VMS 700HD

Cheers Phil,

Good to know that there is some customer service. I'll contact them and see what goes. It could even be that I don't know what I'm doing although I've been using a Tom Tom and Garmin for quite some time. I now have the Garmin on the window at the same time and between the two of them, I can get by.

Thanks for your response :)

Tony

What do you need the VMS for?

I'm an Oversize Pilot. I like to put Truck Bays, Floodways and other useful locations into my favourites and have them displayed on the map as I am travelling. That way, if we need a floodway to use for overtaking traffic etc, I can tell if there's one coming up. Unless the text that I type into Favourites shows on screen, then not of much use to me. Having correct distances displayed tells me if we have time to make it to the next place before sunset etc. Many other uses for a GPS. In fairness, I haven't become that familiar with it yet but it seems a bit clunky with some of the features I am looking for. It might just be that this unit is not what I need. It might also be that I'm not familiar enough with it yet. Time will tell...

You are talking about Street navigation. Mate I don't use it so I cannot advise. We got the VMS for Ozi and all the entertainment, USB, Walkman links and rear video camera. I know Igo is there and I found it easy to use but it hasn't been "out of the box" for ages.

You nee someone else to advise on street navigation.

Sorry

Phil

No worries Phil. I've updated the maps and the system today but methinks there will still be issues. A long story and not your problem. Have sent an e-mail to VMS along with a screen cap, so hopefully I can get this sorted. Thanks for taking an interest though. Good to "meet you".

Cheers

Tony

Hi Tony

Those street GPS things are a money spinner for the map people aren't they. I just dug out and checked how to get a map update. We never used it, so we took it off the windscreen and eventually stuck it in the desk drawer. They now want $90 a year to keep the maps up to date. Bugger that!! A good reason to put it the rubbish bin so I am not tempted again.

What does VMS or Garmin charge? Maybe a one off would be okay but nit yearly.

Phil

Not sure about Garmin. I only use that for major routes which don't change. Instead of creating a route, I just turn it on and watch the map as I move. I can tell what direction the road is going to take so can plan overtaking and so forth. I have the truck bays and floodways shown on the map and the zoom level gives me about 4kms of notice. That side of things works well, so no need to purchase an update... yet. You'd think that places like Billabong Roadhouse and Overlander Roadhouse would be shown but no, I have to create my own favourites for such places. Not a biggy but anyone travelling on the Hwy must pass through these places so they aren't "favourites" really.
I apparently have 3 years of free updates with the VMS and that is not so bad... if they are up to date and accurate. I've done one update and it ain't that up to date. I guess there is a lot of work to do in keeping maps up to date but sometimes I get the impression that a few minor updates constitutes a new release that doesn't quite cut it. Not sure how much it will be in three years time.
I'll do some testing of the VMS today and see happens. What I really want to see is if my favourites will show up on the moving map with the description I have typed in. If it is just a star or some other pictogram, it will be a total waste of money for me. I was after a 7" screen with what I thought would be a standard set of features. Time will tell. I'll let you know how I get on if you're interested.

Tony

Ahhh Got it. You are interested in the street mapping. VMS is just the box that it runs in. It is no doubt NOT a VMS mapping application. I suggest that you find out the name of it and try and turn the topic in that direction.

After I post this I will have a look at the VMS 700HD and see if it says which program (you may call it an app) they have installed for the street navigation.

Phil

Tony

Put this "vms 700hd problems" into Google and start reading. Apparently you may have to VMS to fix it under warranty.

I think that you said a new one so get them to fix it mate. By the look of all the responses I got from Google there are a few that should fix it for you.

Don't waste the warranty.

Phil

It looks to be Navteq and I went to their website to report the errors and according to the site I can't report the errrors as their technicians are working on that area of the map. Not so sure they actually are as their satellite image is very very old and the streets have been in place for over 12 months. In any case, I'll have to wait.
Another issue that I think I'm coming to grips with is that Navteq may name a place and measure the distance differently to how I would. e.g. Minilya... There is a Minilya Homestead (on the Station called Minilya) and there is also a Minilya Roadhouse. Everyone I speak to that tells me they are stopping at Minilya actually are stopping at the Roadhouse. If the GPS is giving me a distance to Minilya, it could be giving me the distance to the Homestead and not the Roadhouse hence why the distance is so far wrong (wrong if I'm expecting the Roadhouse at least). What confused me though was that two places called Minilya were shown and the distance to each was definitely not the distance to the Roadhouse. I guess what I'll have to do is create all my own favourites and check the distances to these instead. What a pain! Nevertheless, it looks like I'll have no choice.

I'm not sure this is actually a warranty issue. It may just be a map quality or accuracy issue and nothing to do with VMS. Regarding the testing I said I would do, the map is not up to date and that seems to be what the problem is, not the actual unit itself. See above.

So, after all that, I gues I'll have to give myself some more time with it and start putting a lot of my own data in manually.

Thanks Phil...

Tony

Fair enough. As I said earlier we don't use any street navigation so I will depart and wish you luck.

We only use the VMS for Oziexplorer and entertainment and rear cameras etc and of course the main function is off road touring. On dirt tracks and remote areas like up in the Victorian high country. I would be very very surprised if the fire trails and mountain tracks were on any street navigation device. So have fun mate.

Phil