Garmin route selection - country roads

milesd · Occasional Visitor Joined: Mar 28, 2006 Posts: 3

Apologies if this has already been covered, but a fairly in depth search hasn't found anything clear cut!

Recently got a Garmin i3, love it. Only down side appears to be the choice of route it offers. I've got 'Fastest' selected as the route rather than shortest, but it still seems extremely keen on sending me down narrow country (paved, but one card wide with hedges to pull over into) lanes.

Is there any known way to steer it towards a philosophy of main roads with as few changes as possible? In practise, this would often be quicker anyway as you've actually got a chance of going at the speed limit which you don't on country lanes, and for navigating a route for the first time it would be strongly preferable every time.

Only avoidances selected are Avoid Carpool Lanes and Avoid Unpaved Roads.

Any advice, or is this something that has to be lived with? (maybe by ignoring early instructions and heading for the nearest signposted large road to try and 'steer' it).

Lester_Burnham · Frequent Visitor Joined: Oct 17, 2005 Posts: 618

There has been fevered discussion about the i3's routing and it's algorithms - many have noted issues or anomalies.

What version of maps are you on - v7 or v8?

As to doing anything about it, I'd recommend voicing your concerns to Garmin via email support - the more people that do so, the greater the possibility that Garmin may address it.

Amicus · Occasional Visitor Joined: Mar 02, 2006 Posts: 36

My c320 does the same thing. The routing is absolute shite. Try giving it Boulogne to Pireus via Belgrade, bloddy joke, rusty old compass would do a better job.

Lester_Burnham · Frequent Visitor Joined: Oct 17, 2005 Posts: 618

Amicus · Occasional Visitor Joined: Mar 02, 2006 Posts: 36

Amicus · Occasional Visitor Joined: Mar 02, 2006 Posts: 36

I qoute an American user on alt.satellite.gps.garmin, this is a 60CSX

"The routing is an entirely different animal though. On my way to my
destination I wanted to drive from highway 101 south to 380 to 280
south. The 60CSx recalculated my route as I drove onto the 380 on-ramp.
It said I should take the first exit, go onto the street, get back onto
380 south then go back to 101 south. I zoomed by that exit. It then
recalculated and said I should take the next exit to 280 NORTH, take
the exit, go onto the street, get back onto 380 and go to 101 South. I
said "screw that" and went to 280 South. It recalculated and said I
should take the next exit, go onto the street, take 280 North, then
380E, then 101 South. I passed that one and it said I should take 92E
and go to 101 South. When I finally went past that exit I went the
route I was intentionally taking. That was the dumbest thing I've seen.
Not even my GPS V did that."

Wildie · Occasional Visitor Joined: Mar 01, 2006 Posts: 57

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/north_yorkshire/4879026.stm
seams its not just garmin but all.

anyway with my i3 i never been down so many trackways ever even the other day it told me to turn right into a field to get to the place was was going too yes a farmers field with a gate and a sign on it saying no public right of way, just a dirt track and crops, the unit was set up for lorry fastest no unpaved roads and what not so I ask you why does it take me down single track roads which a car dont fit down clipping the walls and bushes they that narrow, they dont start that way but you soon find out its a bad route and cant turn around, its put me in ditches due too the fact another sat nav user coming otherway, and its even worst up in the lake district.
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Amicus · Occasional Visitor Joined: Mar 02, 2006 Posts: 36

I think there are two parts to this problem, mapping, and the routing engine. I have had the c320 pointing me down farm tracks but those tracks are shown on City Select as roads, so that is probably down to Navteq. The problem of being pointed down a minor road that is parallel to a perfectly acceptable trunk road must be routing engine??

Robin2 · Posted: Wed Apr 05, 2006 6:19 pm Post subject:

Tell it that you are driving a truck. It will avoid the very narrow roads then
Robin
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Amicus · Occasional Visitor Joined: Mar 02, 2006 Posts: 36

That is precisely the problem, my unit is set, ‘truck’, avoid ‘unpaved’ roads.

into the wind.
Confused

milesd · Occasional Visitor Joined: Mar 28, 2006 Posts: 3

Thanks for the replies. v8 maps here.

I've tried setting my unit to 'Truck' and re-simulated the route, and it appears to help a little bit - it's sending me down a more off route but bigger road. It's still taking me off the B road I'm on as soon as it can though. It's more of a detour from the 'as the crow flies' of the first route, but not by much.

On my Autoroute software, you can actually set a rating for a preferred road type - setting major and motorway to max and minor to practically none. It actually starts off in the wrong direction but latches onto an A road going in the right direction very quickly. A couple of big junctions later and I'm well on the way - going at a good speed (as opposed to going down a farm road in the dark of night).

I'll do as advised and add my weight to the voices asking Garmin about this, but if anyone else has any gems like the truck idea i'd love to hear them!

Lester_Burnham · Frequent Visitor Joined: Oct 17, 2005 Posts: 618

Well according to the comments posted here from Garmin regarding vehicle choice, it apparently has no influence on the routing - merely the timing estimates.

Amicus · Occasional Visitor Joined: Mar 02, 2006 Posts: 36

Milkfloat · Regular Visitor Joined: Jun 15, 2005 Posts: 61

BERT_UK · Occasional Visitor Joined: Sep 15, 2005 Posts: 45

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