Roger Long wrote:
"Dennis Pogson" wrote

In view of the complexity of these modern map GPS units, I have
found that most problems are due to lack of knowledge (by the user)
.......

Here is the specific issue that prompts my post:

I set up a route on the computer with MetroGuide and everything is
fine. I transfer it, with the waypoints to the GPS, and it looks
fine. As soon as I activate or recalculate it, it drops two of the
waypoints and moves the route to crossing the harbor (by car) and
then back across the bridge to go through the waypoint I put in to
force that route instead of the more round about one it selected
first. I verified that the waypoints are in the correct order and
active.

I tried deleting all routes and recreating the route on the GPS. It
then comes up with the same weird, amphibious car required directions.

Does this sound like a user error?

Everything worked fine the first time I used it on a complex route in
the Washington DC area. I was just learing it and, whew, I'd still
be circling around down there with a puzzled look on my face without
it. Up here, with that learning experience behind me, I can't make
it work on the roads I know best.

I'm suspecting an error in the local map. It seemed to work fine
away from Portand and on a different route from our destination to
the airport to drop off my father.

Metroguide in the UK does not autoroute at all. My understanding is that the
US version does autoroute. We have to use City Select Europe to invoke
autorouting, and this works extremely well, but is expensive, and requires
an unlock key, which Metroguide does not. It would be interesting to try one
of the other Garmin mapping software applications for the US and see whether
it is the Metroguide software that is the problem.

Bluecharts Atlantic also requires an unlock key, but I have found it to be
totally reliable, with one exception, if I have the same coastal area loaded
to my GPS which is covered by both Bluecharts and City Select software, the
City Select maps assume precedence over the Bluecharts, so that sailing near
the coast, one loses the marine chart. The solution is to untick the road
map in the "map page" to allow the Bluecharts chart to display. I found this
annoying, but I suppose we sailors are a unique bunch of users in that we
want to use our cars to get down to the boat, then use the same instrument
on the boat as a navigation tool. Running down to the coast the other day, I
found that I ran out of road completely and seemed to be motoring across
country, even though I was on a major highway!

It would be interesting to try your route in another Garmin equipped with
the City Select software, or whatever the US equivalent is, and to see
whether the same anomalies apply.

Dennis.