Traffic Info

simonsmith · Occasional Visitor Joined: Nov 20, 2004 Posts: 2

Hello

I've got a Navman 510 but I also want to get traffic info and I hear people talk about ITIS and TMC. Can I get a standalone traffic device?

Also it's a shame that TomTom Go and Navman don't build in traffic information to their devices. I wouldn't even mind being told to ring a number of my mobile because of traffic conditions ahead.

Thanks

Simon

DavidW · Posted: Sat Nov 20, 2004 5:07 pm Post subject:

The 'all in one box' devices aren't really suited to traffic aware navigation, as that requires connectivity they simply don't have - typically Bluetooth hardware, and both TCP/IP and Bluetooth stacks. Adding such features would bump up the costs in what is now a competitive market.

Probably your best option is to buy something like a Trafficmaster Freeway. Trafficmaster's data is of higher quality than the iTIS data anyway.

David

dejongj · Posted: Thu Nov 25, 2004 9:50 am Post subject:

swing · Posted: Thu Nov 25, 2004 10:30 am Post subject:

DavidW · Posted: Thu Nov 25, 2004 4:30 pm Post subject:

It's just my experience, dejongj. If you want rapidly updating details of what's on the road ahead, Trafficmaster tends to win every time; their data collection system is faster to respond that that used by iTIS. Trafficmaster's system can monitor any vehicle travelling along the road, whereas iTIS, according to the description on their web site, only take traffic speed information from specially equipped reporting vehicles.

I wonder, in the future, those of us using systems like TomTom Traffic, who have a two way data connection, could allow data on our speed to be sent to the server to help improve the quality of the iTIS data.

That's not to say iTIS's data is worthless - far from it. I've paid for a 12 month subscription to TomTom Traffic - though I also carry a cheap Trafficmaster. If something goes wrong immediately ahead, the Trafficmaster is faster to respond than TomTom Traffic. This is my real life experience - living in the area near M1 junctions 12 and 13; jams can appear very fast around here.

I was a bit sloppy in my previous post in that I didn't qualify the expressed opinion that well. I took the original poster to be most interested in what was happening on the road ahead of him - which is where Trafficmaster excels, but I didn't explain the reasoning for my recommendation in this case that carefully. As you say, the iTIS data provides a more rounded solution.

I hope that's regarded as a more balanced answer; I didn't think such a detailed explanation was necessary, but I'm happy to provide it now. I'll always respond to any criticism made of my posts in a constructive way if I notice that criticism.

Even though I'm a forum mod, I am allowed my own opinions - and I simply haven't the time to spend half an hour providing a 'review grade' answer to every post (though some of my forum posts take an hour or more to write). I do attempt to answer as many questions as I can as accurately as I can - but it's not possible in the forums for me to explore every caveat and qualify every suggestion fully. I hope that's understood without me putting an explicit disclaimer in my signature.

Moderators are appointed by the Pocket GPS World Team. However, I, like the other moderators, are unpaid volunteers and I do not write to express the opinion of Pocket GPS World Ltd.

David

simonsmith · Occasional Visitor Joined: Nov 20, 2004 Posts: 2

Hi David W

Thanks for your excellent reply. I went out and bought Trafficmaster Freeway and impressed with this simple device. It's also very cost effective so you made a great suggestion.

Thanks

Simon

DavidH · Regular Visitor Joined: Feb 06, 2004 Posts: 78

I have NAvigon's MNBE4 with TMC. It works, and may work well outside London, but I've so far not found the Traffic side very useful IN London.
I assune TraficMaster's Freeway is a standalone device? As such, presumably it won't integrate into MNBE.

Does it know where you're going? Is it only for Motorways/A roads (as the name might imply)? If so, it wouldn't help round London I expect.

Any suggestions for me to avoid London's long delays ( but at least I'm getting much better at Italian with my CD's in the car!)?

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