In Car GPS

**silentC** · 25th January 2008, 01:55 PM

Yes it is. The technology has a long way to go obviously, one of the main problems being that as soon as they release a new map, it's out of date. In the US and Europe, TomTom has a map updates facility that you can subscribe to and it allows you to make corrections and to download other people's corrections. Not available here, unfortunately.

Problems we found with it:

1. Changed roads and new roads missing
2. Some minor roads missing altogether
3. Some intersection alignments slightly out, so it says "in 400m, turn left" with only 350m to go (happened only once or twice).

There are substantial sections of the Pacific Highway where you just have to ignore it constantly telling you to turn around.

The Reading Street Port Macquarie one was interesting. The number we were after is at the far end of Reading and if you look at an old map, the quickest way is to go past the Reading Street entrance on Kennedy Drive and take the next left on an unnamed road that runs straight onto Reading. That road is no longer there and is now covered with houses. Not knowing that, TomTom took us straight past Reading Street and tried to get us to turn left into the houses. So we chucked a U turn and headed back. This time it wanted us to turn right into the house, but we kept going, so it quickly recalculated and told us to turn right down Reading, which was now the quickest route.

You might view that as an example of why trusting it is unwise - however if I'd looked at the route furnished with the same information, I would have had no reason to challenge it, because based on the available info, that was the correct way. Just to make things worse, they've let the trees grow up and you can't see the sign for Reading Street when you're travelling south on Kennedy.

But it got us there in the end.

**Howdya do that** · 25th January 2008, 02:58 PM

Originally Posted by silentC

In the US and Europe, TomTom has a map updates facility that you can subscribe to and it allows you to make corrections and to download other people's corrections. Not available here, unfortunately.

How stupid is that

. I could drive through a few paddocks and add it as a new road or turn you driveway into a four lane highway.

**silentC** · 25th January 2008, 03:09 PM

Well obviously it's not completely open slather:

When a user submits updates through TomTom Map Share™, these updates can be shared with other TomTom Map Share™ users. Users can therefore choose between downloading all reported map updates or only accepting map updates verified by a TomTom team of experts to guarantee timeliness and validity.

**Cliff Rogers** · 25th January 2008, 03:33 PM

The Google maps seem to be more up to date than the Whereis (Sensis) maps.

**Wood Borer** · 25th January 2008, 03:54 PM

Well I hope they are a bit better than the idiotic advertising/realestate websites.

I know someone interested in a property not far from Broughams Gate in NSW. The Fairfax website rattles on that it hasn't got anything exactly there but here are properties in nearby suburbs. The properties they listed were in the Sydney CBD.

Broughams Gate is North West of Broken Hill on the border of SA.

These absolute waste of space fools and idiots who write these databases must have really been around.

**zathras** · 25th January 2008, 04:03 PM

Originally Posted by Cliff Rogers

The Google maps seem to be more up to date than the Whereis (Sensis) maps.

Yes Google maps are associated with Navteq I believe.

Sensis = Useless Bloody Directory (UBD)

**silentC** · 25th January 2008, 04:08 PM

Google Maps doesn't know about the change to Reading Street either.

It does know about the extension to my street though and to be fair, it has been this way now for a few years.

Sensis is associated with Telstra, so I don't expect efficiency

**Cliff Rogers** · 25th January 2008, 04:25 PM

Originally Posted by silentC

....Sensis is associated with Telstra, so I don't expect efficiency

Not Telstra's fault.
Whereis was owned by the Big Colour Pages & they were 'aquired' by Sensis at the time they began pinching too much of the Yelow Pages business.

**silentC** · 25th January 2008, 04:33 PM

The TomTom web site says they get their maps from Tele Atlas, which is a Dutch company, and according to Wikipedia, Tele Atlas is owned by TomTom. Of course, that doesn't mean that Tele Atlas actually produces the maps, they probably just buy them from Sensis or whoever.

Anyway, we made it to Eumundi and back, not to mention numerous side trips, relying on the TomTom, with no other form of road map, so the proof of the pudding is in the eating, right

**Cliff Rogers** · 25th January 2008, 04:43 PM

And I finally found Reilly Road in the back blocks of Innisfail, in the mean time, I discovered that Dodds Road is now closed & then, & then & then, I found out the hard way the Reilly Road now joins onto Henderson even though my dumbasre GPS didn't know that Henderson now goes all the way to South Johnston.

**DavidG** · 25th January 2008, 07:15 PM

Ok Been playing with the new toy. (tomtom 1 v3)
Around Canberra it seems to get one about fairly well. Good enough to prevent the wife getting lost.

Out of town it wants to take the long way round.
Reckons a trip that normally takes me 1 hour 10 min, will take 2 hour 15 min. Just because it is dirt road.

Had to create a point of interest to make it take my normal way.

From Canberra to Surfers it reckoned the coast road was quicker. Might be but the inland route is much easier and safer.

From what I can see it is advisable to check the route before committing to it.
Anyway it looks like it will do what I want so thanks for the info.

**HappyHammer** · 28th January 2008, 12:21 AM

I bought a TomTom 720 today it's really cool....

Connected it to my phone via blue tooth so now have a wireless hands free car kit. Automagically sucked down all my numbers also.

Have downloaded my favourite MP3's and have tuned the TT to a preset FM radio frequency. So I now have a wireless MP3 player.

I took it for a quick spin and tried a few u-turns and it re-calculates really quickly.

I am about to download the John Cleese and husky voice lady from TomToms website to vary the experience.

It even gives you 30-40 different pointer types and one is a black truck, my relationship with this device was meant to be....

Oh yeah and it does something to do with navigation as well, I'll check that out tomorrow.

HH.

**DavidG** · 28th January 2008, 10:21 AM

Been doing some more playing... I mean testing...
I am beginning to really like this thing.
Even tells me what lane to be in.
Nice clear voice. Clear instructions.

Found that route planning is easy. If you don't like what it reckons the you tell it to go via a given point.

The more I read the manual.. oops code violation

... the more I learn.

Thanks for the advice. I may keep this for myself and get another for the wife.

**John Saxton** · 28th January 2008, 03:38 PM

Some interesting discussion here,thanks for the input on some issues that have come to light.

A question relative to GPS in car units.Here in W.A. (as it probably is in most of the country)it is deemed unlawful for drivers to be physically using a mobile phone whilst in control of a vehicle, I wonder how long the relative authorities will take to include the physical manipulations of GPS units by drivers within that same act.

Cheers

**DavidG** · 28th January 2008, 07:13 PM

John
You do not touch the gps one you set it up. (before leaving)

You just listen to the instructions.

Much better than when the wife navigates.

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