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Joined: Jun 19, 2004 Posts: 61 Location: Chelmsford, Essex.
Posted: Sun Dec 28, 2008 12:56 am Post subject:
there are a lot of straight Roman roads here in Essex, not a huge amount of water. I have to visit upto eight premises a day. I usually do more than 100 miles a day, I wish I had the time to plan routes on a map.
I use a bit of knowledge sometimes. A TomTom route, sometimes. The direction arrow, sometimes.
Often all three.
Joined: Mar 15, 2006 Posts: 3219 Location: Windlesham, Surrey
Posted: Sun Dec 28, 2008 12:59 am Post subject:
TangoCharlie wrote:
For example, it often sends you in the opposite direction in order to pick up a motorway.
Quote:
The direct route may well be effected also but at least you know you are travelling in the correct direction.
It sounds as if you should be selecting shortest route rather than fastest if you want to always be travelling in the right direction without deviating to pick up faster roads. _________________ Anita
TomTom VIA 135 - App 12.075
UK map 1125.12264
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Joined: Jan 04, 2007 Posts: 2789 Location: Hampshire, UK
Posted: Sun Dec 28, 2008 1:31 am Post subject:
TangoCharlie wrote:
I wish I had the time to plan routes on a map
A stitch in time saves nine
What would you do if your device suddenly died?
Do you own a paper map?
Would you be able to make time to look at it if you had no GPS?
If all the computers in the world fail, the sun will still rise in the morning _________________ Andy
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Joined: Feb 27, 2006 Posts: 14893 Location: Keynsham
Posted: Sun Dec 28, 2008 11:32 am Post subject:
Before I got a satnav I used to carry this...
For some reason, I have a small compass in my glovebox, but the last time I looked at it was in September 2006 in Austria or Switzerland or somewhere else foreign.
Maybe a Satnav without compass is more use to me because I do over 200 miles a day and in more than one County. When my TomTom device calculates my route it displays an overview too, which I can recall at any time if I care which direction of travel I'm supposed to be going in! I often care which direction I'm travelling - if it's towards a low sun, I get my sunglasses out of the glovebox.
Call me old fashioned, but I still like to scan a paper map to double check the planned route and identify possible detours along the way.
It's a bit like having the ability to do mental arithmetic versus relying on a calculator - if you have no idea what the 'answer' should be, you have no idea if the result you're given is completely wrong....not forgetting what you do if the device suddenly fails.
If you plot a route from:
50.81289734751455, -1.0872066020965576
to:
50.78955118763657, -1.1131596565246582
the direction to destination arrow will be totally meaningless, as will the planned route, but common sense will tell you that your car can't just jump off a car ferry where there's no ferry terminal.
Interesting analogies!
Firstly, it is quite conceivable that you don't know the arithmetical answer prior to using either mental ability or the services of a calculator.
Secondly, why should assumptions on the legitimacy of the result be made when you didn't know the answer in the first place?
If I was doing mental arithmetic and was comfortable doing so I wouldn't bother to consult a calculator. But whether done mentally or via a calculator, in order to get an answer you need to have input data, so at what point are you going to trust/not trust the answer? This question is not aimed at those who drive into rivers then blame the device!
If you are using an old TT map version there may be a case for wanting to scan a paper map, assuming that too wasn't out of date, but to do this kind of cross referencing as a matter of course in case of a conflicting answers appears somewhat extreme. For me at least, driving 500 miles pw, the ease of switch on an go technology is superb. Yes there will be conflicts of map (paper included) versus reality and that will always be so. I carry a road atlas but I use it as often as I adjust the head rests.
Often my TT refuses to bring me back the same way I came so, on the odd occasion particularly in more rural areas where the road suddenly becomes a cart track, and, despite knowing you should be heading South the compass indicates North, you can turn around with a warm feeling of reassurance and remain on the road TT wants you to leave even if it will be a longer route.
Surly the compass is the seed of the Sat Nav system? and, as I asked earlier, if TT thought it important enough to 'upgrade' why is it no longer important and subsequently downgraded?
Joined: Dec 28, 2005 Posts: 2003 Location: Antrobus, Cheshire
Posted: Mon Dec 29, 2008 2:29 pm Post subject:
LANE wrote:
Surly the compass is the seed of the Sat Nav system?
Not exactly. A GPS receiver will only calculate your (approx) position. There is no inherent directional capability in the system. After a second calculation of your position it can tell you where you are now are and it could tell you the straight line direction in which you travelled if it does the calculation. It can also calculate the direction to a fixed known point (e.g. waypoint or destination). The TomTom North pointing arrow will work by knowing the orientation of the map. The previous TT compass would show your direction or destination direction. Useful? That's down to individual taste.
Some handheld GPSr devices have separate electronic compasses that do work with or without GPS satellites being received. However the usual "compass" you see on these devices is usually showing you the straight line course to the next waypoint - a valuable piece of information on a featureless moor or the ocean, but less useful in a car when you have contraints on where you can travel. _________________ Phil
Surly the compass is the seed of the Sat Nav system?
However the usual "compass" you see on these devices is usually showing you the straight line course to the next waypoint - a valuable piece of information on a featureless moor or the ocean, but less useful in a car when you have contraints on where you can travel.
The devise compass operates, as you stated, to the orientation of the map in relation to North and to be effective the satellites need the device to be travelling about 10 mph. Assuming you were on a moor without any automotive assistance, or the desire to run, the TT compass would be anything but "valuable" because you would pretty much have a useless frozen picture.
The compass feature on TT is one of those you like, or you don't. (not forgetting - could care less.)
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