Rural properties

X19 · Occasional Visitor Joined: Jun 30, 2010 Posts: 6

I have posted this query over on the Vodafone eForum with little response - maybe I sound too agressive!

I posted:
"My first post and I hope my question doesn't appear too stupid!

I currently use Vodafone Sat Nav V4.03.71 on a BlackBerry8310.
The function within it that I use the most is the ability to enter a full postcode and search - it then gives me a list of addresses for that postcode from which I can then choose the exact property I want to visit. It does its satnav business and takes me to the exact property - Ideal for me in finding properties in rural areas where a postcode covers a vast area.

Can anyone confirm that the Vodafone Navigation app V1.0.3 for the iPhone has the same functionality?

Does the TomTom UK & Ireland app £49.99 have the same functionality?

I've tried the Google Navigation app on an HTC Desire in the local VF shop and all I could get it to do was take me to the centre of a postode area - useless for me.

As you can tell, I rely on the Vodafone Sat Nav to replace my appalling sense of direction and to a 50yo who's spent too many hours of my life wandering small country lanes aimlessly trying to find properties, Vodafone's Sat Nav is the work of pure sorcery!

All help gratefully accepted!"

I received a reply from the Vodafone staff saying that Vodafone Navigation would function the same as Vodafone Sat Nav.
So I got my iPhone 4 and it doesn't.
I posted:
"Well I've got my iPhone and downloaded the Vodafone Navigation app.

It does NOT replicate the functionality of Vodafone Sat Nav on the Blackberry.
It is very much a very poor relation.

OK, it uses full postcodes, but the only other field is 'Street name and house number'.
Rural areas don't have street names and house numbers.
Usually just house names.
Vodafone Navigation does not find house names.

With Vodafone Sat Nav, just entering the post code and pressing search would return a list of house names or street numbers pertaining to that post code. The exact house/street number could then be selected and Vodafone Sat Nav would be very accurate and take you to the exact property.

Vodafone Navigation does not do this.
In rural areas it merely takes you to the centre of the postcode area.
Useless.

Am I missing something?
If not, will Vodafone be developing the Vodafone Sat Nav functionality into Vodafone Navigation?
I can assure you it would be the killer app!

Looking at the specs for other navigation apps for the iPhone, none seem to have this functionality.
Or am I missing it?

Please help - love my iPhone but this is becoming a deal breaker - will I be the first to send iPhone 4 back under the Distance selling regs?!"

Vodafone replied that Vodafone Navigation is based on the Wayfinder software, which has since had development halted, so they were not expecting any feature updates for this in the future - although they may very well offer a replacement SatNav service later down the line.
Vodafone simply cannot offer the SatNav type functionality on the iPhone at this time.

I have since been researching this and am seemingly getting nowhere.
Is the functionality that I got so used to and found invaluable not available in other Navigation apps?
As you can tell I have no experience of satnav and stumbled across Vodafone's old SatNav app for the BlackBerry by chance which spookily did exactly what I wanted.

Do the other Navigation apps do what I want as a matter of course?
It's seemingly very difficult to try out Navigation apps as trials so I'm hoping your collective knowledge can help me out!

prl1862 · Occasional Visitor Joined: Oct 09, 2007 Posts: 52

In TomTom when you type in a postcode it gives you a list of roads within that postcode. You then select the required road and are prompted to enter a house number. I can't find any way to find a specific property. It would help to have an explicit example to work with so could you post an example postcode for me to try for you?
_________________
Phil Lee
iPhone 3GS with TomTom W.Europe 1.4, TT Dock and CamerAlert, also CoPilot Live 8
T-Mobile MDA Vario III (HTC Kaiser) with CoPilot Live 7 and TomTom Navigator 6

X19 · Occasional Visitor Joined: Jun 30, 2010 Posts: 6

Excellent idea.
My BB doesn't work anymore (account transfered to iPhone!) so I can't give you the complete list as given by Vodafone SatNav.

LL55 3PP
has, for definite, these properties:
Carrog, Penisarwaun, Caernarfon
Fanwylen, Penisarwaun, Caernarfon
Glascoed, Penisarwaun, Caernarfon
Glyn Arthur, Penisarwaun, Caernarfon
Hendre Newydd, Penisarwaun, Caernarfon
Prys Dyrys, Penisarwaun, Caernarfon
Tre Waen Cottage, Penisarwaun, Caernarfon
Tyddyn Difyr, Penisarwaun, Caernarfon
Tyddyn Hendre, Penisarwaun, Caernarfon

The first is the house name, Penisarwaun is the village (though none of the properties are near the village) and Caernarfon is the town.
All are out in the countryside with no street names or numbers.

I'd be very interested to hear how TomTom deals with this.

And also I'd be very grateful to to hear from any other Navigation app users and their experience with this rural postcode.

X19 · Occasional Visitor Joined: Jun 30, 2010 Posts: 6

Vodafone Find and Go, their follow up to Vodafone Sat Nav also has the functionality I want.

There is a video on You Tube.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bh7wmN1_qvY&rel=0
At about 3.45 the video shows the search on a postcode, but unfortunately the postcode they choose has only 1 result!
On a 'normal' postcode, the search returns a number of properties.
Then chosing one will result in the satnav taking you very accurately to the property, not merely to the centre of the postcode area.

Is this kind of 'lookup' to a detailed property location database unique?

X19 · Occasional Visitor Joined: Jun 30, 2010 Posts: 6

###?!!!!

Went on the App store to look for more apps tonight and noticed that the Vodafone Navigation had no user reviews.
It had loads of bad ones a few days ago.
Then I noticed it was new on today (30th)
Same name, same logo.

I downloaded it -
Old version 2.5MB
New Version 7.3MB

Started it on the iPhone - Telmap logo bottom left corner
YES YES YES
It does exactly what the old Vodafone Sat Nav did
YES YES YES

I'm keeping my iPhone!!!!!!!!

Very very happy!!!

Sorry for the ranting - just felt like I was going back in technology like going from Windows 7 to Windows ME!

I'll grant you that it's probably not as slick as TomTom and coPilot Live etc but I've got the functionality I need and I'm OVERJOYED!

Darren · Posted: Thu Jul 01, 2010 7:42 am Post subject:

Just be aware that Vodafone's app is 'off-board' so all map data is downloaded using your data connection and data allowance.
_________________
Darren Griffin

prl1862 · Occasional Visitor Joined: Oct 09, 2007 Posts: 52

When I entered that postcode into TomTom it came up with it as an unnamed road. When I chose to navigate to it and my route was listed as being to an unnamed road in Llanrug.

I also reinstalled the latest CoPilot Live and entered the same postcode. It gave me the option to navigate to the postcode centre or an unnamed road. When I selected the unnamed road I had options for no house number, cross street or view on map. If I selected cross street it gave me the option to select Arthur Terrace. If I selected no house number it routed me to Bryrefail, GB LL55 3PP.
_________________
Phil Lee
iPhone 3GS with TomTom W.Europe 1.4, TT Dock and CamerAlert, also CoPilot Live 8
T-Mobile MDA Vario III (HTC Kaiser) with CoPilot Live 7 and TomTom Navigator 6

Multidrop · Occasional Visitor Joined: Oct 19, 2006 Posts: 21

THIS APP IS EXACTLY WHAT MANY RURAL DELIVERY DRIVERS HAVE BEEN LOOKING FOR.

X19 I PM'd you but no response, you seem to have the most experience of this app in action.

In my tests it has been spot on for location rural properties with no house number or road name even... it downloads a list of properties when you input a specific post code.

This list matches the royal mail website, but is far better as it plots the exact location of the property selected, rather than approx. post code centre for all properties on that post code.

If you want to add turn by turn sat nav, it costs £5 a month, but you can just select the correct point on the map on your tomtom, and use that for free instead.

It truly is the dogs

.

Al.

X19 · Occasional Visitor Joined: Jun 30, 2010 Posts: 6

As Multidrop knows, the Vodafone Navigation app we both found so invaluable was withdrawn in early August.

Telmap have now released a new app for Apple devices called M8.

It does all that Vodafone Navigation did and more - and it's free!

It pinpoints every property, not merely the centre of the postcode area.

I am overjoyed as I was rather lost without this functionality (pun intended).

Thanks Telmap - you are my mapping heroes!

Multidrop · Occasional Visitor Joined: Oct 19, 2006 Posts: 21

X19, yes this is just like the old Vodafone App if not better.

There is an Android version too, just called Telmap Navigator, it's free too!

Orange also have a version, provided by Telmap.

There is also a website, linked to the Android App, that kind of works, but has a bug, in it only shows the first 5 addresses on each postcode searched.

I contacted Telmap about that, but no response.

Would be good if the iPhone App worked on iPad, also if the maps were downloaded to the device, this would help, as you don't always have a data connection out in the country, where this App helps the most.

The file of individual house addresses and co-ordinates must be massive, so i don't suppose you could have that downloaded to the device too...

The data is provided by Ordnance Survey "Address Point".

Telmap seem to be the only sat nav using it.

Royal Mail are running a pilot scheme in the South East, to collect this kind of data, via postmen with a gps logger when they make a delivery at each address. They then want to sell this on to sat nav companies etc.

People have already been complaining about privacy etc, just like with the Google Streetview car.

If people put a sign up on their cottage/country house that was clearly visible from the public road, not overgrown with ivy etc, that would help, then they might get their internet shopping delivered on time!

Usual response when asked about a sign is, "Well, the postman finds us ok every day", or "we don't really want people knowing where we live" (But still want the latest consumer electronics device delivered on the first morning of release!)

Al.

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