BIG Apology re CoPilot

[funflair]

CC used to put routes straight into Tom Tom but then I stopped using TT in favour of CoPilot.

Ho Hum.

Martin

 

[DDJC]

On 08 February 2019 at 11:05 CoPilot App Stores <techsupport@alk.com> wrote:

Hi Amit,

Thanks for replying.

BUT, I don't want to avoid motorways! I want to be able to specify that sometimes, I PREFER to use motorways and bigger roads and that I don't want to use back streets or residential roads! I have a 25' RV towing an 11' trailer.

Then I want to be able to tell CoPilot that I am limited by law to driving at 50mph and so I need the ability to change the road speeds so that CoPilot can accurately predict an arrival time.

This subject is gaining massive traction amongst the caravan and RV communities. For the life of me, i can't imagine why these two essential features were taken out.

Please tell the developers to put this back in. CoPilot is useless to me as it says I will arrive somewhere two hours earlier than I do, and takes me down single track roads.

I received a reply!

Don't get excited. Here it is:

--
Hi David,

Thank you for contacting CoPilot Consumer Support.

I understand your frustration and we have been informed by... blah blah

--

No need to show any more because apart from calling me David rather than Dave, it is totally verbatim what Amit said the first time.
Need to find a new app.

 

[funflair]

I received a reply!

Don't get excited. Here it is:

--
Hi David,

Thank you for contacting CoPilot Consumer Support.

I understand your frustration and we have been informed by... blah blah

--

No need to show any more because apart from calling me David rather than Dave, it is totally verbatim what Amit said the first time.
Need to find a new app.

I got the same except they didn’t call me Dave or David, change name and send I think.

Martin

 

[Steve N Tracy]

I have been onto them about loss of routing profiles since early January they told me its sorted, however I am still waiting for information when the fixed version can be downloaded, here it the last email.

Hi Steve,

Thank you for contacting CoPilot Consumer Support.

the issue has been resolved and the fix has been deployed on the next build schedule to be released in the near future. We will let you know when the update is available to customers via notification in-app or email.

Thank you for your patience.

If you have further questions, please do not hesitate to let us know.


Regards,

Rachid
CoPilot Consumer Support

Visit https://support.copilotgps.com for FAQs and solutions from fellow CoPilot users!

 

[Steve N Tracy]

I got a in android app notification that Copilot Caravan was discontinued yesterday, and to download the new app, and I am pleased to say it all seems to be working correctly now, I can enter the vehicle dimensions and the campsite poi's are there, and my caravan subscription carried over.
So it looks like they may have finally got there.

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[funflair]

I got a in android app notification that Copilot Caravan was discontinued yesterday, and to download the new app, and I am pleased to say it all seems to be working correctly now, I can enter the vehicle dimensions and the campsite poi's are there, and my caravan subscription carried over.
So it looks like they may have finally got there.

So are you saying that you have the customisable road profiles back?

Martin

 

[Stroppy Bird]

I got a in android app notification that Copilot Caravan was discontinued yesterday, and to download the new app, and I am pleased to say it all seems to be working correctly now, I can enter the vehicle dimensions and the campsite poi's are there, and my caravan subscription carried over.
So it looks like they may have finally got there.

But are you still able to select prefer or avoid all the different road types as this was one of the best features of the old app.

 

[Steve N Tracy]

The vehicle dimension profiles are back, the only road routing choices are avoid toll roads or ferries, so the option of avoid motorways or off road are gone.

 

[DDJC]

I think that I have just received CoPilots final word on the subject:

Hi Dave,
We're sorry we're not able to provide a solution for you in terms of having the Favour Motorways and Custom Road Speeds reinstated in CoPilot, since as you probably understand, the Product Management and Developers own this activity.

We have mentioned to you in a previous e-mail that CoPilot will always calculate the Quickest and/or shortest route to your destination. CoPilot's Routing algorithm will use the Fastest or shortest as the most direct route, regardless of any driving habits or traffic condition. Please note, Motorways tend to be favoured usually with the Quickest Routing Profile selected, however this would depend on what higher class roads are in the vicinity, how many links are on a road and the miles to that road vs miles to another lower class road that might not take you further out of your way, so we hope you can appreciate the algorithms we use are extremely complex.

Whilst I have mentioned that the 'Avoid Motorways' option will be reinstated in a future update, there are a few options you could try to have CoPilot try and route you through Motorways which are provided in the following articles:

Picking Roads to Avoid or Include in Your Route
Selecting an Alternative Route

In reference to the blog article you have shared with us, the last version of CoPilot Premium for auto (car) Vehicles have been released in the Google Play Store, and it carries a wizard to walk you through to migrating to CoPilot GPS. This is the last stage of a consolidation of several Premium apps into a single container app which started back in November 2018 with CoPilot distributed on the Apple Store and it is now involving Android customers.

Thank you
--

Apart from the last para which is gibberish, I think that its clear that CoPilot won't be re-instating the features that they have taken away. I really don't understand the comment in the first para where the support guy says, "sorry, but that is down to the techies". Surely the techies and support guys are in the same company? Sounds barking to me.

Anyway, until someone comes up with a new product, my solution is to plan the routes beforehand and then look closely at areas where the route looks to veer off main roads. Google Streetview the roads and see whether accessible for a motorhome+trailer. Work out the ETA manually.

The second issue then is that if the traffic thing detects a lot of traffic up ahead, it will then re-route you, likely down piddly narrow roads (it happened to me just outside Dunkirk in December). So I will cancel the traffic subscription on my Copilot which is the one I am going to use when driving. Mrs DDJC will keep the traffic on her phone and then if some heavy traffic is up ahead, we can pull over and plan a different route using big roads.

It aint easy and it aint pretty, but it will work for us. It won't help those of you that like to get off the beaten track.

 

[funflair]

I think what they are saying is that they buy in the basic software and this version is from a new supplier and does not support the road types that the previous software did,

So in conclusion "that's it get on with it".

Martin

PS their conclusion not mine.

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[sallylillian]

I have been playing with Sygic Truck and it does have a "use Main roads" as an option. Also it integrates with CamperContact, so if CC is on the same device as Sygic, you go into the route option on CC when you have selected a stopover and it will give you a number of routing options, Google Maps and Sygic among them. Click Sygic and away it goes opens Sygic and Sygic takes the waypoint and calculates the route. Same with Archies. As I have said above. There is also a "send route to Sygic Truck" option in Chrome and Firefox, available in the browser add ons. This sends the waypoints to Sygic too. But it is unstable at the moment.

 

[Reallyretired]

Just updated 3 copies of Copilot. Not impressed that it loses all your own poi's requiring them all putting in again, also any trips you have saved are lost too.. I will wait till I have some enthusiasm for this before putting them in again.

 

[sallylillian]

Just had my update advice. It would seem that Trimble have bought CoPilot. AND they tell me that CoPilot Truck support ends January 2019. What a bloody bunch of shysters. All these years I have been singing their praises and bang, they remove the best feature without a kiss my arse and then tell you that the existing app is dead. AND as has been pointed out they have not migrated the vehicle profile, or the POI's. Just a bunch of useless geeks. So Sygic will become my navigator and CoPilot/Trimble Maps can go ***k themselves.

 

[funflair]

Been on the "live chat" with Trimble, and basically the same response as from CoPilot we have no plans at the moment to add these features,

Confirms what you say Michael @sallylillian

Martin

 

[Reallyretired]

I have also recommended copilot in the past but would not now. I will persevere with using it, simply because I have paid for it Don't think I would bother otherwise.

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[MyrtleGuru]

Well that's it, I'll be voting with my virtual feet on this one. Currently have CoPilot (just the bog-standard version as we have a non-massive PVC) but, as it sounds like they don't give a xxxx for their users and they are moving to an annual subscription apparently, I'll be looking elsewhere. I like the fact that Camper Contact integrates with Sygic and very much like the fact that Sygic does a lifetime version for the non-truck version (including live traffic) for minor pennies.

 

[JockandRita]

Oh dear.

Anyone want to buy a cheap and cheerful Chinese Truck Sat Nav, with the latest map updates available (20218 Q3)?

Cheers,

Jock.

 

[Clarky]

After all this chat I have been looking at Sygic too.
Although it looks good it also look a bit expensive for the truck version. They quote $9.95 per month on the App Store.
Is that correct or am I looking at the wrong thing?

Richard.

 

[sallylillian]

After all this chat I have been looking at Sygic too.
Although it looks good it also look a bit expensive for the truck version. They quote $9.95 per month on the App Store.
Is that correct or am I looking at the wrong thing?

Richard.

https://eshop.sygic.com/en/truck-navigation
For lifetime licence and 3 years map updates 109.99. You can get a one year licence which is probably what you are referring to. Be aware that after 3 years your map updates stop. I have just bought my first Map update for 3 years at £58 so in cost terms it could be circa £20 per year. In practical terms it does not make a lot of difference if you dont need up to date mapping and I have had mine since 2014, but I think they are tying the new features to the map updates so they would stop working without current update keys, like Google maps "send to Sygic Truck". Mind you that is still flaky as the error message that comes up refers to mapping. Although Camper Contact and Archies push through OK, which for me is a nice feature. You do not have to faf with the POI country by country download. That said my Google maps require an extra keystroke to get the POI into Maps proper and then send to Truck. Worth a dabble if your not a Scot or from Yorkshire.

 

[Clarky]

https://eshop.sygic.com/en/truck-navigation
For lifetime licence and 3 years map updates 109.99. You can get a one year licence which is probably what you are referring to. Be aware that after 3 years your map updates stop. I have just bought my first Map update for 3 years at £58 so in cost terms it could be circa £20 per year. In practical terms it does not make a lot of difference if you dont need up to date mapping and I have had mine since 2014, but I think they are tying the new features to the map updates so they would stop working without current update keys, like Google maps "send to Sygic Truck". Mind you that is still flaky as the error message that comes up refers to mapping. Although Camper Contact and Archies push through OK, which for me is a nice feature. You do not have to faf with the POI country by country download. That said my Google maps require an extra keystroke to get the POI into Maps proper and then send to Truck. Worth a dabble if your not a Scot or from Yorkshire.

Thanks for that Michael.
I'm not Scottish or from Yorkshire but I will wait to see how CoPilot works out with their new app before I jump ship.
I have a Garmin Camper but use CoPilot on an iPad as backup so it's not a big problem if it starts routing me through daft places. If it does that it will irritate me though, so then will think about changing apps.
On my previous van there was a built-in sat nav which used IGO and once I got my head around the different way of working it was excellent and I got to quite like it.
Off on a longish trip south to Portugal in a few weeks time so will give the new CoPilot a good test before possibly binning it.

Richard.

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[sallylillian]

Sorry not a personal critique, just a generic tongue in cheek comment. I will be interested in your experience with the CoPilot revision.

 

[Clarky]

Sorry not a personal critique, just a generic tongue in cheek comment.

I realised that so don't worry. I'm not as 'touchy' as some on here can be.
Having a Scottish next door neighbour I do know what you mean though.

We have done a couple of easy runs using the new CoPilot and so far it has behaved and used sensible routes. They were very simple routes to plot using mainly motorway so didn't stretch the system too much. We will see how it goes when we get over the water and into the hills.

Richard.

 

[sallylillian]

If anyone wants to move all their POI's, recents, vehicle profiles etc I can give you a Janet and John on here, however you must not have deleted your previous version of Truck or whatever as we will be copying specific folders and files from there. And I can only provide Android advice. Also useful to know if you have your data on an SD card or internal memory.

 

[ceejayt]

Just to clarify for me. I have (had) CoPilot Truck - I now have the new version CoPilot - this seems to allow me to still have vehicle sizes and weights. On occasion, the software has made sure I avoided a low bridge.

Are we saying that these features, whilst you can enter them, are not really being acknowledged by the routing system? Given I am in a pretty big A Class I would definitely change to Sygic if this is the case.

 

[sallylillian]

Your vehicle dimensions will be adhered to the same as Truck, as I understand it. Indeed there are several truck settings, load type and tunnel use etc. So fine in that regard. The feature that has been removed is where you would set your own average speeds for each road type and also avoid or use settings. All these have been removed. When you click upgrade and subsequently launch the old Truck it uploads the new CoPilot and installs that, and if your data was all on the internal memory it copies most over. If you had your maps on a SD card then it does not. However the "old" truck is not deleted and remains. There is a new black and white icon for the new app.

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[ceejayt]

Your vehicle dimensions will be adhered to the same as Truck, as I understand it. Indeed there are several truck settings, load type and tunnel use etc. So fine in that regard. The feature that has been removed is where you would set your own average speeds for each road type and also avoid or use settings. All these have been removed. When you click upgrade and subsequently launch the old Truck it uploads the new CoPilot and installs that, and if your data was all on the internal memory it copies most over. If you had your maps on a SD card then it does not. However the "old" truck is not deleted and remains. There is a new black and white icon for the new app.

Thank you - now I understand and have just looked in the app and yes, all the road speeds and road types have gone. Clearly, this must affect routing significantly. When we travel in France we generally want to avoid toll roads and enjoy just pootling through villages but at the same time need the width and height restrictions

Looks like I will change to Sygic - annoying because I paid a lot of money for Truck some years ago and now will have to fork out again!

 

[Clarky]

When we travel in France we generally want to avoid toll roads and enjoy just pootling through villages but at the same time need the width and height restrictions

You can still avoid toll roads in the new app.
The same as before, if you go into Vehicle Routing Profiles, select your vehicle, go to the bottom of the page and click on View/Edit, there are things to avoid, including toll roads.

Richard.

 

[ceejayt]

So, have downloaded Sygic truck - you get 14 days to give it a try. Some questions...

They have their own web based route planning tool you can use on your laptop which is useful and then you can send it by email to your phone to open on your device. BUT when you do this it wants to open it in the ordinary Sygic app and not in Truck version - anyone know how to get around this?

Can't see how to send a location I have found on Google Maops either on laptop or on phone to Sygic truck

Any ideas?

 

[sallylillian]

So, have downloaded Sygic truck - you get 14 days to give it a try. Some questions...

They have their own web based route planning tool you can use on your laptop which is useful and then you can send it by email to your phone to open on your device. BUT when you do this it wants to open it in the ordinary Sygic app and not in Truck version - anyone know how to get around this?

Can't see how to send a location I have found on Google Maops either on laptop or on phone to Sygic truck

Any ideas?

Do you use Firefox or Chrome? Dont say anything else coz thats all this works with. Go to add ons and search for Sygic Truck Route Sender and install it.
Open google maps and for example search for a campsite, when you find it click directions. Top right of the browser will be the sygic logo, click it. Then add your tab or phone contact running truck which will be your sygic registered email. Send and it will launch Sygic and plan a route based on your vehicle spec.
I know why I did not bother with their web planner... google maps is much better so use that, persevere to get it to work. I have just spent 2 hours sorting it on mine, it did not work if I had my maps on a sd card!!! Once cracked it is stunning! Only problem is cannot see that you can use a tablet browser version? I will get there.

 

[ceejayt]

What I don’t see in the Sygic settings is the road speeds for different types of road? This is what the original copilot complaint was about unless I am missing something.

Max speed is all Incan see?

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