help please--rds-tmc traffic receiver usb

[pacruiser]

Ok, I got a rds-tmc traffic reciever usb antenna(5v00.181/n14644) from circuit city yesterday. It says it's for the one 125, 130 and xl 330 on the front. I plugged it in and it says connected, there's alittle car icon with a green arrow getting bigger and smaller in the upper right corner. I tap the traffic bar, or in the traffic menu it says searching for a station. So I igure it(antenna) needs activation, after hunting on tt's web site I finally give up and call customer service. Told her what I had and asked about subscribing, she said there's no subscription, it automatically works, eventually we did a hard reset on the tomtom, and I still have the same icon, same everything, and she says it's fine it's just looking for a station Thank god for back ups.

Anyway does anyone have any idea what going on with this thing? I'm supposed to have 3 clear channel stations in the area with rds signals.

Thanks!

 

[dhn]

Are you sure those 3 stations broadcast traffic?

 

[GAW]

Like dhn said - you have to be sure you are in the area of a station that carries the service. The tomtom website has a coverage map for the metropolitan areas that have coverage - including the location of the stations.

Also, the placement of the antenna is important. If you in the coverage area according to the map, but still not getting the traffic service, try getting closer to one of the stations.

If that does not work, there may be a problem with the receiver (but my bet would be on proximity to stations is the issue).

 

[pacruiser]

If that does not work, there may be a problem with the receiver (but my bet would be on proximity to stations is the issue).

Ok, thanks. I'm going to Harrisburg for the car show, tomarroe I think, so I'll definitly be very close to the transmitters.

 

[GAW]

Ok, thanks. I'm going to Harrisburg for the car show, tomorrow I think, so I'll definitely be very close to the transmitters.

The only coverage in Pennsylvania is in the Philadelphia and Pittsburgh greater metro areas. I believe Harrisburg will be out of range - have you checked the TT coverage map?

 

[canderson]

Coverage maps can be found here http://www.tomtom.com/lib/images/milan/tmc_us/index.html

 

[rpreuss]

More updated coverage

TomTom uses the Clear Channel Total Traffic Network. For more updated coverage maps, check here:

http://totaltraffic.com/CoverageAreas/

For more information on how it works, check here:

http://www.gpsreview.net/traffic/

 

[pacruiser]

Thanks for all the help, turned out there's no station here, but when I got to harrisburg, green dot all the way

 

[GAW]

You are in a hole in the Clear Channel coverage like I am. That is why I do not use the receiver any more as opposed to the Plus Service data traffic, as with the latter - I can see traffic on my route into the main metro area before the receiver would have gotten connected.

Since you now have a receiver, in order to get a "head start' on traffic situations just before you leave your house - you could connect to TT Home and open "Operate my Device" and with you route active - it would give you traffic on the route as of that time. If there was a major incident - you could lock in an alternative route.

 

[Smitty55]

Maybe the car itself

Your problem may be the window glass. Some car makers have what is called passivated glass which has a metal content in it. Sometimes it is almost impossible to get any signals through the glass, especially weaker signals such as the ones used for this receiver.

Try putting the antenna outside of the car and see if you get any signals that way. If so, you may need to buy an outside antenna or set up your receiver so part of the antenna is outside.

Of course, if there is no signal or you're on the fringes of the transmitter range, you may not get any useful signal at all.

Good luck.