GPSOZ

I bought a Hema Navigator about 4 months ago in Alice Springs, halfway into a trip around Australia, when my previous gps setup died a horrible death on the corrugations.
The family we were travelling with had one, and they loved it. We were about to do the Canning Stock Route together and it was important that we knew where we were!

Unfortunately for me, halfway into the trip up the Canning, the unit stopped working just when we needed it the most. I had had the unit out one night, looking at the topograpical maps and maybe the battery had run right down. The next morning when I started the car, the unit wouldn't come on. Thinking it was just because of the low charge, I left it charging all day and eventually the light went from red to green. It still wouldn't turn on, however. I just had a green light but a blank dead screen.

Given the importance of knowing where we were in the desert we decided to open the unit up and check for any obvious problems or loose connections. My friend is an electrician and is used to working with fragile components so I let him open the unit. Everything looked okay so we carefully detached and re-attached the battery. This fixed the problem - the unit turned on immediately and worked fine for the rest of the trip up the Canning.

About 2 months later we were in Darwin and while using Route 66, the screen froze. I had no choice but to turn the unit off and on again. When I did this, Route 66 wanted me to re-register on a web-site and refused to let me see any of its maps. I didn't have the registration details at hand so was left with just the 4wd navigation on the Navigator.

The 4wd navigation worked fine through Arnhem land and across the top-end but disaster struck halfway up the Cape. We were driving through Lakefield National Park when for no apparent reason the whole unit just spat the dummy. I don't remember the order but there was a general application error and I also remember seeing a windows CE screen with menus rather than the normal Hema Navigator front screen. We turned the unit off an on a few times, once or twice it seemed to work okay and other times we were left with nothing but the default map of the world to navigate on. I think it was soon after that that the SD card itself seemed to have wiped itself.
I tried using my friend's SD card and that sort-of worked. I don't think the unit liked the version of oziexporerCE he had?? I also tried copying the original files back on to the SD card. Likewise I think it might have worked once or twice but eventually all I saw was the map of the world.
So up we went along the old Telegraph Track with nothing more than an enlarged and pixelated outline of cape york from the map of the world to guide us!

It was not long after that that the Hema Navigator refused to turn on again - just like we experienced on the Canning.

I am now in Cairns and decided it was time to ring up Hema Navigator technical support. I wasn't sure where to start as I was not sure if the many problems I have had where connected or not. So I started at the beginning. I didn't get very far - as when I mentioned that I had opened the unit up on the Canning the lady on the other end of the phone cut in and said I had voided my warranty. She eventually said she would get her manager to talk to me but he was in a meeting. She promised me that as soon as he came out she would catch him and get him to ring me. That was at 10am. I rang back at 11am to make sure they had the right phone number. I then rang back at 2pm and 4.30pm but no message and no phone call.

The time is now 5am the next morning. Last night I couldn't sleep. I spent nearly a thousand dollars on a Hema Navigator which has not worked as it should and when I try to talk to Hema Navigator I get the cold shoulder. Has anyone got any suggestions? When the unit works well as my friend's does I can see they are fantastic. But if it doesn't, as mine doesn't, shouldn't I expect more support?

G/day Sam. I have experienced a few problems with mine including a complete replacement of the unit (latest model)I cant praise the warranty more, but cant make up my mind if i love it or hate it, ring 0733400075 and talk to no one but Graeme. Les

Hi Sam,

Sorry to here of your woes. Our expreincve with Hema is that they are generally top notch in responding to queries and warranty claims.

However I'm not sure if I would only rely on an electronic device when travelling in the areas you mention. We have heard stories like yours from various customer all commenting on how their electronic (GPS/sat phone, laptop, tothbrush, torch, engine management system) had let them done at some stage.

cheers
brian
(with paper map in his hand)