Thinking About Buying a Rand McNally TND 730 - SAVE YOUR MONEY!

I guess I'm just blessed I have had RM GPS since they first come out. From the very first one up to the 730 that I have right now. I update them at least every couple of months the very first one, to this day. The 510 I think it is, is still working and in my pickup. One other thing I do when I'm out of the truck on home time I unplug it I don't leave it plugged in. Also I understand there are some that aren't able to do this but I don't plug it and unplug it from the unit to take it out of the truck except to update it,not that helps or not with anything.
If it's made by man it will fail.... Sooner or later

 

Excuses, excuses. Obviously, we are not just talking about a feature that wasn't ready for market, we are talking about a product that wasn't ready for market.

Mark - In 1978, Oldsmobile brought a diesel engine to market that was not ready for production. Google it to see how that turned out, if you don't already know. And look where Oldsmobile is now.

"And foithamawr..." GM as a whole has shown a long pattern of doing the same in recent years. Is it any wonder they needed a bailout? Longtime GM diehard, BTW. You simply can't expect people to keep buying if the product tends to have problems as soon as the warranty is up, or worse, before the warranty is up.

There simply is no excuse for advertising features that are not ready for deployment, especially on the planned packaging. That's like staying in a poker game with a crap hand in the hopes your next deal will get you a royal flush. Especially when the platform needed more stability, not more features to make it even less stable.

I have owned a 720 for 18 months now, logging 160k+, and it has had constant issues ranging from registering touch without action to long pauses causing inadvertent screen selections from assuming it had had the former misfire again, to completely freezing. Even after the latest maps and updates.

US 31 in IN, US 34 in IL, US 63 in IA. ALL two-lane roads that were changed to 4-lane over a year ago... still showing as a 2-lane, showing my position as running alongside the road. One of them doesn't even show a road, rather, it zig-zags a route through side roads that used to be there. I was even routed down a dead-end remnant of the old road for US-34. All submitted to Tell Rand four times. No change yet. Why? These changes are a matter of public record, guys... Surely you can get the appropriate info on the changes from the highway department for any state.

I also submitted that it tried to run me under two bridges with insufficient clearance... Sad to say, while I am not totally unimpressed with my 720, for $400, I am not totally satisifed either. I get that the maps will require updating. The freezing and annoying pauses are what get me. What do those issues have to do with mapping? I was looking at a 730 because I had heard these issues had been resolved, but it doesn't appear that is the case.

Side note, similar issues with my Samsung Galaxy S3 (less than a year since purchase) have consigned it to a date with the steer tires of my Freightliner, as I run the steering wheel lock-to-lock and relish the satisfying crunching and scraping sound until it is ground into fine particles. No, I am not joking, and I may video it for entertainment.

Why? Because I had to replace an original Galaxy S FOUR TIMES IN TWO YEARS. I was told the S3 had solved the issues I had with the original S. If anything, they are worse with the S3. Apparently, Samsung would rather keep producing and relabeling the same crap rather than actually IMPROVE the product. It would appear that RM is following suit, like so many licensed thieves that call themselves corporations.

After this last bait-and-switch, no more Samsung products for me. Get the picture? When you pay $400 for a tool to help you in your work, you expect it to make things easier, not more frustrating.

Imagine having to back a 70-foot articulating vehicle 3/4-mile or more in the dark, on a dead-end road with little to no visibility, THROUGH A CURVE, because a $400 piece of navigation equipment you purchased misfired on your next turn back to the highway. FROM AN OFF-RAMP, NO LESS. SERIOUSLY?

Again, this was highway "improvement" *cough* that had not been updated. I realize you guys can't update each road by the minute as it changes, but you should bear in mind the problems these issues are causing. I guess it's just easier to blame the customer when you aren't the one dealing with the aftermath.

 

Here is my complaint, my Tablet Died, and today my 730 Died, power cord issues but the touchscreen started to not work properly, so i would need to submit a ticket to RM and send it in every time something goes wrong which seems often lately or buy another unit, the GPS needs to have a more sturdy way to get power or something as this is ridiculous, not to mention whoever designed the tablet didn't think through the design properly with placement of the camera SMH so i went ad got a Garmin, maybe my luck will get better. i just wonder if this is some kind of get rich quick scheme

 

See replies above in red.

Mark

 

Again, if you had issues then there is a support thread always on page 1 of this section. I don't understand that you can find another thread and post things, but never seem to find the support thread. It is always on the top half of the 1st page is not at the top.

So the power cord issue, what kind of cord are you using on the tablet and 730?

Mark

 

I have a 720, it did the white screen thing shortly after I bought it. on the shelf it went. didn't get around to sending it in for repair right away.

while I could arrange sending it in from anywhere, the return is the question. many times I dont know where I'm going to be next week or how long ill be out to send it back when taking time off so it has to be planned accordingly.

I had wondered if the trucks power supplies were creating the problems. I switched trucks and plugged in the 720. I haven't had problem with that white screen since. call it what you want.

I think it froze maybe 3 times in the few years I've had it .power off power on takes care of that. I have a 510 and 710 too. been using the rand gps awhile.

I also have a road atlas

havent ever had a low bridge prob with a rand gps but maybe it's due to where I run.

 

Perhaps these issues should have been addressed in R&D prior to launch and marketing instead of being used to blame the customer for not knowing about a support thread, Mark. Latest software and updates in Dec 2015. Still having problems, and it's more than just a lag - it has completely locked up a dozen times in about six weeks use since then.

As for map updates and construction signing off, explain why I tried a Garmin dezl 760 running side by side with my 720 on several trips for comparison, and the Garmin had a better handle on posted speed limits? The Garmin could not possibly have had an update any newer than September 2015, when I ran this comparison. If the map updates are truly a database that RM does not control, explain this.

There seem to be way too many people having issues with the 730 (the same issues the 720 has, it would seem) for me to believe these are isolated incidents.

You say RM does not do bait and switch. That reference was to Samsung saying they had solved prior issues in a new model, only to find that the new model is no better. So they basically sold the same junk a second time, under a different name. Much the way people are having the same issues with the 730 as with the 720, after it was claimed these issues were solved. What euphemism do you have for that?

Your replies to myself and WX4JCW come across as sarcastic as well. Even you have to admit that you would be a bit put out at having such issues with equipment you paid $400 for. Especially with the way your replies are coming across.

As for these units being a tool, yes, they are a tool. But let's look at that, shall we? Put yourself in our position. If you had a wrench that was making your life hell because it was misformed and rounded off nuts and bolt heads, would you keep fighting with it, or replace it with a better made tool?

Unfortunately, as far as I'm concerned, at this point the only thing the RM GPS has going for it is the menu setup, and even that has left a few things to be desired. I never expected perfection, but for the price, this thing has been way too much trouble.

 

Again instead of turning this into another support thread, why don't you hop over to the support thread and read the last 5 pages? I have explained all this.

First you talk about roads and now it has jumped over to speed limits? RM does an incremental update for major speed limit changes, but all others are updated thru HERE.. RM gets map updates once a year whereas I believe Garmin is quarterly.

I never said they were "isolated incidents". Please read the support thread.

730 issues and the 720 issues are two different issues. 720 have a "slowness" and the 730's have application errors or freezing. Two entirely different issues.

No, I just find it always ironic that users that have been on here for several years never seem to find the Electronic Connection section and when they do they always post about the issues they are having, when clearly and it is always on page 1 on the top half of the page a support thread exists. They seem to find the Electronic Connection and then bring up a issue that is several years old. Why rehash old news? But instead of posting your thoughts, why not post in the support thread which has been on TTR for over 7 years and it always has been on page one. Even Googling brings you to the support thread.

This is not your first post, so you are on TTR off/on. The search function works well.

And you will find your fair share of RM haters and Garmin Haters on TTR all the time. It is your choice which you buy. I am here to support not explain why marketing puts something on a box, but the software did not make it in time for production. And if you actually read it I told everyone that that feature was not ready for production. I am not going into the nuts and bolts of why. It simply was not ready in time. I am sure there are many companies that have things on a box or advertising but the hardware/software was not ready.

As far as the menu, everyone has their own personal preference. The menu's were set up for ease of use and for the general populaces. If RM tried to meet everyone desires we would have tens of thousands of different skins and support would be a nightmare.

Again, please jump over to the support thread for updates on the x20's and x30's issues.

Mark

 

The reason I mentioned speed limit inconsistencies between the two models is that you claim the database info is to blame for inaccuracies in mapping. So then you admit that Garmin is more on their game when it comes to updates?

Two entirely different issues. Interesting. So you admit that despite the 730's being touted as an improvement / better model, the issues have actually gone from bad to worse? Lag is better than freezing any day, but that would indicate that my 720 has a little 730 in it...

I find it interesting that you poo-poo the consumer for bringing up an issue that they were obviously not aware had already been brought up, dismissing it as 'old news' addressed in a support thread they were also not aware of.

I am curious how you would 'address' these issues in a support thread when my unit has the latest updates and is slow or unresponsive. But that is not so much my problem here, as that you come across as rather sarcastic and condescending. Yes, I am on TTR off and on. I don't have wi-fi just any old place, and that's when I have time to kill, which isn't often. Hence the OFF and ON.

What is even more interesting is that you never answered my question in response to navigation being a tool... I asked whether you would continue to struggle with a mediocre tool that made your life hell, or replace it with a better-made tool.

What you fail to realize is that you are unwittingly acknowledging that a large number of people are having the same problems with these units, and what is worse, you are brow-beating these same people who have spent their hard-earned money on a unit that is not performing as promised for not being aware of a support thread that wouldn't have been necessary if these issues had been resolved before the product was made available for purchase.

When I did the Dock update from my computer, it mentioned nothing about outside support other than the updates I was already downloading. Aside from that little detail, you can't say that this many people are simply making up their issues, nor can you say that this many people are wrong for feeling bamboozled in some way.

I realize that working tech support for a product that is proving to be this unreliable can be frustrating, but that is no reason to treat a consumer like an inconvenience simply because they are voicing their frustrations without knowing there was a 'support thread'.

All I can say is, you're making it very easy to look at a Garmin unit instead, sir.

 

Please read the responses in red above.

Thanks,
Mark