Is TRAFFIC facility worth having

nheather · Regular Visitor Joined: Nov 02, 2005 Posts: 67

I've decided I'm going to buy a Garmin 255W because I've come to the conclusion that I don't need all the bells and whistles.

I know it doesn't do text to speech but again that is not something that really bothers me. In the past I've always used Sat Navs with the volume turned down anyway.

But my question is - Is the Traffic facility worth having.

I can't say I'm particularly bothered but it's not much more money at the outset but will cost a lot more if I buy as an accessory at a later date.

The prices I've seen are

255W - £144
255WT - £160

So it's £16 more for the traffic adapter.

But I've heard coverage isn't that great in the UK anyway.

What do you think?

Cheers,

Nigel

Lester_Burnham · Frequent Visitor Joined: Oct 17, 2005 Posts: 618

nheather · Regular Visitor Joined: Nov 02, 2005 Posts: 67

mikealder · Posted: Wed Jul 16, 2008 8:34 pm Post subject:

Having the traffic integrated can be quite useful, I wouldn't rely upon it 100% but when the radio and road signs all agree with the information the device has displayed as a problem it can be very handy to re-route with very little manual input - £16 doesn't go very far these days in terms of fuel if you get stuck in traffic.
I have used the RDS system to avoid a number of jams, when it works it is very good, but don't rely upon it all the time, a degree of common sense is required to judge whether the displayed information is genuine - cross correlation to other information sources works very well for me - Mike

markr68 · Posted: Wed Jul 16, 2008 8:41 pm Post subject:

I bought the 205t a few weeks ago for the wife. We used on the way back from the NEC and it picked up on a delay on the M1 and re-routed us saving quite a bit of time according to the radio traffic news.

Mark.

Kremmen · Posted: Thu Jul 17, 2008 7:08 am Post subject:

It's a shame about the portable SatNav TMC because when it works it's so useful.

My built in SatNav has excellent RDS TMC and when I jump in the car I can see what the M25 is doing from over 10 miles away so I can plot my journey from the outset.

One of these days a manufacturer will produce a unit with a normal radio telescopic aerial that works properly and looks far better than having a washing line strung across the windscreen.
_________________
Satnav:
Garmin 2599 LMT-D (Indoor test rig)
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Viofo A119 V3
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Lester_Burnham · Frequent Visitor Joined: Oct 17, 2005 Posts: 618

I think one of the main issues is reception.

Clearly there can be and is some issues with the data, but I'd say most peoples' issues are with reception.

Accepting that, you'd wonder why they (the major GPS manufacturers) don't address that with their aerials for the UK (either better ones, or ones that can be easily integrated with external aerials). I guess in the big scheme of things, we're (the UK) a small market.

I know many modify their aerials on their TMC adaptors / dongles / add-ons. I deliberately didn't with mine, at least for the warranty period (not sure whether I will bother outside of warranty), and I'm glad about that, because I had to send it back (with my unit) for a warranty repair.

nheather · Regular Visitor Joined: Nov 02, 2005 Posts: 67

So how does the TMC aerial work.

I'm looking at the picture of the adapter here

Click Here
URL Truncated by PaulB2005

I assume that it takes the place of the power lead - so provides power and TMC aerial. But in the picture there is only one plug at the Sat Nav end so does the power and the aerial use the same connector.

Also I was expecting to see a fly lead for the aerial but there just seems to be a single lead.

Cheers,

Nigel

markr68 · Posted: Fri Jul 18, 2008 10:01 pm Post subject:

Looks the same as the one on my Nuvi 205T. The actual Ariel isn't shown in the picture. It plugs into the rectangular bit near the top via a jack plug. You then have to fasten two suckers to the windscreen and lay the ariel across them.

Mark.

nheather · Regular Visitor Joined: Nov 02, 2005 Posts: 67

Thanks markr68

So you can choose to have it or not.

One of the things putting me off getting the traffic was the thought of being stuck with untidy leads if I choose not to use it.

But from what you say I could just unplug it and then it would be more or less like an ordinary power lead.

Have I got that right?

Thanks again for the help.

Cheers,

Nigel

markr68 · Posted: Sat Jul 19, 2008 6:34 pm Post subject:

Yep That's right Nigel. Not tried it myself with out the Aeriel yet but cant see why you couldn't just leave it unplugged.

Mark.

nheather · Regular Visitor Joined: Nov 02, 2005 Posts: 67

After much deliberation I decided to go with the non-traffic one.

My reasons

1 - I really don't think I will use it

2 - I prefer to have a few wires as possible

3 - Price

I noticed that Halfords were selling the 255W at a good price and I could use Quidco and a discount voucher code to bring the total price down to £133.

They are not selling the traffic version so the saving over the traffic version had increased from £16 to £27.

Cheers,

Nigel

alan_sh · Posted: Mon Jul 21, 2008 8:50 pm Post subject:

I've got one on my ZUmo 550 and I've never got it to find any reception - but I've only tried it in Rochdale so far.

Alan

Scarecrow · Posted: Thu Jul 24, 2008 10:28 pm Post subject:

So far I have found the traffic information to be a bit hit and miss.

I've been warned of delays which weren't there (couldn't be bothered to find an alternate route and stayed on the motorway, only to find that everything was moving normally).

I've also come across jams that haven't appeared on the sat nav.

So, a bit hit and miss really.

Lester_Burnham · Frequent Visitor Joined: Oct 17, 2005 Posts: 618

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