GPS help needed

“I'm in the village computer centre with my daughter and we're trying to download a topo map from www.gpsfiledepot.com to my Garmin Oregon 450t. Any tips?”

“No sure about that model but I have to download the file to mapsource first, then on the mini SD from the computer. Whenever you put new maps on the card it automatically deletes the ones already on there. So you have to store the maps on your computer via mapsource.”

“Thanks, 1camper. My daughter thinks she can figure it out. Also, my buddy who sold me the unit will talk to his geologists.

It's a model that's really to complicated (advanced) for me, but he gave it to me at an unbelievable price when his geologists didn't want them. They use the big ones with buttons because of the nature of their jobs.”

“When I drove to New Hampshire to get Eurohike for her first visit to Rockburn, I cut two+ hours off the mapquest time by looking at a map.

Later, Euro explained the Navteq (providers of the software) logic works and it makes some sense,







BUT









NEVER (sorry for shouting, but this is important) use this software to find a rural destination, except for specific situations.

A Meetup group I belong to are doing a day out from Montreal visiting orchards, artisanal cheese makers and vinyardds ending at the Rockburn Pub. Instructions to the first vinyard from Montreal are fine because the vinyard is just off a major highway (freeway) from Montreal. The drive along the way is straightforward because it is along one highway (Circuit du paysan for orchards, restaurants and cultural/heritage sites and La route des vins for the vinyards). Finishing at my local, the Rockburn Pub (Google).

However, the directions from Rockburn to Montreal are insane! I don't have time to-day, but I'll post about the insane Navteq logic prolly to-morrow.”

“Okay, I've figured out how I'm going to say it. Navteq (although I think you can request the shortest route - which is not always the best either) have 4 classifications of roads: 1 = autoroutes/freeways; 2 = primary highways; 3 = secondary highways and 4 = side roads and city streets.

Now, they always want to take you to the highest classification (freeway + exit) to get you to your destination. When I went to get Eurohike in New Hampshire Mapquest sent me to the closest primary highway, via primary highway 138 and to the nearest autoroute on the south shore from Montreal, about 50 minutes, then on the autoroute 30 to autoroute 10 to north of Vermont, then down the 55 to Interstate 91 to I 93 et c.

Instead, I took secondary route (still a highway) 202 right along the border, turned south to join I 89 and took the freeway from Burlington to the exit that brought me closest to North Conway and cut 2½ hours from my projected travel time.

This is how Navteq kill people.

Navteq want the Meetup people to take Autorouts 15 to near the vinyard. No problem because it's near this highway, but if they wanted to get to the orchard near me, they would have sent them down the same highway, then cross country to the orchard. It is along a highway, but it would be the same if it were a country road - a country road parts of which might not be ploughed in winter.

Say you are following your GPS and it takes you along this road and it's dark and you're tired. The road deteriorates until it is only two tracks in the snow; then you get stuck. You are lost and alone at night and in the winter.

The pernicious part is that when your loved ones report you missing and say where you are headed, the police will start seaching primary highway 138 (the logical choice as it too leaves Montreal), then along the road without ever finding you because you are 50 km on the other side of the route you ought to have taken. Had you consulted a map the problem would not have arisen.

There are two nature reserves on Lake Saint Francis (Lac St-François), one on the south shore and the other on the north shore in Ontario. I was visiting the Ontario one and consulted my GPS for a restaurant - a different one than the one where I often eat. I clicked (not really 'clicked' as it is a touch-screen) on 'All restaurants'. Among the choices were café de la courbe. Now I know where this café is - it's on the south side of the lake. Imagine if I had been on a road ending at a wharf on a dark night and following my GPS. I would have driven into the lake! In fact I believe a similar accident actually happened not that long ago.

Also, there are errors, frequent in my part of the world and, I suspect in many othere rural areas.

What can GPS do? if you are travelling to a distant city by autoroute/freeway it will guide you through the cities from one to the other ex. Montreal, Quebec to Pittsburg, Pennsylvania on Mapquest. If you are already in the vicinity of your destination (by map navigation) it will get you to the address. It will also find a restaurant for you, but be careful not to drive off a wharf.”