1535TM questions

[feejo]

I saw a video showing it download reviews of hotels via expedia. How it dose that? It is only in home?

Anyone have experience with refurbished 1535tm?
Is the 2D map can be pointing up?

 

[dhn]

The only model that has that functionality is the GO 1535 LIVE, not the Via 1535 tm model.

Refurbished models only come with a 6-month warranty as a rule.

 

[Andy_P]

Another example of why it's best to always quote the FULL model names in questions and posts

 

[feejo]

Is the go 1535tm, after one year give regular traffic (not HD).

 

[canderson]

To obtain all of the Live benefits, it's necessary to purchase the subscription. $60/year. You should see Expedia and Yelp! grayed out on your Services menu (unless you're still within the trial period). I'm not sure what the various trial periods are for refurb models.

 

[feejo]

To obtain all of the Live benefits, it's necessary to purchase the subscription. $60/year. You should see Expedia and Yelp! grayed out on your Services menu (unless you're still within the trial period). I'm not sure what the various trial periods are for refurb models.

But when the trial is over, without paying do you get regular traffic like other models?

 

[dhn]

Yes, with the combo rds-tmc antenna (hence, the 'T' designation)

 

[Kyuzo]

I have a "new" (I'm trusting Amazon here...) GO Live 1535M which came with a 30 day trial of HD and Services. Honestly, I was peeved at Amazon for substituting this model since I had ordered the Via. However, after using the GO's Local Search to find guitar shops, I decided to get a subscription to Services. I don't know how useful Xpedia and other reviews might be everyday, and the Twitter function for me is a total waste, but I figure if you were traveling and someone with you became ill (I have Celiac disease, so sudden onsets of illness wouldn't be unusual), or you were just tired, the ability to quickly download nearby hotels and see how they rate would be nice.

And apparently, the Fuel Prices function is a total no-go. Not that I'd use it much.

Regards!

 

[canderson]

Interesting. Your 30 day trial is what I was always accustomed to seeing, but I've also seen recent Amazon purchasers of the GO1535TM wind up with 1 year of free subscription to Live. Not sure why some get 30 and some a year.

 

[Kyuzo]

Perhaps the same reason some Amazon customers order and pay for a $145 Via and receive a $105 GO Live with a "Via 1535TM" printed label pasted over the GO logo?

 

[canderson]

Not to pop your bubble, but the GO 1535 is a more expensive and more fully featured unit than the Via. The GO is the unit that also includes the cellular service modem, etc.

How that actually shakes out in the $ retail space may be another story. If you paid for a Via and received a GO, you got more than you bargained for. If the GO was available for $105, you would have been money ahead to have purchased that model.

 

[Kyuzo]

You're right in that the GO is an impressive unit as far as features go. I decided to get the HD and Services after I tried them. I have to say that I do not prefer the GO as a navigator when compared to my sister's XL. I was traveling a bit yesterday with another elderly sister in the North Carolina mountains and the GO became quite confused several times (I suspect it wants to kill me as it suggested I take a right turn off a cliff...). I wonder if TT has "updated" the actual navigation software. My sister's XL would soldier on when I used to use it, and if you chose to ignore its suggestion, it would recalculate quickly and go on. The GO fumbled about three times for about 10 seconds or so, had my car icon going AGAINST the route it chose, and then fussed with recalculating for another 15 seconds or so before finding the route we were traveling to home.

Honestly, I'd return it if I didn't have the money in the Services and having already registered the unit. I want to like it, but I don't trust it...

I'm planning on using the GO on a trip to the beach with an elderly sister. Frankly, it wouldn't surprise me if the GO puts up in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean!

Thanks again! Bill.

 

[- et -]

I have to say that I do not prefer the GO as a navigator when compared to my sister's XL. I was traveling a bit yesterday with another elderly sister in the North Carolina mountains and the GO became quite confused several times (I suspect it wants to kill me as it suggested I take a right turn off a cliff...). I wonder if TT has "updated" the actual navigation software. My sister's XL would soldier on when I used to use it, and if you chose to ignore its suggestion, it would recalculate quickly and go on. The GO fumbled about three times for about 10 seconds or so, had my car icon going AGAINST the route it chose, and then fussed with recalculating for another 15 seconds or so before finding the route we were traveling to home.

Honestly, I'd return it if I didn't have the money in the Services and having already registered the unit. I want to like it, but I don't trust it...

I'm planning on using the GO on a trip to the beach with an elderly sister. Frankly, it wouldn't surprise me if the GO puts up in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean!

I'm surprised to hear this. I've been using the GO LIVE 1535 since its initial introduction and have not had the problems you describe - especially in regard to speed. Running it side by side with my XXL540, when I ignore a recommended turn the 1535 recalculates much faster than the XXL540.

There are some design aspects of the 1535 that I consider inferior to the XXL540, but I have had none of the issues that you describe.

- Tom -

 

[Kyuzo]

Fascinating... I suppose it may have to do with the accuracy of maps in my area vs. those in your area. SoCal MUST be better mapped than the hills of my home area. On the way to the beach my elderly sis and I will be traveling more urban areas, so I suppose that will be the proof of the pudding...

If nothing else, the GO provided great comic relief during its recalculations. My sister- to whom GPS units are nearly sci-fi- was fascinated as to how the GO - during one of its tantrums- expected the driveway inlet of an asphalt plant off Hwy 421 to be the route home! As long as it doesn't direct me into the clutches of the hillbillies from 'Deliverance' then I guess I'm okay...

I joke because it was just a shakedown voyage, I know the area well. I'm pretty sure the problem was that the road we were traveling was a secondary road and the GO wanted us to double back and take a major road.

 

[Kyuzo]

By the way, I apologize to feejo for hijacking the thread! I only intended to add my 2 cents in support of HD & Services.

 

[Arno]

My GO 930 recalculates deviated routes faster than my GO LIVE 1535 but that one in turns is faster than the Via 1535.

Week after I got the 930, driving in London, missing a turn, SWMBO asked "Shouldn't we have made a turn her?"
Me "No, look at the screen, we are still on the faster route."

 

[Kyuzo]

What I've noticed is that if I miss a turn, my sister's XL will quickly (and I mean within 3 seconds- hardly ever more than 5 and never- that I can remember- 10 seconds, usually) present the new route. Much like you're saying your GO 930 does, Arno. My GO 1535 usually presents my icon going against the route's yellow arrow, then if I continue the entire route will disappear, then either a spaghetti of routes comes up for a second (happened recently in N.C. - it appeared two different routes were superimposed) or an impossible route appears (happened to me on the interstate 2 weeks back... GO said to take an phantom exit that was actually a hillside, cross over a bridge that wasn't connected to the interstate, and enter the southbound lane of the interstate where there was a field, no on ramp- all the while the voice properly directed me to take the next exit! ), or it gives me another route which is reasonably correct after maybe 5-10 seconds. Again, my thinking is that in this area, the GO is trying to avoid secondary roads. Er, just giving it the benefit of the doubt.

I've also noticed that the GO wants U-turns while the XL tends to just create a new route. The GO acts more like my friend's Garmin (not a good thing...) than it acts like the XL. His Garmin wants U-turns, U-turns, U-turns then tells him it's recalculating and finally presents a route.

I may take both the XL and GO out this weekend and see just how each differs... maybe the rookie might learn something from the oldtimer!

Just to be clear, I'm not picking on the GO because of the Amazon thing. I really like the Services, and HD Traffic is great, if somewhat enigmatic at times and if I were to re-choose it or the Via during purchase, I'd probably choose the GO- then I'd hope I come to my senses and choose the XXL540! But as I said in my review of the unit on Amazon, my personal experiences with the GO Live 1535M remind me of that line from Star Trek's Mr. Scott: "The more complicated you make the plumbing, the easier it is to stop up the toilet!"

 

[canderson]

I've also noticed that the GO wants U-turns while the XL tends to just create a new route. The GO acts more like my friend's Garmin (not a good thing...) than it acts like the XL. His Garmin wants U-turns, U-turns, U-turns then tells him it's recalculating and finally presents a route.

That's actually something we beat TomTom up about quite a lot over a number of years. Rather than routing you around several blocks to turn around, the newer firmware allows for u-turns.

The story was this ... TomTom was imposing a 5 minute penalty for u-turns that was being compared to alternative routing to pull a 180. That 5 minutes was often longer than the time required to make numerous turns around the block, so the u-turn never won in the end. They've eliminated this in recent code such that u-turns don't have this big penalty. As a result, your 1535 will recommend u-turns where appropriate to save time.

That said, there was also a code release late last year to eliminate the u-turn penalty that was available for many of the older models, but I do not think it included the older XL units, nor your 140S.

 

[Kyuzo]

Well, at least I know I'm not TOTALLY crazy!

I think that- especially after this beach trip, if everything goes well- the GO and I might reach a mutually satisfactory arrangement. I'm pretty sure this will be my last TomTom. My next GPS will be a Garmin, for sure. That way I'll REALLY have something to gripe about...

Regards, Bill.

 

[- et -]

My next GPS will be a Garmin, for sure. That way I'll REALLY have something to gripe about...

Very true, as far as I can see. I follow another forum that is focused on POI files and has owners of almost all brands, but a very high percentage of Garmin owners. There are a lot of gripes there from Garmin owners - many of them the same as those of TomTom owners, such as the deletion of features from newer models.

Judging from what I have seen on the web, the frequency of complaints seems about the same among brands, although some of the specific gripes may differ.

- Tom -