Home PageFacebookRSS News Feed
PocketGPS
Web
SatNav,GPS,Navigation
Pocket GPS World - SatNavs | GPS | Speed Cameras: Forums

Pocket GPS World :: View topic - TomTom TMC - Areas of Service / No Service
 Forum FAQForum FAQ   SearchSearch   UsergroupsUsergroups   ProfileProfile   Log in for private messagesLog in for private messages   Log inLog in 

TomTom TMC - Areas of Service / No Service
Goto page 1, 2, 3 ... 18, 19, 20  Next
 
Post new topic   Reply to topic    Pocket GPS World Forum Index -> TomTom Portable Navigation Devices
View previous topic :: View next topic  
Author Message
Darren
Frequent Visitor


Joined: 11/07/2002 14:36:40
Posts: 23848
Location: Hampshire, UK

PostPosted: Wed Dec 27, 2006 3:32 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

If you email it to me I'll upload and provide a link in your post the the file.
_________________
Darren Griffin
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail Visit poster's website
GizmoB73
Occasional Visitor


Joined: Dec 27, 2006
Posts: 37
Location: Cambs, UK

PostPosted: Wed Dec 27, 2006 4:58 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

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.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Darren
Frequent Visitor


Joined: 11/07/2002 14:36:40
Posts: 23848
Location: Hampshire, UK

PostPosted: Wed Dec 27, 2006 5:10 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

GizmoB73 wrote:
Thanks Darren, email sent.

Received. I've now updated your post with the link to your guide, thanks Smile
_________________
Darren Griffin
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail Visit poster's website
SpeedCam
Frequent Visitor


Joined: Mar 18, 2004
Posts: 753
Location: Biggleswade, BEDS

PostPosted: Wed Dec 27, 2006 10:03 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

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?
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail
coastersteve
Regular Visitor


Joined: 06/05/2003 18:01:04
Posts: 83
Location: United Kingdom

PostPosted: Wed Dec 27, 2006 11:07 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

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?
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
vicky
Frequent Visitor


Joined: 12/08/2003 19:53:08
Posts: 264
Location: Secret Base in the Nevada Desert

PostPosted: Wed Dec 27, 2006 11:19 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

GizmoB73

Many Thanks for the very well documented instructions.

Will give it a go on Saturday,


Cheers

Vicky
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Visit poster's website
GizmoB73
Occasional Visitor


Joined: Dec 27, 2006
Posts: 37
Location: Cambs, UK

PostPosted: Wed Dec 27, 2006 11:31 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

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.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
wireplay
Lifetime Member


Joined: Jun 14, 2006
Posts: 24

PostPosted: Thu Dec 28, 2006 3:22 am    Post subject: Garmin TMC just as bad! Reply with quote

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!
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Darren
Frequent Visitor


Joined: 11/07/2002 14:36:40
Posts: 23848
Location: Hampshire, UK

PostPosted: Thu Dec 28, 2006 7:44 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

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
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail Visit poster's website
Stanley_Tweedle
Regular Visitor


Joined: Jul 10, 2005
Posts: 207

PostPosted: Thu Dec 28, 2006 8:37 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

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 Laughing, 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!
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
GizmoB73
Occasional Visitor


Joined: Dec 27, 2006
Posts: 37
Location: Cambs, UK

PostPosted: Thu Dec 28, 2006 9:27 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

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
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
nbg
Regular Visitor


Joined: Dec 21, 2006
Posts: 63
Location: Bristol

PostPosted: Thu Dec 28, 2006 3:36 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

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 Rolling Eyes
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
wireplay
Lifetime Member


Joined: Jun 14, 2006
Posts: 24

PostPosted: Thu Dec 28, 2006 6:31 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

yeah, its appaling!

I just sent my Garmin back and have reverted to the old Traffic Master Freeway unit which works wonders!
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
gotom
Occasional Visitor


Joined: Nov 28, 2004
Posts: 20

PostPosted: Thu Dec 28, 2006 8:08 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

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!
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Robin2
Lifetime Member


Joined: Nov 24, 2003
Posts: 1441
Location: Swansea

PostPosted: Thu Dec 28, 2006 9:02 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Darren wrote:


Darren Griffin
Editor, PocketGPSWorld.com
Nadolig llawen a blwyddyn newydd dda i bawb. Mwynhewch

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
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message







Posted: Today    Post subject: Pocket GPS Advertising

Back to top
Display posts from previous:   
Post new topic   Reply to topic    Pocket GPS World Forum Index -> TomTom Portable Navigation Devices All times are GMT + 1 Hour
Goto page 1, 2, 3 ... 18, 19, 20  Next
Page 1 of 20

 
Jump to:  
You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot vote in polls in this forum

Make a Donation



CamerAlert Database

Click here for the PocketGPSWorld.com Speed Camera Database

Download Speed Camera Database
22.034 (27 Mar 24)



WORLDWIDE SPEED CAMERA SPOTTERS WANTED!

Click here to submit camera positions to the PocketGPSWorld.com Speed Camera Database


12mth Subscriber memberships awarded every week for verified new camera reports!

Submit Speed Camera Locations Now


CamerAlert Apps



iOS QR Code






Android QR Code







© Terms & Privacy


GPS Shopping