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It could also be argued that we should be driving with the map displayed, rather than straining to read the small print of the traffic info.
I'm convinced that part of the problem lies with the TMC data from its source and the Mio/TT/ANOther simpy displays the data received. For example, if somebody asked you where Fleet Services is you would probably say "M3 between junctions 4A and 5" because it could be argued this is the logical way, yet you're expecting your GPS to be more specific.
...but we have to live with what we have and, for the money, Mio products take some beating.
As demonstrated in the TMC forum, Mio are by no means alone with TMC reception problems.
Not too long ago, we would have been happy for GPS just to guide us to our destination but now we're almost expecting it to drive the car and make the coffee
Okay, this is getting silly.
The issue is really very simple. From what I've observed and from what I can replicate Mio TMC is bugged in the following ways:
1) The Mio often (almost always) misreports the direction of traffic congestion i.e reports the jam as being on the opposite carriageway. This doesn't happen, in my experience, on the continent when using the same unit. Therefore I suspect that the problem is connected with a bug that overlooks the fact that in the UK we drive on the left. It wasn't a problem in version 3.1. The fact that the main heading and sub-heading conflict is a real hint. When describing a jam on a motorway the usual protocol is to describe the jam in directional terms. So that the jam would only be described as "junction 4 to juntion 6" if the direction of travel took you past junctions 4 and 5 and 6 in that order. Miomap 3.1 used to do this!
2) The Mio will often now report "traffic jam ahead" and try to re-route even when the jam is not on the part of the road relevant to your route.
Why is this so complicated to understand when it is so easy to replicate it?
The inability to report any of these bugs to Mio - and Mitac's obvious disinterest in doing anything about the bugs - is a shame.
I would be very, very interested to know if upgrading to the latest version of 3.2 (Jan 2007) does alter *your* data feed to ITIS (it does for mine with an older rom version). For what it's worth I have a strong suspicion that your firmware version will also determine the data feed provider and that you will stick with Trafficmaster but I can't cite any evidence for this gut feeling (other than some chatter on a French site regarding French premium TMC support and rom versions).
Just for the record I upgraded C710 ROM ver R31F.3.123.1004 and this latest ROM did not make any difference - TMC transferred to Classic FM
However, I received 19 pages of Info compared to Trafficmanager 12 pages. Perhaps more importantly 50 of the ITIS incidents were within 50 mile radious, compared to 5 from TM.
I am happy with that.
Do you know where ROM R35F.3.111.928 fits in the Mio numbering system. This is from a C510 which I am thinking of changing to. Advantage is the 2.5mm jack plug from my car aerial splitter fits straight into the separate aerial cable for the C510. Just one lead provides power and TMC - lead comes up behind the steering wheel and a couple of bits of velcro hold the GPS inside the dashboard. Five seconds puts it in place and removes it.
I think at last I have a system that does not look like a Christmas tree and actually works (well some of the time).
Not sure but the rom version you mention seems, from GPS Passion posts, to be specific to the C510
There was some mention on GPS Passion that the rom version determines the TMC feed - in relation to French premium feeds and so on. Other posts disagreed with this.
The rom version probably relates to aspects of the Windows OS - presumably the more recent rom versions will be more stable. There are also bugs in some of the non Miomap C710 software that haven't been fixed by Miomap updates. With the telephone/address book dialler for example it is not possible to select an entry from the list for one touch dialling - when you touch the number you are taken to the full details screen for that entry with no option to dial. You have to revert to the original screen in order to access the now highlighted number.
There are also some replicatable location specific lock up issues with the older rom version and Miomap that seem to have been fixed with the more recent rom release.
Joined: Jan 04, 2007 Posts: 2789 Location: Hampshire, UK
Posted: Thu Mar 29, 2007 8:46 am Post subject:
Retty,
Sorry, I was merely trying to add a little humour because the more our GPS does, the more we expect from it and the more dissatisfied we appear to be - when, logically, we should be more and more pleased with what can be achieved from such a tiny box.
I think that people are finding this subject so difficult to understand because perhaps there is a lack of other people experiencing the same phenomenon as yourself.
From personal experience, the traffic direction reported in the sub-heading is correct and I haven't yet been re-routed due to a problem on a road not included in my route. Traffic incidents reported on my Mio appear to tie in with radio traffic bulletins, both in location and direction.
In my experience also, the Mio appears to behave intelligently (where possible) by directing me off the motorway at a logical junction before where the problem is reported, so I don't get stuck in the tail back or stop-go traffic that's so common around a problem
It seems that whilst we both regularly travel the same route (M3 corridor), our experiences are different.
I suspect that most people drive with the 'Map' or 'Cockpit' screen displayed, so they are oblivious to the traffic incidents reported and I have to admit that now the novelty value of TMC has worn off I tend to do this as well.
Have you contacted Mio about this problem which you are experiencing on what seems to be a regular basis?
Joined: Nov 06, 2006 Posts: 32 Location: Mostly Hampshire
Posted: Thu Mar 29, 2007 9:10 am Post subject:
GPS_fan wrote:
Retty,
Sorry, I was merely trying to add a little humour because the more our GPS does, the more we expect from it and the more dissatisfied we appear to be - when, logically, we should be more and more pleased with what can be achieved from such a tiny box.
I think that people are finding this subject so difficult to understand because perhaps there is a lack of other people experiencing the same phenomenon as yourself.
From personal experience, the traffic direction reported in the sub-heading is correct and I haven't yet been re-routed due to a problem on a road not included in my route. Traffic incidents reported on my Mio appear to tie in with radio traffic bulletins, both in location and direction.
In my experience also, the Mio appears to behave intelligently (where possible) by directing me off the motorway at a logical junction before where the problem is reported, so I don't get stuck in the tail back or stop-go traffic that's so common around a problem
It seems that whilst we both regularly travel the same route (M3 corridor), our experiences are different.
I suspect that most people drive with the 'Map' or 'Cockpit' screen displayed, so they are oblivious to the traffic incidents reported and I have to admit that now the novelty value of TMC has worn off I tend to do this as well.
Have you contacted Mio about this problem which you are experiencing on what seems to be a regular basis?
GPS_fan I drive with the cockpit screen displaid, but surely the traffic incidents on TMC are displaid on the screen witht he different colour sections of roads and warning signs. _________________ Regards,
DPM
-------------------------------
Mio C510E - 1st purchase very impressed.
Now running V3.2
There are also bugs in some of the non Miomap C710 software that haven't been fixed by Miomap updates. With the telephone/address book dialler for example it is not possible to select an entry from the list for one touch dialling - when you touch the number you are taken to the full details screen for that entry with no option to dial. You have to revert to the original screen in order to access the now highlighted number.
With the C510 if you double tap a Contact you go to the full address etc. details. However, a single tap just highlights the Contact and a tap on ''phone'' then takes you to an options screen with Home, Work and Mobile numbers. Tap the one you want and off it goes.
Agreed, single touch it is not. Even if there is only one number listed you have to go through the options screen.
There are also bugs in some of the non Miomap C710 software that haven't been fixed by Miomap updates. With the telephone/address book dialler for example it is not possible to select an entry from the list for one touch dialling - when you touch the number you are taken to the full details screen for that entry with no option to dial. You have to revert to the original screen in order to access the now highlighted number.
With the C510 if you double tap a Contact you go to the full address etc. details. However, a single tap just highlights the Contact and a tap on ''phone'' then takes you to an options screen with Home, Work and Mobile numbers. Tap the one you want and off it goes.
Agreed, single touch it is not. Even if there is only one number listed you have to go through the options screen.
Yes, this is the problem: the method you describe doesn't work with the pre December (or whatever it is) rom version of the C710. When you tap a contact (single touch) you are taken to a screen that doesn't have the option to dial. You have to reverse back to the list screen which will now have the number highlighted and then tap the dial icon.
Sorry, I was merely trying to add a little humour because the more our GPS does, the more we expect from it and the more dissatisfied we appear to be - when, logically, we should be more and more pleased with what can be achieved from such a tiny box.
I think that people are finding this subject so difficult to understand because perhaps there is a lack of other people experiencing the same phenomenon as yourself.
From personal experience, the traffic direction reported in the sub-heading is correct and I haven't yet been re-routed due to a problem on a road not included in my route. Traffic incidents reported on my Mio appear to tie in with radio traffic bulletins, both in location and direction.
In my experience also, the Mio appears to behave intelligently (where possible) by directing me off the motorway at a logical junction before where the problem is reported, so I don't get stuck in the tail back or stop-go traffic that's so common around a problem
It seems that whilst we both regularly travel the same route (M3 corridor), our experiences are different.
I suspect that most people drive with the 'Map' or 'Cockpit' screen displayed, so they are oblivious to the traffic incidents reported and I have to admit that now the novelty value of TMC has worn off I tend to do this as well.
Have you contacted Mio about this problem which you are experiencing on what seems to be a regular basis?
Sorry - I'm like a dog with an old bone with this one.
The thing is though that the problem doesn't exist with TMC on the continent - the main heading and sub-heading direction matches perfectly.
I will try to take a photograph of the screen to illustrate what I mean.
If the Mio "thinks" that the UK uses right hand drive - like continental Europe - then the traffic direction is correct.
Btw, today I saw some new TMC messages. I definitely saw one that said "Traffic light/signal failure" and I'm pretty sure, although I could be wrong (I only saw it flicker very briefly), that there was one that said "Congestion clearing". Yesterday I had lots of "Hazard. Fog" warnings.
The point about being re-routed when the jam doesn't affect your planned journey is that re-routing sometimes takes place when the jam affects the road you are travelling on but not the part of the road that takes in your journey.
But yes I accept what you say about not being happy - it's too easy to be critical (well it is for me anyway!) The technology is still developing and I guess that in 5 years or so the information will be more comprehensive and reliable. Reception will still be a pain in the proverbial though.
I'm going to look in to professional installation of an aerial splitter for the TMC input - depending on cost I may go for it. Should help the reception problem.
I'm pretty sure that there's little to choose between ITIS and TM - if anything the ITIS info covers smaller roads with non journalistic information that TM doesn't cover.
Joined: Jan 04, 2007 Posts: 2789 Location: Hampshire, UK
Posted: Thu Mar 29, 2007 9:33 pm Post subject:
According to the TrafficMaster and iTIS web sites, both systems use a combination of static and vehicular sensors - so, in theory at least, there shoukd be little difference between the 2 systems.
What a pity there are 2 suppliers competing rather than 1 provider - or, perhaps better still, the ability to switch between TrafficMaster and iTIS on the GPS.
A great pity we're living in the real world rather than an ideal world!!
Joined: 18/05/2003 19:05:53 Posts: 33 Location: United Kingdom
Posted: Fri Mar 30, 2007 9:27 pm Post subject: Additional TMC information - greatbritain7ppc ?
Today I reloaded my C710 from the DVD and then ran the MIO update and updated with the greatbritain7ppc.fbl map. I notice now that my TMC messages on the traffice event screen is showing more information i.e direction of travel, sometimes two lines of info and it adjusts the font to show the additional information.
The text in some places is rather small, and the TMC carrier station is still Classic FM.
I'm not sure if this by design with the greatbritain7ppc.fbl map or if the TMC element has been updated.
Joined: Jan 04, 2007 Posts: 2789 Location: Hampshire, UK
Posted: Fri Mar 30, 2007 9:47 pm Post subject:
The TMC update is included in the MioMap software update, whilst instructions such as "bear left/right" and the warning distances to junctions etc are included in the map update.
This brings me to that, Retty, that you could possibly try removing all files and re-install the software from the DVD and then update the maps, voices etc but NOT MioMap software - this will hopefully give you the benefit of correct direction reporting (which you said you had before the (October/November update) and the benefit of mapping and warning distances that you've experienced with later updates.
This will possibly also mean that the TMC data source reverts from iTIS to TrafficMaster
Joined: 18/05/2003 19:05:53 Posts: 33 Location: United Kingdom
Posted: Sat Mar 31, 2007 8:55 am Post subject:
Right, I looked a little further into the TMC detail that is received and reloaded the greatbritain map that was on my Miomap Ver 3.1 dvd back on to my C710 and found that there was only 2 lines of TMC information i.e. road and location (first line) and distance and road condition (second line).
Whilst the greatbritain7ppc map tmc shows up to 3 lines of information i.e. road/area and direction of travel (first line) more specific road detail and direction of travel/location (second line) distance and road condition (third line).
So it appears how the mio handles the TMC information is map specific.
Joined: Jan 04, 2007 Posts: 2789 Location: Hampshire, UK
Posted: Sun Apr 01, 2007 11:58 am Post subject:
I'm getting more confused with this!
I'm using the latest maps, but the original release (October/November 2006) of MioMap v3.2 on my system and the TMC reports give directional information which ties in with radio bulletins.
Prior to this, I was using October/November maps with the October/November release of MioMap software.
My wife's unit has the latest maps AND latest software and when I 'played' with this unit, it too reported incidents which tied in with radio bulletins.
I have yet to see a traffic report which, direction-wise, doesn't tie in with radio bulletins - irrespective of map and/or MioMap software used and, indeed, whether TrafficMaster or iTIS is the source of TMC data.
TrafficMaster has been in my car since the first Freeway systems were released the best part of 10 years ago - so i guess I just favour the devil I know at the moment.
I'm using the latest maps, but the original release (October/November 2006) of MioMap v3.2 on my system and the TMC reports give directional information which ties in with radio bulletins.
Prior to this, I was using October/November maps with the October/November release of MioMap software.
My wife's unit has the latest maps AND latest software and when I 'played' with this unit, it too reported incidents which tied in with radio bulletins.
I have yet to see a traffic report which, direction-wise, doesn't tie in with radio bulletins - irrespective of map and/or MioMap software used and, indeed, whether TrafficMaster or iTIS is the source of TMC data.
TrafficMaster has been in my car since the first Freeway systems were released the best part of 10 years ago - so i guess I just favour the devil I know at the moment.
I've kinda lost the thread on this topic. Since I have done my upgrade I haven't used the traffic info nd only relied on my radio to update me.
Are we saying that the TMC system is working on the Mio using V3.2 (ITIS) I would just like to know if its worth re-enabling it. _________________ Regards
Dave J
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