Plotting a route with Mapsource

[Baz]

Hi all

I plotted a cross country route from Sandy to Basingstoke taking in the smaller A & B type roads using the route tool in Mapsource, dragging the pointer between major junctions on route. It was then transferred to the 2610.
However when tried riding the route today, the GPS didnt seem to know what it was doing. Although I could see the route on the screen, it wasnt giving me much in the way of verbal information. It was telling me I was off route after I had passed a junction I was supposed to take but the read out on the display informed me there was no turn for X miles & no verbal warning before the junction.

Have I missed something with the way I set up the route or do I have to plot each junction as a waypoint. It will be a pain to plot all the minor roads I intend taking on my foreign travel next year if I do.

If I ask the GPS to plot a route between two points there are no problems.

Any help appreciated

Baz

 

[gazza]

Baz your problem is probably that you plotted your route at to little magnification and have clicked on roads as part of your route and due to the level of magnification you will have actually clicked on the other side of the road/carriageway. This is a common problem. Try getting your route on screen in mapsourse and zoom to a high magnification and follow your route you should then see your errors.

 

[Baz]

Hi Gazza

I'm pretty sure its not that. the first point was at the Golf Club in Graveley Herts. I then just clicked on the villages I wanted to go through. Mapsource plotted the routes between them. The route follows the roads perfectly. The route I want is shown on the GPS but the turn prompts arent always there. The firstt I know where I should have made a turn is when it tells me I'm off route.
Aso the map didnt zoom in where I needed guidence ie I come to a T Junction where I have to turn but the map is zoomed out so I cant even work out from the map where Im going.

Baz

 

[gazza]

sent you a pm

 

[Baz]

Hi Gazza, did you get the Email I sent?

Baz

 

[gazza]

Had a good look at the route and couldn't really find any major problems. The only possible errors are shown below, but not knowing the area itself these may be correct.

 

[Baz]

Thats how I plotted it, theres one way systems in place in a few of the towns.
I plotted another local route today as a further experiment and had the same issues. THe route is shown on the map but I dont get some of the close up information or voice prompts for every junction. Now scratching head.

Has anyone got a route they can send me around the Basingstoke area that I can try out some time.

Baz

 

[HMR]

Hi all

I plotted a cross country route from Sandy to Basingstoke taking in the smaller A & B type roads using the route tool in Mapsource, dragging the pointer between major junctions on route.

Have I missed something with the way I set up the route or do I have to plot each junction as a waypoint. It will be a pain to plot all the minor roads I intend taking on my foreign travel next year if I do.

Baz

Check if you really have properly downloaded the map to your GPS unit.

When you construct your route, do it this way:

1 - create a route using only two points. Start and goal.

2 - use the "pointer" to grip your route and "snap" it to roads that you want to drive on. Repeat this until you have the route you want. Do NOT snap the route to junctions. Snap it to roads between junctions.

Switch off automatic zooming in your GPS. Manual zoom gives much better control.

Switch off automatic route recalculation in your GPS.

Good luck. If you still have problems, e-mail your file to me and i will simulate driving it in my GPS.

 

[Rod Souter]

Did you download the routing information with the map sets?

Rod

 

[Baz]

Thanks for teh replies guys.

HMR if I switch of the auto zoom and auto recalculate will that not slow things down a bit. I like to see where I'm going at a junction.
If I switch off auto recalculate does that mean I have to manually tell the GPS to find the new route. Not always easy in busy traffic.

Did you download the routing information with the map sets?

Rod

I have loaded the whole of the UK on to the GPS if thats what you mean.

Baz

 

[John Armstrong]

I have loaded the whole of the UK on to the GPS if thats what you mean.

Baz [/B][/QUOTE]

No its not! Its a check box option (bottom of the list from memory)when you download the mapset to the data card. It's an option for the steam age GPSR's that a can't autoroute and b would overload said gpsr's memory anyway.

 

[Baz]

Is this what you mean?

Baz

 

[HMR]

HMR if I switch of the auto zoom and auto recalculate will that not slow things down a bit. I like to see where I'm going at a junction.
If I switch off auto recalculate does that mean I have to manually tell the GPS to find the new route. Not always easy in busy traffic.

Baz

The device will run faster, not slower, with these options set to off.

Why switch off automatic recalculation of routes?
Typically you want to drive a certain road and not (as the taxi driver) reach a certain location. Sometimes you may choose a different road for a short distance and, with recalculation=off, the predefined route is unchanged and still on the screen so you can resume driving on it when you prefer. This means that you are usung the GPS as a "moving map" only.

If you want the GPS to recalculate the route just press the buttons route and enter.

When I drive on small countryside roads I always switch the option "guidance" to "off" and thereby use the GPS as a pure moving map. This makes the screen cleaner and more predictable.

Why use fixed map scale?
With the scale set to "200m" (or "600ft") you need no extra info to find your way through junctions. If you want you can at any time press the speak key for details. If I am in a village I sometimes zoom in to "120m" or closer. When I am looking for alternative roads I often zoom out to "1.2km" for better overview. Note that you must set the option "details" to "most" or else you may not see all the small roads on the screen.

Next time you drive on small roads, try guidance=off, auto recalculation=off, auto zooming=off and scale=200m.

 

[HMR]

Is this what you mean?

Baz

No, he means a checkbox under the "Map Set Name" list. Click at the "Maps" tag on the left side of the screen.

 

[Baz]

Hi HMR
You mean this one?
there doesnt appear to be anything to check.

I understand waht you are saying about zooming etc, but I dont really want the distraction of fiddling about with the GPS whilst riding or driving trying to zoom in and out.

Cheers Baz

 

[littleredrooster]

This is the box you need to tick to get auto-routing information onto the SPIII.

 

[Baz]

Ok, so maybe I need to reformat my card and reload the maps.

Baz