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Don't believe everything your GPS tells you
Old 05-27-2014, 12:52 PM   #1
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Don't believe everything your GPS tells you

I have a Garmin GPS with lifetime updates for North America. I spent the past month in Europe, including two weeks in Ireland, where I drove a manual diesel Kia Sportage (fuel consumption 5.9 L/100 Km). Prior to departing I downloaded the dataset for the UK and Ireland (Europe wouldn't fit). I had no technical problems whatsoever, but the quality of the information for remote local routes was not great. Fortunately I grew up and learnt to drive in Ireland so my crap detector was pretty good. Overall the GPS was very helpful. But if we had slavishly followed the GPS instructions, we would have gotten hopelessly lost on several occasions and would have visited many farmyards.

Bottom line: trust but verify.
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Old 05-27-2014, 12:58 PM   #2
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I have a Garmin GPS with lifetime updates for North America. I spent the past month in Europe, including two weeks in Ireland, where I drove a manual diesel Kia Sportage (fuel consumption 5.9 L/100 Km). Prior to departing I downloaded the dataset for the UK and Ireland (Europe wouldn't fit). I had no technical problems whatsoever, but the quality of the information for remote local routes was not great. Fortunately I grew up and learnt to drive in Ireland so my crap detector was pretty good. Overall the GPS was very helpful. But if we had slavishly followed the GPS instructions, we would have gotten hopelessly lost on several occasions and would have visited many farmyards.

Bottom line: trust but verify.
+1

We learned the hard way to use a detailed map in conjunction with our Garmin GPS in The UK and Ireland.
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Old 05-27-2014, 01:00 PM   #3
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+1

We learned the hard way to use a detailed map in conjunction with our Garmin GPS in The UK and Ireland.
Yes, and when in doubt, ask a human being!
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Old 05-27-2014, 01:10 PM   #4
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Probably depends on the locality. I've had superb results using a GPS while driving small back roads in Belgium. The problem over there is that most road signs were removed to keep the occupying Germans from easily navigating. I think most of those signs have never been replaced because people who live there just know the roads.

I remember seeing intersections where five roads came together. No signs on any of them, just a small stone the size of a loaf of bread on the ground between two of them, painted white with a number on it. That's pretty typical. I would have been utterly lost without the GPS.
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Old 05-27-2014, 01:17 PM   #5
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When my sister and I went to surprise DF for his 93rd birthday. Tropical storm Lee was flooding the area, at night with almost zero visibility.

I missed a turnoff, thought I knew where I was going. We called my other sister, who lived in the area. Explained where we were and my plan to take the old high roads in the mountains. She said that would work great. About that time the GPS lady squawks telling us to down to the flooding river area. Sister asked if I knew where that exit took us? Yes and I'm not driving into a flood. Amazing technology, but you have to use your senses.
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Old 05-27-2014, 01:20 PM   #6
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Yes, and when in doubt, ask a human being!
Us men do not ask, but would rather drive for miles.
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Old 05-27-2014, 01:29 PM   #7
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The most entertaining GPS experience I've ever had was last summer, driving from Canton, OH to Gettysburg, PA. Our route could fairly be described as "whimsical", varying haphazardly between interstate highways and country roads that narrowed down to one lane at times. DW was getting somewhat apprehensive near the end of the trip, but I could follow closely enough on a road atlas to know that we were headed in approximately the right direction. It's not a route any sane human being would have chosen, but it was clearly in the range of a GPS unit with a lively sense of humor.
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Old 05-27-2014, 02:05 PM   #8
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A GPS saved our marriage when we were traveling in Sicily. We ended up with Tom Tom rather than Garman because the internet scuttlebut was that Garmon maps for Sicily were terrible, while Tom Tom was almost ok. (Both bad - but one was worse.)

The GPS had us take crazy unnamed farm roads through a patchwork of fields to find our vacation rental outside Marsala. There was no normal address for this home - just GPS coordinates. The owner was surprised to see us arriving from a different direction than he expected and asked what route we'd taken. Sure enough - it was the shortest route - one only locals used.

Palermo driving is scary - but the GPS helped us not freak out too much. And we figured out to override the GPS when it had us turning ON to the OFF ramp of the Autostrada.
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Old 05-27-2014, 02:18 PM   #9
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Had anybody compared it to Google map on your iphone in Europe?
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Old 05-27-2014, 02:24 PM   #10
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GPS in Ireland on the first trip was ok, it was not up to date with the new highways that had just opened up, we just turned off the squawking voice and used the map and some GPS. DW is a great navigator and keeps me in line. On our second trip we had a lot better luck, but managed to see a lot of one lane wide, 80km, dirt roads that were suppose to be for two cars. DW again kept us safe and for the most part in line. We did enjoy the back lanes and countryside roads and we had planned a lot of slack in the schedule we put together to get to our next overnight stop.
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Old 05-27-2014, 02:38 PM   #11
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We have a Garmin an will be renting a car for a couple of days in Sitka, AK. Guess which state is NOT included in the unit. I think we're just going to buy a paper map, and use my smartphone if we get desperate.
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Old 05-27-2014, 02:54 PM   #12
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We have a Garmin an will be renting a car for a couple of days in Sitka, AK. Guess which state is NOT included in the unit. I think we're just going to buy a paper map, and use my smartphone if we get desperate.
With Sitka, you can't get there from Sitka by car, its on an island and the only way on or off is air or boat. From the town roads run some miles along the coast each way and then end. There are forest roads that go somewhat into the interior, but are unimproved. The Alaskan panhandle towns are ones where the need for GPS is least since the roads don't connect. you come to the end and turn around, there is little other choice.
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Old 05-27-2014, 03:17 PM   #13
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The Alaskan panhandle towns are ones where the need for GPS is least since the roads don't connect. you come to the end and turn around, there is little other choice.
Good- sounds like even DH and I can avoid getting lost there!
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Old 05-27-2014, 03:21 PM   #14
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The most entertaining GPS experience I've ever had was last summer, driving from Canton, OH to Gettysburg, PA. Our route could fairly be described as "whimsical", varying haphazardly between interstate highways and country roads that narrowed down to one lane at times. DW was getting somewhat apprehensive near the end of the trip, but I could follow closely enough on a road atlas to know that we were headed in approximately the right direction. It's not a route any sane human being would have chosen, but it was clearly in the range of a GPS unit with a lively sense of humor.
+1 I took a trip with my mom from Vermont to Maine and it took us on some pretty weird ways... I sort of knew we were headed in the right direction.

What I have found is that the GPS will get you there, but probably not in the best way.

We have some roads around here where the GPS would try to send you down a class 4 road that is fine if you have a SUV with 4WD but no way you should go there in a car, even with AWD.
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Old 05-27-2014, 03:24 PM   #15
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I'm always arguing with my GPS in the US! It's great having an automaton to argue about directions with.

I'm always suspicious of the directions. But it's still way better than just using a map.

We don't plan on driving in Europe. But having the GPS is still really useful for getting off public transportation at the right spot!
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Old 05-27-2014, 04:55 PM   #16
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Us men do not ask, but would rather drive for miles.

"Not sure where we are going, but making great time!"

Lulu, the gal's google maps iPhone voice, insisted on taking us to the back (locked and via private property) entrance of the Colossal Cave outside Tuscon. Property owner said he had people show up every so often, always guided by google maps. The really good thing was that it was a wonderful back trail excursion, and well worth the excitement of cruising the 4-wheel drive track in the family truckster.
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Old 05-27-2014, 05:16 PM   #17
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We have a Garmin an will be renting a car for a couple of days in Sitka, AK. Guess which state is NOT included in the unit. I think we're just going to buy a paper map, and use my smartphone if we get desperate.
No matter, you'll enjoy it.
Sitka is one of my favorite small towns in the world!
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Old 05-27-2014, 05:41 PM   #18
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I always like when the GPS wants you to turn onto a one way street going in the wrong direction.
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GPS sends me the longer way frequently
Old 05-27-2014, 05:46 PM   #19
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GPS sends me the longer way frequently

My Garmin takes me a weird way from Harrisburg to the Philadelphia International Airport. Gets me off the freeway way too soon and sends me on loads of parkways with very long stoplights. I just ignore where it tells me to get off the turnpike then I get a more direct route. Also, I have found it very handy to record the entrance to the airport parking lot since that is very confusing, especially at night.

One goofy thing I did a couple of times. On a cross country flight I pulled out my Garmin and from the window seat waited 10 minutes to locate a satellite. I love it when it says what towns (and state) I'm over and the fact that we're flying 550 mph. May not have been legal but it was fun!
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Old 05-27-2014, 05:53 PM   #20
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Had anybody compared it to Google map on your iphone in Europe?
The Google maps in Europe have a lot more info - in particular bus and tram route information, stops, and numbers which is super useful. But using the Google map while navigating means you have to have an Internet connection.
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