jenkothewanderer Posted February 25, 2009 Share Posted February 25, 2009 I use PC Navigator 8 software via a laptop coupled to a GPS receiver. When mapping a route you have the usual options,fastest,shortest,cheapest,toll free roads etc, etc. Like a lot of motorhomers I tend to want to use a combination of all categories. On a recent trip to Spain (first use of sat nav) I plotted a route and used way points as a means of mapping my desired route using a few toll roads on certain stretches to avoid congestion but mainly using the route nationals. I checked the route on the laptop by scrolling the route and everything looked fine. With Gps receiver working fine set off on route and all went well until on a major road A28 to Rouen the sat nav asked me to come off the A28 and go back, as I knew this was stupid as I know this route well I ignored the sat nav. It followed by stating it was re-calculating route so I thought all would be well. No chance at the next exit it repeated the instruction to go back. I assume it must have missed a way point and wanted to go back even though it had recalculated the route. If I mapped a route with start and destination with no way points everything worked fine but I had to let the map software determine the route from the category selected. I appreciate PC Navigator 8 may not be widely used but has anyone come across this sort of problem with this or any other sat nav system. I know you will probably tell me to buy a TOMTOM but I like to get to explain away problems and not give in till I do. Any help would be appreciated. Ps. The trip to Spain went well, did not get lost and the better half read the maps perfectly. She could not understand why I needed sat nav at all. It did prove useful for finding aires using co-ordinates. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davenewellhome Posted February 25, 2009 Share Posted February 25, 2009 Hi Jenko, I use an aging VDO Dayton MS5000 sat nav system and I have experienced this too. The reason is that I put in a way(via)point by locating it on the map and selecting it as a via point. On dual carriageways for example I have to zoom right in to the finest detail level to make sure that the via point is on the correct side of the road or the sat nav will want me to detour off the road and return on the other side to pass through the exact via point. Care and attention to detail have prevented it happening since. D. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Kirby Posted February 25, 2009 Share Posted February 25, 2009 Yep, they don't seem to respond well to waypoints that are missed by too wide a margin! As Dave says, put it on the wrong carriageway, or hit a diversion, and the only thing to do is stop when you can, and then delete the waypoint. What they seem to do best is calculate a route from wherever they are to a single end point. Even inputting a start point, so that you can generate a route to inspect before setting off, causes some trouble, as the unit has to recognise that it has left the start point before it will start plotting progress. Put the start point too far from your actual point of departure and it wont know it has gone!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jenkothewanderer Posted February 25, 2009 Author Share Posted February 25, 2009 Hi D thanks for that reply and yes on my early routing problems that is exactly what I had done, put a way point on wrong side of carriageway. However on subsequent routes I magnified the road to ensure the correct side but the problem did persist. All the waypoints were clearly identified on the roads I were actually using so i cannot understand why they should miss, does speed play a part ? No way points were near tunnels and that is the only time I lost sat signal which was quickly restored. Regards Jenko Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Homenaway Posted February 25, 2009 Share Posted February 25, 2009 Hi, We have Pocket navigator v7 which is the same software basically but runs on my PDA and have found that it does have the same problem of trying to get back to a missed waypoint :'( Not sure if other satnav software does this. Also in both car and truck mode even when set to shortest route it will try to stay on dual carriageways and main A roads. When I tried it on local routes it could direct me miles out of the way so I don't use it much except to find aires and sites when say ten miles away where waypoints aren't needed. It was a lot cheaper than the market leaders but as prices are dropping by the month I'll wait and see before I get an upgrade. It worked well in Eastern Europe - The program designers MapFactor are based in the Czech Republic I think :-D Steve Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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