Hi,
I was wondering if anyone knew of a way of persuading Tomtom 5 to stick to more major roads unless absolutely necessary? Unlike previous versions, it has an annoying tendency to try and be too clever, and takes you down tiny backroads when there would be a much more sensible (and only slightly longer) major road available.
You used to be able to partially get around this by changing speed preferences for different types of road, but this option is not avaialable on v5. It's driving me mad, as the traffic function has been transformed recently, so otherwise it's pretty good. (And yes, I know that just using a map is a good option, and one that I frequently use, but the combination of routing with traffic is invaluable while I'm stuck down in SE London and needing to get to the Midlands a lot).
Gord.
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See if you can get the same TomTom that TVM has - his is wonderful (apparently)... ;-)
Whatever you don't do, don't get a factory fitted version, because they're rubbish (again, apparently)- despite not having any of the flaws mentioned above!
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MoneyMart
On order : Audi RS4 4.2V8 Quattro Vrooooom!
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Is it possible - for once - to get a straight answer rather than blow on the ashes of another burnt out thread ????
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Despite what you may think, there was a shred of seriousness in my sarcastic response. The thread starter was referring to a problem with his particular version of tomtom (v5). TVM has made it abundantly clear that his version is the best thing since smoked kippers and has no routing problems. Therefore is it not reasonable suggestion that the thread starter should ask TVM what version he uses?
But thankyou for your concern Pugugly - it has added no end of value to the thread.
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MoneyMart
On order : Audi RS4 4.2V8 Quattro Vrooooom!
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Despite what you may think, there was a shred of seriousness in my sarcastic response.
In that case, try replying seriously, and not with a sarcastic response at the expense of another BR member.
DD.
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8< SNIP 8<
Inane babble deleted. DD.
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Back to the original question this would be a very nice feature, particularly as I tow a caravan.
www.poctetgps.co.uk is a good site and has an excellent forum, but I can't find any help on this particular issue.
WipeOut
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Back to the original question this would be a very nice feature, particularly as I tow a caravan.
A word to the wise; don't mention caravans on this forum. Apparently they aren't very popular.
www.poctetgps.co.uk is a good site ...
I think you mean www.pocketgps.co.uk, and yes it's full of useful stuff.
Hawkeye
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Stranger in a strange land
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That's a shame. On my suggestion someone at work got TT5 and we couldn't find it. I've TT3 and have used that feature to avoid small roads. It's a shame they've taken it out as I was wondering about upgrading for the new maps. That's a few bob saved.
It would be worth dropping TT a note as they sometimes add/fix problems fairly quickly. It may be possible to add it back. Also maybe the various TT discussion groups (pocketgps, expansys, TT) may have ideas.
I'll let the chap at work know. As we work in computers the next thing will be to see if we can 'hack' the values somewhere.
Simon
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So what do Lorry/Coach drivers do?
Is there a product especially for them?
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My Garmin has a 'I'm driving an HGV' setting. This calculates routes to avoid narrow lanes, disadvantage is it will also avoid low bridges which can result in a detour.
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When I am driving a truck (not very often now I admit) I have the speed set to 52mph, this tends to give a routing that is main routes rather then small local roads. To get this you go into Preferences then Planning preferences and I have it set to "Ask me when I plan", this way I can decide if I want to use 52mph or fastest/shortest etc.
Hope that makes sense.
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Is it set for "shortest route" or "fastest Route" in planning preferences?
Mine normally takes the major routes and ignores the narrow roads near home which are the quicker way.
Did have a few experiences in France in October where it insisted on taking us along some very scenic winding roads round the edge (well up the side of) Mt Ventoux! I started to ignore it and navigated town to town unless on major roads.
It is very good.
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I have TT v5 and find it great - especially with the CheckPOInt shareware plug-in - but I know what the poster means.
Even with "fastest route" set, newar home TT v5 routes me down a tiny country lane to do "two sides of a square" that are in fact faster driven on the other "two sides". Although the country lane is theoretically 50mph limit and the main road only 30 and 40, the main road is faster due to the absence of hump backed bridge and other obstacles as well as being shorter. At the end of the "two sides" the main road also has priority whereas from the minor road it is common to wait for eons to get a gap in the traffic to pull out in to.
Although TomTom won't know the features that cause the apparent 50 limit to infact be slower end to end, TT v3 used to make the wise choice (main road) whereas v5 doesn't so I simply ignore it!
On the other side of town TT v5 also takes the mother of all detours through a chicane and speed bump ridden housing estate whereas v3 ignored this "short cut" and made the (faster timewise) main road choice.
Still a great product though and these two local instances are the only ones where v5 has made in my mind a duff routing choice.
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My experience of the TT5 is the exact opposite of the original OPs and that it *ALWAYS* tries to use main roads.
TBF tho' I've nat had it that long and don't really "stretch" it. I have found ita very good product tho'
JaB
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Unlike TT3 new maps from different provider in TT5 don't allow routing engine to distinguish between A road, B road and path or between motorway and dual carriage lanes for that matter. "Avoid Motorways" will lead you onto M2 if you're already on A2, "Bicycle Route" will take you via A2 if you're on M2. "Fastest Route" will still take your van into single lane country roads because it presumes it's an A road with 60mph limit on it.
They had it perfectly sorted in TT3...
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[Nissan dCi are NOT Renault engines. Grrr...]
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It's interesting to hear that some other people have had almost the opposite experience of how TT5 routes. I think it mist be due to the maps that they are now using, as suggested above. The trouble is, there were as many map problems with TT3 as in TT5, they just seem to have moved them around a bit. The biggest error I've found is that it doesn't bother telling you which way you have to turn as you come off the M40 onto the M42, which is a pain.
Anyway, Simon, if you and your mates think you could hack the values then I'd be all ears! The speeds must be stored somewhere for the calculations to take place. I've always been amazed about the lack of a hack, although given that posts on the TT site complaining about this seem to be few and far between. Also, the mention of it on the TT FAQ seems to have disappeared. I wonder if it's something they would rather not talk about.
Regarding Moneymart's comments about fitted units rather than TT or similar, I'm quite sure you're 100% correct. In fact, I'd hope you were. My TT cost me £160 (I already had a PDA), if I'd had the satnav in my new Honda, it would have been £1500 or £50 a month. For that I'd expect it to do the driving, not just tell me where to go. Very different price-bracket, it's like comparing my car to something in the £100k bracket!!
Gord.
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By the way, Ian, it is of course set to fastest, not shortest, although fiddling has shown this often isn't much different.
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Sorry we had a bit of a play without luck. As the mapping is different it is very unlikely we'll sort anything. I had hoped that the values were stored in a file somewhere and they hadn't implemented an interface as the bigest cost of software development is testing, especially with an interesting user interface.
Sorry.
Simon
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Shame, but explains why there doesn't seem to be a ahck available anywhere. Cheers for trying anyway.
Gord.
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Oooo An argument! I missed it!
Never mind
TT5 *in my opinion* makes a good fist of doing the fastest route (if selected) most of the time. You can see from the routes it selects that a speedlimit/distance/time calculation goes on, and most of the time its bang on. Arrival times are usually spookily accurate.
However. When you ask for shortest routes it tends to under estimate the speed you can cover (after all it assumes you stick rigidly to speed limits!) and subsequently over estimates arrival times.
In summary with TT5 use the "shortest route" more often, its often faster than it says.
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TourVanMan TM < Ex RF >
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I've got TT3 and usually manage to cope with it's occasional vagaries.
It is quite amusing to see it throw a wobbly when you get on to a new stretch of road as it thinks you are in the fields and tries to get you to go up the embankment on to the nearest lane which has been cut off by the new road.
It is not usually a problem with navigation as new diversions tend to be better sign posted than the old road.
I was thinking of upgrading to TT5.
Does this thread suggest that I should wait a bit to see if TT sort out the software a bit better?
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I upgraded, and while I do get annoyed with TT5, I wouldn't go back. Why? You can navigate by postcode for one (I know you could before using UKPostCode, but this is more integrated and easier to use). The avoid areas on the map has been removed, which is annoying, but they've replaced it with avoid part of the route where you just get a list of major orads and places on the planned route, and you can just punch them out. Much easier to use in practice. The interface is better, and having street names on the driving map is useful as well.
Overall, they've taken a few steps back, but more steps forward. Probably.
Gord.
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