Thanks, Nick. I guess on an extended trip we could make several routes to tie together and control the overall route better.

Re: Navteq/Navtech, my March production CD has the Navtech label. Were some also developed by Navteq?

 

Thanks everyone for the tip. I'll try it when I go check mail at my office (any excuse to drive the car, huh).

james

 

Hi JDN: Navteq provides only the dataset and the integration of the travel info (points of interest, etc) into the DVD-ROM disc. Right now Navteq does a majority of the Europe and US navigation datasets for car mfr systems and aftermarket. So yes, it is a Navteq dataset, but it's still BMW's software running the nav system itself. Hope that makes it clearer.

 

I personally find the mapping software pretty poor especially compared to the Mapopolis SW I run on my iPaq. It uses the same Navtech maps. Besides waypoints, that software speaks the names of the streets, exits, etc you need to turn on. The ETA is also dead on vs the NavPro. I find varies widely based on current speed. It's pretty dissapointing that a $100 sw package running on a 3 year old iPaq outperforms an $1800 option....

 

The waypoints omission is certainly an interesting one.

I am curious about two other Pro Nav features (or lack of)

1. There is no way to define av. speeds for different types of road, e.g. Motorway, 'A' Roads, 'Local Roads'. So you cannot alter the "rules" that the Nav follows when calculating it's route (fast route)


2. Could someone please give me an idiots guide to using the "New route for" function. I have RTFM'd the manual a few times cannot understand the correcr usage.

 

I will take a stab at it, but the New Route function is certainly vague. It will give you a different route to the same destination if you add a mile (kilometer) or two. Problem is, that even with a different route, you aren't likely to force the one you want.

For example, I go to a club that is 13 miles by my fastest route. It uses a tunnel. NAVPro uses a congested 11 mile route that is slower. So, I add one mile, it uses the same route. I add two miles it goes to a 14 mile solution, toll road. The toll road is not a bad route. I have to pay a lesser toll through the tunnel. Toll road may even be faster, but no way can I get it to take me through the tunnel.

I think the purpose of the New Route function is to select an alternate route. I have tried to reduce the distance, but the iDrive knob will only move clockwise.

 

JDN, did you try telling it "no toll roads" in addition to adding a mile or two to the route?

 

DOH!!!

 

this is BusNav to which i refer, but the Route List/Route Criteria menu has a "Route Via" function: it does not allow for any all all points, but does allow some selection...

the "new route for ..." is like this:
yesterday morning i was on the way and heard that my route had a big jam due to a flipped van - i was still several miles away (and there are a LOT of road/route choices in the UK, esp. compared to america) and selected 'new route for 10 miles' just to see and it took me an alternate route.

the distance selected is what makes the difference -- what is between your current location and your destination: if there are no alternate routes you're out of luck - if there are you can save a lot of trouble...

also works well on the motorways- - tell it new route when you know that there is a jam ahead and it'll take you off at the next exit and find an alternate route (without trying to get you back to the motorway) for the distance selected... if you've not selected enough distance, try a higher #.

hope that helps