Could TT5 maps actually be older than before?

jweaver · Regular Visitor Joined: Apr 11, 2005 Posts: 135

Yesterday I went through Bristol City Centre for the first time since I got TomTom (The areas around the watershed/hippodrome)..

I was amazing that it was the old layout which has been changed for a very long time.

I can't remember how long, but I moved from Bristol to Newport 5 years ago and I am sure it was the 'new' layout before then.

TT maps show it as a very long 'roundabout', where as now, its been 1/2 pedestrianised and all one-way.

This is disturbing as if you were new to Bristol have any reason to cross the centre, I don't believe that you could EVER use TomTom to do it, as it would take to the wrong side of the docks and there would be no way to cross the water without a serious detour.

I can't believe that its is like this now (TT5), but find it hard to believe that it was like this before (TT4.4).. Could it be that TT5 has actually introduced 'older' maps, or was it like this before.

This situation is almost criminal, as a large road system in major city like this, should not be this in-accurate.. The only people who would really use a SatNav system in a city would be unfamiliar with where they are and it should be accurate.

If this has always been like this, I can't believe that TomTom didn't get their Map Supplier to provide them more up to date maps when they released TT5.

I am not happy at all.. As whilst I love the TomTom product, I seem to be finding more and more map errors ever day!

Jon

Skeletal · Posted: Mon Jun 20, 2005 11:36 am Post subject:

One of my main reasons for "up"grading to TT5 was that the old map was wrong in several places I visit (road layouts years out of date).

The new map is still wrong for me, and indeed many others reading this forum.

I think TT brought its map from a Roman Centurian and have not realised that time has moved on.

In short I think it is an absolute disgrace and TT should be ashamed of themselves.

I would like to think they will offer a free map replacement suitable for 2005 and a service pack to eleimate the shed load of bugs in TT5.

I wait in hope!

Skeletal

mpewsey · Posted: Mon Jun 20, 2005 12:14 pm Post subject:

The change to the centre of Bristol happened in 2000 (part of the millennium changes to ruin the centre of Bristol Smile

)

The maps for Navigator 3 show the old layout - I'm not sure about any others.

It's a shame that they haven't been updated as this is an awkward place to get stuck in the wrong lane - particularly in the rush hour!

Another reason for me not to upgrade!

weelogic · Posted: Mon Jun 20, 2005 12:17 pm Post subject:

The subject of map accuracy and the upgrade (or apparent lack thereof) of map data is a thorny one. Is there a way in which the map data can be "ripped" from the Navigator files under v3 and v5 and overlaid, such that the additions can be analysed and any erroneous deletions highlighted?

If not that, can forum members advise what new roads they have "found" that were previously missing? I can't see any in my locality, and some are still missing from their creation 5 years ago or more.

jweaver · Regular Visitor Joined: Apr 11, 2005 Posts: 135

Its a discrase that somewhere like Bristol can be so wrong. The centre is a nightmare to navigate at the best of times, and if someone who was not familiar with Bristol tried to navigate across the centre, they would get horribly lost.

On the plus side, I have actually found something which has bit fixed in the new maps.

Since I got TomTom, I found that if I crossed the severn bridge on the M4 as I came around the bend towards the tolls (on the Eastbound side), I would end up in a field:

http://www.pocketgpsworld.com/modules.php?name=Forums&file=viewtopic&t=19852&highlight=

It no longer does this in TT5 and today I compaired my maps with my colleagues old ones and the M4 has been VERY slightly tweaked.. Clearly there was a very slight error here which caused the problem.

Its amazing how they could make such a subtle change to this motorway, but then only 4 or 5 miles later on on the M49, its a complete mess.. if you look at the M49 you can clearly see a dog leg on the Northbound carrageway and then the road arc to the west, and then join up again. This whole section (For about 1 mile) is completely wrong, but it was the same before TT5 so there is no reason to think that it would have been fixed.

I am far from happy with TT5.. I don't have a use for the Europe maps.. The new features are OK, but not worth the cost.. For me, the primary reason for upgrading was 'New Maps' and I feel ripped off!

Jon

iancjc · Posted: Mon Jun 20, 2005 3:02 pm Post subject:

plenty of map updates are apparent around cambridge.

A428 - cambourne by pass is now shown (opened in Nov 2003),
various industrial estates that were missing are now included (sterling way off A1198) and more residential streets on new estates now included.

Unfortunately error's I reported to tomtom have not been corrected even though new areas adjacent to errors have been remapped. There is a perception that navteq maps are better - I have tried mapopolis with local maps (free 10 day trial) and there are as many errors in these as there are in in the teleatlas ones - not an excuse - but it does highlight that tomtom can't buy a perfect set of maps.

Haven't tried it in Cambridge city with its "rising bollards" (which magically rise from the road to smash your sump if you don't have a smart card to give you access) but as the city council shut a new road every other week in Cambridge no one could be expected to keep up!

Looking at the way tomtom5 is setup I think that this will be the last upgrade cycle to delivered on cd - my bet is that from now on some form of downloable map subsciption will be available - broadband makes this possible and the profit per download should make it attractive for tomtom and the rest.

Ian
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TyTn II (WM6.1) / tomtom one v2
TTN6.03 tomtom 7.xx (one)

julianbarker · Lifetime Member Joined: Apr 12, 2005 Posts: 431

Two dangerous errors on the TT5 maps are -

Juncton 8 of the M25 was remodelled about ten years ago - when travelling clockwise TT5 tells you "Exit ahead" just after the option to leave the motorway has just passed. It then tells you to leave the motorway when there is no way you can safely or legally do so. I find it amazing that a junction on one of the country's busiest sections of road can be so wrong for so long.

Robin Hood Gate to Richmond Park has been closed to motorised traffic for several years, precisely because traffic on the A3 slowing to turn left caused so many accidents at the busy Robin Hood Roundabout interchange. TT5 will try and route you into Richmond park here - if you try it, and are lucky enough not to be rammed from behind - you will then impale yourself on the concealed cast iron gates that have been installed.

andy-c1 · Posted: Mon Jun 20, 2005 9:37 pm Post subject:

smithgt · Occasional Visitor Joined: Aug 09, 2004 Posts: 19

Its not been updated for the A120 bypass around Stanstead. I went that way last weekend and was driving through fields apparently.

julianbarker · Lifetime Member Joined: Apr 12, 2005 Posts: 431

The Stanstead issue is a shame - last year on my Palm using Citymaps wasa pain due to the old maps - the roads round Stanstead are a nighmare now they have been completly remodeled. It is a serious shame tha tthe TT5 maps don't fix this.

A bit of good news though - TT5 maps add a missing roundabout on an insignificant road west of Epsom!

ichilton · Regular Visitor Joined: Apr 09, 2004 Posts: 142

Hi,

I was also dissapointed that the new roads around our housing estate (Ingleby Barwick in Teesside - I think it's the biggest housing estate in Europe or something) are still not shown in TT5 - they were not in TT3 but I wasn't too suprised as it was quite a new then but I was sure they'd be in TT5 but nothing seems to have changed.

I wonder if the A1/M1 is any better - last few times i've been down there with TT3 it's been driving across fields..

Ian

weelogic · Posted: Thu Jun 23, 2005 10:13 am Post subject:

Here's a thought:

TT now has full 7 digit postcodes, used under a licence agreement from Royal Mail or whoever The Keeper of the Seven Keys is these days...

One has to presume that the database provided by the Royal Mail was up-to-date in broad terms, and not 5 years old. In that case, could the TT bods not extract all the postcodes and have an emulator navigate to each one. The ones that get error messages thrown up might just be the streets that are missing from the maps...

That way, they have a mcuh reduced set of areas that need to be analysed, or sent to TeleAtlas for analysis. After all, if G72 7GH is missing, but all other G72 addresses are "found", you have a close enough starting point for where to look. It's not rocket science that it won't be in North London....

proctog · Regular Visitor Joined: Oct 28, 2004 Posts: 100

dmac · Posted: Thu Jun 23, 2005 6:39 pm Post subject:

check out http://maps.google.co.uk/
Data is supplied by Teleatlas................you would think if data
is published in one area there is little excuse for it not appearing within TT.
Beta version of google maps predates release of TT5[/url]

jweaver · Regular Visitor Joined: Apr 11, 2005 Posts: 135

Thats interesting.. Googles Maps show the same errors for Bristol which I posted at the top of this thread.

Looks like a number of the problems are down to Teleatlas rather than TomTom.. Perhaps its time that TomTom looked for a new map supplier!

Jon

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