Speed Camera Alerts - Speed Sensitive?

[Daaave]

Hi everyone,

I just joined the forum as I'm looking to get a sat nav unit for my car. I think the Tomtom 720 is the unit I'm keenest on at the minute (when it comes out). I am really looking for a unit that's just as good at pointing out speed camera locations as it it is giving directions. With the choice of units out there and the lack of proper independant reviews I'm struggling a bit.

But I'm a bit unsure of some of the features and how they work. I've aearched the forum and found some answers but not all. When comparing the Tomtom speed camera database and the PGPSW database, are the end results identical? So:

1. Do I need to have a route selected for speed camera announcements?
2. Are the announcements speed sensitive? (i.e. if I'm below the limit on that particular road, will I get any type of alert?)
3. Are the alerts clever enough to warn you further in advance if you're moving faster?
4. Are the alerts direction sensitive for one way cameras?

On a less related note, can anyone recommend anyone in the Bristol area for installing the unit? I'd like it hardwired into a cubby hole in the dash of my car.

Thanks all,
D.

[tanda]

Hi, First of all, have a read here, then when you get your TomTom, make a FULL windows explorer backup, before you do anything to the TomTom.

http://www.pocketgpsworld.com/modules.php?name=Forums&file=viewtopic&t=50045

1, When you set the warnings up, if you leave the "Only Warn when on route" box unticked, it will warn you of cameras when you don't have a route selected, but when you are following a route, it will warn you of cameras near by, that arn't on your route. This is how I have mine set, a quick glance at the screen, and you can see where the camera is.

2. The speed camera database is a POi (Place of interest), it will warn you, (If you have set it to), to warn you of a camera, or Burger King, or Petrol, etc, regardless of speed.

3. You set the distance you want to be alerted at, so, no, its not clever enough to give you a longer warning if you are speeding, you have to tell it at what distance you want to be warned. Look at the chart, at the bottom of this link, you may find it usefull. For example, at 70mph, you should set the TomTom to warn you at 684yards, if you want a 20 second warning or whatever

http://www.pocketgpsworld.com/uksafetycameras-tomtom-go-910.php

4. Most are, some arn't, if you find any that are wrong, report them to improve the database.

Finally, the camera database on here is much better than the TomTom one, it is updated about twice a month, the warnings can be adjusted, distance wise, and you can use the voice warnings, and it has mobile cameras.
The TomTom one doesn't have mobiles, is updated less frequently, and the distance for warning is fixed, as is the bing bong tone.
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Audi A3 Sline sat nav

[Darren]

And if you use our Speed Zoned database you can at least set longer warnings for the cameras set in faster speed limits i.e. 684yds for the 70mph camera, less for the 60mph etc etc.

This gives a pseudo speed based warning distance.
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Darren Griffin

[algypan]

Without any doubt the camera database on this site is not only better than
TomToms own but they are the best you can get with the most frequent
updates

[Daaave]

Thanks everyone, some really good advice there.

I'm wavering back towards a more speed camera biased unit rather than navigation biased. Maybe a Pogo Drive or a Snooper unit...

[Darren]

Any comment I make will understandably be considered 'biased' and I accept that. But you need to consider what the primary purpose of the device will be.

Those devices from the likes of Road Angel and Snooper are poor as navigation units but obviously have well integrated speed alert software. Devices from TomTom, Garmin et al are much better navigation devices with less integrated safety camera alerting.

However, and I'm happy to stand by this comment, our database is at least as accurate if not more so than all the others and we have the added benefit of these forums where you can suggest improvements, ask for advice etc

There are many posts from independent unbiased users who have compared our database running on something like a TomTom GO with a dedicated device and found ours as good whilst being cheaper and updated more frequently.

A TomTom 720 will be cheaper and better than a Road Angel and our subscription is less!
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Darren Griffin

[Daaave]

[tanda]

No, you don't have to have ALL the POi's on, just the ones you want, obviously, All the camera POi's, but thats it, then, if you are running low on petrol, switch the petrol POi on, and see where the nearest one is, even get TomTom to navigate you to the nearest one, fill up, then switch the petrol one off.
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Audi A3 Sline sat nav

[DennisN]

Hard wired? That sounds terribly fixed and permanent. The hard wiring I have is that I got the man to wire up a Ciggy lighter multiple socket (from Halfords for a few pounds) onto my dashboard via the ignition switch (to power up only with ignition on). My Tom Tom is designed to be transportable - I don't mind leaving that extension in situ, but the TomTom leaves whenever I do.

Not warn for all cameras? Well, you can only select particular groups, e.g. you could warn for ALL 30mph cameras and not warn for ALL 70mph ones (there are 24 categories in all, not counting the provisional mobile cameras) so you could warn for your own selections - there is no facility to warn only for cameras in towns, or only on motorways. You have to decide to have warnings for POIs, so you don't have to warn for petrol stations etc. I get warnings for cameras, but Lidl stores simply show their icon at the roadside.

Usually, the "Warn" feature issues a sound and also sets the POI icon flashing on screen at its location. I haven't heard of a "silent" warning, but I'd be willing to believe there is one somewhere.
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Dennis

If it tastes good - it's fattening.

Two of them are obesiting!!

[Daaave]

[mikealder]

A silent warning is certainly possible and something I was doing around 15 months ago to mask a certain flaw in the 910 Text To Speech system when used for spoken alerts, it worked very well.
To data no one has asked for a silent warning in ogg file format to work with the POI files but it is very simple to do should it be required.

As for a mount system better than that supplied take a look at the Brodit range, they have an x20 mount in the pipeline and from previous encounters with their products it will be considerably better than the OEM supplied one. Quality doesn't come cheap though and the mount could cost a bit, but it will be one of the best money can buy, the interface to your car will be make/ model specific and fit extremely well - Mike

[Lost_in_France]

Hi

Sorry to butt in on this forum but I'm a nebie to satnav (been putting it off for years but have eventually given in and decided to opt a TT720.

I know it has a speed camera database to warn of the fixed units but what I don't know is if the unit gives a constant accurate reading of your current speed as you are driving along? (My car speedo - thanks Renault - is rather optomistic about the speed is going - it would lovely to know the reality of the speed I am going)

Again, apologies if this is a "everyine knows the answer to that one" question but I don't so if somebody could enlighten me I'd be very grateful.

Thanks

[Darren]

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