My Nuvi 760 routing seems off, welcoming any feedback Sun May 11, 2008 12:50 pm
I'm having an issue wish my 760. I read that it has great routing, usually the same as with google maps or yahoo. However, I try to map from my north east NJ location to brookly, and it keeps routing through NYC, Manhattan. Anyone in the tristate area knows that going into/out of Manhattan means heavy congestion and traffic and Google maps and Yahoo maps seem to take this into consideration. Infact, both those have maps that coincide with the way I've taken which is clearly faster than going through Manhattan. However, the Garmin is taking a completely different route from those sources. It's making me question it's suggestions and if I can't trust my gps, what's the point?
Any help? Can anyone suggest why this might be occuring when I've read in several writeups, including this one, that it's routing is the best, if not up there with the best, and matches the popular online map sites. Unfortunately I'm not seeing that
To be further specific, I mapped from Madison, NJ to Canarsie, Brooklyn. Google goes through Madison to 24 and the Staten Island, around the lower part of Brooklyn via the Belt Parkway to the Rockaway Parkway exit, then to the direct street. This is longer in miles, but shorter in time by taking highways and routing around Manhatten. Yahoo actually does this even better by avoiding going through Madison, but instead doubles back and catches 24 behind Madison, avoiding congestion in this little town's main street. This is a local trick which I was surprises to see in that mapping.
When I try my Garmin 760, it gets neither of these methods, but heads direct to Jersey City, then to Canal street in Manhattan, and then via the Manhattan bridge to the northern part of Brooklyn to Canarsie. I've liked in the area my whole life and this might be shorter distance in mileage but would be 50-100% longer in time. I have the device options set to get routes or the shortest duration, so that can't be it. If the Garmin uses similar or the same technology to get destination routes, why I am I getting radically different ones than those?
The answer is really just as as simple as you won't always agree with the route picked. Unless you are receiving data from the traffic receiver, it won't take traffic into account and will assume a no traffic situation.
Garmin does use the same map data as Google Maps, however that doesn't mean each program will interpret the data the same way and produce the same route. There is a good chance it will, but not always.
Do you have it set to Fastest or Shortest? Also, do you have your Avoidances set to avoid certain things? (Traffic, etc)
I know I took a trip with my 760 and it took me a different way than I thought it would. When we got there, I checked and it was set to Shortest Distance rather than Fastest Time. I forgot to go change it. Shortest Distance took me off the Interstate, and I hit stop lights. It took longer, but got me there. Now, I knew the Interstate was probably the best way to go, but I followed the 760. I changed it to Fastest for the return trip and it was right on.
When we go to my in-laws (only 14 miles) if I set it to Fastest, it has me go on the Interstate. Depending on the time of day, that is not the way to go due to traffic and new traffic lights on the road leading to the Interstate hahahaha. We take some back roads when we go there anyhow.
Needless to say, nothing is perfect, but I have been very happy with my 760.
If you find something different, let us know. I am always learning stuff. I got mine for Christmas, so I keep finding new things. Between here and www.poi-factory.com, I have learned a lot. Tim and Ms POI have done a remarkable job at putting together extremely informative sites. They are greatly appreciated.
Thanks for the feedback. I do have fastest chosen, not shortest and it still takes me the wrong way. I tried a few other routes and they seem to work well, but inear Manhattan and Brooklyn, it seems to route by default thru the worst congested areas and even bypasses highways for side streets for no reason. Fastest should route via a major highway, but seems not to in these areas. It might be one of those issues that are hard to overcome in major urban areas, but what flagged my worry was that it didn't catch the need from my home to go back the other direction for a short distance to get on the highway, rather than through the main street of our small town to get on the same highway further along. Even google and yahoo maps caught that.
Yes, not perfect, but at these prices, I just can't help second guess it. I'm hopeful after some usage to/from places that I'm not familiar with, where my personal experience would override general map-routing, I'll have a different impression. I'm determined to give it a chance. I just wanted some feedback and some other user experiences to help alleviate my concern that I didn't buy a high priced paperwieght
it seems to route by default thru the worst congested areas
Again, unless it is connected to the live traffic service and has downloaded the traffic information, and that traffic information has data about the congestion--- then it will assume there is no traffic.
it seems to route by default thru the worst congested areas
Again, unless it is connected to the live traffic service and has downloaded the traffic information, and that traffic information has data about the congestion--- then it will assume there is no traffic.
"... to get on the highway, rather than through the main street of our small town to get on the same highway further along. Even google and yahoo maps caught that. "
Don't understand how traffic data would have anything to do with this. There's no traffic data attached to Google Maps and Yahoo Maps that I know of, and yet they get it right. No, this is a glitch, like we find glitches in all GPS devices occasionally, even on the Garmin 760.
Don't understand how traffic data would have anything to do with this. There's no traffic data attached to Google Maps and Yahoo Maps that I know of, and yet they get it right.
They both have access to traffic and incident data that can be displayed on the map. I don't know if they take that into account for routing though. Each routing program can interpret the road data differently.
Ask most any GPS the best route from New England to the DC area and they will go across the George Washington Bridge. Probably not the best way for many parts of the day-- but without live traffic data (and assuming no traffic) it makes sense.
Joined: 07 May 2008 Posts: 2 Location: Vancouver, B.C.
routing choices Thu May 15, 2008 5:18 pm
I've noticed a pattern when reading user's comments on routing.
When they are in their neighborhood or home town, users are more demanding because they know better routes than their GPS unit. However in situations like these, you probably don't need to be using GPS assistance.
However if you were driving around in a new city that you've never been to before, you'd follow the route set by your GPS unit and would just be happy you got to your destination!
Joined: 10 Jun 2007 Posts: 87 Location: DC Metro Area
Sat May 17, 2008 5:16 pm
I live in Rockville MD outside of Washington DC. My usual way of getting into DC is by taking the interstate and then going down GW parkway. It takes me 30-50 minutes depending on traffic.
The Garmin always finds a different way. I once decided to follow it to see how it did. I had fastest route selected. It took me on all the 30/40 mph roads which have a zillion traffic lights (at the time, I even had traffic service enabled). Once in town, I was taken down narrow side roads I had never even heard of. The whole trip took me well over an hour in weekend traffic.
Wouldn't it be great if these GPS units knew where the traffic lights are? I just got a 760 and am discovering some of these issues related to routing and what not.
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