Buying the USA

matthewj · Frequent Visitor Joined: Apr 03, 2006 Posts: 751

Okay, not the whole USA, just the maps. I'm off to Florida in December. I could just buy the map for my 740 at £35. Or I could buy the iPhone app.

Are there any other options to consider?

When would be the best time to buy - presumably as close as possible given I have no idea when the updates will come out, and have no plan to buy updates.

I see that the TomTom Start range cost just $99, or $139 for the TM including traffic. I'd need one in advance, but presumably could sell it after.

Thoughts?

Andy_P · Posted: Fri Oct 12, 2012 10:28 am Post subject:

I would say to just get the map for your Go740.

Were you thinking of trying to buy a US model in dollars while you were still in the UK? There might be import/customs problems?

If you buy a US model with TMC I don't think the Traffic receiver will work anywhere else (even Canada)?
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"Settling in nicely" ;-)

dhn · Posted: Fri Oct 12, 2012 11:18 am Post subject:

The rds-tmc antemma will pick up traffic (if available) anywhere. I used mine for a 540 in Italy a few years ago and did get traffic info there...

Also, the next map is due any time from mid November on. If Tomtom follows past practice, they usually discount current maps anywhere up to about 30% a few weeks before a new one is released.
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David

Guivre46 · Posted: Fri Oct 12, 2012 12:48 pm Post subject:

Andy_P · Posted: Sat Oct 13, 2012 4:05 pm Post subject:

dhn · Posted: Sat Oct 13, 2012 8:06 pm Post subject:

The antenna works as well. Too bad I can't type worth a damn! Crying or Very sad

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David

MikeGordon · Lifetime Member Joined: Mar 07, 2006 Posts: 142

Hi: just got back from the US: driving around Georgia and South Carolina and I was using the latest downloaded map on a 930 and they seemed pretty accurate. Remember that you will have to set up your individual state initially and you might want to change to a US voice. The only difference I could discern was the word "Highway" when approaching an interstate.

They call these areas The Low Country, and it is for a reason, the scenery is flat. Many guides say that if you are heading from say Atlanta to Charleston, c 300 miles, just stay on the freeway as there is no advantage of taking the smaller routes, like you would in the "pretty" states. From what I recall of Florida, it is much the same.

Watch out for the varying speed limits and the eye in the sky!

Mike

kiwi69 · Lifetime Member Joined: Mar 15, 2006 Posts: 59

I purchased USA map for 530 and found it good for road trip from San Fran to Vegas via lake Tahoe last year. Would recommend planning route rather than following TT sometime weird routing...
If you go for the iphone app, doesn't the iphone have assisted GPS. I mean it uses mostly data to get gps signal. I found lots of out of city areas had no signal for mobile. Data connections very expensive. We were charged £5 per mb and within 30mins exceeded £100 limit. Crying or Very sad

Ok we were using google maps but we were lost with no TT, but thats another story.... Just having iphone turned on with data enabled will run up charges as every 15mins or so it sends out a data signal looking for the nearest tower, just as it does looking for network signal. If its near a radio you've probably heard it through the speakers as interference.
We used app called citymaps2go as a backup if TT went down. Allows you to download free open source maps to use offline. Not as good as TT but a backup.
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TT 530/5200

matthewj · Frequent Visitor Joined: Apr 03, 2006 Posts: 751

The iPhone (and other GPS smart-phones) can use data to help speed up the lock, but they do have a pure GPS receiver too, so do not need any cellular signal at all to know where they are. The issue then is how they get the map data, and that can (as you say) be either from a provider like Google, or "on-board" with software like TomTom.

We decided that we would buy the TomTom 740 US map though, for our existing device. We won't have traffic, but we shouldn't suffer too much given it is a holiday.

I shall just wait a few days to ensure that I buy the version 900 maps that are just out.

Oldboy · Posted: Mon Nov 19, 2012 2:34 pm Post subject:

matthewj · Frequent Visitor Joined: Apr 03, 2006 Posts: 751

matthewj · Frequent Visitor Joined: Apr 03, 2006 Posts: 751

Okay, bought it. The web site kept giving me "internal server error" but Home was able to complete it.

The USA won't fit on the same 4Gb micro SD card as the whole of the EU. I could try to work out how to select one of the segmented EU maps, but a new 8Gb card seems easier.

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