I just don't trust it!

[(RIP) Tunneruk]

Hi Guys,
I have a Zumo 550 and I have to say I've got very little faith in it. It's a great piece of kit with regards to all it's features and everything it can do but I'm finding the directions worrying!
For instance, I was coming home last week south on the M1 and it tried to navigate me THROUGH Toddington services and out the other side back onto the motorway.
I've been in Wales and it's taken me off the main road and down some little lane only to take me in a loop back to the main road.
I'm off to the South of France next friday. I've driven it once before so have a recollection of the route, I boot up the Zumo and ask it for the route and it's decided to take me from Calais down the bloody coast past La Touquet!
I don't mind ignoring it on the M1 because I know better but I'm f**ked if I want it to send me on a wild goose chase through bloody Paris!

I know I shouldn't swear but I'm honestly thinking of changing it for a TomTom as I have the software on my mobile phone of all places and have found it faultless if ever I've used it..........on a bloody mobile phone for christ's sake!!

Anybody with any wise words for me?

 

[ECM]

Yes

1) What's your routing settings and avoidences?? Maybe that's wrong.
) Try to plan your route with Mapsource and place just a few shaping points allong the route.

 

[Matt splat]

Go into navigation-avoidances-uncheck everything.

And make sure it is set to fastest route, not shorter distance.

 

[Kritou]

... and if you are using the pointer in Mapsource to drag a route make sure you zoom in and ensure it's placed on the correct carriageway of the M1

 

[(RIP) Tunneruk]

I was in Chesterfield on the bike, I asked the unit to take me home and off we went. That's when it tried to take me through the services on the M1. Not a problem because I knew where I was going. I know my way home from there but I like to see ETA and miles left to go etc, What concerns me is whether it's going to take me on a little mystery tour when I don't know the way and I have to trust it. I've now unchecked all avoidances on the unit and will do the same in Mapscource and see what happens. I've deffo had it set to fastest rather that shortest route.

 

[Decster]

Anybody with any wise words for me?

AA or Michelin maps

 

[(RIP) Tunneruk]

AA or Michelin maps

That's what I'm begining to think

 

[cookie]

Yes

1) What's your routing settings and avoidences?? Maybe that's wrong.
) Try to plan your route with Mapsource and place just a few shaping points allong the route.

wot he said. especially point #1.

 

[STUBBS]

if its set to shortest distance then the slip road into and out of the service station maybe shorter by a few feet

 

[ianboydsnr]

I had something simmilar, when i put avoid toll roads, wanted to rout me another 50k, just to avoid a bridge toll, i think the problem is that you need to practise more at using it and again, its an aid not something that you need to do, when i had my quest, it used to rout me on a slip road off the A1 then back up the other side, due to the road being changed.

 

[araspitfire]

As others have said....

Read a bit about how it works (for instance changing stuff in Mapsource doesn't do anything with how the unit makes its own routes... just routes worked out on the PC)..

Understand that it will do strange stuff from time to time... GPS is not a practical tool meant to replace local knowledge... If you know the best route, don't ever expect the GPS to take in all the variables that go into knowing the best way to go.

It simply adds up the distances... alters the calculation using some road categories.. (big road, smaller road, tiny road, one way road, toll road, closed road...) If there is a 100 meters saving by picking a route through town, it will do it if the road through town is the same category as the bypass.. If you know how all these things work and how to effect them, you will have confidence when making your routes.

Plus remember... if you really do need the GPS for navigation (as opposed to seeing how far left to go / arrival time / speed camera and traffic avoidance)... even if it adds 20 minutes to your trip time, chances are you would have used that 20 minutes using a roadmap to plan your route... it will still get you there..

The caveat to the above is where it tries to route you through a closed gate, or the pedestrian streets of Durham... which does happen, but not all that often anymore...

Al...

 

[Dickieboy]

I have tried all of the above suggestions plus telling the unit it was being used in a 'Lorry', all to no avail, the routes it chooses can be quite inane. I think the Zumo is for people who are really into their Satnavs and their routing and waypoints, but for people like myself who just want get from A to B via the fastest route using 'Autoroute' type routes and not via secret sheep trails it's a bit over the top.

Please check 'For sale' section later today.

 

[ECM]

Selling it will probably make someone else very happy

 

[Matt splat]

Ive had my zumo 3 months and im just getting used to it. Unfortunatly, it isnt a guide dog for the blind (which is what i thought i was buying), but, it WILL get you exactly where you want to be, wherever you want to be. It may not get you there the quickest or even the easiest way, but it will get you there

With GPS i save time and money, time because im always lost and money from not driving around in circles.

 

[longdog]

I have tried all of the above suggestions plus telling the unit it was being used in a 'Lorry', all to no avail, the routes it chooses can be quite inane. I think the Zumo is for people who are really into their Satnavs and their routing and waypoints, but for people like myself who just want get from A to B via the fastest route using 'Autoroute' type routes and not via secret sheep trails it's a bit over the top.

Please check 'For sale' section later today.

You told me it was the dogz bollox 2 months ago!!!!!!!!

 

[Engineer]

Hi Guys,
I have a Zumo 550 and I have to say I've got very little faith in it. It's a great piece of kit with regards to all it's features and everything it can do but I'm finding the directions worrying!
For instance, I was coming home last week south on the M1 and it tried to navigate me THROUGH Toddington services and out the other side back onto the motorway.
I've been in Wales and it's taken me off the main road and down some little lane only to take me in a loop back to the main road.
I'm off to the South of France next friday. I've driven it once before so have a recollection of the route, I boot up the Zumo and ask it for the route and it's decided to take me from Calais down the bloody coast past La Touquet!
I don't mind ignoring it on the M1 because I know better but I'm f**ked if I want it to send me on a wild goose chase through bloody Paris!

I know I shouldn't swear but I'm honestly thinking of changing it for a TomTom as I have the software on my mobile phone of all places and have found it faultless if ever I've used it..........on a bloody mobile phone for christ's sake!!

Anybody with any wise words for me?

All sat navs do crazy routing occasionally - it's just down to how the software writers put the algorithims together (IMHO most software engineers are let loose on society far before they are competent) - they will always get you to your destination, but often do ludricous things on the way!

Get some good Michelin maps and study them carefully, so you can correct for the sat navs silliness!

 

[Monsieur]

My old quest normally works well - struggled a bit in spain though this summer

 

[ianf]

All sat navs do crazy routing occasionally - it's just down to how the software writers put the algorithims together (IMHO most software engineers are let loose on society far before they are competent) - they will always get you to your destination, but often do ludricous things on the way!

Get some good Michelin maps and study them carefully, so you can correct for the sat navs silliness!

Can't get software engineers any more, all the universities knock out 'information systems' graduates, no idea how device drivers or embedded quality code work. They can use powerpoint quite well though.

 

[(RIP) Tunneruk]

Update

Just got back from France. Entering Paris from the South and you guessed it.................Pile of SH*T.
The poxy thing took me down little streets, Zebra crossings, Traffic lights, T junctions, Past a parade of shops with parking outside. Just what I was dreading it would do (See my initial thread)
This latest 'excursion' coupled with the fact that I can't use Mapsource with my Mac and it refused to talk to my B/T Nokia for the whole trip leave me no choice.
TomTom rider for me.
Guys, I'm sure you are all thinking that the Zumo is a great piece of kit and that I should give it more time but I've yet to be impressed by it after 4000 miles. It's a GPS not a problem child that I've got to learn to like.

See the For Sale section..................£275 all in

Chris.

 

[(RIP) Tunneruk]

Sold

And good riddance too.