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What is the "allowable" minimum distance between Waypoints?

6017467
over 2 years ago

I'm a substitute school bus driver and I desire to create "routes" for each bus Run / Stop. I created a test route using waypoints for every published stop on a route and organized their order appropriately . Upon test driving the route, the route worked for the first two stops (there is a distance of 0.97 miles between stop 1 and stop 2). However, the 3rd (third) stop was not recognized and Garmin pestered me to do a U-Turn. As I sit here writing I can think of 2 possible reasons for this;

1 - The distance between stop 2 and stop 3 is 0.11 miles and Garmin can't calculate that small of a distance

2 - I did not actually come to a full stop as I would have in a school bus because I was test driving the route in my car. (Considering that a school bus would need ~45 to 75 seconds to load students)

I will create another test route that I can vet for scenario 2 in my neighborhood but I like to know if BaseCamp has restrictions on the distances between waypoints.

Thanks,

Mike

  • 0 over 2 years ago

    I am not an expert but I have come to learn that your GPS will ALWAYS calculate the path between waypoints.  This may differ from what you see in Basecamp, and it also depends on the preference settings in Basecamp and your GPS. Waypoints are typically locations where you truly want to go (such as in your example).  It is important to also insert additional waypoints (or actually "non-alerting" shaping points) along the route you intend.  This will then force the GPS to generate a path that you want. Your issue may be insufficient shaping points along your route.  Another scenario causing the U-turn is that your waypoint is located on the wrong side of the road.  This can occur if the road where you want a waypoint is a multi-lane road with center divider and your GPS is trying to get you to "the other side of the road".  Simply moving the waypoint may solve the problem.  Bottom line is there is no real practical minimum distance between waypoints.  Hope this is of some assistance.

  • 0 over 1 year ago

    Maybe the GPS really decided that you just slowed down at the traffic light and didn’t make a stop.

  • 0 over 1 year ago in reply to DriveAssist 51
    DriveAssist 51 said:
    I am not an expert but I have come to learn that your GPS will ALWAYS calculate the path between waypoints

    This is often true but not ALWAYS!  If the map in BaseCamp and the map in the GPS are the same, AND, the route options in BaseCamp and the GPS are the same then the GPS should accept the BaseCamp route without recalculation.  AFAIK, there is not minimum distance limit.  I know for a fact that you do not need to physically stop at a waypoint.  You must get physically close enough to its coordinates for the GPS to consider it 'visited' but you can do that by driving through ones that are placed on the road.  "On the road" is the key.  It is very easy to drop waypoints in Basecamp that are slightly off the road.  If doesn't take much for the GPS to not detect that you have passed it.  Also important is that waypoints must be on the correct side of multi-lane roads and in the correct lane of any divided road.  If you are heading northbound but your waypoint is in the southbound lane, the GPS will U-Turn you to it.

  • 0 over 1 year ago

    BaseCamp doesn't care how close points are and since this is more likely a device issue try asking here http://www.poi-factory.com/

  • 0 over 1 year ago in reply to Peobody
    DriveAssist 51 said:
    I am not an expert but I have come to learn that your GPS will ALWAYS calculate the path between waypoints

    This is often true but not ALWAYS!  If the map in BaseCamp and the map in the GPS are the same, AND, the route options in BaseCamp and the GPS are the same then the GPS should accept the BaseCamp route without recalculation. 

    I would generally agree with this however it is not guaranteed.  Your GPS calculates the path between viapoints in a route.  If there is an alternate path between two viapoints, your GPS might take it.  The best way to reduce the chance of this happening is to ensure there is a (non alerting) viapoint on each road you want to take, along with properly placed (non alerting) viapoints to "plug" any alternate paths.