Navigation Devices - Outdated Maps

[FTe342]

I recently did NSW Central Coast to Brisbane & return using the Tom Tom. A few months ago I purchased the latest map update for approx $100 (I think).

Now I know there is a lot of roadwork going on up the Pacific Hwy but I estimate either the speed zone or the speed camera info on the map was wrong 10% of the time. But what riles me is that these zones have clearly been in place for ages, perhaps years. Also getting warnings about speed cameras that are no longer there (mainly because the road has been moved). And the number of times the device thinks you are out in a paddock and starts giving (potentially catostrophic) instructions to turn around is beyonf belief. This is for the 2nd most used piece of hwy in the country.

I had the same issues when going to Melb earlier this (before I did the update) with the Albury-Wodonga bypass which has been in place how long?

I have sent a complaint to Tom Tom asking for a refund of the update fee and will let you know how I get on

[b2tf]

From memory the vast majority of them release their new maps around August, I can check what version is their latest at work on Saturday.

My Navman is probably 2 years out of date but I still find that it gets me easily 95% of the way and the rest I just muddle my way through.

[BOSHOG]

i had issues with my tom tom this morning, i rely on it for work and the suburb i was working in was 30yrs old and not in the tom tom. every time i think about updating my maps i just think "if they didnt put it in last time why would they put it in this time?" my 5yr old Gregorys directory had the street i wanted.

this was on the central coast too, the CC and upper hunter seem to be changing so much that navigation devices struggle to stay updated

[flappist]

Originally Posted by FTe342

I recently did NSW Central Coast to Brisbane & return using the Tom Tom. A few months ago I purchased the latest map update for approx $100 (I think).

Now I know there is a lot of roadwork going on up the Pacific Hwy but I estimate either the speed zone or the speed camera info on the map was wrong 10% of the time. But what riles me is that these zones have clearly been in place for ages, perhaps years. Also getting warnings about speed cameras that are no longer there (mainly because the road has been moved). And the number of times the device thinks you are out in a paddock and starts giving (potentially catostrophic) instructions to turn around is beyonf belief. This is for the 2nd most used piece of hwy in the country.

I had the same issues when going to Melb earlier this (before I did the update) with the Albury-Wodonga bypass which has been in place how long?

I have sent a complaint to Tom Tom asking for a refund of the update fee and will let you know how I get on

The speed limits are one of their "user share" systems where all the useres update the speed limits in their area and it get shared to all others.

Unfortunately a large number of satnav owners are STUPID MORONS and put silly thing into their satnav making it useless.

e.g. when the 90k zone was implemented between Cooroy and Curra a couple of years ago some MORON or group of MORONS decide to be do-gooders and set the limit down from 100 to 90.

Unfortunately as they were MORONS they set the limit all the way from Caboolture to Rockhampton to 90.

That is every 110 zone and every 100 zone was now 90.

You may think that this was a Scrooby not a MORON (like there is a difference) but they also set every 80, 70, 60, 50,& 40 zone including school zones to 90.

I just turned the speed alert off.

Don't waste your time writing to TomTom, they are a pommy company and have without doubt the worst customer service attitude I have ever come across. I have 2 TomToms and a Garmin. The Garmin is far better and the maps far more accurate even though they are supposed to be based on the same data. I will never buy TomTom again.

[388cube_edxr8]

My TomTom refuses to acknowledge the existance of Toombul, which is a Brisbane suburb as old as Brisbane itself. I have to type in Brisbane as the suburb and then the street name, only then can it take me there.

I am a courier driver, so this happens quite a bit.

[aussie muscle]

my sister calls her tom tom "dumb dumb". wonder why?
could be worse, here my garmin has roads marked that don't actually exist.

[msman]

we bought a nayway (the melway item) unit about two years ago, with the promise of two free updates still waiting for them.
it is missing most of the of estates around my area as they were still being cut when i bought.
would of been better to throw the money away.

[T3man]

The first SatNav I bought was a top of the range VDO Dayton back in 2002. I was happy with it but after two years it was (naturally) outdated. An upgrade was more (much more) expensive than a new unit.

So I bought a Navman ... on the basis that future upgrades were promised to be much more affordable. Again a high end model ... was useless in several key areas ... particularly the battery which totally died within 6 months and thereafter the unit could only be operated while powered up in the vehicle - and every time you switched on it had to go through it's boot system.

Then I bought a no-name GPS unit built into a multifunction sound unit ... reverse camera etc etc all the bits. Surprisingly it worked pretty good but it couldn't be used while the player (any other function ... TV Radio CD USB iPod etc) was in operation.

So ... moved forward (so I thought) to a Dum Dum ... same problems as posted in OT.

I now have one of those smart phone thingys (HTC Desire) and low and behold I tried the GPS function while in Albury a couple of weeks ago and it is the most user friendly of any I've had. It was accurate enough for what I did but it was a simple trial so can't say how it would be as a full-time SatNav.

[loxxr6]

I've only ever had one prob with the Tom Tom in the Sydney CBD where it went a bitz berezerk but otherwise it's been fine.

I also rate the iphone maps function as well. Really handy.

[FTe342]

Here is the reply I just rec'd from Tom Tom

The updates that you purchased bring your map up to the latest information that we have. If it is not up to the standards that you expected i urge you to keep doing your updates for both the map and the safety cameras. The good news is you have the map update service so any new data that we add to the maps will be sent to you in our updates. There are areas that aren't 100% correct as you have encountered, this is outlined in our terms and condition. Hopefully we can improve this for you over time. On this occasion you are not entitled to a refund as requested, and we will not be able to provide one.

Regards
Tom Tom Customer Service

They could provide a refund (unless they are broke) - they just won't. I have been told politely to bugger off. They also sent a survey to see how they faired with their response. I gave it to them both barrells! One of the questions was would I recommend Tom Tom to friends lol. The device itself is fine (I paid about $800 for this top end unit that says the street name to turn into) its just the outdated maps & info are so far behind its ridiculous

So my advice to anyone considering a navigation device would be to steer clear of Tom Tom

I saw another thread recently about an app for your iphone called Trapster which gets constant updates from users and so you are warned about the mobile speed cameras as well. I think phones with GPS will the way of the future and Mr Tom Tom will fall by the wayside - deservingly so!!!

[Scott]

Slightly OT but has anyone else noticed their Navman starting to pick obscure routes?

Recent example was going to a regional airport, I was on a straight piece of road, I could see the airport at the other end of it and the stupid thing wanted me to turn off and drive on a parallel road one block over then return to the road I was on.

It seems like one day someone injected it with stupidness - I wonder if it has been interfered with or had a timer on it to chuck a spazz.

[brismike]

Just a couple of corrections ..

TomTom is not a pommy company .. they are actually from the Netherlands.

The maps that are used in TomTom units for Australia are provided by Sensis/Whereis.
This is an Australian company and they also publish the UBD Street Directories.

Whereis/Sensis are usualy quite good at mapping cities but not so good in the country. The alternative map provider which is not used by TomTom is Navteq. Generally they are better in the country but not so good in the City.

However just recently this seems to have turned around. There have been a lot of new roadworks in Brisbane. Examples are Goodwill Bridge, Clem 7 Tunnel, and Ipswich Motorway-Centenary Motorway interchange.

The latest TomTom Map (v855) by Sensis/Whereis released in September 2010 only has the Clem 7 Tunnel but not the other 2 major changes.

The latest Navteq (2010Q2) map released also in September 2010 as used in Igo Software has got all 3 of them. Interestingly Igo can use either a Sensis (R17) map or the Navteq map. So you can switch to the better one as you need to. You can't do that on a TomTom

The Mapshare feature that is only available with Tomtom is very powerful and allows you to make corrections to your own map. You can choose to share those corrections with other users. You can also choose to download the corrections that others have made. It is entirely up to you. I only download corrections made by many and confirmed by TomTom.

At the end of the day a Sat Nav is useful to find your way to a strange place you haven't visited before.

Regards Mike

[TheSneakiness]

I find that my version of Nokia Maps 3.0 for my N97 works well. Has majority of roadworks in progress updated on the maps.

Only thing that annoys me about it is that I can't just have the maps in 3D following the way I'm going. It ALWAYS has to be facing north. Any users that know how to fix that little issue without have a route set to go somewhere, I'd appreciate that.

[EgoFG]

Originally Posted by Rapid_Axe

I find that my version of Nokia Maps 3.0 for my N97 works well. Has majority of roadworks in progress updated on the maps.

Only thing that annoys me about it is that I can't just have the maps in 3D following the way I'm going. It ALWAYS has to be facing north. Any users that know how to fix that little issue without have a route set to go somewhere, I'd appreciate that.

I love the free forever Worldwide Navigation on the Nokias.
I have used the 5800 extensively in Australia and China.
(In China I use the Mandarin voice, and let the phone direct the taxi driver)

The N8 is a huge step forward in positional accuracy, and speed.

I got an update through last week on the Map software that fixes the 'Always north when not in navigation mode' issue, and vastly improved the speed limit recognition in rural and semi rural areas.

I thought that, and not being able to use addresses from you phone address book were two huge steps backwards from the 6110 - I'll have to test the address book again with the new version.

[CATXR8]

I use a 7" screen nav unit ( good for my old eyes to see ).
The maps are Nav n Go - naviextras - and the only prob are when in the back roads the speed linit does not pick up on all the back roads.
They have just released their 2010 maps for 99.95 usd

[FTe342]

Unfortunately I am unable to utilise the Mapshare feature.

Tom Tom Home tells me that neither my device (GO910) or the map its using are compatable with Mapshare.

It did know about the Clem 7 tunnel which was a surprise and shows that I must have the latest map for my device

[Franco Cozzo]

My boss' GPS in his Lexus RX350 is very out of date, my town which has been around since the late 1800s isn't mapped properly, it thinks we go paddock bashing all the time.

[Pedro]

I have a Tom Tom #1 and it doesn't know about Brisbane Road, Labrador that has had that name for 20 or 30 years since it was changed from Pacific Highway. It also tells me at a certain point, to turn left into the bush as I travel the Eagle Heights - Tamborine road.

I was going to take it to America in 2008, so enquired about buying a USA map. The cost was $119!!! So I didn't buy it. When I got over there I bought a new version 3 Tom Tom loaded with USA and Canada at Wal-Mart for AUS$140.

[FTe342]

Further to this I did a return trip to Melb. The speed limit from Liverpool to Melb outskirts is 110kph apart from the town of Holbrook and some roadworks. But Tom Tom thinks its 100kph southbound and the same for most of the northbound trip. So the device is constantly beeping at you for "exceeding" the limit. What a farce!

The only thing thats improved is it knows about the Albury-Wodonga bypass now even though it thinks the limit is 100kph

It warned me about 3 fixed speed cameras that no longer exist

[Jim Goose]

The maps used on some GPS units come from the same source as Google Maps/earth...
Some of the Google Maps you see online are so out of date or have info which isnt true. (im refering to the map overlay over the satellite photos)
One of the funniest mistakes is that Google Maps show a large number of "suburban" railway stations in Townsville!!
We dont have a suburban rail network and never have.
What they show are the old station stops which were used up until the late 1970s!

[GK]

There are pros and cons with all technology.

I have a Tom Tom and overall have been very satisfied with it. I upgraded the maps and most of what I need is there. I do get a few wrong readings here and there, but not many. I find that the city maps are great, and agree that the county maps are sometimes out a bit. All in all though, I have more than a vague idea of where I'm headed, so it's not a problem.

As speed zones can change a bit, I try not to rely on that function much, but am sure that myself and the good lady wife keep our eyes peeled for actual speed signs. I guess that's a rather antiquated idea these days! LOL!

What I do use mostly, is the actual speed reading on the unit, as when I measure that against my speedo and the overhead speedo advisors/corrector thingys, the GPS is spot on.

I also like the distance/time to destination function/reading. It helps me to pace out long inter-state trips better.

The route planning option is also helpful.

GK

[QLD-Bluey]

A valuable lesson here grasshopper............expensive doesnt always mean best!!

[GT 160]

I have always used Navman but recently switched to a Garmin unit that was a very good price and it's brilliant.

[321Go]

Originally Posted by QLD-Bluey

A valuable lesson here grasshopper............expensive doesnt always mean best!!

Maybe as far as these satellite dependent portable navigation units are concerned, but the top end VDO-Dayton systems (which now costs $3000+), that are OEM on many many brands including almost all European brands, and some Ford, is the best navigation system IMO. The system fitted to the AU/BA range was from memory a $4000+ option. The ONLY issue with the VDO-Dayton systems is the price to update the CD maps. But they're free if you know where to look.

All these portable units (TomTom, Navman, ect, ect) depend on satellite signal for accuracy. If the signal is a weak one (which it is at most times) the units don't work properly. They don't work in tunnels at all. Limited to no signal in bad weather and built up areas. VDO-Dayton systems don't depend on satellite at all. It's hard wired into vehicle. All map info is on the CD. Speed signal is taken from speedo wire off ECU.

After using many types of systems, the VDO-Dayton kills them all. Accurate 99.9% of the time and upto 1 metre. Try getting that with a portable unit.

[nstg8a]

Originally Posted by 870-cse

VDO-Dayton systems don't depend on satellite at all. It's hard wired into vehicle. All map info is on the CD. Speed signal is taken from speedo wire off ECU.

how does it know where you are?

[brismike]

Originally Posted by 870-cse

All these portable units (TomTom, Navman, ect, ect) depend on satellite signal for accuracy. If the signal is a weak one (which it is at most times) the units don't work properly. They don't work in tunnels at all. Limited to no signal in bad weather and built up areas. VDO-Dayton systems don't depend on satellite at all. It's hard wired into vehicle. All map info is on the CD. Speed signal is taken from speedo wire off ECU.

After using many types of systems, the VDO-Dayton kills them all. Accurate 99.9% of the time and upto 1 metre. Try getting that with a portable unit.

Not quite true .. The high end TomTom standalone models include a feature called Enhanced Positioning Technology (EPT) which works through motion sensors in the device. This is used to keep your position when you are travelling through tunnels where there is no GPS signal.

I know it works because I used it in Europe recently and especially in the Italian and Swiss alps where there are heaps of tunnels.

Also regarding your comment on the GPS signal being weak most times .. My TomTom usually picks up a minimum of at least five or six satelites and I have seen up to eleven at any one time.

Mike

[FTe342]

Originally Posted by GK

What I do use mostly, is the actual speed reading on the unit, as when I measure that against my speedo and the overhead speedo advisors/corrector thingys, the GPS is spot on.

GK

The problem with the Tom Tom is that when it thinks your over the limit, (which I wasn't because the limit is actually 110kph all the way to Melb & return), it shows your actual speed in red which you can't read in normal daylight conditions even with the unit set to daylight brightness. Mine was $700 top of the line when I bought it with bluetooth and hard disk

Another colour such as orange might be readable. Tom Tom will never get another map update fee out me. I will buy a Garmin or Navman unit for little more than the price of the Tom Tom update.

I have seen units advertised for as little as $149 at present

[Resurrection]

Nothing beats a Melway for accuracy.

[Feathers]

One of my friends bought a Tom Tom 4-5 years ago because she has an awful sense of direction (it hasn't improved - because she hasn't had to think for herself).
A few months ago it froze up and she was able to reset it, but it died again a couple of weeks ago, and it's now useless.

When she went into a store to get a new one, the sales assistant said that it was pretty common for that to happen, as that's about the life expectancy they are designed for.
Pretty poor if it's true.

I've had a Navman for a few years, and really only use it in Melbourne. Only wrong instruction I've found was it told me to turn at a roundabout that doesn't exist, but otherwise it's been fine.

[Geez Louise]

My Navman and I are no longer on speaking terms. Everytime I go over the Westgate bridge, it tells me to turn left half way across!

For some reason it picks up the road below the bridge. It is very funny when I have people in the car with me and I answer the Navman with...Okay! Left it is!