report on first use: issues in route planning and unresponsv

lostinleeds · Occasional Visitor Joined: Jun 23, 2008 Posts: 6

I am a novice to GPS as well as to Satmap and, despite the issues helpfully aired on this board, decided to take the plunge because of all the easily identifiable advantages. On the whole - so far - I am glad I did. I have just had an epic ride in the dales battling the wind and am now preparing for a ride with a group of friends in Scotland over 4 days.

I enjoyed the experience of being able to see clearly (using 1:25k N Yorks West map) the lie of the orad ahead as I approached, though reflection on screen and the colouring of the route did make it hard to see clearly at times.

Two niggles:

[/b]Loss of data in route planning[/b] The RAM of the device doesn't seem to cope with a lot of waypoint data - and I have found it necessary, if planning on the machine direct, to save frequently and then edit the route. That's bearable (though it would have helped to have known this in advance); what is more annoying is that, if you forget to save the new edits before moving to a new screen, the machine loses the whole route - not just your most recent edits.

unresponsive keys Whilst doing the route and on the gps map, I found all soft keys unresponsive or slow to respond. The backlight function took several seconds to come on after pressing the button; and at times it proved next to impossible to switch from gps to planning (neccessary to access settings like the backlight) or to increase/decrease zoom. This only happens when on the trip - any ideas?

PloddinPedro · Regular Visitor Joined: Mar 25, 2007 Posts: 229

lostinleeds · Occasional Visitor Joined: Jun 23, 2008 Posts: 6

It is 1.16. I had wondered about trying a later beta - but to be honest discussion on here didn't convince me the issues would be resolved by that, and suggest also that the latest beta may yet be problematic.

Like you, I am a cyclist and so was working with a long route (75 miles) on a small scale map. The screen didn't freeze or white-out (therefore I didn't experience the problems I was most fearing and have been reported with previous versions of the software). The only time the screen has frozen I can account for by how much I've been fiddling with buttons before it's ready to receive instruction.

I'll see what happens when I go away for 4 days of long rides later in the week and revisit your suggestion then. Thanks for your reply.

jonesbach · Regular Visitor Joined: Jun 07, 2008 Posts: 185

Some users believe that the system slowing down is linked to the number/size of files in memory. I try to tidy up after each walk and keep the memory as clear as possible. It could just be luck but I haven't suffered any slowdown and it has only frozen on seven+ hour(990K of data) walks.

lostinleeds · Occasional Visitor Joined: Jun 23, 2008 Posts: 6

Thanks for that.

I wouldn't describe the symptoms as the unit freezing - since it still tracked my route on the GPS screen. It's just that it would not allow me to leave the GPS screen - so I was locked to that screen, but the screen still rolled with my movement across the map and tracked the trip. I had nothing in RAm apart from my trip, which was stored on the SD card.

I was trying to do just as you describe: press the map menu button to access settings from the main screen - sorry for confusing you.

PloddinPedro · Regular Visitor Joined: Mar 25, 2007 Posts: 229

Just to update my earlier post...... I've now tried the new software (v1.189) with a short route enabled as "active" and there was no discernable slowing down of the button functions. I also seem to be getting better battery life; I'm using a Li-pol cell and the "Advanced" power mode, with 80% backlight and the screen always on. I've done two 75 miles rides, each on a freshly charged cell, and I haven't lost a battery block either time (and I don't ride quickly!)

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