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rushkins Occasional Visitor
Joined: Feb 05, 2007 Posts: 47 Location: Tamworth
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Posted: Thu Feb 08, 2007 6:34 pm Post subject: |
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Further to my post saying that I had got my TMC to work. I found that when I went to Northampton the other day I lost the signal as I got south of Coventry and never regained until I got back to Coventry even though it had been scanning all the time. While I was in Northampton I also tried to manually tune it to the local Classic FM frequency, but still no joy. Does this mean from what I have read in previous posts that this is as good as it gets.
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tonygamble Regular Visitor
Joined: Jan 23, 2007 Posts: 186
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Posted: Fri Feb 09, 2007 1:07 pm Post subject: |
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Far be it for me to tell people what to say on this thread - but it is steadily becoming a Victor Meldrew moan platform.
We have it on record that TomTom admit that the device they have sold us is often too insensitive to pick up the signals from Classic FM. At some stage they will have to (a) either upgrade the device so that it works most, if not all, of the time or (b) recall them and refund everyone's money.
Classic FM are not going to alter their transmission power to pacify a small number of TomTom owners - and anyway they are not at fault as the system works on car radios which is what it is intended for in the first place.
It would be far more useful if those with some technical aptitude around here continued to come up with suggested work arounds. In the early days of plasma television a number of people got into business making an assortment of gadgets to improve the ways of getting signals into the screen.
The basic TomTom go costs peanuts when I think of what I paid for my first two Garmins. OK if TomTom admit defeat I'll get my sixty quid back. Personally I'd rather pay another sixty if it would make it work - as long as the solution did not require endless lengths of cable draped round the interior of my car.
Tony |
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Martin4Jay Regular Visitor
Joined: Aug 02, 2005 Posts: 150 Location: Monkton Heathfield, Somerset
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Posted: Fri Feb 09, 2007 1:26 pm Post subject: Booster |
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Tony I'm not that technical but would a booster gadget with a connection fitting to the Additional Mount a little box beside it where the aerial wire plugs in to the Booster box, like what we use for the TV it has to be smaller of course or am I being daft?
Cheers _________________ Life is like a bunch of cherries, you don't know who is going to get on your pip.
Just be truthful and follow your heart
Life is how you make it
I'm forever blowing bubbles
I'm now a happy Garman Man |
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tonygamble Regular Visitor
Joined: Jan 23, 2007 Posts: 186
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Posted: Fri Feb 09, 2007 2:27 pm Post subject: |
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Martin,
No idea. Sorry. I am not technical either.
Tony |
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mikealder Pocket GPS Moderator
Joined: Jan 14, 2005 Posts: 19638 Location: Blackpool , Lancs
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Posted: Fri Feb 09, 2007 2:45 pm Post subject: |
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Tony/ Martin - some of use have "modified" the receiver by connecting it to an external aerial or amplified aerial there is a long (ish thread about this Here be warned it does involve opening the receiver which will wipe out any waranty.
I have also been looking into getting something to connect inline between the RDS-TMC and Go mount, but I cannot find the correct connectors (would need a male/ female pair to try this) the idea being this would not damage the unit and it would still be covered by waranty - Mike |
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tonygamble Regular Visitor
Joined: Jan 23, 2007 Posts: 186
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Posted: Fri Feb 09, 2007 4:37 pm Post subject: |
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Mike,
Something that you could introduce that did not (a) negate the warranty and (b) did not require the purchaser in any electrical work would have a market.
Years ago when I bought my first plasma screen I bought a clever little device that converted the RGB from a Sky box or DVD to VGA on the plasma. It still produces results that are streets ahead of the normal composite, or svideo - and offers a good challenge to HDTV.
If we pessimistically assume that TT will take an age to introduce a new traffic device you'd sell masses of your gizmo by promoting it discretely through fora like this.
Tony |
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TomTom520NYorks Occasional Visitor
Joined: Dec 07, 2007 Posts: 1
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Posted: Fri Dec 07, 2007 2:57 pm Post subject: TMC receiver with TomTom 520 - anygood? |
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Hi,
I have read the posts regarding receiver problems with TomTom products. I am prepared to add an external aerial/preamp etc. My questions are:
1. Has anybody used the external TMC receiver with a TomTom 520 and how good are the results?
2. Assuming I can receive a useable signal, how useful is the information received?
3. How easy is it to avoid any traffic problems indicated by TMC while using the 520 to navigate?
Thanks in advance.
Paul
York |
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mikealder Pocket GPS Moderator
Joined: Jan 14, 2005 Posts: 19638 Location: Blackpool , Lancs
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Posted: Fri Dec 07, 2007 3:10 pm Post subject: |
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The newer release RDS-TMC is considerably better in terms of reception, it is far from 100% but a huge improvement upon previous itterations. I have not bothered coupling my newer RDS unit to the car aerial as I can live with its performance to be honest. If you have the RDS-TMC unit make sure the part number on the device ends .013 (it is on a small white label near the connector).
The information it receives should tell you the type of incident and the expected delay, the accuracy of the information is a rather mute point though, I do use it for information but I don't use it to auto re-route my journey UNLESS the motorway gantry signs match up with the RDS information.
A route re-plan whilst navigating with the unit takes a few simple taps of the screen, it is very easy to avoid any hold up, there is an auto re-route capability but I turn that off for the reasons stated in the previous paragraph - Mike |
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russd1978 Occasional Visitor
Joined: Mar 02, 2006 Posts: 34
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Posted: Sun Dec 09, 2007 2:40 pm Post subject: |
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Hi Mike,
Ive been reading your posts with interest. Do you think the newer TMC receiver is worth buying if Im not planning to mod it (i just know ill break it.... clumsy s0d that I am!). Or is it pretty useless unless you do the mod? |
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mikealder Pocket GPS Moderator
Joined: Jan 14, 2005 Posts: 19638 Location: Blackpool , Lancs
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Posted: Sun Dec 09, 2007 4:03 pm Post subject: |
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I have not (yet) modified the newer RDS-TMC device, I have found it works considerably better than previous itterations, I might try connecting it to an external feed at some point but as it works most of the time (and I live in a poor reception part of the country) I can live with it for now - Mike |
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russd1978 Occasional Visitor
Joined: Mar 02, 2006 Posts: 34
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if1977 Lifetime Member
Joined: Nov 30, 2007 Posts: 649 Location: Doncaster
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Posted: Sun Dec 09, 2007 4:49 pm Post subject: |
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Hi folks,
If it is not too much trouble could someone explain to me why
it is that you always get Classic FM instead of (in Scotland)
Real radio FM. I sometimes get Clyde 1 FM but after 2-3
it auto-tunes to Classic FM, even if you type in your frequency
manually after 2-3 minutes it auto-tunes back to Classic FM. |
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mikealder Pocket GPS Moderator
Joined: Jan 14, 2005 Posts: 19638 Location: Blackpool , Lancs
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Posted: Sun Dec 09, 2007 4:51 pm Post subject: |
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When you get it check the device for a small white tag/ label with some numbers on, the latest RDS receiver ends with .013 printed on the label, also the connector should be straight, theearlier versions of RDS receiver all employed angled connectors - Mike |
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russd1978 Occasional Visitor
Joined: Mar 02, 2006 Posts: 34
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Posted: Sun Dec 09, 2007 4:57 pm Post subject: |
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mikealder wrote: | When you get it check the device for a small white tag/ label with some numbers on, the latest RDS receiver ends with .013 printed on the label, also the connector should be straight, theearlier versions of RDS receiver all employed angled connectors - Mike |
Thanks Mike, its a bit worrying that Amazon are selling both versions, but hopefully it will be the newer one. I think the Amazon price is best though.
The connector does seem angled on the pic tho -
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mikealder Pocket GPS Moderator
Joined: Jan 14, 2005 Posts: 19638 Location: Blackpool , Lancs
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Posted: Sun Dec 09, 2007 5:12 pm Post subject: |
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That picture is a .010 device supplied to Europe, as far as I know it was never sold in the UK -at the end of the day it all depends what you get when the postman arrives, if it is wrong send it back, a .010 RDS unit is pathetic in comparison to the unit idented .013 in terms of reception -Mike |
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