Different directions - same route

I have noticed the same thing with my 2720 but chalked it up to the fm traffic receiver routing me the fastest way, considering traffic. It seems to give me the same route if I am not using the traffic receiver.

I have the same situation wherein the route either takes me left or right to start at different times going to the same place from my driveway. It seems to be very sensitive to the starting place, changing to one route or the other.

Cheers

what i don't understand is when it takes you from point a to point b , and when returning back again uses a different route, even though there are no one way streets to deal with. go figure.

I have heard some people claim that the GPS actually "learns" your driving habits and often comes up with a route based on what it has learned.

I don't think that's true, as it would require some sort of artificial intellegence in the unit, but that's what I have read.

Other than that, I don't know why they sometimes take you a different way.

I use a 2730 frequently and it does the same thing to me.

Tim

What do you mean by "artificial intellegence" ... a computer? Don't know if my GPS does any 'learning'; but I think it's possible. The factory service manual for our car and motorhome shows that their computers go through a 'learning' process.

RT

My theory is when you use fastest time mode, that the programming tells the unit that certain hours of the day the freeways are busy so it tries to avoid using them. During off traffic hours it defaults back to the highway route. I noticed that as I was going to a 4th of July party my nuvi routed me on surface streets at 4 pm when I left, yet sent me via the freeway at 11 pm for the trip home.

Apparently, I am not the only one to notice this. The different route back has also happened to me. I live in the sticks and the FM transmitter doesn't work here, so that can't be the cause. Also living in a town of 1500 I doubt that the roads are ever busy enough to trigger a different route...Maybe Jill feels I need more variety in my life.
thanks for your replies.

Mike

I had thought that the fastest time setting has the gps defaults to using the highway but that was not the case last night. I gave me a nice tour of Washington, DC before I got back onto the interstate.

This is taken directly from my old 2620 owner's manual (pg 51):"as you continue to drive with your StreetPilot, it remembers and stores your driving habits and that you can optimize the custom route preferences based on your driving habits by selecting the Auto Set button. For example, if you tend to drive slower than expected on minor roads, then the Auto Set option should move the Minor Road Category preference bar towards Avoid to cause the unit to avoid these roads even more than normal."

Motorcycle Mama also states that her Zuma "learns" as well. I have not found any documentation in either of my nuvi manuals however.

My 2720 has taken me about 10 different ways when I am on a 'route' to the same place. I assumed that it was influenced by my fm traffic receiver but now that I have seen everyone elses remarks, I am not so sure and besides, if it is influenced or determined by my traffic receiver then why do I need a "detour" button?

Interesting. I never believed this though I was told by few of my friends. Do you think other GPS units also has this capability ?

Even my old trusty Garmin iQue M5 does this too. Giving me 2 different routes.

Yeah, I have notice too that it takes me different ways, depending on time of day as well.

In the Nuvi 350 if you go Settings> Navigation> Avoidances> you will find a "Traffic" as an option. I am geussing that setting is what gives us a different route, depending on the time of day and preset traffic patterns. I have not experimented with unchecking the box to find out.

Works with the traffic receivers - and if a slowdown is detected, it will route around it. Without a traffic receiver, the traffic avoidance does nothing that I've noticed.

Yep, just checked the manual and you are correct.

This is absolutely correct. I have noticed my 2650 "learning" my driving habits. I have four different ways to get to my home from the major highway near me and it has slowly learned my preference for the end of this route. The default out of the box route is always slower due to traffic. As someone else noted, I have also noticed the unit picking a different path when reversing a route and have wondered why.

I am not sure if I can agree with the whole learning thing. Don't think that they are that smart, but could be wrong, happened once before.

I think you are right, Keith. So, then, there really isn't any reason to press the 'detour' button, is there?

It took my 2650 about 6 months to learn which highway exit I prefer. It now picks it every time. I wouldn't have believed it either but it is undeniable. My 7500 has not learned this preference yet. It still picks the out of the box shortest route. I'll let you know when it "gets smarter :)"

Maybe our new friend "GarminTech" can explain how this learning process functions and how it manages to alter our routes based on what it has learned about us.

Tim

Oops...

I just read on another post that "GarminTech" had to stop posting on the forum. Apparently Garmin asked their Techs to stop speaking on behalf of Garmin on forums boards.

Oh well.... it was good while it lasted.

Thanks to GarmiTech for the info he provided while he/she was here.

Tim

my 330 doesn't have the fm receiver, so there must be a logical answer that if you go from the same exact spot to the point b exact same spot that it will use a different route coming back. its hard for me to believe it has the capability to equate the time of higher traffic peaks.