Strange routings

[rhys]

I recently purchased a tt1 while on a trip on vacation. In Raleigh NC while visiting friends and family it worked beautifully - neither my wife nor myself had to roll our eyes at the others ability to get lost.

However on the trip home - Raleigh to upper NYC the unit took us through the center of Richmond Virginia. This included getting off I95 and taking several local streets and then some smaller roads back to I95. Then it took us through the "center" of Wash DC including a short trip on Pennsylvania Ave and again on smaller highways back to I95. I went along since it was a Saturday afternoon with light traffic and I wanted to see how the tt1 "thought". It suggested the same sort of route whether set to fastest or most direct route.

Every Mapping site - Mapquest, Google Earth, etc recognizes the benefits of the Beltways around these major citys, ie the I295, I395, etc.

Just to make sure it wasn't some glitch I had caused by adjusting the unit to my desires I did a factory reset about 200 miles short of NYC. I'm most familiar with that portion of the trip and wanted to see what suggestions the tt1 would make.

Several times it wanted us to leave the main route and go east or west onto smaller highways. Then at the end it suggested we take one of the midtown tunnels into NYC (our destination was the north end of the island) - this would have placed us on local roads and definately involved more time. It's as if the unit "assumes" that speed limits and traffic are equal on all roads.

I could build an itinerary that includes every highway we wish to take and the points at which to leave each and start the next - which is what I bought the tt1 for - anybody have any ideas how to get the tt1 to do it's job?

Any help/ideas appreciated - thanks
rhys

 

[Pedro2NR]

Hello rhys,
congrats on your ttone purchase.
Regarding your question, yes i set points as favorites that I want to take for trips. When using the itinerary, you set these favorites as waypoints.

 

[rhys]

Pedro2NR - thanks for the info.

I was hoping that having spent so much the unit might do a better job. I prefer not to take my laptop with me on trips - so no Mapquest.

Sent a query to tomtom people. If the reply sheds any light on this "problem" I will post it.

rhys

 

[rhys]

Just heard from TomTom that it is probably the result of incorrect map info. That 5-10% of the map info is wrong at any given time since there are so many changes to roads and highways.

My father in law lives in a suburb of Raleigh on a small road that has only been there about 1 1/2 years. It does not show up - I can understand that.

The I95 corridor and the Washington bypass as well as the Richmond bypass have been there for years. This is the major North/South route for the Eastern Seabord.

Mapquest directs you along this route, Google Earth directs you along this route. I remain baffled as to why my tt1 does not.

I would much rather TomTom had told me that they are aware of this problem and the update which will be "available from Dec through January" would address the issue. Since they don't recognize the problem as theirs - rather blaming it on the mapping info(that everyone else seems to be able to get correct) - I have to wonder if in fact the update will solve it.

It's too bad - untill this glitch I thought the tt1 was the best thing since washable underpants.

Will post further info as it develops.

rhys

 

[rhys]

Final contact with TomTom re this issue.

They continue to blame the mapping info they got from the same company that Mapquest uses. I looked at my directions from this year, one year ago, and five years ago - all from Mapquest. All have me taking the same major highways - without any trips through the center of major urban areas.

The TomTom representative assurred me that this sort of problem was caused by bad information given to them, ie changes to roadways, work being done causing reroutings etc.. AND that "if that caused the problem hopefully the update would fix it". (Notice the weasel words)

While I appreciate their getting back to me as quickly as they did I do not feel they have addressed the issue.

If I decide to keep my unit we will see if the update does resolve the issue.

rhys

 

[Pedro2NR]

I also hope this update resolves the problem. I have a smiliar problem. This is why I use waypoints. I sometimes have to start off with the fastest route then clear my route when I reach a certain waypoint and change it to shortest route.

 

[rhys]

Pedro - thanks for the confirmation. After talking to TomTom I thought I was doing something wrong or losing my mind.

The man who wrote Tyre, the prog that works with GoogleEarth to collect way points, says that at least when using his program and importing the points to a TomTom you must use the setting for shortest route. Don't know why this would make a diff but it seems to. I've preplanned several trips this afternoon - just to get the hang of his prog and they appear to work, at least in Demo mode. Am trying one tomorrow on a trip to upstate NY - we'll see.

In case you haven't seen it Tyre can be downloaded free at: http://www.tyre.tk/

Again - thanks for your help and this latest info.

rhys

 

[Pedro2NR]

I use Google tomtom and Google Earth together. It's a useful tool.

 

[rhys]

Well - I composed my waypoints in Google Earth - imported them into Tyre - created an .itn file - imported that into the tt1.

Then I took the trip - one I have been making for about 18 yrs. Only 2 problems. After roughly 120 miles I leave a major highway at Exit 21. The tt1 knew I wanted to get off at Exit 21 (it reported that that was where I would be getting off) - the problem was that it thought Exit 21 was 11.7 miles further that it was. This even though it correctly showed the continuing route I would follow - it just was "surprised" that I turned off the highway so soon. It adjusted very quickly and lead me to the end of my driveway. Since this was my first use of Google Earth/Tyre I intend to run a confidence check on the positioning of my way points.

The first problem was the most surprising and frankly confirms my belief that my earlier issue has nothing to do with inaccurate mapping data being supplied to TomTom. To get to a major bridge(the start of my trip) from my house you take a left - a right - and a right. The route mapped by the tt1 was: a left - a right (so far correct) - a left - a right - and a right. It created this same path regardless of the setting for fastest or shortest route. In anycase the tt1 route meets neither requirement. All the local streets appear correctly on the tt1 map - none have been closed or had major work done on them in the last 10 years. Either my tt1 has developed a rather quirky personality - in which case TomTom might want to examine it - or TomTom has some faulty code that has nothing to do with mapping data.

I sincerely hope that TomTom does more than change it's map data. Somewhere in the programming is a not insignificant error.

rhys

 

[GAW]

TomTom does give some odd directions, but it is not the maps - it is the GPS program. One thing that will get you sent through the midddle of a city rather then on a beltway around is if you have it set for shortest route rather then fastest or other option.

Also, I usually review the route first to see where it is taking me. Here in N. Cal. area, I find that I work out an alternative route at lease 25% of the time.

 

[rhys]

I know others seem to have problems with the GPS - but mine has always shown where I was even if the tt1 could not map it. Like my father in laws house - the tt1 knew where I was and showed it but since it didn't have info on the roads there it showed me in a great white unkown. As soon as I returned to Terra Cognita it showed me on roads again.

My problems have always been with the logic - meaning the programs - that the tt1 uses to decide on the routes. How else to explain taking me around several blocks when the fastest & the shortest route would be to continue on the same street? It didn't just take me through the center of the city, which it could have done by staying on a major highway - it took me off highway onto local streets. And it did so whether set to "fastest" or "shortest".

It was "off" on locating Exit 21 - but the mapping was correct and it placed me correctly. This was such an anomaly that I will wait to see if it happens again.

Simply stated my concerns are: a) If I already know how to get somewhere what do I need a tt1 for? b) If I don't know how to get somewhere but have to completely plan my trip using something like Mapquest so that I can check the tt1 routing - again what do I need the tt1 for? If it's purpose is solely to help me find a local spot in an unfamiliar area I would not have spent the amount I did.

The unit purports to plan routes. I'm trying to get TomTom to investigate what is going on so I can use the unit as it says it can be used. So far I do not believe any of my problems have been caused by incorrect Map info - the Map was always correct. Further the problems could not have been caused by the road being shut/closed/unavailable for use at the time the mapping info was compilled and used by TomTom. I'm sure that sort of map problem exits for some - and that is a problem that we have to live with as it is a limitation of the technology. The GPS unit was always correct - at least correct enough to know where I was.

The problem was to get me from where I was to where I was going expeditiously, by the criteria I set(fastest, shortest, etc.).

 

[rhys]

Interesting note as follow-up.

When talking to my dentist about the tt1 he mentioned that when you rent from Hertz and get a GPS equiped car they offer: a) Fastest Route b) Shortest Route and are you ready for this c) Use Highways.

IMHO if TomTom offered this it would return the tt1 to something I could put on a pedestal and worship. I would at least be willing to bow down three times before I used it.

 

[Pedro2NR]

Use Highway option apart from Fastest route? Interesting. I know I don't like the avoid highways option. I think its pointless to me.

 

[kangster]

I agree, defintely something up with the routing software. I've only had my TT 1 for a couple days and I've used to get to places where I know how to get to them to see if it could pick out any "new" or better routes for me. To me it seem that even with it set to fastest route, the TT will pick the shortest one. On one trip (about 17 miles) from the west side of los angeles (santa monica) to the east (hollywood), the TT had me take surface streets the whole way. Even though there is a freeway that will take me 90% of the way there and would have been about 5-10 minutes quicker I think it decided that since it would have been about 10 miles longer it wasn't worth the trouble. On the way back I made it recalculate alt routes several times until it came up with something close to what I would have driven normally. We also compared it to the GPS in my wifes car (which we were driving at the time). Our usual route would have been the quickest according to her car, but not according to the TT1. It did find us a very slick way to get from hollywood to the 10 freeway, but it told us to get off the freeway much sooner than we would normally have, and then took us on another very clever but slower route via surface streets the rest of the way home.

Overall though, this is something that I can live with. In most cases I'll prefer to stick to the freeways and I won't listen to the GPS if it tells me to get off before I want to anyway. I still prefer to plan a general freeway route before I leave for any trip. What I really rely on it for (and what I think GPS devices like this are generally good for) is to get me back to where I want to be if I decide to take a detour or I accidentally miss my exit

 

[Pedro2NR]

I've been experimenting with the routes.
When traveling inter cities, I use fastest route.
When traveling intra city, I use shortest route.

 

[rhys]

Pedro - interesting solution! Do you change from fastest to shortest when you get to the outskirts? Set it up with "favorites"?

rhys

 

[Pedro2NR]

I setup my favorites as waypoints using the itineraries option. I know there is a way while in route to switch from fastest to shortest, but I still haven't figured it out. If some cases, I just clear my route and switch to shortest when near my destination.

 

[PS for TT]

I also hope this update resolves the problem. I have a smiliar problem. This is why I use waypoints. I sometimes have to start off with the fastest route then clear my route when I reach a certain waypoint and change it to shortest route.

Pedro, do you know the version number of the most recent map? Thank you.

 

[Pedro2NR]

I'll would have to find it. However, if you just bought a new One or x10, you have the latest map installed until the release in the end of the year.

 

[PS for TT]

I'll would have to find it. However, if you just bought a new One or x10, you have the latest map installed until the release in the end of the year.

Thank you, Pedro. Will I be able to get this year-end map update free, since I just got my TT1?