Garmin 60c Wacky Routing

[CharlieZulu]

Just got a 60C and have mastered most of the features, etc. BUT--

 

I must have something set wrong, because when I do a GO TO / FOLLOW ROADS, it wants to take me on a a huge circuitous route, sometimes involving huge distances, when the waypoint or cache is actually not very far away at all.

 

I also noticed that the proposed routing does not start at my current location, but seems to start at a point I may have been at previously that day.

 

Clearly I must have something set wrong for it to be doing this?

[+YuccaPatrol]

Well, you could have some odd things listed in the follow road properties such as avoiding highways, etc.

 

Are you using City Select or the base map? Basemap routing is mostly useless unless on major highways. . .

[CharlieZulu]

Well, you could have some odd things listed in the follow road properties such as avoiding highways, etc.

 

Are you using City Select or the base map? Basemap routing is mostly useless unless on major highways. . .

 

I have two maps loaded... Canada Topo, and Canada Metroguide.

 

I have played around with the various options in the Menus, but nothing seems to change this problem.

[+Red90]

If you don't have a position lock yet, it will start the routing from your last lock. start driving and it will recalculate the route and it should usually be OK.

 

For both those products, there can be quite a few errors especially in rural areas. Many times it will think that you can not turn left (for instance) so will try to take you on a big detour to avoid it. Just head the way that looks correct. As soon as you are off the route, it will recalculate the route.

[CharlieZulu]

If you don't have a position lock yet, it will start the routing from your last lock. start driving and it will recalculate the route and it should usually be OK.

 

For both those products, there can be quite a few errors especially in rural areas. Many times it will think that you can not turn left (for instance) so will try to take you on a big detour to avoid it. Just head the way that looks correct. As soon as you are off the route, it will recalculate the route.

 

Definitely have lock.

 

Also definitely rural.

 

But I am talking about a cache that was 5 miles away, just around the next concession, a left and then a right.

 

But this thing had me going into Toronto, making a wide loop and back out into the country, a total distance of about 100 miles...!

[NewZealand]

I have two maps loaded... Canada Topo, and Canada Metroguide.

As far as I know, both products do not support street routing (at least the European pendants do not). For street routing you would need the city select maps.

Therefore you get a route calculated on the basemap, which is quite useless.

[+Lasagna]

Those maps don't have "street routing". You need City Select or Navigator. You'll likely also notice that when getting "close" to your destination in "follow roads" mode presently, it tells you to take a left turn through someone's front yard or across a farmer's field (a side effect of not having the routable maps loaded).

[+Red90]

I'm sorry guys but both products DO support auto-routing. Maybe best to go and research first before commenting on map sets on the other side of the world.

 

Like I said, sometimes there are map errors such as a break in the road in the map that makes them do strange things. try some other routes, it should work. I've used both products for years and normally it is OK.

Edited May 15, 2006 by Red90

[peter]

Those maps don't have "street routing". You need City Select or Navigator.

Actually both products mentioned, Topo Canada and MetroGuide-Canada, *do* support auto-routing, at least for the current releases. [That's different from the US Topo and MG products.]

 

Charliezulu,

Which version of MG-Can do you have? Is it the current version 4 with map data from DMTI (earlier versions of MG-Can don't auto-route at all)? In that case it should support auto-routing albeit maybe not quite as well as CitySelect/Navigator. OTOH these programs have much better Canadian road detail. When you downloaded the maps to your 60C did you note the little checkbox to include the routing data in the download? If this isn't checked then the detailed maps can't be used for routing and the 60C will revert to just using the basemap. Based on your description, that's exactly what's happening.

[+Olar]

Those maps don't have "street routing". You need City Select or Navigator. You'll likely also notice that when getting "close" to your destination in "follow roads" mode presently, it tells you to take a left turn through someone's front yard or across a farmer's field (a side effect of not having the routable maps loaded).

Actually they both autoroute on the handheld. A little gift from Garmin a few years ago when City Select didn't have much coverage for Canada particularly in rural areas. MG Canada 4 is getting a bit dated and I doubt we'll ever see a version upgrade since City Select is almost 100% coverage of Canada.

 

CharlieZ you could try the same route on your PC and verify that you get a good route on it. Also check that under the Maps tab down at the bottom you have checkmarked the "Include route calculation data".

 

Your problem sure sounds like your 60C is using the basemap to autoroute. While viewing the map page press menu/setup map/scroll to "i" information, press menu and you will see what mapsets are on your unit. Click on "show Metroguide Canada".

 

Good luck, Olar

[+Red90]

.....City Select is almost 100% coverage of Canada.

 

???????????????????????????????????????????????????

 

Don't get out much???? City Select is completely useless outside of major cities out here in the west. Very, very little coverage of roads in rural areas. MG-Canada/Topo-Canada is much better.

[peter]

Don't get out much???? City Select is completely useless outside of major cities out here in the west. Very, very little coverage of roads in rural areas. MG-Canada/Topo-Canada is much better.

Agreed. One rough indication of the different levels of detail is indicated by comparing the memory requirements of the different maps. When just considering the Canadian coverage, CitySelect/Navigator-NA, v7 have maps with 109 MB of memory space, the MG-Canada, v4 maps need 326 MB of memory, and the Topo-Canada maps need 3787 MB of memory (much of Canada has plenty of topology and natural features but relatively few roads).

[kengeroo]

I'm an expert at this now,,, I 've gone through the exact same thing...

Metro Guide version 4 does not support auto-routing on the GPS unit,,, only on the p.c. If you have version 2,,, then it doesn't even support any auto routing (on the pc or unit)....

 

You need to purchase City navigator.... You're unit is routing just off of the base map...

[+roadrage64]

just a thought, when you download your maps to the unit, make sure you check the "Include route calculation data" check box. I had the same problem.

[peter]

I'm an expert at this now,,, I 've gone through the exact same thing...

Metro Guide version 4 does not support auto-routing on the GPS unit,,, only on the p.c.

Maybe not. MetroGuide-Canada, version 4 (which is the current version) definitely *does* support auto-routing on both the PC and appropriate GPS unit. In the previous thread you had first indicated that you had version 4 which made it puzzling why it wasn't working. But later you corrected it to version 2 which does not support routing so that clarified the situation.

 

The GPSCentral dealer site (www.gpscentral.ca) has a good comparison table of the various current Canadian map products for Garmins.

[chris f]

I must have something set wrong, because when I do a GO TO / FOLLOW ROADS, it wants to take me on a a huge circuitous route, sometimes involving huge distances, when the waypoint or cache is actually not very far away at all.

 

My 60c did the same thing not long ago, directing me on a 40 mile loop for what normally should be a 10 mile trip from home to office. I did a full reset and that resolved the issue. This was with firmware 4.1, I think, or the last beta of 4.06. I was using City Select NA v. 7.

Edited May 16, 2006 by chris f

[+Right Wing Wacko]

Well, you could have some odd things listed in the follow road properties such as avoiding highways, etc.

 

Are you using City Select or the base map? Basemap routing is mostly useless unless on major highways. . .

 

I have two maps loaded... Canada Topo, and Canada Metroguide.

 

I have played around with the various options in the Menus, but nothing seems to change this problem.

 

My understanding is that Metroguide and Topo are not routeable on the 60C series. You need City Select or City Navigator.

[+Right Wing Wacko]

I'm an expert at this now,,, I 've gone through the exact same thing...

Metro Guide version 4 does not support auto-routing on the GPS unit,,, only on the p.c.

Maybe not. MetroGuide-Canada, version 4 (which is the current version) definitely *does* support auto-routing on both the PC and appropriate GPS unit. In the previous thread you had first indicated that you had version 4 which made it puzzling why it wasn't working. But later you corrected it to version 2 which does not support routing so that clarified the situation.

 

The GPSCentral dealer site (www.gpscentral.ca) has a good comparison table of the various current Canadian map products for Garmins.

 

Key word is "Appropriate GPS Unit". The 60 Series was designed for City Select, not Metroguide.

[peter]

I'm an expert at this now,,, I 've gone through the exact same thing...

Metro Guide version 4 does not support auto-routing on the GPS unit,,, only on the p.c.

Maybe not. MetroGuide-Canada, version 4 (which is the current version) definitely *does* support auto-routing on both the PC and appropriate GPS unit. In the previous thread you had first indicated that you had version 4 which made it puzzling why it wasn't working. But later you corrected it to version 2 which does not support routing so that clarified the situation.

 

The GPSCentral dealer site (www.gpscentral.ca) has a good comparison table of the various current Canadian map products for Garmins.

 

Key word is "Appropriate GPS Unit". The 60 Series was designed for City Select, not Metroguide.

Wrong. My phrase "appropriate GPS unit" means a Garmin that supports auto-routing since obviously MG-Canada won't provide auto-routing on my eMap nor on a Meridian. Once again, MetroGuide-Canada, version 4 does support auto-routing on a 60C and other Garmin models that support auto-routing.

[peter]

I have two maps loaded... Canada Topo, and Canada Metroguide.

 

I have played around with the various options in the Menus, but nothing seems to change this problem.

 

My understanding is that Metroguide and Topo are not routeable on the 60C series. You need City Select or City Navigator.

That would be correct if we were talking about the TopoUS or the current MetroGuide-NA programs. But both Topo-Canada and MetroGuide-Canada, v4 (i.e. the latest version) support auto-routing on the 60C and other Garmins that support auto-routing.

 

CitySelect & Navigator-NA would do so as well but have much less comprehensive coverage of Canada, particularly in rural areas.

[kengeroo]

....I know that I went through a lot of headaches mucking around with metroguide and stuff...

 

All was releived when I shelled out for city navigator.... only thin gI don't like about it is the giant map segments... oh well maybe it's the excuse to buy the 1gb microSD card I have on order....

 

.....save yourself a few days of mucking around ... buy city navigator........

[CharlieZulu]

Thanks everyone for all the inputs... I have to go away and try a few things, obviously.

 

BTW.... what is a "full reset"?? Sounds scary.

[CharlieZulu]

CharlieZ you could try the same route on your PC and verify that you get a good route on it. Also check that under the Maps tab down at the bottom you have checkmarked the "Include route calculation data".

 

Your problem sure sounds like your 60C is using the basemap to autoroute. While viewing the map page press menu/setup map/scroll to "i" information, press menu and you will see what mapsets are on your unit. Click on "show Metroguide Canada".

 

Good luck, Olar

 

Hey Olar... tks for the tips. just a point of clarification

 

"Also check that under the Maps tab down at the bottom you have checkmarked the "Include route calculation data".

 

On the PC or GPS??

[+kgag]

Olar was reffering to the include route calculation data checkbox on the pc... It hsould be a choice towards the bottom of the maps tab of mapsource...

 

kgag.

[CharlieZulu]

Olar was reffering to the include route calculation data checkbox on the pc... It hsould be a choice towards the bottom of the maps tab of mapsource...

 

kgag.

Olar, you hit it!!! All is well now...thanx to all who helped.