Go730 - Terrible map spoiling a good device?

pEst_29 · Occasional Visitor Joined: Sep 06, 2006 Posts: 59

I've bought this satnav a couple of weeks ago. The only one I had had before, for 2 years, was the Garmin i3. I drive mostly in London.

Although I'm quite pleased with some qualities of this Tomtom, mainly how quick it is getting a signal and the speed with which it calculates/recalculates routes, the map is just... awful!

In 2 years with the i3 I remember a couple of map errors IN TOTAL. With the 730, I get, literally, minimum that many every 45 minutes or so that I drive (to different places)! 2 to 3 errors every time! No wonder they need us to correct the map ourselves! Not that it helps much, because even with user corrections, it's still all over the place! This map has things wrong that my 2 year old Garmin got right!

I have used the latest map guarantee yesterday, btw, only to find out, to my disappointment, that this version of the map, which was released last month, still doesn't have the new layout of the Aldgate giratory, which was changed in September! Such a major part of this city's road system, so-called the gateway to the East End, Whitechapel road becoming a 2-way street, and 2 months after that change Tomtom's still unaware! Even with user corrections! Which by the way are very hard to do for this specific case (I won't bother) because there's 2 many side streets and you have to repeat the correction for every little stretch between those streets, plus, the actual layout of the roads and pavement has changed so there's really no way to do a proper correction.

And also after this map update, all errors I previously noticed remain!

Does anyone else have a similar experience with using these maps, compared to using Navman's or Garmin's?

I'm quite glad it recalculates in no time after I go out of the route, and it always as a signal, as that's what was driving me nuts in the lousy i3, but damn, I miss that 2 year old Garmin map now!!!

PaulB2005 · Posted: Wed Dec 24, 2008 6:03 pm Post subject:

Me too.... Crying or Very sad

Hi and welcome.

I don't have much experience with TomToms but I'll agree with your findings with the maps. I got my i3 3 years ago and in the 2 years i used it i only came across 1 or 2 errors.

Since Feb 2008 i have owed a Nuvi 760T with the 2008 maps and recently got the 2009 maps. And it's been a pain. I've been routed through a pub car park and then through a brick wall. I've been guided down bridle paths with bollards to stop cars and through "gated communities" which have no through access. Loads of addresses don't come up on the map - i.e. a road might allow you to set number 9, 11 or 13 as the destination but not 10 or 12. A new road in Epsom is still shown as the proposed layout from 5 years ago and not the actual layout it eventually took over 2 years ago. Various turn restrictions are missing.

It appears the Map Makers just employ people to literally trace roads off Google Earth and then sell the results as maps and map updates. I refuse to believe they actually go out and check the roads other than when conducting a PR exercise in "this is how we make the maps, honest, straight up, guv" Wink

What's even worse is Garmin never appear to be bothered by the quality of the maps they are being provided with when i quiz them on it. When i pointed out there is still a POI on the latest Garmin maps for a cinema near me that was pulled down 8 years ago, they said "Tell NavTeq". I wouldn't mind but none of the changes I've submitted over the last 2 years have made it into the maps......

Might send a letter to NavTeq in the new year....

pEst_29 · Occasional Visitor Joined: Sep 06, 2006 Posts: 59

Wow really, I wasn't expecting that! So it looks like I'd be as screwed if I had bought a Garmin as I am with the Tomtom! It's not Tomtom's maps vs Garmin's, it's the good quality of old maps vs. the sloppiness of new ones! hmmm

Another error I have in this map is that the development where I live was built about 2 years ago, yet it's number's still not found on the map, so basically, my flat doesn't exist :-D

PaulB2005 · Posted: Wed Dec 24, 2008 6:36 pm Post subject:

I read the TomTom forum every day and find the problems with the Maps and MapShare amazing.

The maps and routing are the single core function of the device and it seems their development takes a back seat to everything else. Even the things such as MapShare which are supposed to help patch up the flaky maps are too restrictive or just fail to function.

I'm tempted to switch to TT next time i need an upgrade but a quick read of the days TT Forum postings turns me away from them again....

If i didn't need one for work i believe I'd simply not bother with a Sat Nav any more.....

mikealder · Posted: Wed Dec 24, 2008 7:33 pm Post subject:

Please bear in mind that maps from either company (NavTeq or TA) will not contain road changes for a considerable time, it takes them months to update data let alone drive around the streets (which they do) whilst recording data.
These days changes should be filtered through to end users faster, for example the TomTom Map Share system will very quickly identify any road change due to the number of submissions from users - this can be used to deploy a mapping vehicle (now they own the mapping provider).

I would like to see concentration on accurate mapping rather than the "Eye Candy" that terain and 3D buildings offer - it serves little purpose when using a unit in a vehicle IMHO - I would go as far as saying such "features" could also be considered as a driver distraction, waste of storage space and processor power - Mike

Trevor1234 · Posted: Wed Dec 24, 2008 7:47 pm Post subject:

Hi PaulB2005
Come off it. I personally find my Tomtom absolutely brilliant. No, its not perfect but as a navigation aid it takes some beating.
Three things are undeniable

1. One will never get lost.

2. One will always get to one’s destination.

3. Driving through London with a map balanced on one’s boney knees can not compete with my device.

Believe me, I have driven with no problems at all to addresses in France that I would not even contemplated driving to without my 720.
_________________
Tomtom Go 720.
Navcore 9.510
Central and Western Europe v855.2884
GPS World Traffic cameras
Home 2.7
iPhone 3G

Zebb · Occasional Visitor Joined: Aug 28, 2008 Posts: 55

PaulB2005 · Posted: Wed Dec 24, 2008 8:08 pm Post subject:

Don't get me wrong. I still believe Sat Nav is brilliant and much better than balancing a map on one knee, but i use my Sat Nav daily to navigate to addresses for work.

Whilst it doesn't get me lost it does

- send me the wrong way down one way streets
- ask me to make illegal turns
- send me up inaccessible paths and bridle ways
- send me through non-existent roads (i.e. the brick wall in the pub car park)

Yes, the updates do take time to filter through to the maps but some of these errors are more than a few months old. Some are many, many years old.

I know a Sat Nav is only a guide, but the number of times i have to deal with these sort of issues, gets frustrating.

Errors with a dataset as large as a routable UK map always will occur and i accept that. However there seems to be a marked difference in the number of errors i encounter using my i3 with it's 3 year old maps and my Nuvi with it's 3 month old maps. The newer maps are definitely worse.

I'm intrigued as to how a routable road through a brick wall was added to the maps. Whilst someone may not have gone to the location to add the road it got there somehow. I suspect they are being lazy and just tracing probable roads off Google Maps initially and only visiting sites if an error report is made.

I've driven routes of 300 miles across the UK and it's got me to remote locations without a problem, but it amazes me when driving around some towns how bad the maps can be sometimes.

When you use it day to day it gets very frustrating and as this is the core function of the unit it's very off putting when it's implemented badly....

Trevor1234 · Posted: Wed Dec 24, 2008 8:15 pm Post subject:

Just be thankfull that the major airlines do not usr Tomtom on auto pilot.
_________________
Tomtom Go 720.
Navcore 9.510
Central and Western Europe v855.2884
GPS World Traffic cameras
Home 2.7
iPhone 3G

philpugh · Posted: Wed Dec 24, 2008 9:35 pm Post subject:

Calomax · Posted: Wed Dec 24, 2008 11:35 pm Post subject:

I think you're being just a little harsh. In my experience, paper road atlases are usually just as far out of date.

A few months ago there was an article on this forum describing how TeleAtlas makes the maps. It made me appreciate just how accurate the maps really are.
_________________
TT Go Essential

jmcmtank · Lifetime Member Joined: Feb 19, 2007 Posts: 48

My personal pet hate; 'Squinty' bridge open to vehicles. Monday, 18 September 2006
Confused

Still not on map.

pEst_29 · Occasional Visitor Joined: Sep 06, 2006 Posts: 59

falkirk81 · Posted: Thu Dec 25, 2008 11:58 pm Post subject:

jmcmtank, did u report the bridge as open? or report it as a new road to teleatlas/ tomtom?
_________________
Tomtom GO 1005 LIVE

iPhone 12

jmcmtank · Lifetime Member Joined: Feb 19, 2007 Posts: 48

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