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skippyzoid Occasional Visitor
Joined: May 24, 2005 Posts: 7
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Posted: Tue May 24, 2005 4:33 pm Post subject: TomTom Traffic - Alternative Data Source? |
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HI.
I have TomTom Traffic and will be comming to the end of my free trial shortly, I personally havnt found it to be that accurate on my travels, I drove right into a tailback on the M25 that was announced on the radio just after I passed the junction where I should have come off to avoid it.
I wondered if it was possible to configure traffic or use a plugin that would use an alternative traffic database, perhaps the one that route66 uses for example ?
Plugin writers?, is this a project in the making ?
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lbendlin Pocket GPS Staff
Joined: 02/11/2002 22:41:59 Posts: 11878 Location: Massachusetts, USA
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Posted: Tue May 24, 2005 4:46 pm Post subject: |
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yeah, we've looked at the Route 66 data. You could write a web service that downloads their pages every now and then, but then you would have to use eyeballs to understand if the items listed are affecting your journey or not. (The TMC codes are proprietary, and hacking them is not legal.)
The list can also get pretty big and be a burden on your GPRS bill.
As you have noticed traffic information is only as good as the people that report it. It will take a few more months before fully automated traffic flow measurement systems catch on with drivers connecting via ad-hoc networks from car to car etc. 8) _________________ Lutz
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skippyzoid Occasional Visitor
Joined: May 24, 2005 Posts: 7
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Posted: Tue May 24, 2005 5:09 pm Post subject: |
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Are there GPS receivers that also receive the traffic master data and put this into the data stream ?
I have a traffic master and elected to go the tomtom traffic route in preference to the trafic master subscription, though traffic master at this time does seem to be more reliable but didnt I read somewhere that the data actually comes from the same source ? ie the little blue cameras on the side of the road |
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Darren Frequent Visitor
Joined: 11/07/2002 14:36:40 Posts: 23848 Location: Hampshire, UK
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Posted: Tue May 24, 2005 5:44 pm Post subject: |
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No, there are GPS/TMC receivers that receive the iTIS Traffic Data (the same as TomTom Traffic) albeit over an FM signal rather than GPRS but these will only work with the specific apps designed to use them such as Navigon and Alturion. _________________ Darren Griffin |
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skippyzoid Occasional Visitor
Joined: May 24, 2005 Posts: 7
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Posted: Tue May 24, 2005 6:58 pm Post subject: |
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Thats a shame, mobile phone costs are high enough without having to pay for a subsciption to the traffic info on top, I would have thought many domestic users wont bother to subscribe.
Perhaps TomTom will take the larger view and realise that if they make their service free as others are doing they will gain more long term sales.
Watchout for the hackers, I bet they're already at work trying to get arround the subscription... |
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jase_31 Occasional Visitor
Joined: Jun 04, 2005 Posts: 23
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lbendlin Pocket GPS Staff
Joined: 02/11/2002 22:41:59 Posts: 11878 Location: Massachusetts, USA
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Posted: Thu Jun 16, 2005 1:02 pm Post subject: |
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I believe TMC is doomed. It's a local phenomenon in some european countries, hampered by licensing issues - not just in the UK - France has the same issues.
mobile internet usage charges will go down, and with that alternative (open source) solutions will become more attractive.
One thing to lookout for is traffic info via satellite radio - that may be a viable alternative. _________________ Lutz
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Darren Frequent Visitor
Joined: 11/07/2002 14:36:40 Posts: 23848 Location: Hampshire, UK
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Posted: Thu Jun 16, 2005 1:53 pm Post subject: |
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I can't see it personally. The data providers have a huge investment to recoup and I find it hard to envisage any alternative free sources of such data.
Delivery methods may change but it's always going to have to be paid for in some way or another, be that a licence fee encompasses in the product costs or on a subscription basis.
AFAIK, satellite radio has yet to appear on this side of the pond. Being so highly populated I can't see what benefits XM Radio will bring over more traditional sources or indeed the new kid on the block DAB Radio. _________________ Darren Griffin |
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jase_31 Occasional Visitor
Joined: Jun 04, 2005 Posts: 23
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Posted: Thu Jun 16, 2005 6:03 pm Post subject: |
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Quote: | The data providers have a huge investment to recoup and I find it hard to envisage any alternative free sources of such data. |
I agree. The data providers (be it iTIS or TM) are commercial companies who have invested heavily to provide the data, and hence at some stage the data is always "paid for" regardless of the delivery method.
As far as I am aware the current issues with TMC/RDS not being supported by some newer software is as a result of iTIS wishing to move to an annual subscription rather than a one off fee added to the product cost.
Personally I am looking for a system that can receive fm/rds tmc, principally as I am unable to use a GPRS connection due to various issues. The FM/RDS system should be well supported, as all inbuilt systems use this rather than GPRS. Being aware that the data has a cost, I would be willing to pay small subscription, and would benefit from the savings of data costs.
It appears that traffic info in the UK is expensive compared to other countries. Tomtom charge 60euro for the UK, but only 40euro for germany, and 30euro for France. The arrival of the TM service may also open possibilities, but to date TM has been quite expensive at a cost around £110 per year - certainly one I wouldnt pay!
It could be argued however that the the a TMC system should be run by the Highways Agency. The HA already have the National Traffic Control Centre, and the website http://www.highways.gov.uk/trafficinfo/
By providing this information via TMC, in addition to the website, road usage would be optmised as routes are chosen avoiding areas of congenstion and benefiting all road users.
There is no reason why you cant have a "free" service from say the HA, and then commercial subscription services if you wish to pay additional info. I understand that the French have such a system. |
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