Does TMC work in the UK mine chatters to me all day in Germany and is very informative but in the UK it gives very occasional messages and never tells you about anything happening on the motorways.Is it a subscription service in the UK if so does anybody know who runs it ?
(SLT to make it a bit clearer !)
Edited by Pugugly {P} on 09/11/2007 at 19:03
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Yes, it's subscription. I use mine coupled with a Garmin C510 so it doesn't talk to me: It does seem quite effective at identifying problems on the route I've selected, estimating time of delay, and, as importantly, notifying me when the problem has gone too. When I ask the Garmin to search for providers it shows 2, one of which I am subscribed to: Someone maybe along in a minute who uses the talk system.
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Tim{P}
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Depends on how you are receiving it. If it's via an inbuilt car system the chances are that the manufacturer was too mean to pay for the TMC subscription for the UK and you need an updated SatNav disc with the relevent codes. Most recent SatNav discs have something like "including TrafficMaster" or something similar on them.
If it's a portable unit using a FM receiver chances are it is simply not picking up a signal very often. They are all pretty much useless as the local radio stations in the UK are too low a signal.
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I get TMC for free with my Vectra. Vauxhalls with the CD70 Sat Nav unit (All facelift Signums, some Vectras, Zafiras and Astras) have an Info button which lists all TMC events starting with those nearest. If you're navigating somewhere, you can also set it just to show messages for the current route. The Sat Nav also uses the TMC to advise of delays en-route and allows you to divert around them.
It's subscription free and works really well. It loads up all the messages after 1-2 minutes from turning the stereo on and updates automatically.
I believe it gets its data from using a second receiver tuned to Classic FM, which broadcasts TMC data for free all the time.
I don't know how I could live without it now.
HTH!
Edit: BTW it also includes all the Motorway events, including travel direction, position, type and length of delay - truly a godsend!
Edited by TheOilBurner on 09/11/2007 at 09:39
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I have the CD70 in my Vectra. I find the TMC is only as good as the provider feeding it the information. eg, with all the recent roadworks at Watchfield on the A420, half the time TMC was telling me that there would be hold-ups due to one lane being closed, but when I get there, there were no roadworks at all!
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It is a inbuilt sat nav in a renault vel satis using the very latest UK disc it shows the TMC symbol in green and as I have said very occassionally gives a pretty irelevant message while major holdups seem to be ignored.I do not mind paying if the system is any good when its working properly.
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Unlike most of mainland Europe we have to pay for TMC services because UK regulators missed the boat and allowed TMC services to fall into private hands - currently there are two operators - RAC Trafficmaster Telematics (for Trafficmaster receivers) and iTIS Holdings for TMC signal on ClassicFM.
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[ Anything I drive can and will be used against me ]
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If you can get TMC in Germany, you can almost certainly get it in the UK also - in theory... However you might well be having reception strength problems. There is a lot more info on TMC in the UK at the Pocket GPS World Forums:
www.tiny.cc/OhEFq
In short, TMC in the UK is mostly transmitted over ClassicFM, whose signal is too weak for many hand-held SatNavs to receive it reliably. Many satnavs do in theory pick it up in the UK, but rarely or never get a good enough reception. In-built satnavs normally receive it much better as the car's antenna is much better than the trailing wires (or whatever) provided with the hand-held device.
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\"Archie\"
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oh tmc traffic message channel i see now
is that like that local radio rds stuff then that talks over my favourite showwaddy waddy 8 track ?
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Nah... not the same at all. Personally I think local radio should be fined if they interrupt your 8 track BEFORE the traffic news starts, or don't stop broadcasting AS SOON AS the traffic news has finshed, and should have a hand cut off when they push the traffic button when they don't broadcast any traffic news at all.....
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Tim{P}
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