[joybhowmik]

Originally Posted by Traveller Nayak

I am planning to buy Mapmyindia Vx140s Premium.

Would anyone know if this has the ability to plot the route taken?

MMI software offers you the ability to record your trip.
The following excerpt from MMI website:

To upload, first it has to be recorded. TO record and upload the route please follows these steps:
a) At the start of the trip/route, press the record () button to start recording
b) At the end of the trip/route, press the record ()button again to stop recording
c) Your trip has now been saved. d) You can view this saved trip by clicking Menu button and subsequently on the GPS Logs Options.
e) To upload the trip to google earth, select the required route from the GPS logs options.
f) In the menu that appears, you can see the speed or the altitude graph. Click the Convert to KML button to convert it into a .kml file (one that google recognizes)
g) This KML file is saved in the GPS Logs folder in the device. Simply download this file and upload to Google earth.

[Traveller Nayak]

Originally Posted by joybhowmik

MMI software offers you the ability to record your trip.

Thanks much!

A related question, assuming the log has been captured, to view the log it seems that I have to upload the data to Google Earth to be able to view the data.

Would you know (or anyone on the forum know) can one see the log on the device i.e., use the device to trace/plot the steps back?

[joybhowmik]

Originally Posted by Traveller Nayak

Would you know (or anyone on the forum know) can one see the log on the device i.e., use the device to trace/plot the steps back?

Yes you can. There is a way to retrieve this and play it back on the device.
The other thing (recommended) that you can do for multiple trips on the same route is to save the trip when you plan it for the first time and 'drive the trip' / 'load the trip' thereafter. What MMI does then is to attach a route from your current location to the start point of the saved trip (& thereafter follow saved trip). I recommend this method because it saves space and should work fine even after map upgrades.

[Traveller Nayak]

Originally Posted by joybhowmik

Yes you can. There is a way to retrieve this and play it back on the device.
The other thing (recommended) that you can do for multiple trips on the same route is to save the trip when you plan it for the first time and 'drive the trip' / 'load the trip' thereafter. What MMI does then is to attach a route from your current location to the start point of the saved trip (& thereafter follow saved trip). I recommend this method because it saves space and should work fine even after map upgrades.

Thanks once again! I am going to order from Flipkart. And, my learning of the GPS device will be as they say 'on the job' albeit on the Delhi - Leh drive! I wish I had given this the 'due thought' much earlier so that I would have been able to understand the device wihtout stress. Anyway, I will make the best of learning when driving on the plains.

[joybhowmik]

Originally Posted by Traveller Nayak

Thanks once again! I am going to order from Flipkart. And, my learning of the GPS device will be as they say 'on the job' albeit on the Delhi - Leh drive! I wish I had given this the 'due thought' much earlier so that I would have been able to understand the device wihtout stress. Anyway, I will make the best of learning when driving on the plains.

You may want to give it a trial run in your neighborhood before the drive itself. Just to get familiar with the user interface. It can be quite a bother on a long drive if one is not familiar with it. Try to get familiar with the following:
1 switch between map views: route summary, zoom in/out, display Map POI such as hotels , restaurants and petrol pumps
2 save a location as a favorite.
3 create , save and load a trip
4 voice setting, volume control and mute control

[sachinpk]

Another update on experimenting on Map My India device. Many a time you need to mark a place which is not in the POI database in the device. This could be for example a junction in the highway, where you need to take an exit. This exit may be to a village, which MMI finds as unimportant. For many travellers too this junction is of no much importance. You can search for a place by giving the Latitude and Longitude. So:-
1. Use google maps to search for the location you want to mark. Google Maps is more faster, and generally we browse it using our computers (so no power problems, or battery dying out). In Google Maps we can also search for a more known land mark and then move the map to finally pin-point the location we want.
2. Right click on the location (in Google Maps), and choose "What is here" option. This would throw up the geographic coordinates on the small panel on the left side of the map. Make a note of these numbers.
3. Now open MMI, and goto the Find option. There is an option to find a place using geographical coordinates. Provide the same numbers which Google Maps gave you. NOTE: The numbers have to be provided in reverse order. For Rayakottai Town in Tamil Nadu, Google Maps gave the points as 12.516744, 78.025591. When feeding it to MMI, it has to be given as 78.025591 & 12.516744. That is 78.025591 on the first text field, and 12.516744 in the text field below it.
3. MMI would now bring up the point based on its in-built maps. You can "Save" the location to your favourites by giving it a meaningful name.
4. After saving all such points, you can prepare a route map. For example: In "Roads to Kerala" thread people discuss about possible route options going through various small towns, junctions in Tamil Nadu. Such routes can now be easily configured in MMI.

PS: Others may have tried this or know this, but I thought I would just add this "Tip" here . I have prepared a few such routes and would do a "trial run" some time next week.

[scorp77]

Originally Posted by sachinpk

Another update on experimenting on Map My India device. Many a time you need to mark a place which is not in the POI database in the device. This could be for example a junction in the highway, where you need to take an exit. This exit may be to a village, which MMI finds as unimportant. For many travellers too this junction is of no much importance. You can search for a place by giving the Latitude and Longitude. So:-
1. Use google maps to search for the location you want to mark. Google Maps is more faster, and generally we browse it using our computers (so no power problems, or battery dying out). In Google Maps we can also search for a more known land mark and then move the map to finally pin-point the location we want.
2. Right click on the location (in Google Maps), and choose "What is here" option. This would throw up the geographic coordinates on the small panel on the left side of the map. Make a note of these numbers.
3. Now open MMI, and goto the Find option. There is an option to find a place using geographical coordinates. Provide the same numbers which Google Maps gave you. NOTE: The numbers have to be provided in reverse order. For Rayakottai Town in Tamil Nadu, Google Maps gave the points as 12.516744, 78.025591. When feeding it to MMI, it has to be given as 78.025591 & 12.516744. That is 78.025591 on the first text field, and 12.516744 in the text field below it.
3. MMI would now bring up the point based on its in-built maps. You can "Save" the location to your favourites by giving it a meaningful name.
4. After saving all such points, you can prepare a route map. For example: In "Roads to Kerala" thread people discuss about possible route options going through various small towns, junctions in Tamil Nadu. Such routes can now be easily configured in MMI.

PS: Others may have tried this or know this, but I thought I would just add this "Tip" here . I have prepared a few such routes and would do a "trial run" some time next week.

TomTom devices have something similar, though the usage is a bit different. There is a concept called the 'mapcode' which are essentially coordinates representing a particular location on earth. Say, you want to navigate to 'Mayura hotel gananachukki' in Karnataka and your device does not have that in its POI database or it is simply too difficult to type and find it on the device. Here are the steps to follow to make it easier (in TomTom)

1) Go to google maps and find mayura gaganachukki in it. The idea is to get the coordinates for the location. You will notice that the coordinates will be available (embedded) in the URL. If you double click on the map, the URL updates with the coordinates.

You will have something like: 12.2962932,77.1664988

2) Navigate to http://www.mapcode.com

3) Click the 'Show' button under ‘I have a mapcode’ section

4) Paste the coordinates in the search box and click on Show button. Ensure that the ‘Context’ is Karnataka. If not, change the context to Karnataka.

5) You will notice that the map below is updated with the correct location for the coordinates. In this case, hotel Mayura Gaganachukki near Shivanasamudra falls in Karnataka.

6) You will notice a code showing up in the blue box below. ‘KA NDS.5PC’. This is the mapcode. It’s sort of a short representation for the coordinates.

Now when searching for street address in the TomTom device, simply provide this code and you will be able to navigate to this location.

I used the mapcodes in my recent travel to hotels in Srirangapatna and Shivansamudra and they proved to be extremely accurate.

Read up more on mapcodes.com

[joybhowmik]

Originally Posted by sachinpk

Another update on experimenting on Map My India device. Many a time you need to mark a place which is not in the POI database in the device. This could be for example a junction in the highway, where you need to take an exit. This exit may be to a village, which MMI finds as unimportant. For many travellers too this junction is of no much importance. You can search for a place by giving the Latitude and Longitude. So:-
1. Use google maps to search for the location you want to mark. Google Maps is more faster, and generally we browse it using our computers (so no power problems, or battery dying out). In Google Maps we can also search for a more known land mark and then move the map to finally pin-point the location we want.
2. Right click on the location (in Google Maps), and choose "What is here" option. This would throw up the geographic coordinates on the small panel on the left side of the map. Make a note of these numbers.
3. Now open MMI, and goto the Find option. There is an option to find a place using geographical coordinates. Provide the same numbers which Google Maps gave you. NOTE: The numbers have to be provided in reverse order. For Rayakottai Town in Tamil Nadu, Google Maps gave the points as 12.516744, 78.025591. When feeding it to MMI, it has to be given as 78.025591 & 12.516744. That is 78.025591 on the first text field, and 12.516744 in the text field below it.
3. MMI would now bring up the point based on its in-built maps. You can "Save" the location to your favourites by giving it a meaningful name.
4. After saving all such points, you can prepare a route map. For example: In "Roads to Kerala" thread people discuss about possible route options going through various small towns, junctions in Tamil Nadu. Such routes can now be easily configured in MMI.

And what if one does not have a Windows/MAC laptop with Internet , but only an Android phone with Internet connectivity?
Well here's what you do...

1) Navigate to the location of your choice on GMap application and tap - a red location marker appears.
2) Tap on the location marker, and a menu pops - up below, click on Share.
3) The phone will ask you for your choice of app with which to share the location.
4) Select the Messaging app, or an Email app - or as in my case - I selected the S Memo app.
5) Once selected the app will be opened with a short URL example: http://goo.gl/maps/8b0Uu
6) Ordinarily this URL will make absolutely no sense whatsoever , unless it is a google application - not to worry. Copy this URL to the Clipboard.
7) Start the Internet browser (world icon) and paste this URL in the address bar.
8) It will ask you how you wish to complete the action of navigating to the url by giving you the following choices : Internet browser (world icon), Chrome browser , any other browser (s) and finally Google Maps itself. Choose Chrome Browser ( the one with the 3 colored icon)
9) Chrome will automatically navigate to the same location shown on Google Maps App and the same red location marker will appear
10) Long Tap on the marker - a small menu appears - select "What's here"
11) A green arrow appears next to the red marker. And on the top left box you can see the lat/long in decimal format.
12) Make a note of the lat/long

Pretty long drawn out process - but invaluable when you absolutely need the lat/long to accurately pin point a location for use while away from your laptop, and need to give your MMI specific point coordinates.

[PatienceWins]

Originally Posted by sachinpk

Relying on the MMI device to guide me, I had also taken the Palakkad->Pollachi->Palladam(?) route which was to take me to the four lane highway just before Vijayamangalam Toll booth. The MMI device just went bersek, the route taken by it was through the towns like Tiruppur and Uthukuli. This was when I had a few relatives with me as well. With that I have lost complete trust on MMI and its Map versions. It was embarassing to sit in a car, with a set of confused relatives and a visibly irritated driver (a cousin of mine). From then on, MMI Lx340 is generally only used to know Distance to Go, Time To Go etc.

I went through the same ordeal while coming from Kerala in the same route. I was stuck in Tirupur town during peak hours and lost around two hours in the process. Even my co-passengers were upset.

[sachinpk]

Originally Posted by PatienceWins

I went through the same ordeal while coming from Kerala in the same route. I was stuck in Tirupur town during peak hours and lost around two hours in the process. Even my co-passengers were upset.

Now upgraded to MMI version 9.0 and things are slightly better. And now I use the trick which I detailed a few steps above. That is do a thorough route planning (with Team BHP help), plot all the major points in Google Maps, get GPS coordinates and feed it into MMI device.

[PatienceWins]

Originally Posted by sachinpk

Now upgraded to MMI version 9.0 and things are slightly better. And now I use the trick which I detailed a few steps above. That is do a thorough route planning (with Team BHP help), plot all the major points in Google Maps, get GPS coordinates and feed it into MMI device.

I just placed an order for MMI ver 9.1. Let me see how it goes. Your suggestion of getting the GPS coordinates and feeding it to MMI device as via points is a good one.

[PatienceWins]

Windows 7 is not detecting my 3 year old mapmyindia (road pilot2). Mapmyindia call centre told me to install windows media centre, not of any help. Any idea?

[PatienceWins]

Originally Posted by PatienceWins

Windows 7 is not detecting my 3 year old mapmyindia (road pilot2). Mapmyindia call centre told me to install windows media centre, not of any help. Any idea?

Ignore the question. The issue was a faulty USB cable.

Updated map to v9. Let me see how it goes.

[joybhowmik]

Originally Posted by PatienceWins

Updated map to v9. Let me see how it goes.

Do share your experience with this upgrade. I will probably invest in the upgrade, if everyone's feedback is good.

On another note, I notice you needed to connect the road pilot to the PC to install the upgrade. Does it not have a removable SD Card like the MMI BX200?

[PatienceWins]

Originally Posted by joybhowmik

On another note, I notice you needed to connect the road pilot to the PC to install the upgrade. Does it not have a removable SD Card like the MMI BX200?

No, I do not have SD card on road pilot 2. I am using the internal storage of 2GB. Old map data was 575 MB where as the new one is 1.4 GB. Hope the increase in data will result in better performance.