Rand McNally intelliRoute TND 500

Question for people with truck specific GPS unit other than the Rand TND.


Does the unit / model have a plug for an external GPS receiver antenna?


If yes, does the company offer it for sale as an accessory?

 

Yes, & yes - Cobra 7700.

 

PCMiler - yes and yes
Garmin - no
Cobra - yes

 

The only restriction that is set is weight # 37000. The problems I have are not performance issues, just irritating. Like the town Sabine Pass Texas and route 49 in Brownsville Texas and navigating Houston. I dont want this thing to just not route me a ceratin way because it cant figure a way to do it. I at least want the option to do so. I can check the route if it says its not a truck route to verify if its safe or not. Thats why I like the Tom Tom so much. It will route you anywhere and give you options as to what to avoid along the way. "You cant get there from here is a screen option Rand should consider". When it does not give you any route option, you reach for the paper atlas to figure out where your going and wondering why you spent the money on the thing.

The way I'm used to doing it is looking at the route in the atlas and then checking in the back for any restrictions. They dont erase the non-truck routes in the paper atlas. They need to show the route with its restrictions. That low underpass or weight restricted bridge may be after your destination. For example, Haz-mat generally routes around, what if your delivering right downtown? Its not a Haz-mat route but you have to do it.

It did finally for the first time since I bought it, route me right to where I was going. Its up there beside the Tom Tom for reference and they were both actually getting along with each other this trip. I do like the truck stop directory. So far thats the most useful thing about it.

 

So far my old car specific Garmin has steered me pretty well perfect.

It still seems SO strange to take a big truck through a small town, but that's how you get to a LOT of places in the northeast!

 

Yeah and it sucks too. One of the many reasons I hate the northeast. lol!

 

I'm not sure if this is correct ( you will have to ask Mark ), but I know on the TND units you can switch use from Truck to Car mode....maybe that would give you a route without all the restrictions if you really wanted to do it that way (then it might perform like the Tom Tom's and Garmins) but I'm not sure though....Mark???

 

I have had the TND for about a month now , I have been running alot around NYC area, and North Jersy, so I bought the truck specific GPS and went with Rand McNally due to the fact that they made the Atlas I love!!
Anyhow, I really love it, hasn't steered me wrong yet. I love that it keeps track not only my daily hours, but drive time also, and warns me a hour ahead of time . Yes, it has Car and Truck mode, I can set weight, height, hazmat , and if I find a road I don't like, I can exclude it for the next trip. It will reroute for detours, construction, etc. All in all I love it.

 

Going to car mode simply takes away the truck tools, although currently the log miles will continue.

But, if you wish to run without restrictions, then you can go to car mode.

Thanks,
Mark

 

Next mapping database was fine tuned in the NYC area a lot.

Thanks,
Mark