Rand McNally intelliRoute TND 500

Now the Harley would not neet a "pilot"... they could hear it coming from the next state....

 

Drivers, you do have a voice here, as one of the beta testers under Mark aka cc194217, I am here to tell you that unlike many other GPS providers out there, Rand is listening to you, they do listen to us beta testers. We are still beta testing out there even after the product release. This unit can only get better as time goes on with software updates, Unlike the other truck specific GPS unit out there (that I can not mention here) which has no way to update your unit online, I know because I have tried to no avail.

I have worked with Mark over the past year. He knows this unit inside and out, He also has a direct line with the Rand developers and he has offered his own time and knowledge to help you with all of your questions. Any questions or ideas you have, you can pass to him, and those he cannot answer he will pass to Rand and then he will provide answers here, so use this forum for what it's here for to help make this product the best it can be for all of us drivers out here. Rand is, in my opinion is in the unique position to be the best contender out there with a unit that will surely help all of us get to where we are going efficiently and safely.

This unit does a pretty good job right now, but you must always double check your route and use common sense as a professional driver.


Please do not make your decision on whether or not to try this unit based wholly on only one review. This unit so far in my opinion as a tester is, right now, a whole lot better than the other truck specific units out there and getting better all the time because Rand is defiantly listening to us drivers. And that is a fact!

Richard.

 

As a newbie about to enter the trucking industry next year I'm excited to see RM has made a concerted effort to provide professional truck drivers a valuable navigation tool. I'm familiar with other GPS units' limitations - I have used a Tom Tom GPS before and currently use a Garmin Nuvi model for my four wheelers. The Garmin will try to send me on some weird routes now and then - similar to a dog chasing its own tail. I applaud RM for their efforts in working with truck drivers and providing a means by which errors can be reported and corrected. I am always a little wary about newly released products and the early "bugs" they may contain. (My wife recently wanted to go to a new waffles and ribs restaurant in town during its first week in business. As I anticipated, the service was bad and the food was so-so at best.) Based on what I've read thus far, I am confident that RM will "get it right" in short order.

Thank you to everyone who has provided such valuable information about the new RM unit's release! I look forward to reading more test reports.

 

One annoyance I've noticed is that gps units will tell you to get off an exit ramp to another highway, but not which direction. Like that ramp branches off to the right, then splits north and south. The 465t will tell you to get off on the ramp to the right, then give you about 500 feet of warning that you need to be in the left lane on the ramp to go north. It also zooms in so far that you can't see which direction you're supposed to be going at the turn.

 

A new release was put out yesterday. From the main screen, preferences, then scroll down to "about"... you should have version 2009.9.1392.2101 if not please update ASAP.

I also wish to apologize to actual holders of the TND 500. I found out today that certain units were not put on the production release version. These may be a version behind. If you find "odd" behavior then update ASAP.

This was due to an oversight on the company overseeing the packaging of the TND 500.

If you are just receiving your TND 500, be it from a store or through the "mail", be aware and update ASAP.

Again, please update as soon as possible.

Thanks,
Mark

 

On the TND 500, we are ahead of that one. On the unit it will give you an arrow in the upper left on which way to turn, then below it another arrow on where you need to turn next, along with the distance for both.

You must be in route, since the unit would need to know where you are going.

Thanks,
Mark

 

My report: Hubby tried it and it's going back to Rand McNally for a refund. Here are his reasons:

1) Much to complicated.
2) To difficult to keep track of all that's going on.
3) Don't believe it should route/try to route you around every little road construction you drive up on. (My guess here is that some road constructions are so minor that even an 18 wheeler can get around them but I suppose there's no way for the unit to know that in advance.)
4) It shuts down when you take a road that isn't a truck route.

I realize these reasons are rather vague for some of you and probably to vague for Rand McNally. I wish I could do better for you, but he's not going to give me any better than what I've given you. He's a man of almost non-existent patience and that's the best I'm going to get out of him.

I was with him when we tried it out in the car before he took it in the truck. He plugged in a route and it did shut down, I have no clue why. I tried and tried to make it start up again including unplugging it and letting it reboot but it wouldn't cooperate.

I also find it to be backwards when inputting info. As I recall, you must input the street name before the numbers (or something like that) and when you read an address it's numbers first then the street name. So, that's one thing I didn't care for. It was also very picky about what the road was called. If you didn't get it just right as it was programmed into the unit it wouldn't find it. Examples would be it uses just "County Rd B" or "State Rd 33" as I recall and many people including me use different terms for these types of roads, such as "CTH B" and "Hwy 33." I do acknowledge that would be a matter of the user just learning what the unit uses, but for someone w/no patience, well, 'nuff said. It's possible a little more learning time w/it by someone who does have the patience to give it a few weeks trial run might do better.

Seems like it's another one of those gadgets that are made by various manufacturers and none of them agree to follow the same general basic scenario. I only know Garmin, don't know about the other manufacturers, but if they all would at least agree to follow say street number, street name etc it would be easier for people to at least not have to fight w/the basics. After that, these companies could add all the frosting on the cake they wanted to. But it seems like a lot of things are like this so there's no getting around it.

Hope this has been at least of some help.

 

Let me respond to your listings backwards.

4. If the battery is not fully charged, it will turn off. If you had it plugged into a DC source, then was the light on the front red or green? Red is charging, green is charged. the unit does not shut off simply by putting in a route. This is a power issue. Did you try to input a route with the AC adapter? I would be curious to the answers.

3. The only way it will route you around road construction is if you tell it to detour around it. In the Turn by Turn listing you will see a sign showing road construction. This is NOT routing you around it, it simply is informing you that on that road segiment their is road construction.

2. I do not understand what he was trying to keep track of. If you wish to use the timers 11/14/70 then you may, if not then do not use. On the main map it gives you basic information at a glance. As with anything you buy it may be overwheming at first, but with a little understanding you get the "feel" of it. I am sure you do not return all new items you buy. I still do not understand half of what my Direct TV controller does, yet I do not stop the service. It is simply a lack of taking time to try out all the colored buttons. I would suggest sitting down with the unit and looking at each screen before you put it in a truck and try to see what each screen does while you are driving.

1. Too complicated? If RM wanted a simple two button navigation unit then who would buy? In today's world where almost everything is considered a JIT load the professional driver has to be road savvy. Dispatch wants it there yesterday, the driver has to deal with traffic, bad directions, finding a spot to park, dealing with others in the fuel island, in other words Today's driver has to have the EDGE in his driving. The driver is given pickup appt times late, and then having to try to make his appt time in a time frame that almost makes the driver be creative in their logging. Times today for the Professional Driver are not easy. RM has Beta Testers ranging from degrees in Computer Engineering to others who have trouble finding the on/off button. We do this on purpose to give a more rounded input to the unit. RM understands that not everyone holds a degree in computers. The buttons were made bigger, simpler screens, yet with the features that Professional Drivers need.

I offer this to your husband. I can have his unit shipped to myself to determine the power issue and if he is in the NC/SC/upper GA/E TN area I would be happy to drive to met him and give him some "classroom" time. I would need to know at least a day in advance since I do demo's at truck stops with 300 miles of my house several times a week.

If the unit does have a power issue then I would have RM ship him another one and I would see that RM would receive the unit in limbo. The unit can be shipped to me at NO cost to you. I would request a copy of the bill of sale, you may black out any CC info, I just need to see your name/address showing a TND 500 was purchased.

Also note on the tip of the DC adapter the tip screws off, make sure the fuse did not blow, if it did their is a spare fuse in the box. IF the first one did blow and when he puts in the second fuse, if it blows then contact me. This could be a issue with the DC adapter in the truck. I know in my Columbia when you plug a DC adapter in, if you did not push it straight in and it had a little cant to the plug it would blow the fuse. I usually took a plastic fork tong and pushed it in along side the DC adapter, but this was usually with the power inverter.

Thank you for you honesty,
Mark

 

Please note that the unit has an internal battery. Upon receipt of your unit it is HIGHLY recommended that you take the AC adapter out of the box and plug it into your unit (on/off no difference) and let it charge for about two hours.

It takes about 2 hours on the DC adapter also.

It will charge also on USB, make sure you use the provide adapter in the box.

Do NOT use the AC/DC USB adapter for your phone or other electronic devices. Their are two USB standards. You can damage the unit if you use a USB adapter other than what is provided in the box. Your warranty MAY also be voided. This is a RM decsion.

Please note if you have the unit attached to your computer via USB it will charge, but at a much lower rate. USB/mini USB is more like a trickle charge.

Units are shipped from manufactor with some battery charge, then they are updated with the most current consumer version, the shipped out to you. RM does not have the time nor manpower to open thousands of boxes and plug each unit in for two hours, some things a consumer has to do.

If you find your unit turning off when after a minute or two, did you fully charge on AC/DC? light red/green? If you did then let me know and RM will make it right.

Thanks,
Mark

 

Hi Mark,

I've printed off your reply and will show it to him. I do know that it was charged per your instructions before he used it so that shouldn't be the issue. He used the charger from the box the unit came in and plugged it into the wall socket in the kitchen for charging.

I've printed out your msg previous to the just last one and will show it to him. I sure appreciate all the time you took to respond. Please don't expect any reply on it, though. You'd have to know him, he's got NO patience whatsoever and also a very low level for frustration. He's used to the Garmin and so he's probably trying to do things like the Garmin does and I myself doubt he's giving it a fair chance but that's the way he is. If you think this is bad, try living w/him, LOL! I asked him several times to give it at least a two week a try, reminded him several times that it works differently than his Garmin and that a lot of this would be just retraining himself into a different way of doing things. He agreed but that's apparently as far as it went. After 2 days out w/it he called to say I'd be shipping it back. I've learned that when he gets like that, it's pointless to even try to change his mind. It will save my sanity to not push the issue.

As for the personal classroom time, thanks so much but he doesn't get down that way very often. Usually runs East Coast and some Ohio. Once in a blue moon he hits far South as KY but that's it and so I doubt he could meet you. He's had one trip to TX in a year and a half w/his company and just 2-3 into KY in that same time frame.

I have just one suggestion to anyone reading my report on this and that is to GIVE IT A FAIR CHANCE. Mark seems to know this thing inside and out so don't go by one person's all to brief experience.