Tomtom Go530 safety camera query

doc2007 · Occasional Visitor Joined: Oct 21, 2007 Posts: 6

I recently purchased a tomtom go530 sat nav, found it on clearance at tesco and despite me having a newer XL live system i liked the idea of built in mp3 player and bluetooth hands free, it replaces the separate mp3 player and hands free kit i used to have so am well pleased. I updated the maps (12 updates required (must be an old unit) andi subscribed to pocketgpsworld for safety cameras.
Again i am really happy with the set up but have a query i hope someone can help me with. I also downloaded the safety cameras onto camalert on my samsung galaxy s2 (pity it isnt a compatible phone with tomtom) and find that the tomtom will alert me to cameras whatever side of the road i am on whereas the s2 will only alert me if i am travelling in that direction. Now i know it is to do with the setting in the tomtom to be warned only if on route, what i am not clear of is does this mean it is only if i set a destination in the tomtom and it is giving me directions that it will alert me only when travelling in the direction of the camera, or does ticking the box mean the tomtotm works out your direction of travel and will do this also. The reason for my confusion is the following quote from the set up directions in the pocketgps world guide, "11.Finally you are asked if you wish to configure the alerts to trigger only when on route or all the time. If you select this check box, although this option does cut down the number of false positives, alerts will only be triggered if you have a programmed route active. The choice of whether this is preferable or not is yours!" I am taking programmed route to mean you have set a destination. I am not planning on going out till later on today so thought i would try a post here rather than go into all of the POI's and adjust them to test it out, cos there are loads of them. Thanks for any help offered.

Oldboy · Posted: Sat Dec 17, 2011 12:11 pm Post subject:

TomToms, as far as 3rd party POIs are concerned, are unable to work out the direction of detection - even when set to Only Warn When on Route.

On a single carriageway you will get warnings of cameras on both sides of the road. On dual carriageways you will, generally, only get warnings for the carriageway that you travel on.

I use the word 'generally' because there is a 'tunnel of acceptance' within which you will get a warning - even if the location is not on your actual route.

Ticking the box means you get warnings of cameras that are on, or very close, to your route, but if there is no route set - there will be no warnings at all.

CamerAlert, which is completely different, is an app that was designed to work out the direction of travel, and alert accordingly.
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doc2007 · Occasional Visitor Joined: Oct 21, 2007 Posts: 6

Thank you very much, you have just saved me a load of time going through and amending all of the POI's to notify if on route and then probably having to change them all back.
Thanks again.

Andy_P · Posted: Sat Dec 17, 2011 7:45 pm Post subject:

I think you may still want to change those settings to "Warn only when on route"....

With that option UN-ticked you will get far more false alerts as you will get alerts for cameras on roads ANYWHERE within the distance radius you set i.e. in a circle around you, even behind you!

With the option ticked, you should only get warned for cameras on the road you are actually travelling on - far better in my opinion.

The only possible drawback is, as Oldboy says, that you have to always have a route set, otherwise it will give no warnings at all.
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doc2007 · Occasional Visitor Joined: Oct 21, 2007 Posts: 6

might try it out, there are definitely pros and cons.
I have experienced the warnings for cameras on adjacent roads, or roads under me when crossing them on a motorway. Pain in the jacksy though having to set a route and have the missus nag me with directions the whole time. I really like having the mp3 player playing as loud as i like knowing that when it comes near a camera it cuts in and makes sure i dont miss it cos music to loud, can i bare to have all of the directions as well, you know some time tough decisions like these are the ones that give you a sore head. Thanks again for your help.
Cheers.

Andy_P · Posted: Sun Dec 18, 2011 2:22 pm Post subject:

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