Garmin C510D Problems

MrGrimsdale · Occasional Visitor Joined: Jun 20, 2006 Posts: 7

I got a C550 on Saturday I have never got a signal from the Traffic receiver. It just stays on yellow and the traffic icon on the 550 stays greyed out, despite driving round the East Midlands / S Yorks this week.

Can anyone confirm if they have had a traffic service using the GTM 21 this week or is the system down.

Someone in a different thread said they was watching the traffic on Saturday and it went off !

swing · Posted: Tue Jun 20, 2006 7:51 pm Post subject:

pauliboo · Occasional Visitor Joined: Jun 17, 2006 Posts: 5

I've been driving round with mine plugged in when ever i have been outside.
Finally it came on at about 4:45pm today.
I didn't realise that it only covers the motorway network, after having been stuck in a jam for 30mins.

So yes it has worked today.

Oh, i'm in Preston by the way. ooop North

MrGrimsdale · Occasional Visitor Joined: Jun 20, 2006 Posts: 7

Thanks for the confirmation. I actually got the Traffic info today for the 1st time on the outskirts of Nottingham. It advised of 6 miles of stationary traffic on the A46. I carried on regardless to find the route totally clear ! Oh well, I guess we are not quite there yet on a reliable traffic service. Back to my trusty YQ2

AlanGPS3 · Occasional Visitor Joined: May 12, 2006 Posts: 12

[quote="al40"]Interestingly, when I spoke to Garmin tech support, the 1st thing they suggested was to lay the antenna horizontally on the dashboard. It still didn't help me but it seems that is the best way to fit it (based on various other comments on this thread).[/quote]

When I looked in the manual for the c31D in Halfords (they didn't have a 510D hence my question on the receiver) it said to mount the antenna vertically! Thanks for the info on what it looks like, I'll have to wait for my local branch to get some stock!

I tried to keep the radio explanation simple, but a bit more might help. I understand the predominant broadcast FM polarisation is vertical, but some transmitters do use horizontal or circular, or even a mixture. However when VHF radio waves travel through the air, get reflected off buildings etc, this polarisation can be twisted, or even reversed completely. That's why I said the loss was in theory! Nevertheless it's no accident that FM aerials on portable radio sets and car radios are vertical or slanted, but rarely horizontal.

However, it is of course much easier and less obtrusive to put the Garmin aerial horizontally on top of the dash?

swing · Posted: Thu Jun 22, 2006 10:23 am Post subject:

pauliboo · Occasional Visitor Joined: Jun 17, 2006 Posts: 5

al40 · Occasional Visitor Joined: Jun 15, 2006 Posts: 7

I sat with my C510 for over 2 hours trying to get traffic reception in various locations (house, car and garden) - nothing.

Has anyone out there managed to get any TMC signal in Glasgow?

pauliboo · Occasional Visitor Joined: Jun 17, 2006 Posts: 5

If it helps, i can't get a tmc signal with gps switched on, i onky get a signal with waas/egnos or whatever it is.

kelvin66 · Occasional Visitor Joined: Jun 02, 2006 Posts: 31

I've been experimenting and when I get a signal (Stroud - Gloucester) I've found that it doesn't matter where there ariel lead is positioned. Now it just hangs down between the door and the dash (where you wouldn't expect a signal) and it works as well as any position on the windsreen.

I've found the information about the traffic is quite relaible and the alternative routes seem to work (when availale).

PS. The TMC doen't work in France or Ireland

swing · Posted: Sun Jun 25, 2006 10:54 am Post subject:

Tazz070299 · Lifetime Member Joined: Jun 27, 2006 Posts: 39

I've just driven to and from Birmingham in the past 24 hours with he TMC working perfectly on my c510D. I started with the antenna horizontal on the dash, buf ound the signal disappeared in the built up areas in Brmingham. I then stuck it vertical and horizontal i.e. 90 degree configuration, which worked well.

Tazz070299

HughGW · Lifetime Member Joined: May 31, 2006 Posts: 40

Mine is still working and getting in lots of traffic info. Horizontal aerial position along bottom of windscreen. It only works when it's plugged in to the 12V power though, so you won't get it in the garden or elsewhere unless you have a 12v power supply handy.

Driven from Gloucester, Forest of Dean, West Wales, Portsmouth, Salisbury Plain area - traffic reports from all over, usually 3 pages of them. And the re-routing is usually pretty good!

Keep plugging guys - it's out there somewhere!

Laughing

kelvin66 · Occasional Visitor Joined: Jun 02, 2006 Posts: 31

I finally settled on a home for my C510D. It's mounted in the lower r/h corner of the windscreen. I cut of the block at the end of the antenia lead and removed the suckers. I then hid the wire inside the trrim that runs around the door trim.

The install looks good and the TMC signal works great.

PS amyone know what stations RAC LIVE uses to transmitt the TMS data?

hysys · Occasional Visitor Joined: Jun 16, 2006 Posts: 11

the tmc is working fine in France

I didnt have to do anything... but the unit keep crashing in Paris.... Not sure why maybe too much details to draw ?

	PocketGPS
	Web