Moan about tomtoms own speed camera system

gblades

I have previously used an Origin B2 so I probably have a high expectation about how the speed camera system should work. I do have 2 main annoyances with it though.

1) It only alerts you if your speed is over 60% of the current speed limit. Thats not a bad idea for regular speed cameras however there are a couple of problems with this.
a) Variable speed limits. 60% of 70mph is 42mph which is not a good threshold when the variable speed limit is set to 40mph. It would be all to easy to speed up just before the camera and get caught.
b)Average speed cameras. Again its not uncommon for traffic to be slow entering a motorway where the first camera is located sufficient for you not to be alerted. By the time you get warned about the 2nd camera its too late unless you stop in the middle of the motorway.
Now I know you should be paying attention and spot the average camera signs but thas not the point. The tomtom system should be fit for what it does.

2) Isnt it supposed to not warn you about cameras on the opposite side of dual cariageways and motorways?
Mine does warn me and around the M25 and up the A3 into London which if they have to edit the cameras to set the data should be some of the earlier ones they do due to the popularity of the roads.
I have checked and I have the latest camera database and the very latest map.

Calomax · Posted: Fri Oct 17, 2008 10:06 pm Post subject:

I think you'll find that the most frequent advice is to forget the TT cameras and to use the PGPSW ones. General opinion is that it's 100% better. I can't confirm that as I had read this and the other main GPS forum and deleted the TT cameras as soon as I got my device without even trying the.

I had already been using the PGPSW ones on TT Navigator and I knew how good they were.
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TT Go Essential

DennisN · Posted: Sat Oct 18, 2008 1:22 am Post subject:

In my limited testing of TT cameras on new devices, I had never found this 60% business, but you've got a good point with the variables, if it is so.

My gripes with them were - 1, they were inaccurate and very incomplete (compared with PGPSW running alongside them). 2, I could never make out what camera types they were warning me of - I set the warnings to different tones for each camera type, but often got different warnings and different icons for the same type! 3, I could never see cameras except as I approached and was warned of them - with PGPSW I can sit at home, look at my map and see if they've got my favourite camera on there, can't do that with TT cameras (or I've never found out how to).

The audible warnings for cameras "on the other side" is a "feature" of TT POI warning system. It happens with the PGPSW cameras too, because TT have not set it up as a camera warning system, but as a POI system and they have judged that if you want a notification of (e.g. pubs or hotels) you should be notified of them off to the side, not just by your nearside passenger door. When you set Only Warn on Route, they consider POIs as being on route if they fall within the radius/time you set for the warning.
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Dennis

If it tastes good - it's fattening.

Two of them are obesiting!!

EricWB · Frequent Visitor Joined: Jan 31, 2007 Posts: 310

I use TT safety Cameras and like Dennis have no experience of them only working when travelling at a set amount above the limit, indeed because they are a version of Points of Interest they should work at any time, any speed and any location near your route. There is a good case for indicating those on the other side of the road as some of the forward facing devices are placed there, to look accross the road, I think they may catch more people this way.

DennisN · Posted: Sat Oct 18, 2008 10:14 am Post subject:

gblades · Posted: Sat Oct 18, 2008 10:36 am Post subject:

I dont know how many there are. I can download a file from the tomtom site for older devices which is an overlay file. It sais it will be encrypted but I dont know if that would stop me finding out how many lines it has.

The different categories are :-
fixed
mobile (these can be set to automatically update as you drive)
red light
toll road
restricted road
misc

There is no 'browse map' option within the speed cameras map section so you cannot browse them. The only way I can find is to plan a journey and run a simulation. Not really a feasable option.

Edit: Just downloaded the files from tomtom website and they are unreadable so no way of telling the number of cameras.

DennisN · Posted: Sat Oct 18, 2008 4:26 pm Post subject:

Thanks, gblades. Although it is not grounds for criticising TT cameras, it does show up the transparency issue - they say they've got cameras, but you really can't see for yourself until one pops up in front of you on your journey.

Fixed, Mobile and Redlight I can understand, but have you any idea what a Toll road camera is? What's a Restricted road camera? What's a Misc camera?

Is there a key to them? Is there a key to the icons? - because the last time I used them (a few months ago) the four Gatsos approaching London on the M4 displayed at least two different icons.

By comparison, PGPSW cameras and the system are very transparent. In addition to being able to look anywhere on my TomTom to see if there are any cameras there, I can ...

Submit a new or changed camera and I get back an email telling me what I've submitted and repeating back to me the details of my submission.

Read how many cameras and types they publish. Not evidence, but I can prove it because in addition to downloading the OV2 POI files for my TomTom, I'm also able to download a CSV version, which I can put into my spreadsheet and not only count the number of lines (to prove how many there are), but also see the Lattitude/Longitude for every single one.

Use my own preference of icons for them. Use my own preference of verbal warnings for each type and each speed within type (I even have a couple recorded by grandchildren - Kool!).

Submit a new camera and by being the first to do so, qualify to get a free lifetime membership of PGPSW, with free camera downloads for life.

Download a set of cameras for all my family, living within my house, no matter what format - as someone said the other day, TomTom for mine, Garmin for my wife, Magellan for my son and MyGuide for my guide dog. All for just the one subscription. If we all had TomToms, it'd take four subscriptions

Sorry - sounds like a sales pitch, doesn't it? But you might like to bear it in mind when your TT camera subscription comes up for renewal.
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Dennis

If it tastes good - it's fattening.

Two of them are obesiting!!

gblades · Posted: Sat Oct 18, 2008 5:08 pm Post subject:

No there is very little information about the speed camera database. The manual does not cover it so the only documentation is whats on the website. You dont get to see a preview of the icons and the only setting you can change is the alert sound (or text) and the warn distance.

Even positive features like the realtime mobile speed cameras where any submissions are uploaded in real time and made available to other users if they have the feature enabled is not even mentioned and thats something which makes it stand out from other services.
It really seems to be a work in progress rather than a real feature.

Darren · Posted: Sat Oct 18, 2008 5:12 pm Post subject:

mikealder · Posted: Sat Oct 18, 2008 5:30 pm Post subject:

DennisN · Posted: Sat Oct 18, 2008 6:05 pm Post subject:

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