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Darren Frequent Visitor
Joined: 11/07/2002 14:36:40 Posts: 23848 Location: Hampshire, UK
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Posted: Wed Dec 27, 2006 3:32 pm Post subject: |
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If you email it to me I'll upload and provide a link in your post the the file. _________________ Darren Griffin |
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GizmoB73 Occasional Visitor
Joined: Dec 27, 2006 Posts: 37 Location: Cambs, UK
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Posted: Wed Dec 27, 2006 4:58 pm Post subject: |
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Darren wrote: | If you email it to me I'll upload and provide a link in your post the the file. |
Thanks Darren, email sent. |
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Darren Frequent Visitor
Joined: 11/07/2002 14:36:40 Posts: 23848 Location: Hampshire, UK
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Posted: Wed Dec 27, 2006 5:10 pm Post subject: |
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GizmoB73 wrote: | Thanks Darren, email sent. |
Received. I've now updated your post with the link to your guide, thanks _________________ Darren Griffin |
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SpeedCam Frequent Visitor
Joined: Mar 18, 2004 Posts: 753 Location: Biggleswade, BEDS
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Posted: Wed Dec 27, 2006 10:03 pm Post subject: |
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Gizmo, thanks for the write up most interesting and fairly straight forward, it does appear that TomTom have included the connectors on the PCB. If so why didn't they just do the job properly?
Just to clarify, in your pictures does the red wire go to the centre core of a standard coax car ariel? |
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coastersteve Regular Visitor
Joined: 06/05/2003 18:01:04 Posts: 83 Location: United Kingdom
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Posted: Wed Dec 27, 2006 11:07 pm Post subject: |
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SpeedCam wrote: | Just to clarify, in your pictures does the red wire go to the centre core of a standard coax car ariel? |
This is the bit that doesn't quite make sense
"On a car, the ground plane
and chassis are connected to the negative terminal of the cigarette lighter adapter. This is
important to note because if you connect it the other way around, your antenna will be shorted
to ground when the car power adapter is plugged in."
So where does the outer sheild go? |
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vicky Frequent Visitor
Joined: 12/08/2003 19:53:08 Posts: 264 Location: Secret Base in the Nevada Desert
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Posted: Wed Dec 27, 2006 11:19 pm Post subject: |
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GizmoB73
Many Thanks for the very well documented instructions.
Will give it a go on Saturday,
Cheers
Vicky |
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GizmoB73 Occasional Visitor
Joined: Dec 27, 2006 Posts: 37 Location: Cambs, UK
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Posted: Wed Dec 27, 2006 11:31 pm Post subject: |
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SpeedCam wrote: | Gizmo, thanks for the write up most interesting and fairly straight forward, it does appear that TomTom have included the connectors on the PCB. If so why didn't they just do the job properly?
Just to clarify, in your pictures does the red wire go to the centre core of a standard coax car ariel? |
I believe that the connectors that I have used were probably on the board to enable it to be tested on a test rig after production. They would have needed an external antenna as part of the test.
In my picture, the red wire goes to the outer shield of the car antenna and not the centre core. If you get it wrong you will find that the antenna works when the cigarette lighter adapter is NOT plugged in, but stops working when the TomTom is powered by the car cigarette lighter. Effectively the pad that the red wire is soldered to, should be connected to the ground plane/vehicle chassis.
I hope this is a bit clearer.
Good luck. |
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wireplay Lifetime Member
Joined: Jun 14, 2006 Posts: 24
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Posted: Thu Dec 28, 2006 3:22 am Post subject: Garmin TMC just as bad! |
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The Garmin system sucks NEARLY as much as the Tom Tom one!
Yes, Garmin, DOES use Traffic Master data which is a MILLION times better than standard TMC, BUT it is NOT picking up the signal from the blue cameras on the side of the road. It uses TMC via RDS to get its data.
I own a go510 and a seperate Traffic Master unit which DOES pick its signal up from the side of the road poles, and just bought a Garmin 660 - it comes with an RDS radio ariel and it picks up NOTHING on the main roads in Dorset (e.g. A35) where the Traffic Master unit I have does!
I am sending the Garmin back as the only advantage and reason for moving over is that the Traffic Master data is AMAZING and is up to the minute unlike standard TMC stuff, but as it still uses RDS, it sucks big time.
I wanted a unit that was built into one and would re-route knowing the jams, but at the moment, this just doesnt exist.
If ONLY Garmin had tested their units properly, they would NOT have used RDS but used the same radio system that the Traffic Master standalone units use - then it would have worked! Even Garmin on the phone admitted it sucked!
If you guys can get hold of a Traffic Master FREEWAY unit on eBay (they are not made anymore) then GET ONE! The annual sub. is £30 and the traffic data is stunning, NO ghost jams, and great coverage! |
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Darren Frequent Visitor
Joined: 11/07/2002 14:36:40 Posts: 23848 Location: Hampshire, UK
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Posted: Thu Dec 28, 2006 7:44 am Post subject: |
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TrafficMaster's original roadside transmitter network is UNIQUE to TrafficMaster and utilises the old pager frequencies. Because it is unique there is no way any other manufacturer is going to invest money adapting their systems to work as they would only do so in the UK.
RDS-TMC/FM is a common standard that works Europe wide (and soon US). As such it is the only one that a manufacturer could use at reasonable cost. It is only an issue here because our TMC data is transmitted on networks that have poor country wide coverage at sufficient signal strength for the RDS data to be received reliably by portable systems. In continental Europe not only do they have a bigger choice of commercial and government data services but they are also broadcast on networks with good coverage and higher signal density.
If our TMC was broadcast on BBC Radio there would be no issue but as a TMC is a commercial service I can only surmise that the BBC either cannot or will not accept such a contract. _________________ Darren Griffin |
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Stanley_Tweedle Regular Visitor
Joined: Jul 10, 2005 Posts: 207
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Posted: Thu Dec 28, 2006 8:37 am Post subject: |
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GizmoB73 wrote: |
I believe that the connectors that I have used were probably on the board to enable it to be tested on a test rig after production. They would have needed an external antenna as part of the test.
In my picture, the red wire goes to the outer shield of the car antenna and not the centre core. If you get it wrong you will find that the antenna works when the cigarette lighter adapter is NOT plugged in, but stops working when the TomTom is powered by the car cigarette lighter. Effectively the pad that the red wire is soldered to, should be connected to the ground plane/vehicle chassis.
I hope this is a bit clearer.
Good luck. |
Thanks for posting the mod!
On the coax issue, surely if you solder the wires onto the PCB the other way round this is the usual way (i.e. the screen is the ground of the system, then of course they would need reversing at the antenna end (relative to how you have it); the screen of the new coax would connect to the screen of the new antenna and the centre to the centre. I take it you have actually reversed at both ends, as you mention in the write up, with the intention that the coax would also act as an antenna (which may or may not be an improvement - a longer antenna is not always a better antenna as I'm sure you know).
Also, I do hate net cops , but this thread has been hijacked as it supposed to be a list of good/bad reception areas, having all this general tmc stuff here is going to make its problematic for people to check/contribute areas! |
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GizmoB73 Occasional Visitor
Joined: Dec 27, 2006 Posts: 37 Location: Cambs, UK
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Posted: Thu Dec 28, 2006 9:27 am Post subject: |
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Stanley_Tweedle wrote: |
On the coax issue, surely if you solder the wires onto the PCB the other way round this is the usual way (i.e. the screen is the ground of the system, then of course they would need reversing at the antenna end (relative to how you have it); the screen of the new coax would connect to the screen of the new antenna and the centre to the centre. I take it you have actually reversed at both ends |
I did reverse both ends of my co-ax and do appreciate that doing so won't necessarily improve reception. Actually I had to guess which connection was the ground plane and when I tested it, I found it was the other way around, so I just swapped the socket end rather than re-solder the board. In testing, I now get great coverage in the areas that I didn't before. In fact there wasn't many areas I did get coverage before, now its the other way around. :D |
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nbg Regular Visitor
Joined: Dec 21, 2006 Posts: 63 Location: Bristol
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Posted: Thu Dec 28, 2006 3:36 pm Post subject: |
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On the subject of (lack of) reception, I've just got back from a round trip from Bristol to Birmingham, I had a signal for about 5 minutes in the centre of Birmingham, that was it for the entire trip.
Smashing |
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wireplay Lifetime Member
Joined: Jun 14, 2006 Posts: 24
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Posted: Thu Dec 28, 2006 6:31 pm Post subject: |
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yeah, its appaling!
I just sent my Garmin back and have reverted to the old Traffic Master Freeway unit which works wonders! |
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gotom Occasional Visitor
Joined: Nov 28, 2004 Posts: 20
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Posted: Thu Dec 28, 2006 8:08 pm Post subject: |
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Coverage in the East Midlands is poor if non existent. I've never been able to get any TMC data in Derby or Leicester (or places in between along the A38/A50/M1) even with 6.522 firmware. I only managed to get some TMC data once when I was almost next to the Sutton Coldfield Classic FM radio mast! |
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Robin2 Lifetime Member
Joined: Nov 24, 2003 Posts: 1441 Location: Swansea
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Posted: Thu Dec 28, 2006 9:02 pm Post subject: |
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Darren wrote: |
Darren Griffin
Editor, PocketGPSWorld.com
Nadolig llawen a blwyddyn newydd dda i bawb. Mwynhewch
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Blwyddyn newydd dda i chi!
Robin _________________ TomTom One v3 Europe, Navcore 7.903, Western Europe 835.2420
TomTom Go 720 Europe, Navcore 8.351, Western Europe 855.2884
Satmap Active 10
Plus a lot of other PDA GPS kit, seldom used |
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