Support Thread for the TND 500, TND 700 or future Rand McNally products. (part two)

Discussion in 'Trucking Electronics, Gadgets and Software Forum' started by Mark Kling, Jul 7, 2014.

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  1. txtodd

    txtodd Light Load Member

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    Actually, I've uploaded corrections untold number of times - sometimes repeatedly. Know how many have been changed on the maps? ZERO! Not much incentive to continue uploading corrections.
     
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  3. Dieselboss

    Dieselboss Technology Contributor

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    I'm hearing you. I have reported hundreds of them for the drivers myself. I do see them make it in, but sometimes not for a long while.
     
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  4. #1don

    #1don Medium Load Member

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    I know this may sound like a ######## ?..... But it's not. If you knew which way to go then why did you follow the GPS???? Common sense trumps a electric device every time. I love my units.. all 3 of them but as much as I trust them I don't fully rely on how it tells me to go.

    Example: around where I live in my personal vehicle GPS set for car, with avoid dirt roads selected it still wants to take me down certain dirt roads when shortest route is turned on some of which I wouldn't take a dirt bike or 4wheeler down let alone my brand new 4 wheel drive pickup.... Common sense works great
     
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  5. wheelman666

    wheelman666 Medium Load Member

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    >> OK WOW - i didn't realize the game was stacked that badly LOL
    So then the next obvious question would be, since Google mapping is so much faster, updated faster, and is more accurate, why doesn't RM use Google data instead of HERE?
    other systems use Google maps. there are a few android truck GPS that do, Smart Truck is one that comes to mind. and it does a pretty darn good job of it. I was using Copilot, but i believe that uses HERE also, i know it doesn't use Google. So why not use the Google Feed?
    -------------------------------------------
    as for #1don comment - around home i don't need a gps, I know my roads. its when im where i don't know that i need a mapping system. and since we are now in the 21st Century and don't use a paper map anymore, we use GPS to tell us how to get from point A to Point B - but if its telling to go down a dirt road or i see a sign that says no trucks, yeah i stop and find another way.
     
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  6. Corporal_Clegg

    Corporal_Clegg Road Train Member

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    And THERE is the problem in a nutshell. SMH, Lord help us.
     
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  7. #1don

    #1don Medium Load Member

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    I realize what you mean I don't use it for around home... I use it from home going to other places I haven't been to or maybe have been there but looking for a shorter route
     
  8. wheelman666

    wheelman666 Medium Load Member

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    I have tried CoPilot, SmartTruck, Google, now RM.
    I liked the look and user friendly on CoPilot, but the mapping was a mess.
    SmartTruck might be an option
    but untimely, i wanted a separate unit because i was running to much on my tablet.
    so i went to the RM. now the Rm740 isn't bad. few quirks about it that makes me wonder who is the designer. Like the clock , who decided to make it so small and white? you can barely see it while driving down the road. the color overlays for traffic against your route color, doesn't seem to work well.
    and then we have the whole mapping issue and correcting mapping issues
    let face it, how many RM units are there plus how many others that use HERE that have reported errors? and yet those errors still exist, why????
    and everyone just keeps using the same system with the same faulty info - WHY?
    Im almost wondering if just running Smart truck on a 2nd tablet would be a better option??
    OH, SmartTruck does use Google Maps, im 95% sure
     
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  9. Dieselboss

    Dieselboss Technology Contributor

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    Because Google DOES NOT SELL/LICENSE their map database as a "packaged" product to be loaded in its static state onto your dashboard GPS. Google Maps (same with 99% of Google's other services) are "live" software "services" or "API's" (trying not to get too technical here.)
    Google makes MUCH more money licensing the maps as API than they would selling it to a handful of GPS companies.
    For example, I contacted Google a few years ago to use their maps on my IFTA site. You can use many parts of the Google maps API on NON-commercial sites for free. But IF YOU ARE GOING TO enhance YOUR product, or make money in some way connected to the usage of their maps, you must pay. What I wanted to do was let premium members at my site run routes and get their state mileage report for IFTA. Google wanted $10,000 per year to get that going for me. On top of that, I would have to pay a programmer thousands more to build it because I'm not that smart. And that was just for ONE SITE.
    Google sells these licenses to 100's of thousands of WEBSITES, iOS APP DEVELOPERS, and ANDROID APP DEVELOPERS every year. They make a ton of money from licencing the maps, not selling them outright as a "database."
    So, here's the problem - you could theoretically make a trucker's GPS APP using a license for the Google base map data. Then you would need to overlay a trucking attributes database over the top of that. But it NEEDS INTERNET DATA CONNECTION to create the routes because it gets the addresses and roads in "chunks" from Google. The entire database cannot be downloaded onto a GPS memory drive.
    THERE IS A COMPANY DOING THIS NOW CALLED WorldNav. The product is called "Smart Truck Route." Why don't you go check it out and report back? It's using Google maps as the base and their truck overlay. It is free for an hour or two every day last time I checked.
     
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  10. tow614

    tow614 Road Train Member

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    I see people still using the 700...
    My 720 is still working like a champ.. true the maps are not updated but i do not use it to run door to door.
    I use it for trip planning and truck stops while enroute. . Along with that i use google satellite to find where i am going as part of my trip planning as well as customer directions.
    I never use one source unless it is somewhere i have been before and then primarily for distances.
    These are all tools and we should accept the limitations of each of them.
    You don't get mad at your hammer because you can't remove a screw with it.
     
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  11. jmroadhog

    jmroadhog Medium Load Member

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    As I do agree with you on most points,I do however believe that if one pays $400.00 plus dollars for a GPS routing system,it should at least be fairly current and accurate.All the rest of the Bells and Whistles are irrelevant if the the main purpose of the system,being GPS and routing,is not up to snuff for the price point.
    I guess it all boils down to how much we are willing to pay for a really accurate up to date system cause I don't think they would be cheap.
     
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