Satnav - TomTom vs Garmin

[Robin]

Not that I know.

[T i m]

<snip>

Thanks for the heads up Adrian. We have an unused 255W in the family that I'm getting and will give it a try (and if successful, may try some of the others if they look good candidates).

As an aside though, ignoring the odd dead-end, no-right-turn changes that you are more likely to find in the city (and so only likely to incur a small deviation) in an old country like the UK and outside of any new estates, I would suggest the vast majority of roads remain unchanged (and have done since the Romans first built them).

We have experienced the odd instance of the GPS suggesting we were crossing a field when it's actually a new bypass but it soon hooks up again the other side of the town / village. ;-)

Cheers, T i m

[AnthonyL]

[Chris Holmes]

<Snip>

I haven't used a dedicated unit in years. I did have a nightmare trying to get to a speed awareness course held at a pub (by the time I'd been back and forth along the same stretch of road, I very nearly had to break the speed limit to make my allotted time! I had put in the pub's post code. I SUSPECT (but don't know) that I might have done better had I searched for it by name. This is what I tend to do these days.

[Chris Holmes]

<Snip>

I use Waze on a fartsmone these days, my only gripe (and it's the same with other apps I've tried) is that there is no simple way that I can see to say something like:

"Avoid Motorways"

or

"Avoid the deep dark woods and stick to roads wider than my arm"

[Scott]

Indeed, it often means remain on the main carriageway of the motorway you are already on. Do not move into lane 2 and irritate the drivers there.

I think it would depend on how many exits said roundabout has and whether 'right' means 3 o'clock in pilot language.

I do appreciate you can go round a roundabout more than once though I have noticed other drivers often don't expect it and are more likely to pull out in front of you. I always take extra care when performing this manoevre.

[newshound]

I expect you needed a drink when you arrived!

:-)

[The Natural Philosopher]

To get to my sisters house in Germany I used google earth satellite to ID the house 'yes it has a pond at the back' and keyed that in to tom tom

Apart from telling me to bear right onto a road that I had bot got priority for, it got me there faultlessly

[T i m]

<snip>

That reminds me of the Garmin GPS V / Streetpilot(s) and loading detailed maps with / from Mapsource (Garmin Windows app). ;-)

You select the map range you want (loads of boxes) and it shows you how much that represents (in bytes) and so, if you are doing a reasonable trip, you have to play with the selected areas to get it under the maximum limit before uploading. You still got the base map coverage though ('Europe' in most cases), just less detail and fewer P'sOI etc.

You could have the whole of Scotland *or* a small city. ;-)

Ignoring the time it took to upload (over serial I think) you were more involved in the whole process and learned more about what you were doing because of that.

Cheers, T i m

[alan_m]

I had a small GPS receiver on my car dash that took a small phone type lithium battery. After one very hot period of weather I noticed that the GPS unit had moved. On examination the battery has swelled to twice its original thickness and had pushed off the battery cover.

I suspect that in order to catch fire a similar event may have happened and in the process a short circuit or a spark gap may have formed when the battery burst.

[Scott]

So shutting down the device would make no difference in safety terms?

[Vir Campestris]

I've learned the hard way that when you tell a TomTom to avoid major roads (I think it may call them highways?) The A1 doesn't count. Nor did the dual carriageway through the Pyrenees a few years back.

Andy

[T i m]

What I really love (not) is those who pull out of the motorway traffic jam, up over the roundabout then force their way back into the traffic on the sliproad, just to gain a few hundred yards (at other peoples cost).

They are nearly as bad as the more dangerous kind you go down the outside of a motorway exit slip lane queue then (try to) force their way in at the last second, often leaving half their vehicle in lane 1, potentially a 70 mph road.

Cheers, T i m

[Radio Man]

The only person who would be aware that was happening is the person doing it anyone stuck in the traffic jam wouldn?t be able to see the whole event. That suggests you do it. I agree it is anti social just like trying to dictate what people eat.

[Dave Liquorice]

peoples

Not if you follow them up the exit slip and see them go down entry slip as you progress around the roundabout...

[Fredxx]

I think I would have to make a conscious effort to see that. I would be concentrating on lanes and what else is around me.

[T i m]

Quite, or note the vehicle (they are easy to spot as they swerve out of the main traffic and dive up the sliplane) and as you move slowly forward yourself, see it come back down the sliplane.

Anyone who couldn't see something like that really shouldn't be driving.

Even easier with those who think they can undertake a load of cars by cutting though a petrol station or going along an access road but don't get let out by all the others who are onto them.

Like a lot of things, you can generally read it in the spirit of *how* they do something.

Cheers, T i m

[Jim GM4DHJ ...]

my fav dodge is going down the clear outside lane for turning right at a round a bout and going all the way around and getting right of way to join the inside lane again jumping all the traffic works well

[Jim GM4DHJ ...]

if you have an older car like mine there is no problem as their bodywork is more expensive than yours....

[Jethro_uk]

Strikes me as a good use of tarmac ...