Has anyone used a GPS for MORE than 12 months?

[plumbersvan]

Has anyone used their GPS when its more than one year old? :-(

 

The reason im asking is my Garmin with about one year began directing me to every side road which might after a very long cross contry drive find the main road 8-) It also no longer found main roads 8-)

 

That is i would follow the signs & not the GPS which once on a main road would begtin to show its existence.I now use my Garmin for the "last mile" when looking for a camping van Aire with lat and long

 

:-S In mid January i bought a NEW tom tom which ive been useing to find towns and villages now its just THREE months old it too no longer finds the route 8-)

 

From Limoux i put in Toulose and it took me to Sete??Or would have had i not ignored it :-(

 

In Toulose i put in Cahors and it took me to Agen this time not having a map of the region i followed the tom tom when i passed several signs to Montauban i turned off and went into Montauban *-)

 

In Montauban i stopped and put in Caussade which id seen when i stopped to ask the way,the tom tom took me twice around Montauban and back on the road west??

 

I followed the tom tom again and found myself on the D69 direction Mirabel i climbed the steep hill on road to narrow to pass another van and had to stop while a car passed In Mirabel i chose the D20 which took me via a super town,to the route National to Cahors

 

Do ALL GPS units become less and less useful untill an update is paid for?But after say one year while the maps might be old they should still be useable and not be crippled

 

As tom toms only 3 moths old ill return it to have its maps looked at

 

Which GPS could i buy which has lat and long entry with free updates?With updates included it ought to continue to find the way even when its one year old or in tom tom case three months

 

Next stop Tulle as i can find that town with a map found at the tourist office

 

:-( :-(

[bolero boy]

I have had my Tomtom for about 6 years and feel that I am a very experienced user (also a loooooooong background in IT).

It is extremely unlikely that anything on the device will have changed due to its 1st anniversary more likely is that the operator might have something to do with it - a reset possibly or reloading an old configuration.

 

Anyway, it sounds to me like you have the device set to 'shortest route' which will do anything to minimise distance (generally taking short cuts on minor roads) rather than 'fastest route' which will guide you down fast A and B roads to minimise time as it knows narrow lanes are slow.

 

Does this mean the Garmin will be going in the bin next to the Tomtom??

 

Also, in all your previous requests for help with your Tomtom (yes, I know it didn't have lat/long input) you seem to choose to ignore it - I guess this won't change here, but good luck. ;-) ;-)

 

EDIT having re-read your post: On your Garmin, how do you input the town names: from a list, a point on the map or by lat/long??

 

I just wondered if you are having trouble entering lat/long as you seem to be heading off in completely the wrong direction often??

 

Do you check the route that the device has devised before setting off?? ie, getting some idea about the time, mileage and directuin you will be travelling.

 

It certainly seems that you are following these devices blindly, probably after inputting the coordinates incorrectly - this is sheer madness, please check next time or you will spend your life driving aimlessly around.

 

An old computer term: GIGO (garbage in, garbage out). :'(

[Tony Jones]

Mine's just over 4 yrs old - March 2008.

Came with UK & Western Eur on built-in memory.

Summer 2009 we needed Central Europe, so bought "W & Cen" update, which required a memory card.

Then last spring decided to update again, but only with UK & W Eur this time. Guess what - even that map now needed the memory card!

 

Throughout all this, we've had OCCASIONAL instances, both in UK and France, of being taken along very minor roads, possibly because they were wrongly categorised when the map was created.

Doesn't seem to have increased with age, or with the age of the map - it didn't happen any more often just before updating, even with a map 2+ years old.

 

Just one of those things?

 

But it's certainly a good idea to keep it set to "fastest" rather than "shortest." You can always add "avoid tolls" or "avoid motorways" when necessary.

[bertieburstner]

as per Bolero boy we have a 6 year old Tom Tom and it's great. You must put the towns in correctly (spelling is very important) and also learn to trust that once you have put the info in (and know you are right) then let it do it's job. I also think you have selected "shortest route" which unless you are in a bubble car is too dangerous

 

When I am abroad I always check the route by looking at the route I have chosen (choosing route detail) to check I am going in the right direction. Alongside a good map it is brilliant. Quite often it will direct me to a town /address that is in seeming contradiction to road signs.

 

If you don't take a map or don't check the route you have chosen then I believe you are relying on it too much

 

People blame technology too much these days for their own errors (lol)

[ips]

6 ish year old tom tom one. There are a few new roads it doesnt no so we seem to be driving through a field thats because I am to tight to spend £35 ish on an online update. Still works fine however when using for MH I still like a map to double check its not sending me down a stupid road

[Guest 1footinthegrave]

I have got a Tom Tom, and a Navigo that I have used for well over a year, but with the latest maps installed. BOTH of them despite setting my vehicle as a Bus, or Truck, or fastest / shortest, still on occasion drive me literally round the bend. Just last week when negotiating to find a CS near Telford they both plotted more or less the same route, no doubt thinking I would enjoy the view and experience of extremely narrow pot holed country lanes for miles and miles, funny thing was that relying on a good old fashioned map we later found we were just a stone through from a main road.

 

We have variously been led into a Milk processing plant, an express tramway system, and down dead ends, or the wrong side of a river with no nearby bridge, when she /he announces with a flourish " you've arrived at your destination. Some times everything is hunky dory, sometimes they are a joke, seems to depend on what mood she or he is in. I have told them both they may end up in the bin very shortly ;-)

[ips]

Yes the two i have had have been totally unreliable for MH use we have had same as you set to lorry and been sent down stupid roads. binned my RAC one cos it bugged me so much. Defo need to always have old fashioned map IMO

[crinklystarfish]

Used them successfully in the car, truck, on the pushbike and in boats since 2003.

View them as a navigation aid, not a replacement for a brain, and all will be well.

[Guest 1footinthegrave]

crinklystarfish - 2012-03-15 5:23 PMUsed them successfully in the car, truck, on the pushbike and in boats since 2003.

View them as a navigation aid, not a replacement for a brain, and all will be well.

you must be the exception, to a man I've never heard from anyone who has not had hassle with them. I've never used mine as a replacement for my brain,but I'm guessing from the stories that abound of 38 ton artics getting stuck many do. :'(

[crinklystarfish]

Stick with them 1foot, just show them who's boss.

Of course, like every one else's, mine has, and does, sometimes try and take me down unsuitable routes or on bizarre diversions. All I do is have a look at the route it's calculated before I set off to make sure there are no anomalies.

If there are, I just punch in a waypoint or two, or reset perameters, or simply ignore it at the point I know it's thrown a wobbler and invariably it'll eventually deign to recalculate along the appropriate route.

The technology isn't perfect but I honestly don't think it takes that much effort to have them work for you. A few minutes at most before setting off can save loads of grief and fuel.

The frustrations encountered mainly seem to arise from overestimating the technology, and any trucker daft enough to trust one unquestioningly only has themselves to blame if they get stuck.

They are an awesome tool, but they aren't magic.

[flicka]

With plumbersvan constantly refering to her GPS, I wonder if it is actually a GPS as opposed to a Sat Nav ;-) ;-)

I often use a hand held GPS when out in the Hills but wouldn't dream of using it for Driving Routes; as I don't think I can get the Van up Scafell, Snowden or Ben Nevis. :-o

[colin]

Problems I've had with satnav?

Wanted to go to Southwold via A1120, loaded route highlighted A1120 clicked 'via' and set off, 10 miles after turning off A14 thought "this is wrong" then noticed I'd highlighted A143 by mistake :$ A quick reroute and we where back on course.

I usualy have turn by turn voice turned off, as if we see a interesting road to go down I don't get 'moaned' at, this has meant that couple of times whilst concentraiting on road I've missed turn, no problems it soon sorts it out. B-)

Gf has found that when using turn by turn voice 'normal' volume is insuficient when car is full of eleven year olds :D

 

So in reality the satnav is o.k. just how we (miss) use it causes problems.

 

Now here's an interesting one, we where on campsite in Cornwall the van would not be able to go quickest route to nearest town as road was to narrow, a car (or T25 just ;-) ) would have fitted, when I entered destination it routed me on the correct (for van) long route, but I've never entered any vehicle details :-S

[kelly58]

My tom tom is 2 years old yesterday I had a delivery in the heart of Brussels and was directed exactly to the factory from and back to Eurotunnel without a hitch dispite the major road works and road closures in Brussels, I always use the quickets routes setting.

[plumbersvan]

I have had a stat nav and GPS from the boat which i used to check the possition that is if they both agreed :-S And the did :-D Now i have just my Garmin sat nav and a tom tom :-(

 

And yes 8-) :'( ONCE i put in wrong numbers ended up in a large forest which "might" have been takeing me in the direction of an off road meeting id promised to visit with food and wine :-D :-D

 

When i arrived at a very steep rough desent i called the meeting found i had wrongly entered the coordinates turned and got a puncher :'( :'(

 

Since that time i triiple check B-)

 

MY tom tom dosnt have a choise of long or short route *-)

 

The garmin dose work,i might have exagerated its mapping *-) The garmin lulls me into a sence that im on the correct road then sends me through a small village no round 8-) Thats my fault for not paying attention

 

When i have to cross large towns such as Paris Lyon Montpellier i do follow the GPS untill it gets it wrong In Montpellier it sent me on a road that entered an underground parking,as the road turned i saw a 2.10meter hight limit and could ONLY back up the road praying another car didnt arrive to block my escape 8-) Backed into the main road :-S To find the garmin had insisted i turn left one exit to soon

 

The old garmin can be asked to find an address,post coda address&post coad POI or coordinates :-D Its very good or used to be

 

I will now look at the settings,i know i set it to avoid payed motorways which it dose well :-S I do alter the settings when for example im coming from Bourg en Bress to Lyon where it avaoided the free section and sent me on a tour of the contryside :'(

 

The NEW tom tom is hopeless worse 8-) When other camping cars have offered or asked for suggestions they so far have ALL had tom toms which they love :-S Bit like those that can only use an i pad i pod i phone ------ :-(

 

I love apple products and would buy an i pad at once if it had windows or better a good linux distro(im tryin to install "mint" and in over one year havnt managed :-| )

 

Its clear i must find and buy an old tom tom B-)

 

PS i must appolagise for a typagraphical error(wrong spelling) as im standing in a sunny tourist office and have a glossy screen set to power save and cant read easly what ive typed 8-) B-)

[Guest 1footinthegrave]

Here's a top tip, get in some shade next time, so we can all understand what you've written. :D :D

[pepe63xnotuse]

plumbersvan - 2012-03-16 10:25 AM

 

....When i have to cross large towns such as Paris Lyon Montpellier i do follow the GPS untill it gets it wrong In Montpellier it sent me on a road that entered an underground parking,as the road turned i saw a 2.10meter hight limit and could ONLY back up the road praying another car didnt arrive to block my escape 8-) Backed into the main road :-S.......

 

 

We don't own a satnav but I do occasionally print out a route AA/Google etc...and when following these routes,if I come upon an instruction telling me to "Take the next left",I'd like to think that on seeing that the "next left" that I was faced with,led to a underground Carpark/Retail park/someones' drive etc,then I'd like to think I'd have the gumption to assume that it wasn't the "Left" to which they were refering... ;-)

[malc d]

pepe63 - 2012-03-16 10:51 AM

 

We don't own a satnav but I do occasionally print out a route AA/Google etc...and when following these routes,if I come upon an instruction telling me to "Take the next left",I'd like to think that on seeing that the "next left" that I was faced with,led to a underground Carpark/Retail park/someones' drive etc,then I'd like to think I'd have the gumption to assume that it wasn't the "Left" to which they were refering... ;-)

 

 

You are so out of date pepe63.

 

What you need is a sat-nav so you don't have to think about where you are going, an automatic gearbox so you don't have to decide what gear to be in, and cruise control so you don't have to keep raising and lowering you right foot.

 

... and when ( or if ) you get to your destination you can go out on your electric bike so you don't have to pedal.

 

(lol)

 

A useful addition would be automatic windscreen wipers so you don't have to work out whether or not it's raining.

 

;-)

[colin]

You've missed out auto lights so you don't have to worry about turning them on in dark, this might explain why so many VW drivers don't switch on their lights in fog, they don't know how to. *-)

[pepe63xnotuse]

Very good Malc'.. (lol)

 

..although I suppose,I could achieve most of the above by getting the missus to drive... ;-)

(..the stumbling block may occur,when we got to our destination though.. because,unless they do electric versions,I can't for the life of me see the OH pedalling me around in a rickshaw!.. :D )

[plumbersvan]

The road to the parking run by the state of Montpellier just past place du comadie has a road wider and in better condition than some normal roads,it looked like a road no sign to say parking untill i came around a bend 8-) Then all was only to clear 8-) *-) :'(

 

Which 2/3 year old tom tom should i look for on ebay???

[Guest 1footinthegrave]

plumbersvan - 2012-03-16 1:44 PM

 

The road to the parking run by the state of Montpellier just past place du comadie has a road wider and in better condition than some normal roads,it looked like a road no sign to say parking untill i came around a bend 8-) Then all was only to clear 8-) *-) :'(

 

Which 2/3 year old tom tom should i look for on ebay???

 

I should wait until 2015 the mapping may be up to date by then, then just teleport back to 2012, simple.

[Barryd999]

The key as was suggested earlier is to check the route on the screen when its calculated. You should be able to see a whole map of the proposed route and compare it with your paper road map just to make sure it isnt doing something barmy.

 

My TomTom is probably getting on for ten years old and the maps will be 3 or 4 years old and it works fine most of the time.

 

The funniest wobbler it took was at 6000 ft up the Simplon Pass between Italy and Switzerland where it told me to turn left (1000ft drop) and take the Ferry!

[terryW]

Had more happy years of motoring with TomTom than I wish to remember. On my second now the first is still in use within the family.

 

Never had a problem with tomTom only with my brain, first I had to learn that if you put in "limited speed" then you get more lanes and less motorway second when in-putting coordinated don't get your East mixed up with your West. Can make for a very long drive! 8-)

[plumbersvan]

Tom tom say on their web site that the new generation of tom tom is designed for idiots and Americans 8-)

 

There is only very very limited scope to alter the settings :-(

 

When i enter Toulose for example it dose show the route which seems to be correct :'( why it follows another route to arrive IF it would arrive i cant say 8-)

 

I will return mine to the shop to be reset i hope then it miy work in its very limited way :-(

 

Later today i will take my garmin to a new camping car aire which the tourist office has listed.And no one knows about 8-) They put up a notice which seems to have been demolished :'( :'(

 

The new aire is on new tarmac beside the river and very quite,500m to the bridge to the center of the old town or a free bus to the center :-D Not bad at all

 

Another discovery is that fat people eat and drink the wrong things,taking advantage of wi fi the other day i watched as the fattest people bought huge cream cakes or fat dripping pizzas and drank coca cola or other hi energy sugar and glucose drinks

 

surprise as the same cafe offered salads and meat or meat free sandwiches with mayonnaise as an option

 

*-)

[Rayjsj]

Yup, Had my Tom-Tom One 'new' edition (??) for 6 years, updated the map twice online in that time, AND it has an 'Upgradable' SD card memory, so it was fairly 'future proof' (provided Tom-Tom stay in business of course). never had any problems with it, wouldn't leave home without it now.

Don't like the latest models as they no longer appear to have 'Upgradable' memory cards, am I wrong ?

Have all my POI's downloaded and backed up on my home computer as well as the map.

Never have to search for cheap diesel, all the supermarkets are on there, same goes for Campsites, ATM machines,Repair Workshops etc., No downsides i can think about. Ray ;-)