Orlando and GPS (Altamonte Springs, Longwood: house, calculated, safest)

[sunstate]

Hopefully someone can help me with this...I just bought a new GPS for my car and I was testing it out on familiar roads. The silly thing does not give the right directions. Is it the GPS with bad maps or Orlando streets? As a native, I know that roads that are called "East" or "West" really do not flow in that direction and that can be confusing for those who are new here but this thing is making me bonkers.

For example, today I set it to go to Altamonte Springs from Longwood. I know the best way (from where I started) is to go 434 to 436 and the business I was looking for was located just after you take a right on 436.

However, the GPS told me to go 434 to I4 and then would have (I suppose) told me to get off at 436 take a right and go all the way down theough Altamonte.
Wayyyyy far out of the way.

Anyone have any knowledge of this that would help me decide if I want to keep this expensive thing? It would be much appreciated.

[THASPECIAL]

Originally Posted by sunstate

Hopefully someone can help me with this...I just bought a new GPS for my car and I was testing it out on familiar roads. The silly thing does not give the right directions. Is it the GPS with bad maps or Orlando streets? As a native, I know that roads that are called "East" or "West" really do not flow in that direction and that can be confusing for those who are new here but this thing is making me bonkers.

For example, today I set it to go to Altamonte Springs from Longwood. I know the best way (from where I started) is to go 434 to 436 and the business I was looking for was located just after you take a right on 436.

However, the GPS told me to go 434 to I4 and then would have (I suppose) told me to get off at 436 take a right and go all the way down theough Altamonte.
Wayyyyy far out of the way.

Anyone have any knowledge of this that would help me decide if I want to keep this expensive thing? It would be much appreciated.

I think those companies don't exactly know all the backroads and shortcuts and they usually give information on what they think is the most accesible way to go and safest......im sure they will end up tweaking things after a couple years and then they will test out the backstreets and enter ways that locals travel to get to a destination.....this is kinda new for the last couple years so im sure improvements will be made on it

[Moo Du Kwan]

I'm not even close to suggesting that you don't know how to program the device, but something similar happened to my sister-in-law's boyfriend.
Turns out, he (inadvertentely) had it programmed to minimize toll roads.
Brought him around the world to get across the street.

FWIW

[sunstate]

Thanks! I will re-read the manual and give it another go.

[Moo Du Kwan]

Sorry...SHOULD have read "inadvertently"

[Keeper]

Do they have an 800 # or a website where you can ask if what you are experiencing is normal?

I know a friend of mine tried to find my house using one and it couldn't find my street even though it has been here for 40 years.
Of course, maybe he entered it wrong..

[GregTraub]

Might want to check to see how the GPS is programmed to route you. Like Kwan said there is an option to minimize toll roads. There are usually other options too like: Only local roads, Only highways, fastest route, shortest distance, etc.

Although it might have been a shorter distance going local roads, the GPS might have calculated it would be faster taking I-4 because of it's higher speed limits, even though it was a farther travel.

But sometimes the things just won't give you the best way to go no matter what you have set!

[Magnulus]

In Orlando, very often using the "shortest route" option will give you faster trips than "faster routes". Also, if your GPS has traffic data that is useful as well.

[sunstate]

Thanks to all. What remains a mystery is the north south east west thing. It is confusing in Orlando to have streets names as "east whatever" and find they really travel west.