Traffic Updates - What Can I Use ?
Discussion
Im looking for suggestions please chaps.
What im after is something that will show me if there are any delays etc around me. Normally check before I leave the house or work to come home again but things change quite quickly and I can end up stuck for flippin ages.
Can you buy something to do just that ( im thinking not ) or am I better off going for a Sat Nav with traffic info ? If the latter how well do they work ?
What im after is something that will show me if there are any delays etc around me. Normally check before I leave the house or work to come home again but things change quite quickly and I can end up stuck for flippin ages.
Can you buy something to do just that ( im thinking not ) or am I better off going for a Sat Nav with traffic info ? If the latter how well do they work ?
My TOmTom Go 500 will show close traffic incidents (default up to about 1 Mile I think) on the map. Generally I find it much better to follow a route (usually with spoken directions off) when it will show a bar with traffic incidents along the route. While not perfect I have found it very good, especially once off the major roads where its mobile phone based traffic detection seems to pick up most incidents. The only reason I hesitate to recommend TomTom is with their latest offerings they seem to have taken a route of stop listening to customers and taking many steps backwards.
An option might be the smart phone versions
Somewhere you might find some advice is PocketGPSWorld
An option might be the smart phone versions
Somewhere you might find some advice is PocketGPSWorld
JimmyTheHand said:
The only reason I hesitate to recommend TomTom is with their latest offerings they seem to have taken a route of stop listening to customers and taking many steps backwards.
That is so true. Any theories as to why that it is? And why on earth have they reduced the waypoint and route-planning capability on newer models?The GO x50 range was the pinnacle of TomTom's achievements back in 2011 or so...it's been all downhill since then.
plenty said:
That is so true. Any theories as to why that it is? And why on earth have they reduced the waypoint and route-planning capability on newer models?
The GO x50 range was the pinnacle of TomTom's achievements back in 2011 or so...it's been all downhill since then.
It seems to have been a recent disease in the software world of thinking everything that went before is wrong - Office 2007, Windows 8, Ubuntu, Gnome 3.The GO x50 range was the pinnacle of TomTom's achievements back in 2011 or so...it's been all downhill since then.
I suspect in TomTom's case they need new to sell units and they probably don't have enough skilled managers and developers to pull of such a change and probably have managers who look at stats and say most users only do x 90%.
plenty said:
JimmyTheHand said:
The only reason I hesitate to recommend TomTom is with their latest offerings they seem to have taken a route of stop listening to customers and taking many steps backwards.
That is so true. Any theories as to why that it is? And why on earth have they reduced the waypoint and route-planning capability on newer models?The GO x50 range was the pinnacle of TomTom's achievements back in 2011 or so...it's been all downhill since then.
I think the best of the last was the 1005 V2, same functionality as the 750 but miles better.
SidJames said:
The 750 was a slovenly big brother of the 730, but I take your point about functionality.
I think the best of the last was the 1005 V2, same functionality as the 750 but miles better.
How better? The maps may be prettier but I don't think they ever implemented the itn function, which is essential to me. I am still using a 950, and have not been able to find a newer TT which meets my requirements. I think the best of the last was the 1005 V2, same functionality as the 750 but miles better.
waremark said:
SidJames said:
The 750 was a slovenly big brother of the 730, but I take your point about functionality.
I think the best of the last was the 1005 V2, same functionality as the 750 but miles better.
How better? The maps may be prettier but I don't think they ever implemented the itn function, which is essential to me. I am still using a 950, and have not been able to find a newer TT which meets my requirements. I think the best of the last was the 1005 V2, same functionality as the 750 but miles better.
I just don't understand what their marketing boys were thinking of!!!
f
king idiots!waremark said:
SidJames said:
The 750 was a slovenly big brother of the 730, but I take your point about functionality.
I think the best of the last was the 1005 V2, same functionality as the 750 but miles better.
How better? The maps may be prettier but I don't think they ever implemented the itn function, which is essential to me. I am still using a 950, and have not been able to find a newer TT which meets my requirements. I think the best of the last was the 1005 V2, same functionality as the 750 but miles better.
A good number of the current Garmin Nuvis have 'T-D' in their model name which means they have Digital Traffic updates - all it means is that is (supposedly) updates faster than 'normal' traffic. I have a 2548 that has it and it works well, the obvious limitation is that you may be stuck in a jam before the traffic system knows about it.
Once it does know then it will advise you of distance to the hold-up and approximate length of delay, and offer you two or three options (where feasible) to dodge the problem.
What is quite eye-opening is to select 'incidents' and zoom out: it will show every crash, breakdown, road closure, roadworks etc. within its field of view (all of the UK if you choose!) - sometimes makes you wonder why we leave home at all.
I went to Portsmouth recently and all was going well until the Nuvi flagged up a crash on the A34, not far from the M3 junction.
I picked a detour and it took me round the outskirts of Winchester to join the M3 a junction or two further down. Granted it was a bit slow-moving around Winchester but I ended up 10 minutes ahead of colleagues in another van who had been 15 miles in front of me and drove into the A34 holdup just as I called to warn them about it.
Once it does know then it will advise you of distance to the hold-up and approximate length of delay, and offer you two or three options (where feasible) to dodge the problem.
What is quite eye-opening is to select 'incidents' and zoom out: it will show every crash, breakdown, road closure, roadworks etc. within its field of view (all of the UK if you choose!) - sometimes makes you wonder why we leave home at all.
I went to Portsmouth recently and all was going well until the Nuvi flagged up a crash on the A34, not far from the M3 junction.
I picked a detour and it took me round the outskirts of Winchester to join the M3 a junction or two further down. Granted it was a bit slow-moving around Winchester but I ended up 10 minutes ahead of colleagues in another van who had been 15 miles in front of me and drove into the A34 holdup just as I called to warn them about it.
I have a 1005 Live. Traffic stopped working when I emigrated to Oz, stupidly I thought a sat nav sold with world maps would actually fully function whilst 'travelling'. TomTom have said the SIM card inside only works in the EU and I should buy a new Tomtom in Oz! They then offered me a £10 discount to renew my EU maps and Live Services...............
Uh, hello?
Uh, hello?
plenty said:
waremark said:
SidJames said:
The 750 was a slovenly big brother of the 730, but I take your point about functionality.
I think the best of the last was the 1005 V2, same functionality as the 750 but miles better.
How better? The maps may be prettier but I don't think they ever implemented the itn function, which is essential to me. I am still using a 950, and have not been able to find a newer TT which meets my requirements. I think the best of the last was the 1005 V2, same functionality as the 750 but miles better.
Crucially this unit lets me use my existing ITN files, downloaded via TYRE.
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