Looking for a better SatNav

[two]

I have been using google maps because my new car does not come with a satnav. They expect everyone to have a mobile phone.
Until recently, I thought it was very good but that was until I went into Wolverhampton. Three times it tried to get me to turn in a prohibited direction. I suppose you shouldn't expect so much for something that comes free but I'd expect the maps to be more up to date than they appear to be...

 

[Manic]

I am in the middle of a row with ALK, the company behind CoPilot. I am not going to win it either because not enough people are aware of the issue, and moaning about it.

I have used CoPilot for about seven years. Two copies, one for my phone and one for the missus (who IS a brilliant copilot). We both pay for the traffic. and all European maps, Good customers, you would have thought.

Anyway, as of the October update 10.9, they removed the facility to set road and vehicle preferences. This brilliant facility made route the finder avoid/prefer types of roads. Many moho owners want to do the bulk of their journey on big, wiiiiide roads. That has now gone. The second and most important facility was to input your preferred speed for motorways, trunk, A road, B roads, etc etc. This meant that CoPilot could work out your arrival time. You can't do this now and so what you get is the arrival time that it would take a CAR to do the journey. Calais to Paris in three hours, towing a trailer? Stupid. I have pointed this out and am waiting for their excuse.

Their original reason? This is ridiculous, but some numpty at ALK suggested that the facility wasn't needed as their live traffic provided a far more accurate arrival time than working out your road type speed. See here: https://support.copilotgps.com/en/support/discussions/topics/19000024212

Their real reason? 1. To force everyone to buy their traffic subscription & 2. to get everyone to pay again for their dedicated caravan application.

Please look into this and complain to ALK. It is so blatant and no one seems to have realised this.

BUT what REALLY annoys me is that CoPilot is the best, and I have used several different systems. So I am probably going to grit my teeth and just pay for it. I do have one question for anyone who has got it. Can you put in preferred speeds, by type of road? If not then this is not even as good as the original used to be.

Thanks, Dave

I had problems with new Copilot versions ( not showing correct French speed limit of 80kph) , after many emails with them, told me to download Caravan version and gave a refund for cost but that’s not supported any longer!!
A shame they seem to be losing the plot.
So I’m going to get a Xgody 886 when back in Uk.

 

[DDJC]

.
... but I can input vehicle dimensions but can no longer set road preferences or my own speed limits for those roads.

Are there any versions that still have this essential facility? Or what other app can do this?

I have tried to understand the ALK assertion to remove the road speed preferences, but I simply can't. This basis is that their traffic service is so good that it removes the need for road & speed preferences. I tow a trailer so in France, my max speed is 80kmh. Occasionally, this might stretch to 85-90 on a clear road, but certainly never the giddy heights of 110 or even 130.

So for me to drive 300 km down the peage with toad, takes 3 hrs 45 mins. CoPilot thinks that I can do it in 2 hrs 45 mins.

And this is where the logic falls flat on its ar$e. ALK say that their traffic service is all the app needs to fulfill the function of providing an ETA. Yet, if the traffic shows an hours delay, CoPilot will re-route you, which will certainly extend the journey anyway! The ETA facility is based on a car.

I have researched a moho journey I am taking next week. Only a short one, picking up the bus from the dealer and travelling an hour to an overnight campsite. There is a sensible, wide route to get there, but it is not the quickest or the shortest. CoPilot showed a couple of routes, but all of them take me down an a long single track road. If I hadn't done the research, then i could be in a real jam if I met a large vehicle coming the other way. I know that you can put in "go via" markers, but if you have to research every route, mile by mile, why do you need CoPilot?

Any other GPS out there?

 

[sallylillian]

Are there any versions that still have this essential facility? Or what other app can do this?

I have tried to understand the ALK assertion to remove the road speed preferences, but I simply can't. This basis is that their traffic service is so good that it removes the need for road & speed preferences. I tow a trailer so in France, my max speed is 80kmh. Occasionally, this might stretch to 85-90 on a clear road, but certainly never the giddy heights of 110 or even 130.

So for me to drive 300 km down the peage with toad, takes 3 hrs 45 mins. CoPilot thinks that I can do it in 2 hrs 45 mins.

And this is where the logic falls flat on its ar$e. ALK say that their traffic service is all the app needs to fulfill the function of providing an ETA. Yet, if the traffic shows an hours delay, CoPilot will re-route you, which will certainly extend the journey anyway! The ETA facility is based on a car.

I have researched a moho journey I am taking next week. Only a short one, picking up the bus from the dealer and travelling an hour to an overnight campsite. There is a sensible, wide route to get there, but it is not the quickest or the shortest. CoPilot showed a couple of routes, but all of them take me down an a long single track road. If I hadn't done the research, then i could be in a real jam if I met a large vehicle coming the other way. I know that you can put in "go via" markers, but if you have to research every route, mile by mile, why do you need CoPilot?

Any other GPS out there?

CoPilot Truck has all the profiling features. Has done for the 6 years I have had 2 licences. I have refined my average speeds on different road types and get excellent ETA predictions.

 

[Cairngorm]

I wouldn't bother using the truck settings, especially if touring France or Switzerland, as the unit will divert you away from truck restricted routes. I use Truck settings here in the UK, but revert to car settings when I hit France.

As an example, I was using Truck settings on the way out of Spain, after an overnighter at Jonquera. As soon as we crossed the border into France, the unit tried to take me off the main route, as it turned out, to avoid a 3.5T commercial weight limit in the next village. Reverting to car settings (but with the same dimensions programmed in) ensured that it didn't happen again.

I am pleased that you are impressed with your new unit. It's as good as units more than ten times the price.

Cheers,

Jock.

Hi Jock, now that my mh is plated at over 3.5t, does the weight restriction in France cause a lot of problems , with route selection. By the way it was your recommendation that took me the Nozatec/Xgody route. Have now had both and perhaps have been out of my comfort zone in setting them up, but I like a challenge.

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[JockandRita]

Hi Jock, now that my mh is plated at over 3.5t, does the weight restriction in France cause a lot of problems , with route selection. By the way it was your recommendation that took me the Nozatec/Xgody route. Have now had both and perhaps have been out of my comfort zone in setting them up, but I like a challenge.

Hi Cairngorm.

Sorry to hear that the setting up has taken you out of your comfort zone, but I do agree, it is a learning curve. There is a comprehensive user guide in the downloads section, if you've not already seen it.

Re the problem with entering weights of 3.5T or over, is that you will be directed away from many French towns or villages, which are restricted to 3.5T...............................but for commercial vehicles only, ie, not Camping Cars.

So, I use 2 x profiles, ie, Truck Motorhome set at the 5500Kgs (plus all other dimensions) which I normally use, and Car Motorhome set at exactly the same dimensions, but with a maximum weight of 3.49T............................which I only use in France. This gives me access to towns and villages when wishing to access Aires or Camperstops, rather than directing me the long way round, or trying to deny me access at all.

HTH,

Jock.

P.S. I also use the Car Motorhome 3.49T profile when driving in Switzerland, as Trucks are banned from several routes.

 

[MisterB]

We have an xtron slide out screen single din radio with dvd sat nav bluetooth etc. It cost around £120. Sat nav can be set for 'bus' and it has brilliant european mapping. Map co ordinates can be used to set destination etc. We have found it to be excellent. You can even add rear camera for reversing but chose not to as the current reversing camera set up us much more convenient than waiting for the radio to be turned on

 

[JockandRita]

Sat nav can be set for 'bus' and it has brilliant european mapping.

The downside of using the "Bus" setting, is that you could be directed down a bus route, which is prohibited to all other traffic (other than emergency and utility vehicles). We have some in P/boro residential areas, and one through the city centre. It's worth keeping in mind, when you suddenly find yourself approaching a "NO ENTRY EXCEPT FOR BUSES".

Cheers,

Jock.

 

[two]

I wonder if the facility to enter weight, dimensions and speed capability is just there as a placebo?
Even if they are used when determining a route, the mapping data has to be accurate or it's all a waste of time.
If no-one's paying to keep that data up to date, it's pretty unlikely to be so.

 

[MisterB]

The downside of using the "Bus" setting, is that you could be directed down a bus route, which is prohibited to all other traffic (other thaits n emergency and utility vehicles). We have some in P/boro residential areas, and one through the city centre. It's worth keeping in mind, when you suddenly find yourself approaching a "NO ENTRY EXCEPT FOR BUSES".

Cheers,

Jock.

It relates to the size of the vehicle in our case on the sat nav settings, not the TYPE of vehicle - however it is a very valid point to be aware of . Thanks for pointing that out though as it may be an issue with some sat navs

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[JockandRita]

Thanks for pointing that out though as it may be an issue with some sat navs

Oh yes, absolutely.

Cheers,

Jock.

 

[ctc]

Buy cheap, buy a map and use the mark 1 eyeball (and co drivers brain)

 

[sallylillian]

See this thread
https://www.motorhomefun.co.uk/forum/threads/big-apology-re-copilot.191474/