Navigation issues
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I have noticed some issues recently when using MRA Navigation -
Missed ‘shaping’ waypoints are not automatically skipped until you are over half way to the next. On a straightforward road there can (should) be quite a large distance between waypoints, so that for example waypoints spaced say 10mls apart Navigation will keep trying to route back for 5+ miles. I have tried this out and it is too great a distance to travel, during which the app is constantly recalculating and re-routing and you are effectively lost. I am not sure what the optimum distance limit before skipping should be, but perhaps 1 mile? Previous versions dealt with skips much better.
Of course you can skip waypoints manually, using the submenu, but you first have to enter the number of skips via a keyboard, then press ok. Very difficult to do with gloves on and dangerous whilst riding. Previous Navigation versions had a single button to skip one point, which was better and made it possible to do on the move. If more skips were required press again - simple! Even better if the skip button were on the main screen. Incidentally, I don’t think the other functions on the submenu, (route & navigation preferences, save location etc) are essential whilst navigating as these are set in the main menu before loading the route.
A small issue, but I am fairly sure Navigation previously used to display distance to petrol stations. This was useful. Has this been dropped?
I try not to be negative about Navigation and I use it for navigation on my motorbike almost all the time. It is a good app but the recent ‘skipping’ issues are making it more difficult to use than previously, rather than better.
Has anyone else noticed these problems?
I have version Navigation v1.0.30 on an iPhone 7.
Best regards
David Bonner
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I have noticed some issues recently when using MRA Navigation -
Missed ‘shaping’ waypoints are not automatically skipped until you are over half way to the next. On a straightforward road there can (should) be quite a large distance between waypoints, so that for example waypoints spaced say 10mls apart Navigation will keep trying to route back for 5+ miles. I have tried this out and it is too great a distance to travel, during which the app is constantly recalculating and re-routing and you are effectively lost. I am not sure what the optimum distance limit before skipping should be, but perhaps 1 mile? Previous versions dealt with skips much better.
Of course you can skip waypoints manually, using the submenu, but you first have to enter the number of skips via a keyboard, then press ok. Very difficult to do with gloves on and dangerous whilst riding. Previous Navigation versions had a single button to skip one point, which was better and made it possible to do on the move. If more skips were required press again - simple! Even better if the skip button were on the main screen. Incidentally, I don’t think the other functions on the submenu, (route & navigation preferences, save location etc) are essential whilst navigating as these are set in the main menu before loading the route.
A small issue, but I am fairly sure Navigation previously used to display distance to petrol stations. This was useful. Has this been dropped?
I try not to be negative about Navigation and I use it for navigation on my motorbike almost all the time. It is a good app but the recent ‘skipping’ issues are making it more difficult to use than previously, rather than better.
Has anyone else noticed these problems?
I have version Navigation v1.0.30 on an iPhone 7.
Best regards
David Bonner
@David-Bonner That’s all very familiar to me. I have noticed that the auto-skip doesn’t perform quickly. In fact, I’d thought it didn’t seem to be working at all, but that was maybe just down to the routes I was using and spacing of waypoints? Certainly though, this feature doesn’t work as I had anticipated and seems a bit illogical. A single, on-screen skip button that can be used on an individual waypoint basis would be a way better approach to my mind.
The nearest fuel button disappeared for me a few weeks ago, but then reappeared soon after it was reported - certainly, it was present the weekend before last because I used it. However, I have just checked on a route that I know featured the button from its start at my home and it is absent again.
I do wonder whether there might be an element of trying to keep the active route view free of clutter? But then I look at the absolutely massive and ever present ‘distance to next turn’ feature and think that can’t be! That could be reduced in size very considerably (maybe to 1/4 its current area), freeing up space for very useful icons. Maybe the next turn feature could also remain hidden until close to that turn (say 1/2 mile or km for example?).
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@David-Bonner That’s all very familiar to me. I have noticed that the auto-skip doesn’t perform quickly. In fact, I’d thought it didn’t seem to be working at all, but that was maybe just down to the routes I was using and spacing of waypoints? Certainly though, this feature doesn’t work as I had anticipated and seems a bit illogical. A single, on-screen skip button that can be used on an individual waypoint basis would be a way better approach to my mind.
The nearest fuel button disappeared for me a few weeks ago, but then reappeared soon after it was reported - certainly, it was present the weekend before last because I used it. However, I have just checked on a route that I know featured the button from its start at my home and it is absent again.
I do wonder whether there might be an element of trying to keep the active route view free of clutter? But then I look at the absolutely massive and ever present ‘distance to next turn’ feature and think that can’t be! That could be reduced in size very considerably (maybe to 1/4 its current area), freeing up space for very useful icons. Maybe the next turn feature could also remain hidden until close to that turn (say 1/2 mile or km for example?).
I am sure automatic skipping of waypoints used to work much better than it does now. You may have noticed that this feature is shown as ‘beta’ in settings, so it may not have been carried forward in development - possibly. Whatever the reason this problem, combined with manual skipping waypoints now being impossible to do on the move, Navigation has become difficult to use. If you don’t deviate from the route and you hit every waypoint then everything is fine; but in reality how often does this happen? Roadworks, accident etc invariably cause a diversion from the route, or you may simply decide to deviate… I hope these bugs can be fixed soon.
Strange that the petrol station notifications seem to come and go. This feature disappeared for me I am guessing about a year ago, never to reappear!
I agree with your observations about the format of the screen.
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@David-Bonner yes, I have noticed that too! I use an iPhone 7 Plus with iOS version 14.7.1 and also the latest MRA Navigation version.
Skipping waypoints is really dangerous while driving. A button for skipping a waypoint on the main screen is a good solution! Furthermore, I noticed that the MRA NAV version from last year worked better: the automatic skipping of waypoints and the scale/display when showing the map. It also seems that the route calculation algorithm has been revised. The routes from the MRA Routeplanner were taken pretty much one to one in the "old" MRA NAV version, but in the new MRA NAV version there are some deviations that can certainly be prevented by setting waypoints, but setting a lot of waypoints is not a good solution either...
Otherwise, I like to use MRA Navigation for my tours and am eagerly awaiting the new version!Peter
