No Go Areas
Mon, 11/05/2007 - 6:45am
17 years
|
It would be really great if one could, using MapSource, draw a perimeter around a certain area which would be then designated a 'no go' area for the GPS unit unless the address or destination desired is within that area.
In this manner users could set up avoidances for heavy traffic intersections/ turnpikes or high crime areas etc.
The GPS would route the user around these areas in all cases.
It would also be useful for occasions that the wife uses the GPS that it would not take her through a suspect neighbourhood but rather assist in avoiding it.
Comments?...
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Actually, you CAN set up custom avoidances in MapSource. Either on roads or areas.
Unfortunately, these won't transfer to the GPS unit.
However...
The proximity alert feature of a TourGuide .GPX file might help one avoid such areas. The GPSr itself will continue to route you into that area but the prox alerts would warn you ahead of time. I have a TourGuide file that will alert me when I am within the radius of a POI. I've successfully tested 1/2 and 1 mile alerts.
2-cents
dd
Pity
Pity the avoidances are only available on the PC.
Not quite logical as one would assume that most, if not all, mapping, waypointing work etc. would be destined to be transferred to the GPS unit for use in the field or on the road...
Nuvi 715 (Sucks), Nuvi 670 (dead)& Garmin GPS 72. South African living Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
An interesting idea...
...But, if you're driving locally, and want to avoid high crime or heavy traffic, just do so. I like frustrating American Jill and have her recalculate over and over again as I ignore her directions.
If you're driving in an area you don't know, it would be hard to outline those no-go areas, given the ignorance of being an out-of-towner.
You can also always hit the 'detour' button and avoid them that way too.
Overall, the GPS remains just a tool, and you as the user are the one who has to exercise skill in using it. Smart and skillful tools are hard to come by.
GC
Nuvi 350, GPS Map 76CX
Avoidance
This does work for the Streetpilot 2720, I was sorry when mine had died.
Allan Barnett - Garmin nüvi 885T/765T/Pharos GPS (bluetooth) w/MS Maps on PPC
Detouring
...But, if you're driving locally, and want to avoid high crime or heavy traffic, just do so. I like frustrating American Jill and have her recalculate over and over again as I ignore her directions.
I too often do this when I know the area / roads. But it's not quite as easy when your in an area you don't know.
You can also always hit the 'detour' button and avoid them that way too.
If I have time to select detour before getting off the preset course life is good. But sometimes when I'm approaching heavy (stopped) traffic I head for the exit ramp -BEFORE- selecting detour on my GPS. Then it's almost impossible to get my StreetPilot i3 to pick a new route. It's convinced I need to return to the original road to continue. Argh....
Would be nice for long road trips
I recently drove from near Boston to N. Central Florida. My 350 really wanted to send me through NYC, even though I knew traffic would probably suck at the time I was going to get there. I tried setting a waypoint that was out of the city, but that didn't really help, so I figured I'd give it a fair test. I was stuck in NYC traffic for about two hours, watching my ETA reported on the 350 increase minute by minute.
I would love to be able to say keep me out of NYC and DC. And it would be great if the unit could use some sort of predictive heuristics to make a good guess at traffic at the time you are likely to get to a point.
Sigh. Next generation, I guess.
All good points
It would be nice to set up a perimeter type avoidance.
If you are familiar with the area, avoid it.
It would be difficult to know ahead of time, unless they were listed / posted like we do for the "good" poi's.
I found myself in a "bad" area recently. Central NJ area. I grew up in the area, but haven't lived there in 34 yrs. I still knew it was a "bad" area, but still managed to enter into it. At 11pm nothing looked familiar, except the prision, then again nothing looks the same after 34yrs. Not even the prision.
Anyway, after a quick (but controllable) panic which the wife, son and daughter-in-law never noticed, I selected the first custom poi I found and pressed "GO" just to get out of Dodge. Then re-routed when in less hostile territory.
........Garmin StreetPilot c550 / Nüvi 765...........