Traffic updates worthwhile?
Discussion
Hi I'm looking at getting one of the cheaper satnavs from either Tomtom or Garmin. Is it worth getting one with the traffic updates facilty for jams/comgestion etc. From what my very limited reading about them there is a subcription element to them as well?
If your stuck in stationary traffic on a motorway you already know you may want to try another route at the first opportunity, so how much benefit is it?
If your stuck in stationary traffic on a motorway you already know you may want to try another route at the first opportunity, so how much benefit is it?
There is no subscription cost associated with the UK's service.
The Garmin TMC receiver includes the receiver and antenna cable in the GPS power lead, which is a bit clumsy. The LEDs on the fag plug thing should both show green when TMC data has been established - and a TMC icon appears on one of the menus.
I used to leave 'Traffic' set as one of the 'Avoidances' options, but found that the system would then route you on a 20 min detour for a simple 4 min traffic delay ahead! So now I only have 'U-turns' and 'unpaved roads' set as 'Avoidances'. If there's a TMC-reported delay on your route, an audible and visual alert warns you. Then check the details and decide for yourself whether to follow the recommended avoidance.
With some of the earlier Garmins, you have to understand the system limitations. Thus if an alert pings up and you merely press 'avoid', then you may find that it wasn't necessary. Similarly, take an educated guess and choose a different route, then wait until the dynamic re-routing has kicked in - it may well be that the traffic alert is no longer on your planned route.
TMC reception seems a bit hit-and-miss though. Sometimes it's virtually instantaneous, yet at other times it can take ages. The data is embedded on the Classic FM sub-carrier, so if you're in a reasonable FM area, data reception should be quicker than is often the case.
It's much more useful than RDS radio - or those absurd traffic-totty messages on national BBC. About Scottish motorways (really useful in Cornwall) - or about ducks blocking the road in Little Piddle-on-the-Gusset (not much use to people in the middle of Leeds, for example!).
The Garmin TMC receiver includes the receiver and antenna cable in the GPS power lead, which is a bit clumsy. The LEDs on the fag plug thing should both show green when TMC data has been established - and a TMC icon appears on one of the menus.
I used to leave 'Traffic' set as one of the 'Avoidances' options, but found that the system would then route you on a 20 min detour for a simple 4 min traffic delay ahead! So now I only have 'U-turns' and 'unpaved roads' set as 'Avoidances'. If there's a TMC-reported delay on your route, an audible and visual alert warns you. Then check the details and decide for yourself whether to follow the recommended avoidance.
With some of the earlier Garmins, you have to understand the system limitations. Thus if an alert pings up and you merely press 'avoid', then you may find that it wasn't necessary. Similarly, take an educated guess and choose a different route, then wait until the dynamic re-routing has kicked in - it may well be that the traffic alert is no longer on your planned route.
TMC reception seems a bit hit-and-miss though. Sometimes it's virtually instantaneous, yet at other times it can take ages. The data is embedded on the Classic FM sub-carrier, so if you're in a reasonable FM area, data reception should be quicker than is often the case.
It's much more useful than RDS radio - or those absurd traffic-totty messages on national BBC. About Scottish motorways (really useful in Cornwall) - or about ducks blocking the road in Little Piddle-on-the-Gusset (not much use to people in the middle of Leeds, for example!).
The more expensive Tomtom Go range offers the choice of free TMC traffic (as mentioned via Classic FM, and with an untidy aerial to plug in) or a subscription based service. For X20 and X30 models this comes via a data service on your mobile phone and costs £30 pa (that's the cost for my TT 920). For X40 models it comes via an internal sim card for £8 per month. You get what you pay for, with the quality of the data improving as you pay more for it. Personally, I do not want to pay a sub, and I find the free traffic info not worth having - so I don't use it. My son has the monthly sub service in a 940 and thinks it is really good.
mine on my new TomTom showed me an accident on the M3 the otherday that would have cost me 45mins!! showed a picture of a car on its side with a 45min delay in the sidebar. so i cut across and used the M4 instead and had a clear run all the way
so now ive used it i'd defenatly chose it in the future as an EXTRA if the package didnt have it thrown in
so now ive used it i'd defenatly chose it in the future as an EXTRA if the package didnt have it thrown in
y2blade said:
mine on my new TomTom showed me an accident on the M3 the otherday that would have cost me 45mins!! showed a picture of a car on its side with a 45min delay in the sidebar. so i cut across and used the M4 instead and had a clear run all the way
so now ive used it i'd defenatly chose it in the future as an EXTRA if the package didnt have it thrown in
Which traffic info service are you using, if it gives you a delay time this sounds like a sub based service??so now ive used it i'd defenatly chose it in the future as an EXTRA if the package didnt have it thrown in
waremark said:
y2blade said:
mine on my new TomTom showed me an accident on the M3 the otherday that would have cost me 45mins!! showed a picture of a car on its side with a 45min delay in the sidebar. so i cut across and used the M4 instead and had a clear run all the way
so now ive used it i'd defenatly chose it in the future as an EXTRA if the package didnt have it thrown in
Which traffic info service are you using, if it gives you a delay time this sounds like a sub based service??so now ive used it i'd defenatly chose it in the future as an EXTRA if the package didnt have it thrown in
it is FREE for lifetime
it is the one that was pre-installed on the TomTom XL europe traffic i got for christmas
this is it http://download.tomtom.com/open/manuals/RDS-TMCRec...
it tells you the distance to any delays on your route and gives to a figure in mins of how long the delay will be
it is this package, my otherhalf has the recept so i know it's this one
http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/...
TomTom One Europe XL Traffic Sat Nav
Cat code: 846410-0
- Features and Benefits:Ultra slim, ultra compact
- Free lifetime traffic alert
- UK and European mapping
- UK street level mapping
- Plug and Go
- GPS chipset SiRF star III
- High quality 4.3" touch screen
- Turn-by-turn voice guidance
- TomTom Home software compatible
- Transferrable from car to car
- TomTom One European XL sat nav unit
- TMC traffic receiver
- 12/24v Car charger
- Car mount
- Instructions
Edited by y2blade on Thursday 8th January 18:53
y2blade said:
waremark said:
y2blade said:
mine on my new TomTom showed me an accident on the M3 the otherday that would have cost me 45mins!! showed a picture of a car on its side with a 45min delay in the sidebar. so i cut across and used the M4 instead and had a clear run all the way
so now ive used it i'd defenatly chose it in the future as an EXTRA if the package didnt have it thrown in
Which traffic info service are you using, if it gives you a delay time this sounds like a sub based service??so now ive used it i'd defenatly chose it in the future as an EXTRA if the package didnt have it thrown in
it is FREE for lifetime
it is the one that was pre-installed on the TomTom XL europe traffic i got for christmas
this is it http://download.tomtom.com/open/manuals/RDS-TMCRec...
it tells you the distance to any delays on your route and gives to a figure in mins of how long the delay will be
it is this package, my otherhalf has the recept so i know it's this one
http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/...
TomTom One Europe XL Traffic Sat Nav
Cat code: 846410-0
- Features and Benefits:Ultra slim, ultra compact
- Free lifetime traffic alert
- UK and European mapping
- UK street level mapping
- Plug and Go
- GPS chipset SiRF star III
- High quality 4.3" touch screen
- Turn-by-turn voice guidance
- TomTom Home software compatible
- Transferrable from car to car
- TomTom One European XL sat nav unit
- TMC traffic receiver
- 12/24v Car charger
- Car mount
- Instructions
Edited by y2blade on Thursday 8th January 18:53
I've just bought a refurb GO720 from totalpda for £99 and found a new TomTom RDS-TMC receiver on Amazon for £13.50. By then logging on to TomTom Home, using the Latest Maps Guarentee to download any new map versions and the software upgrade to give me IQ routing and Motorway Guidance I'll end up with the same as a Go730T but for well over £100 less!! Hopefully the Traffic Updates are as good as you say.
I have a TTOne v2 and until recently had the sub-based Traffic Alerts on it, but once the subscription ran out I didn't bother paying for it again. It was too slow to tell me about incidents, (I was often sat in a traffic jam when the Tom Tom finally 'pinged' to alert me), and sometimes it would tell me that there was a (for eaxample) 50 minute delay on a road that I knew was clear because I was currently doing NSL on it!
Not worth the £30 sub IMHO.
Not worth the £30 sub IMHO.
Muz_Wez said:
y2blade said:
waremark said:
y2blade said:
mine on my new TomTom showed me an accident on the M3 the otherday that would have cost me 45mins!! showed a picture of a car on its side with a 45min delay in the sidebar. so i cut across and used the M4 instead and had a clear run all the way
so now ive used it i'd defenatly chose it in the future as an EXTRA if the package didnt have it thrown in
Which traffic info service are you using, if it gives you a delay time this sounds like a sub based service??so now ive used it i'd defenatly chose it in the future as an EXTRA if the package didnt have it thrown in
it is FREE for lifetime
it is the one that was pre-installed on the TomTom XL europe traffic i got for christmas
this is it http://download.tomtom.com/open/manuals/RDS-TMCRec...
it tells you the distance to any delays on your route and gives to a figure in mins of how long the delay will be
it is this package, my otherhalf has the recept so i know it's this one
http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/...
TomTom One Europe XL Traffic Sat Nav
Cat code: 846410-0
- Features and Benefits:Ultra slim, ultra compact
- Free lifetime traffic alert
- UK and European mapping
- UK street level mapping
- Plug and Go
- GPS chipset SiRF star III
- High quality 4.3" touch screen
- Turn-by-turn voice guidance
- TomTom Home software compatible
- Transferrable from car to car
- TomTom One European XL sat nav unit
- TMC traffic receiver
- 12/24v Car charger
- Car mount
- Instructions
Edited by y2blade on Thursday 8th January 18:53
I've just bought a refurb GO720 from totalpda for £99 and found a new TomTom RDS-TMC receiver on Amazon for £13.50. By then logging on to TomTom Home, using the Latest Maps Guarentee to download any new map versions and the software upgrade to give me IQ routing and Motorway Guidance I'll end up with the same as a Go730T but for well over £100 less!! Hopefully the Traffic Updates are as good as you say.
I had the OEM TMC system in my M5 and it worked well and because of this I bought a Garmin 18 months ago when I sold the BM and its rubbish. The updates are unreliable and reception equally so, it provides SOME level of assurance but the point of this is to feel that you can rely on it and you cant. TMC itself should be dependable so I put it down to poor implementation in the receiver. Ive just ordered a TomTom Go 540 with the GPRS update system, in theory that should be as good as it gets and if it works it will be well worth the money but for now I wouldnt bother with a TMC only system unless its integrated into the car radio as in my M5.
nickwilcock said:
There is no subscription cost associated with the UK's service.
Unfortunately that's not correct.TMC in the UK is provided by a commercial company and is encrypted. It requies decryption keys in your unit to use it.
Some satnavs come with a lifetime key pre-installed, which means the satnav vendor has paid the TMC vendor a one-time license fee. For others where it is optional, most of the cost of the upgrade is in that license fee.
There are also annual licenses available.
TMC is provided for free in many European countries (and in Germany, for instance, there is a basic free service and a more expensive paid-for service). In this country, as ever, HMG doesn't view such things as useful for the population...
I've just swapped from a tomtom to navigon. tomtom uses the itms(?) system that has several company's fleet vehicles reporting their progress, while the navigon uses the actual tmc system which uses trafficmaster's number plate recognition. Once you've worked out which few radio stations actually transmit tmc (galaxy and that seems to be about it), you discover that the quality of the information (i.e. sparcity) is dire when compared to what the itms system generates.
When will someone produce a satnav with a nice display and tomtom's functionality? If only tomtom themselves would make something "prettier"...
When will someone produce a satnav with a nice display and tomtom's functionality? If only tomtom themselves would make something "prettier"...
Went to Halfords for a nose around Sat Navs today and was extremely disappointed to find that Tom Toms can no longer be bought with subscription free traffic updates. Instead you have to pay £7.99 per month, which the spotty boy with diamond earrings assured me is good value since you get live fuel prices and believe it or not Google. Well the last time I checked, fuel prices did not change more than once each day, and why on earth would I want to Google anything whilst I am driving? 
I just want to avoid traffic, and I have to pay £249 plus a total of £287.64 on top - or more than the price of the unit - over three years to do it. I am told that the new system does not use TMC, but satellite data instead. Does this not mean that I am essentially furthering the trials of the technology that will power road pricing as well? 
Rant over - does anyone know of a simpler or better value alternative please?
I just want to avoid traffic, and I have to pay £249 plus a total of £287.64 on top - or more than the price of the unit - over three years to do it. I am told that the new system does not use TMC, but satellite data instead. Does this not mean that I am essentially furthering the trials of the technology that will power road pricing as well? Rant over - does anyone know of a simpler or better value alternative please?
TheBigUnit said:
Went to Halfords for a nose around Sat Navs today and was extremely disappointed to find that Tom Toms can no longer be bought with subscription free traffic updates. Instead you have to pay £7.99 per month, which the spotty boy with diamond earrings assured me is good value since you get live fuel prices and believe it or not Google. Well the last time I checked, fuel prices did not change more than once each day, and why on earth would I want to Google anything whilst I am driving? I just want to avoid traffic, and I have to pay £249 plus a total of £287.64 on top - or more than the price of the unit - over three years to do it. I am told that the new system does not use TMC, but satellite data instead. Does this not mean that I am essentially furthering the trials of the technology that will power road pricing as well?
Rant over - does anyone know of a simpler or better value alternative please?
Trust me, the google search is very good. I just want to avoid traffic, and I have to pay £249 plus a total of £287.64 on top - or more than the price of the unit - over three years to do it. I am told that the new system does not use TMC, but satellite data instead. Does this not mean that I am essentially furthering the trials of the technology that will power road pricing as well? Rant over - does anyone know of a simpler or better value alternative please?
All you do is type in what you want, say Shell for Petrol or Odeon for Cinema, it searches google for you and gives you closest ones and directions/phone numbers etc.
I've the 540Live, just coming to the end of my 3 months free live services and will be subscribing to the £7.99 a month, its pretty handy.
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