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inspiredron,
one last thing - could not find any POI's in the database here for FM transmitters. Do you have a link on the website or elsewhere on the net with the Trafficmaster and or ITIS FM transmitters or coverage maps ?
Joined: Feb 28, 2006 Posts: 100 Location: Brandon, Suffolk, UK
Posted: Sun Jan 15, 2012 10:00 am Post subject:
Quote:
one last thing - could not find any POI's in the database here for FM transmitters
AFAIK transmission is on top of existing local radio broadcasts so not sure that you will find an actual database of transmitters. There may of course be info on which stations carry them somewhere.
Well some partial success - managed to get the traffic icon and details of incidents etc, but this was only by setting the unit into test mode via the diagnostics menu. Worked while powered on, but back to same problem when I power off and then start-up the unit again. Here's what I did..
1) Power up in car with cable connected
2) Select View Maps from main screen
3) Press on speed display in bottom right
4) Throws up speed & trip screen - press & hold the over the speed readout for 5 seconds
5) Diagnostics menu appears - scroll down and select Developer Info
6) Select GTM Status - press 3 bar icon in top left & select Test
7) Throws up keyboard - typed in 100.50 (Classic FM frequency). Then returns to previous screen and the unit is no longer searching through frequencies but is locked onto 100.50
8) Exit back through all screens to View Map and then I got the traffic icon - 2 white cars on green. When icon pressed I can see map of incidents etc or list
However, as I said this only works while the unit remains on. As soon as you power off and back on it goes back to auto searching i.e. the unit is out of test mode. There were 2 other options at step 6 - Norm & Mark. Norm just returns it to auto scanning and Mark just seems to record a snapshot of frequency in a table on the left.
As someone mentioned earlier I thought Garmin units only pick up Trafficmaster data, but my unit definately lists ITIS-UK, which is I think what TomTom use.
I also managed to find a list of FM stations, frequencies, transmitter locations, road coverage and transmission coverage for ITIS - though it dates back to 2008. I am in line of site to one listed. Here is the URL - links on right hand side of page (hope this works...)
Joined: Jan 14, 2005 Posts: 19638 Location: Blackpool , Lancs
Posted: Sun Jan 15, 2012 2:05 pm Post subject:
Here is a list I constructed a while ago that covers the transmitter locations and frequencies used by the TrafficMaster system, this is very different to those used by iTIS Holdings:
If you copy all the text above and paste it in to NotePad you can then choose SaveAs, give it a file name, then use Windows Explorer to rename the file extension from .txt to .csv, load this csv file to your device using POILoader. you can then use the POI data on the device to find the correct frequency relative to your location whilst out on the road - Mike
Mike,
could you explain what the 2 sets of numbers in brackets are i.e what is the FM frequency of this one:
1.33271,52.5739,"""Stoke Holy Cross (149 3.3)"""
Joined: Jan 14, 2005 Posts: 19638 Location: Blackpool , Lancs
Posted: Sun Jan 15, 2012 4:16 pm Post subject:
Garmin channel number first followed by Power level in KW, I do have a word document I wrote a couple of years ago that explains how to use this file on the device, if that would be of any use to you PM me your e-mail address - Mike
fruit,
thanks for the info. Maybe the auto scanning requires a very strong signal before it locks on ...and maybe we don't have a strong signal here. Certainly don't have issues with FM radio station strength, but maybe the TMC sub carrier is weak. Still think the FM receiver is at fault - too 'picky' about what to lock onto.
Sent an email to Garmin detailing the issue - I'll see what comes back. Anyway in the meantime, I have a fall back, albeit awkward way of getting traffic via the method described above.
Joined: Dec 17, 2006 Posts: 302 Location: Ellesmere UK
Posted: Mon Jan 16, 2012 1:28 pm Post subject:
My old 660 had a traffic icon on the front page (the one that asks Where to) but the 760 does not. However, when I plug in the traffic receiver (GTM21) I get an extra icon in the Tools page, Traffic. Touching that gives me a very quick view of traffic in the vicinity. However, I cannot see whether traffic is being received other then by checking the "view by road" button which shows green, yellow or red marks against each road listed.. Traffic info signal strength in the UK is low and there have always been dead spots because of this - a search of these forums using GTM21 as a search term will show lots of issues from around 4 years ago. I suspect that you are in an area that is not well covered - hence nothing on your unit.
Well I got a prompt reply from an email to Trafficmaster which backs up inspiredron's & Mike's posts above - that is - there is poor to no Trafficmaster coverage in Scotland. This is what they said:
Quote:
The current coverage in Scotland is mainly limited to Central Scotland area with no current Transmission for Aberdeen or Dundee so you won’t get a signal there at the present time. We do provide Traffic data for these regions and this is delivered to Garmin connected units via an XML feed – connected being as in contains an active sim card. The system you are using uses the FM bandwith with the nearest stations being a little out of your reach.
I am not aware of any plans to install more transmitters in this area as the future of devices will be connected or via digital when this switches over, we are already operating and providing service via digital and are waiting for the manufacturers to make the switch as it allows for a much enriched level of detail over the current FM service.
XFM Black Hill 106.1 Central Scotland FM2 Global Arqiva
XFM Craigkelly 105.7 Central Scotland FM2 Global Arqiva
So on my trip S although I travelled through the Central belt, it was on the M80-M73-M74, which is some distance from Glasgow, so maybe it never locked onto the transmitters above.
What is curious is that my unit also lists the ITIS-UK provider of traffic data and allows me to select it, but the unit continues 'auto scanning' as on the standard Auto option (which I assume is the Trafficmaster setting). Yet when I set the frequency to a fixed ITIS transmitter (100.50 FM) in the Test diagnostics, I do receive traffic reports. If only I could get it to lock onto the ITIS transmitter automatically - there are far more of them up here in Scotland.
Moral of the story is, if you are after traffic coverage in Scotland then go for a unit that uses the ITIS-UK FM as standard. My 2460LMT does not seem to auto detect ITIS-UK and I suspect that may apply to most/all Garmin units.
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