What the "No U-Turn" setting really means.

[O'erTheHill]

Good afternoon everyone,
Yesterday I discovered what happens when you aovid the Nav VI "U-Turn" setting--you are directed to complete a large loop back to where the GPS wanted you to go, but you didn't, anyway, but in this case you may not realize what the GPS is doing!
Case in point, yesterday I rode up to the Catoctin Mount Park (home of Camp David) for some back-road riding. I set the town of Smithburg as a waypoint but didn't need, or intend, to ride through the middle of town, I just wanted to get on to highway 77. Well the GPS was none too pleased with my decision and after a few miles it suggested I turn left. Well, okay... Then a few miles more and it suggested yet another left turn.
A wise man once said, "Two wrongs don't make a right but three left's do."
I because suspicious and after some checking, sure enough, the GPS would have me make a 30 mile...return loop, because the u-turn setting was off. Later, when trying to jump off the I-270 Parking Lot, the GPS tried the same trick again. I had to stop and turn off the setting, at which point the GPS had to admit that it really wanted me back on the freeway...
The single-lane Ritchie Road was fun, though.

[Grumpy Goat]

There is a U-turn setting ....? When I put in a waypoint and end up not going through it (because the waypoint was put in to force a certain route) I just cancel the waypoint and the Nav VI re-calculates the route from where I am and there is no issue.

[MrVvrroomm]

Try un-selecting freeways while going cross country. You'll ride service roads and cross freeways a thousand times.

[Lee]

Well the GPS was none too pleased with my decision and after a few miles it suggested I turn left. Well, okay... Then a few miles more and it suggested yet another left turn.

When it does that it will try to take you down any goat path, even when you have avoid gravel selected.

[O'erTheHill]

There is a U-turn setting ....? I just cancel the waypoint and the Nav VI re-calculates the route from where I am and there is no issue.

I do as well if (1) I know I've passed the spot the GPS wants me to hit, (2) I have a place to pull over and reprogram my GPS route, and most importantly (3) I know that the GPS will try to send me back. The point of the post is that, if someone like myself asks themselves, "I wonder what happens if I turn this off?" maybe my bit of discovery can be passed on, "It will try send you back but in a more subtle and not-so-obvious route."

[Lee]

Try un-selecting freeways while going cross country. You'll ride service roads and cross freeways a thousand times.

Sometimes I use a few miles of interstate to get to a 2 lane road I want. The GPS will fight you if avoid highways selected.
A lot of times I shut the sound off so I don't have to listen to Bitching Betty.

[O'erTheHill]

When it does that it will try to take you down any goat path, even you you have avoid gravel selected.

It would be fun to have the time, money, and immune system to test a cross-country "no freeway" setting.

[Grumpy Goat]

Sometimes I use a few miles of interstate to get to a 2 lane road I want. The GPS will fight you if avoid highways selected.
A lot of times I shut the sound off so I don't have to listen to Bitching Betty.

That may be why I don't have issues with this ... I don't have highways avoided. I actually like freeways and highways for a bit, and usually I have to actually make an effort to reset to curvy roads if I am tired of all day "freewaying".

One time I did that and it gave me a curvy route allright ... some BS route through a neighbourhood. I quickly turned that nonsense off and set it back to "regular" (for me) and continued on my way.

[Grumpy Goat]

I do as well if (1) I know I've passed the spot the GPS wants me to hit, (2) I have a place to pull over and reprogram my GPS route, and most importantly (3) I know that the GPS will try to send me back. The point of the post is that, if someone like myself asks themselves, "I wonder what happens if I turn this off?" maybe my bit of discovery can be passed on, "It will try send you back but in a more subtle and not-so-obvious route."

I hear you but my approach is different. For one, I don't wait until I passed the fake waypoint ... I kill the fake waypoint before reaching it, but after I am on the route that I wanted to force. Another thing with my approach, is I never pull off to reprogram anything. Only exception was if I am miles lost (as I was when I went to Leadville instead of heading to Gunnison last year; there is a video about that ). I have found that by cancelling the waypoint that I did , it rejigs itself to an acceptable route going forward.

Just my way ... and not disagreeing with your approach. I just have not seen this U-turn setting you speak of.

I have a love-hate relationship with my Garmin-based GPS ... I love that it does free my mind for other things that figuring out the route and which turn to watch out for, as it tells me in my ear when to turn, above my music. I dislike that it occasionally gets a brain fart and gives me a route that is either wrong or pretty dumb.

[BobAin'tStoppin']

The no U-turn should not be activated. It will not let you exit a parking lot with a left turn. Instead it wants you to go around the block, which could be a long ride depending on the local.

I think if you make those way points into via points you'll have much less issue with all of this. Very easy to do.

[Lee]

I hear you but my approach is different. For one, I don't wait until I passed the fake waypoint ... I kill the fake waypoint before reaching it,

I do the same if I notice it in time. Sometimes I have the sound turned off and might miss it telling me to turn off the route.
When that happens I can cancel route, then restart the route.
I have the button to skip to the next waypoint on the main navigation screen.
The other button I have on that screen is Cancel Route.

To find the U Turn go to Settings, Navigation, Avoidance.
This is on a Nav V.

[Lee]

It would be fun to have the time, money, and immune system to test a cross-country "no freeway" setting.

We have gone to both coasts with very little interstate use but I never have routes made for every day.

[Lee]

. I dislike that it occasionally gets a brain fart and gives me a route that is either wrong or pretty dumb.

Just remember the computer in a GPS is stupid.
I travel with maps in my tank bag window.
When I see the GPS telling me to take a different route I glance at the map.
Most of the time it looks screwy and I ignore the alternate route.

[Duckbubbles]

A while back riding around my area which I have ridden for 40+ years, I decided to test the Nav VI. At the far end of my ride, I selected curvy roads and get me back home.
Followed it's directions to start with just to see what would happen. Figured out fairly quickly that it was leading me toward the Interstate Hwy. Ditched that and went on roads I knew were what I wanted.
Opposite result in Arkansas where it found some delicious riding. I can't explain the difference.

Frank

[Motorhead1977]

Reading all this makes me realize I really need to get a tutorial on all my Nav VI offers. I'm really a paper maps kind of person but acknowledge having GPS can be a good tool.

[maxredline]

Nav 6 tutorial video recommendations anyone?