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View Full Version : RNS510 Fun.....NOT



tezza
23-08-2008, 10:47 AM
Just got back from a trip from Sydney to the Sunshine Coast Hinterland, gotta say bloody beautiful up there.

Had fun getting up there putting the RNS510 through it paces, according to the unit when on the Pacific Highway past Coffs Harbour I was OFFROAD and it kept on asking me to turn left (1st time into the bush and the 2nd time into the river)or please make a U turn.
I agree the maps are totally inadequate once you get out of a major city. If you relied solely on them you would be 100% lost.
The VW version is as confirmed by VW is version 1 which is equal to Version 14 of the older Sensis map 9well thats what I got anyway and it is suposed to be the latest)????
The other thing that really threw me off was its calculation of time and distance once a destination had been plotted. From the point of plotting at 4:30pm to destination was 536k travelling at 100kph should come out to approx 5 hours therefore arriving at destination at around 9ish BUT according to the RNS510 I would not get there until 2am ??????. It seemed to think I was travelling at 50kph. When we got closer to Brisbane it corrected itself .....buggered if I know but to say will not be throwing out my good old UBDs for a long time

In saying this though the whole navigation was up the **** it did not even know about the NEW part of the Pacific Highway (which is now more than 1 year old) and was as I said before also trying to ask me to go around roundabouts that did not exist it had no idea where it was.

Tim
23-08-2008, 10:55 AM
Any sat nav system is only as good as its maps.
I found that my Tom Tom makes plenty of errors. You cant rely on these things 100%. There is still no complete replacement for the old grey matter :)

PaulM
23-08-2008, 11:00 AM
Which raises a good question though - can you update the maps & how?

tezza
23-08-2008, 11:20 AM
Which raises a good question though - can you update the maps & how?

Update is done by another CD just pop it in and away you go but at present I do not think there is an update from VW version 1 for the RNS510, cost is what is the killer I am lead to believe it is around $900. I will be buying another a Tom Tom for the next trip

PaulM
23-08-2008, 11:29 AM
$900 for some maps?????? Thats outrageous. I understand though that the RNS can take a flash memory card - so there must be another way to upload maps etc.

Buller_Scott
24-08-2008, 11:24 PM
yeah, screw that crap. google maps on your mobile phone is the way to go.

STV4SYT
25-08-2008, 07:23 PM
I found a free one called aMaze that installs on my n95 8gb and uses the GPS. not perfect nav, but if u know what is just a silly direction and ignore it u can get your destination relatively easily. using the googlemaps is ok, but was a pid having to keep looking at the pone (memory not so good anymore)

Treza360
25-08-2008, 07:49 PM
I have the latest TomTom XL which has the very latest and greatest Sensis maps and it still doesn't have the Tugun Bypass or the fixed speed cameras which are around Brisbane.
Basically at the end of a day you can only trust them so far.
As long as we don't have any idiots on here like those you see in the news who drove off a peir into a lake or into forest because the GPS said too. :duh:

The_Hawk
25-08-2008, 10:22 PM
Dad just updated the maps in his Subaru Outback to V14 of the sensis maps, the biggest thing for him was the inclusion of the M7 which is handy. Off the top of my head he was talking round the $300 - $400 mark for his map DVD. I have also heard tell that different car maps can work in different cars, so if you find a cheap version from a Toyota it may well work in a Subaru... no clue about what works in the VW system, but if you know someone with a different system it may be worth trying it out if the VW maps are THAT expensive, then you can buy the "cheaper" maps and away you go!

As for driving "offroad", if you plot from one place to another it will take you somewhere it knows rather than through the dirt so it should be fine. Personally I will set my nav and go, ignoring it entirely if I think I know a better way until I need it. Or just have the map on but no destination till I get to where I don't know where I am ;) (that way I get speed camera/red light camera warnings).

For estimated times, again it depends on the maps, if it thinks your going to be driving through 60 zones it may be right, did it know the road you were actually driving on or was this the offroad experience?

Not that it helps you, but my Navman S30 is wonderful, an excellent upgrade to my older bluetooth GPS + PDA with Navman software on it :D
I tell you for under $300 these days it's well worth the cash for anyone who doesn't have a GPS to buy one.

RhysQ
25-08-2008, 10:33 PM
i have a cheap navman N30 or C30 or something. i has all the latest maps including the new tugun bypass and works an absolute treat. it also has all fixed speed cameras and red light cameras. i have never even nearly looked like getting lost. i recently had a few property inspections 1.5 hours out west and even every street out there was available. i have had it for over a year and never had it updated and uses the Sensis maps as well.

my mums Lexus RX350 and my dads RX330 have pretty much the same system and they seems to work a treat as well. really accurate with distances and times.

$900 for maps is ridiculous, i don't know how they can get away with that. our france and monaco maps for when we travelled cost us $139!

EDIT

Not that it helps you, but my Navman S30 is wonderful

yeah that must be what i have...its awesome. we even took is to paris and never got lost in the city with it...and the streets there are absolutely crazy.

tezza
26-08-2008, 09:10 AM
Yes! all of you guys are correct and is as we did, only used it as a guide but so bloody annoying when you spend $2500 for a great unit (nothing wrong with the RNS510 itself) it is just the mapping.

Reading a few other forums, I am getting the very distinct impression that the Sensis map that VW use is NOT the latest Sensis map more like 2 years old. I do not care what they say for a map NOT to show Australias main highway between Coffs Harbour NSW and the Queensland border is ridiculous.

We have basically decided to go out and buy the Garmin nuvi760 (expensive - yes but hey it is only money and you cant take it with you:biggrin:) as the maps you can download for this are incredible and in many cases FREE. Offroad, Bush, Local, Topical and more. also I think it has TMC. Just doing a bit more research before as we do not want another dud

Moonan
26-08-2008, 10:02 PM
Somehow it's got to be worse than just out-of-date maps. My Garmin has sensis maps from 2006 and they correctly show what the RNS apparently does not! They've stuffed something up somewhere...

JustCruisn
26-08-2008, 11:01 PM
I use destinator with free maps I found on rapid share.

Was using Version 2007.Q1.5244 - map of Sensis
newly installed Version 2007.Q2.7389 - map of NAVTEQ

These still have a few missing streets.
The Tugan bypass has been open for like a month. Good luck finding that on a GPS map or UBD.

Here is some more info on the process of electronic maps...
http://forums.fluxmedia.net/faq-frequenty-asked-questions/3638-my-maps-outdated.html

The_Hawk
27-08-2008, 08:51 AM
I was going to get to that, but as Just Cruisn has link to, even the "latest" maps can be a year or more old, so don't expect brand new roads to be on there. In fact some of the major selling points of new units is the "updated maps".

When you stop and think about it, a in dash, motorised, touch screen, DVD playing headunit with iPod connector +MP3 support and USB can be had for round $1,000 and a GPS like the Navman or TomTom can be had for under $300 it's amazing how some of the in car systems can go for $3k - $4k.

If you want to dumb it down a shade, say $300 Pioneer head unit melded with $300 Navman S30, I'd buy a Navman MP3/CD player with USB and/or iPod connector with a small touch screen for $600.

gldgti
27-08-2008, 11:45 AM
i think this thread should be in the ICE section

Logzy
27-08-2008, 05:36 PM
Why dont you write a letter to VWA and in a civil manner ask them why the maps are lacking the detail you require and ask when an update will be released.

I agree it very poor of VW, the maps are supplied by Sensis but VW would pay sensis for the level of detail and content they want on their map disc for their customers.

The map data from VW is missing some country towns that TomTom has so it is clear that not all the sensis info is supplied to us.

tezza
27-08-2008, 10:14 PM
Hey guys, actually this is getting quite amusing to the point of stupidity. Did a test to day from work to home using the Nav.

Got to a major street in Alexandria Sydney and whilst it was showing on the map according to the lovely lady in the Nav, twice I had to turn left where there is not and NEVER has been a left turn, when I got further alongiti directed me to make a right hand turn onto Bourke road when you are not allowed to do a right hand turn and have not been allowed to for at least 6 years that I know of.

As someone else said if you take this thing literally you would wind up over a cliff

So common sense once again must prevail. What I do not understand is that whilst the actually map is correct the voice commands and the MFD display are totally wrong on this occasion.

Ah well it least it keeps us on our toes .....

Yes Logzy, that is exactly what I have prepared a letter to do, I mean guys and gals who are going to spend this sort of money are going to research these things and if the y see the complaints about the SatNav they are going to be disinclined to order it especially when you can pick up aftermarket units for a 3rd of the price. VW are doing a great dis-service to themselves as well as their customers by hoping into bed with Sensis.

As you say and I TOTALLY LOVE "Computer says no"

JustCruisn
28-08-2008, 12:49 AM
As someone else said if you take this thing literally you would wind up over a cliff


Mine likes to take my on the ferry :) The passenger ferry. I've updated the avoid roads by selecting all the ferry 'roads'.

Remember it is just a aide not a bible to follow blindly.

When you are totally lost the GPS can be a life saver, just like a bible.

The_Hawk
28-08-2008, 09:34 AM
Remember it is just a aide not a bible to follow blindly.

Best advice ever... although I follow mine blindly on lots of occasions, but that is because I am blessed with the direction sense of a house brick.

JustCruisn
29-08-2008, 02:12 PM
Best advice ever... although I follow mine blindly on lots of occasions, but that is because I am blessed with the direction sense of a house brick.

You follow your GPS or your Bible ? :biggrin:

gldgti
29-08-2008, 06:04 PM
On a side note,

i did spend a little time in a new A6 a month or so ago, and its satnav was faultless.....

who knows. i like the old noggin myself. im a country boy, but somehow found my way from Loons place in Campbelltown to my gf's work in north ryde without going on any toll roads one night. i've never driven down there, and i didnt have a map... it was just a matter or road signs... it took me only 40min.

but i am SURE i was just lucky ;-)

shogun2
30-08-2008, 03:00 AM
I had the factory fitted satnav in the Multivan I purchased in 2005. When you receive something like this you don't go around trying to find fault, but we found that there were suburbs that had been gazetted and built in 2001, and roads that had name changes in 2001 not included in the system.
This was a Eurovox system, and unfortunately Eurovox had gone belly up, so there was no chance of getting new maps.
I emailed the dealer principal, and they came to the party and changed the whole system over for us free of charge. They agreed that the system was not "fit for purpose".