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Joined: Jan 04, 2007 Posts: 2789 Location: Hampshire, UK
Posted: Wed Feb 14, 2007 9:09 am Post subject:
Retty wrote:
Nobody has come even close to explaining the mystery of Mio and UK TMC.
I have however heard many radio announcements that are not replicated in TMC. The journalistic sources are I assume different.
Some units seem to use ITIS and other units seem to use Trafficmaster at least if people are making correct assumptions about the relationship between data stream providers and radio station frequencies.
Yesterday evening I received a jam warning on a small section of A road which has previously, despite jams, never enjoyed a warning (although unfortunately the warning I did receive was out of date!)
Trafficmaster and ITIS use journalistic data in addition to their raw data mining. My C710, since the November and January Miomap 3.2 updates, seems to use ITIS which I think features more or rather more detailed journalistic data than Trafficmaster (I could be wrong and probably am).
I notice however that when I'm able to check the internet shortly after receiving a TMC feed there is an almost 1:1 correspondence between AA Roadwatch information (or whatever it is now called) and the TMC data displayed on the C710.
I'm not convinced that the C710 handles the data very well. The AA website seems to update traffic incidents - including the removal of incidents - more accurately than the C710.
I was, about a month ago, involved in a potential merry go round of a detour: told to use the M3 instead of the M4 to get to the west country only to find that, once I had started to use the M3, the TMC warning vanished and I was then redirected to u turn (at the next junction). The warning then reappeared and I was redirected to do another junction u turn! Load of if you ask me. Still, on the same journey TMC performed incredibly well to avoid what the news later reported as a 2 hour jam on the M4. Pros and cons I guess.
But to be honest we can't even answer basic questions about Mio TMC in the UK - does it use Trafficmaster or ITIS? Do different software versions use different services? Mitac certainly doesn't have a clue! In what must be one of the worst marketing moves they even denied until recently that the C710 could support TMC in the UK! Actually, they occasionally still do deny TMC support in the UK.
I'm not even going to try and explain the Mio / TMC situation in the UK - only relay my own experiences to others.
As to the source of the information, I'm not sure or even if it makes that much difference.
However, what I can say is that two of the radio stations which transmit TMC to my Mio specifically mention TrafficMaster as the source for their traffic bulletins.
As for the reception in a town centre, it's possible that reception isn't quite as good as it is a few miles out of town - remember that TMC requires data reception and a stronger signal strength may be required for this than merely receiving a given radio station on the car radio. Remember also that a car aerial has a built-in booster, so unless you're using an aerial splitter, reception of the FM TMC signal is via a different route and is inherantly weaker than the car radio, which has a boosted signal.
Also, the TMC service is relatively new and few people seem to know exactly how and where it works well, so it may be wise not to rely entirely upon information given. Radio bulletins and a good old paper road atlas are always a usful backup.
Don't forget that TomTom (and other GPS) users are prone to the same lack of useful information regarding TMC in the UK.
Mio are responsible for the GPS, not TMC service, so let's not blame them for something which is out of their control. Somebody should give the TMC providers in the UK a good kick up the backside for their absence of useful information and apparent lack of consideration for users and potential users of the service.
GPS should be used as a tool and a guide, not a driver's umbilical cord.
After all, if all the computers in the world fail, the sun will still rise in the morning and set in the evening.
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if you ask me. Still, on the same journey TMC performed incredibly well to avoid what the news later reported as a 2 hour jam on the M4. Pros and cons I guess.
