Lets talk GPS.

[NJKris]

I get a kick out of people who are leery of 'being tracked or watched'. As a quad copter pilot (scary drone to most people), the majority of the public is so frightened that somebody might see them outside, their responses are very paranoid. News flash: Unless you are a celebrity, NOBODY CARES ABOUT YOU, lol. "They're coming to get you Barbara..." Before SOMEBODY deletes this post, I am not baiting or trying to incite discord.

[Allisfan]

Originally Posted by NJKris

I get a kick out of people who are leery of 'being tracked or watched'. As a quad copter pilot (scary drone to most people), the majority of the public is so frightened that somebody might see them outside, their responses are very paranoid. News flash: Unless you are a celebrity, NOBODY CARES ABOUT YOU, lol. "They're coming to get you Barbara..." Before SOMEBODY deletes this post, I am not baiting or trying to incite discord.

But yet a lot these same people have an Alexa, or something similar sitting on the counter! [emoji41]

[NJKris]

I doubt it! These people are usually so paranoid, they won't even use an EZ-pass toll transponder or the like, preferring to get in the cash line so they are not 'tracked'.

[NXR]

Originally Posted by NJKris

I get a kick out of people who are leery of 'being tracked or watched'. As a quad copter pilot (scary drone to most people), the majority of the public is so frightened that somebody might see them outside, their responses are very paranoid. News flash: Unless you are a celebrity, NOBODY CARES ABOUT YOU, lol. "They're coming to get you Barbara..." Before SOMEBODY deletes this post, I am not baiting or trying to incite discord.

I didn't take it as offensive or trolling. I've worked for twenty years in operational IT security for various companies including a bank and a major insurance company and that type of work made me paranoid by nature. Which is not all bad, actually. I've seen the damage that is done when people are oblivious and overly-trusting.

When we would start a fraud investigation the breadth and depth of electronic information available on a subject was just breath-taking. There is no such thing as "anonymized". There is no such thing as "private browsing". There is no such thing as "secure email". There also is no such thing as "going off the grid" because it makes you conspicuous by your absence. Read up on the Osama bin Laden hit and you'll see that one way he was located was because his compound had zero electronic emissions or Internet or anything else in a large city.

The real risk is not so much "that someone is watching ME" but the risk that you will get sucked into an investigation of someone else just because your data got vacuumed up along with theirs. Or that a large amount of circumstantial "evidence" gets presented as real, solid evidence. The real world truly is "guilty until proven innocent" as probably most people know.

I also have a problem with paying someone else to collect data on my habits and then use it to target me with advertising or whatever. I don't care so much about the tracking and information-gathering and use I know about because I know about it. It's the lack of disclosure of the other uses. But maybe that's just me.

But we're drifting off topic so I'll end this here.

Ray

[Mr. October]

Originally Posted by NXR

I have not and like you I've read a lot on it on various forums, almost all very favorable. 5M+ downloads for Android, which is very impressive. I just downloaded it and read the EULA and Privacy policies. It looks like the company is now owned by Trimble as of February, a long-time name in GPS. I see references to NAVTEQ and TomTom so they appear to be using good data sources.

A review from May 1st says that custom profiles were removed and there is no longer RV support. That didn't sound right so perhaps the vendor will add a response.

Hmmm, but as I read more, other people are complaining about the same thing. A general "Please contact us so we can address your concern personally" was the reply. If custom profiles were still available why wouldn't they just say they are still there?

A review from Feb. 15th says the app got rid of "route preferences" with the same laconic reply from the vendor.

I suggest you read the app reviews on play.google.com (or Apple). Seriously negative in the past months. Some people are saying you now need to pay for the RV version but I don't see that version on the Play store.

After I read the EULA and Privacy policies I deleted it without agreeing. Although it seems to use offline maps they are collecting a lot of data on you and you have to request to have it deleted. Feel free to call me old-fashioned but I am trying to limit how much devices I pay for can track me. I know it's a losing battle because even Garmin's no doubt are tracking you if you pair it to your phone but I do not do that.

That's probably one of the great things about the F-53 chassis, right? It has none of that 21st century Big Brother tracking stuff built-in.

Ray

I'll check out the reviews You DEFINITELY have to pay for the RV version. I'd rather not have yet another device to keep track of. Also, I have a Garmin Map chip in my car and have been less than impressed with their mapping algorithms in Pennsylvania. There are a lot of addresses they don't have and a lot of turns on non-existent roads.

I'm thinking of running an iPad Mini with the co-pilot app and smart version of TireMinder.

[JohnD10]

I've had absolutely zero issues with my new Rand McNally RVND 70 GPS/Tablet as far as mapping goes.

It has not sent me down the wrong rode yet, unlike my older Rand McNally RV GPS device, which did that often.

I love how it shows all of the lanes that you can be in to make highway exits, plus all of the instant info about restaurants, stores of all kinds, gas stations and prices, RV related businesses and repair facilities, weather and traffic reports.

Plus, entering data about the RV will keep you out of places you shouldn't be with the rig.

With no-touch laws coming concerning cell phones and distracted driving, plus the clear advantage of the much larger screen, for me the dedicated GPS device is the way to go.

[CentralMePistol]

Originally Posted by Mr. October

Does anyone use the copilot app (RV Version)? I've read a lot of good things about it. https://copilotgps.com/en-us/rv-navigation/

I have copilot... I bought it last year before I headed out on our summer trip. Two to three weeks on the road.

Yes you must pay for it, however, it is just one app now. They did away with the three different apps and combined into one. You CAN add custom profiles for your vehicle. However, I tow a travel trailer and that is not an option- only RV's. Not a huge deal, I just selected the biggest RV possible to accommodate the large turning radius I have. You can set Length, Width, and Height.
What you CAN NOT do anymore is set road preferences and speeds. In the previous versions you could set preferences for the type of roads and the speed you typically travel on them.

I was not a big fan of the navigation provided by the app. I found it frequently sent me on state roads when a highway would have been better. It also did not display alternate routes when planning the trip- you had to start the trip then ask it what the other options are. I have continued to use it because I have had some bad experiences with Google maps when towing- the app assumes you are in a car and does not account for the extra height. And in New England there are MANY low bridges.
However, they have updated their maps and route planning algorithm... this is when the road preferences went away. I am hoping that it will improve the guidance to better roads than it previously had. I will say it is entirely possible that my user preferences led me to the bad guidance. But with that removed I am hoping to see better results.

I have tried mapping a few destinations and comparing it to google directions and they are now VERY similar. In several cases there was no difference. Hopefully this is a sign that it will provide me better routes on this summers trips.

What I REALLY want is Waze/Google to come out with their own RV guidance. I would be willing to pay for it too! Please anyone reading this take a moment and give google feedback from within their maps app and ask for an RV option!

[NXR]

Originally Posted by CentralMePistol

... What I REALLY want is Waze/Google to come out with their own RV guidance. I would be willing to pay for it too! Please anyone reading this take a moment and give google feedback from within their maps app and ask for an RV option!

You can do that yourself directly to the developers by signing up for the Waze beta program. You get early announcements and releases plus they actively solicit feedback: https://waze.centercode.com/welcome/

Ray

[BandJCarm]

Updating my 760 right now.

Didja ever stop to think............if "Siri", or whoever, is always available when you say "Hey Siri" or whatever, then isn't 'she' listening to everything that goes on all the time?

[NJKris]

Yes I thought about it. And I don't care.

[Jim34RL]

I have the Rand McNally GPS and have had no issue with either one we owned. I am on my second unit. I do update the Rand McNally about every two months or so, we also have lifetime maps which is great.

My unit is set up for either RV or car. With the RV I have all of the data required, entered for my unit such as height, weight, NO. of axles, length and NO. of propane bottles and size.

We stayed at a KOA last year that was down a gravel road and my unit is set for no dirt roads or u-turns. Well I had to travel down this gravel road and my Rand McNally stated that I had to travel a gravel road and was this OK. If so, than hit the enter key on the screen. My unit does work as advertise and is great.

[BandJCarm]

Just an FYI. Do with it whatever you choose.

Google keeps a record, a track, of everywhere you are when you use Google Maps, and other Google products. It had a list of our extensive trip across USA in 2018. If you care, here is info on how to delete it:


https://www.theguardian.com/technolo...ation-tracking

[NXR]

Originally Posted by Jim34RL

I have the Rand McNally GPS and have had no issue with either one we owned.

Which do you have, the Overdryve 7 RV? They seem to have a lot including an "8 Pro" for trucks.

Do you get product updates as well, such as 7 to 8?

Do you know which tablet they use? Manufacturer, Android version, etc. I see it does not have "N" Wi-Fi or 5 GHz Wi-Fi capabilities which leads me to think it's "older".

Ray

[Mr. October]

I have to say the new reviews for the copilot app are terrible. I'm back to looking at dedicated devices again.

[CentralMePistol]

Originally Posted by Mr. October

I have to say the new reviews for the copilot app are terrible. I'm back to looking at dedicated devices again.

I can believe the reviews aren't great... I wasn't a huge fan before. Just to see what it would say I entered into google StoryLand (NH) from my current location in Central Maine. I should mention I have driven this route many times...
Well, it gave the typical route for a car, which includes some winding and hilly secondary state roads. I had to drag and drop a few points onto the map to get it to the best route to take with my camper. Final trip was 3 hr 16 min at 176 miles. Yup, about what I expected.
Time for the test; plugged the address into CoPilot (because you can't just search for the location like you can in google, point against CoPilot there) and was pleasantly surprised to see three possible routes pop up! Most importantly the route that was selected by default was THE SAME route I had to select in google AND listed 3 hr 18 min at 176 miles (I did not have to make any adjustments to get this preferred route!). The other two options also appeared on the map and are routes I have taken, just not the best route in my opinion. i am very pleasantly surprised to see that CoPilot avoided the secondary state roads that other GPS units surely would try to take me on. This gives me hope for the new maps when I travel in unfamiliar areas later this summer!

So in this case CoPilot was BETTER than Google. Not going to go all out and say it is perfect yet, but it appears that the updates to the app may have been a good change for them!

[pilotalso]

love me some Co-Pilot.


bought it a few years ago, got the RV version, got the new updated version with no upgrade charge,



Works great, Don't need WiFi because maps are downloaded onto the device.


No problems in about 18,000 miles of travel (albeit mostly midwest and the southwest)

[Mr. October]

Originally Posted by pilotalso

love me some Co-Pilot.


bought it a few years ago, got the RV version, got the new updated version with no upgrade charge,



Works great, Don't need WiFi because maps are downloaded onto the device.


No problems in about 18,000 miles of travel (albeit mostly midwest and the southwest)

A lot of the reviews now seem to indicate there is an annual subscription for the RV services. I'm assuming you were grand fathered in to that as a previous owner? I'm trying to figure out what the subscription service provides.

[pilotalso]

No annual fee that I know except if you want their active traffic which I find isn't quite as good as Waze.

[CentralMePistol]

Originally Posted by Mr. October

A lot of the reviews now seem to indicate there is an annual subscription for the RV services. I'm assuming you were grand fathered in to that as a previous owner? I'm trying to figure out what the subscription service provides.

You are correct about the annual fee... I purchased last summer and was also grandfathered in on my purchase. I have to pay $10 for the live traffic.
I believe the current subscription is $30 for RV with live traffic. Not outrageous but certainly not cheap. As I understand it includes Use of the app with downloadable maps and the live traffic. You can get the $27 subscription without traffic but for $3 you might as well.
It is helpful in unfamiliar areas as it gives you lane suggestions 2 miles ahead and gives you realistic travel time for the rv... not car travel.

I suppose if I wasn't grandfathered in I would probably pony up to avoid trouble spots. I had a very bad experience about 8 years ago with google maps, a mini bus loaded with a team, and Boston's Storrow Drive... No damage but man what a close call!

[TheWolfPaq82]

Two years ago Wife and I were following her brother down to KC for a wedding. Suddenly he takes an exit that heads to DesMoines IA. I called his cell and asked what the H*ll are you doing ?? He says "my Garmin said to take this exit." We waited on the side of the road for him to get turned around. He followed me the rest of the way.