Is there a Gps that will get me closer to my destination than a Tomtom

Joined
Aug 16, 2007
Messages
63
Location
Candiac/Montreal, CDN
Hi,

I have a GO 720, and a GO 920.

Those two devices are absolutely off in getting me to my destinations.

The Tomtom will get to 1/4 of a mile before or after my destination. And that is unacceptable.

Today, I was driving to a POI ( Burger King), and I pass right in front of it without seeing it, and the GPS keep me going for 1/4 of a mile further. Of course I had to turn back, and really look out for it. The POI was pretty hidden with trees.

I call Tomtom, and they told me to use the mapshare, and with time and patience, it should improve.

On what kind of planet are they, When you decide to offer a product on the market, it's because it works. It is not to the customer to do the fine tuning.



I did not get a special price for my unit, and am not going to wait for theme to sort it out at my expenses.


George
 
I've found that most of the time my 920 has gotten me pretty darn close. I also found it off for a restaurant. The restaurant was to my immediate RIGHT off a driveway and the 920 wanted me to make a LEFT at the upcoming intersection. It was like it had mirrored the site in the next little shopping center to the left rather than the one at the right. In some cases I'm sure that if you actually had an address as opposed to just the POI it might be more accurate.

I can't make excuses for TT. But with millions of POI's, I can see quite a number of errors. I don't know if the other units would be more accurate in that or some slightly different circumstances.
 
no GPS is going to be exact, doesn't matter what brand it is. You will find times when it is completely accurate and other times when it is way off.

Many times it gets me right in front of the business i am looking for and i've had times when it goes a little screwy.

In comparison i've had the same problem with google maps. one time i was looking for a restaurant so google go me off the expressway, cross over the top of it, said the restaurant was on the onramp going the other way (nope) then took me down the expressway 5 miles, turned around again and then continued me on my way.

the TT is a tool, and that is all it is. When you're using it look around at your surroundings some. If you see what you're looking for, then it did it's job, even if the exact location is off a bit.

People have described how the addresses work on here. lets say there is a stretch of road 1 mile along, there are 10 addresses on this road (on a side) so it has the road split into 10 .1 mile sections. If on that stretch of road there are a lot of businesses that had larger then average lots and a lot of smaller then average lots, the address will be thrown off. Get a bigger stretch of road and it can be thrown off in larger amounts.

Don't just blindly follow and obey your TT, it is a machine. Anyone see on the news about a month ago where a guy turned onto railroad tracks cause the GPS said to? He ended up getting his car stuck and a train smashed into it, and he blames the GPS company, I blame people's stupidity.
 
I decided that instead of worrying that the POIs were off, I would actually update them back to MapShare. I have found a large number of missing or wrongly placed POIs in the last few days while I was out of town on business. I found myself pulling over and making corrections as I went, them making sure I upload my mapshare every night. While it may not make a huge difference, at least I know my TT DB will correct, at least as much as I can make it.

I figure if the thing can get me within a quarter of a mile, I can find the place visually. That aside though, most POIs for businesses are at the actual street address, not the actual Lat/Long. For instance, I was at shopping center the other night and the Target and the Best buy were shown right next to each other but in reality were at least a quarter if not a half mile apart. When I looked at their real addresses, they were right next door to each other. Since most POIs are based on address with the corresponding Lat/Long, there is going to be a difference between the displayed position and the actual position.
 
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Hi !

What I find the most frustrating, is when you drive up an highway, or call it a road, and the unit make you do a turn on your destination street, and you find yourself having made a wrong turn because in fact the address you enter in your GPS, is on the other way. Because the gap of 1/4 mile or more is so large that if you drive up to your destination street, you could find your self in the middle of that large gap, and the GPS make you turn on the wrong way .

Sometimes it's easy to turn around and go back, but some other times, it make do a very big detour. Ex: you are on a service road, and you have to drive up to an overpass to get back on the opposite service road, and then make the correction to get where you suppose to arrive.

It's a GPS, you have to really on it, no ? If not what is it good for ? A GPS should give us all the right tools to get to our destination.

The street names before the city name, should be an option to the user, because we may know the major cities names, but all the little town and suburb's ?



George
 
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Hmmm, I've use both the GO 920 and the GO 720 and never had this problem with either device. Occasionally, when you getting close to your destination, the tomtom will say "you have arrived" but you still have a hundred or 2 hundred yards to go. However, you will always be on the same street, and you can clearly see on the map that you have a little further to go, but it has never created a problem for me. I've always been very confident in the devices leading me EXACTLY where I need to go.
 
Hmmm, I've use both the GO 920 and the GO 720 and never had this problem with either device. ....... very confident in the devices leading me EXACTLY where I need to go.

Me too. Never had the kind of problem he's talking about
 
Mine too has been accurate thus far and I use it in a long Motor Home. Much easier to make a wrong turn in a car and correct. Not as easy in Motor Home and that said I feel comfortable using my device. ;)

Last I checked its a navigational aid not the decision maker.. Reason its not totally accurate as is the same with any brand of GPS, destinations (POIs) are endless and its data. People and agencies provide that data in various forms and people are human. Not even the military GPS is totally accurate and they can get down to inches but its only as good as the intel they get or you only know where your at, not where your going..

It does the job the majority of the time and why we buy them to assist us. :)

All GPS devices have various hits and misses with POIs and why POI websites exist to help "ALL" GPS users.. You will not find 100% accuracy on any GPS and that includes joining the military.. ;)

I think more times than not you'll enjoy your device and find it rewarding. :)
 
If a location is to be found by street name and address, it will always be an approximation. For instance, when I Google my home address and then get the satellite view, I can see it locates me about 3 houses South of where I am. I know for sure as I can see my car in the driveway when the photo was taken.
 
If a location is to be found by street name and address, it will always be an approximation. For instance, when I Google my home address and then get the satellite view, I can see it locates me about 3 houses South of where I am. I know for sure as I can see my car in the driveway when the photo was taken.

Google shows my home as being 8 houses away from the proper location ... the same mislocation as TomTom does.
 
Google Earth shows mine in the same place, but across the street, as the TT One XLS. I've reported the issue to both... :)

Regarding Google maps, those too can be updated.. When you see that its off, click on the pin, choose edit, then move and relocate it where it should be then click save.

I have a GMail account so it asked me to login to make corrections but even when I log out and return, correction is retained. I've fixed my home, work place and few others.

So assuming yours is on wrong side of the street, edit, move it and save it. :)
 
Odd... I get the same results from any workstation in my office and even at the server console. If local very odd since different profiles and users with same results. But since I did initially do this at work and all on same domain, Ill go home tonight and try on my desktop and even fire up the laptop and check.

Ill post back those results later.. :)
 
Where you are logging into it, it's probably replicating the My Places.xml file with the correct information for you in it. I do not log into my Gmail... So I would hazard that's why it looks like it's updating Google Earth, but it isn't.

In fact, a test would be to open Google Maps, and search for your address in that, and see if it tells you correct or not. It doesn't for me.
 
Where you are logging into it, it's probably replicating the My Places.xml file with the correct information for you in it. I do not log into my Gmail... So I would hazard that's why it looks like it's updating Google Earth, but it isn't.

In fact, a test would be to open Google Maps, and search for your address in that, and see if it tells you correct or not. It doesn't for me.

I work in IT, LOL.. I'm doing it just as you say.. It would be silly of me to login to google as that would make sense why same results and defeat purpose.

Machines know nothing about me, just going to www.maps.google.com, entering in address, hit satellite and zoom down. Changes are on each computer I mentioned earlier including server. Like I said I even used different profiles/user accounts (not to be confused what so ever with google) so eliminate any chance of local file (cookie or otherwise) being used.

Leaving work shortly and real test will be when I get home on 2 different machines. I'll do just as I described, just go to URL type in address and see if its correct. If anything like todays experience, I suspect it will. Will report back tomorrow! :)
 
Ok its official my changes to my own home show up on any computer. Pin is dead center in drive way (where I placed it when I did the edit) when viewed on any computer in any location. Even had my Parents check from Phoenix. Before the change it was off by one or more homes and pin was almost in the street. ;)
 
Hnmmm... I guess I am going to have to try this myself, then... I know I've corrected mine... Let's see what happens when I search again.

Well, I don't know what you are doing differently, but it is not changing for me.
I've placed a thumbtack on my driveway. Then I search for my address, and it is still showing it around the corner, down the street, and on the wrong side.

I've edited the crosshairs that appear to show the address I "flew" to. Moved that. Added a description and then shared/posted it. Logged out of Google Earth and logged back in. No change.

(And for the record, I'm in IT too... ;) )
 
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Well it does! I can't say how Google works with Canada but suspect that may have a little to do with it, almost certain of it! I can repeat this anywhere anytime... Results same each and every time.

If you wish proof, PM me and I'll share details but not in open public. ;)

I would suspect one of two things.. Either rules are different for you up North, or because I do have GMail and long time google account they accepted my changes since it did prompt me to login in to make the correction. That said please don't assume I'm ignorant enough to be running around to all these computers signing into to google and then searching.. Not in the least as that would make sense.

I'm being anonymous in searching address on various machines getting same results and again parents in another state got same result..

Anyhow, need more proof PM me! :) It with out a doubt works for me!
 

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