TomTom TMC - Areas of Service / No Service

mikealder · Posted: Fri Jan 19, 2007 9:48 pm Post subject:

Carl, attaching extra cables to the device does require opening the TMC unit and using a soldering iron etc. That is why we always mention the warranty issues to anyone contemplating such a move.

For what it is worth my set up was working receiving TMC data from just North of the M1 roadwork’s until the first tunnel section on the M25 heading towards Dartford, it regained TMC about 5 miles further around the M25 and remained tuned all the way to Ashford in Kent.

I would like to get hold of a plug and socket - the same type that is fitted to the RDS-TMC unit and make up and extension cable to see if this method could be used to assist the reception, searching for that style/ type of connector has not proven easy as yet, if anyone knows of such a plug/ socket and supplier? Please let me know - Mike

plant · Regular Visitor Joined: Nov 26, 2004 Posts: 86

For the cost of the unit and the benefits in having it working properly, I'd happily live with voiding the warranty - I'm just such a numpty with a soldering iron!

Sad

AVRHack2 · Occasional Visitor Joined: Dec 27, 2006 Posts: 24

ukjay1 · Occasional Visitor Joined: Jul 15, 2006 Posts: 16

so if i soilder a normal arial plug on the tmc, inner core to furthest place on the board from the wires and buy a powered arial, wire to the 12 volt supply and just plug in the arial connects that will work.

sorry bit of a div at electronics

jason

mikealder · Posted: Sun Jan 21, 2007 12:56 pm Post subject:

Jason, That sounds about right to me, its what I have done and found it to work in the same way as the others who have tried it. The board is very small, so if you are not too good at soldering you might want to find someone to do this for you. Dont forget bye-bye waranty if you do this - Mike

ukjay1 · Occasional Visitor Joined: Jul 15, 2006 Posts: 16

mikealder · Posted: Sun Jan 21, 2007 1:29 pm Post subject:

ukjay1 · Occasional Visitor Joined: Jul 15, 2006 Posts: 16

thanks for that i will go and get the bits and give it a go

nicrun · Posted: Mon Jan 22, 2007 9:23 pm Post subject:

Sorry for my bad English ! Embarassed

while testing using an ohmmeter the contacts, I realize that only the contact external of the antenna is cabled:

the central contact of the antenna is cabled on none the contacts of the stereo jack 2.5.
I put myself the question about the defect of this cable!
Is this normal that only one contact is operational (heart of coax or masses?) ?

I would begin my tests Thursday initially by welding a jack onto J2.

mikealder · Posted: Mon Jan 22, 2007 9:28 pm Post subject:

nicrun, What device is that cable for? - it certainly won't fit to the TomTom mount or the TMC receiver plug, for a start the main pin of the connector should have four connections, and there is an outer barrel that contains two other connections within it (both of these are used with the TMC unit) - Mike

swing · Posted: Thu Jan 25, 2007 3:09 pm Post subject:

Mike - it's a standard car aerial y splitter cable. It's produced by GNS for their range of GPS/TMC receivers (in fact, GNS produce 3 different versions with different connectors on the end of the y - a phono (chinch), a 2.5mm 3pin and a 3.5mm 4 pin connector). It's commonly available from Navigon and a variant for the Mio range.

The other connectors are Fakra connectors, which is 1 of the 3 types of car aerial connection used in the UK (the other two being coax phono (the old traditional one, and not the same type of phono as the above phono connector), and the Motorola / DIN version), although I'm not sure GNS support all of these types (although Garmin do with their GTM10).

So, the connector is simply a y splitter - certainly a number of Garmin users have used this y cable to connect onto the GTM10/11 with a small piece of coax cable with the right connectors on each end to join the two bits of kit together.

nicrun - I would expect the inner part of the aerial connector to be connected to one of the inner part of the 3 pin plug...

andypenn · Lifetime Member Joined: Jun 27, 2005 Posts: 22

Hi all
I have been following this topic as I got a TMC unit for my 910 quite early on, I am in the SW london area and reception was patchy at best so yesterday got out the soldering iron.

I attached a single core thin wire about 2 mtrs long to the furthest pad from the 4 wires, This i then took out of the car from the TMC unit under the door rubber and along the car gutter the up the existing roof aerial just fixed in place with tape (work van so looks are not important).

I now get a fix within 2 mins of getting in and starting up and so far have not lost it (although I normally stay around south london within the M25).

A well worth inprovment thanks to all for the instructions.

Cheers Andy Penn

mikealder · Posted: Thu Jan 25, 2007 5:03 pm Post subject:

swing · Posted: Thu Jan 25, 2007 7:48 pm Post subject:

mark1968 · Posted: Thu Jan 25, 2007 8:04 pm Post subject:

I have also tried the mod for the TMC device as sugested in this forum and can confirm a big improvement in reception.
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