Navitel Observation Thread

[yaozer]

Thought I might as well start the ball rolling. With my Samsung Galaxy S2, I was able to test Navitel and RG's corresponding map yesterday and today. I wasn't able to install Navitel version 3 since it force closes on my S2, so I've installed version 5 instead. Here are my initial observations:

1) When I zoom in, some of the streets seem to be disjointed. Is this the aforementioned "visual glitches" of version 5 when using the RG map?

2) When I was driving along Kalaw St. in Malate, direction is towards Roxas Blvd., my routing session requires me to turn left on M.H. del Pilar, but the guidance voice tells me to "Keep right" on that T-intersection. The pink guidance line on screen also turns left, but the guidance voice is not correct. I wonder if it has something to do with the T-intersection looking disjointed visually.

3) Every time I do not follow the pink routing line, the vehicle icon still tries to follow it, even though I have already changed course (turned left or right already). The screen will then freeze for about 3-5 seconds, then that's the only time the guidance voice will say "Off-route, recalculating", and finally show the right map orientation and heading. It seems to me that Navitel's recalculation algorithm is slower than Garmin's, it even freezes the screen while doing it. With Garmin, the vehicle icon will follow your actual course even if you are not following the pink routing line, and then signals a recalculation on the fly without any screen freeze when its off-route distance tolerance is reached. I hope Navitel improves on this one. I will still be observing in the coming days.

Anyway, so far, the experience is quite a pleasant one, the Navitel - RG Map combination is very much useable and functional. I do hope this Navitel initiative will continue to be supported by Roadguide.

How about you guys? Any observations? Let's discuss them!

[Jan]

Thought I might as well start the ball rolling. With my Samsung Galaxy S2, I was able to test Navitel and RG's corresponding map yesterday and today. I wasn't able to install Navitel version 3 since it force closes on my S2, so I've installed version 5 instead. Here are my initial observations:

1) When I zoom in, some of the streets seem to be disjointed. Is this the aforementioned "visual glitches" of version 5 when using the RG map?

2) When I was driving along Kalaw St. in Malate, direction is towards Roxas Blvd., my routing session requires me to turn left on M.H. del Pilar, but the guidance voice tells me to "Keep right" on that T-intersection. The pink guidance line on screen also turns left, but the guidance voice is not correct. I wonder if it has something to do with the T-intersection looking disjointed visually.

3) Every time I do not follow the pink routing line, the vehicle icon still tries to follow it, even though I have already changed course (turned left or right already). The screen will then freeze for about 3-5 seconds, then that's the only time the guidance voice will say "Off-route, recalculating", and finally show the right map orientation and heading. It seems to me that Navitel's recalculation algorithm is slower than Garmin's, it even freezes the screen while doing it. With Garmin, the vehicle icon will follow your actual course even if you are not following the pink routing line, and then signals a recalculation on the fly without any screen freeze when its off-route distance tolerance is reached. I hope Navitel improves on this one. I will still be observing in the coming days.

Anyway, so far, the experience is quite a pleasant one, the Navitel - RG Map combination is very much useable and functional. I do hope this Navitel initiative will continue to be supported by Roadguide.

How about you guys? Any observations? Let's discuss them!

1. yes
2.kindly upload gdb here. waypoint where it prompted you. tia

[hbt]

whats your firmware? froyo or gingerbread?

[arvin555]

Yaozer,

Thanks for being the first to do a user Navitel review.

I have a few suggestions which may or may not help you with some of your observations. I found that the default settings on mine are at what I want them to be, but haven't really been using my navitel that much yet.

1. About slow update of your position after you turn, etc. please check the following: Menu/Settings/Navigation

a. Lock on Road- there are a lot of choices, which I actually am confused with, will read on it soon, but please tinker around the settings, mine is on Auto. On Garmin, most of us are told to turn it off.

b. Reset Position-Mine is on 5seconds, I suspect best setting is 5sec.

c. Guidance- There is an offroute sensitivity, mine is in the Low mode, maybe high is better? Not sure!

2. Can you try simulating the same route:
Info here:
http://roadguide.ph/forums/showthread.php?t=4434

See if it happens again. I tried a few minutes ago, unfortunately was not able to replicate what you mentioned.

Cheers!
TTFN
Arvin

[doki]

a. Lock on Road- there are a lot of choices, which I actually am confused with, will read on it soon, but please tinker around the settings, mine is on Auto.
On Garmin, most of us are told to turn it off.

turn off if you intend to record tracks for submitting purposes kuya.
on regular use, you can turn it on so that the car icon stays on the road.

[travelbug]

Thought I might as well start the ball rolling. With my Samsung Galaxy S2, I was able to test Navitel and RG's corresponding map yesterday and today. I wasn't able to install Navitel version 3 since it force closes on my S2, so I've installed version 5 instead. Here are my initial observations:

1) When I zoom in, some of the streets seem to be disjointed. Is this the aforementioned "visual glitches" of version 5 when using the RG map?

2) When I was driving along Kalaw St. in Malate, direction is towards Roxas Blvd., my routing session requires me to turn left on M.H. del Pilar, but the guidance voice tells me to "Keep right" on that T-intersection. The pink guidance line on screen also turns left, but the guidance voice is not correct. I wonder if it has something to do with the T-intersection looking disjointed visually.

3) Every time I do not follow the pink routing line, the vehicle icon still tries to follow it, even though I have already changed course (turned left or right already). The screen will then freeze for about 3-5 seconds, then that's the only time the guidance voice will say "Off-route, recalculating", and finally show the right map orientation and heading. It seems to me that Navitel's recalculation algorithm is slower than Garmin's, it even freezes the screen while doing it. With Garmin, the vehicle icon will follow your actual course even if you are not following the pink routing line, and then signals a recalculation on the fly without any screen freeze when its off-route distance tolerance is reached. I hope Navitel improves on this one. I will still be observing in the coming days.

Anyway, so far, the experience is quite a pleasant one, the Navitel - RG Map combination is very much useable and functional. I do hope this Navitel initiative will continue to be supported by Roadguide.

How about you guys? Any observations? Let's discuss them!

i am also using a samsung galaxy s2 on villainrom 2.4.2 and kg6 modem.
i did not install the latest version of navigator since it intercepts all my sms.
i have reverted the last update instead and things are working great.
ive never noticed the 3-5 second pauses you mentioned. recalculation is almost instantaneous, but i guess this also depends on how complex your route is.

i did note that it did choose u-turns a lot before looking for alternative routes, much more so than the garmin xt i used on my omnia (this was with u-turn options off). it could be attributed to me using the standard map on android and using the contributors map on winmo, but im not sure.

it takes me 5 minutes or so to get an initial lock but everything else after is a 1-5secs lock(if i switch the app off and on again). id say navitel is a good looking, stable program, and its a keeper for me. i just hope they get rid of the sms intercpets and get a little better in routing.

[Monkeyking]

Also a S2 user, and here are my observations and workarounds. I'm using the android version 5.0.1.279.

1. Rerouting lags and keeps on pointing in the route direction instead of the directions my car is now in.

Solution: Go to menu, settings, navigation, guidance, and set off route sensitivity to the highest. Rerouting will be almost instantaenous.

Also go to menu, settings, map, map rotation, and choose track up, that way, if you go off route, the map will rotate the way you turn.

2. Navitel sms keeps on taking over the phone's sms function.

Solution: Go to menu, settings, on-line services, data exchange, uncheck "allow navitel sms". Warning, doing this may not allow you to send gps coordinates to other navitel users.

*update* This doesn't work, navitel icon still appears when ever there's an sms.

3. Gps lock taking a few minutes on cold start.

Solution: Try using gps booster, free from the market, cold start locks takes about less than a minute for me.

[travelbug]

Also a S2 user, and here are my observations and workarounds. I'm using the android version 5.0.1.279.

1. Rerouting lags and keeps on pointing in the route direction instead of the directions my car is now in.

Solution: Go to menu, settings, navigation, guidance, and set off route sensitivity to the highest. Rerouting will be almost instantaenous.

Also go to menu, settings, map, map rotation, and choose track up, that way, if you go off route, the map will rotate the way you turn.

2. Navitel sms keeps on taking over the phone's sms function.

Solution: Go to menu, settings, on-line services, data exchange, uncheck "allow navitel sms". Warning, doing this may not allow you to send gps coordinates to other navitel users.

3. Gps lock taking a few minutes on cold start.

Solution: Try using gps booster, free from the market, cold start locks takes about less than a minute for me.

Nice tips but I tried disabling the sms notification and it still appears

[doki]

1. Rerouting lags and keeps on pointing in the route direction instead of the directions my car is now in.

Solution: Go to menu, settings, navigation, guidance, and set off route sensitivity to the highest. Rerouting will be almost instantaenous.

i can also confirm this. just tried it today. rerouting is faster if settings is set to highest sensitivity.

[jayteecie]

On an iPhone 4, sat lock occurs in under 10 seconds, 3D fix +/-5m. Recalculation lags however so will try Monkeyking's settings and will report back.

[registrar]

@yaozer
noticed you have a viliv tablet. Was planning way back to get this instead of the ipad 2 because it has the sirf iii gps chipset. Do you think the winmo Navitel version would work on this?

[jayteecie]

+1
Tried the highest sensitivity and it works! Thanks for the tip!

i can also confirm this. just tried it today. rerouting is faster if settings is set to highest sensitivity.

[Monkeyking]

Nice tips but I tried disabling the sms notification and it still appears

Aaaargghhhh! I checked again, and yes, sms notification still pops out navitel's icon!

[travelbug]

Aaaargghhhh! I checked again, and yes, sms notification still pops out navitel's icon!

the new version of navitel is checking every sms to see if it is a navitel sms, and from the navitel forums there is no way to disable it in this version. not good

[travelbug]

Also a S2 user, and here are my observations and workarounds. I'm using the android version 5.0.1.279.

3. Gps lock taking a few minutes on cold start.

Solution: Try using gps booster, free from the market, cold start locks takes about less than a minute for me.

gps booster in the android market is incompatible with the sgs2, it says...