Route planning at or in Home

[TR7Driver]

I'm considering buying a Go 730. I'm a classic British Car enthusiast and would like to use the GPS on Club drives, but in this case how you get there is as important as where you're going. I need a device that allows me total control over the route I take.

What I really want is the ability to plot a route at home, defined by a series of stops and vias, save it to the GPS device and then have it follow that route. I can do this with DeLorme street atlas, but carrying around a notebook computer is cumbersome, especially in a small two seat car. Does the Tomtom Home software allow me to do what I want to do?

 

[dhn]

I'm considering buying a Go 730. I'm a classic British Car enthusiast and would like to use the GPS on Club drives, but in this case how you get there is as important as where you're going. I need a device that allows me total control over the route I take.

What I really want is the ability to plot a route at home, defined by a series of stops and vias, save it to the GPS device and then have it follow that route. I can do this with DeLorme street atlas, but carrying around a notebook computer is cumbersome, especially in a small two seat car. Does the Tomtom Home software allow me to do what I want to do?

That is accomplished with Itinerary Planning on the 730 and other models. As well, there are 3rd party utilities such as TYRE which allow for routes to be planned out in detail using google maps and the itinerary can be sent directly to the unit.

 

[pmeredith]

The application called TYRE is exactly what you are looking for. It specializes in allowing you to plot out your route on your home computer with google maps or google earth in great detail, then send it to your TomTom device. I think its great. Its certainly easier than using the small touchscreen of your TOmTom.

My 2 cents

 

[TR7Driver]

Okay, you convinced me. I ordered a GO 730 yesterday and hopefully it will be here in a day or two.

Prestige Camera in Brooklyn, NY; $318 with free UPS Ground.

I've already downloaded Tyre and am trying to learn how to use it.

 

[46jimbo]

Once you get your Tyre route transferred to the TomTom, you might find some deviation from the route you had planned on the computer. This is easily solved by adding more waypoints to force the TomTom to do it your way.

On the TomTom Itinerary screen, you can change any waypoint to a destination (and vice versa). So if you need an announced stop, that point must be designated as a 'Destination' (checkered flag). The TomTom will pass thru waypoints without making any anouncement.

 

[dhn]

Okay, you convinced me. I ordered a GO 730 yesterday and hopefully it will be here in a day or two.

Prestige Camera in Brooklyn, NY; $318 with free UPS Ground.

I've already downloaded Tyre and am trying to learn how to use it.

I hope you are one of the lucky ones but there have been many complaints about Prestige Camera. Google the name + complaints.

 

[tukatz]

Okay, you convinced me. I ordered a GO 730 yesterday and hopefully it will be here in a day or two.

Prestige Camera in Brooklyn, NY; $318 with free UPS Ground.

I've already downloaded Tyre and am trying to learn how to use it.

You will also want Skip Waypoint. If you don't pass close enough to a waypoint, the TomTom won't 'realize' that you have visited it and will attempt to route you back to it. Skip Waypoint installs as a command on your TomTom so one tap on the command will resolve that issue.
http://www.webazar.org/tomtom/skipwaypoint.php?lang=uk

TomTom Menu Designer is an app that installs on your PC and gives you a graphical interface for creating custom menus for your TomTom. I used it to rearrange the commands and put Skip Waypoint on the first screen.
http://www.gregoryduncan.com/ttmd/index.php

Every now and then my TomTom goes whacky. A push of the reset button with a paper clip clears the problem. The paper clip travels in the pouch with the screen cleaning cloth.

 

[TR7Driver]

I hope you are one of the lucky ones but there have been many complaints about Prestige Camera. Google the name + complaints.

Afraid not. Like some other NY based electronics stores that aren't open on Saturdays, they're a ripoff. After the order, I learned you have to call "to verify your shipping information". I did so, and was told I really should order a map upgrade since the maps are obsolete. They would do this for the low price of $70. The maps are obsolete because they're selling a fleet version of the 730, not the retail version. No mention of that on the web site, so I canceled the order. They didn't seem upset.

I then went and trashed them on Biz Rate, and ordered from Costco, who has them on sale for $329. If I don't like it, I can take it back anytime.

So I'm warning you people, do not buy from Prestige Camera. The low price is just bait to get you to call in so they can dupe you into paying more. And their "trusted seller" rating at lowpricedigital.com means bupkis.

 

[pianoCM]

I think you made a good decision, m8, plus only $11 different from Costco.
Note (I think it still applies now) you will have 30-day map guarantee so with v8.05 on the 730 unit, which is fairly new, you should get v8.10 as well.