Navitel RE 5 Dual test, i.e. a combination of navigation and video recorder

Navitel has added a unique combination of a video recorder and navigation to its offer. Unique for a reason, because the Navitel RE 5 Dual, tested by us today, not only integrates two car devices, but also cleverly combines them with each other, providing an interesting combination. How exactly does it look like? About it below.

First moments with Navitel RE 5 Dual

The 2-in-1 video recorder comes in a large box. We find in it a car holder in the form of a suction cup with two-part adjustment (tilt “up-down” and angle in the form of a ball), a warranty card and a user manual with a version in Polish, a short miniUSB to USB-A cable and an approx. 150 cm long cable for powering the equipment from the cigarette lighter socket. The video recorder also has a stylus hidden in an interesting way directly in the housing.

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The entire assembly process is undemanding – we just need to properly position the suction cup on the windshield and connect the power cord to it. Importantly, the suction cup and the video recorder are connected through a cleverly thought-out and strong magnetic mechanism, so it is very easy to take the most important element of the RE 5 Dual home with you. This is important because we can not only view the recordings and photos from the computer, but also (above all) take care of updating the maps and the list of speed cameras using the Navitel Navigator Updater software.

In addition, the RE 5 Dual is not difficult to use. Familiar with other Navitel navigations, they will find themselves at home here, and those who focus on the sphere of the video recorder will be satisfied with the most important settings. It should be emphasized here that it is not a combination of a video recorder and navigation from the top shelf, but rather the … “low-medium” one, which, however, did not negatively affect the quality of workmanship.

Navitel RE 5 Dual resembles a tiny tablet (88 x 18 x 132 mm) with very thick edges around a 5-inch TFT touch screen with a resolution of 480 x 272 pixels. The hard, dark gray plastic is hard to cling to – it is durable, scratch-resistant and pleasing to the eye. The same can be said about the adjustment mechanisms and the suction cup itself. In other words, RE 5 Dual is not one of the devices that knock you on your knees with its design, but you can be sure that it will not fall apart after several years of use.

In terms of equipment, you can count on a miniUSB connector on a magnetic holder in the company of AV-IN for the rear camera (sold separately). The navigation-video recorder itself has a whole lot of elements at the same time. So, on the front, next to the screen, we find a microphone and an information LED, and on the back, a magnetic mounting connector with an adjustable lens, a stereo speaker hidden under two oblong holes, and a factory reset button.

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Moving on the side, the upper edge of the guests is a microSD card slot for recording (up to 32 GB) and the on / off button, in the lower corner of the right edge you will find long tabs, which will allow you to pull out the stylus (very necessary due to the small screen), and on on the left side there is a miniUSB power / transmission connector, a memory card slot with additional maps and a 3.5 mm jack port for headphones.

Navitel RE 5 Dual specification and capabilities

Navitel used an adapted version of Linux in the form of a system that is clearly a truncated one, considering that it is satisfied with 256 MB of RAM, an MSB2531A processor and 8 GB of mass memory. In addition to it, in RE 5 Dual, the manufacturer used an 800-mAh battery with a durability of only a dozen or so minutes of operation, a shock sensor, GPS, and an FM transmitter that can be used to generate radio waves in the car and thus play music from the SD card after the car receiver is properly set. .

Such a combination ensures relatively smooth operation with moments of doubt only in a few moments (mainly searching for a route and viewing an extensive map). However, despite the combination of two usually separate devices, Navitel managed to implement in the RE 5 Dual a whole set of the most important functions that the full-fledged navigation of this manufacturer has to offer.

In terms of what is most important, i.e. navigation, this model offers more than what we are used to by, for example, Google Maps. You can count on detailed maps of 47 countries (mainly European), the possibility of their lifetime updating, calculating the route time and choosing the best one, or receiving messages on a regular basis. Navitel RE 5 Dual also provides information about speed cameras, bans on specific roads (including speed limits) and points such as gas stations, toilets and shops. Of course, we can browse the maps before departure, check individual roads for a better understanding and zoom in / out as we see fit.

When it comes to recordings, it is caused by the combination of a 4-layer lens with a 140-degree angle of view with the GC2053NV matrix, which allows you to record in Full HD and take pictures in 2 Mpx quality. Below you can see how the recordings that are made in a loop (1/2/5/10 min) look in practice and are overwritten, if they have not been protected manually or by a shock sensor. They can be viewed and edited using the proprietary and pleasant to use Navitel DVR Player application for computers (when transferring files, insert the card into the map slot), but also directly from the video recorder.

In addition, we have prepared recordings for you using an additional Navitel HD Rear rear camera (available for purchase for PLN 89). It is enough to stick it to the rear window, properly position it and connect it to the main video recorder using a long (560-cm) cable. This allows you to record in 1280 × 720 and 30 FPS quality with a viewing angle of 100 degrees, using the SC1243 matrix. Unfortunately, this quality is not overwhelming, and its usefulness decreases at night.

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In such a set, Navitel RE 5 Dual shows its full potential. Then we get an accurate view of both the rear of the car (appropriate rear camera setting will provide you with a substitute for a rear view camera), as well as the navigation, which is displayed even in the form of an overlay on the currently recorded image.

Navitel RE 5 Dual test – summary

The RE 5 Dual is definitely one of those that can silence the whistleblowing voices of navigation these days. Indeed, combining it with a video recorder makes a lot of sense, but again the RE 5 Dual to buy at the price of PLN 550 is valued to such an extent by the navigation, for which we pay ~ 300 PLN. In itself, I would price the video recorder at about PLN 250 (comparing its capabilities to even the same manufacturer’s models).

Navitel RE 5 Dual is therefore for those who are constantly looking for navigation with the addition of a video recorder, and not a video recorder with navigation. You will surely be satisfied with this model, hence our recommendation, although I note that it is not a high-strength model on a single charge, and using it without a stylus is not so much impossible as it is irritating.