re joining route mid way ?

[Con Hennekens]

@Douglas-E-Reid said in re joining route mid way ?:

all that detail disappeared, all I could see was the map with the blue line of the route and the odd looking symbol in the top left

no arrival times or turn instructions

This sounds like the offroad symbol (something with a tree in it)... Your current location was probably uncharted on the map? The app goes in offroad mode and cannot calculate a new suggestion until on a charted road again.

[Paul Hicks]

I have been testing the MyRoute app over the past couple of weeks in preparation for a 1000k trip around Southeast Queensland (using offline maps). Still to test it with the Chigee system but I think I have a few basics sorted.

The app (version 4.4.1) is still inadequate if you, for any reason, take a wrong turn. Apart from being very slow to recalculate and set course for the next way/shaping point it is inconsistent. I have done the same deliberate off route path and have received two different answers. In another case, without being "Off route", it tried to take me off a major highway on to a back road, yet the day before it was perfect? You cannot trust this in City Traffic with complex road systems. It is simply inconsistent and takes way too long to recalculate and get you back on route. That is if it does, which is not guaranteed.

I have found having your start point a minimum of 400 odd metres down the road, or preferably when you are out of city roads, helps. Using a separate address to the finish sorted out a few other problems (Unable to calculate route and redirection back to waypoint 1 when recalculating. Also, if there is a chance of diverting from part of the planned route (a short distance less than 1 to 2 k) install a waypoint/shaping point where the two paths rejoin. However, this worked a couple of times then failed another. That inconsistency again.

So, I have adopted a few rules:

• Do not use in heavy traffic in areas with complex road systems. Use Google Maps.
• Set the start point down the road from the actual start.
• Start and finish points are to be separate locations
• Don't deviate from the planned route. Only use the app where there is limited deviation risk.

I am about to test MyRoute with the Chigee AIO system to see how that goes.

Overall, there is nothing as good as MyRoute for route planning and the app is a further great step, particularly being Android Auto approved. But it needs some of the recalculation limitations addressed quickly before people lose faith in it. At the moment it is too inconsistent to trust in city type navigation. Is using it in cities even the plan? If it's not how will the planning integrate routes that incorporate city roads? I think a country run with it will be OK as it is.

[TomOnTour]

Hmmm,

Interesting feedback. Reading your message, I assume that lots of your problems are related to offline usage.
I went on a 8000 KM trip last year and never head any issues like you are describing.
At the moment I am on a 6000 KM trip around the baltic sea and at tleast until now (about 2000 km done) no problems at all. ButI need to say: I always have downloaded maps, but drive "online".

[Con Hennekens]

@Paul-Hicks said in re joining route mid way ?:

Do not use in heavy traffic in areas with complex road systems. Use Google Maps.

The app is designed to have you follow your route, not to make exactly the same detour when you deviate. Why is that a problem? Your suggestion of using gmaps is perfectly fine for A2B routes. I use gMaps a lot myself. But of course NOT for scenic routes, that's exactly where gMaps sucks.

Set the start point down the road from the actual start.
Start and finish points are to be separate locations

Both of these are not rules but common sense in any planner program

Don't deviate from the planned route. Only use the app where there is limited deviation risk.

Deviating in a pre-planned route is usually not something you do by choice. I do not see any problem with deviations in routes. The app works perfectly fine in cities too, if you want to ride your scenic routes there. Maybe if you could indicate what, in your opinion, is wrong exactly, without hiding it behind an inconsistency claim.

[Paul Hicks]

Thanks for the feed back Con. I assume you are from outside of Australia. You are obviously an experienced user of the App and I am apparently not. Your vast experience of planning nuances are things I am just picking up obviously.

I will clarify that deviating from a route although intentional in this case, is not if you take a wrong turn or forced to detour for any number of reasons which is common in Australia. That is what I was testing. And by the way when you test things you control the variable to see the result. It did not come up trumps and doing it a few times exactly the same way yielded different results, that's "inconsistent" and it took too long to provide a result. That is incompatible with city travel, particularly in heavy traffic. Of course, knowing this limitation, I will adjust my planning methodology and app use accordingly.

As I said in my original note, I am already a dedicated fan of MyRoute and have been for years using it conjunction with a Garmin Zumo. The results were great. Planning trips up to 4.5K was a breeze and I had never had to abide by the "common sense" that I now have to. City or Country it worked CONSISTENTLY.

New bike, new technology and I decided to use the phone app for directions and not the Garmin. It's good but it currently has some bugs that my specific testing identified. Fix those and it will be by far the best planning/navigating system available.

[Con Hennekens]

@Paul-Hicks you assume right, Ib aan not from Australia. I live on the Netherlands, where road density in rural areas is probably higher than in your urban areas. Still I do not experience what you do.

Could you place a link to your test route? Or DM it to me if you don't want it to be public?

[Brian McG]

@TomOnTour said in re joining route mid way ?:

I assume that lots of your problems are related to offline usage.

Sorry Tom, just have to say that is a poor assumption,
I have done over 10km in offline mode this summer & it has been pretty flawless

[Brian McG]

Hi @Paul-Hicks it is very difficult to advise where MRA could be going wrong with a route when a deviation occurs especially when the only person who knows where this is occurring is yourself
If you share the route & advise where you are deliberately creating the deviation it might be possible for someone to work out what is occuring,
otherwise we are just guessing or more appropriately riding blind

[Paul Hicks]

Thanks for the feedback. The link below is the route I set up to test and am trialing it on a daily basis. The first deliberate deviation is around the alternative roads between waypoints 1 and 2 (basically following the return route roads, waypoints 4 to 5) and the second is between 2 and 3. The first time it worked well, the second time it tried to take me back to waypoint 1. I didn't check the waypoint icon at that time, to see what was going on there. Traffic was just a little busy to concentrate on something other than the traffic.

On another trip I travelled between way point three and four without a problem. On a second trip the app tried to take me off route (M1) about 10k from waypoint 4 and put me on Old Gympie Road. That one confuses me. I have no idea what happened, unless there is some traffic congestion input? (fastest trip?). Thanks in advance for any advice that I can get.

In most of my trips there are so many dead spots with no online data available, and I have to rely on off-line. My focus is testing and understanding that, as my trip to Biggenden and back is only a couple of weeks away. But I will do a test route online and see what difference that makes.

I have made a few trips on the planner public, including the upcoming trip. Feel free to check them out. There is a Cleveland Snowy Mountains trip I did a few years ago planned in MyRoute loaded onto a Garmin Zumo. It gave 10 days, guidance didn't miss a beat. Country and city alike.

Test trip - https://www.myrouteapp.com/en/social/route/12045745?mode=share

[Marinus van Deudekom]

@Paul-Hicks hi Paul
I’ve looked at you test route. All of your shaping and viapoints are Off route.
I would suggestieve that you fix that first. If you diviate on a route like it’s now the chances Off strange behaviour are big.

[Nick Carthew]

@Marinus-van-Deudekom Are they off the route line? Not enough to make a difference when I look!

@Paul-Hicks If you want to stay true to your original route, I would recommend adding some more shaping points. If you’re navigating online there’s a chance that traffic/road conditions could have an effect on the recalculations.

[Con Hennekens]

@Paul-Hicks, Also you place waypoints too close and even ON roundabouts and crossings. That's not good practice. But also this route is a back and forth route over the same roads. I think any skipping algorithm will by fooled by that. It is not really representing a usual scenic route.

[Paul Hicks]

Marinus/Nick,
Thanks for the heads up. I am not sure if you know we drive on the left-hand side of the road down under. Checked the "Off Route" waypoints and shaping point and only had one in a property and not on route. I moved that. All other points remain as is and the app picked them all up perfectly, progressing from one to the next in logical sequence. I was following the route without deviation.

I gathered some courage from that, (lol) and went out testing the app on a scenic tour using it with Android Auto. That also didn't miss a beat once I got a couple of things sorted and until the phone battery went flat. Not sure I can blame the flat battery on MyRoute?

I am now pretty comfortable that I am not going to run into anything unsolvable when I head out in a couple of weeks. And yes, I remain a fan of MyRoute.

Con, you have the route "Zetta School Run". Here's what happened a couple of days ago when I deliberately went of course again, between points 1 and 2. The app continually redirected back to the route between point 1 to point 2 even though I was less than 300m from point 2. I cleared point 2 as a shaping point at that point and the app immediately recalculated to point 3 perfectly. Could not have been better. I am not sure of the logic as to why this was the case although I could have an educated guess. But just knowing how things behave all helps me use the app more effectively.

I appreciate all the comments and advice that I have received. PS I only had the positioning working "while using the app" option. With Android Auto it has to be all the time. I am now leaving it on that setting. Another test. :-).

[Con Hennekens]

@Paul-Hicks said in re joining route mid way ?:

Not sure I can blame the flat battery on MyRoute?

I think the power drain of the app is perhaps a bit more than seen with other apps, but in most cases not really a concern anymore. What I experienced myself is that the powerdrain of wireless Android Auto itself is quite significant. Are you using this wirelessly?

The app continually redirected back to the route between point 1 to point 2 even though I was less than 300m from point 2

This sounds as if it was still directing you to WP1, probably because you did not "hit" it at the start of your route. It is a common mistake to place WP1 at your doorstep, it should be placed a bit further down the route. On AA/CP devices there is no indication of which WP is the next target. But since WP1 is always a VIA point, it will not skip automatically.

[Paul Hicks]

I actually have a power supply in my panniers with a couple of USB chargers that I keep the phone and camera batteries plugged into on a trip. Unfortunately, the one I plugged the phone into wasn't connecting properly and it didn't charge my phone. That's entirely on me. But I admit, the app consumes some power. Without the phone on a charger I doubt if I'd get more than 2 or 3 hours before being it was flat. That's based on my experience without android auto. I wouldn't even contemplate using the MyRoute App/Android Auto without a power supply to my phone.

Sorry Con, I can absolutely assure you that Way point 1 was moved away from the start of my journey, and it was identified as I passed it. I was merrily on my way to shaping point 2 according to the app. I think, and is only a thought, that once I went off course (intentionally) the app somehow tried to get me back on course (which is logical) but without a full route recalculation to work out the shortest/fastest route to the next waypoint/shaping point. Once I cleared shaping point 2, (and I hadn't yet reached shaping point 2) the app appeared to fully recalculate and set course for the next shaping point (point 3) perfectly. Smarter men than I can ponder that one.....lol

[Con Hennekens]

@Paul-Hicks, That actually sounds like it functioning completely as intended
The app will not skip a waypoint at first occasion, but only at the second or more occasions, when certain conditions are met. Afterall, it tries to follow your meticulously planned route without skipping a lot.

[Con Hennekens]

@Paul-Hicks, I found a threat where @Corjan-Meijerink explains the skipping logic in more detail:
https://forum.myrouteapp.com/post/64435

There has been an update concerning this though:

• rule 2 says "are we moving" has been changed to "is my speed below 10 kph", to avoid unwanted recalculations while standing still, due to GPS inconsistencies.
• rule 5 says "are you more than 30 km away from the the next shapingpoint to be skipped too", this has been reduced to 20 km

I have been testing this quite extensively before and after the update, and find the logic quite satisfying, but you must keep in mind that routes are not about getting somewhere quick, but about maintaining them as much as is reasonable. The latter of course being interpretable in different ways

[Brian McG]

Hi @Con-Hennekens said in re joining route mid way ?:

this route is a back and forth route over the same roads.
I would totaly agree some navigations systems would totaly freak out at a path that returned over the same roads,
have seen many instances where Garmin systems just cannot cope with a simple figure of 8 looping route they have to be divided into out & back sections to get them even to calculate correctly

have to say I have been very impressed with how MRA handles figure of 8 routes & returning over the same roads, not personally had a falure yet

[Paul Hicks]

Con - That post you sent me explains a lot. Thanks. It certainly is interesting and explains a lot of what I have seen. Just to reemphasize, without deliberate deviation, the app is working fine, and I can't see a problem with how I want to use it.

Certainly, my intentional deviation, shaping, and way point placements did not give the app the full opportunity to do its thing. Hence some of the negative perception I was gaining.

[Con Hennekens]

@Paul-Hicks, I am glad it was helpful