7 replies to this topic

[benw]

I've just bought a new car that has been fitted with a Kenwood double-DIN stereo and SatNav (DNX-7200). If I add an additional receiver module it will pick up traffic info via the FM radio broadcasts from Trafficmaster (known as RDS TMC) and display it on the SatNav screen. Has anyone had one of these things before? Is it any good? The traffic service for TomTom used to drive me nuts so I gave up on it but this may be different.

[peterg]

My wife has the VW factory satnav in her Golf with TMC and it's a bit hit and miss, when we used to live in Gloucestershire we'd look at it and it would say "M4 closed Jcts 11-16 eastbound" and yet it was only actually closed between Jct15 and 16 so didn't affect us as we were getting on at Jct15

[techieboy]

I have it on the Audi's satnav and also on the TomTom 730. It's okay but I wouldn't pay the extra for the privilege as the alerts can be a little misleading at times, with problems that have gone away or that haven't made it as far as the TMC system yet. Works much better on the continent.

[cheeky_chops]

got it on my saab 2007 OEM satnav - Pretty good IMO for free (ie you dont have to pay monthly) though dont have experience of others. Comes up with a list of "issues" by distance away and colour codes them according to severity(orange/red). If you have set a destination it will warn you if a route goes orange/red and offers alternatives. Great for advance warning rather than just carrying on oblivious. I also use google maps traffic overlay on my iphone as they can differ. Sometimes they are both wrong

[benw]

Thanks chaps. So it seems that it's much the same as I have previously experienced - i.e. the traffic info is always about 5 steps behind reality. What used to really hack me off with TomTom was that it would pick up traffic and re-calculate the route at great expense to time and distance travelled but by the time you reached the problem area the traffic was moving again so the massive detour would have been pointless. That led to me turning the automatic re-calculation off and I relied on the indicator on the screen. When I'd get close to some reported traffic I would make a decision whether to reroute or not depending on how the the traffic flow was going. Most of the time the traffic on TomTom would never materialise! I remember once it suggested a detour around Birmingham to avoid an accident on the M6 which would have taken an extra 35 minutes. I decided to stick with the M6 and there was no sign of traffic whatsoever - not even a rescue truck on the side of the road sweeping up the mess. That was the last straw.

[cheeky_chops]

Come on Ben, sounds like you want Nirvana!! We all have to make a judgement call on the info we have. The situation on the ground after an accident can often be cayotic and fast moving, ok one minute, air ambulance on the carridgeway the next - the only way you would know if its clear is if your in the air ambulance!

[benw]

That's probably a fair comment. I am expecting a lot. Fact is that the way the traffic service worked on TomTom meant that I never relied on it, which in turn meant that I never used it and eventually I cancelled the subscription. If the traffic service on the new SatNav is going to be the same, I probably won't use that either so there's no point in buying it - hence asking the question about peoples' experiences.

[JG]

Has anyone tried TomTom traffic HD. I've just ordered a 750 (out next month) and i'm wondering if its worth it?