OK...now that the fishin and drinkin is over with, I'm back to work.
From home to Murfeesboro, TN to deliver then to Russelville, KY to pickup...all went well with the PCM 440.
I am finding that I got a little too used to the 15 inch widescreen while I was using the CoPilot 9 on my laptop...the little 4.3 inch screen leaves a lot to be desired, but then again a 15 inch screen stuck to the windsheild would block a lot of view.
On my way to Ft. Worth, TX...
My experience with the PC Miler Navigator 440 GPS unit
Discussion in 'Trucking Electronics, Gadgets and Software Forum' started by Ridgerunner665, Sep 9, 2009.
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Shot the breeze with a Canadian driver that had an English accent today. He told me he got a $2000 something fine in New York City 10 days ago because his PCM 430 with the latest updates led him where he wasnt supposed to be. He told me he junked it and is now looking for another solution entirely altogether.
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I posted this in another thread on GPSs, but my company has been evaluating them and a QualComm product. They won't recommend any of them because they all have shortcomings. The biggest problem in their view is that most of the standalone units can't be updated. The data is only as good as the copyright date on the software.
So... can the PCM440 be updated? -
Anybody who trusts a GPS in NYC deserves any ticket they get...just my opinion.
The ONLY reliable info on NYC truck routes is here (PDF download...save it to your computer)... http://www.nyc.gov/html/dot/html/motorist/trucks.shtmlkajidono, carwreck, RAG and 1 other person Thank this. -
Dieselboss Thanks this.
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I would be extremely curious to see his routing settings. I have been testing the new maps with correctly configured routing profile in NYC for a week now. It has been remarkably accurate, (a big improvement in NYC over the original maps.) That link to the free NYC truck route map is definately a "must-have" like you say for anyone who goes into "the city."
Ridgerunner665 Thanks this. -
Well I'm in "the Rock" waiting to get a tire replaced so I'll give a short summary of the 440's performance so far.
I like it...but I'm still working on the routing profiles, haven't quite found the combination I want yet.
The small screen I can get used to...thats really the only thing I don't like though.
DieselBoss,
I agree, with the correct routing profiles NYC could be done....but the reason i said what I said up there is this...
On CoPilot 9 Truck for laptops...the streets and avenues in NYC are backwards, every road I took it said I was going the wrong way...LOL. It didn't cause any problems for me though because I had the maps from NYDOT on my computer and picked that route myself. That happened 4 years ago....so the maps may or may not have been updated since then. -
As far as NYC, I sent them the link to the NYC truck route map that you refer to last year and they integrated that data - the result is the much more accurate routing in the boroughs. However, the "route profile" that you save has a GREAT deal to to with how it routes as well. Play with those settings in the PCM. Make a couple of different profiles by tweaking your size and road settings and preview the rotes first. This will help you create the "sweet spot" to match your particular preferred driving style.
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Yep...I'm missing the CoPilot 9...for some reason it just quit working though. I uninstalled and reinstalled it and it worked for a few minutes then quit again. It won't recognize the GPS antenna...
I really miss that avoid/favor roads feature.
With that said, I'm glad I got the PCM 440 though...my poor old laptop has seen its better days and I'd have to either install Vista on this one (it is Vista capable) or buy a new one if I got another laptop program.
The 440 is wrong about a few exit ramps (Flyin J in Wichita Falls, TX to name another one), but the routes it spits out have been good so far.
I'm still tweaking on my routing profiles a bit, and as I get more familiar with its controls I find myself liking it more and more...even with its occasional mistakes. -
On that PCM440, I found that there are some turns once in a while where the arrow (left, right, etc) and/or the road description (in yellow on the bottom of the Nav screen) is backwards. However the route itself shown on the map and the "voice" command is saying the correct turn direction. There is an email address to feed that info back for correction if you want at data@alk.com and when I see a map error I've been at least feeding them back so they get fixed. The V23 maps are dramatically better than ever before on their PCM or their laptop products though. If you make yourself a couple of profiles in it by varying your road settings or vehicle dimensions you will find subtle changes in routing and that will help you dial it in to your exact routing style. It sounds like you are doing that now.
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