USA - crossing state lines to get from A to B?

Joshik72 · Occasional Visitor Joined: Nov 29, 2005 Posts: 2

Hello all!

Forgive me - I'm new to all of this...

I have just (successfully!) installed TomTom Nav 5 onto my Palm Tungsten T3 via my Mac G5. So far, everything seems to work wonderfully.

Here's my question: I work in the Washington DC Metro Area (inside the 495 Beltway). I have installed the maps for Virginia, Maryland, and District of Columbia.

If my home address is in Virginia, how do I select a downtown Washington DC address as my destination? Or one in Maryland? It seems as though you can only choose from destination points on the map you are currently accessing.

This seems like a serious issue. Around here, people are constantly crossing from VA to MD to DC and back again. When I travel to my parents' house up in New Jersey, I pass through Virginia, Maryland, Delaware, and New Jersey.

I should be able to start in VA, and enter my NJ address as my final point. Nav 5 should be able to see where I am and bring up the appropriate map as needed (presuming I have installed it on my Palm).

Is there something I'm overlooking? Comments, suggestions anyone?

Tim Buxton · Posted: Tue Nov 29, 2005 10:19 pm Post subject:

Unless your departure and destination points are on the same map, you cannot route from one to the other without manually switching maps.
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DLCPhoto · Occasional Visitor Joined: Nov 03, 2005 Posts: 59

Flashyphotos · Posted: Wed Nov 30, 2005 12:21 am Post subject:

The only workaround would be to install a larger map section that includes all the areas you want, on the TomTom Discs there is the option to install various combinations of states if the standard Lower East Section of the US does not cover everything you need,

Richard

Joshik72 · Occasional Visitor Joined: Nov 29, 2005 Posts: 2

OK - figured it out!

I originally installed the US maps in a piece-meal fashion, just selected the individual states I wanted.

But the first option listed is to install a large regional map. In my case, this would be the New England / Mid-Atlantic regional map. I deleted all the individual maps, and reinstalled this larger map. Now I can navigate from Virginia to downtown DC, and up to New Jersey.

TomTom should consider creating some additional maps that re-divide up the current map data. For instance, a "DC Metro Area" map would contain everything from DC out to the 495 Beltway that encircles it, as well as Arlington and Fairfax counties (Northern VA), and Southern Maryland (Takoma), Prince George's County, etc. All the places that someone from DC would go.

Or a "Tri-State Area" map for the New York City area that would contain Manhattan and the other NYC buroughs, Long Island, Northern New Jersey, the southern tip of New York State, and even a good chunk of Connecticut...

DLCPhoto · Occasional Visitor Joined: Nov 03, 2005 Posts: 59

The big limitation here is that as far as I can see (and I'm hoping there is some work-around), there is no way to route between Regional maps. For example, if I wanted to create a route from my location in North Carolina, up to somewhere in New York, the origin and destination are in different regions, so it seems there's no way to do it.

I have also installed Major Roads and Cities of the USA, which does enable larger-distance routing, across what is covered separately in the regional maps, but the detail here is going to be less than what is contained in the regional maps, so may not be as useful.

So is there any work-around to gain the high detail available in the regional area mpas while still doing a route that crosses regions?

Thanks.

TuurG · Posted: Wed Nov 30, 2005 1:34 am Post subject:

if you use the Itinerary, you can plan a route across multiple maps. Just add all points you want from the region maps you travel in.
Also have the Major Roads or Major Roads&Cities map. When departing, have the detailed map loaded. Then switch to the MRoUSA map, and continue with the Itinerary. And when you are close to your destination, switch to the detailed destination map
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DLCPhoto · Occasional Visitor Joined: Nov 03, 2005 Posts: 59

Thanks. I'll play around with that and see how that would work out.

Don
DLC Photography

lbendlin · Posted: Wed Nov 30, 2005 5:19 am Post subject:

DLCPhoto · Occasional Visitor Joined: Nov 03, 2005 Posts: 59

Flashyphotos · Posted: Wed Nov 30, 2005 11:00 am Post subject:

Same Here Lutz

How can we get the Complete 700 Map?.

If you are suggesting we should pay for another complete Map at TomTom prices after alreay paying out for the TT5 US/Canada package I think you must be on commision from Tomtom Rolling Eyes

Richard

lbendlin · Posted: Wed Nov 30, 2005 3:32 pm Post subject:

DLCPhoto · Occasional Visitor Joined: Nov 03, 2005 Posts: 59

Well I just spent about 30 minutes on the phone with TomTom's "Customer Service." I explained the litany of problems I've had (no responses to questions posted on their tech support site, incorrect information on their website concerning using the downloadable 5.12 upgrade file to do a fresh install, not physically including the Application CD in a factory-sealed package, no instructions whatsoever on how to install the map files directly to SD, etc.).

I then discussed with them the issue in this thread, concerning the lack of a completely integrated, detailed USA-wide map file, which makes cross-regional routing cumbersome at best. And I brought up the idea of them providing me with the "USA_Complete" Map to get around this limitation. She kept saying they were unable to do this. I tried, patiently, to explain to her that this is just not true - they provided me with 8 CD's worth of maps with TTN5, so there was no technical reason they couldn't put the 890mb or so (according to her) USA_Complete on a couple of CD's and send them the same way.

If they weren't willing to do this, that's one thing; but when she says that they might be willing, but are actually unable to do this, it's just a crock. I could accept the former, though I wouldn't like it, but I refuse to accept the latter. They said there was also no way they could sell the map separate from the Go units that it's used with. Another crock to me.

So there it is, for what it's worth. I still like the application itself, despite the regional issue discussed in this thread, but am completely fed up with the company itself. They seem just plain incompetent when it comes to providing customer service and technical support, and unfortunately their customers suffer. I told her, and the others I've spoken to there that they're just shooting themselves in the foot with their failure with their customers. They apologize, but nothing seems to change, and they weren't willing to do anything extra to at least try and keep this customer happy.

Doesn't bode well for TomTom's future, unless there are marked improvements here....

Don
DLC Photography

lbendlin · Posted: Wed Nov 30, 2005 10:02 pm Post subject:

From my understanding of TomTom's business model they do not distinguish between "unable" and "unwilling" - these terms have the same meaning to them. "unable" just sounds less rude.

It's the same problem with TomTom Mobile or the GO 500. It is beyond me why they do not offer that in North America, but I was told that those products are not in line with their business strategy.
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MarkHewitt · Posted: Wed Dec 07, 2005 3:42 pm Post subject:

According to the TomTom website
http://www.tomtom.com/products/accessory.php?ID=155&Product=73&Category=&Context=1&Language=1&Tab=2

A contiguous map of the USA is available to purchase on SD card purchase price EUR169.

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