# Trip to Galway & Kilkenny: recently updated TomTom SatNav fails recognise new Mways.



## poundhound (29 Mar 2011)

On recent trips to Galway and Kilkenny, my Tom Tom sat Nav fails to recognise the new motorways. 
It keeps telling me to turn right and go back when I'm obviously going in the right direction.
I've updated the sat Nav before both trips and everything is fine until I get on the new roads.
Other treks along old roads regardless how small, doesn't pose the same problem.

Anyone have the same Experience?


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## TreeTiger (30 Mar 2011)

I have the same thing with my Garmin Nuvi, it thinks I'm driving in the middle of fields and the voice goes "calculating" ... "calculating"  until I get fed up and turn it off!


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## horusd (30 Mar 2011)

This can happen when the sat nav hasn't either been updated or the provider hasn't yet updated with all road changes.  Attach the nav to your computer, go to the update facility, and update it. This should mostly solve the problem.  Having said that, I have still very occasionally come across roads not on the system. But they are usually ones just very recently built.


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## NHG (30 Mar 2011)

I updated my Garmin about 2 to 3 weeks ago max and had to go to Dublin last Saturday, I did'nt need the sat nav but used it to see if the new  section of the M9 was on it and unfortunately it was'nt, same thing happened up around Galway at Christmas time.


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## Barry80 (30 Mar 2011)

I bought a Garmin sat nav recently and found that many of the roads already open when I bought it were not on the sat-nav.
Garmin wanted to charge me for these roads. I understand charging for updated maps 'in the future'. But surely when I buy a sat nav it should come with a voucher or one time code to download the latest maps.
Very annoying!


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## rgfuller (31 Mar 2011)

Did you register your device ? The garmin's I've bought in the past (including refurbished) permitted at least 1 updated map refresh/download.


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## Ceist Beag (31 Mar 2011)

Is there an easy way to see when the map you downloaded was last updated? I've just updated maps for France so would like to see how up to date they are before we head off.


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## SparkRite (31 Mar 2011)

Barry80 said:


> I bought a Garmin sat nav recently and found that many of the roads already open when I bought it were not on the sat-nav.
> Garmin wanted to charge me for these roads. I understand charging for updated maps 'in the future'. But surely when I buy a sat nav it should come with a voucher or one time code to download the latest maps.
> Very annoying!



Garmin allow you up to one year, from date that GPS first logged onto a satellite, to update the maps for free, but only one update mind.


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## SparkRite (31 Mar 2011)

Ceist Beag said:


> Is there an easy way to see when the map you downloaded was last updated? I've just updated maps for France so would like to see how up to date they are before we head off.



The date "stamped" into the map file has little to do with how up to date the map is ie. "NT City Navigator 2011" from Garmin has been available from early 2010 and due out soon is "NT 2012"

AFAIK the latest for the Garmin is Ver. 2011.40


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## Barry80 (31 Mar 2011)

SparkRite said:


> Garmin allow you up to one year, from date that GPS first logged onto a satellite, to update the maps for free, but only one update mind.



Thanks. I'll look into this. Thanks also to rgfuller.


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## Ceist Beag (31 Mar 2011)

Thanks SparkRite, that's the version I have alright.


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## hfp (9 Apr 2011)

I travelled Belfast to Kerry a few days ago using a Garmin.  Have lifetime updates and was updated the day before I left, but it still didn't recognise part of the M1 round Armagh and M7 near Limerick and was trying to steer me off the road!!  I'm a major eejit when it come to directions (typical woman!!) so it's as well I had a fair idea of where I was going, otherwise I could have easily ended up in a field!!

Does anyone have any idea who is responsible for making sure new roads are on the updates for these things?


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## Barry80 (11 Apr 2011)

I'd imagine that would be the company which produces your satnav. In your case; Garmin. 
They probably only update their maps yearly or so. Doing it more frequently would probably be too expensive.
How old was the road that was missing from the maps?


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## Ceist Beag (11 Apr 2011)

I emailed Garmin about this and got a reply back today. Navteq it seems are responsible for updating the maps. Below is the reply I got.

*"The 2011.40 map version is the most up to date. it was released at the end of February but the mapping will never be 100% accurate as road are changing all the time and the mapping company, Navteq need to survey the road and collect the data. The mapping will normally be around 6 months out of date."*


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## Barry80 (11 Apr 2011)

Thats fair enough I suppose. (If that 6 months is an accurate quote) It isn't that long. How old was your unmapped road?


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## Leo (11 Apr 2011)

Yeah, Navteq provide all the mapping used by Garmin. They drive each and every road in the country with specially equipped cars. It takes time for them to complete this for each new or altered road. It then takes time to collate the data, check/test it and publish it in the map format. 
Leo


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## TarfHead (11 Apr 2011)

hfp said:


> I travelled Belfast to Kerry a few days ago using a Garmin .. was trying to steer me off the road!!


 
I'm sure all such devices come with a warning that the driver is ultimately responsible for steering decisions  ?

With regard to new roads, I find a satnav most useful for old roads where the signage is not up to standard. Driving, say, the M1 or the M7 makes, IMHO, a satnav unnecessary.


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## hfp (11 Apr 2011)

I don't even own the satnav, just borrowed it off my dad since I have such a poor reputation for being able to follow directions!!  To be honest I don't know how old the roads are, but juding by the shinyness of the road surface, am guessing they were pretty new!!  

Satnav was pretty reliable most of the time, and I wasn't too bothered about the roads not being updated as long as the roadsigns were clear enough.  Unreliable satnav is still better than my map reading!!


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## Woodsman (26 May 2011)

Hi Barry
I am totally fed up with the service we get from the Satnav manufacturers. I find, like most of the other correspondents that the maps are seriously out of date when travelling on our new motorways. I asked a major store in Liffey Valley could I buy a satnav with guaranteed up to date maps and was told no. They said they cannot tell if the equipment they sell has been updated or not until it is opened and used. What a crap service. Downloading took me five hours and even after that some motorways were not recognised. Are we being conned? Is there anywhere I can purchase a newTomTom or Garmin that GUARANTEES 2011 maps?


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## flossie (26 May 2011)

My Garmin Nuvi is the same. I used it all the time when i worked in the UK, but Irish roads are so out of date. They are OK in the towns generally, but i have resorted to my trusty AA and Collins Road Maps now! Or use Google Earth and get printable directions, they have all the new roads on!

Oh, if you have a new smartphone you can use the GPS service ont hat too


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## Leo (26 May 2011)

Woodsman said:


> Are we being conned?


No.



Woodsman said:


> Is there anywhere I can purchase a newTomTom or Garmin that GUARANTEES 2011 maps?


Also no, that's just impossible.


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## ajapale (26 May 2011)

Is there anywhere you can purchase maps which would be guaranteed to be 98% accurate (say) up to Dec 2010 (say)?

As an aside I have tried to let Garmin, TomTom, Google Maps etc know about glaring errors in their base mapping ( in my locality) but with out success.


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## Leo (27 May 2011)

I doubt that's possible AJ. Navteq, who provide the mapping data for Garmin and some others, offer no guarantees as to the accuracy of their data, and are pretty careful about protecting themselves from liability in that area.
Leo


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## Creditlimit (27 May 2011)

I too had the same issues with a Garmin - it would take 10 minutes to find a satelite then it would not recognise any new roads developed within the last few years.

Advice: anyone with an iPhone should download the following GPS FREE App: NavFree UK & ROI. This is by far the best App I have as it loads instantly, accesses Google Maps for addresses not found using the host records, can send email/ SMS to others with your current location which when opened will automatically bring other user to your current location (assuming they too have the App installed)


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