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Club runs - how would you like your routes?

Wollemi

Wollemi

PCGB Member
Member
For those of you that like to go on a club drive, could you spend a moment to think about how you would prefer to be given the route. Traditionally routes have been printed on paper with directions to follow, but these can be in different formats. Paper routes can be fun but are difficult for solo drivers.

A lot of people now rely on GPS satellite navigation but these are set up to take you the fastest and most efficient way. They need some work and programming to take you on a specific route. Most sat-navs don't allow you to plan and share a route with others, some do but only with the same brand of device.

Fortunately Google Maps does allow pre plotting with stops / waypoints, and has the huge advantage of being free and available on every smart phone. You just need a phone holder and charging wire. The route can be shared by email or text.

Porsche have created their own route sharing app, Roads, but it is only available for Apple devices.

So how would you like to get your directions for a club run out?

(Please note, I’m not talking about the sort of events where the navigation is designed to be difficult, when getting lost is part of the fun. )

  1. Paper instructions with turn by turn directions at given mileages - plus a map?
  2. Paper instructions with tulip diagrams at given mileages - plus a map?
  3. Paper map with the route drawn on it.
  4. A pre plotted Google Maps route with stops / waypoint sent by text / email which can be followed on any smart phone.
  5. A list of GPS co-ordinates which you can enter into your own Sat Nav device.
  6. A route with you can download and use with the Porsche Roads app.
  7. Blindly follow the car in front.
  8. Any other method / suggestions?


Please let me know what you think, I’ve also created a poll on the PCGB facebook page if you want to ‘vote” on there.

Thanks
 
A mixture of the above would work for me and would be option 4 with option 3 as a backup.
 
GrahamW said:
A mixture of the above would work for me and would be option 4 with option 3 as a backup.
Click to expand...


good point, if I was plotting the route I would always provide a printed map backup to go with a Google route.
 
Perfect for me too. Especially when Google maps goes on one of its wobblers.
When are the club runs starting again?
Soon I hope

GrahamW said:
A mixture of the above would work for me and would be option 4 with option 3 as a backup.
Click to expand...


 
As someone who has organised a heap of tours, I would say no 7 is favourite.

I found that walkie talkies for everyone are the best for small groups (up to 10 cars) with the passenger in the front car announcing the route and the passenger in the last car being competent on the radio to confirm all have turned/stopped at traffic lights/caught up etc. They are reasonably inexpensive - we use Beofang UV 82 which have a great range. About £25 each. And it encourages banter on the radio from everyone.

I used to give out paper and electronic copies of google map routes but they were rarely used in my experience.

Enjoy your tours!
 
Hello Graham. No phones no apps no sat navs for me thanks I just rely on good manners an innate sense of direction and the sun the moon and the stars. However if you do happen to have anyone with you in the passenger seat then a paper map and list of directions always helps to keep them from nodding off plus getting lost and back on track again always adds to the fun. But then so does a pointed stick .....or a cattle prod. Thinking about it whenever anyone has ever told me to get lost I have always managed to make a really excellent job of it. [:)]

Best regards to all.

Zeusy

Driving down your freeway midnight alleys roam ......I still cant remember when or how I lost my way......
 
pwebb said:
As someone who has organised a heap of tours, I would say no 7 is favourite.

I found that walkie talkies for everyone are the best for small groups (up to 10 cars) with the passenger in the front car announcing the route and the passenger in the last car being competent on the radio to confirm all have turned/stopped at traffic lights/caught up etc. They are reasonably inexpensive - we use Beofang UV 82 which have a great range. About £25 each. And it encourages banter on the radio from everyone.

I used to give out paper and electronic copies of google map routes but they were rarely used in my experience.

Enjoy your tours!
Click to expand...


Thanks for your input, I agree about radios; we go green laning where CB radio is the norm and the radio is great for both convoy management (gates!) and even more important for banter. But a convoy of land rovers trundling around are all travelling at a similar speed; how does one manage a group of Porsches where everyones preferred speed could be quite different? Or does everyone just travel at the speed of the slowest vehicle? What if someone wants to stop for a wee, a photo or whatever, does the whole convoy have to stop?
I for one hate travelling in convoy, I don't want to travel either faster or slower than I want to, and I like to stop if I feel like it.

A number of people in R7 now have Mitex General radios, which are much more powerful than the cheaper walkie talkies. These have a excellent range and sound quality.

 
You're probably right about the convoy speed differential - I have mainly been involved in Register runs, so similar cars and similar speeds. The beauty of the radios is that people can check the need for pee stop/coffee/photo opportunities as you go along.
 
Something paper that my wife can follow! backed up something that can be downloaded onto a phone, so not reliant on signal strength on route.
 
stephentodd said:
Something paper that my wife can follow! backed up something that can be downloaded onto a phone, so not reliant on signal strength on route.
Click to expand...


I would always supply a paper route even if it was only the Google generated one.
Google Maps does not need a signal as long as you download a offline map of the area first. This is very easy to do but you need a Google account.
other than that you only need a signal in order to download the route at the start.
 
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