GPRS Traffic

trevor.dowle · Lifetime Member Joined: 16/06/2003 05:22:14 Posts: 412

I renewed my GPRS traffic subscription yesterday, but it is not yet activated. The device shows that the subscription expired 11.07/2009.

Do I need to keep connected to the PC or mobile until its activated. I was wondering how the device recognises that the subs have been renewed?

cheers
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Regards

Trev Dowle
TomTom 730 T

MrT · Posted: Thu Aug 13, 2009 11:38 am Post subject:

The server you log on to for the traffic information recognises whether you have a subscription or not and will either give or deny access.

From experience I have always found activation almost immediate, so you may have a problem here. When you next connect the device to the traffic system via GPRS it should update your device with the new date for the traffic subscription.

If it denies access when you try to connect to traffic I would contact TT Support by phone.
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Drivelux

trevor.dowle · Lifetime Member Joined: 16/06/2003 05:22:14 Posts: 412

Well I fixed it. What I did was select Manage Phones, and then when asked for my email address and password, I re-entered them. Hey Presto: immediate connection.
Thanks for the suggstion though!

At £29.95 for 12 months it seems to be better value than HD traffic, although I don't know how they compare with each other for accuracy. Anyone know?
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Regards

Trev Dowle
TomTom 730 T

MrT · Posted: Thu Aug 13, 2009 3:46 pm Post subject:

If you want to compare the GPRS to HD traffic, look at the traffic on your unit then look at the TTRoutes on the web with traffic enabled and you will see the difference. The HD has additional inputs to the normal traffic and it also covers roads that the GPRS traffic does not. It is up to the user if the extra accuracy is worth the additional cost. There is also the TMC traffic option which is free to use.

The HD traffic service also includes the cost of the GPRS data traffic which has to be paid for on the mobile along with the traffic for any other TT data services used. There will also be international roaming in HD traffic countries later this year included in the cost and data roaming over GPRS can cost a fortune.
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Drivelux

lamplight · Regular Visitor Joined: Sep 13, 2004 Posts: 130

trevor.dowle · Lifetime Member Joined: 16/06/2003 05:22:14 Posts: 412

MrT · Posted: Fri Aug 14, 2009 9:02 am Post subject:

I have seen differences between the TMC and GPRS data and I do not know whether this is due to different original sources or the subsequent processing of the data by TomTom for the GPRS.

I bought the 530T thinking that this would be free traffic for my wife as she does not need it enough to pay for the GPRS service, but I found it took so long to get a signal that it was just not reliable enough and I ended up subscribing to the GPRS service for it. I might try and compare the information between the two and see if I can get the TMC to work with an external aerial before the annual renewal and then decide which way to go.

I was going to consider setting up an external aerial for TMC for my car and the 940 for my trip to France but seeing that HD roaming is around the corner and that the roads I drive on (mainly the D940) are probably not covered by the TMC I have not bothered. I have actually never seen an incident on the TT Routes website on the D940 so whether there are never any delays or if the road is not HD covered, I do not know.

Unfortunately I do not have complete faith in either system so I also have TrafficTV on my mobile and this tracks by GPS and downloads GPRS data so I can seen traffic delays on major roads around me and the rest of the UK. If I see a delay on both this and the Go I know there really is an issue and avoid it if the delay is significant.
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Drivelux

trevor.dowle · Lifetime Member Joined: 16/06/2003 05:22:14 Posts: 412

Thanks for all the information. I was going to ask you about Traffic TV as I am a sucker for gadgets. Unfortunately I don't have an iPhone (or Blackberry), so no point asking.

I am a bit sceptical about the GPRS traffic information too, as whilst I am quite prepared to cough up the subscriptions every year, I have never allowed it to re-route me around any delays it displays.

I must say the only time I have been caught out, I was already in the queue so it didn't help. Not the units fault though, as I was quite near the front so the alert couldn't have reached me in time. I did get an alert whilst I was still stationary though!
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Regards

Trev Dowle
TomTom 730 T

DennisN · Posted: Fri Aug 14, 2009 8:11 pm Post subject:

trevor.dowle · Lifetime Member Joined: 16/06/2003 05:22:14 Posts: 412

Thanks for those comments Dennis.

Are you able to compare and comment on the speed/accuracy of the RDS TMS alerts against those recieved via a GPRS connection?
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Regards

Trev Dowle
TomTom 730 T

falkirk81 · Posted: Sat Aug 15, 2009 1:37 pm Post subject:

The RDS-TMC traffic data is the same as the GPRS traffic data. The only difference is that the GPRS data covers the whole country whereas the RDS-TMC traffic only gives you traffic around 100miles from your current position.

So on a trip from Newcastle to London, the GPRS traffic would know ALL traffic incidents on the route from start to finish, but the RDS-TMC would only know the first 100 miles worth of traffic, and get updates as the route progresses.
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Tomtom GO 1005 LIVE

iPhone 12

DennisN · Posted: Sat Aug 15, 2009 9:01 pm Post subject:

Timing is the limitation for both systems, I'm afraid, but so is Radio station traffic (I have Radio Five Live on all the time).

Requirements are for somebody to report an incident, somebody to compile it into a format for transmission, somebody to transmit it. Those last two may be subject to a policy on how frequently it's done. My personal opinion is it MUST take an absolute minimum of half an hour.

Yesterday I texted Radio Five at 11:05am with an RTA on the M4 within moments of it happening - people just getting out and no sign of emergency services, including a Highways Agency vehicle maybe half a mile back in the building traffic and he wasn't aware (no flashing lights).

I was never credited with the report and it didn't come up on Radio Five until the 11:45 update. I turned round to come back and it showed up on RDS-TMC at about 12:15. It disappeared from both RDS-TMC and Radio Five at 1:15.

This seemed to me to be quite a lot better than usual for both systems.

For me, GPRS would be better if only it were free! I would prefer to know about incidents a long way ahead - travelling from Bristol to Edinburgh I could use alternative routes (rather than TomTom re-routing closer to an incident) if I knew far enough in advance. The transmission is reported to be more reliable via your phone and some people have had issues with RDS-TMC loss of signal, although I haven't.

I mentioned "limitations" and that's the rub - they are as accurate and speedy as the three human elements make them. Excellent concept, just can't possibly be perfect - treat them as advisory, that's what I do.
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Dennis

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