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Tomtom Traffic - is it worth it?
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perussell
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Joined: May 12, 2006
Posts: 292

PostPosted: Mon Jan 14, 2008 3:47 pm    Post subject: Tomtom Traffic - is it worth it? Reply with quote

Having made the decision to change my satnav I have purchased a Go720 from Halfords online for £175 which doesn't seem bad - I hope to have it tomorrow.
Now based upon much past experience with RDS TMC on other units and having read the various threads on here there is no way I am going to waste another £40 or more on the traffic receiver - I just know it isn't going to work in my BMW - no other one ever has properly!
So, if I want to receive traffic info it seems my most likely option, assuming I can pair my week-old smartphone with the 720 is to subscribe to TT Traffic. OK so it involves a yearly subscription (about half the cost of a receiver) and data transmission costs but is anybody using TT Traffic and what do you think of it? At least I won't have to mess around with an unsightly antenna.
Is the service more reliable than the RDS TMC option, do you always get the info as long as you have a phone signal? Opinions and comments gratefully received.
Thanks
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if1977
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Joined: Nov 30, 2007
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Location: Doncaster

PostPosted: Mon Jan 14, 2008 3:55 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I have the RDS-TMC reciever and find it to work well (the only one i think). But when i got my Wireless data connection working i got a 1 month free Traffic subscription. So when i was out i would get a report on the reciever and a report on the subscription. I did'nt see much difference exept the reciever gave me local traffic reports within 50 miles radius or so on my position and the subscription could tell me reports in Newcastle. But apart from that the difference in the time delay on the reports were at most 15 minutes difference. Hope this is of use to you and remember i have a 710 also.
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123dixie123
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Joined: Jan 06, 2007
Posts: 55

PostPosted: Mon Jan 14, 2008 6:36 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

If you want totaly useless Trafic reports that are mostly wrong then carry on and get your 1st month for free but I would strongly advise you not to pay for it.
TomTom have a very LARGE damn cheek to ask us to pay for something that gives such hopeless info. The idea and the way it should work is brilliant but badly let down by their info suplier.
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LT
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Joined: Nov 02, 2005
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Location: Lancashire

PostPosted: Wed Jan 16, 2008 11:51 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

In my experience, it's quite useful, BUT it only seems to work for motorways. Any build ups on normal roads just aren't on. I opened a thread asking if this was the case some time ago and there were no replies.

I once travelled around Stoke for about 2 hours when the traffic took me off the M6 when it was really busy, and onto the A500, which had roadworks and that was even worse!
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madnlooney
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Joined: Jan 18, 2007
Posts: 19
Location: Surrey ,UK

PostPosted: Sat Jan 19, 2008 4:55 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

well my year sub is up and i found the traffic not very good. it would tell you of traffic too late and then would report traffic that wasnt there/cleared

also for built up areas i found it worse so i wont be renewing

i may get a TMC but im not sure tho

my advice is dont pay for the subed one
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hoolahoops
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Joined: Aug 07, 2007
Posts: 49
Location: Milton Keynes

PostPosted: Mon Jan 21, 2008 3:55 pm    Post subject: TMC on Go920T Reply with quote

Hi

I've had my 920T for around 2 weeks, and had the opportunity to use it for my first motorway trip at the weekend. I was travelling from Milton Keynes to Fleet via M1, M25 and M3. Fri night there (8pm) and Sun morning (11am) back to MK.

When I set off at 8 on Fri night it said 4hrs 40m to do the 78ish miles. It said there was approx. 3 hrs of delays in the M1 J10-J6a roadworks. In the end I drove through them at the usual 50mph. There were no delays. As soon as I got onto the M25 my journey time dropped to 45 mins.

It did the same on the way back on Sun morning - 2-3 hrs extra journey time due to M1. Again I came through the roadworks at a steady 50.

Anybody else seen this problem with the M1 roadworks? If this is the accuracy I can expect (I have low expectations mind you - I know TMC is mostly a mainland Europe thing) then I won't be using it much.

Cheers - Kev
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DennisN
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PostPosted: Mon Jan 21, 2008 6:41 pm    Post subject: Re: TMC on Go920T Reply with quote

hoolahoops wrote:
Anybody else seen this problem with the M1 roadworks? If this is the accuracy I can expect (I have low expectations mind you - I know TMC is mostly a mainland Europe thing) then I won't be using it much.

Cheers - Kev


"They" have got a severe problem with RDS-TMC reporting. Any lane closure always affects your travel time, irrespective of the situation on the road. I went over to Wales this morning and got a report that there was a delay of 96 minutes, then 1 hour and 36 minutes (a simple soul, I can't tell the difference). That was for the contraflow at Cardiff which seems to be 6 miles long, so I have a current theory that they insert 16 minutes delay for every mile of lane closure (when Mike sees this he'll tell me it's something to do with a bit being set or not, 0 or 1 or 00001, which I shall instantly understand and quickly forget before I log off - they probably think a 1 is something like a second, but they're multiplying in binary instead of decimal). I was warned of the exact same 1 hour, 36 minutes both going and coming back. I shall adapt this theory for the next lane closure delay it tells me of. Laughing Needless to say, there was no delay in either direction, apart from the speed limit of 50mph. For other traffic incidents, you'll only get an indication of 1 minute delay - equally false and useless - I got 1 minute for the M3 when it was closed for six hours (not with me in it - I listened to Radio 5 Live and drove round it).

I've been watching the RDS-TMC for the last three weeks since I got the 920T and so far have not noticed any correct notification (in nearly 3,000 miles). AND I've been ignoring it for all that time and not suffered for doing so.

I don't know who to blame for it - either ITIS (the provider) or TomTom (the disseminator). But I always used to decry these traffic report systems (both GPRS and RDS-TMC, as probably no better, but more costly than Radio 5 Live) and I see no reason to up my opinion of them yet.
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123dixie123
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PostPosted: Mon Jan 21, 2008 7:28 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Yep its compleatly useless. What a shame.
Q1
Do TT know its this bad ?
Q2
Do they have staff out and about useing it ?
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DennisN
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PostPosted: Mon Jan 21, 2008 8:06 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

1. Obviously not.
2. Obviously not.
3. Of course not.
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If it tastes good - it's fattening.

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mikecymru
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PostPosted: Mon Jan 21, 2008 10:30 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

guys

its taken them three months to repair mine.

Not only do they not care, they are useless to boot!

My 910 has been back to repair so many times it has its own carbon footprint
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perussell
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PostPosted: Tue Jan 22, 2008 9:40 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

So my question is..........

is the GPRS transmitted Tomtom Traffic any different from the stuff delivered via RDS-TMC?

This is why I chose not to buy the 'T' version but if you read the TT bumf it seems to suggest that the GPRS data is more comprehensive than what is delivered via TMC which is, I believe, 100% ITIS derived - and we all know what rubbish that is Laughing
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stuart
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Location: Dorset, England, Great Britain

PostPosted: Tue Jan 22, 2008 11:58 am    Post subject: Re: TMC on Go920T Reply with quote

[quote="DennisN
I don't know who to blame for it - either ITIS (the provider) or TomTom (the disseminator). But I always used to decry these traffic report systems (both GPRS and RDS-TMC, as probably no better, but more costly than Radio 5 Live) and I see no reason to up my opinion of them yet.[/quote]

If you take a look at 'their' web site - ITS Holdings - (http://www.itisholdings.com/directors.asp) you can see where all the money is going....Directors, Senior Managers, Maybe 2008 will be 'their' year of improvements.

Driving Out of here
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if1977
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Joined: Nov 30, 2007
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PostPosted: Tue Jan 22, 2008 12:46 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

perussell wrote:
So my question is..........

is the GPRS transmitted Tomtom Traffic any different from the stuff delivered via RDS-TMC?

This is why I chose not to buy the 'T' version but if you read the TT bumf it seems to suggest that the GPRS data is more comprehensive than what is delivered via TMC which is, I believe, 100% ITIS derived - and we all know what rubbish that is Laughing


I was asked this about a week ago in another thread and i had both at the same time and the only difference i noticed was the reciever told me of traffic within roughly a 50 mile radius and the GPRS told me of traffic down south also (I am near Glasgow) and the delay times were the same but sometimes they were upto 15 minutes of a difference.
_________________
NEW Tomtom GO 500 (hope it is good)
iphone (running all day, doesn't like it)
XL LIVE IQ Routes (Got stolen and miss it)
GO 510 (in drawer now, time for upgrade)
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perussell
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PostPosted: Tue Jan 22, 2008 2:26 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Quote:
I don't know who to blame for it - either ITIS (the provider) or TomTom (the disseminator).


I can assure you having had Mio and VM units that also use Itis derived traffic info that the data is every bit as poor on those units as it appears to be on Tomtom (from other comments). TT may not handle the info very well but as I have said elsewhere "rubbish in = rubbish out" no matter what
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stuart
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PostPosted: Tue Jan 22, 2008 2:41 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

perussell wrote:
Quote:
I don't know who to blame for it - either ITIS (the provider) or TomTom (the disseminator).


I can assure you having had Mio and VM units that also use Itis derived traffic info that the data is every bit as poor on those units as it appears to be on Tomtom (from other comments). TT may not handle the info very well but as I have said elsewhere "rubbish in = rubbish out" no matter what



So basically.....perussell..... Its down to the folks in their ivory towers ... ...""ITIS' Operations Centre in Altrincham, which is manned and supported on a 24 hour basis, 365 days per year"".......(Their words)
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