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WayneSRI
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Joined: Mar 14, 2006
Posts: 3
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 Posted: Tue Mar 14, 2006 1:30 am Post subject: Sony TMC units... any reviews? |
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I love my TomTom One but I saw a Sony NAV-U50T today in Comet that has TMC built-in.
Is this unit worth the £380 or so asking price? |
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swing
Pocket GPS Verifier
Joined: Nov 04, 2003
Posts: 2225
Location: Bedfordshire, UK
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| Posted: Tue Mar 14, 2006 5:32 pm Post subject: Re: Sony TMC units... any reviews? |
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| WayneSRI wrote: | | Is this unit worth the £380 or so asking price? |
It's certainly the cheapest RDS-TMC unit available, but doesn't support the upload of user POI files - ie no speed camera alerts (as best I can tell).
It's quite new, but I haven't seen any reviews of it yet. |
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WayneSRI
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Joined: Mar 14, 2006
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| Posted: Tue Mar 14, 2006 5:47 pm Post subject: |
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There's always something isn't there... no POI uploads.
Hmm, will keep an eye out for a review.
Do TMC receivers always have a good signal and do they do their job in regards to re-routing? |
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swing
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Joined: Nov 04, 2003
Posts: 2225
Location: Bedfordshire, UK
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| Posted: Tue Mar 14, 2006 5:53 pm Post subject: |
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| WayneSRI wrote: | | Do TMC receivers always have a good signal and do they do their job in regards to re-routing? |
Do a search for TMC on these forums - Navigon MN4 had problems when it didn't get a good signal, and there are similar concerns over the new Garmin RDS-TMC unit. However, many car manufacturer built in systems support RDS-TMC and have no problems, so I suspect it's to do with the quality of the aerials (when not linked into the car aerial).
Basically RDS-TMC is a good service, and works well. One problem with rerouting is that the navigation software can only allow for the traffic it knows out - if a major route is really slow due to an accident the software will divert you onto the next fastest route, but this could be even more busy due to everyone using this route - if that road isn't covered by traffic sensors, you won't be better off - there's no solution to this though. |
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Darren
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Joined: 11/07/2002 14:36:40
Posts: 23848
Location: Hampshire, UK
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| Posted: Tue Mar 14, 2006 6:20 pm Post subject: Re: Sony TMC units... any reviews? |
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| WayneSRI wrote: | I love my TomTom One but I saw a Sony NAV-U50T today in Comet that has TMC built-in.
Is this unit worth the £380 or so asking price? |
Sony use Navigon for their navigation application.
_________________
Darren Griffin |
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WayneSRI
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Joined: Mar 14, 2006
Posts: 3
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| Posted: Tue Mar 14, 2006 6:54 pm Post subject: |
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Thanks for all the replies... I think the best bet would be to find somewhere that allows a return within 14 days so I'd buy it and send it back if it's no good.
Will try and do this and report with whether or not I kept the device. |
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Petekk
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Joined: Mar 06, 2004
Posts: 137
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| Posted: Tue Mar 21, 2006 8:18 pm Post subject: Re: Sony TMC units... any reviews? |
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| Darren wrote: | | WayneSRI wrote: | I love my TomTom One but I saw a Sony NAV-U50T today in Comet that has TMC built-in.
Is this unit worth the £380 or so asking price? |
Sony use Navigon for their navigation application. |
Interesting that navigon can provide RDS-TMC to sony! but not in their own system (i.e lost in the v5 upgrade!) |
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swing
Pocket GPS Verifier
Joined: Nov 04, 2003
Posts: 2225
Location: Bedfordshire, UK
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| Posted: Tue Mar 21, 2006 10:53 pm Post subject: Re: Sony TMC units... any reviews? |
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| Petekk wrote: | | Interesting that navigon can provide RDS-TMC to sony! but not in their own system (i.e lost in the v5 upgrade!) |
It's not that interesting - Sony paid the license fee to be able to use RDS-TMC in the UK - Navigon didn't, hence no TMC. MN6 will have RDS-TMC support again (via Trafficmaster, not iTIS as with MN4). |
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2216
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Joined: Dec 10, 2005
Posts: 245
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| Posted: Tue Mar 21, 2006 11:00 pm Post subject: |
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| I have had one for about a month now and I have had to update the software twice 1.01 and 1.02. It still has a rerouting problem when TMC routing is selected, when say you are on the M1 and heading south it will it will start to recalc even when the problem is on the M1 but north of you, this recalc doesn't change the route though. Overall Iam well pleased with the unit even more so now I have an ext GPS antenna which strangly has boosted the TMC signal. Just to add the build quality is very high, no flimsy plastic. What would be nice is seven digit postcode search. |
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pberesford
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Joined: Mar 31, 2006
Posts: 3
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| Posted: Fri Mar 31, 2006 2:24 pm Post subject: |
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I bought the Sony 70T online for £399 about 3 weeks ago having searched the many reviews on TMC devices and hope someone will find this review useful too.
The two main reasons for buying the 70T were TMC and European Maps.
The pre-installed European Map didn’t cover Spain so I install a different Map-config off the included DVD. An easy install however, the install message that says “this may take a few minutes” is an understatement, it took 90 minutes but I consider this a one off and nothing to gripe about.
I’ve used the unit whilst travelling to Rickmansworth (London), Leeds and Newcastle. In all cases, I’ve known the route but wanted the TMC to manage my expectations on traffic delays (in most cases it is very difficult to reroute when travelling top to bottom on the M1).
The out of the box Ariel for receiving the TMC signal (via Classic FM) is very poor (at least in the S Type Jag it is). On the M1 and A1 I would estimate a signal of suitable strength is achieved 15% of the required time. I’ve just bought a mini Ariel form Maplin for £2.99 which has increased the signal and looks far neater too. It’s early to say this has improved the situation to an acceptable level but it does look promising.
All in All, the Sony unit is tidy and easy to use as you could make it.
Hooking the unit up to the cars Ariel would make for a near perfect hardware solution.
TMC (not a Sony issue) has yet to reach the potential this technology could offer the motorist. I read someone’s comment that an algorithm for dynamic rerouting that takes into account the traffic time delay and the extra journey time on the new route is needed and I would agree. Unfortunately, I found that Sony uses IT IS TMC data transmitted by Classic FM , which doesn’t yet include traffic delay times (TrafficMaster TMC data does but is not compatible with the Sony units).
The Sony 70T does it best but it suffers from “TMC - garbage in and garbage out” and poor signal strength of the Classic FM frequency.
I only hope that TMC continues to develop and Sony offer any upgrades free of charge.
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swing
Pocket GPS Verifier
Joined: Nov 04, 2003
Posts: 2225
Location: Bedfordshire, UK
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| Posted: Fri Mar 31, 2006 2:57 pm Post subject: |
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| pberesford wrote: | | Unfortunately, I found that Sony uses IT IS TMC data transmitted by Classic FM , which doesn’t yet include traffic delay times (TrafficMaster TMC data does but is not compatible with the Sony units). |
I wasn't aware of this distinction between the two UK TMC providers - out of interest where did you find out this information?
| Quote: | | I only hope that TMC continues to develop and Sony offer any upgrades free of charge. |
Although I know that Sony will produce updates for the unit (they've already produced a couple of minor updates) I'm not sure the TMC feeds will change much - remember iTIS have been running their feed for some time now. |
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pberesford
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2216
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Joined: Dec 10, 2005
Posts: 245
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| Posted: Fri Mar 31, 2006 7:51 pm Post subject: |
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Hi all,
1.03 is out today to correct TMC problems. |
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2216
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Joined: Dec 10, 2005
Posts: 245
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| Posted: Sat Apr 01, 2006 10:12 pm Post subject: |
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| 1.03 still has routing problems with TMC but it's less flakey on screen redraws. |
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Dippy
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Joined: Apr 04, 2006
Posts: 124
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| Posted: Tue Apr 04, 2006 12:10 pm Post subject: |
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| Quote: |
The out of the box Ariel for receiving the TMC signal (via Classic FM) is very poor (at least in the S Type Jag it is). On the M1 and A1 I would estimate a signal of suitable strength is achieved 15% of the required time. I’ve just bought a mini Ariel form Maplin for £2.99 which has increased the signal and looks far neater too. It’s early to say this has improved the situation to an acceptable level but it does look promising.
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That's a very interesting review and mirrors my own experiences. Coincidentally I too am in a jaguar S-type - what was the Maplin aerial you used? I can't find one at that price on their site that seems to fit the bill, but would be of course intrigued to try it.
You are aware, I guess, that Sony do an external accessory for this unit that allows the car aerial to be plumbed into it? It's not cheap though! |
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