GPS flashing green arrows

[mjmsprt40]

I've got a Tom Tom unit, and one problem I've noticed from day one is the green arrows. Ordinarily, it shows a red line depicting the route you should take. As you come to a turn, though, it will switch screens and you get those ****able-- there is no other word for it-- flashing green arrows. All the information the regular screen supplied, which might have helped you, is replaced by the flashing arrows which tell you diddly nothing-- especially if there is a lot of exits in a short distance. I've made mistakes because of this. The green arrows are confusing, and no help at all.

So, I have to ask: Does anybody know how to turn that "feature" (I have other words for it, trust me) off? Are there units I can replace this one with that don't have that feature? Thanks.

 

[purgoose10]

I don't know how and had a Tom Tom unit till myself and one of my neighbors sent them back to the factory and told them to keep the junk. For some reason everyone I know that has had one has gone on a wild goose chase. Another words you never know where you'll end up. Good luck.

 

[mjmsprt40]

Are there units which don't have those arrows? I've been considering replacing this thing, the only question is, with what. I see GPS units at the truck stops, some look good but a bit pricey. I have a standard Chevy van, so a lot of the bells and whistles that you might find indispensable for a tractor-trailer or large straight rig would be a waste of money for me. Truck routing would be good to have though. Tom Tom just loves Chicago's boulevards, but you can't legally drive very far on them in a commercial vehicle of any kind. So, assuming for the moment that it is, in fact, impossible to turn off those flashing green arrows, what do I replace this with?

 

[cheri1122]

I've had several Garmins, [switched because I wanted a different model, not because of any problems] and I recommend them highly.
Turtle backs that up, for technical reasons, but I like that they're user friendly and affordable. [And the Australian accented voice just cracks me up, lol, but you can choose from a wide range of voices.]

 

[EasyDoesIt]

Most Smart Phones have GPS Apps. Maybe you could use your phone as backup when your Tom Tom goes into stupid mode? My Verizon is surprisingly accurate but not fun when I don't realize I lost the signal.

 

[mjmsprt40]

Most Smart Phones have GPS Apps. Maybe you could use your phone as backup when your Tom Tom goes into stupid mode? My Verizon is surprisingly accurate but not fun when I don't realize I lost the signal.

I've got a Verizon phone. It has that available, but I haven't used it because of what you just mentioned and the data costs. Also, trying to view that tiny screen while moving can't possibly be a good driving idea.

 

[Rocketman]

My advice....get a garmin. My old Nuvi700 is ancient. I've abused it, killed it, cussed it and revived it many times. It's still working and it's still the best $350? I ever spent as a driver.

 

[EasyDoesIt]

I've got a Verizon phone. It has that available, but I haven't used it because of what you just mentioned and the data costs. Also, trying to view that tiny screen while moving can't possibly be a good driving idea.

I was grandfathered in with unlimited data and I just listen to the voice when I'm driving. I can see where data gets costly.

 

[Turtle]

Garmin is the gold standard in road mapping and navigation. All the rest are Garmin wannabes. Take a close look at them at Best Buy or someplace like that, rather than a truck stop. You can compare models at the Garmin website.

I've got a Garmin Street Pilot c550, which is about 7 years old now. The maps and the software are regularly updated.

 

[scottm4211]

I've got the same one as Turtle. It's got the retro tube look vs the flat screens too. Much cooler.

 

[mjmsprt40]

Does the Garmin have those flashing green arrows that "help" you choose lanes? I'd gladly pay extra just to lose that so-called "help". Those arrows are more confusing that anything else.

 

[scottm4211]

Nothing that flashes, no.

 

[billg27]

Both Sam's Club and Costco have good prices on Garman GPS units.

 

[Rocketman]

I would strongly suggest a visit to Garmin's website before buying one. It's likely to last a long time, so you might as well get the features you want while your buying it. When I purchased mine, the comparison tool was very helpful.

 

[21cExp]

Garmin Nüvi's rock. I've had two, and the only reason I sold the first one is because I wanted the newer features and larger screen on the upgrade. Been using the newer one, a Nüvi 760, since '08 and have had NO problems with it. No flashing arrows.

I agree, a visit to the Garmin site to compare units side by side is wise. Bought both of mine through Amazon (had the comparison chart there too, when I bought mine, but not sure if it is there now), great pricing, lots of accessories, and quick shipping (free if you are a Prime member).

For a good Points of Interest site, go to poi-factory.com to get downloadable lists like truck stops, rest areas, hotel chains, Diner's Drive-Ins & Dives, Scenic Drives, Lighthouses, campgrounds, just all sorts of stuff.

Another cool thing you can do with your GPS (at least with the Garmins; never had anything else) is to alter what the voice says. I've changed mine to say, instead of "Recalculating", "Awrighty, let's try it your way". Instead of "turn left" or "turn right" or "make a U turn" she (the Aussie female voice) says "Hang a Louie" or "Hang a Ralph" or "Hang a u-ey, yo-yo". Instead of "Lost satellite reception" when you go in a parking garage or tunnel, she says, in a perfect Australian accent "It's fooking dahk in here". Instead of "Rotary ahead" she says "What is this, New England?"

Info on how to do that, with a hexadecimal editor, on one of the old posts at poi-factory.com.

Get a Garmin; you won't regret it. The user reviews on Amazon can be extremely helpful to see which one suits your needs the best. I understand some of the newer units have advertising, but can't speak to which ones do or if it is bothersome.

 

[The Enemy]

I'm currently running a Tom Tom model 4et03. Not overly impressed with it but it does its job, plus I won it at the Casino Night at the Expo, so no cost out of my pocket to use it. This unit will be used until i get my Rand McNally TND500 back from getting the screen replaced. I iked the truck features on the RM wich turn out to be really accurate since we updated the maps monthly. One other thing I use when all else fails is my Smartphone with the Google maps based gps feature. Its very accurate, plus i can do live traffic, street view, etc. Seems though lately the only ting i use the gps for is to quickly calculate the miles and for city surface street guidance.

One thing i don't like about this Tom Tom is the speed that it clocks you at almost 70 mph so your route time and arrival time is never accurate. The flashing green arrows is your lane assist feature and that can be disabled. Click on your Options menu, then driving view preferences. First option is how the status bar should be displayed, horizontal or vertical, click next. Next menu that come up should have 5 features with an option to turn them on/off, the Show Lane Guidance option is there, if you have a green check mark in the box then the option is on, click it off and you should be all set. Take it for a test drive to see if it worked. Hope that helps.





DISCLAIMER ; I am not nor do i claim to be a professional GPS programmer or tester. I would have been if i would of taken the course that was offered a few months back by a member here.

 

[Turtle]

One thing I really like about the Garmin is that, over time, it learns your driving habits. Some learn your routes, which is more for regular commuters than expediters, but the main thing is that it learns your driving speeds, and will adjust arrival times accordingly. It's amazingly accurate.

 

[mjmsprt40]

I have to agree with the guy who said Tom Tom's arrival time guesstimate left something to be desired. It assumes you're driving at least ten miles over speed limit--- on top of not stopping for any reason in an 800-mile trip. I always add an hour to what it says on all but the shortest trips.

About the lane-guidance suggestion: Been there, tried that, didn't work. It gets rid of the arrows in the status bar. Those arrows aren't the ones causing grief though. The ones I'm talking about come up when a turn is coming (or a slip-ramp--- Tom Tom goes nuts when there's a lot of slip-ramps) and replaces the main screen with one that has flashing green arrows showing you which lane to be in. I haven't found a way to turn that off yet. I've been thinking it might be possible through Tom Tom Home, in the Manage Your Device menu. I'll have a look-see there.

 

[mjmsprt40]

Quick update: I had a go at trying to fix this in Tom Tom Home. No good, what I want to do--- turn off "Advanced Lane Guidance"-- is not possible on the Tom Tom XL 350. That's a real shame, since it's hard for me to think of a less helpful feature. Now that I know what it's called though, I know what to look out for on any replacement unit. Yes, a bit of research shows some Garmin units have this and some don't, so when I go to replace this I'll keep that in mind.

 

[mjmsprt40]

This is probably my last post in this thread. The Tom Tom has finally cashed, becoming impossible to use. The on-screen keyboard is really impossible. Every touch has to be made to the left and down from the desired letter, and it has become so bad that any key on the bottom of the screen can't be used at all. So, this morning I got a Garmin Nuvi 465LMT. I'll have to experiment and learn this one now. First thing, the memory card it came with isn't big enough so I had to get a bigger card. I'll be changing out the cards this weekend, but in the meantime it does have enough to take me to anyplace East of Colorado and not Canada.