Strange initial orientation, wants to point north

[EmilG]

When on my driveway and not moving the "car" faces north even though my driveway faces east. If I walk down the driveway to the east the "car" will move and point east. When I stop it gradually points north again.

The problem is that I normally select my destination stopped on my driveway, then I head out to the south.
Since TT thinks I'm pointing north it first routes to the north and circles around.
If I route using "Prepare Route" it works perfectly. It's when I use "Navigate to" it thinks I'm heading north so starts routing that way.

Any ideas on how to correct this?

BTW. the last major distance I travel before backing down the driveway is north.
I guess I need to try coming from the south and see if it has a tendency to orient south.

Thanks

 

[canderson]

Don't know what model you have, but I'm pretty sure mine remembers which way I was going last when it fires up, and assumes my direction of travel will be the same when I start up again. When I back out of my driveway, mine usually wants to route me the wrong way around the circle. I just ignore it and head out the normal way and it figures out where I'm headed right away.

 

[Bily42]

@EmilG:
I early on learned to live with the limitations of these GPS devices. At my location, on the top of a mountain in NC, I don't even bother to turn the Tom Tom on until I travel to a main road at our mail boxes because the TomTom just gets totally confused...telling me to turn around and so forth. This also happens when you are in parking lots, etc.
Once I realized that I did not really need the device to find my way out of my mountain location or find my way out of a parking lot, I found peace.
The device is really wonderful for what it was designed for, IMHO.

 

[EmilG]

You guys are right, these are trivial limitations.

It's just kinda funny, the thing will route perfectly except the most obvious (to the user anyway).
After all my driveway is actually off road to the thing.

If I could put "Prepare Route" on the Easy Menu that would make it better also since it's correct. Home to Work works great too.

It's a XL340TM, I love it!

Thanks

 

[Andy_P]

The crux of the matter is that if you are standing still, all normal GPS systems can only tell WHERE you are, not what direction you are pointing in.

Systems like the TomTom have to work out which direction you are going in by seeing how your location moves over time, so if you aren't moving, it has no way to tell.

As Canderson says, the only little trick it can use is to try to remember which direction you were pointing in when you last switched it off, but even that is not terribly reliable.

 

[alfie67]

When on my driveway and not moving the "car" faces north even though my driveway faces east. If I walk down the driveway to the east the "car" will move and point east. When I stop it gradually points north again.

The problem is that I normally select my destination stopped on my driveway, then I head out to the south.
Since TT thinks I'm pointing north it first routes to the north and circles around.
If I route using "Prepare Route" it works perfectly. It's when I use "Navigate to" it thinks I'm heading north so starts routing that way.

Any ideas on how to correct this?

BTW. the last major distance I travel before backing down the driveway is north.
I guess I need to try coming from the south and see if it has a tendency to orient south.

Thanks

EmilG, I've observed the same pointing north "issue" with both my units when at home. The GPS will retain the same orientation on startup as it had when shut down. However, my observation is that when driving up my driveway and then shutting off the GPS, it will iconstantly snap to north when restarting. Could be a default snap-to-north setting when off-road a specific distance.

To solve your orientation issue, try driving home from the north and shut down the GPS before driving up your driveway. You should then be able to restart the unit and do planning from home with the map orientation pointed south (in your situation).

Hope this helps.

 

[EmilG]

Well I tried going south instead of north before I backed into my driveway, it still starts me out going north however .
I'll just use the "Prepare Route" or "Home-to-Work" option when leaving my home.
I can also "Navigate to" when I get to the street as mentioned.

I'm sure it has something to do with me being off-road since driveways don't show up.

Thanks

 

[alfie67]

EmilG, did you try turning off your GPS before turning into your driveway? If so, the orientation should remain the same on startup as it was on shutdown as long as the shutdown occurs on the road.

 

[EmilG]

No, I did not do that.
I'll have to try it.

Thanks!

 

[EmilG]

I tried shutting it off before I backed into the driveway and yes the initial position did show south as you said.
Unfortunately when I did the "Navigate to..." it turned me around to the north again.
I strongly suspect it looked at my present position which was off the map and put me on the road pointing north, lol.

Having to go to "Prepare Route" is not so earth shattering .

Thanks again guys!