View Full Version : Why is GPS terrible with street directions?



ampmdp
08-04-2010, 10:00 PM
I'm admittedly not very high-tech...but I can't understand how my Garmin 60csx is so great at getting me to ground zero, and so terrible at getting me to "Main Street." When I put in an address destination, or choose the "Follow Road" option to get to a cache, it seems to take me in the most roundabout way possible. Often times it'll take me down dead-end roads with the expectation that I'll somehow be able to continue after the "dead-end." And if I miss a turn it'll either re-route me in the most circuitous way possible, or fiercely hold on to the original route that it would have me drive five miles down the road, just to turn around and drive the five miles back and then take the original turn. We wasted an hour yesterday just trying to get to the correct street a cache was on, because the gps had me approach it from opposite directions, each of which ended in a dead end and neither of which led to the cache. I finally found my way there by discontinuing the navigation and figuring it out myself. Am I the only one with this trouble?

Gob-ler
08-04-2010, 10:13 PM
Not sure this is what you need, but there are different variables that you can set on the 60 series.

Main Menu > Setup > Routing > (there are three on this page you need to set. I use prompted. Faster time. Next turn pop up - On.) > Follow Road Options (at the bottom of the routing page) (there are 4 items here you need to set for your preferences - Off Route Recalculation - Automatic / Calculation Method - Better Route or Best Route / Calculate Routes for - Car/Motorcycle / Avoid - 5 choices here, your preferences.

Hope that makes sense. If you have it set for something other than car then you get noticeably longer routes.

Please note, this has not been my primary GPS for quite a while, so the setting may be slightly off.

Hope it helps.

Fins_Up
08-04-2010, 10:15 PM
My PN-40 does the same thing. It seems to choose the first available road on the way to the cache instead of the best route. The PN-40 does not have any settings for driving and it has often taken me the long way to my destination.

Gob-ler
08-04-2010, 10:18 PM
I found the routing in the PN40 at times quite slow and I gave it a rating of inadequate. My 60 scx with City Nav was very good.

Fins_Up
08-04-2010, 10:25 PM
I agree. It is spot on for hiking but street nav stinks. I sometimes use my Nuvi if I am not familiar with the area.

ampmdp
08-04-2010, 10:25 PM
Thanks for the quick reply! I don't think I set the 60csx for anything...I've just been going on what the default settings have been. I'll try your suggestions Gob-ler...thanks!!!

WhereRWe?
08-05-2010, 06:08 AM
Thanks for the quick reply! I don't think I set the 60csx for anything...I've just been going on what the default settings have been. I'll try your suggestions Gob-ler...thanks!!!

I've always had very good luck with the routing on the 60CSX, except that it occasionally takes us to a "road" that is only passable with an ATV. I agree with Gob-Ler. Check your settings. :D:D

dubord207
08-05-2010, 06:16 AM
I have run my vista csx with City Navigator side by side with a nuvi with the most current updates and the nuvi really is the way to go although it has it's moments as well. Now that the prices for a decent nuvi have gone down to a reasonable price for a mid-scale unit, you might want to try one.

firefighterjake
08-05-2010, 07:45 AM
Hehheh . . . and here I thought it was just me and my Magellan which always wants to take me down discontinued, gated roads or roads that are made for Jeep Wranglers -- not Honda Accords. ;)

ampmdp
08-05-2010, 10:02 AM
It's nice to know I'm not the only one with gps navigation concerns!Thanks for the help everyone!

Ekidokai
08-05-2010, 11:35 AM
I can not live without my Nuvi now. I can't say I get lost without it because I can't remember where I'm going most of the time. I do question it's thinking at times. I wonder why it takes me the route it does when we get there. I think it gets caught up in hollering at me and forgets what it is doing.

I have had the opportunity to use many different handhelds. I was never impressed with the navigation on them.

If you don't mind getting hollered at occasionally get a TomTom or Nuvi for traveling. They are the best thing since cigars.

JFamilySebec
08-05-2010, 07:22 PM
I use a Nuvi for car use and then a handheld Garmin. My nuvi will occasionally tell me to "turn here" when there is no road, just an open field. It did it to me today. Unless there was a cowpath there that I didn't see then there was no road to turn on.

And I HATE HATE HATE that if you go past the turnoff you need it will send you 5 miles down the road to circle back instead of just saying "turn around you idiot, you missed the turn!". I just turn and let her (my son named her Dora) recalculate.

JustKev
08-05-2010, 07:59 PM
I use a Nuvi for car use and then a handheld Garmin. My nuvi will occasionally tell me to "turn here" when there is no road, just an open field. It did it to me today. Unless there was a cowpath there that I didn't see then there was no road to turn on.

And I HATE HATE HATE that if you go past the turnoff you need it will send you 5 miles down the road to circle back instead of just saying "turn around you idiot, you missed the turn!". I just turn and let her (my son named her Dora) recalculate.

If I can see that's what she's doing to me, I just turn around and head back. Mine as tried to send me on a road about a half mile from my house that used to be there. MANY years ago. Then we were coming back from a caching adventure above Wilton and I told it to take us home and tried to follow it. Nothin doing. One road it wanted us to take was little more than an ATV path and since we were in JustPJ66's mother's car....and more importantly, M-I-L was in the back seat behind me....we opted not to take the goat path the Nuvi wanted. :eek:

brdad
08-05-2010, 08:35 PM
And I HATE HATE HATE that if you go past the turnoff you need it will send you 5 miles down the road to circle back instead of just saying "turn around you idiot, you missed the turn!". I just turn and let her (my son named her Dora) recalculate.

With my Nuvi, Tools - Settings - Navigation - Avoidences, I can uncheck the U-turn option, and Lola will just tell me to take a U-turn when possible instead of taking me miles down the road to find a turn.

Ekidokai
08-05-2010, 11:32 PM
Good boy Brdad. That is what I was going to say.

Another thing with the Nuvi that I am doing now is looking over the maps for the roads it has picked. I noticed that the shortest route is not the best, but the quickest route isn't much better, so just look at the route on the maps and you will see the way. Then if you want to let the thing take you the right way put a wavepoint or two in and it will follow the right route with out all that hollering.

JFamilySebec
08-06-2010, 06:51 PM
Done. Anxious to see how this works now!

JFamilySebec
08-06-2010, 06:53 PM
So your's is "Lola" huh Brdad? Dora is, of course, named after Dora the Explorer. If it was a male voice I'm sure it would have been Diego. Instead that is one of our cats haha!

WhereRWe?
08-06-2010, 10:03 PM
One thing I've really used on our Garmin 60csx on this current trip is the "find" feature: find cities, find addresses, find lodging, find FOOD!

RULost2? is going shopping with #1 son tomorrow, while I go to Missouri for a few caches and "other stuff".

Mapping software is GREAT!

firefighterjake
08-09-2010, 10:32 AM
I call mine Hiram . . . :) ;)

brdad
08-09-2010, 10:35 AM
I call mine Hiram . . . :) ;)

Ah, you must have a Magellan. No idea where it is, not able to find an ammo box if it thinks it's looking for a micro. :)

pjpreb
08-10-2010, 08:43 PM
So your's is "Lola" huh Brdad? Dora is, of course, named after Dora the Explorer. If it was a male voice I'm sure it would have been Diego. Instead that is one of our cats haha!

We call our Nuvi "Bea" (After she tried to get us to turn left on a divided highway in DC):D:eek: