tomtom RDS-TMC Traffic

Brickie64 · Posted: Sat Mar 15, 2008 7:24 pm Post subject:

I was travelling around France earlier this year in a rented Citroen C5 with an in built Nav system. This uses a traffic system which seems to be the TMC system like Tom Tom etc.

In my opinion the performance of TMC was rubbish....

The traffic delays it predicted were totally out of date and over the two week period that I had the car, every delay it highlighted was never there.

We have a huge amount of technology built into our roads these days with all the induction loops fitted in every lane of every new and some older roads, vehicle cameras everywhere, you'd think it would be a piece of cake to get reliable traffic info broadcast to road users ??

TimothyN · Posted: Sun Mar 16, 2008 12:22 am Post subject:

Hmmm...odd. When I drove out I never got any signal, but on the way back in the early evening I had full signal all the way.
_________________
Timothy Nathan
Epsom UK
TomTom 910
Rover 75

Griph54 · Occasional Visitor Joined: Apr 23, 2008 Posts: 1

Hi All - my first posting here! I've noted the substantial discussion on the RDS-TMC feature - I have since 2005 been using TomTom Navigator 5 on my Pocket PC with bluetooth GPS and TomTom's Traffic add-on. About two weeks ago, I decided to go for a self contained update and now have the GO 720T.

I finally got round to setting up the RDS TMC tonight. I did this in my home - not in the car! First I was interested to find the frequency - so I set my hifi to Classic FM (101.60Mhz locally) which was not a strong signal - lots of background white noise. I set that frequency on my 720T and stuck the aerial to our living room window. 10 seconds later wham - green light and traffic conditions registered - very much like I was used to on Nav5 before.

SO far so good - but contrary to comments here from my experience it didn't seem unduly related to signal strength - as this isn't great at home! Silly question but have those experiencing problems checked to make sure their windsreen isn't the coated type blocking reception?

I am assuming that when on the road, the frequency is likely to move around the Classic FM range as I move around the country. I will therefore need to try (I have a trip to Bristol a week next Saturday) it on the fixed signal and if that doesn't work try the Any Country - strongest signal or auto setting. Will let you know how I get on!

I thought I would add my own comments with regard to accuracy of traffic info from my time with Nav 5 and Traffic via GPRS. It can be a double edged sword, and have noted the following:

Traffic jams do happen suddenly and can catch you unawares - had one such event happen in front of me just as we passed a junction - that was a bummer!! There will be a lag between event and notification - a bit like the M25 variable speed limits reacting to changes in traffic conditions. However, TomTom Traffic paid for itself more often than it didn't - and a number of times I have avoided a long wait on a blocked motorway and used country roads in the pitch dark to rejoin further down the motorway - by the way seeing a totally unfamiliar road layout ahead clearly displayed on the TOMTOM helps greatly during night driving as well as GPS navigation - anticipating bends I didn't know were there! Smile

It can be alarming when TomTom tells you that a 2 hour journey has suddenly become 5 hours - based upon current traffic report estimates - of course, traffic delays change as you travel so invariably I never expect TomTom to automatically avoid delays by re-routing as I could end up wandering around for ever. I have learnt that for 90% of the time the arrival times are pessimistic, and therefore a modicum of common sense is needed when using traffic (as is necessary when using GPS Navigation -to avoid the well publicised embarassing mishaps we all see on the news).

Regards
Griph54

Machina · Occasional Visitor Joined: Apr 11, 2008 Posts: 6

Hi,

I've just got a Tom Tom 520T after a nightmare with the Navaman S90 (could have been a great product). Thanks to the information here I already had an aerial splitter from CARTFT which I purchased for my Navman F20. I have just cut the cable on the Tom Tom Egg just before it goes to single core and spiled it to the end of my aerial splitter and I have no problems with signal stregth now.

Thanks for all the useful info.

Mac

Machina · Occasional Visitor Joined: Apr 11, 2008 Posts: 6

On a different note I have noticed that I get the following message on the odd occasion:

cannot store map settings: file access error

I read somewhere it is linked to the TMC aerial being fitted. Can someone confirm this?

hudsey · Posted: Tue May 06, 2008 2:30 pm Post subject:

I have been reading all the previous posts on here & i'm not too impressed with tomtom.
I have recently purchased a TomTom 920T, It has obviously maps of USA, Canada & Europe. It came with the RDS-TMC reciever 4V00.083 but will not work at all. I go into the screen onto tomtom traffic, it's states "rds-tmc traffic reciever cannot be used in combination with current map" I continue and try to tune manually, thinking this will over ride the setting saved, but it states it cannot work with current map & returns without any change. I have set it via preferences to the UK but to no avail.
What is the point of supplying all maps & the traffic reciever if rds-tmc reciever won't work on all of them!?

Having read posts before purchasing, i might have not even bothered...

matt

mikealder · Posted: Tue May 06, 2008 4:25 pm Post subject:

The RDS-TMC devices are different for the UK or USA markets, you cannot use a USA RDS device in Europe as it won't work, you need a receiver with a part number that ends with .013 to work over here - Mike

hudsey · Posted: Tue May 06, 2008 5:06 pm Post subject:

Thanks for the info Mike, but that sucks.
I would have thought I could just put in a local station frequency that would work.
Normal radios work in the same way no?

Well, I guess it would be a waste of time buying one from the UK as all the forums say they are no good anyway.
Is purchasing the gprs traffic from tomtom worth it?

Any assistance would be appreciated, as i am constatly travelling on the M1, M25, M6 & M3.

Matt

mikealder · Posted: Tue May 06, 2008 5:14 pm Post subject:

GPRS is a viable option but be aware that network access charges might be very high if using a USA contracted mobile phone for data in the UK. Then you have the problem of whether to trust the data offered.
I never trust the device to divert a route automatically, instead I other information such as the gantry signs and radio broadcasts as they tend to be more accurate from what I have seen. - Mike

DennisN · Posted: Tue May 06, 2008 9:49 pm Post subject:

odonoghue · Lifetime Member Joined: Jan 04, 2007 Posts: 12

Hi all, I have been using a rds-tmc device on a tom tom one 3rd edition for a week now, firstly info seems to be very inaccurate as I got caught up in traffic when tmc stated road was clear then ten minutes later it bleeped to tell me traffic ahead and road was actually clear, thankfully I only paid £25-00 for it as it is a waste of time I would use gprs but in the areas I drive in gprs is hit and miss with signals and classic fm tends to be quite good reception. Lets hope tom tom sort out a better system for the future.

Eastholme · Posted: Fri May 23, 2008 10:23 am Post subject:

Just tried my 930T to pick up traffic today on my drive into work. It's a trip of about 8 miles. I plugged in the RDs-TMC aerial, stuck it horizontal across the windscreen, then vertical at the end, as per the instructions. It is connected to the car power auxillary socket. Nothing happened. No vertical bar came up and I can see no options in the 930T to turn it on or configure.
Am I missing the plot, or is it just rubbish.

mikealder · Posted: Fri May 23, 2008 2:18 pm Post subject:

You should have got a message top right saying "RDS-TMC Receiver Connected" and the side bar should appear, there are a number of things to try before condeming the receiver:

1/ Was the plug fully inserted, I know this shounds a daft question but the plug is a very tight fit in the receptical and takes quite some force to fully secure home.

2/ Try resetting the device using the reset switch on the underside of the device - you won't loose any settings doing this.

3/ The receiver could be faulty, do you know anyone else locally that has an x10, x20 or x30 TomTom as the receiver should work with all three product ranges and some TomTom One devices - Mike

Eastholme · Posted: Fri May 23, 2008 4:02 pm Post subject:

Thanks mikealder, after a reset the 730T did show the RDS-TMC connected. Just be nice if it picked up a signal.
Give it a longer try later, travelling up country for a few hundred miles Confused

smstextaddict · Posted: Sun May 25, 2008 9:23 am Post subject:

those saying its inaccurate think about this.

1. when a traffic jam starts TM need to monitor it to make sure it wasnt just a couple of vehicles that went slow past but in fact a good few. they also need to measure that its a jam and not a quick stop start so this will take about 5 mins. when this has happened and its registered as a jam it has then got to be sent to the radio station then by radiowaves to your rds tmc device so this could take (guessing) up to 15 mins. you will also have sensors that are knackered which will show a jam when their isnt one, but im sure they know this and are looking into them too.

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