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Joined: Jun 11, 2004 Posts: 37 Location: Essex, UK
Posted: Sun Feb 08, 2009 3:46 pm Post subject: Can any satnav plan best route between several addresses?
I currently have a TomTom 930 but am sick & tired of TomTom's shoddy customer service and appalling software updates (I've suffered them for years with PDA/300/510/720/920 and now the 930T, I think I've given them enough money and chances!)
Anyway - I'm looking for an alternate satnav system and would really like a feature whereby I can enter a few addresses and let the system work out the most efficient order & route between them (e.g. enter 4 addresses and have the system take me to nearest first, then next nearest from there etc) - do any systems offer this functionality?
Thanks.
Joined: Feb 16, 2008 Posts: 695 Location: Florida, USA
Posted: Sun Feb 08, 2009 4:07 pm Post subject:
Any of the Garmin 7x0's or 7x5's would be a good choice (almost the only choice) for that feature. The Garmin 8x0's and 8x5's would also do, but too pricey for what you get IMO. Only a handful of devices offer what's referred to as "route optimization". Magellan, for instance, says they offer it on some models, but they don't. They simply "sort", closest to farthest. _________________ Garmin 1695 / 255 / 760 w/MSN - Droid w/Google nav + Navigon - Navigon 8100T - Dakota10 - GPSMap76C - GeoMate Jr.
Joined: Jun 11, 2004 Posts: 37 Location: Essex, UK
Posted: Sun Feb 08, 2009 5:27 pm Post subject:
Brilliant, thanks for that, seems to be exactly what I'm after - I'm on their website now using the compare function, as you say the 8xx range doesn't seem to offer much more than the 7xx range, although I do make use of the voice recognition/remote control on my TT930 so I'll miss that with the Nuvi 7xx range, but the multi-route will be more useful.
I'd like to play with one first, I'll have to pop to Halfords to see if they have any demo units.
Joined: Feb 16, 2008 Posts: 695 Location: Florida, USA
Posted: Sun Feb 08, 2009 6:29 pm Post subject:
M8TJT wrote:
gatorguy6996 wrote:
They simply "sort", closest to farthest.
Is that not what the OP wants?
Igo 8 optimises a route for you, but you seem to have to put in the end location and it sorts te middle ones.
Sorting and optimizing are two different things. One simply puts them in order closest to farthest. Unlikely to be a truly time-efficient route. Optimization takes it to another level entirely, computing various combinations of stops to determine the fastest way to visit them all with the least amount of "backtracking" and route overlaps. In other words, a travel and time efficient route. I've used both the HP310 and nuvi 750, both purportedly offering route optimization. In every instance the Garmin produced the fastest overall route, proven by actual drive times, not simply by what it reported. The 310 with iGo software often turned back on itself to get to the next destination, or miss-sorted a couple of stops, something that seldom happened with the nuvi. So while iGo does allow optimization if the manufacturer chooses to use it, it is not as efficient as the algorithm used by the Garmins. So, both iGo software and the Garmin's that allow multi-stop routing do offer optimization, with Garmin doing a better job of it in my testing. Magellan's prior to the 4300 series (uses iGo 8) simply offered sorting. _________________ Garmin 1695 / 255 / 760 w/MSN - Droid w/Google nav + Navigon - Navigon 8100T - Dakota10 - GPSMap76C - GeoMate Jr.
Joined: Jun 04, 2005 Posts: 19991 Location: West and Southwest London
Posted: Sun Feb 08, 2009 8:23 pm Post subject:
M8TJT wrote:
gatorguy6996 wrote:
They simply "sort", closest to farthest.
Is that not what the OP wants?
Not the same thing at all!
The majority of optimised routes for delivery drivers are likely to go in a rough circle.
Just sorting "closest to furthest" could take you in a crazy zig-zag across country, and leaves you furthest from home, with a long journey back.
Hopefully this shows it clearly:
In this example, the "sorted by distance" route is about 60% longer than the "circular" one.
I also hear the Garmin version is not working as well as the manufacturer would like the users to believe (although I have no personal experience to go on).
My source says the 'travelling salesman problem' is not solved yet, even with really big computers.
Joined: Feb 16, 2008 Posts: 695 Location: Florida, USA
Posted: Sun Feb 08, 2009 10:58 pm Post subject:
Andy, I have 7 different "optimized" routes I use with my 760. On two I was able to better the Garmin planned route, but only after driving them a couple of times and discovering an earlier turnpike exit on one and a local shortcut on the other. The other 5 are very efficient, no changes since setting them up a few months ago. Overall, Garmin's route optimization has worked quite well. Perfect. No. Routes on any device are seldom "perfect". But it's been a huge help and timesaver none the less. One of my routes has 22 stops over two counties, 6 cities and two rural areas. How long by "trial and error" do you suppose it might take to put them in some reasonably efficient order? My nuvi had it sorted in less than a minute. Works well enough for me. _________________ Garmin 1695 / 255 / 760 w/MSN - Droid w/Google nav + Navigon - Navigon 8100T - Dakota10 - GPSMap76C - GeoMate Jr.
Joined: Jun 04, 2005 Posts: 19991 Location: West and Southwest London
Posted: Sun Feb 08, 2009 11:48 pm Post subject:
Don't get me wrong... I think it's great that Garmin have ANY sort of implementation of this.
If nothing else, it makes it more likely that TT will follow suit!
It was just that when I mentioned it on another forum, someone said what I quoted above (as I said, it was just what I'd heard, I've got no personal experience to go on).
Joined: Jun 11, 2004 Posts: 37 Location: Essex, UK
Posted: Mon Feb 09, 2009 8:57 pm Post subject:
I've been to Halfords for a play with a Nuvi 765T / 860T, the guy showing me was quite busy and didn't know the device (which is fair enough), I couldn't find the option for the advanced route planning, I added several locations but it just had green arrows allowing me to insert new points within the list in the order I wanted, without a manual (and a sales assistant wanting to get away) I didn't succeed in seeing it in action :/ (He told me it probably wasn't possible, I couldn't be bothered to say otherwise so went on my way)
Can anyone spare a moment and explain how to add a few addresses and optimise a route - I'd like to see how easy/fiddly it is to use in practice.
Thanks.
Joined: Feb 16, 2008 Posts: 695 Location: Florida, USA
Posted: Mon Feb 09, 2009 10:28 pm Post subject:
Fairly easy. "Where to"-"Routes"-"New". It will ask for a new start and end point. I might use my work address as the departure and Home as my finish. You can change these later if you wish. Now touch the Green "plus" arrow. You can choose from recently found, poi's, address, favorites, etc. Add as many as you need, up to 100. When you're done, touch "Next". It will calculate a route, then touch "Save". Now tap that saved route and "Edit". Here you can add or remove points from the route, "manually reorder points" or "optimally reorder points". Choose Optimally and that's it. The Garmin figures the fastest (or shortest, your choice) for you. If later on you need to add a point, or change the route start or end, simply load that route, then "edit". A great timesaver for those that need multiple stops, particularly for business. _________________ Garmin 1695 / 255 / 760 w/MSN - Droid w/Google nav + Navigon - Navigon 8100T - Dakota10 - GPSMap76C - GeoMate Jr.
Joined: Apr 04, 2006 Posts: 10118 Location: Bexhill, South Sussex, UK
Posted: Tue Feb 10, 2009 10:25 am Post subject:
Andy_P wrote:
M8TJT wrote:
gatorguy6996 wrote:
They simply "sort", closest to farthest.
Is that not what the OP wants?
Not the same thing at all!
The majority of optimised routes for delivery drivers are likely to go in a rough circle.
Just sorting "closest to furthest" could take you in a crazy zig-zag across country, and leaves you furthest from home, with a long journey back.
OK, I have had another thought as to why I said what I said. I had plotted a linear route, not a circular one.
Of course sorting nearest to furthest (from the starrt) as you point out would be ridiculous on a circular route, but sorting so that the next stop is the nearest to the stert or previous stop etc.etc. isn't.
I entered a faximile of your zigzag rout into Igo8 but with about at least 15 waypoints. It 'opimised' to a roughly circular route in about 15-30 seconds. Which is possibly answering the OP's question about which software does what.
goto10 wrote:
(e.g. enter 4 addresses and have the system take me to nearest first, then next nearest from there etc) - do any systems offer this functionality?
My new answer now reads 'Igo8 does what you appear to want it to, allowing more than 32 waypoints (I got bored putting them in at this number). But it probably does not fine tune the optimisation as mentioned by others here.
Joined: May 09, 2007 Posts: 454 Location: Worcestershire
Posted: Tue Feb 10, 2009 12:28 pm Post subject:
McGuider 2009 offer an optimise option, although whether it uses true optimisation or something more simplier I don't know. TBH I suspect it is optimising simply rather than any true route optimisation.
If anyone has some waypoints I can plot and then give the optimised route I will.
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