Alaska Map Problem - Satellite Images or Astronaut's sketch?

tom_mitchell · Occasional Visitor Joined: Aug 08, 2006 Posts: 3

I own a TomTom 920 and I have been using this in Alaska. In the past two days I have driven from Fairbanks to Glennallen via Tok.

According to my TomTom I have spent about 3% of my journey actually on the road the rest has been hundred of yards to the left or right of the road. The sattelite reception is great with or without the ext aerial.

The direction and groundspeed are all steady but it would appear the data base up here is just wrong! If there are two parallel roads the TomTom cannot make its mind up which one I'm on. Most of the journey the device was recalculating the route to compensate for my apparent off-road excursions.

I'm guessing the telatlas mapping van has not been in these parts and the data is based on a sketch done by an space shuttle astronaut with a wax crayon!

Any one else got any reports on Alaska data base?

I have used a TomTom 700 & 910 in the USA before and have found the data base resolution very good to the point you can 'see' a hairpin bend coming up and see you are about to cross a river for example. The data points seem to be every 25 metres or so but in the more remote areas of Alaska I'm guessing the points are more than 200 meters apart. Many curves are lost and confuse the device. I have crossed many bridges over named rivers and creeks and few are shown. Many side roads are not shown and other non-existant side roads are shown.

mikealder · Posted: Sat Jul 19, 2008 8:55 am Post subject:

What version of map have you been using when you observed the above, you can find this information by tapping the sat strength meter, then tap the version box on the right side of the screen - Mike

tom_mitchell · Occasional Visitor Joined: Aug 08, 2006 Posts: 3

Hi Mike

Thank you for your promt reply.

From the page you suggested:

Map: 'North_America' v710.1576

My software version is 8.010 (64MB RAM with 26.7MB free). GPS v1.21, Boot 5.4106.

I'm off to Valdez today; I'll report back with how the map is?

I downloaded map updates about a week ago. The TomTom came up with a message that I do this after my many apparent off-road excursions.

tom_mitchell · Occasional Visitor Joined: Aug 08, 2006 Posts: 3

Since last posting have been to Valdez and back to Glennallen mostly parallel to the desired road on the TomTom and even driven on several lakes! Track errors up to 1/2 mile today.

I downloaded map updates and satellite info and have again reset the Tomtom unit but this has made no difference.

I notice that TomTom have relaesed a 'more detailed' map of Canada and Alaska. I'm wondering if they know about these errors already and have this new map as a solution at the customers expense?

Gmonkey · Posted: Fri Aug 01, 2008 8:15 pm Post subject:

tomtom and teleatlas are aware that maps in canada and alaska need work. obviously, it's more difficult to map out those areas. the best way to improve things immediately is to implement some changes yourself - use teleatlas's map insight or tomtom's mapshare to apply corrections to your area.

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