Routing preferences - what exactly are Urban Roads?

Spider-101 · Occasional Visitor Joined: Nov 17, 2004 Posts: 18

I'm not sure what the "Urban Roads" slider does. I can believe it tryies to deliberately send you thruoghr twons rather than use bypasses! I guess it must mean a "class" of road, but I'm not sure which.

Spider-101 · Occasional Visitor Joined: Nov 17, 2004 Posts: 18

Wow, That was very badly typed! I'll try again, in English this time.

I'm not sure what the "Urban Roads" slider does. I can't believe it tries to deliberately send you through towns rather than use bypasses! I guess it must mean a "class" of road, but I'm not sure which.

e_d_d_i_e · Occasional Visitor Joined: Oct 08, 2004 Posts: 16

I imagine it could mean "anything but a Motorway".

But having said that the variations in types of roads below M-ways is absolutely huge.

There are many A-roads out there that are motorways in all but name, e.g. the A46 south of Coventry. And at the other end of the scale there are roads mapped that are more or less dirt tracks.

A while ago I was relying on my Navman to direct me to a location in Reading and it tried to send me down several very narrow and almost un-drivable roads. I would rather it have stuck to the proper A-roads and B-roads wherever possible.

When I looked at the maps, I found that the local A and B roads offered a much better route to my destination, but for some reason the iCN510 had not selected them.

I'd much prefer there to be extra options which control the routing further, to avoid these small roads wherever possible.

e_d_d_i_e · Occasional Visitor Joined: Oct 08, 2004 Posts: 16

I would add that exactly the same happened when I recently went down to Cornwall, which has an awful lot of very narrow roads, and no motorways at all.

Paulworden · Occasional Visitor Joined: Jan 07, 2005 Posts: 2

Does anyone know the basis of the routing algorithms?

In my brief experience with the 510, it seems that 'shortest' is taken very literally and will route you down 50 metre alleys with speed bumps at either end.....

Quickest will have the unit trying to sniff out Motorways and going to extremes to take you across country to them.

Navman has given me a few laughs with it's persistence when I've ignored the entreaties to "Turn Left." The algorithm will persist for 25 kms or more before it re-routes ...but with an eye out for any other motorways....

Changed road conditions (ie out-of-date maps) are the Achillies heel. I'd like a big red button on the front that would deliver the computer equivalent of "I can't go that way!" to the internals, so that it would block that option and re-route.

It's nice having someone to talk to though.....

Tim Buxton · Posted: Fri Jan 07, 2005 3:54 pm Post subject:

You can set up 'Avoid' areas. I have a couple set up on roads which are no-through roads (and have been for 10 years).
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Tim

Mewy · Occasional Visitor Joined: Jan 27, 2005 Posts: 2

Well if it makes you feel any better I can't work these out either and I'm in Australia. I've set it to use urban roads less and use expressways more often and it still sends me weird ways.

My solution is use the road signs and let the recalculating thingy do it's work. A bit lame I know but it works for me!

At least over there you don't get "go to nearest road" everytime I go a little bit interstate! I guess we don't have the range of sallelites that you guys have and as soon as I go an hour or so out of a capital city the satellite loses me.

Still I love it - it's excellent in Sydney.

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