Garmin GPS - A better route is available?

Author

A better route is available?

quietguy

2006-12-14, 10:33 pm

Hi All

Love my Nuvi, but finding it is acting a bit 'silly' lately.

It seems to be looking for 'a better route', and often suggests there is
one when no better route is available.

For example, I live 3 km up a dirt road - when coming home and I turn
into my lane Nuvi now pipes up with 'a better route is available'.
Well, since the route I am following is just driving 3km up that lane to
my front gate, what could be better than a straight line?

Note that as all other ways to my gate would also be on dirt roads, and
the only two real possibilities involve detours of some 12 km and 30km
respectively instead of 3km, I do not understand why Nuvi is doing what
it now does. (Nuvi psychosis? It wants to see more countryside? It is
toying with me?)

This 'feature' has only become apparent since updating to version 3.2

Sometimes it just speaks the message, other times it puts up a text
message on the screen.

Any ideas?

David

Per Henneberg Kristensen

2006-12-15, 4:33 am

quietguy wrote:
> Hi All

> For example, I live 3 km up a dirt road - when coming home and I turn
> into my lane Nuvi now pipes up with 'a better route is available'.
> Well, since the route I am following is just driving 3km up that lane
> to my front gate, what could be better than a straight line?

Did you allow it to drive on dirt roads?

If not, it /will/ try to find a better road...

--
Per, Esbjerg

Fred McKenzie

2006-12-16, 12:33 pm

In article
<4581F72E.94D2A31B@REMOVE-TO-REPLYconfidential-counselling.com>,
quietguy <postings@REMOVE-TO-REPLYconfidential-counselling.com> wrote:

> Love my Nuvi, but finding it is acting a bit 'silly' lately.
>
> It seems to be looking for 'a better route', and often suggests there is
> one when no better route is available.

David-

I have seen that message on my Nuvi in situations where there were
alternate routes. The problem is that I have no idea how to tell it to
use the "better" route, or to find out what route that is. After all,
it is telling me where to go, not the other way around!

Fred

Martin

2006-12-16, 10:33 pm

> Love my Nuvi, but finding it is acting a bit 'silly' lately.
>
> It seems to be looking for 'a better route', and often suggests there is
> one when no better route is available.

No - I am having exactly the same problem! I have (in the past) made use of
the better route feature for VERY better routes, BUT lately (as you say) it
advises me that a better route is available and then gives me the same route
to the end of my straight piece of road! AND THEN advises me that a better
route is available AGAIN and gives me the same route again!

Initially I wondered if the waypoint moved slightly and it wanted me to park
in a different place in the driveway I was headed for, but that's a little
ridiculous.

I am watching this thread for a solution - well an explanation at least.

Regards,

Martin

quietguy

2006-12-16, 10:33 pm

Same with me Fred - and nothing listed in the manual that I could find - and
of course the weird thing is there is NO better route available in the
circumstances that the message shows up - ie for me alternative routes are
also on dirt roads (no option there for me) and are also much much longer.

I suppose one day we will find out, but...

David

Fred McKenzie wrote:

> In article
> <4581F72E.94D2A31B@REMOVE-TO-REPLYconfidential-counselling.com>,
> quietguy <postings@REMOVE-TO-REPLYconfidential-counselling.com> wrote:
>
>
> David-
>
> I have seen that message on my Nuvi in situations where there were
> alternate routes. The problem is that I have no idea how to tell it to
> use the "better" route, or to find out what route that is. After all,
> it is telling me where to go, not the other way around!
>
> Fred

2006-12-26, 12:33 pm

quietguy wrote:
> Hi All
>
> Love my Nuvi, but finding it is acting a bit 'silly' lately.
>
> It seems to be looking for 'a better route', and often suggests there is
> one when no better route is available.
>
> For example, I live 3 km up a dirt road - when coming home and I turn
> into my lane Nuvi now pipes up with 'a better route is available'.
> Well, since the route I am following is just driving 3km up that lane to
> my front gate, what could be better than a straight line?
>
> Note that as all other ways to my gate would also be on dirt roads, and
> the only two real possibilities involve detours of some 12 km and 30km
> respectively instead of 3km, I do not understand why Nuvi is doing what
> it now does. (Nuvi psychosis? It wants to see more countryside? It is
> toying with me?)
>
> This 'feature' has only become apparent since updating to version 3.2
>
> Sometimes it just speaks the message, other times it puts up a text
> message on the screen.
>
> Any ideas?
>
> David
>

I think the issue has to do with satellite accuracy. I have noticed when
cruising along at highway speeds and the highway that I am driving on
has a secondary gravel road parallel to the highway, it sometimes loses
place and 'thinks' that I am on the secondary. My Nuvi350 will then try
to tell me how to get back onto the highway. As the accuracy maybe
reported by the unit as being up to 30 feet, it is quite possible that
based on current accuracy, it doesn't quite know whether I am actually
on the highway or on the secondary. Once accuracy narrows down a bit, it
does correct itself and realize that I am in fact, still on the highway.

quietguy

2006-12-26, 10:33 pm

While seeing your point I doubt that this is the problem as...

My Nuvi almost always shows 4 metre accuracy

There is no parallel road anywhere near my lane (nearest is about 4 km away)

But your point is valid for other situations I should think - especially
where they put in a freeway alongside the old road

Cheers

David

B wrote:

> quietguy wrote:
>
> I think the issue has to do with satellite accuracy. I have noticed when
> cruising along at highway speeds and the highway that I am driving on
> has a secondary gravel road parallel to the highway, it sometimes loses
> place and 'thinks' that I am on the secondary.

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