TomTom - strange behaviour

[TonyVianoAmbiente]

The other day I visited a client's site, one that I hadn't been to before although I have worked for the same client at several other sites. As usual, I printed out a local street map for the site's postcode using Multimap.com, and I programmed the satnav as usual with the same postcode.

My fairly basic TomTom One XL took me there without a problem, and gave me the usual reasonably accurate predictions for remaining distance and journey time. But when I approached the perimeter of the site, which is quite large - several square miles - the map display disappeared leaving a dotted road on a blank background.

It wasn't a serious problem, I just used the paper map and found my destination without too much difficulty. Then I found I needed to go to a shop a few miles away to buy an item I hadn't expected I would need need. So I fired up TomTom and added my current location as a favourite to make it easy to find again.

When returning to site, the same thing happened again. TomTom took me to the site perimeter but no further. The detailed map just disappeared. So it was back to the paper map again.

The client's office is located on a complex high security site. Unfortunately, I cannot give any other details, for obvious reasons. But I have been to other equally high security sites and my Trusty TomTom has always got me to within 100 yards of the door, until now.

Has anyone else experienced this? Are there some places where TomTom isn't allowed to take you? If so, why did Multimap.com have a detailed map of the area?

 

[N7OGP]

several square miles - the map display disappeared leaving a dotted road on a blank background
When was the last time you updated your maps on the tomtom, they could be out of date. i might think you were in a very large field.

 

[moonloops]

several square miles - the map display disappeared leaving a dotted road on a blank background
When was the last time you updated your maps on the tomtom, they could be out of date. i might think you were in a very large field.

^^this^^

dotted lines = off road

 

[BTB 500]

several square miles - the map display disappeared leaving a dotted road on a blank background
When was the last time you updated your maps on the tomtom, they could be out of date. i might think you were in a very large field.

More likely that the map provider (TeleAtlas, IIRC) had simply been denied access to the site.

I go to agricultural showgrounds quite a lot, and typically the road networks within those are not mapped either (no public right of way, I guess?).

 

[TonyVianoAmbiente]

several square miles - the map display disappeared leaving a dotted road on a blank background
When was the last time you updated your maps on the tomtom, they could be out of date..

I updated them on Monday because my more recent Garmin froze at the weekend and won't boot up. So I dusted off the old TomTom, which I hadn't used for well over a year, and bought it some new maps.

 

[TonyVianoAmbiente]

More likely that the map provider (TeleAtlas, IIRC) had simply been denied access to the site.

I go to agricultural showgrounds quite a lot, and typically the road networks within those are not mapped either (no public right of way, I guess?).

True, but Multimap.com had the whole site in detail. Every road.

Some of the site is new, but a lot of it dates back decades. The building our meeting was in dates from 1956. The postcode gave an accurate position on Multimap and the correct distances on TomTom, but as soon as my car entered the site, all surrounding map detail that had been there right up to that point suddenly disappeared.

Cue theme from "The Outer Limits". Do not adjust your satnav. ;-)

 

[BTB 500]

Bizarre! Possibly it does have some kind of 'restricted area' functionality.

 

[jeremytaylor]

The client's office is located on a complex high security site. Unfortunately, I cannot give any other details, for obvious reasons.

I suspect this has something to do with the lack of mapping.

 

[Horrgakx]

I do work on a nuclear licenced site, very high security, but the roads on the site still appear in TomTom. Perhaps government or defence sites might not be included?

 

[NormanC]

May well be GPS itself misbehaving.

According to my son, it goes haywire anywhere near Edwards Airforce Base in California.

 

[AANDYY]

You want to try what I did -

Clickerty

 

[TonyVianoAmbiente]

You want to try what I did -

Yes, I was sorely tempted.

 

[TonyVianoAmbiente]

I do work on a nuclear licenced site, very high security, but the roads on the site still appear in TomTom. Perhaps government or defence sites might not be included?

You may be right. I have been to a second, related site (ironically referred to as a "satellite site"!) and the same thing happened.