Philip's Navigator Atlas Choice

[Sea Dog]

OK, Santa's coming soon and he might turn up with one of these as I understand they show canal bridge numbers and other useful stuff. However, there's a Navigator Britain and a Five Star Navigator Britain at similar prices. Which one do you think Santa should bring?

[MtB]

The Five star one. I have one in each boat and one in the house. BRILLIANT mapology!

[Scholar Gypsy]

Santa is thinking of bringing a fan to go on the top of a solid fuel stove, for use say 10 days each winter. She doesn't want to spend silly money. Any tips please?

 

PS It doesn't need to fit down the flue on the boat. We have a large chimney at home.

 

Edited November 27, 2015 by Scholar Gypsy

[Richard T]

Santa is thinking of bringing a fan to go on the top of a solid fuel stove, for use say 10 days each winter. She doesn't want to spend silly money. Any tips please?

 

PS It doesn't need to fit down the flue on the boat. We have a large chimney at home.

 

A redundant computer fan wired into a 12v circuit sited above the stove. Much cheaper than one of the fancy ones - the current draw is negligible. We have one and it works.

[DHutch]

I can't comment on what the '5 star' version adds, but I have a five yo copy that's great, less used now I have satnav on my phone, but invaluable for bridge numbers and when you run out of signal.

 

Daniel

[Nightwatch]

I have one. It is good.

 

Heavy though. But very. Good. I show the boss where we are whenever we moor up so she knows in case something goes wrong and emergency services are required

Edited November 27, 2015 by Nightwatch

[Jim Riley]

I think there are now Chinese copies of stove top fans for about 1/3 the price. Must be worth a try. I'm a fan fan btw, have one twizzing away all winter on the stove at home.

[MtB]

A redundant computer fan wired into a 12v circuit sited above the stove. Much cheaper than one of the fancy ones - the current draw is negligible. We have one and it works.

 

How does the 12v computer fan speed vary with stove heat?

 

This is the most useful aspect of a stove fan. It gently keeps you aware of the combustion status of the stove while your mind is occupied with other things.

[MtB]

The Five star one. I have one in each boat and one in the house. BRILLIANT mapology!

 

 

CORRECTION:

 

I've just checked my copy here in the boat and it's not the Five Star version. I was convinced it was!

 

I think the difference is the binding. This non-'Five Star' one is spiral-bound and I think my Five Star ones have conventional book style rigid glued spines. The rigid spine makes the book more durable and nicer to handle as the spiral spine makes the (large and heavy) book all floppy and more easily damaged.

 

The spiral spine on the other hand means the pages open out fully flat unlike the conventionally spined version, which means none of the map detail gets lost in the valley you get where the pages are glued into a conventional spine. I can't decide which version is better!

 

The later versions show both bridge numbers and all the locks. VERY useful!

[DHutch]

 

 

I've just checked my copy here in the boat and it's not the Five Star version. I was convinced it was!

 

I think the difference is the binding. This non-'Five Star' one is spiral-bound and I think my Five Star ones have conventional book style rigid glued spines. The rigid spine makes the book more durable and nicer to handle as the spiral spine makes the (large and heavy) book all floppy and more easily damaged.

 

 

If true that would make sense, mine is ring-bound and a few pages are a little loose, and the ring is now also broken in the middle. However the same time you can fold it back on itself which makes it smaller in the car, and its had a lot of use and abuse in the 6-7 years I have had it, including living in the rear footwell its whole life with only a 99p road atlas for protection.

 

 

Daniel

[cuthound]

I have a one since 2001. Excellent atlas. When I bought mine, there were three versions, but none named 5 srar.

 

The versions were north, south and all of the UK. Mine is the full fat version.

 

Very useful when people want to meet you on the boat, as it shows roads, locks, bridge numbers and pubs.

[Sea Dog]

Thanks guys! They're on Amazon see, so I haven't had a touchy feely look. Both appear to be spiral bound, and the 5 Star titled one has a comment in the reviews bit about the bridge numbers being harder to see than they used to be - I think he meant scale change rather than he'd lost his reading glasses!

 

The longevity of the pages in the spiral binders get some criticism in both. So really it's down to what the latest editions are like in terms of canal features and their clarity I suppose. Does anyone have one of those?

 

It wouldn't surprise me to find they're the same with different title pages, but a visit to Waterstones won't sort that cos they're unlikely to carry both.

 

If anyone does have a newish one, write quickly so I can get my note off to Santa before this thread turns into Stove Fans again!

[MtB]

I have a one since 2001. Excellent atlas. When I bought mine, there were three versions, but none named 5 srar.

 

The versions were north, south and all of the UK. Mine is the full fat version.

 

Very useful when people want to meet you on the boat, as it shows roads, locks, bridge numbers and pubs.

 

 

No pubs marked on mine that I can see. Are you sure?!

 

I have a spiral bound one here, ISBN 978-1-84907-142-0. Price marked on the back as £19.99

[cuthound]

No pubs marked on mine that I can see. Are you sure?!

 

I have a spiral bound one here, ISBN 978-1-84907-142-0. Price marked on the back as £19.99

Yes, on mine some pubs are shown on the the 1:100000 town centre tourist maps. There are none shown on the 1:200000 maps though.

 

Mind you my copy is getting on for 15 years old! Mine also cost £19.99 when I bought it.

[Mac of Cygnet]

I have one. It is good.

 

Heavy though. But very. Good. I show the boss where we are whenever we moor up so she knows in case something goes wrong and emergency services are required

 

OK, but what info does it have to call emergency services? They won't know about bridge numbers (which are usually shown in Nicholson's anyway).

[Sea Dog]

Well, I can answer my own question a bit now, because Waterstone's had both! The difference is that the 5 Star is a bit more compact than the plain old Navigator at the expense of scale. The Navigator is 1.5 inch to the mile, the 5 Star 1.78 inch to the mile. Otherwise the detail and rrp is the same, and the Truckers Atlas is pretty much identical too. The Truckers Breakfast info seems to be in all variants, so maybe there's no great reason to pick that one.

 

They all have Bridge Numbers, with canals clearly shown. Locks are shown too, but I found a couple in places where locks are shown but there are none (Hanbury Junction). Still, it's bridge numbers that are handiest in my view, enabling you to switch from Nicholsons canal and a few hundred yards to full detail to see what's beyond or to plan pick up points for visitors, etc.

 

All three variants I found were 2014 editions, and all were spiral bound.

 

Thanks to all who contributed; I hope my input is also helpful to others. I'll be asking Santa for the Navigator rather than the 5 Star.

 

 

ETA an example about misplaced locks.

Edited November 28, 2015 by Sea Dog

[DHutch]

Mines 2007 7th edition, the main maps are 5/8inch to the mile (or 1.5 miles to the inch, 1:100,000), with "tourist information at 1:100,000 and 1:200,000" and at the back 'approach' maps at 1inch to mile, and city centre maps at 4inch to the mile.

Edited November 28, 2015 by DHutch
added clarity

[Sea Dog]

Mines 2007 7th edition, the main maps are 5/8inch to the mile, with "tourist information at 1:100,000 and 1:200,000" and at the back 'approach' maps at 1inch to mile, and city centre maps at 4inch to the mile.

Oh Crikey, they were a lot more detailed then, or at least easier to read at that scale! No wonder the Amazon reviewer said it was much more difficult to see Bridge Numbers on latest versions.

[DHutch]

Oh Crikey, they were a lot more detailed then, or at least easier to read at that scale!

 

Just edited my post to add more clarity, but 5/8inch to the mile is the same as 1.5 miles to the inch. So it hasn't changed between the 2007 and the 2014 edition.

 

The detailed 'approach' and city centre maps don't have bridge numbers on them anyway.

 

Not every bridge is number, but enough to the job. I never used the approch/city pages at the back.

 

Daniel

[valrene9600]

A redundant computer fan wired into a 12v circuit sited above the stove. Much cheaper than one of the fancy ones - the current draw is negligible. We have one and it works.

Agree 100% effective.

[Fu Manchu]

 

Just edited my post to add more clarity, but 5/8inch to the mile is the same as 1.5 miles to the inch. So it hasn't changed between the 2007 and the 2014 edition.

 

The detailed 'approach' and city centre maps don't have bridge numbers on them anyway.

 

Not every bridge is number, but enough to the job. I never used the approch/city pages at the back.

 

Daniel

I think 5/8 inch to the mile is the same as 8/5 miles to the inch i.e. 1.6 miles to the inch.

 

But please don't ban me for contradicting the site owner!

[MtB]

Agree 100% effective.

 

 

Disagree. Barely 50% effective.

[Sea Dog]

Disagree. Barely 50% effective.

Also zero percent entertainment value, eh.

[DHutch]

I think 5/8 inch to the mile is the same as 8/5 miles to the inch i.e. 1.6 miles to the inch.

 

But please don't ban me for contradicting the site owner!

Well, yes, ok.... near enough! Would you have been happier with 17mm?

 

 

Daniel

[Fu Manchu]

Well, yes, ok.... near enough! Would you have been happier with 17mm?

 

 

Daniel

 

Sorry!

 

Sea Dog had said "The Navigator is 1.5 inch to the mile, the 5 Star 1.78 inch to the mile." and you seemed to be introducing yet another scale factor.

 

I've just worked out that 1:100,000 is 1.578 inch to the mile.

 

So I'm totally confused.

 

And as for being happier with 17mm, please, please, not. I'm even more confused about millimetres. I only ever used proper units like inches and miles, not metric ones. When maps were 1 inch to the mile I sort of understood them.