Marine Electronics

Auto navigation systems or sat nav systems, as they are frequently referred to, are in nearly every new car or truck that is purchased these days. But what about older cars and trucks?

Older cars and trucks can also take advantage of these new auto navigation systems because of the different installation options open to drivers. An auto navigation system does not have to be installed by the manufacturer of your automobile.

In fact, there are many third party installers of auto navigation systems: there are 'specialist technicians, garages will do it or you can do it yourself. True, you may run into difficulties if you want to cut a hole in the instrument panel of your car or truck and you may be unwilling to remove your CD player in order to install one, but there are also loads of models that can be attached by other quite simple techniques.

Furthermore, if you do not only travel by car, there are other options that you may prefer, such as the portable options so that you can take your sat nav in your boat on the water with you or on a bicycling or hiking vacation.

These portable devices range in quality, but they still work well and are becoming better all the time. Satellite navigation by laptop or PDA is another option that offers good quality mobile information.

The major problem with conventional paper road maps is that they are out of date before you get them. Some of them are years and years out of date as they may have lain on a bookshop shelf for a very long time.

In contrast, GPS or GPRS satellite navigation systems normally provide information that is up to the minute on important information like traffic jams or floods and up to the hour on lesser problems.

This up to date intelligence is being typed into the database twenty-four-seven by thousands of intelligence providers world-wide and then sold on to the people that manufactured your sat nav system.

You automatically buy a license to access that data when you buy your sat nav system. However, you may have to renew your license every year.

When it comes to choosing one of the auto navigation systems, remember to check the service and licensing particulars. Another point to bear in mind is the cost of the auto navigation system and its installation cost. Having sat nav fitted by the producer of your vehicle is the easiest alternative, but it is by far the most expensive one too.

You perhaps pay between double and treble for this method of installation, but if you are buying your vehicle on finance, well, you will be paying interest on that for five to ten years as well and that will mean that you will pay closer to ten times what it would cost to have sat nav installed by a third party.

It is unquestionably worth bearing in mind when you go to purchase a new car and see one of those fantastic auto navigation systems pre-fitted.

Owen Jones, the writer of this piece writes on various subjects, but is presently concerned with the fleet management tracking system. If you would like to know more, please go to our website at Laser Temperature Gun.

It was seven-ish and I was sitting in a pleasant-enough room overlooking the front entrance to the pub above which I had just moved in. The pub was the Pig and Whistle on Soi 7 in Pattaya. Across the lane was a large hole, which they were hoping to build a hotel in and next door to that, just opposite me, was a tiny bar with one woman sitting on a stool outside it. Not that there was a wall there, it was open on two sides. The Soi was nice and peaceful, I thought. I also thought that I might go and sit in that little bar and talk to that woman, if my friend was late, because I would surely see him arrive from two metres away, the width of the Soi.

So, I went to the bar in the pub at 19:15 to await my friend who said he would arrive at 20:00. It was much busier than thirty minutes earlier but not noisy and I sat at the bar. The first thing a barmaid did was say hello, give me a menu and step back. I did not really want to eat, I only wanted a beer as I assumed we would be eating together later, but I wanted to read the menu anyway.

'A pint of Boddington's', I said. It arrived and the girl began laying a setting for me. I tried to explain that I was not hungry, but it was no good. Like in Spain, most people eat and drink at the same time. All the while the girl was smiling at me. Then she said: 'You live upstairs? My name Charli. What you want to eat?'. So, I gave in and ordered something and rice.

'You first time in Thailand? You no can eat. Too spicy', she said with a smile. 'Oh', I replied, 'but I want to try. 'I put only 50-50 for you', she declared and went.

I struggled through that meal and it took a Boddingtons and a bottle of water. Charli had been right, it was too hot for first-time foreigners and she had reduced the chilis by 50%. I have always listened to a Thai's guidance on food ever since.

I moved to by the window to see what was happening as it was dark by 19:30 and I was curious. Within thirty minutes Soi 7 had changed completely. I could see hundreds of girls and tourists milling about. I wanted to go out and join in or at least sit in the quiet bar across the way, but I'm ashamed to say that I was too frightened, so I sat put, rivetted to the Pig like a rabbit in a hunter's beam.

My friend arrived on time and after we had been chatting for an hour, he said: 'Drink up, I have someone I want you to meet'. This was it, we were going into that mele. A waitress held the door for us and the noise and the heat were tremendous. Especially the noise. Every metre at least two or three girls would yell: 'Hello, sexy man, you want a drink'. Trying to say no courteously to each call was impractical, so I just stuck close to my pal.

Luckily, we only had about fifty metres to stroll and we sat down in another bar. My friend said hello to several ladies and then said, this a girl I have been going out with for some time. I was astounded as I had never heard him talk about her, ever. She was gorgeous, but could not speak English, so I sat in the din in silence. Not for long through, as my friend said, I have a blind date for you and he introduced another girl to me who was equally beautiful, but with whom I could speak a little. She was captivating and I was captivated. The pandemonium seemed to pass away, but it was only because I was concentrating on my new friend. The four of us had the best time and the best food I had ever had in my forty-nine years of existence.

If you want to know how to get a UK visa, please go over to our website now at How to Get a UK Visa

Boys and girls of all ages like trains and train sets. They have played a vital part in the history of this country and Seattle, Washington and the Northwest in particular. In fact, the roles of trains in this region of the country have in the past been so vital that there are a few museums devoted to them. Trains were essential supply routes for the population here for many years. While their importance seems to be diminishing in today's society, their importance throughout the history of our country remains.

If you really are a train enthusiast, then it should not be hard to talk you into stopping by Seattle's Train Center before and after touring the museums devoted to trains and their importance in history. The Train Center offers a wide selection of model train parts and pieces that would make excellent additions to your train set or a great beginning for a train set for you or your kids.

After you've whetted your enthusiasm for trains and gotten your child all excited about them, it is time to take a walk back in time to the Northwest Railway Museum. There you can learn about railway history or even choose to take a ride on one of the trains that departs on several tours throughout the day. Most of the excursions are 65-75 minutes long and are a great extravagance for young and old alike. Perhaps the best thing about this museum is that its main objective is to educate the public about the important role that railroads had in the growth of this part of the country.

If you're really interested in sharing your affection for trains with the ones you love, you may consider taking a spin on the Spirit of Washington Dinner Train. This is a great way to not only get the experience of travelling the rails but to take in some of the beautiful Washington scenery and have a gourmet meal in the process. During the months of November through to April up to two children may ride free with a paying adult.

There are certain restrictions on the type of seating, but it is a great way to get the event at a vastly reduced price. There are also special events such as Murder Mystery Trains and Magic and Illusion shows in addition to certain holiday events as well. Be sure to check out what is going on while you are visiting Seattle and see if this is something that might interest you and your family.

If you are up for a not so short drive to Pasco (about three and a half hours from Seattle), you might find the Washington State Railroads Historical Society Museum well worth the journey. Be sure to remember that the museum is only open on Saturday and that the hours are restricted so this is a journey you need to plan in advance. The greatest thing about this museum to me is the fact that there are lovely little stories, like the blackboard that recorded the first snowfall at the depot each year and others such as this.

It is the little stories that do not necessarily make history that do make long-lasting impressions and I am happy to see this particular story is being shared. Just remember, when visiting any of these depots, museums, and train excursions that you definitely must bring your inner child with you in order to enjoy them as you should.

Owen Jones, the author of this article, writes on a lot of topics, but is presently involved with train sets for kids. If you would like to know more about train sets for kids, please go over to our website for some great offers.

categories: trains,locomotives,Seattle,train sets,vacations,holidays,travel tips,recreation,hobbies,kids and teens,families,history,outdoors,other

I first came to Thailand in 2004 and I arrived here more of less by accident. I had travelled a lot in Europe: Russia, Western Europe, Scandinavia, North Africa and north South America, but I had never found the time to travel to Asia.

One night, I was talking to a friend who had travelled extensively throughout the world and he was telling me about his favourite country, to where he had been returning year after year for fourteen years. Knowing my friend's experience as a traveller, I was very surprised to hear that he had been choosing to go to the same place in Asia for fourteen years.

I had to ask him which part of huge Asia held such an attraction for him and he said Thailand. I knew practically nothing about Thailand, except that I had had a few meals at a near-by Thai restaurant over the years. I also knew from collecting stamps as a boy that it used to be called Siam. Anyway, my friend asked me if I'd like to go. I said that I would 'one day' and meant it.

He surprised me by saying that he was going for a month soon and that I was welcome to go with him. I answered that I had a few jazz festivals to go to soon and maybe I would, if there was at least a month between them and if I could get a flight and if... I could hear myself putting him off, but I did not know why.

A number of hours later, I went home and being a keen Internet surfer, I checked out a bit about Thailand on the travel brochure sites. It looked really fantastic. The prices were good too except for the flights. Hotels were cheap to reasonable and food and drinks prices were insignificant compared to where I lived. So, I checked the dates of the two Jazz festivals and they were thirty-three days apart. Now for the flight. I spent well into the next morning checking flights and found one for the day after the first festival leaving from our local airport. It was not the cheapest flight, but it gave me more time.

In a reckless moment I booked it there and then online. I then found an inn with rooms to let online that my friend had said he went to on quiz evenings and guessed that they would be open by now serving breakfasts. I sent them an email and a response came back twenty minutes later. I had been lucky again. The boss was in the middle of checking yesterday's figures, when he saw my email come through. However, not sure of his Internet ability, he asked me to phone him right away. I checked my watch, it was still 4AM so I phoned.

He took my booking on trust and so I did not have to make a payment. I had heard about Thailand, made up my mind to go and booked the flight and room all within five hours and I could not wait for nine o'clock to come to inform my friend that I would be going too.

If you want to know how to get a UK visa, please go over to our website now at How to Get a UK Visa