Member Since: 16 Jan 2009
Location: Teddington
Posts: 501
SatNav weaknesses
Took the Disco down to Cornwall last week complete with 4-bike Atera Strada on the towbar. Very happy with it's performance on motorways & round lanes and pleased to have low ratio gears for the uphill hairpin into the cottage! 8)
This was the first time I'd given the SatNav a proper workout and found it to be trying to say the least:
1. You don't seem to be able to select a town - as in a town centre. If you've never been, how the hell do you know which street you want? [This is no problem with a TomTom.]
2. You can't update it with your preferred POIs; e.g. your (or rather your wife's) preferred supermarkets / motorway services. [This is no problem with a TomTom.]
3. Some route choices are...
...bizarre: (and yes, I have checked I haven't selected specific route preferences), taking you round the houses (actually going the opposite way to street signs at one point!) or down stupid-narrow lanes that run parallel to A-roads
...inconsistent: having missed a left-turn down a narrow lane I did a Uey and then it didn't tell me to right-turn down the lane but preferred the next turning down an A-road that it had ignored in the first place
4. The estimated journey time is all over the place on some trips; when I recently did SW London to Bournemouth, it over-estimated the journey by an hour and took about 45 minutes to correct it. In Cornwall I ignored a round-the-houses route and took a quick short-cut; it didn't change the estimated arrival time until we were nearly there. [Again, I found the TomTom to be amazingly accurate in its estimates and also constantly reassessing without the dramatic changes in the Disco]
Are these standard gripes, or am I doing something wrong?Andrew
12th Apr 2009 12:30 pm
matt_tdv6
Member Since: 04 Feb 2009
Location: Lincolnshire
Posts: 937
Ive used the Land Rover system a few times in borrowed Range Rovers and a D3 last sunday at 2am
I found it brilliant and it seemed very quick to update
I did notice its estimated time was a bit high but i think it calculates it at the speed limits
12th Apr 2009 1:32 pm
Andrew Hebron
Member Since: 16 Jan 2009
Location: Teddington
Posts: 501
matt_tdv6 wrote:
I did notice its estimated time was a bit high but i think it calculates it at the speed limits
Fair point, but I am not talking about a 10% inacccuracy, I'm talking about 66%! Either I'm driving at 120 down the m'way when it was estimating 70 or I was doing 70 when it was estimating 42. Neither are that likely Maybe I need to play with the calibration?
I should add that there are plus points to the SatNav: screen size; junction count-down; split screen options. They all seem a bit secondary, though.Andrew
12th Apr 2009 2:00 pm
DSL Keeper of the wheelie bin
Member Since: 11 May 2006
Location: Off again! :-)
Posts: 73079
Andrew, welcome to the the weird world of LR Satnav! I use a tomtom in mine but Mrs DSL's SE has LR system. Whilst my tomtom took me straight to the RV point on the Oct Tunisian trip, the LR system took one car there via a football field!
Last edited by DSL on 12th Apr 2009 2:12 pm. Edited 2 times in total
12th Apr 2009 2:10 pm
Willy Eckerslike
Member Since: 12 Jan 2009
Location: N Yorks
Posts: 1612
They are the work of the Devil " Tw t Navs,
Bring back Maps and arguments with SWMSBO, or just use GPS and Ordnance survey after planning the route. at least you can see what is around you.
PeteClub Pie n Pea
One life....Fish it
D3 Gone but not forgotten
Club Men of Oak
Club Walnut sniffers
D4 Van owner
Ents long lost Uncle
12th Apr 2009 2:11 pm
Willy Eckerslike
Member Since: 12 Jan 2009
Location: N Yorks
Posts: 1612
Anyway, I've figured out everyone is using Tw at Nav, so if you get the route set up then totally ignore it you won't get stuck in a traffic jam cos everyone else will be on the other route. Club Pie n Pea
One life....Fish it
D3 Gone but not forgotten
Club Men of Oak
Club Walnut sniffers
D4 Van owner
Ents long lost Uncle
12th Apr 2009 2:14 pm
Andrew Hebron
Member Since: 16 Jan 2009
Location: Teddington
Posts: 501
Willy Eckerslike wrote:
just use GPS and Ordnance survey after planning the route. at least you can see what is around you.
I've got no probs using maps but if the SatNav works, it gives the navigator some time off. In the end, we just used maps and the SatNav screen as a GPS. I just don't understand how LR let their software be so second-rate.Andrew
12th Apr 2009 2:44 pm
BBS SPY Site Sponsor
Member Since: 15 Jun 2007
Location: Sunny Cyprus
Posts: 3054
Quote:
They are the work of the Devil
You sound like a bit of a Luddite there Willy
What you need is a Sat Nav that says things like "you should have turned there", "I told you to go right", "Well if you wasn't driving so fast" and accepts voice input commands of things like, " you have the map upside down", "we are on the other page" and "i am sure you said left". And an Enable / Disable argument mode would be good too.
12th Apr 2009 4:07 pm
crews control
Member Since: 18 Mar 2007
Location: Dorset
Posts: 5011
I've fast come to conclusion that when everyone else has a sat-nav it'll be a advantage not to have one!
Less queuing with the chavs and you'll actually be able to develop those long lost male navigation skills.
2005 D3 HSE 2011 D4 Landmark 2016 D4 HSE Lux
2017 Ford Tourneo VR46
Club Waitomo
12th Apr 2009 4:16 pm
London Lad
Member Since: 27 May 2008
Location: Suffolk
Posts: 505
@ Andrew Hebron
The LR nav in my 08.5 D3 is exactly the same as yours, useless.
I even bought the latest map DVD to see if it would be any better, its not
I use my old TomTom now and its far better..
.
.
.
You should never argue with idiots because they will just drag you down to their level....then beat you with experience !
12th Apr 2009 5:02 pm
SN
Member Since: 03 Jan 2006
Location: Romiley
Posts: 13710
if I have the oportunity I always review where I'm going beforehand on a paper map or (if I have internet available) google earth / maps.live.com - these are great for identifying key junctions and buildings where you headedSteve N | 21MY Defender | 08MY Discovery 3 (history) | 06MY Discovery 3 (ancient history)
12th Apr 2009 5:33 pm
Andrew Hebron
Member Since: 16 Jan 2009
Location: Teddington
Posts: 501
Don't suppose it's possible to "drive" the LR screen from a TomTom?Andrew
12th Apr 2009 5:45 pm
London Lad
Member Since: 27 May 2008
Location: Suffolk
Posts: 505
A guy called Wiggs will be along in a minute, he will know .
.
.
.
You should never argue with idiots because they will just drag you down to their level....then beat you with experience !
12th Apr 2009 5:58 pm
NJF
Member Since: 05 Oct 2007
Location: Gone
Posts: 2466
To set the satnav to take you to the centre of a town:
Navigation -> Set Destination -> Points of Interest -> Categories -> Etc -> Town Centre. When you select Town Centre the screen will return up one level and allow you to enter the town name.
It's so counter-intuitive that it beggars belief, but it can be done. Goodness knows where it will actually take you; I've never had the courage to try it out.
12th Apr 2009 6:02 pm
Andrew Hebron
Member Since: 16 Jan 2009
Location: Teddington
Posts: 501
NJF wrote:
To set the satnav to take you to the centre of a town...
Fab, thanks. Sounds straight-forward
NJF wrote:
I've never had the courage to try it out.
I'll let you know! Andrew
Last edited by Andrew Hebron on 12th Apr 2009 6:12 pm. Edited 1 time in total
You cannot post new topics in this forum You cannot reply to topics in this forum You cannot edit your posts in this forum You cannot delete your posts in this forum You cannot vote in polls in this forum