[DerAlte]

@idea, you can pair your mobile with your laptop to transfer the GPS stream to it. You have to run a port replicator like Franson GPSGate on your mobile and set it to stream over Bluetooth. The port replicator runs at startup, and all navigation software on WiMo recognize the output over the port that you select in the replicator (I think COM1 or COM4 is default), and nav software look for the GPS stream over these ports.

You will need a PC version of any navigation software, like Garmin Mobile PC, to run on the laptop. This automatically recognizes the GPS stream coming over Bluetooth.

[ST7677]

Originally Posted by anujmishra

I went to Tirupati from Bangalore. I wanted to test my PND installed with Satguide map. During this short 250 Kms one side trip, I did not get trust on Satguide map for navigation.

1. Chittor Byepass was not there in map

2. Chittor to Tirupati road not mapped properly.

3. Many road including byepass or Tirupati (From Alipiri) not properlt mapped.

4. While returning from Tirupati. At one point of time there is state highway road meet with highway (NH4). On signboard Right side was showing Bangalore and Chittor and my device was showing Left side (Towards Nellore)to Bangalore. Yuck. I did not checked which road it was calculating. I followed signboard and came back to Bangalore.

5. Many a times it calculates road from unknown small/village/unpaved roads even there is straight highway going to destination. Look like algorithm is not proper. My route mode is "Fastest Car".

Satguide advertise "Never Get Lost" But I will say, if you rely on it you will always get lost.

2 weeks back this happened with me when I was driving through Rajahmundry and the Satguide navigation got confused and led me into a really narrow street where I got stuck, where as there was a direct intersection between one road to another road (which it happily ignored). Once it even asked me to turn on to the railway track!!!

Yesterday I was travelling from Bangalore to Mysore and back, and though it's a straight forward road which I have traveled many times, just to check the accuracy of Satguide navigation, I decided to turn it on.

I was using Satguide along with Destinator and was shocked at it's behavior
1. On Bannerghatta road, it wanted me to do all kinds of acrobatics (driving through lanes etc) to go to nice road, when Bannerghatta road directly connects to the Nice road.
And not that those routes were not mapped because in initial route computation it made correct connection, but as I approached Nice road, about a km earlier it started doing recomputation and asking for unnecessary loops.

2. Later it refused to acknowledge SH-17 the main route which directly connects Bangalore to Mysore. (It's an old route and I have been using it for last 10 years). And kept recomputing my route to go to Mysore via Kanakpura road.

Had I followed Satguide navigation it would have probably taken me double the time to reach Mysore, or even got me stuck on some interior road.


I use Google maps/Earth for all my navigation, they are most accurate that I have found. I have lost all faith in Satnav maps, and I would always get down and ask, to double check on what it is recommending.

[anujmishra]

Originally Posted by ST7677

I was using Satguide along with Destinator and was shocked at it's behavior...

Absolutely agree. Satguide map is a map which no one should rely upon. It is OK (only OK not even good) for city navigation but for highway it is big no as per my experience.

I have few more bad experience with Satguide and Destinator with me. By the way which GPS you have used during your recent Jamshedpur trip?

[ST7677]

Originally Posted by anujmishra

By the way which GPS you have used during your recent Jamshedpur trip?

It's a Visiontac VGPS-900 bluetooth GPS receiver and data logger. I connect it via bluetooth to my car computer. There I use a signal splitter software and the same signal is fed into 3 different software at the same time - Google Earth, Desitinator and Centrafuse Navigation.

Very powerful and accurate. Once it locks you can keep it anywhere in the car (I have metalized film on windscreen & rear screen).
It's got a 16 hrs battery life, and can also be charged on the go using the 12V car charger and standard USB cable.

[laluks]

@ST7677 - which signal splitter software are you using?

[NetfreakBombay]

Originally Posted by ST7677

On Bannerghatta road, it wanted me to do all kinds of acrobatics (driving through lanes etc) to go to nice road, when Bannerghatta road directly connects to the Nice road.
And not that those routes were not mapped because in initial route computation it made correct connection, but as I approached Nice road, about a km earlier it started doing recomputation and asking for unnecessary loops.

That seems to be an issue with either:

1. Routing software OR
2. GPS hardware

Reason is, if GPS location is off; software will think that you have moved off the road (E.g. to some service road) and will try to find some road that connects to original planned route.

Which routing / navigation software were you using?

[ST7677]

Originally Posted by laluks

@ST7677 - which signal splitter software are you using?

XPORT - it seems to be a software designed for splitting GPS signal, One COM port input and 6+ output ports. Each output port can be used by a different navigation software. Very simple and works well.

Originally Posted by NetfreakBombay

That seems to be an issue with either:

1. Routing software OR
2. GPS hardware

Reason is, if GPS location is off; software will think that you have moved off the road (E.g. to some service road) and will try to find some road that connects to original planned route.

Which routing / navigation software were you using?

It's not a GPS hardware issue for sure, because I am tracking it on Google earth also at the same time. The signal is accurate enough, right to the point of putting you on correct lane without any correction (like stick to roads etc).

It's issue with either the maps data or the destinator navigation algorithm or both!

SH-17 going to Mysore not existing is definitely a mapping issue. While recomputing even when on correct route to show sub-optimal alternate routes seems to be an navigation algorithm issue.

[NetfreakBombay]

Originally Posted by ST7677

The signal is accurate enough...

It's issue with either the maps data or the destinator navigation algorithm or both!

What is the accuracy of signal? I usually get 5 - 10 meters on PND.

Are you using Destinator on Windows by any chance?

[ST7677]

How do you check accuracy of signal? I mean besides looking around where you are physically?

Yes OS is Windows XP.

[NetfreakBombay]

You can use a utility that displays raw GPA data. That includes accuracy of GPS signal.

Few such utilities are: NMEA monitor for windows,WiFFF2ns1,NMEA2KMZ,NMEA Generator,MtkDLut,Geoid correction

Destinator on Windows is pathetic. Not sure what navigation packages are available for Windows (with India maps).

[dinesha]

I use MMI Nevigator and have generally satisfied with problem here and there.
The other day I wanted to go to Main Chhatarpur Road from Saket via IGNOU/Maidangarhi road. It took me to some inner byelanes in the Maidangarhi as I followed the Navigation trusting my MMI. I was struck there for quite a while.

I think mainly the problem can be because of two reasons:
1. Many roads even in major Metros like Delhi has not been clearly marked in the maps. Many times the problem is because mostly all the vendors including Google simply converts the satellite images into maps using algorithms and software will minimum human intervention and zero physical survey. Hence the algorithms cannot 'see' the road.

2. Civilian GPS signals with inbuilt error in positional accuracy shows the vehicle to be in other minor road located very close to major road being used. Hence the algorithms recalculates the route from this minor route hence all those long and zigzag detours.

IMHO.
Dinesh

[jkrishnakj]

Originally Posted by ST7677

I have lost all faith in Satnav maps, and I would always get down and ask, to double check on what it is recommending.

The great indian GPS - The way side Dhaba, the petrol pump attendant, the unassuming lone walker on the highways, the truckers..

[DerAlte]

Originally Posted by ST7677

... It's not a GPS hardware issue for sure, because I am tracking it on Google earth also at the same time. The signal is accurate enough, right to the point of putting you on correct lane without any correction (like stick to roads etc). ...

There doesn't seem to be anything wrong with the hardware or the software. There are 2 variables here:
1. How up-to-date the maps are (for example in older maps, it was not so simple that one takes a left / right on to NICE road from Bannerghatta Road, because that's how it was due to the incomplete connection across B'ghatta Road. What you see physically today is less than an year-old connection).
2. Which roads have you set up to *avoid*. If you have not told the software to avoid, say, Class 4/5 roads, it will happily take you through unmanageably small lanes - because a road is a road is a road for the navigation algorithm!

[ST7677]

Originally Posted by DerAlte

There doesn't seem to be anything wrong with the hardware or the software. There are 2 variables here:
1. How up-to-date the maps are (for example in older maps, it was not so simple that one takes a left / right on to NICE road from Bannerghatta Road, because that's how it was due to the incomplete connection across B'ghatta Road. What you see physically today is less than an year-old connection).
2. Which roads have you set up to *avoid*. If you have not told the software to avoid, say, Class 4/5 roads, it will happily take you through unmanageably small lanes - because a road is a road is a road for the navigation algorithm!

1. These maps are around Oct'10 version. BG road to nice road connection is mapped on the map. As some times it maps it correctly, however sometimes it uses alternate routes. I can also see the routes on the screen map.

2. I have not made any such settings. Whatever is default. Actually I rarely used it, and when ever I tried my experience was bad, so not very likely to use it in future also. Unless I am stuck in some completely unknown area, there also I will augment it's data with local advice.

Originally Posted by dinesha

I think mainly the problem can be because of two reasons:
1. Many roads even in major Metros like Delhi has not been clearly marked in the maps. Many times the problem is because mostly all the vendors including Google simply converts the satellite images into maps using algorithms and software will minimum human intervention and zero physical survey. Hence the algorithms cannot 'see' the road.

My experience with Google maps has been very good. It is usually updated on all One-ways also (there are plenty in Bangalore). I don't think that is possible just with a satellite image. IMO, Accuracy and even routing wise there is nothing which beats it.

Originally Posted by dinesha

2. Civilian GPS signals with inbuilt error in positional accuracy shows the vehicle to be in other minor road located very close to major road being used. Hence the algorithms recalculates the route from this minor route hence all those long and zigzag detours.

The wrong routing happens even when not using GPS, i.e. in browse mode, further there are no adjacent parallel roads to Bannerghatta road to confuse GPS either, so I am sure it is not think it is a hardware issue.

[NetfreakBombay]

Originally Posted by dinesha

2. Civilian GPS signals with inbuilt error in positional accuracy shows the vehicle to be in other minor road located very close to major road being used. Hence the algorithms recalculates the route from this minor route hence all those long and zigzag detours.

That would not happen with decent GPS hardware. GPS is accurate to 5 - 10 meters in PNDs like Garmin / Tomtom. These systems have WAAS support and since November 2010, WAAS is active in India in 300 KM radius around AAI ground stations. this covers most metros like Delhi/Bangalore/Mumbai.

Civilian restrictions start once you try getting accuracy better than 1 meter.