nevermind the reception, TMC Info is total nonsense

grh123 · Occasional Visitor Joined: Jul 07, 2008 Posts: 1

I do a lot of miles for a living. I tour manage bands so i'm generally either on a tour bus, or in a splitter van going up and down the country.

The information on TMC is uniformly useless. I bought a tomtom to use for traffic info and at first i used it solely, for about a day, until i realised how rubbish it was.

Set your radio to get TA announcements and compare that to the info TMC is giving you. Here is what I do

If the radio is saying there is a Jam, but TMC is clear, manually reroute. Do not believe TMC, you will be there for hours.

If TMC says there is a Jam, but radio is clear, carry on on your current route and laugh as you drive through a Jam that TMC says will cost you 3 hours at an average speed of 72mph.

On the *very* rare occasions that Radio and TMC give the same info, use the reroute function.

Just today on the way to Nottingham, the Radio accurately predicted a 12 car pile up that had closed the M6 while TMC was clear. Headed back from London on the M1 later on, TMC said the contraflow was going to cost 1h46m , Radio was clear, I did the stretch at the 50mph limit.

The only reason I leave the thing connected is so I can see my 4hr projected journey time melt down to 1hr over the course of 2 miles, and it feels like I am getting there quicker Smile

I note all the problems with reception, but that seems to be the one thing I don't suffer from, I usually seem to get good reception on total nonsense information.

I suspect that TMC is using an automated service, what they need to do is let the real people who work at the radio stations on traffic have access to the system to update the info in the TMC database, which would be a hell of a lot cheaper than making an automated system that actually worked.......

Complete waste of money TBH.

DennisN · Posted: Mon Jul 07, 2008 11:37 am Post subject:

to the Forum.
Unfortunately we can't comment much unless you give us more information on what device and system you are using.

For example, RDS-TMC with TomTom GO has improved almost beyond recognition since the recent release of Application version 8 - version 7 never got it right. I now find it about as reliable as Radio 5 Live - they both suffer from update time lags and I've seen them each get it wrong when the other was getting it right.

TMC alone will never get it 100%. I use three systems - RDS_TMC, Trafficmaster Freeway and BBC Radio 5 Live. I add to those my own opinion and crossed fingers. I've only had the working TomTom system and the Trafficmaster for a short time, so I have yet to develop any strong feeling of reliance or otherwise. Radio 5 has been with me for years and I like to be a long way from their reported problems so that I have time to get several updates from them before I need to make a diversion decision, to be sure the problem is still live. Radio 5 has one huge advantage over the others - I and zillions of other road users can text or phone in with updates.
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Dennis

If it tastes good - it's fattening.

Two of them are obesiting!!

Elastic · Occasional Visitor Joined: May 11, 2008 Posts: 49

DennisN · Posted: Tue Jul 08, 2008 10:45 am Post subject:

I've been on holiday so have yet to give it solid running over a lot of miles. But so far, I get "proper" side bar info and then detail info. I haven't done any screen dumps yet, but so far, everything looks sensible and the way we'd like it.

Seems to me the only question now is quality of information - up to date? good estimate of delay? This puts it in the same league as Radio 5 Live and my Trafficmaster Freeway - in other words, looks like a useful tool within the same constraints.
_________________
Dennis

If it tastes good - it's fattening.

Two of them are obesiting!!

andytvcams · Occasional Visitor Joined: Jun 30, 2008 Posts: 7

Sadly TMC has not improved from the days when i had the VDO set up with TMC when it first came out.

ITIS made lots of statements as to how they were going to expand the coverage in the UK.

Seven years down the line and with my recent purchase of the Navman S90i
I find the traffic information is still hit and miss.

GNR · Occasional Visitor Joined: Nov 11, 2007 Posts: 42

Since upgrading to lates TT software for my 930T the TMC has been great.

Question: If I go on say a 100-200 mile trip will it give me traffic info for the whole journey or just say 50 miles ahead.

How soon should I expect info to appear after I have the full green spot which BTW always appears within 2-5 mins of switching TT on.

Cheers

Steve

mikealder · Posted: Wed Jul 16, 2008 10:15 pm Post subject:

As I leave Blackpool my device will show traffic information as far North as Carlisle and South to Birmingham so the area coverage is considerably more than 50 miles.
On a long trip the device will have re-tuned to a different frequency automatically and provide more regional coverage well before you enter the area - Mike

GNR · Occasional Visitor Joined: Nov 11, 2007 Posts: 42

Cheers Mike, I have mine set to UK for frequency I guess I don't need to go anywhere to check these settings on TT?

Thanks for your help once again.

13o13 · Occasional Visitor Joined: Apr 02, 2007 Posts: 3

Whilst travelling around the M25 the other night, (Anticlockwise) from the A22 to junction 30. Using my new Garmin Zúmo fitted with a traffic receiver. It was showing several roadworks in the London area but none on the M25, now these roadworks have been on the go for several years now with the M2, M20 junctions, although the safety cameras are displayed throughout the roadworks. We spent nearly 2 hours queuing to get to the Dartford tunnel.
The Dot Matrix displays were notifying of the M11 was shut and there was approximately 15minutes delays ahead on the M25 but none to say that the M25 was shut on the 14-15th July 08 23:00-05:30, what chaos.
do these Traffic systems only work during the daylight hours or are they 24 Hour?
Any suggestions or answers please, 13o13

Eastholme · Posted: Tue Aug 12, 2008 4:47 pm Post subject:

On a journey up to Oxford from Cornwall last Sunday. My 930T told me that a problem existed between J24 to J20 and that I would be delayed for 90 minutes. This information came down before I had left the end of my track, which is about 3/4 mile long.
I went back to the house and checked online with the Highways Agency website. The TomTom was bang on, even down to the delay expected.
I went a different route via the A303.
Just to confirm the problem, friends coming back from Wales at about 1530, reported huge tailbacks between those junctions.
Well done TMC.

emontes · Occasional Visitor Joined: Jul 24, 2008 Posts: 1

Just as a follow up, I was coming from Brighton to Staines yesterday and my TMC informed traffic between J13 and J17 on M25, M25 alerts were informing between J15 and J17.
As soon as I reached J13 (Staines), queues started and speed limit was set to 40mph.
At least for now, TMC is working alrite for me.

2216 · Regular Visitor Joined: Dec 10, 2005 Posts: 245

If I can add my 2d worth. I have a Sony U50T TMC satnav and have Garmin XT mobile on my Tmobile compact III. The Sony uses TMC, the Garmin uses GPRS. Normally the Garmin gets it right 90% and the Sony 80%. Where the Sony will ask and then reroutes, the Garmin just plans a route with the info it downloaded.
Which one to chose it's got to be the Garmin but will I sell my Sony no way.
PS I'am a courier travelling over 90,000 miles a year thats why I have two systems running, a bit over kill I know. Smile

st1967 · Lifetime Member Joined: Nov 28, 2003 Posts: 189

I'm also happy with my TMC, I've the Honda built in Trafficmaster TMC and I find it a lot more reliable than my TomTom running TomTom Traffic.

I don't have mine set to auto re-route but just warn me but it is quite accurate.
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McGoo · Occasional Visitor Joined: Dec 17, 2006 Posts: 13

I just got a Garmin Nuvi 300T with Trafficmaster TMC.

Reception seems to be good and I always receive a lot of traffic alerts from all over the country. Some of which seem up-to-date i.e. they match with traffic england, google maps and the online trafficmaster maps.

I do seem to have a problem with my local area though. Over the weekend it was showing delays on the motorways for extended periods, even late into Sunday night.

This evening it displayed no alerts nearer than 25 miles away even though there was an incident with a lane closure and 30 minute delays in the local area which was shown on google maps, traffic england and the online trafficmaster.

Is this a reception problem or is it just that the radio station isn't updating the TMC data with the data from Trafficmaster for the local area?

McGoo · Occasional Visitor Joined: Dec 17, 2006 Posts: 13

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