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BarrieB Occasional Visitor
Joined: Jan 12, 2007 Posts: 8
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Posted: Fri May 21, 2010 7:45 pm Post subject: Planning walking routes |
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Can anyone tell me which, if any, of the current TOMTOM models are capable of planning walking routes from A to B (around the streets of a city, not in the countryside)
Thanks, |
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mikealder Pocket GPS Moderator
Joined: Jan 14, 2005 Posts: 19638 Location: Blackpool , Lancs
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Posted: Fri May 21, 2010 9:12 pm Post subject: |
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Any device without the simplified menu system employed on devices such as the newer XL-2 units and the Start. If you avoid these models you get the pedestrian option for route planning - Mike |
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Andy_P Pocket GPS Moderator
Joined: Jun 04, 2005 Posts: 19991 Location: West and Southwest London
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Posted: Sat May 22, 2010 2:24 am Post subject: |
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Have to say, the few times I've tried it, I've never found walking with a TomTom in towns terribly successful. It kind of works, but only just.
It seems you don't move fast enough for the TT to consistently know which direction it's going in and the "urban canyon" problem of blocked or reflected GPS signals seems worse somehow.
Also, the mapping is still only for roads, so it won't take you down any footpaths or alleyways as short cuts. The only real difference is that it will let you go down one-way streets the wrong way. |
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BarrieB Occasional Visitor
Joined: Jan 12, 2007 Posts: 8
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Posted: Sat May 22, 2010 9:05 am Post subject: Planning walking routes |
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Andy_P wrote: | Have to say, the few times I've tried it, I've never found walking with a TomTom in towns terribly successful. It kind of works, but only just.
It seems you don't move fast enough for the TT to consistently know which direction it's going in and the "urban canyon" problem of blocked or reflected GPS signals seems worse somehow.
Also, the mapping is still only for roads, so it won't take you down any footpaths or alleyways as short cuts. The only real difference is that it will let you go down one-way streets the wrong way. |
Thanks for this.
The other question I supose is battery life. Are any of the TOMTOM's good for 6 or 7 hours wandering round London?
Can they be 'topped up' from a usb battery pack? |
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mikealder Pocket GPS Moderator
Joined: Jan 14, 2005 Posts: 19638 Location: Blackpool , Lancs
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Posted: Sat May 22, 2010 9:33 am Post subject: Re: Planning walking routes |
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A good battery fully charged will give little more than 2 to 2,5 hours in use, don't believe all the stupid figures claiming 5 hours battery life which have been seen on adverts/ web pages from TomTom.
BarrieB wrote: | Can they be 'topped up' from a usb battery pack? |
Yes you can use a USB power pack, the U2O 5400mA pack like This Item for additional power for a number of my devices - Mike |
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metradio Occasional Visitor
Joined: Sep 03, 2006 Posts: 24 Location: Slough, Berkshire
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Posted: Sat May 22, 2010 4:56 pm Post subject: Re: Planning walking routes |
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mikealder wrote: | ...Yes you can use a USB power pack, the U2O 5400mA pack like This Item for additional power for a number of my devices - Mike |
I use one of these off of eBay:
Auction # 110522455662
4 BATTERY USB CHARGER/POWER PACK AAA RECHARGEABLE NIMH
Works fine and at £3 it is £45 cheaper |
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BarrieB Occasional Visitor
Joined: Jan 12, 2007 Posts: 8
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Posted: Sat May 22, 2010 9:18 pm Post subject: Planning walking routes |
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Thanks for your help |
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Calomax Lifetime Member
Joined: Sep 30, 2005 Posts: 988 Location: St Martin's, Guernsey
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Posted: Sun May 23, 2010 5:51 pm Post subject: |
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It's also worth looking at the PowerMonkeys which are multipurpose and have a solar charger as well http://www.powertraveler.com/ _________________ TT Go Essential |
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Seamaster Frequent Visitor
Joined: Jun 05, 2006 Posts: 331
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Posted: Sun May 23, 2010 6:35 pm Post subject: |
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Andy_P wrote: | Have to say, the few times I've tried it, I've never found walking with a TomTom in towns terribly successful. It kind of works, but only just. It seems you don't move fast enough for the TT to consistently know which direction it's going in... |
The same problem bedevils the iPhone Tomtom app, which is particularly disappointing for me as it was the principal reason I bought it. I have a 740 for my car, I wanted the iPhone app to navigate unfamiliar cities on foot.
I don't think there's any hardware-based technical reason for it. I note, for example, the Google Maps app on the same hardware and in the same terrain seems much better at tracking location/direction on foot.
I've raised the issue with Tomtom a couple of times, but they've as much as said they're not interested in fixing it. Why they continue to include, and advertise, pedestrian routing that simply doesn't work is baffling. |
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M8TJT The Other Tired Old Man
Joined: Apr 04, 2006 Posts: 10118 Location: Bexhill, South Sussex, UK
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Posted: Sun May 23, 2010 7:51 pm Post subject: |
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Andy_P wrote: | Have to say, the few times I've tried it, I've never found walking with a TomTom in towns terribly successful. It kind of works, but only just. | It would be useful if pedestrian mode switched the Sirf Star lll chipset Static Nav on and off so as to enable GPS tracking at less than 3MPH. iGO does not do this either, but I think that the chipset needs a reset to enable/disable Static Mode (but I'm not sure of this). |
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mikealder Pocket GPS Moderator
Joined: Jan 14, 2005 Posts: 19638 Location: Blackpool , Lancs
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Posted: Sun May 23, 2010 8:01 pm Post subject: |
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Walking with a TomTom below about 5MPH is not much use as the display will wander all over the place, anything above 4MPH is really known as running.
If you want a true walking GPS system go for a dedicated device geared to slow speed, even a PDA loaded with Memory Map and paired to a SiRF-III GPS device will offer far better performance with Static Navigation set to off for walking and ON for car use (4MPH threshold) - Mike |
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BarrieB Occasional Visitor
Joined: Jan 12, 2007 Posts: 8
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Posted: Wed Jun 02, 2010 3:00 pm Post subject: |
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Does the "Statnav" hack mentioned elsewhere on this forum work with a TomTom XL IQ Routes?
Thanks in advance? |
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