me do I want to set the address,any help out there ,after all it’s your fault I bought it plus it was cheap.
5 james horgan // Jan 31, 2008 at 11:02 am
i have a Sony NU53..
was trying to update the maps on line but failed…
can it be done???
or where can i get the sofware to update them and how much does it cost..
6 Dean // Jan 31, 2008 at 8:47 pm
Hi James,
The maps on the NV-U53 are dated Q1 2007 and are the latest maps as far as I know.
There is a link below for downloading maps but it doesn’t say what date the maps are.
Sony NV-U53 Maps
They are probably the same maps you already have installed on the NV-U53.
7 Ron Hughes // Feb 1, 2008 at 9:47 pm
Don’t buy.
Why do you have to “Accept” conditions every time you turn it on?
Why do you have to confirm which country you’re in, every time you set a journey or detour?
Should a SatNav really take you off a dual carriageway over a roundabout, then back on again?
Sorry, someone ought to learn about User-Ergonomics.
8 Ron Hughes // Feb 1, 2008 at 9:51 pm
Oh, one more gripe……………..
Data Entry keyboard layout should be Qwerty, not ABCDEF. It was after all designed to be used by over-18s, not pre-kindergarden kids.
9 Lars // Feb 12, 2008 at 11:25 am
Hi
The voice directions including road names seems to be a very nice feature. Does anyone know if it supports Swedish as well?
10 Dean // Feb 12, 2008 at 12:47 pm
Hi Lars,
Just to clarify. It only calls out road numbers, for example “Turn left onto the A4″. It does not call out road names, such as “Turn left onto West Street”.
I would have thought road numbers in voice directions is suported in all European countries, but I suggest you phone your local Sony support to check. Let me know what you find out. Thanks.
11 CLIVE LABAND // Feb 13, 2008 at 10:43 am
SONY NVU 73T user
Great product, but unfortunately like most people I keep CD’s in the car too. The SatNav Rubber Suction Cup came into contact with one of my CD’s….disaster as the suction cup ruined the CD, tearing off the silver leaf from the CD and worse it remained glued to the essential rubber suction cup rendering it absolutely useless as it will NOT stick to any surface at all.
The good news is that SemeNedis(Sony’s UK parts distributor) Sony will supply a new rubber cup -the bad news is that it will take 2-3 weeks (not good) AND it will cost an arm breaking £38.87 delivered!! Nearly 40 QUID for a Rubber Suction Cup that costs mere pennies to manufacture. SemeNevis were unable to comment whether many of these items were actually sold to other consumer victims suffering similar rubber cup failure.
I think this price is way too much, even extortion would seem reasonable in comparison. This information certainly is not given to purchasers who would perhaps reconsider their purchase before it was made. It should be.
Let’s make this clear – If I had known how much I was likely to be ripped of, I would not have purchased a SONY SATNAV.
Please note that I have complained to Sony outlining the details above and will update when a response is received – hopefully it will result in a re-pricing exercise in favour of vulnerable customers.
12 Dean // Feb 13, 2008 at 11:23 am
Let me know how you get on. £40 sounds too expensive I agree.
My advice for anyone is to keep the thin protective film that came attached to the suction cup when first purchased.
If you reattach that film to the suction cup when not in use it would have prevented the suction cup getting stuck to anything else, it also helps to preserve the life of the suction cup.
13 CLIVE LABAND // Feb 13, 2008 at 4:22 pm
Thanks- I did get a nice call from Sony who are now aware of this posting who personally sympathised with the cost which “are set by SemeNedis not by Sony” -they advised to search via Google for 2nd hand units etc.
Whilst the call was pleasant it underlines just how bad a position any buyer of a Sony Sat Nav will be should they go ahead with a purchase. The kit is great, but until Sony comes up with a better solution for pricing and supplying its spare parts and accessories, then I would recommend other manufacturer products.
The Sony company line.. “Like No Other”… really undelines how much this sucks and how badly I feel let down.
Is the situation the same with Garmin and TomTom?
14 chris // Feb 13, 2008 at 10:02 pm
can someome please tell me if a tmc cradle works with the NV-U53 if so any ideas where to purchase this
15 Clive Laband // Feb 13, 2008 at 10:10 pm
The NV-U uses the same cradle as my blessed 73 - a number of the Sony Cradles are interchangeable. I’ve not tried to see if they backward fit lower models..the 73 for instance does not need a power cradle for thsi purpose. “Like no other”….
16 Clive Laband // Feb 13, 2008 at 10:12 pm
Forgot to ask…but please can you tell all of your friends and ask them to tell their friends how much a Sony replacement cradle costs.
17 Clive Laband // Feb 13, 2008 at 10:18 pm
Have just discovered that Halfords retail the TomTom Co520/720/920 Cradle AND Charger for a paltry £19.99 .. not cheap but at least they are in our solar system…I wonder what planet Sony are on? £38.87 without a charger -come on guys, come back down to earth where ordinary people buy Satnavs.
“Like No Other”
18 Clive Laband // Feb 13, 2008 at 10:20 pm
RB Offers Sell the Sony charger for £19.99, so does this mean that Halfords actually give the cradles away free?
Sony “Like No Other”
19 Lars // Feb 14, 2008 at 12:05 pm
Hi again
The swedish version does not suport road numbers in voice directions. I dont know about other countries. However I got myself an U53 today (£128 in Sweden). I will test it for the known problems and see if upgrade is avaliable here as well. Thanks for a good rewiev and forum.
20 Pippa // Feb 16, 2008 at 10:42 am
I was given the sony navu for christmas by my son he paid 189.99 for it and it has been nothing but trouble. The charger broke after 3 weeks of use and the suction holder has never held it on very well and to top it all last night the suction failed yet again to hold the sat nav to the windscreen and it fell off and hit the gear stick and smashed the screen rendering it even more useless than it was in the first place. unfortunately my son being 17 and paid cash for it has not got the reciept so am stuck with a driving job in London and no sat nav and having to buy a new one, wont be buying the sony thats for sure.
21 Dean // Feb 16, 2008 at 11:51 am
Were you putting the protective film back on the bottom of the suction cup when not in use? See comment 12 above for further details.
Too late now I know. Hope you have better luck with your next sat nav. Garmin are a good brand if you want to avoid Sony next time.
22 Pippa // Feb 16, 2008 at 12:00 pm
To be honest, I dont remember there being, thats not to say there wasnt one but I was about to move to london leaving my family and starting a new job and so suction pads were the last thing on my mind, it is a shame and was wondering if you had any suggestions on how to fix it, it is only the front that is broken, the sat nav still works as far as I am aware.
23 CLIVE LABAND // Feb 16, 2008 at 12:31 pm
Pippa, sorry to hear of you misfortune - so far, perhaps by luck rather than design I’ve avoided smashing the thing.
If you find no other remedy, I am potentially a buyer of the cradle if the rubber is still clean and in good nick!
24 Pippa // Feb 16, 2008 at 1:29 pm
The rubber is in good nick,I am currently trying to find a way of getting in repaired as the actual sat nav is ok, it is only the front glass that is broken, I am hoping it has not damaged the actual workings of the insides and can be replaced. If I cant get it fixed you are more than welcome to purchase it.
25 Jon // Feb 17, 2008 at 9:58 am
Hi,
just wondering if anyone knows where to obtain a cover for the unit. I have tried Argos (Supply problem!), Halfords (’do not stock it, mate?’) and a Sony Centre who gave me a high rate phone number!
Thank you,
Jon
26 Dean // Feb 17, 2008 at 12:50 pm
Hi Jon,
I haven’t had much luck searching for a case either. Is this the kind of thing you’re after:
Hard Shell Travel Case for SONY GPS Navigator
It’s only sold on the Amazon website in the US, not the UK one.
27 Pippa // Feb 17, 2008 at 3:42 pm
I have a case and a mounting unit if any one is interested, I would accept £25.oo for both as they are only 2 months old. If anyone is interested please leave message on this address with contact details and I will contact you.Regards Pippa
28 CLIVE LABAND // Feb 17, 2008 at 3:50 pm
Hi Pippa I’ll take the case -please email me on clive@laband.eu,
Many thanks
29 CLIVE LABAND // Feb 17, 2008 at 3:51 pm
and the mount…ouch wow so sharp I’d cut myself..
30 Jon // Feb 18, 2008 at 1:58 pm
Dean re:26,
Hi Dean,
thanks for the link, really all I want is a basic cover, Argos have exactly what I want (£20) in their catalogue but it seems they cannot obtain one.
Sony themselves do not even mention a cover on their website.!!
Regards,
Jon
31 Dean // Feb 18, 2008 at 6:05 pm
I found the item on Argos thanks. Out of stock at my local store too. I didn’t even know such a case existed until you told me.
You could improvise and try something like this:
Carry Case
Might be worth a go?
32 CLIVE LABAND // Mar 3, 2008 at 5:27 pm
Pippa kindly sold me her spare Sony mount –although it was for a higher model, the components apart from the actual cradle support/mount are the same.
I used a Stanley knife inserted between the words “Lock” and “Release” to prise away the small décor panel revealing the small securing spring washer.
Remove the spring washer with a small, sharp flat screwdriver and mini-pliers.
You then have 4 component parts:
1 Small Spring Clip Washer
2 Décor cap
3 Rubber Silicon Gel type suction cup which is actually a self ahedesive pad stuck to flexible plastic/rubber pad with a machined shank & spindle which slot into
4 Cup like female mount (this part would dismantle further)
It’s component # 3 which is the problem – Lemon Digital advise that the Sony’s are not being returned which implies that apart from being great satnav, that they are reliable too.
The product reliability will lead to more and more users requiring access to good, fairly priced suction cup components as this is the weakest part of the system and will ultimately require replace,ment no matter how careful the owner/user is –simple wear and tear will take care of this issue.
I am trying to find a rubber/silicon factory prepared to manufacture rubber silicon gel pad with self adhesive backs- replacement would then be a simple matter of removing the old pad with a Stanley knife, cleaning with say nail varnish remover and simply sticking a new pad on. This should take around 2-3 minutes and cost less than a couple of quid.
Any ideas who I can approach to manufacture this item and cut Sony/SemiNedis out of the get-rich-quick loop?
33 Tom // Mar 9, 2008 at 3:29 am
Hi all,
Does anyone know where would be best to find a mount for my nav-u82G. Been looking all over for one without TMC capabilities but no luck. Ain’t phoned sony up yet as its the weekend. How Amazon can justify £130 for the TMC model mount i dont know.
All I want is a suction cup mount suitable for the u82G, however sony dont seem to sell mounts in their accesories dept on their website! (what if the supplied one detaches and breaks?)
If anyone knows of anywhere that does a non TMC model or even one at a reasonable cost pref under £50 qould b great?
Regards
Tom
34 Dean // Mar 10, 2008 at 8:28 am
Hi Tony,
Clive had the same problem trying to find a replacement cradle. £130 is ridiculous I agree.
I found this link you could try:
NVACU5T Cradle
The link seems to suggest the item is now obsolete but an alternative mount can be used.
35 Graham // Mar 12, 2008 at 7:34 pm
I have a NAVU-73T. I have tried to connect to the PC but it just says ‘connecting’. I have tried to use the orange CD/DVD provided, but that just flashes the NAV-U screen & closes.
Not sure what is wrong, can anyone advise?
36 Dean // Mar 12, 2008 at 9:45 pm
Hi Graham,
It always show “Connecting” unless you’re transferring data to it (ie maps / speed cameras etc).
This part of the sat nav is not very well designed I agree. It is confusing. It really should display “Connected” rather than “Connecting”.
37 Kevin // Mar 15, 2008 at 8:16 pm
I have the newer 92T but want to say that the TMC thing is absolutely pants and i dont trust it at all, just listen to the radio. It doesnt work at all anywhere north of leicester. its rubbish. Sat nav on the other jand is the nuts i love it.
38 Dean // Mar 16, 2008 at 9:12 am
Hi Kevin,
I agree the TMC is patchy with these Sony sat nav systems. I found the same problem.
Part of the problem must be either down to the TMC antenna on these systems or whoever Sony use as the TMC provider.
I’ve since tested both the Garmin 600 and 700 series, in the same areas I couldn’t get a TMC signal with the Sony, and the TMC reception on the Garmins is excellent.
39 Chris // Mar 22, 2008 at 8:23 pm
My sony sat nav also fell off my windscreen and smashed the glass. If anyone would like to purchase any parts plasae reply on this site and I’ll get in touch.
40 Tom // Mar 22, 2008 at 11:31 pm
Chris, Im absolutely desperate to get my hands on a (suction cup) cradle for my nav-u82! Please let me know if you have yours still available. Its been a complete nightmare trying to get hold of one, as Sony has discontinued the item!
Please let me know on here or via email: weston.tom@gmail.com
Thanks,
Tom
41 CLIVE LABAND // Mar 23, 2008 at 9:46 am
Chris sorry to hear your news…..can you confirm what model you have as I need a spare antenna and another cup/mount for a Nav u73 please?
Thanks..email clive AT laband.eu please.
I potentially have the larger 83 mount to go, but sadly no suction cup
42 CLIVE LABAND // Mar 23, 2008 at 9:50 am
Seems Tom’s need for the cup maybe greater than mine… I still need the plug in wire antenna for the 73 model if it’s on offer and spare please.
Thanks email address clive @ laband.eu remove spaces thanks….;0)
43 Chris // Mar 24, 2008 at 8:43 pm
Will let you know guys, I’ve t,aken it back to Halfords who will let me know in few days if Sony will accept that the suction failed therefore it was not functioning properly….I don’t believe they will though!
44 CLIVE LABAND // Mar 25, 2008 at 8:42 am
Chris..just a thought.
If the SatNav is fairly new AND purchased using a credit card- many of the issuers offer insurance/protection up to 90 days which could possibly cover you.
45 ChrisP // Mar 25, 2008 at 3:38 pm
Hello,
I came across this site and the comments above whilst trying to find information on other people who’ve had the same problem with me regarding the Nav-U suction cups.
i’m not sure what model i have - U82 i think, a widescreen model but without the traffic alerts - the suction cup kept on failing whilst i was driving along despite me taking all sensible precautions as the problem grew worse. I contacted Sony initially to ask for a new suction cup since mine seemed to be faulty, only to be told there would be a charge for a new one and that there was no known fault with them. Eventually the Nav-U de-attached itself whilst i was on the motorway one day, and the screen cracked when it fell - Thus rendering the thing pretty useless.
I’ve contacted Sony (via John Lewis) again to ask for a repair/replacement free of charge due to the faulty suction cup - but they’ve told me that before they do this I need to provide evidence that other people have had the same problem with the suction cup.
Has anyone else had the same experience with Sony as above? It seems a strange request to ask for me to provide details of others who’ve had the same problem - i’m not quite sure what they are after.
46 CLIVE LABAND // Mar 25, 2008 at 5:23 pm
Pippa had the same problem and it’s detailed above.
Sony know about the problem and maybe it should be raised further using one of the consumer affairs correspondents for say the daily mail.
anna.tims@guardian.co.uk
She is not very good at picking email up, so maybe another paper might be appropriate.
Pleae keep us in formed and good luck.
47 nibbs // Mar 25, 2008 at 7:36 pm
hmmmmmmmmmmmmm
48 Chris // Mar 25, 2008 at 9:10 pm
Clive, thanks for the advice but I purchased with vouchers and cash regrettably. I have heard from Halfords today and Sony say they will repair it at a cost of £120!
Its a U53 if anyone still wants ant parts just let me know.
c.ferriday@btinternet.com
49 CLIVE LABAND // Mar 25, 2008 at 10:34 pm
Chris sorry to hear than they are being Sh*tes but that’s Sony. Darty in Fance sell the u73 for Euro 200.00 and you simply install in English,,, same product but once bitten!
I would be a taker of the parts - all I need then are 2 new rubber pads! Please can you email me on clive @ laband.eu and take out the spaces.
See if we can do a deal… it’s the antenna cable i most need apart from the mount.. I can take the whole package and see if i can canibalise to help anyone else later.
Many thanks in advance.
Will pick up in the evening as I’m off skiing tomorrow for a few days. :o)
50 Tom // Mar 26, 2008 at 5:20 pm
Hi Chris,
Sorry to hear your news! Just emailed you concerning the mount.
Tom
51 Ian Baldwin // Mar 26, 2008 at 8:02 pm
Hi,
I have recently been given a NV-U53 for a present. The problem with my unit is that although it shows the correct time the ETA time is exactly 1 hour out, lets say I leave at 5.00pm for a known 15min journey the ETA will show 6.15pm.
Has anyone else come across this as a restart won’t rectify the problem.
Ian
52 Kieran Campbell // Mar 27, 2008 at 6:21 pm
I purchased and received yesterday a Nav-U 52, I followed all the instructions and 10 mins into my journey home this evening the thing became unstuck and cracked off the gear stick. The screen is now broken and the bloody thing is unusable- a full 24 hours after getting it. very unhappy.
will let you know what happens and will keep an eye on here to see if others have the same problem (it certainly looks like it)
K Campbell, Glasgow
53 Dean // Mar 27, 2008 at 7:11 pm
Hi Ian,
A few other people have reported this problem with the time being out by one hour. Perhaps it is a problem with the software switching to British Summer Time too early. See if the problem fixes itself once the clocks go forward this weekend.
54 CLIVE LABAND // Mar 27, 2008 at 8:33 pm
Keiran…sorry to hear that you too have a problem with the suction mount.
Can you please keep us informed what progress if any you make with Sony?The 53 is physically identical to the 73 just a different software/memory package so the screen and the mount are the same as a 73.
Clive
55 Bob Dinnage // Mar 30, 2008 at 8:11 pm
I too have had problems with the time keeping of the 53. It’s been OK up to today, but did not change automatically to BST as expected/stated. I found an update to the software on Sony’s website. But, requiring a reset, this has made the problem worse; resetting zeros the time, to midnight. So the only way out seems to reset the sat-nav at midnight each time the clocks move forward/back. Not impressive.
Bob
56 Carl // Mar 31, 2008 at 2:11 pm
Hi all,
First of all cracking site, thanks for the tips.
Bought a 53 model, it had the clock problems, read this site, went through the pain of contacting Sony, 7 weeks later my 73 upgrade exchange happened.
Hey presto, a new machine…….but…….the clock is 1 hour out and the sony-euro site is down so cannot upgrade, update or join the poxy TMC.
Wish I had found you before parting with cash at Christmas.
I do like the design and it works for me when out in the motor….so shall crack on and hope
57 Bob Dinnage // Mar 31, 2008 at 7:36 pm
Re: Comment 55
…but it did sort itself out today!!!
Bob
58 steve fox // Apr 1, 2008 at 11:27 pm
Hi…
I have been using the SONY NV-U92T for about 5 weeks now. I works as a multidrop driver delivering between 60 - 80 drops a day so can safly say i have extensivly tested this product!
1st the positive points.. It looks great… The disply & graphics are clear & easy to read.
Right, thats ccleared that up, now the not so positive points…
The unit can sometimes takes up to 10 minutes to aquire a signal, this can be frustrating if you are in a hurry. Once on the move, iv’e found the maps position to be 200 to 300 yards out of my actual position for example, when leaving a motorway, the unit wont catch up untill im at the top of the slip road. I found 2d mode is slightly better than 3d. This has caused me problems in small towns where you have a for example a high street that has a series of left right turns, the unit will be sereral seconds behind with instructions. Comon sence normally avoids more frustration…
On a number of occasions, when in navigation mode, the unit will instruct me to leave the main road only to try & put me straight back on it. This is hard work in central london where you then have to wait to pull back out onto the main road! The touch screen is also slow to respond, this maybe due to the large screen but often leads to asuming the unit didnt register the command so you press it again, this often confusses the unit & it takes a few seconds to gather it’s self & you try again!
There are other issues however, these are the major bad points so beware!!!
It is a shame that sony have made a great looking sat nav which will look cool in any car however, you will find the urge to throw it out of the window at least once a day
Hope this helps…
59 Dean // Apr 2, 2008 at 7:16 am
Thanks for the detailed write up Steve. It’s good to see how a sat nav system can cope when being put under heavy usage like you use it for.
60 steve fox // Apr 3, 2008 at 10:51 pm
Thanks..
I know i use it more in one day than some people use there’s in a year so the problems seem more apparent however, i’m suprised sony road tested the u93t & ok’d it despite these obvious problems.
61 Richard // Apr 4, 2008 at 12:38 pm
It seems that the NVACU5T cradle is the achilles heel of this otherwise great satnav product. Like many others my cradle now regularly detaches from the dashboard and windscreen. Fortunately the sat nav itself is still intact, but the suction cap has picked up dust/etc and as it cannot be cleaned is effectively useless.
Sony (both on the phone/e-mail and their parts supplier allsonyparts are useless. Sony say go to parts supplier, parts supplier say go to Sony!!!
Everywhere else is out of stock and some are even asking for £130 (clearly they buy the complete sat nav kit - split it and resell the satnav and cradle as 2 components to make a killing
Does anyone know of an alternative cradle solution (apart from velcro!!!!) If anyone wants to sell a cradle let me know. I would have taken an inferior sat nav with a functioning and replacable cradle if I had know what a nightmare a replacement would be.
Come on Sony - there is a market out there - exploit it at a reasonable price !!!!!
62 Tom // Apr 4, 2008 at 9:16 pm
Couldn’t agree more Richard..!! Point well made..
63 steve fox // Apr 8, 2008 at 12:11 am
i too have had problems with the suction cup coming unstuck… If you give it a wipe with a damp cloth & dry it with you finger, its seems to stick again… for now!
64 Chris // Apr 11, 2008 at 8:35 am
Hi I have a cracked screen too, can any one help if so please email me on alpesh.patel@hrowen.co.uk
65 Mark // Apr 12, 2008 at 6:30 pm
I purchased a U53 two weeks ago and was really pleased with it until this morning when the cradle fell off the dashboard, nav unit hit the gearstick and the screen smashed - exactly as a few others have said. Rubbish design Sony, I won’t be buying another.
66 Clive Laband // Apr 13, 2008 at 7:14 am
My new suction cup mount fell off the screen…luckily the U73 satnav screen did not shatter.
I wonder what would happen if Sony were sued for what basically is a faulty product…the log from this forum would be overwhelming proof.
Sony have really pulled out some cunning stunts to con so many people.
67 Kieran Campbell // Apr 16, 2008 at 3:40 pm
update on my situation-
i luckily got a full refund from the seller. they admitted that it’s not the first time they have had them returned to them in such a short space of time bearing damage from lack of suction.
I will not be buying another Sony Satnav.
68 Richard // Apr 20, 2008 at 3:25 pm
After reading all the comments I felt I just had to join in. I purchased a NAVU92T six months ago and although the unit has had little use the suction cup started to degrade at the edges and then failed to stick to the dash. I contacted Sony and they told me this wasn’t covered under the warranty and that I would have to buy a new one. After hearing the price around £60 I went back to Sony and demanded a replacement. They agreed there was a problem with this item and after returning the faulty part they sent me a new one in ten days without charge.
One last point has anyone else noticed that when you activate the spped and direction option from the settings menu the compass shows WEST when it should be EAST and vice versa. However, north and south are correct. I reported this to Sony some weeks ago and they said they were aware and would create a ‘patch’ to download to correct the problem but nothing seen so far.
Finally, I live on the south coast and the TMC reception is useless although the Ford unit fitted to my wife’s car is always active.
69 Dean // Apr 20, 2008 at 7:06 pm
Thanks for letting us know about the TMC coverage. It’s good to know what other areas can’t get reception.
The TMC reception on the Garmin Nuvi 700 series I’ve tested has always been rock solid. Something about the Sony, either the antenna or something else, gives patchy TMC reception.
70 Richard // Apr 21, 2008 at 11:43 am
I also asked Sony just how often they update their safety camera data but noody could tell me. Thankfully I have a Talex Lite which is updated weekly and positively identifies all the changes and there have been many - none of these appear on my Sony so I don’t rely on it.
71 Chris W // Apr 26, 2008 at 10:05 am
On the support website for the 53 and 73 at sony it now says that product support for these and other models will now be phased out and further details will be e-mailed to me. I assume that this will not be anytime soon but will be over a period of years. I had the 53 with the time problem, called sony, 3 days later and only the one phone call my 73 arrived no probs. Does anyone know of any sites that already/are looking at providing speed camera or map updates? I know that sony will eventually stop supporting these products but if there is somewhere else thats doing it cheaper, now then it would be a bonus. Cheers for any help.
72 CLIVE LABAND // Apr 26, 2008 at 11:41 am
Phasing out the old new models is logical as they are 4.3″ v the latest 4.8″ models -Kinda pointless in producing both when there is no discernable difference in the underlying kit, software or production costs -keeping both only increases the production costs so for SONY it’s an oxy moron…same number of broken screens, crap suction mounts and an ever increasing number of swindled users!
#3 out of many un-happy users.
73 Rustem // Apr 27, 2008 at 4:36 pm
Wanted to start using my N73 today. However, the loading never ends and the screen fliskers changing the loading mode with Nav mode. Anyone had the same problem?
74 Dean // Apr 27, 2008 at 6:44 pm
A couple of people have reported problems where the screen keeps flickering, although that was on the U53 models. I would phone Sony on 08705 111999 and ask for a replacement.
75 Mike // Apr 30, 2008 at 11:27 am
Actually pretty happy with my U53 in the car. The main weakness seems to be with the PC interface and the PC support in general.
I had assumed that I could configure the device at leisure on the PC and maybe fine tune some of the config options - but no, I have to make do with Sony’s idea of “Optimum Route” without any way of adjusting it to my driving preferences. “Fast route” can add thirty or forty miles of motorway driving whils “Short route” can add thirty minutes to a 100 mile journey for the sake of saving a couple of miles.
I had also assumed that I could purchase European maps to expand the U53 coverage as and when I needed. This does not seem to be an option. I feel short changed because the ability to download maps is part of the spec. Only being able to update the installed map with one of uncertain date does not seem to meet that spec.
76 Rustem // Apr 30, 2008 at 3:10 pm
Solve the flickering problem by simply resetting the device. Anyway, Dean, thanks for reply!
77 Adrian // Apr 30, 2008 at 7:48 pm
Clive Laband says that the phase out is for non 4.8″…but the list given is for every one listed on the site, even the 4.8″ ones. I was going to get one of these but this has put me off. Are they quiting making sat navs, or is there a whole new range coming??
see http://support.sony-europe.com/hotnews/eve/mapupdate/phaseout.aspx?l=en&m=NV-U53
78 damon kirk // May 3, 2008 at 6:15 pm
Hey people, i HAD u53 and because of the gps clock being one hour out, they swapped it within a week for the u73, i highly reccomend people do this, i know of 4 people to do this and they swap it immediately. They just send a courier to your house pick up your 53 and swap straight over for the 73, but does anyone know if voices can be changed like on the tom toms, humour type voices. Cheers Damon
79 Dean // May 3, 2008 at 10:04 pm
Hi Damon,
The voices can’t be changed on these models.
80 damon kirk // May 5, 2008 at 10:49 am
thanks for the info dean
81 Adam // May 11, 2008 at 10:51 am
I dont use the supplied holder for the Sony… instead I pop out the little bit of plastic at the back and then slot that into the fans on my dashboard! It positions the unit nicely to my left just above my radio
It just so happens that the thickness of the mount is slightly thicker than the gaps between the fan grilles on my Ford Focus- fits nice n tight
82 CLIVE LABAND // May 20, 2008 at 8:56 am
Hi Adam,
What a great solution for you, and no danger of the suction cup detatching! On the off chance that you may wish to sell the u73 mount I would be a willing buyer? Please feel free to email me on cliveatlaband.eu replacing the “at” with @.
ATB…Clive
83 HW // Jun 2, 2008 at 9:26 am
Hi - I have aNV-U83G, recently acquired.
I have an annoying problem: the clock is exactly 8 hours out and there seems to be no way of changing the time on the unit - any suggestions? Thanks
84 Rio // Jun 2, 2008 at 12:53 pm
Anyone know where to get a sony suction cap from or an alternative that will fit a nav-u?
Thanx
85 Dave Francis // Jun 2, 2008 at 6:51 pm
Hi, purchased the Nav-U 53 in January and have only used it 3 to 4 times the last time the touch screen stopped working completely. Only being 4 months old, took it back to Halfords who promptly told me they would not exchange it but Sony only repair??
Has anyone else suffered the same problems.
I would like to know how you got on, as phoned Sony UK and they want nothing whatsoever to do with the problem except pass me the details of the local repair centre.
86 Dean // Jun 4, 2008 at 8:33 am
HW - The clock time is picked up from the satellites. Have you tried doing a factory reset of the U83 to see if that fixes it?
Rio - The suction cup has been a hot topic on this forum. Replacements are available (see comment 11 above) but they are very expensive. I don’t think anyone else has had any luck sourcing a cheaper alternative.
Dave Francis - The only problems I had with the touch screen was this it sometimes would not respond to presses. You would have to press the button 3 or 4 times before it would respond. If the touchscreen has stopped responding altogether then I’m not sure where you stand. Not sure why Halfords won’t exchange as I presume it comes with a 12 month guarantee.
87 Dave Francis // Jun 4, 2008 at 6:47 pm
Thanks Dean, for your info contacted Halfords Head Office and they tell me that they are following Sony Instructions, so buyers beware, they were interested to know about the Recalls on this Unit and about the Clock Issue which also was a problem with mine before the screen failed.
88 HW // Jun 5, 2008 at 8:52 am
Dave - what was your clock problem? See my post 83: I am about to send my unit to Sony for them to repair (you can fill in a form about gettin a product repaired on the sony.co.uk web page via home>support>repair service). It is freepost and although I’ll be without the unit I trust I can get a repair or some other remedy.
89 Adrian // Jun 6, 2008 at 10:07 am
More on post 77, I had an email from Sony to say that they are no longer making sat navs…went & got the Garmin 250w…not 100% perfect, but none of them are. Happy enough.
90 Richard // Jun 6, 2008 at 10:58 am
Have to say I had a Navu 92T. I was very disappointed with the unit. Fortunately, Argos took it back and I purchased a Garmin 250w instead. Wish I had bought this model in the first place albeit the sound quality is somewhat tinny.
91 rebugra // Jun 11, 2008 at 10:24 pm
From where it is possible to download it Sony nav-U53 brings for the new map update?
92 Dean // Jun 12, 2008 at 8:12 am
This is a good place to start:
http://www.navu.sony-europe.com/consumer/selectCountry.do
93 Dave // Jun 13, 2008 at 7:57 am
After 8 Days have at last had a reply from the Sony Support Section Re: NVU 53. When it comes to customer service, they say I should return the unit for repair, if they had taken the time to check they would have found out that they had already received it via courier from the retailer, but ha ho you live and learn, I purchased a Garmin 250w which is 100′/, better than the Sony. Anyone looking for a cheap sat nav will find my one on e-bay shortly He He.
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