GPSMAP 296, GPSMAP 396, or GPSMAP 496 Changes Custom Route to Follow the Road

The same reason applies to the portable devices as to the handheld devices as to why the device keeps changing the route to follow the road. The difference is the menu selection to set up the routing preference in the device. The 3 routing options to select from are; Faster Time, Shorter Distance, and Off Road.

• Faster Time: This option will route the user on the major streets, 4 lane highways and interstate highways. This is primarily used when routing while following roads. If using a custom created route, this option can sometimes create problems such as changing the custom route to follow a road or to follow certain types of roads. This happens when a road or a certain type of road is close to part of this route. The device will automatically recalculate the route to follow the road since this is the option it is set to.

• Shorter Distance: This option will typically route the user on back roads and 2 lane highways. As mentioned in the Faster Time option above, this option too can cause problems for the same reasons when using a customized route.

• Off Road: This option is the one which should be selected when navigating off road, on water or when using a custom created route. This option tells the GPS device to follow a path for the route which is not restricted to just roads. If the user is letting the device create a route using this option, the device will give a straight line route from the current position to the end point as the route. If using a customized route, the device will follow the route whether it is on a road, on the water or off the road.

Changing the Routing Preference:

1. Press Menu 2 times.

2. Scroll to the Setup tab.

3. Scroll to the Road Routing tab at the top of the page.

4. Scroll to Route Preference and press Enter.

5. Select Faster Time, Shorter Distance or Off Road and press Enter.