Magellan RoadMate

[Coach-man]

Several months ago we purchased a Magellan RoadMate GPS because of the large screen, and according to them suited for RV's. It has worked fairly well, but lately is giving me problems, and I want to do a hard reset by throughing it out a window at 70! Two weeks ago I was looking for a pharmacy, clicked on menu and found the CVS I was looking for, it had me go about a half mile north, get on an press way and go 2 miles east, then another xpressway 5 miles south. I was getting concerned it then put me on my original road and go 4 ½ miles north! Turns out the CVS was less than a block south of where I started out! Today, in Maine DW wanted to go shopping at a particular store, the GPS found it, took me south on US 1, turn west to I95 and go north 13 miles to an exit just north of where I started. While driving north, I noticed the south bound lanes on the GPS were green, and sure enough when I got to the exit, it wanted me to go back south! It is set for fastest time, not shortest route.

Do I have a defective unit, or is there anything I can do to correct the problem! Thanks for your help.

[Johno02]

Look at this

Garmin voice recorder.

[Johno02]

Ever wonder why all of the voices on GPS units are foreign. No "American Southern", American Northern", "USA Boston", "Tex-Mex", or even "US Western Whatever". But, with some, you can record your own voices if you want to spend the time to do it.

[justme]

Routing preferences must be set for ones needs. Unfortunately, most preferences are not robust enough to satisfy everyone. My advice is to use mapquest, google maps, Street Atlas or other mapping software to plan a route to assure that you don't get into a jam. I have used many different GPS receivers over the years and they all give bad directions some times. So be ware and don't be trusting 🙂 BTY the best GPS receiver I have used is the Garman IQ3600 which is obsolete. Too bad they stopped producing it.

[Sam_Spade]

bcsdguy wrote:

If I use my smart phone for GPS I plug it into a power outlet to keep the battery up.

Yep that works just fine.
Except on my motorcycle which does not HAVE a power outlet.

[bcsdguy]

Sam Spade wrote:

Johno02 wrote:
Best advice is to use Google Maps, and figure out your route yourself.

Forgot to mention this.
I find the routing function of Google Maps on a smart phone to be better than any stand-alone GPS I've had.......for short local trips like the OP described.

If you are going to try this for the first time, be aware that using your smart phone for a GPS will EAT your battery charge very fast; that is, if your battery would normally last all day, it might only last 2-3 hours in GPS mode.

If I use my smart phone for GPS I plug it into a power outlet to keep the battery up.

[bcsdguy]

Johno02 wrote:
None of the GPS systems are NOT American made, and therefore few, if any of the people designing them or the software have ever been in the US, much less ever driven here. so, what do you expect. Best advice is to use Google Maps, and figure out your route yourself.

I'm confused by your statement. None of the gps systems are Not American made. Do you mean none of the gps systems are American made or all of the gps systems are not American made.

[jeffcarp]

Many smartphones are 5.2", 5.5" and even 5.7" all of which are larger than any 5" dedicated navigation unit. That doesn't mean that the issue of looking at a screen isn't a valid concern but the issue is not exclusive to a smartphone.

[Sam_Spade]

Coach-man wrote:

I agree, but with a smart phone the screen size is small, and while driving I do not want to have to stare at the screen to view all pertinate detail! One of the main reasons I purchased the Magellan in the first place, the large screen.

Ahem. Well you really should NOT be looking at the screen except when stopped. Follow the voice prompts and we all will be a bit safer. Thanks.

And really folks, the best thing to do is become somewhat familiar with the route that you want to take BEFORE STARTING OUT and then following the road signs. They will never take you around in a circle. 😉

[Coach-man]

Sam Spade wrote:

Johno02 wrote:
Best advice is to use Google Maps, and figure out your route yourself.

Forgot to mention this.
I find the routing function of Google Maps on a smart phone to be better than any stand-alone GPS I've had.......for short local trips like the OP described.

If you are going to try this for the first time, be aware that using your smart phone for a GPS will EAT your battery charge very fast; that is, if your battery would normally last all day, it might only last 2-3 hours in GPS mode.

I agree, but with a smart phone the screen size is small, and while driving I do not want to have to stare at the screen to view all pertinate detail! One of the main reasons I purchased the Magellan in the first place, the large screen.

[Sam_Spade]

Johno02 wrote:
Best advice is to use Google Maps, and figure out your route yourself.

Forgot to mention this.
I find the routing function of Google Maps on a smart phone to be better than any stand-alone GPS I've had.......for short local trips like the OP described.

If you are going to try this for the first time, be aware that using your smart phone for a GPS will EAT your battery charge very fast; that is, if your battery would normally last all day, it might only last 2-3 hours in GPS mode.

[Coach-man]

I have been told to use Siri to locate "points of interest", then plug in the address given to solve my problem. Anyone done that, and did it help?

[jeffcarp]

No GPS manufacturer creates the maps or the points of interest locations in the map. They buy that data from a third party. The key to getting a good unit is knowing who they buy the data from and how often they update it. The only thing the GPS module manufacturers create is the features, menus and routing algorithms.

Magellan, Garmin and Rand McNally all use HERE maps. They each supplement with various points of interest databases, for example Garmin uses Foursquare on some units.

[Chuck_thehammer]

You have a defective unit... Magellan, I have had 5 in 4 years... warranty is good .. products are very difficult to keep running/working. resetting is almost weekly. all 5 for them.

switched to Garmin .. much better.. but NO GPS is great at directions...
my Garmin sometimes like to send me into the rear entrance of shopping malls.. and is not a trucker type GPS.. 2597LMT.

[2oldman]

Sam Spade wrote:
be sure that you don't have it set to something like "avoid U turns".

x2