garmin users....

[[OT] Loki]

Recently on a trip I used my new garmin 200 gps, going down to charlotsville, va everything was fine for the most part. Going back to state college though this thing took me on EVERY FREAKING BACK ROAD IN THE STATE. Is there anyway to make it avoid back roads on long trips?

[ResIpsa]

what is the preferred route you chose? If you chose to avoid tolls or highways, or perhaps the shortest route that's exactly what would have happened.

[mhailey]

Were there toll roads? You could have it set up to avoid toll roads. Or you could have it for "shortest distance" and not shortest time. You could have it set to avoid highways.

matt

[Syekick]

It sounds like it calculated shortest route, mileage.

[easyt]

I have a 350, so the menu might be different. But on mine, I select Settings -> Navigation -> Avoidances. There I can set it to avoid "unpaved roads." Maybe that would help.

More likely, though, you may have "highways" selected as an avoidance.

Yeah, like mhailey said, also check to see if you're calculating the "fastest time" or the "shortest distance."

[[OT] Loki]

once i hit my 12th road that time forgot I checked what I had avoided, uturns and unpaved roads only. I believe it was set on "shortest distance" but I cna't be sure. I was on a highway from charlottsville to the pa line....then all of a sudden, every two lane road ever built

[easyt]

"Shortest distance" will do it. "Fastest time" keeps ya on the highways.

[[OT] Loki]

Originally Posted by easyt

"Shortest distance" will do it. "Fastest time" keeps ya on the highways.

thanks. I was about to toss this thing out the window

[jordon]

Originally Posted by [OT] Loki

thanks. I was about to toss this thing out the window

wait till it gives you two different sets of directions - one to get there and one to get back

my 360 did it this weekend. took the back roads to get to the hotel and the highway back to town.

although i trust it to get me there, i don't trust it to be the best route. if it tells me to turn and i know i shouldn't (for example - take exit off highway onto back road), i just ignore it and it 'recaculates',

[[OT] Loki]

Originally Posted by jordon

wait till it gives you two different sets of directions - one to get there and one to get back

my 360 did it this weekend. took the back roads to get to the hotel and the highway back to town.

although i trust it to get me there, i don't trust it to be the best route. if it tells me to turn and i know i shouldn't (for example - take exit off highway onto back road), i just ignore it and it 'recaculates',

that's what this did...took me the right way down (pa turnpike, 522, ect ect) on the way back home, not so much

[Bobb]

I just bought a Garmin on Monday. I really appreciate your question and the answers here. It will hopefully help me avoid this problem on my road trip I'm taking tomorrow!

Thanks!

[vstrommark]

Originally Posted by [OT] Loki

once i hit my 12th road that time forgot I checked what I had avoided, uturns and unpaved roads only. I believe it was set on "shortest distance" but I cna't be sure. I was on a highway from charlottsville to the pa line....then all of a sudden, every two lane road ever built

A couple of things...

You want to check the speed settings so that the various roads have the right speed settings. Set for fastest time.

It is worth getting mapsource, esp. if you want to use different map sets. I use the topo and city navigator map sets.

Also, I think that there is a free replacement for mapsource out there, but I can't recall any details and have never used it.

[[OT] Loki]

Originally Posted by vstrommark

A couple of things...

You want to check the speed settings so that the various roads have the right speed settings. Set for fastest time.

It is worth getting mapsource, esp. if you want to use different map sets. I use the topo and city navigator map sets.

Also, I think that there is a free replacement for mapsource out there, but I can't recall any details and have never used it.

i'll have to check out the garmin site...is the connection to the PC just a standard usb cable?

[vstrommark]

Originally Posted by [OT] Loki

i'll have to check out the garmin site...is the connection to the PC just a standard usb cable?

What model garmin do you have?

[[OT] Loki]

Originally Posted by vstrommark

What model garmin do you have?

200