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Didn't get fastest route with Drivesmart 61

Larrycleve1 0 Points
in Garmin Auto Forum (Garmin Nuvi, Garmin Drive Forum)
I just bought this and tested it. I put in a specific address I didn't know in a general area that I did. To get to the general area I would have used two freeways and it would have been 5 minutes from there. The Garmin had me take one freeway and then a long city street. I came back using my way and it was 10 minutes less than the way the Garmin took me. I had it set to fastest route with no avoidances.

Any way to make sure it actually uses the fastest route?

Comments

  • crazyfingers 115 Points
    edited August 2017
    When set to take the fastest route the Garmins frequently still make stupid choices. Not much can be done other than to look at the route it has chosen and then go your own way. It will eventually adjust. Or you can shape the route ahead of time using vias and shaping points. But don't expect the Garmin to make smart choices. It frequently won't.
  • sussamb 947 Points
    My experience is that occasionally it won't, I certainly don't see it frequently making poor choices.
  • Larrycleve1 0 Points
    I'll try it again along with some other routes. Maybe there was traffic on the second freeway at the time. I just want to be confident on a long trip in an unfamiliar area that it's not adding excessive time.
  • crazyfingers 115 Points
    On any long trip I almost always set my own route using the Trip Planner using vias to force the route I want to take.
  • Ramaprem 112 Points
    "My experience is that occasionally it won't, I certainly don't see it frequently making poor choices."
    Ditto.

    It may have been taking traffic into consideration - as mentioned.
    You can always look at the entire route in advance - and see it it makes sense. If you do this at night - when traffic might not be a factor - you can see if the device then changes the route as you drive.
    That might indicate that traffic is being monitored, and adjustments being made.
  • crazyfingers 115 Points
    I need some day to take a screen shot of a route that I take to a nearby pond. It's about a mile and I turn on the GPS just for kicks. The best route is to take a right at the end of my road. Turn left onto a side street and then turn left again down to the pond.

    The DriveSmart 60 has me turn right at the end of my road. Go about 1 mile and a half up the road past the side street to the pond, take a left onto a side street to another left onto a side street and then take a right back onto the main road. Go back down the same road about a mile and a half, pass my road, to take a right onto a side street, turn right onto a main road, turn right onto a side a side street and then turn left down to the pond.
  • Ramaprem 112 Points
    Sounds about right :)
  • Larrycleve1 0 Points
    I tried it again today in the driveway and it gave the long route again. I made an edit to use the second freeway. It calculated exactly the way I would go and took 10 minutes off the arrival time.

    I tried using Google maps and it gave both routes with the Garmin route as preferred. The second freeway does have traffic at certain times of day.

    I tried using Google maps in the car. When I plug the phone or tablet into the car's usb, Android Auto starts and then freezes. I've also lost the connection using the phone unplugged. Just looking for something that will be reliable.
  • crazyfingers 115 Points
    edited September 2017
    [img]http://i1211.photobucket.com/albums/cc433/crazyfingers1/Crazy Germin Route.jpg?t=1505243743[/img]

    Not sure if this Photobucket link will work. I recently discontinued my paid subscription but I may have time left before they block my linking on sites like this. Either way, if this image shows today it may not tomorrow.
    But I commented above on the crazy route the DriveSmart 61 (and previously the Drivesmart 60) wants me to take to a local pond. It's nuts.

    Earlier Garmins and with earlier maps did not do this. My only guess is that they irroniously "updated the map" to make the obvious route a i way street BUT, I don't get that "YOU are goingthe wrong way up a one way roud notice. Or it could think that the road is blocked in that lane. Note that going home it does realize that the dorect route is the best.
  • sussamb 947 Points
    Looking at that screenshot it looks like there is a break about half way along the road. Maybe that's the issue?
  • crazyfingers 115 Points
    It's possible but it would only be for one way. It take me home past that section. And someone would have done that in a map update within the last two years. Older units and maps didn't avoid that section.
  • mike41 38 Points
    I have a Drive Assist 61. I chose the fastest route. From my house to most places north it directs me to use a limited access expressway. On the return trip, it directs me on the local 2 lane road. Traffic is not an issue on either road. When I ignore the suggested route and use the expressway the trip is faster. I have the same issue In the Richmond Va area. Just an FYI
  • sussamb 947 Points
    crazyfingers said:

    It's possible but it would only be for one way. It take me home past that section. And someone would have done that in a map update within the last two years. Older units and maps didn't avoid that section.

    Try reporting it then to Garmin or HERE, who supply the maps to Garmin. Does sound like a map error if that part is working one way.

  • crazyfingers 115 Points
    I tried to boot up two of my old Garmins. The units I had before the DS 61 and DS 60, just to see how long the map has looked like that. Neither will boot even after charging. Oh well. I may report it but my todo list is really long.
  • Kevin_hutch 116 Points
    "Try reporting it then to Garmin or HERE, who supply the maps to Garmin. Does sound like a map error if that part is working one way."

    It may have a short section of road incorrectly marked as one way, I have found/fixed several strange things.

    The Here "mapcreator.here.com" allows you to analyse the roads and fix it yourself, then I find they appear in the next Garmin update.
  • crazyfingers 115 Points
    Regarding the crazy route that I posted above, I opened the map in BaseCamp and MapSource. In both cases there is nothing strange on the map at the corner. It shows like any other corner. I still have maps back to 2016.1 to 2018.2 on the computer. That corner shows normal. Because I'm still more familiar with MapSource I did a quick route on the computer. On the computer MapSource correctly just takes me down to the corner to the pond. So to me it's not the map but something about the DS61 and nearly dead now DS60 that it will not route in a sensible way.
  • WAASup 186 Points
    I can try to reproduce it on my DriveAssist 50 if you like. Would need the destination address/city/state
  • t923347 533 Points
    edited September 2017
    crazyfingers said:

    So to me it's not the map but something about the DS61 and nearly dead now DS60 that it will not route in a sensible way.

    You keep posting about an "nearly dead DS60". What the heck is an nearly dead GPS? Don't they usually work or don't work? To me a "nearly dead" GPS sounds like being a little bit pregnant. :-/
  • crazyfingers 115 Points
    The DS60 has no battery life and if not cooled to about 65 f it will not turn on. IF i keep it in the house it will turn on when I put it in the car, but if I stop anywhere and even but it in the shadows in the car, it wall not turn on unless I hold it in front of the AC blowing hard for 10 minutes.
  • crazyfingers 115 Points
    WAASup said:

    I can try to reproduce it on my DriveAssist 50 if you like. Would need the destination address/city/state

    I'll do that tomorrow or next. Thanks.
  • WAASup 186 Points
    edited September 2017
    So I tried your route...

    On my DriveAssist 50, I get the same results as you - a convoluted route.

    On my Nuvi 2595, I get a direct route from Tea Street to Pinewood Pond on Lakewood Drive.

    https://imgur.com/a/xvJQn

    image
  • sussamb 947 Points
    edited September 2017
    Wow, seems like an error in the Drive routing algorithm then, I can't think of any other reason. Definitely worth reporting this to Garmin.
  • crazyfingers 115 Points
    WAASup, I'm amazed you actually found that tiny place in the US based on my photo.

    But I feel vindicated. Do you have the same map version on both units? It does look like the 50 is interpreting the map differently as there is even larger disconnect at that corner on the 50 than it appears to be on the 2595. Perhaps it's a map interpretation issue?

    As a note, although now dead, my 3590, which I think "thinks" pretty much the same as your 2595, did route that correctly. This problem first showed up on my Drive Smart devices.
  • WAASup 186 Points
    crazyfingers is Lakewood Drive a paved road?

    FWIW, the routing engine in the Drive seems to think that Lakewood Drive is unpaved. So does the current version of BaseCamp (4.6.2) using default routing options.

    To "solve" your problem and get a direct route, turn off the Unpaved Roads avoidance.

    But there's more strange mapping stuff... HERE maps (wego.here.com) (which CNNA 2018.20 is based on) has only one Tea Street. Google Maps shows multiple Tea Streets off Decota Drive.

    I've reported the problem to Garmin. Will post back once I get a reply.


    https://imgur.com/a/kOE75

    image

  • sussamb 947 Points
    Interesting point but then I'd expect it not to work both ways?
  • crazyfingers 115 Points
    That is really interesting. Yesterday when I was looking at it in MapSource and BaseCamp I was looking to see if I could see what the road properties were but didn't find how to do it. So Garmin thinks that that little corner is unpaved.

    I'll see what happens if I turn the avoidance off but I probably wont keep it off. It's not like I really need the GPS to get to the pond.

    I will say that while there are some unpaved roads right by the pond, Lakewood is completely paved and has been since I moved into the general area back in 1997.

    And there are not two Tea streets for sure!
  • WAASup 186 Points
    edited September 2017
    The DriveAssist 50 and the Nuvi 2595 both have the 2018.20 map.

    It's puzzling why the 50 won't route on Lakewood but the 2595 will.

    The multiple Tea Streets could just be a red herring. I mentioned it just because Google seems to have issues with that area too.
  • crazyfingers 115 Points
    The images of the map you linked to suggested that the Garmins think that only about 20 feet of road at the corner are unpaved. Perhaps the "logic" in the DA50 makes a bigger deal out of it?
  • alanb 557 Points
    Take a look at the Bing map. It shows the road narrowing at that bend, although from the street view it is obvious that it doesn't.
  • WAASup 186 Points
    After poking around in BaseCamp with 2018.20 map, the problem area is somewhere between the intersection of Lakewood Dr and Wildwood Ave and 184 Lakewood Drive.

    Wildwood Ave appears to be unpaved. It's almost as if the unpaved attribute is spilling out to the corner of Lakewood Drive.
  • WAASup 186 Points
    Received a generic response from Garmin. Asked them to confirm whether the segment from the intersection of Lakewood Dr and Wildwood Ave to184 Lakewood Drive has the unpaved attribute in the 2018.20 map.
  • WAASup 186 Points
    Garmin have replied that there is a map error.

    crazyfingers you can report it here:
    https://support.garmin.com/faqSearch/en-US/faq/content/pJLZBzPen9A7OXw5vlRyu5
  • crazyfingers 115 Points
    I'm surprised they replied.
  • Boyd 2028 Points
    edited September 2017
    I'm surprised that an obscure map error has inspired so much reserach and discussion here at gpsreview! :D
  • crazyfingers 115 Points
    Perhaps the most wonderful thing about humans is that they can't resist solving a mystery. :)
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