[ampere]

Originally Posted by Waxeloquent

Having twice experienced fuse blow-up with my MapmyIndia GPS device - Road Pilot Lucca 3.5B Blaupunkt and having invested in 2 years map update, what is the best way of ensuring that the car charger for my GPS does not blow up the fuse? MMI is terrible in terms of supplying even the maps and so there is no point in asking for any support on the hardware. Do fellow TBHPians know what Brands of car charger are reliable particularly which work for a GPS in Duster? Or is it purely trial and error? I tried to get the specifications on power for this GPS but none available even on net :( I'd appreciate any ideas. Cheers

As I mentioned in the other thread, just get a Garmin GPS. I have been using one for more than 4 years. Works like a charm across two cars now.

As regards to map content, you can get MMI maps for Garmin. For the highways, they are really good.

[Sheel]

Hi!

When do we see your travelogue of Calcutta - Delhi? Waiting for it.

Thanks

[himadrimondal]

Originally Posted by Sheel

Hi!

When do we see your travelogue of Calcutta - Delhi? Waiting for it.

Thanks

Extremely sorry for the long long delay, got so bogged down with work, I could not manage a separate travelogue for the Delhi trip.

Let me gist something here.
Its been almost a year in the month of august 2013, I got the Duster but not a single big outing with the Family. All the outings were on birding trips to Sikkim where family was not included.

Luckly its my better half who suggested to go on a road trip to Delhi to meet her sister.
To be on the safer side, I generally don't plan family road trips now a days, taking our 5 yr old son has a whole lot of responsibilities
but when the green signal comes from the PM, pressure on me is a little less.
Anyway, with the trip in mind, started referring to our good old site for details.
Every person who has done this trip including our legendary SS Traveler mentioned roads to be exceptionally good.

I have earlier traveled twice to Varanasi but that was way back in 2007-8 when highways were been constructed.
Except a few patches, road conditions were extremely good.

Anyway coming back to August 2013, our plan was
1. To start early and cover as much distance by evening.

2. Any how we should be at Varanasi by evening, if time permits, we would stop at Allahabad.

3. The entire back seat was to be given to my son with pillows, if he wants to sleep too.
A couple of relatives were eager to do the trip with us but we had to refuse due to space constraint.
People started thinking, when did Duster become a 3 seater?

4. We will not be stopping for breakfast or lunch on the highway, food gets packed before we start.
Breakfast on the move, a half an hour stop for packed lunch in the car itself.

My plan, mentioned it a few times to my wife but we both were unsure if this could be done in real time.
1. I drive a minimum of 18 hrs straight on my birding trips to Sikkim. Having such a mind set,
I thought if that length of time could take me close to Agra, then the rest 200kms on Yamuna Expressway would not be much of an affair.
Redbull might come handy at the last moment.

2. Maintain a steady speed of 100-110kms/hr speed and never to exceed the limit.
I have faced it all, dogs running in, old lady suddenly appearing in front of the car when at high speeds, head on collision with a truck.
Hence just can't afford a breakdown in the middle of no where with young lady and a 5 yr old.

3. Avoid unnecessary braking, slow down from before to let oncoming traffic pass and then overtake.
I find this to be the best way to maintain very high average speeds until and unless you are forced to stop at a signal or traffic jam.



Two days before the journey, 7th August 2013: Started feeling feverish.
All due to heavy rains, sometimes getting wet, then in AC. Things were not looking good from my side.
Wife and son were so geared up for the trip, I did not want to play spoil sport.
Thought Calpol and Bicosule tablets would set things right.

Evening before the journey, still feeling feverish. Checked my body temperature, 101° F.
Without saying a word to anyone, gulped down a 1000mg calpol.
Not that I was feeling weak but may be the mindset of the trip or the adrenaline,
never thought the fever would be a spoil sport.

9th August 2013, everyone up at 3am.
With all bags transferred into the car the previous evening, we were ready by 4am in the car.
A little nervous, a little tensed and with a shoulder load of responsibilities, we left the house.

In no time, taking Begharia express way, we were on NH2. There was hardly any traffic.
Thus starts my driving, driving and driving and driving. I had by then kind of developed a mindset of reaching Delhi in a day but be safe always.
Take no risk, smooth driving only. I kind of believe, slow and smooth is steady, steady is fast.

Bodhgaya passes by as early as 8.45. I am still maintaining a speed of 100kms/hr or just watch my rmp meter around the 2k mark on 6th gear.
Going by this rate, my calcualtion says Varanasi should be up by 12 to 1 noon.

Breakfast is taken on the move and after my son wakes up from sleep at 9am.
My son fits perfectly on the back seat lying down, with pillows and AC running, must have been very cosy!

What about nature's call? Well I don't need one before evening, honestly, yes. Maybe with years of sitting at one place for a shot has resulted in this kind of an habit.
As for my wife, stopped on isolated roads. For my son, no stops. It was my wife's responsibility to hold the bottle in the right place with the car moving.

Varanasi at 12 noon. By this time I was dead sure Delhi is doable in a day if I don't get stuck in silly traffic.
It starts raining again, add to this the roads near Varanasi are not good.
Matters getting worse, the roads from Varanasi to Allahabad, though a two way, has been transferred into a single lane.
The other lane of this entire stretch has been blocked for pilgrims who travel by foot towards Varanasi.

Things are becoming dicey now, the entire momentum is been lost as I cannot maintain speed.
Have been following cars, trucks due to oncoming traffic for a couple of hours.

Allahabad at 2.30pm. Here we stop by the road to have out lunch.
In the car with the AC still running, a stop to stretch my my legs felt so heavenly.
The home made mutton curry felt delicious too. Where has my fever gone?
I don't know, neither am I feeling it.
Just for precaution sake, took one more calpol and tied a hankerchief around my neck.



The Allahabad-Kanpur highway is a charm.
Awesome roads, not so much of traffic (maybe because of the time of the day),
I drove on maintaining the same 100-110kms/hr mark.

The car feels extremely smooth at this range in 6th gear and just glides.
I feel safe at such speeds, my better half is excited but composed,
son relaxed and watching a movie on his tab, we move on, heading towards a exciting finish.

All photographs have exif intact, you can use a exif viewer to see the exact time and date, realtime.
EDIT: TBHP deletes all exifs from image. You can check them here.
2013:08:09 15:07:10




Kanpur passes by at 5pm. I now have only Agra left between us and Delhi. This is actually doable.
By this time elders starts calling up and suggest us to stop over at some place but we had something else in our minds.
It was getting dark but we pushed on. Have no idea if its good or bad but the rains came heavily too.

Rains in a way a blessing, so heavy was it that roads went deserted at a few places. Even the tolls were deserted and we zipped passed.
There were a few areas within this stretch that passes by small towns.
Whenever traffic slows down, I used to deliberately switch off my head lights.
This is one good way of staying low profile when travelling with family at night.
Otherwise the light gets reflected from the car/truck in front and makes everyone inside the car visible, specially the front seaters.

6.30pm, I was getting tired.
The best thing to happen in such cases is to find a lead car moving at a steady pace, someone I could follow blindly.
As luck would have it, got one just 100kms off Agra, a VIP car of some Supreme Court judge.

Quarter to Nine, 8.45pm I see this. Excatic.



Yamuna Expressway must have been built for the Gods to drive on.
Honestly I could not maintain the 100km/hr speed limit here.
I was doing around 110, 115kms/hr at times.

There is still drama left though, just before the last toll gate on this stretch, we were stopped along with a whole lot of cars.
What happened? An accident and villagers are doing a roadblock on our holy Yamuna expressway.
How on earth can you imagine that? Travelling almost 1400kms I have not stopped anywhere and here you are stuck in a hold up.
My body did not take the stop well. It made me feel slump and drained. May be the underlining fever is taking an effect.
After around half an hours wait, we finally started moving again.

Entered Delhi at 11pm but it took almost 45 more minutes to find out CR Park.
Traveled 1465kms exact. All navigation done with Google maps on phone.

Felt very proud initially in doing the trip, kept all toll slips.
I guess its one hell of a lucky ride though nothing to boast about which is why
the toll slips later went to the bins after a couple of weeks.

Yes I was even lucky to enter Rashtrapati Bhavan in my Duster to meet the official photographer to the President of India.

[Sheel]

Thanks

And I am sure, you can chip in with your return journey as well. Was it a one-day affair? The head-lamps are okay for night driving?

[Waxeloquent]

Originally Posted by ampere

As I mentioned in the other thread, just get a Garmin GPS. I have been using one for more than 4 years. Works like a charm across two cars now. As regards to map content, you can get MMI maps for Garmin. For the highways, they are really good.

Will I be able to transfer the current MMI maps and upgrades to Garmin from my present device - TravelPilot Lucca (Blaupunkt)? Thanks. Cheers

[himadrimondal]

Originally Posted by Sheel

Thanks
And I am sure, you can chip in with your return journey as well. Was it a one-day affair? The head-lamps are okay for night driving?

The return journey was not a one day affair.
We gave a break at Varanasi. Had a plan of visiting Lucknow (only for the biriyani) on the return but postponed the plan till next time.

The head-lamps, I guess there is a issue here.
On a dry clean night, I feel the head-lamps are adequate.
One just has to make sure there is no dirt on the lights (wipers here would be so handy)

On a rainy night like the one I was travelling in the lights do fall short when mud water from other cars splashes on my lamps.
You actually have to get down to wash of the dirt and move on.

[TaureanBull]

Does n't changing the HU voids the warranty?

I am looking for a RxE model and since there is no HU as OEM, I was wondering if I could get this one installed and not void my warranty.

Thanks in advance

[himadrimondal]

Originally Posted by TaureanBull

Does n't changing the HU voids the warranty?

No it doesn't void the warranty since most fittings are jack to jack and hardly any other wires get cut.
But in your case the oem hu does not exist which means the wireing doesn't exist either. You have to do all the wireing which still is not a problem.
But you have to draw power from some wire which means clipping.
Be careful with this as it ideally voids the warranty.
(My personal experience, this kind of clipping never caused any refusal of warranty claim.)

[ampere]

Originally Posted by Waxeloquent

Will I be able to transfer the current MMI maps and upgrades to Garmin from my present device - TravelPilot Lucca (Blaupunkt)? Thanks. Cheers

No. Not possible. The format which is used by Garmin is different than the one which is used by other GPS devices.

[Waxeloquent]

Originally Posted by ampere

No. Not possible. The format which is used by Garmin is different than the one which is used by other GPS devices.

Cool, thanks! The problem resolved when MMI sent an USB car charger for Travelpilot Lucca. Also, Renault
has informed that they have asked Dealer to do a thorough check of the charger/cigarette lighter itself why the fuse blew
twice on my return to B'lore. So I guess it is ok for now. Cheers

[himadrimondal]

Originally Posted by Waxeloquent

Having twice experienced fuse blow-up with my MapmyIndia GPS device - Road Pilot Lucca 3.5B Blaupunkt and having invested in 2 years map update

Originally Posted by ampere

As I mentioned in the other thread, just get a Garmin GPS. I have been using one for more than 4 years. Works like a charm across two cars now.

As regards to map content, you can get MMI maps for Garmin. For the highways, they are really good.

Why not google maps?
I had MMI but as Wax mentioned, the updates are real slow and painful.
As for google, we can't save the maps, neither can we trace pre-travelled routes.

But that's not the case NOW!
Log in to your customized Google Maps in https://mapsengine.google.com
Set you path, both origin and destination.

Drag routes to modify what Google maps suggest as default.

You can ADD/DROP MARKERS to set up detours in case the original routes are blocked, congested with traffic.

Give the map your own Title and Description.
Google as usual auto saves everything.



Now if you have a Android phone and Google account, open playstore and search for Map Engine.



Select this Google Maps Engine and download this.



Maps Engine will download and install on your cell. Open the installed application.
Select 'Open a Map' from menu.



Select your pre-saved map, the one we saved on PC.



There you have it, the same pre-saved map on your cell phone ready for navigation.
You are now free from the pain of re-routing on the move or while driving.
Hit the GPS pointer button, one on the lower right corner and have a blast.

[TaureanBull]

Does n't it require data connection? Or the map gets saved?

[Waxeloquent]

Does Map Engine work on iOS? Cheers

[himadrimondal]

Originally Posted by TaureanBull

Does n't it require data connection? Or the map gets saved?

Loading the mao requires a data connection, once it loads you can see your set path as a blue line. GPS on your phone does not require a data connection. Hence you will always know if you are on the set path or not.
But zooming into the map again will require some connection for it to refresh. Otherwise it will look as if you have stretched the map image.

Originally Posted by Waxeloquent

Does Map Engine work on iOS? Cheers

I would seriously want to know about this one too. Some one please give it a try on you apple.

[vibhavraghav]

Team-BHp is a great site. Not just about auto mobiles. I've managed to come across people with very inspiring interests. It's people like you sir, who make it a wonderful site. I follow all your birding and driving posts regularly and they've managed to create an interest in nature in me too. I live in Himachal and so maybe i take nature for granted. It's only when you move to cities and start missing the nature that you start appreciating the great gift. I too have now started noticing the flaura and fauna with more interest now. I booked a Duster last week because it is the only crossover that fulfills my needs in Himachal. your posts have certainly played a role in influencing my decision to buy this car. Hope to follow lot more exciting birding and driving journeys.