Garmin 310 directions Fastest and Shortest not very good

Altern8 · Occasional Visitor Joined: Dec 28, 2006 Posts: 2

Hi

I recently bought a Garmin 310 and after using it for several days I have knowticed that the settings for it are a bit hit and miss.

Yesterday I drove to Birmingham and it took me to the location but it was further then the way it too me back home.

It took me two junctions up the m5 and then 20 mins though the town but the way home it was 15 mins to the m5 and then 2 juctions closer home.

It also seems to go down some awful roads and usally work out slower then going the long way Confused

Any ideas ?

Cheers
Craig

adrian_anastas · Regular Visitor Joined: Mar 27, 2006 Posts: 73

Try changing the vehicle setting to Truck. This sometimes helps.

The issue is that way that the roads are classified by Navteq/Garmin.

Garmin only classifies roads into 5 different speeds, and I'm pretty sure that the slowest is 25 MPH.

Anyone with a full Mapsource product can check the defaults:

Residential: 25 MPH
Collector: 35 MPH
Other Highways: 45MPH
Major Highways: 58 MPH
Interstate Highways: 67 MPH

A lot of those smaller country roads are classified as Collector Roads, with most of the smaller A roads classed as Other Highways. When it comes to a choice of 5 miles at 35 MPH or 7 at 45 MPH, it chooses the shorted route, irrespective of the fact that you'll barely to 20 on the small country road, and 60 or more on the A road.

It's a bit more complicated than that but if you simulate route on the Nuvi it will show you the speed it's using to calculate the route.

EddyDC · Regular Visitor Joined: Oct 04, 2007 Posts: 150

I've the same problem in Belgium on my C550. I live in a town with small country roads (where only on car can pass at a time).
I tried to change to Truck as verhicle, but the effect is that it tries to direct you as quick as possible to a highway, which is much of a detour.

I wonder if it's a problem with the navteq maps or the Garmin software and things will be better with the next release of city navigator.
I don't see much updates appear anymore for the C550 (last was from April), so the device is maybe at a dead end?

Or is it better to go for other solutions (eg TomTom)?

Anita · Posted: Tue Oct 09, 2007 12:27 pm Post subject:

I certainly find that, in rural areas and with both devices set to fastest route, my TomTom GO 720 directs me on main roads, while my Garmin i3 uses the country lanes.

I live in a rural village and, as I'm now retired, I'm not usually in a hurry, and I enjoy driving on the lanes more than the main roads, so the i3 routes suited me most of the time. I haven't tried it on shortest route, as I suspect it would direct me along footpaths and across fields!

When I first used the 720, with default settings, I was disappointed that the routing was on major roads, but I've found that changing to shortest route usually directs me on the roads I prefer.

So, in my experience, a TomTom device can direct you on whichever roads you prefer while a Garmin device will take you on minor roads regardless of the setting.
_________________
Anita
TomTom VIA 135 - App 12.075
UK map 1125.12264
Samsung Galaxy S21

EddyDC · Regular Visitor Joined: Oct 04, 2007 Posts: 150

That's really a very useful answer. Thanks for that.

Anita · Posted: Tue Oct 09, 2007 1:30 pm Post subject:

EddyDC, if you'd like to give me a departure and destination address for a route where the Garmin takes you on minor roads I'll put it into the TomTom and let you know the route it gives.

You can PM the addresses to me if you prefer.
_________________
Anita
TomTom VIA 135 - App 12.075
UK map 1125.12264
Samsung Galaxy S21

philpugh · Posted: Wed Oct 10, 2007 9:48 am Post subject:

Anita · Posted: Wed Oct 10, 2007 10:45 am Post subject:

philpugh · Posted: Wed Oct 10, 2007 1:44 pm Post subject:

Anita · Posted: Thu Oct 11, 2007 9:36 pm Post subject:

An update to the above.

I gave philpugh the 720's fastest and shortest routes. He replied that, while the fastest route was the 'correct' one, "The shortest route is the 'wrong' one. It is using the bridleway to cut across country . . . It seems to point to a mis-classification of the bridleway by the mappers (Teleatlas) whereas NAVTEQ get it correct. I've reported this to TomTom / Teleatlas for the last few years!"
_________________
Anita
TomTom VIA 135 - App 12.075
UK map 1125.12264
Samsung Galaxy S21

philpugh · Posted: Fri Oct 12, 2007 1:52 pm Post subject:

Just to expand on Anita's extract from our off line exchanges...

The bridleway is an unadopted road for the first part (accessed from the South) and then a bridleway/farm access road for the rest (only accessed from the North) The bit in between is not passable by vehicles larger than a cycle.

Interestingly the bridleway 'continues' across the public road it joins to the North. TT doesn't try to route down this. My GARMIN nuvi 660 recognises the track and only uses it if you select bicycle or pedestrian mode. (Which is correct). It's been like this since the first release of TomTom Navigator and I used to keep reporting the error - given up now!
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Phil

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