Co-Pilot, MASSIVELY unimpressed (understatement) - it is GARBAGE. (1 Viewer)

[tonyidle]

They don't usually accept updates, I had a cheap one once. Very slow too.

The one I tried used Windows CE. Now THAT was slow

 

[Neilfg]

Jock, just re read your post ?. Where did you get the iGo software for your Android tablet?

Just re re read and realised it is installed on the unit you purchased ? DOH! Also found it on Google play so am going to install it and see what happens ?

 

[thebriars]

On a projected journey of 200 miles surely you would only preview the general route, looking at which town or part of town it was going through. Surely you are not going to look at EVERY junction? I am describing CoPilot telling you to turn off a major route then struggle for 200 - 300 meters then take you back onto the major route with no obvious reason.

Obviously you've not used the preview facility. While we have different sat navs in the cars and the motorhome they both do the same thing. You set the route to preview and then watch it follow the route at whatever speed and magnification you want. Ours can be slowed down at difficult points, or you can pause it and rewind to review bits again. It generally takes just 5 minutes to preview a 200 mile route. I remember a small roundabout on one route which led onto a motorway, but there were 7 junctions in all. It was great to zoom in and watch the preview in slomo to see exactly which exit to take.

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[thebriars]

Correct, they are all Garbage.

I haven't used sat nav for about 3 years and the journey is now totally stress free. It's just a case of following the signs to the next city/town or "Toutes Directions"
I have Google maps on so I always know where we are and maybe switch to navigation mode for the last couple of turns to guide us in.

I've used sat navs regularly for over 10 years in UK, on the continent, in the US, Canada and New Zealand. Totally stress free, just listen to the voice commands, and an occasional glance at the screen when coming up to a difficult junction. Very, very rarely had a problem. If I think its turning down a narrow road, I simply carry straight on and let it find a new route.

 

[Richard n Ann]

I've used sat navs regularly for over 10 years in UK, on the continent, in the US, Canada and New Zealand. Totally stress free, just listen to the voice commands, and an occasional glance at the screen when coming up to a difficult junction. Very, very rarely had a problem. If I think its turning down a narrow road, I simply carry straight on and let it find a new route.

How patronising.. ?
My first sat nav was the Garmin iQue3200 in 2003 it cost me about £750 by the time I'd bought the 256mb memory card (£75) and the bean bag dash mount. It was so bad I vowed not to buy anything Garmin again. And to this day I haven't... What I did do is buy a few Tomtoms as they seemed to be leading the way back then, but with successive disappointments i now use Google maps/navigation it has left dedicated hardware units standing.

 

[sallylillian]

How patronising.. ?

Really, you should read your reply again!

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[Jim]

Can we nudge the civility up a little please and the my cat's blacker than yours down a bit..Thanks

IMO you are all using your sat navs wrong

I use satnav even when I know the route, as its nice to know arrival times and distance to junctions etc but mostly I'm ignoring it. However , driving oversize vehicles for years means it's important I stay on track but life's too short to watch route previews. If it's a route I don't know or I haven't travelled in a while, then I tell the sat nav where to guide me. Not the other way round. I choose the precise route I want to take, and then squirt that to the Garmin, via basecamp, so no surprises at all. Not one.

 

[cliffanger]

The night before, We had thought to stop in Reims, but the Aires was impossible to find, so we retraced our route and went to Chamery.

Yesterday, on leaving Chamery, It took us through some tiny roads and villages - too small to be named on the map! However, when we passed through the village of Courville, I worked out that it had navigated us from Chamery onto the D31 at Fismes by going ‘cross country’ rather than directing us back onto the D980, which would have been better, I suppose.

However, once we got onto the D31 it was fine.

It wanted to turn left onto another minor road, but we stayed on the main road into Amiens.

The only reason I can think of for this is that it wants to take you on the shortest route, even though we’ve programmed it to follow the ‘fastest’ route.

The jury is still out - we know our way to the final stop tonight, so we don’t have to follow it blindly today!

 

[fifthwheel]

Can we nudge the civility up a little please and the my cat's blacker than yours down a bit..Thanks

IMO you are all using your sat navs wrong

I use satnav even when I know the route, as its nice to know arrival times and distance to junctions etc but mostly I'm ignoring it. However , driving oversize vehicles for years means it's important I stay on track but life's too short to watch route previews. If it's a route I don't know or I haven't travelled in a while, then I tell the sat nav where to guide me. Not the other way round. I choose the precise route I want to take, and then squirt that to the Garmin, via basecamp, so no surprises at all. Not one.

To do that would I have to put in waypoints to tell the device the route I want?

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[Jim]

To do that would I have to put in waypoints to tell the device the route I want?

I use garmin basecamp . Its a bit clunky but works

 

[JockandRita]

Jock, just re read your post ?. Where did you get the iGo software for your Android tablet?

As you've discovered Neil, it was already on there with TomTom maps, which I have totally replaced with the better HERE maps.

Is your copilot installed on an iPhone or an android phone / tablet?

On and Android phone and tablet, upgraded to Co-Pilot GPS.

Wonder why it's using Android 4? Current version is at least 9. Does it accept Android updates?

Sorry Tony, I haven't a clue. I bought it for the 9" screen and dash cam facility.

They don't usually accept updates, I had a cheap one once. Very slow too.

Myself and TheHat Bill (who put me on to it) are using them successfully, with no delay or freezing to the navigation at all. As I posted earlier, the video quality for the GPS dash cam is pretty good. I've not had a chance to try it out on night driving yet.

Just re re read and realised it is installed on the unit you purchased ? DOH! Also found it on Google play so am going to install it and see what happens ?

Good luck Neil. Let us know how you get on please.

IMO you are all using your sat navs wrong

Not quite all Jim. I often input co-ords from Google Maps, taking me on the route I want to take, rather than follow the unit blindly. Zooming right in on the maps allows me to be careful not to pick up the co-ords for the wrong side of a dual carriageway or motorway along the route.

Cheers,

Jock.

 

[tonyidle]

Not quite all @Jim. I often input co-ords from Google Maps, taking me on the route I want to take, rather than follow the unit blindly. Zooming right in on the maps allows me to be careful not to pick up the co-ords for the wrong side of a dual carriageway or motorway along the route.

Cheers,

Jock.

All I ever do is put in the Post Code or co-ords then follow the instructions. I've been caught out by weird campsite access once or twice but I don't care because I've no schedule. I have tried various 'size of vehicle' settings but none work that well so I keep my eyes open for narrow routes. I have set the vehicle icon as a mh though . Vehicle is 8 metres towing 4+ metre trailer. We always get very near to where we're headed.

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[Cairngorm]

That looks very much the same as the Nozatec and XGody 714 units. The XGody 886 is a much better unit, than the earlier versions. (Edited............ it appears to be the same as the 886 unit, ie, with the capacitive screen. )


I've been using one for several years myself, but always with updated Truck mapping. I am currently using 2019 Q1 maps, with the all important .ftr Truck files.


That's exactly where I found myself, regarding Co-Pilot


As above, I would recommend the XGody 886 with the capacitive screen. however, no matter which Cheapy Chinese Sat nav you buy, you WILL have to update the maps, as more often than not, they do not come with the "all important" Truck Files. Their own "Lifetime Free Maps" source is absolute pants, however, there are more reliable sources, ie, Facebook Nozatec Sat Nav User Group.

I am experimenting with a 9" Android tablet with a built in 1080p resolution dash cam, using the same iGo software and HERE 2019 maps. Navigation wise, it is as reliable as the cheaper 7" units, with excellent dash cam video quality. It was the mounting bracket that let it down, causing me to revert back to my 7"unit for our Irish tour, however, that bracket failure has now been addressed.

Cheers,

Jock.

It might amuse you to know that I bought my first Nozatec on your recommendation and then upgraded to Xgody. I also have gone down the route of an Lenovo Android tablet and tried to use the iGo Next Generation system, but I have not a good experience with it at all. Didn’t like the look of the screen app and had great difficulty in getting voice guidance to work at all. Contacted iGo with my grievances and eventually we agreed that getting a refund was the way to go as they were still working on a resolution to the problem.
Back to the research.

 

[Cairngorm]

As you've discovered Neil, it was already on there with TomTom maps, which I have totally replaced with the better HERE maps.


On and Android phone and tablet, upgraded to Co-Pilot GPS.


Sorry Tony, I haven't a clue. I bought it for the 9" screen and dash cam facility.


Myself and TheHat Bill (who put me on to it) are using them successfully, with no delay or freezing to the navigation at all. As I posted earlier, the video quality for the GPS dash cam is pretty good. I've not had a chance to try it out on night driving yet.


Good luck Neil. Let us know how you get on please.


Not quite all Jim. I often input co-ords from Google Maps, taking me on the route I want to take, rather than follow the unit blindly. Zooming right in on the maps allows me to be careful not to pick up the co-ords for the wrong side of a dual carriageway or motorway along the route.

Cheers,

Jock.

As you've discovered Neil, it was already on there with TomTom maps, which I have totally replaced with the better HERE maps.

Would you honestly trust a device from a manufacturer whose only claim to fame was making domestic mixers?

​

We bought a Kenwood dishwasher on a Which recommendation and it has been good.

 

[Pausim]

We bought a Kenwood dishwasher on a Which recommendation and it has been good.

I can’t get one on my dashboard but I am hoping that next years iPhone will do the washing up.

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[pete4x4]

I'm coming into this probably too late to be viewed as constructive but if anybody does read it, the current version of copilot is the same on Android and IOS, ie the way it works, if the road resrtictions are in place within the Routing Profile then any road that doesnt meet the dimension critera will be lined each side in Red. If your not seeing these restricted roads and there a lot of them then your routing profile is not quite right.
This happens all over Europe for me, I have two profiles set up one for the Motorhome and one for the Car.
I am not using the caravan version just the standard version which I will admit bought 10 years ago and has updates for life so I can say it is Version 10.11.1.80 map is Road Network 1.4.1.1 Build2

 

[JockandRita]

We always get very near to where we're headed.

Without wishing to sound cocky, the method I use as posted above, takes us to exactly where we are headed Tony. Using Google Street View, allows me to view the approach and entrance at my destination, if it's not one I have been to before.

Back to the research.

Back to the Xgody 886 then, with 2019 maps and .tfr files.

Cheers,

Jock.

 

[sallylillian]

Without wishing to sound cocky, the method I use as posted above, takes us to exactly where we are headed Tony. Using Google Street View, allows me to view the approach and entrance at my destination, if it's not one I have been to before.


Back to the Xgody 886 then, with 2019 maps and .tfr files.

Cheers,

Jock.

I always use street view Jock, a left over from RV days, when they answer an email enquiry "I have a 12metre long 4 metre high RV do you have any access restrictions" with "no problem we look forward to seeing you". Then street view. "I have seen you have an arch over your entrance can you advise its height" "Sure that is 3.8 metres". "So how do I get under that if I am 4 metres". "Ah, you are that high?"
And so on. Now I dont even bother to ask, go straight to street view.

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[Reallyretired]

I use Xgody and Copilot together. I always like a second opinion. I have also tried Sygic which seems OK and Navmii which is free with a RV setting. Navmii is much slower at calculating a long route than the others for some reason.
On the whole Xgody seems the best though new maps can be a problem unless you use the Faceache group. It also can use tomtom pois.

 

[Ebby]

I’ve been using copilot caravan for quite a few years now and I find it brilliant and easy to use,the only place it’s ever let me down is through Swaffham in Norfolk on the A1065 going north and south.Its been perfect in France but certainly doesn’t like Swaffham.

 

[Pausim]

certainly doesn’t like Swaffham.

Or the South Hams or the Wye Valley, at which point I gave up using it.

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[hilldweller]

Using Google Street View, allows me to view the approach and entrance at my destination,

But not in Germany, unfortunately.

 

[sallylillian]

But not in Germany, unfortunately.

But they can fly drones!

 

[JockandRita]

But not in Germany, unfortunately.

How long has it been like that Brian, as a few years ago (2014/2015), before I sent the coordinates to others of a suitable a meeting area on the Autobhan Service Area, I viewed it on Google Street View first.
You are right of course, as a quick squint at Nordinglen before posting, was unsuccessful.

Cheers,

Jock.

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[funflair]

How long has it been like that Brian, as a few years ago (2014/2015), before I sent the coordinates to others of a suitable a meeting area on the Autobhan Service Area, I viewed it on Google Street View first.
You are right of course, as a quick squint at Nordinglen before posting, was unsuccessful.

Cheers,

Jock.

Works for me

Martin

 

[sallylillian]

Works for me

Martin

How Martin, street view definitely does not work in Deutschland, Das ist Verboten!!

 

[funflair]

How Martin, street view definitely does not work in Deutschland, Das ist Verboten!!

Google earth Pro on MacBook, I have just been in Dusseldorf town centre,

This is the Messe entrance from the motorway,

Martin

OK just an update, it works in some towns but not out in the sticks,

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[sallylillian]

Interesting, I don't use Earth that much, but Google maps.

 

[hilldweller]

How long has it been like that Brian
Jock.

Sorry, no idea. Very annoying though.

 

[Pausim]

Seems to be working from the UK but with some blanked out bits, possibly residential buildings. Perhaps it would work in Germany if routed through a VPN and a UK server?

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}