help with tomtom traffic dots

WackyRaces · Posted: Mon Feb 14, 2011 11:19 pm Post subject:

The only solution is to take the DennisN road and also run a second Satnav in your vehicle that supports RDS-TMC and look for any significant routing differences on a long distance route.

Halfords has several clearance RDS-TMC models available starting at only £69.99 for the Garmin 1200T or £79.99 for a Navigon model that has also Bluetooth hands free calling.

Or otherwise have a notebook with a data connection with you and check the TomTom Routes site on that before you set off for nationwide traffic incident data.

technik · Posted: Mon Feb 14, 2011 11:31 pm Post subject:

I use Google Maps traffic on my phone as a backup for TT traffic.

Can be installed on many phones.
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GO 620, Tomtom Android EU,
Garmin 2548LMT-D; 2599LMT-D

DennisN · Posted: Tue Feb 15, 2011 12:11 am Post subject:

OK, here's today's information. Travelling from Berkeley Nuclear power station to Dungeness ditto, 433 miles, 10.5 hours.

I have three devices running together - 550 Live with HD traffic, 520 with RDS-TMC antenna trailing round the windscreen and built in Carminat TomTom, running RDS-TMC through the radio aerial.

550 showed one incident, narrow lanes at M4 J8 roadworks.
520 showed nothing.
Carminat said the route includes a closed road, do you wish to avoid. I said Yes and it rerouted an extra 10 miles (stay on M4 to M25, then anti clockwise)

Radio Five Live said it was an accident at 9:45am, closure of the M3 from J3 to J2 (which stayed closed until maybe 6pm).

After about 40 miles, the 520 picked up the same closure and gave the same diversion.

The 550 Live caught on very soon after that and went for the same diversion.

Then there was an accident on the M4 which the 550 picked up, but the Carminat and 520 didn't. Then they did and all three re-routed down through Bracknell, but straight across M3 J3.

Now, there was a time when I'd agree with the OP - I too desperately wanted to know about the closure of M1 at Newcastle so that I could head north via M6 instead of M42/M1. But I've been thinking about it all day as the above developed. The only circumstance in which I'd want it that far ahead is the example I've given. But today, I didn't need it until I got closer - go via Bracknell/M3 or M25 J15? (Bracknell is 10 miles shorter, so I usually go that route). My possible diversion if I dealt with it at first knowledge could have been down A36 to Southampton, then east along M/A27 - that route being 35 miles further, but mainly an extra 75 minutes (compared with a clear M4/M25/M20 route).

All in all today I was affected by three noticeable motorway accidents - M3 diverted me along M4 where the next one occurred and I reverted to down past Bracknell, then on M25 there was no diversion available, just crawl for a time. Although the RDS-TMC devices had the M3 incident earlier, the 550 got it quite soon enough AND picked up slow traffic resulting from all the diversions from it and picked up the other two well before the others. All in all, today's experience has persuaded me that HD Traffic is pretty reliable and I shall pay it more attention in future.
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Dennis

If it tastes good - it's fattening.

Two of them are obesiting!!

Andy_P · Posted: Tue Feb 15, 2011 12:27 am Post subject:

Nice comparative report Dennis. Thumbs Up

Guivre46 · Posted: Tue Feb 15, 2011 10:11 am Post subject:

One of the most useful reviews I've ever read.
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Mike R [aka Wyvern46]
Go 530T - unsupported
Go550 Live [not renewed]
Kia In-dash Tomtom

spook51 · Posted: Tue Feb 15, 2011 10:37 am Post subject:

DennisN · Posted: Tue Feb 15, 2011 12:05 pm Post subject:

garstie · Occasional Visitor Joined: Mar 04, 2006 Posts: 9

Great stuff guys thanks only thing is I still don't know weather to go m1 or a1 ha ha thanks anyway I will keep my eye out for any more developments !! Still miss my old traffic master

spook51 · Posted: Tue Feb 15, 2011 12:50 pm Post subject:

WackyRaces · Posted: Tue Feb 15, 2011 6:52 pm Post subject:

DennisN · Posted: Tue Feb 15, 2011 7:07 pm Post subject:

Yes.
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Dennis

If it tastes good - it's fattening.

Two of them are obesiting!!

Andy_P · Posted: Tue Feb 15, 2011 9:22 pm Post subject:

What we really want is half a dozen people in similar vehicles, all with different Traffic-equipped sat-navs, all starting at exactly the same time and place and going on the same long journey through rush-hour and roadworks traffic.

Not easy to organise, unless you're Top Gear or similar though.

JaguarV12e · Posted: Wed Feb 16, 2011 7:45 am Post subject:

The Go 1000 previously displayed incidents over 100 miles away, but only used incidents up to about 50 miles away in route calculations. It looks like the "unused" incidents are no longer downloaded.

I can think of 2 good reasons for this:

1. It should reduce the time for traffic data to download (by up to 75%?).
2. It reduces the GPRS traffic volumes (maybe TT were exceeding their Vodafone allowance?).
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Tomtom Go 1005
Tomtom Go 730T

spook51 · Posted: Wed Feb 16, 2011 9:31 am Post subject:

Andy_P · Posted: Wed Feb 16, 2011 1:17 pm Post subject:

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