Navigational nightmares.

[Bushtrekker]

I've used GPS since they first came out around the time of the first Gulf War, my original one took 12 AA batteries and weighed a ton, but now they've moved on a bit and my phone can tell me where to go, except that sometimes I feel like telling it where to go. Sitting on the car park in Marazion recently I entered the postcode for the campsite and started following the route, only to spot a sign saying no vehicles over 7 feet wide after about 100 yards. Later the same week I was on the A30 and realised I'd overshot the turn to Camelford, a mistake which was followed by and hour of fun down increasingly narrow country lanes.

I've also got a Magellan Meridian without colour or maps, but at least using that I would be working with O.S. maps and would have spotted the narrow lanes in advance. In the past I've used the sun to divert off the motorway when it was blocked...I was in no hurry so I kept the sun to my left as I wanted to head north and it was afternoon, rejoining the motorway a few miles north and past the accident.

What's the most spectacular problem you have encountered with GPS?

 

[Channelcrosser]

Glad to see that someone else is up and about - beginning to think I was the only one!

So far I haven't had any GPS calamities but I do consider them to be a better plan than when I was at sea - using a sextant and the sun to try and find out where we were. Sometimes when it was clooudy we could run 1000 to 1200 miles without a fix - scary !! But when GPS came out we held it in contempt and still did sun sights when possible.

My wife won't let me put the sextant on the motorhome :dance:

How things have changed!!

 

[Oasis]

Driving to Norfolk in our LDV Devon Sahara towing a canoe trailer with 2 open canoes, the SatNav wanted us to turn left off the main road. Luckily I was map reading as well and said No. The road ended at a drain with no bridge and no turning point!!!

 

[fishy & Nina]

We have the normal bog standard Tom Tom and haven't updated it for years - quite interesting to see yourself driving through fields and streams!

Nothing compares with a map though - providing you can read it!

To me a combination of the 2 makes common sense - you rely totally on a GPS at your peril!

Interesting posts above re: at sea. We had a small yacht and purchased a Magellan GPS - just black and white screen and lines in those days! But again, no substitute for good charts. The sextant onboard a motorhome brought a smile to my face - you can just imagine other people and their thoughts as they view you taking a site beside the road before moving on................ (got my ticket for using one but never did in anger).

 

[bopper]

I too have been using GPS for years and soon learnt that they work as all computers do, using just logic. There is where you want to go... there is a road going there so I'll just direct down that road. High tops hit bridges.... cars with 6" clearance underneath go into fords that are 2 foot deep etc;
The solution? Simples; just go onto a lorry drivers forum site and download POIs for low bridges, roads less than 8 foot wide etc; you can also get there truck stops/cafes/roadside caterers as well whilst you are on there. Some GPS systems like the one I use (for lorries) you can tap in your vehicle dimensions and it won't take you down any road where your vehicle won't fit. I have a map with me but haven't used it for years.

 

[oldish hippy]

doint have width problem can turn mine in about 10 feet radius and it wide enought to drive down pavement when the big motorhomes block the road because they can get through lol

 

[Bigpeetee]

Glad to see that someone else is up and about - beginning to think I was the only one!

So far I haven't had any GPS calamities but I do consider them to be a better plan than when I was at sea - using a sextant and the sun to try and find out where we were. Sometimes when it was clooudy we could run 1000 to 1200 miles without a fix - scary !! But when GPS came out we held it in contempt and still did sun sights when possible.

My wife won't let me put the sextant on the motorhome :dance:

How things have changed!!

No Loran?? or DF'ing??

Done it just using the sun to navigate, great fun.

When I taught flying it was always that a GPS is an AID to navigation, but a chart/map took preference.

Some GPS database are based on google mapping and if they couldn't go down a road, say because of roadworks, the rote doesn't exist. I repeatedly told Garmin about these irregularities, but they did nothing. In the end I sent the garmin back as it was too inaccurate.

 

[yorkslass]

th.e first satnav we had was second hand, don"t know how old it was when we got it .we were driving towards a bridge, it told me to turn right, we would have landed on a railway line. i always check the map as well now.

 

[nij]

I was having a chat with my transport supervisor the other day regarding satnavs. I remember in the past using a large map of 'The British Isles' and when getting near to my destination dropping into a petrol station and buying a little 'area map' for about 25p!
I had a massive collection of local area maps and town plans (I do believe there still in my parents loft). I did have some county maps but not many due to the price of them and also I liked the little area maps.

I can never remember getting lost or having to turn around often.

NOW I drive many different vehicles (from my BMW daily runner, camper and works HGV's (yes I know there LGV now, but I am old school in many ways)), and I use satnav, either on my phone, my tomtom (which incidentally is set for large vehicles when you input the dimensions and weight) or the inbuilt factory unit in the car - and guess what - I am finding myself on wrong roads, trying to turn around - being told to go down silly little streets that I would struggle to get down in a car let alone a HGV.
What really gets to me, is many of our 'younger' drivers 'refuse' to go out 'blind' (not knowing exactly where to go and where the delivery places are) - but us oldies who are not amazing with technology have no problems with it - perhaps its because we remember the good old days of maps and how to read them!!