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Posted: Fri Mar 20, 2009 2:56 pm Post subject: TomTom Features Wish List
I currently have a TT Go 530 and use the GPRS traffic with my Nokia N82.
I really like the idea of the HD Traffic and have been following most of the comments on here since before its launch late last year.
I think that HD Traffic seems to be improving, but still needs a lot of work. It appears to miss a lot of the local traffic jams around here (South Bucks) - perhaps because not enough Vodafone users are making/receiving calls in the jam and therefore their position/speed data is not getting to TT's servers.
I am very disappointed that the Go Live 540 doesn't include an FM transmitter or an MP3 player, as I want to get the Live services but I also want to play music. I'd be happy to connect my iPod into the 540 using the new dock, but I then have the problem of what speakers to use. The speaker in the Go 530 is rubbish, so I suspect the one in the Go 540 would be too. I could buy a Dension IceLink FM and connect the TT & iPod into my car radio, but it seems like a lot of hassle.
What I want is:
FM transmitter
MP3 player or iPod control
HD Traffic & Live services
but I can't get all 3 without buying a Go Live 940 and I can't justify the extra 100 pounds over the 540. I am one of those people who thought that the HD Traffic Receiver was going to be released and bought the 530, because that would have solved the vast majority of my problems.
But now I am stuck not knowing what to do next. Should I buy the 540 and the iPod dock, connect my iPod into the TT and then use a Dension IceLink FM - or should I wait until later in 2009 for something like TomTom running on the new iPhone software and HD traffic via GPRS from that?
I'd appreciate anyone's advice, sorry for such a long msg.
Joined: Jan 14, 2005 Posts: 19638 Location: Blackpool , Lancs
Posted: Fri Mar 20, 2009 3:13 pm Post subject:
Welcome to the forum, the lack of mp3 player capability on the 540/ 740 is a shame and I think there will be more than just yourself wanting this combination that simply isn't available without shelling out for the 940 and possibly the accessory mount. The speaker in the x40 is considerably better than that employed in the x20/ x30 ranges, but its still not great for playing music through.
An FM transmitter plugged in to the Line-Out socket is one option, but while driving long distance you might have to re-tune both the car radio and the FM Tx to different frequencies to avoid radio stations breaking through what you are listening to.
Have you considered a different car stereo with either an Aux Line Input which you can cable the device to, or the best option (in terms of audio quality) a Bluetooth compatible stereo? The x30 device is great when paired up with a BT car stereo, and all you are missing is the Live services capability - Mike
Posted: Fri Mar 20, 2009 4:02 pm Post subject: Re: TomTom Features Wish List
jpg1 wrote:
I think that HD Traffic seems to be improving, but still needs a lot of work. It appears to miss a lot of the local traffic jams around here (South Bucks) - perhaps because not enough Vodafone users are making/receiving calls in the jam and therefore their position/speed data is not getting to TT's servers.
AFAIK, the phones need only be switched on for HD Traffic to work, not necessarily on a call.
I've generally found the HD Traffic to be quite good, and accurate. Athough some indicents go missing, and also some road closures and temporary speed limits which should be known about in advance too.
It seems to me as a whole that IQ Routes & traffic avoidance is not as effective as it claims. Take the "Drive like a local" claim. There are a couple of routes that I travel regularly, where I have picked a slightly different route, which I believe to be faster (although to be fair, I've never actually measured this). Certainly, judging by other comments I've seen on these forums, the x40 appears not to re-evaluate an original route once it's changed to avoid traffic.
In fact, it would seem to me that the x40 doesn't re-plan the route much at all - the traffic avoidance option itself is described "If...we discover a significantly faster route" (my emphasis). It seems to me that the x40 only re-plans when the level of traffic increases.
My wishlist item then, would be for the x40 to replan the route in full in the background, every time a traffic update is received (i.e. every 3 minutes), which would always ensure that you are on the fastest currently known route. Obviously it's unreasonable to expect it to know the future and be able to deal with changes in real traffic (as opposed to IQ routes data based on arrival time at a particular stretch of road). ISTM that it doesn't currently do anything like this.
Posted: Fri Mar 20, 2009 4:59 pm Post subject: Re: TomTom Features Wish List
Guinness2702 wrote:
My wishlist item then, would be for the x40 to replan the route in full in the background, every time a traffic update is received (i.e. every 3 minutes), which would always ensure that you are on the fastest currently known route. Obviously it's unreasonable to expect it to know the future and be able to deal with changes in real traffic (as opposed to IQ routes data based on arrival time at a particular stretch of road). ISTM that it doesn't currently do anything like this.
If you set it to go somewhere, and then just sit in the car for an hour, it will several times tell you the ETA and that you are still on the fastest route. I presume this is it checking the IQ routes info every so often and more or less doing what you are suggesting.
Posted: Fri Mar 20, 2009 6:12 pm Post subject: Re: TomTom Features Wish List
matthewj wrote:
If you set it to go somewhere, and then just sit in the car for an hour, it will several times tell you the ETA and that you are still on the fastest route. I presume this is it checking the IQ routes info every so often and more or less doing what you are suggesting.
I believe that it only does that if 'the traffic situation changes en route'
The full message is "Traffic delay is now 10 minutes, you are still on the fastest route" - i.e. it appears that it only examines and re-plans if the traffic delay on your currently planned route increases. I believe that if traffic isn't reported/increasing on your route, it will not re-examine the original. It appears that it does not re-examine the original route, or any originally discounted route for reduction of delay, or take any other similar action.
Indeed, just this Monday, I was on my way down the M1, and it took me off at Milton Keynes(J14), owning to traffic (it did exist, I caught the tail end of it before getting off, and it was reported on the radio as an accident between 12/13). At one point, after diverting, I told it to re-calculate the original, just to see what it did, and it was only then that it changed routes to go back on the M1 at J12 - previously, it was, I think, taking me down the notorious A5 to J9.
Going back to the VF position data and why some traffic jams don't show up...
I thought that the VF position data is only accurate if you make/receive a call, send/receive a text or browse the internet on your VF mobile. I didn't think that your pinpoint location was transmitted to VF if your phone was merely switched on. I think this is perhaps why some traffic jams do not show up - not enough people are making a call on their VF mobile in the jam. Does anyone know otherwise? I can't help thinking that if I am right, HD Traffic will never be really effective unless TomTom pair up with some other networks, as well as VF. I can't see how they will ever get sufficient coverage otherwise...
The Bluetooth radio is a good idea - thanks Mike - but I have an Astra with the CD30 MP3 radio fascia. I think it would be pretty difficult to fit a Bluetooth radio in that fascia.
Does anyone know of any way to get HD Traffic - perhaps later in the year - without buying a Go Live X40 device? Is it likely that a mobile version of TomTom will turn up on one of the Nokia phones or the iPhone with an HD traffic connection via GPRS, in the same way that the HD devices have a SIM card to download the same data?
And add to that TTS voices that don't stutter or repeat words, and bluetooth audio that doesn't keep dropping out for a split second everytime the TT has to do something complicated like function as a navigation device.
And HD Traffic for all of us paupers who can't afford a x40 but have splashed out on a x20 or x30.
I thought that the VF position data is only accurate if you make/receive a call, send/receive a text or browse the internet on your VF mobile. I didn't think that your pinpoint location was transmitted to VF if your phone was merely switched on.
All that is needed is that the phone is switched on, see this or this article for further details on how it works.
Thanks for that info robbooth, that's good to hear. That means that HD traffic has a good chance of working at some time in the future when Vodafone coverage is suffficiently high to cover most of the country. Or perhaps TomTom is planning to engage O2, Orange or T-mobile in this to boost the effectiveness of HD traffic?!
I sat in a traffic jam about half an hour ago, which apparently lasts all afternoon, on and off. However, HD traffic isn't showing it. Does
HD traffic only work on the major A roads? This was a small A road (but an A roar nevertheless) and there is no sign of the jam.
I read somewhere that HD traffic only shows a jam if the speed of that route is slower than the IQ routes speed for that road at that time. Is that true? If so, then you only get told the fastest route if the IQ routes data ia accurate. And some users here have questioned it...so perhaps that's where HD traffic is going wrong. Wouldn't it be better if all delays were shown, even if they are due to a speed higher than the IQ routes speed but still less than the speed limit...
Can anyone shed any light on whether my assumption is correct?
By the way, what I meant by "That means that HD traffic has a good chance of working at some time in the future when Vodafone coverage is suffficiently high to cover most of the country." is that HD traffic still doesn't appear to cover the smaller, more localised traffic jams which could badly disrupt a short journey. I would say that when it covers 90-95% of all jams, it could be declared a total success. I don't think we're at that point yet, but it's getting there...it seems.
For me, shelling out for an X40 still can't be justified just yet because it would be a big stretch for no HUGE benefit over GPRS traffic when, like me, you only do about 8,000 miles a year.
Earlier, my 530 told me I was going onto the "A two thousand and twenty-two". Nobody calls it that, they all say "A two zero two two" or "A two oh two two". I think TomTom should pay more attention to the little things like that, as I just end up laughing at my TomTom when it comes out with that rubbish!
And the pronunciation of road names is awful too...
Joined: Jun 04, 2005 Posts: 19991 Location: West and Southwest London
Posted: Sun Mar 22, 2009 1:56 am Post subject:
jpg1 wrote:
Earlier, my 530 told me I was going onto the "A two thousand and twenty-two". Nobody calls it that, they all say "A two zero two two" or "A two oh two two".
I wish for some decent customer service - it took them over two weeks to attempt to fix my 540 when the recent map update knackered it - they tried to tell me that it was unlucky and I would have to pay for repairs. I nearly sent it back and went to the small claims court.
I recently bought a phone with copilot and had an issue with it - they sorted it out within 12 hours! That's customer service for you.
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