Seriously impressed with v8 routing

ansalmo · Occasional Visitor Joined: Aug 13, 2006 Posts: 8

Over several years I've refined my route to work to avoid various pinch points along the way where traffic builds up, and have now reached the stage where I take a very indirect route, but one which I believe is as close to optimal as I can get.

For chuckles, I'll occasionally take along a GPS and try different routing options to see what they'll come up with. I've recently tried it with an iPaq 314, a Navigon 2100max, a Sony NV-U83, and my old O2 Orbit running TT6, using a variety of fastest, shortest, most economical, and 'nicest' routing. They nearly always picked a fairly direct route straight into the traffic areas, and then doggedly tried to make me U-turn back onto that route whenever I tried to avoid the traffic.

I've just bought a TT 520 and updated it to the v8 software / maps (this was much more difficult than it ought to have been, and required several support emails, but that's another story!). The routing is quite a revelation - it tracks about 95% of my 'optimal' route and then quickly accepts my reroute towards the end of the journey, rather than continually suggesting U-turns. It's definitely given me a lot more confidence in its ability to route me sensibly through areas I know less well.

So, two-thumbs-good for me, and I'd heartily recommend this package. Having picked it up for about £140 delivered, including vouchers for a year's speed camera subscription and a future map update, and updated to v8 for free, I'm really pleased. Thumbs Up

Trevor1234 · Posted: Thu Oct 16, 2008 9:54 am Post subject:

Hi ansalmo
I have the 720 with the latest map and I too find it works brilliantly. My model is similar to your 520 but has the maps of Europe installed. I have travelled extensively over the UK and Europe and can not think of a better navigating aid. I often wonder how I once managed when driving in London or Paris with a map balanced on my knee. If I stopped and wound the window down to ask a passer by for directions in Paris he couldn’t speak French and if I asked someone in London he wouldn’t speak English.
Thank Gawd for the Tomtom.
_________________
Tomtom Go 720.
Navcore 9.510
Central and Western Europe v855.2884
GPS World Traffic cameras
Home 2.7
iPhone 3G

LesP2008 · Posted: Thu Oct 16, 2008 10:48 am Post subject:

Thats good to hear. You have obviously spent the time finding your "optimal" route and the new Tom is pretty much on the ball with it.
Thats one for all us lot who give it grief. I have a friend on another forum who had the most ridiculous routing on a particular trip that it wasn't funny, other members suggested some fixes and it turned out mapshare was the culprit.

Trevor1234 · Posted: Thu Oct 16, 2008 11:47 am Post subject:

Hi LesP2008
I must admit that I have steered well clear of the Map share opportunity. When Mapshare was first announced I could see all kind of possible errors and pit- falls and I am glad that I have ignored the facility.
_________________
Tomtom Go 720.
Navcore 9.510
Central and Western Europe v855.2884
GPS World Traffic cameras
Home 2.7
iPhone 3G

ansalmo · Occasional Visitor Joined: Aug 13, 2006 Posts: 8

LesP2008 · Posted: Thu Oct 16, 2008 1:05 pm Post subject:

Hi Trevor & ansalmo,
Yes mapshare was a thing i used until recently. Although i never had any issues of crazy routing a lot of others have had.
I have heard of people useing friends units to block access to their village and others blocking off access to their street as their kids play in the road etc. This is why it is paramount that to work as it was intended then every correction has to be submitted honestly and VERIFIED honestly.

IanS100 · Posted: Fri Oct 17, 2008 2:38 pm Post subject:

I too am running a 520 with the latest maps & have also found the routing to be far superior. On one regular trip I make between Liverpool & Southport all my previous Sat Nav devices & earlier TomTom map versions have insisted on routing me through the centre of Southport instead of using a longer but far quicker route. Even when I ignored the suggested route I would be constantly directed to return to it, however 8.10 is a revelation & is a first in directing me by the sensible, faster but longer route.

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