Sharing a destination

[daveoftruro]

I want to share the start of my local group's regular rambles with members who use a variety of different types of satnav, although I suspect the majority will be TT PNDs. The start point is specified using the UK National Grid Reference system, whereby two letters and six digits uniquely specify any spot in the UK to an accuracy of 100m - highly suitable and well utilised in all kinds of outdoor pursuits.

The iPhone CoPilot App accepts NGRs, and as an iPhone TT App user, I know I can use the Share Route facility to email out the location (once I have found it on my TT map) to other TT App users. But what about all those using PNDs? Is a similar facility available using TT Home?

The problem is that most of the points do not have a postal address or postcode. I could supply the nearest postcode, but this may be some distance away from the point, or not even on the right route.

NGRs can be converted to Lat and Long (usually both are 7 or 8 digit numbers), but my users are all retired, and not particularly agile with small keyboards. I suspect that getting them to read two long numbers and type them into a TT will be difficult and highly prone to error, and errors may not be readily detected.

I could also email out a link to a Google map location, so they can enter the spot on their TT maps, but that can still take some time to put into to the TT.

No solution seems particularly satisfactory. I welcome your suggestions.

 

[daveoftruro]

Sorry, I should have put this item into the General TomTom Discussion thread, not the iPhone thread. I don't think I can move it myself - Could an administrator kindly move it, please?

 

[dhn]

Thread moved.

 

[Andy_P]

If they can enter two letters and six numbers (i.e. 8 characters) to get within a 100m grid square, couldn't they do the same with Lat/Long coordinates?
I would use the degrees and decimal degrees format (rather than degrees minutes seconds) for simplicity.

You wouldn't need to use the full 7 or 8 digits of each either...
A degree of latitude or longitude is approximately 69 miles (111 km) on the surface of the Earth, so by my dodgy maths I think you would only need to go to 3 decimals to get within 121 yards - that's 8 digits in total?

As a totally different solution, how about emailing them a POI file to put on their TomToms with all your starting points already entered?

 

[mikealder]

Create an ov2 Custom POI file using something like POIEdit, make sure the start point of each walk is at the point where you will park the car or leave the road otherwise the device won't be able to use the data, remember most walks don't start directly from a road which the TomTom (or Garmin) require.

When you have created the file in ov2 format for TomTom consider the Save As function in POIEdit to alter the file to csv format for the Garman units your fellow walkers use - Mike

 

[Andy_P]

Didn't I just say that?


Or....

If you send them a link to the TomTom on-line route planner.
On the "Location" tab there is a button to "Add to TomTom"

(Or you can just right click anywhere on the map and select "send location to TomTom device").

If their TomTom is plugged into the computer it can automatically add the location as a Favourite, show it on the map, or set it as a navigation destination.

Have a play with all the options and links to see if it does what you need. Obviously this is only useful for TomTom owners.

Personally, I think just using Lat/Long is easiest! It's universal and there are lots of on-line converters you can use to get the numbers to send them.

 

[Andy_P]

Or....

There's tomTom's wizards to add an "Add to TomTom" button to your website. Works with single or multiple locations or itineraries/routes.

see here for more info.

 

[daveoftruro]

Thanks Andy and Mike for your replies.

My first reaction was that entering Lat and Long would probably be all right - I experimented a little with truncating them and it seemed acceptable. But then I got out my old TT One, which I haven't used for a few years to try it out.

Problem: No method of entering Lat and Long!

Presumably, this facility is only on later models.

The Add to TT Button definitely looks interesting, but how are the destinations transferred to the PND, and will my retired users - of all kinds of abilities - be able to cope with it? (I did think that loading ov2 format files would be beyond them.)

Oh! If only life was easy!

 

[mikealder]

Dave, Adding the ov2 file to a nav unit is very easy indeed, you could even produce a "how to guide" and print it for them to follow, if you are unsure on scriptin gthis I am sure there are some of us on here that will sort that for you.

As for the Lat/ Long just make sure your location is on the road otherwise you will get the no route found error - Mike

 

[canderson]

As for the Lat/ Long just make sure your location is on the road otherwise you will get the no route found error - Mike

There's actually a distance limit involved, though I've never been quite certain what it is. I often load POI data using lat/long where the POI is off a known road, and the TT will produce a route right up to the point closest to the POI, then show an arrow either right or left towards the POI that is not on the road. What I'm unclear about is just how far off the road a POI is allowed to be before that function ceases to work.

 

[Andy_P]

What I'm unclear about is just how far off the road a POI is allowed to be before that function ceases to work.

I think a very complicated algorithm is involved dependant on exactly how important it is that you get the route calculated quickly.