Nuvi 350 - Loves the back roads!

[nevetas]

When I called them, garmin wernt interested, and basically made me feel as if I was a stupid user that was obviously using the product wrongly.

[nevetas]

bttt

[xtraseller]

Just returned home for an unbelievable route my Nuvi decided to take me from Abergavenny to ("the other side of") Brecon

Now I know much of this locality, but was in a rush and didn't know anything other than house name and postcode for a client out in the sticks. Knew this would involve SOME narrow lanes

As usual, I have "Truck" ticked in my Nuvi, in a hope to limit use of narrow country lanes, tracks and farm yards

After miles and miles of country lane, I eventually turned up joining a road I knew very well, only a two miles away from the destination - and to which the Nuvi should have taken me by major roads, being a safer, quicker and easier route

I could not believe this illogical route Nuvi had chosen

I often defend my GPS, and accept it won't always pick "the best" (my preferred) route. This I understand. But consistently give lanes, tracks and farm yards makes my Nuvi going one of two ways - back to Garmin, or through the window (whichever comes first)

Sad, when otherwise it is such a good unit

[Lester_Burnham]

[xtraseller]

I have just emailed Garmin Support with my experience, and asking them also to look at this topic in the forum to back up my story

Will let you know their response...

[xtraseller]

By the way, Nuvi update to 3.2 now on their website, yet it mentions (for the 300, yes 300...)

Changes made from version 3.10 to 3.20:

Fixed communication problem with GPS hardware and displaying 0.0 for GPS SW version.
Fixed to not automatically change to new voice when a new TTS voice is added.
Fixed some issues with Danish, Swedish, and Norwegian TTS voices.
Fixed to not play the attention tone for events on the final leg of a route when no audio is spoken.
Fixed potential lock up when reaching destination

Yes TTS (Text to Speech), but no, it STILL doesn't support TTS (300), even though we all know it CAN...!

[nevetas]

This seems to really be an actual problem, garmin should take this seriously!!

[dabby]

I get the same problem here in Belgium, one night I found myself on a track only fit for farm vehicles...

Biggest problem though is the satellite acquisition and tracking, my old Rikaline unit was a lot better. I am on my second Nüvi, I returned the first to the shop thinking it was faulty! Here's the response I emailed Garmin tech support in response to their "load the new firmware" message:


Hello

I installed 3.20 at the weekend but there's no change, perhaps it is even worse. There was a slight improvement with 3.10 over version 2.90 but not a lot...

It's variable in fact, sometimes it will get a fix in minute, other times much longer - for the same locations. When viewing the satellite status screen I see a lot of satellites quite quickly - these indicated by a flashing green satellite and a white signal strength bar with a blue outline, even when some of these are solid blue it won't get a fix (even with three which should normally be enough for triangulation I thought?).

There's a more specific problem also - I must drive through several tunnels on my way to work, sometimes I can be in them for 1 minute max, other times if there is a queue much longer. When the signal is lost in the tunnel on exit it reacquires but then drops the signal for no apparent reason. If at this point I switch the unit on and off it reacquires all satellites immediately.

Other times while driving in the open with a clear sky view it will fail to acquire and ask me if I am indoors, if I answer "Yes" then it disables the navigation - I have no idea how to reactivate this. If I answer "No" it will ask me if I have driven hundreds of miles since my last fix, of course I answer "No", then it asks if the date is correct - again I confirm, then it will get a fix within 15 seconds or so.

Seems like a software issue not hardware anyway...

I read that earlier versions of the Nüvi firmware acquired fixes within seconds regardless of territory, is it possible for me to revert to an earlier version?

If I can be of any help in identifying the problems you have with the units please don't hesitate to ask.

Regards

[nevetas]

Good Stuff, would be good to hear Garmins official responce to all this.

[oddsock]

Well you can add the Quest to the list of "back roaders"as well ! We tried a friends one out and it takes the same back roads route as the Nuvi and my Sons i3 .It was interesting to run the three of them side by side and they chose the same route. The i3 lagged behind the others for Sat fixes but I was supprised how good the Quests was though .This weekend I'll have a play with more of the Quests settings to see if it will pick the same better route as does TTN3 .

Dave
_________________
TomTom one v1,tomtom one v 3,TT Start20,Garmin Oregon 300,Nuvi 300
Garmin Quest

[xtraseller]

If it takes anything like my last request, we may never get a response from Garmin, who perhaps too are a little lost...

Anyway, still waiting into day 3 for this, my latest one

It is obvious there is a serious flaw within the Garmin algorythms for routing. Why don't they just admit it, say it will take x time to get the situation resolved, and we would all appreciate that

It's affecting their entire range by the seem of things, which while isn't good, at least means they cannot leave it as it is, so (one day) we WILL be happy...?

[oddsock]

Having looked at some old maps and made some enquiries at the Council offices I am creeping out of the "Kick Garmin" camp. I think part of the problem (in my neck of the woods at least) where Garmin would not use certain roads is to do with the way they are classified by Navteq.The ones in question that Garmin sat navs refuse to use unless I deselect " Avoid Unpaved Roads" are categorized as "County Unclassified" although they have been surfaced for more than 50 years that I know of ..I think Navteq need to get out of the city and main road fumes and go smell some wild flowers and manure

Dave
_________________
TomTom one v1,tomtom one v 3,TT Start20,Garmin Oregon 300,Nuvi 300
Garmin Quest

[xtraseller]

In my experience the opposite is true, I am being sent down unpaved roads INSTEAD of paved roads

If it is Navteq mapping (which I doubt in my experience as my old Navman iCN630 never chose these routes with its v1 Navteq maps, before they switched to TeleAtlas), then Garmin - as the manufacturer, retailer and developer - still need to find a resolution. Free TeleAtlas Maps, or updated Navteq Maps

Perhaps though it is just still a software bug, or bad programming

[xtraseller]

Didn't realise you were living in the same area as my Dave, any experience of driving through Brecon?

[crockers]

I think I know what the problem is....as I wrote to Garmin and got a stiff unsupportive reply.

On the Tom Tom you can select a speed rating for each type of road so if you want to keep to main roads / motorways you up the speed rating for these and reduce the ones for the back roads. On the Garmin you can't do this - it assumes you will cover 70mph on motorways and 60 mph on other roads no mater what size they are.

I asked Garmin are they going to offer this as an upgrade to the software only to be told it I wanted that option I should have bought one of their other systems....not that helpful.

I must admit it does ruin what is a great little piece of kit and now I am beginning to wish I hadnt bought my 350.

Hope this helps

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