How is Traffic best used

[red24]

Just got a new 720 and now have a subscription to Traffic.
How is it best used? Do I keep Traffic enabled all the time, useful for my journey back and forth to work, if I do it seems my mobile is disconnected! Not good!

Don't really understand the option of downloading updated traffic, whats the best way to use this option.

Someone give me a clue please.

[trevor.dowle]

[red24]

Thanks for the reply, after using it for a few days now I sort of understand it better. I use it for work journeys as I use the A1, London bound and traffics a nightmare each journey.

If I enable traffic it does tell me some delays so I do have an option, I use a mobile bluetooth link and never had a problem with my previous 510, this one keeps disconnecting my phone which is a pain in the bum.

Is there a way to resolve this?

[123dixie123]

Your question is How is it best used?
Ans. In the OFF mode.

[red24]

Thanks for that reply, actually it works a lot better now I have a different phone. At least they both stay connected at the same time now.

[if1977]

[red24]

No problem, old phone was a Motorola Pebl, traffic updated with it through Bluetooth but the connection on the phone never stayed on and I had to keep reconnecting it. I need to have the phone on as I'm on the road a lot for work.

New phone is a Blackberry 8800, Traffic connects and updates as it should and I always have a phone connection.
I can appreciate that if Traffic is updating I might not be able to use the phone - haven't had the need to use it at this time.

[tjosborn]

I'd have to agree with the 'turn it off' comment. I've lost count of the number of times i've been told I have a 3 hour delay on the M40 coming home only to breeze straight through. I think most people quickly learn not to trust traffic on their daily commute. The reports are out of date, something the new HD service may address (not holding my breath though).

[red24]

[perussell]

I have just started using Traffic via GPRS and on a Monday rush hour commute along the M4 this week round to Watford noticed a few things.

1) The connection between the TT(720) and the phone seems to have been far more reliable since I created a partnership from the TT rather than the phone. First time round I did it the other way and had continuous problems holding a connection until I deleted the partnership and started again from the TT.

2)On a route where previously I would have been lucky to get a signal for about 10% of the time with a TMC antenna I had a signal (green dot) for the entire journey with the data refreshing about every 4 minutes

3) The traffic messages predicted where the congestion was with reasonable accuracy but the delays varied significantly e.g. where it suggested I could expect a 50 minute delay I was held up for 20 mins or so but I guess that is the dynamic nature of congestion and my Trafficmaster Freeway was predicting much more accurate delays anyway. In fairness the 50 minutes warning dropped to about 20 mins after a short while.

In summary therefore, once paired correctly (and as also recommended by TT support) I had far better and more consistent reception than with a string aerial and the data supplied predicted fairly accurately where the holds up where even if the suggested delays were overstated.

Interestingly though it correctly showed the roadworks around Slough whilst completely missing the similar works ongoing at Reading so it seems I have found a reliable source of transmission. All we need now is some accurate data but knowing ITIS I shall not hold my breath

[DennisN]

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