M4 - Cardiff to Swansea Garmin Users and Management

[missing_user]

I use this route from time to time - three times in 10 days recently!
The following are noted from using a Garmin POI download to GPSMap 60CSx. Using CityNavigator Europe v8.

Points:-

1-Are the increases in Mobile units on bridges genuine, or have they been added and not verified? My unit spent so much time warning me of mobile units between Cardiff and Bridgend[almost every bridge] that I just ignored it! Why two warnings on one bridge?

2-Do you get a false warning at Port Talbot M4 J41 [50MPH] but showing the Mobile 30MPH 5859 which is near but not on the approach road to J41? This location is not marked on the Garmin map as being on any road so is confusing the unit. Is it on the Baglan road or the approach to J41 or M4? It is 98 feet from any Garmin road!

3-Approaching M4 J35 going East [70MPH] I received an alert to 30G 2109!! I knew I was approaching the notorious 70M 5883 and 70M 8723! Why are there are two mobiles listed on the same bridge and not on others along the same road?
Again, near to the M4, but not on any Garmin road!

4-
70M 5891
Again, near to the M4, but not on any Garmin road! It is 64feet from the centre of bridge, and 24 feet from any part of the M4 or 24 feet from the overhead Cowbridge road!!

Are there going to be problems with location submitted by the non-operational Google Map[on your site] compared with Garmin Maps?
30MPH 5859 is 98 feet from any Garmin Road.
To receive an 'alert' while on the M4 is annoying!

[Oldie]

Strumble,

I have had a look at the database and here are my findings

1. Some satnavs, eg TomTom, can be set to warn if a POI (safety camera) is on the selected route so we are placing the markers on both carriageways if appropriate. Previuosly one marker was placed on the bridge that crossed the dual carrigeway.

2. Mobile 5859 has been in the database for a long time and is on the A48 Dinas Baglan Road not the M4. It would seem that your Garmin is looking far and wide when warning you.

3. Gatso 2109 is on a minor road some 300 yards from the M4. When submitted the user comment was "Coychurch Rd Pencoed near Croesty School" which certainly matches its position.

Mobile 5883 is on the eastbound carriageway of the M4 and 8723 is on the westbound carriageway. As you cannot set your Garmin to warn if on route you will get two warnings.

4. Mobile 5891 is on the westbound carriageway of the M4 according to the Google/Tele Atlas maps. I will have a look at my Garmin map later to check its position.

I hope that this helps explain the warnings that you are getting.

Richard
_________________
Various TomToms, Garmin eTrex Legend, GPSMAP 60CSx, Oregon 550t, Forerunner 405

[missing_user]

Unit:-Garmin 60CSx with POIs installed with loader.


Thanks Richard for your reply.
Any other Garmin M4 users out there?

Normally I set a route to my destination, even though I know where I am going! Then I have a ETA and reminders of turnings.
BUT
On the last occassion [that caused the start of the thread] I did not 'route' but merely had an active GPS for the benefit of speed camera 'alerts'.

In the 200+ miles the strange behaviour listed in the initial posting was limited to 3 camera locations - locate near to the M4 but not on any Garmin road.

Point 1- Are all the locations on bridges between Cardiff and Bridgend verified, as they seem to be so frequent and they tie in with the road traffic imformation cameras!
Why only 1 in 5 locations have double camera locations[both directions]

Point 2- There are many cameras close to the M4 but only the 3 mentioned appear. Each of these [as luck will have it] are not on any Garmin road. So does the unit assume that due to the close proximity it is relevant? Mobile 5859 could be [as far as Garmin maps are concerned] be on any of three roads!! Even Google maps have it off-road!

Point 3- Again this Gatso is off-road with Garmin, and in a dead end with Google, so does the unit assume that due to the close proximity it is relevant to the M4?

Point 4- This camera location could be on either road on Garmin maps [the speed value of 70mph places it on a motorway]. But with Google should it not be on the bridge rather than nearly under the bridge? Should it be a location for either direction rather than westwards?

I may be 'nit picking' but I am trying to point out that the database is catering for different units and their respective maps and there seems to be an in-accuracy between Google and Garmin!
To have [30M 5859] 98 feet from any road and [70M 5891] 24 feet from two roads is confusing to the Garmin unit and to me!

Is this again pointing to the need for the long awaited local verifiers?

[Oldie]

Yes there are differences between the Garmin/Navteq and Google/Tele Atlas maps and obviously these account for some of the errors that you see. As you say not all of the safety camera markers are on the Google/Tele Atlas roads but generally the database markers are close enough to the correct position. The positional accuracy should improve as more reports come in.

Richard
_________________
Various TomToms, Garmin eTrex Legend, GPSMAP 60CSx, Oregon 550t, Forerunner 405

[Aladdin_Sane]

Treat every bridge from Cardiff to Bridgend as a genuine site. The 'Safety Camera' vans are notorious along this stretch.

You won't see them at 8.30 am when the traffic is at it's heaviest, doing 70, and dangerously tail-gating. But you'll see them at 10 am when the traffic is lighter, safer, but moving quicker.

'Safety Camera' my arse!

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