LIVE service still available on old models?

[PauloR]

Dear fellows,

I'm considering buying an old model TomTom with LIVE services but I just noticed on tomtom website that most of the models no longer get the LIVE service. The reason why I want an old model instead of a new one with a new communication system is related to the devices' features.

Looking upon the information, I saw the portuguese page mentions only two references left that still get the LIVE service http://www.tomtom.com/pt_pt/services/live/#tab:tab3, but the UK page says much more. http://www.tomtom.com/en_gb/services/live/#tab:tab3 Does it depend on the country where I am registered to activate the service? Could I register as UK customer just to buy a GO 950 LIVE and use LIVE services? or even the british LIVE service is likely to finish soon?

Does it mean if I want a traffic service that works better that RDS-TMC, I will have to buy I new device that does depend on smartphone, or the GO 5000/6000?

Hope you can clarify!

Thanks.

 

[dhn]

A better clarification for you, seeing as where you are from, is CS:

Portugal
808781222
De Segunda à Sexta:
Das 10.00 às 18.00

 

[Arno]

Even though expensive, have a look on the UK page at the truck version. That will allow to enter the dimensions/weight and restriction of the vehicle driven.
I should imagine that you will get to many places where a coach cannot get through.

 

[canderson]

I'm curious to know if any of the Nav3 'Caravan' models in Europe allow for configuration for something as large as that bus (assuming he wants this for his bus!) and if so, which are Live units, if any? Any of my fellow moderators recall? Andy?

To the OP:
If you could still find units like the 940, you'd see that Live services are still available and running on them, but there aren't any new ones left for sale. Picking up a used one can be tricky unless the person from whom you purchase it is willing to provide you with the registration information so that you can continue things like map updates and Live services more or less seamlessly.

 

[Arno]

http://business.tomtom.com/en_gb/products/pro-5150-truck-live/highlights/

Gee, I thought I had posted the link for the 7150, the fleet version.
This time I am glad that I actually forgot to add a link.

 

[PauloR]

Thank you for the replies.

dhn,
I will call them tomorrow.

Arno,
thanks for you suggestion but I already tried a truck device. It was the GO 720 set up for truck with the latest Europe Truck map.I had it for three weeks and had to return it. The device is great but the navigation for heavy vehicles, buses, in my case, is just not good. I wanted it for the exact same reasons you said, but it failed. Sometimes it sent me to roads where a van could hardly pass, when it was set for 2.55m wide and 13m long bus, other times it prevented me from passing in large avenues where, since all times large trucks and buses passed. Once, in Potes, Spain, it even told me to get a side narrow kind of road just to get to the main road 10meters ahead again, when the main road was just fine. It gives many wrong directions. But the worse of all is yet to be told. The truck sat nav system usually sends the driver through much longer ways just to avoid the urban traffic or small roads, even if it is absolutely fine and if we are talking about roads where 15m buses can pass at easy, like double lane streets. The result is that a 3km, 7 min trip becomes 9 km and 21 min, with absolutely no gain. It works perfect when set for small car, though, as comparison in each experiment I made. I noticed this in my home town, which I know pretty well, and then I made several experiments. Even on Freeways it gives a proper navigation route when it is set for small car and does the same mistake when I just change the setting to bus, even if it is minibus settings, like big van. I tried it all ways before returning it because I really wanted that to work. But we cannot even say that it failed because it was a pirate mixing, non original, I thought about it. And I asked my colleagues who have a TomTom original truck sat nav system. The answer is the same. To go from one to the next street, just on the side, it may send you for a big turn around. This happens to them systematically. I found myself having to verify every step of the navigation and having to correct it in several points. But that should be the device's job, not mine, because I don't need it for my home town, I need it for the places I don't really know. So, no hope yet for truck software. My conclusion was we have to wait for the developers to improve their product. And meanwhile we, truck and bus drivers, stick to the old way: Looking to the unknown street and trying to guess if it will narrow up ahead. Using intuition and maybe trying the next entrance! That's why I am looking for a regular car device.

Canderson,
There are many units for sale here, I will buy a LIVE one only if I can get the registration for the service, that i think it could happen.


In case I cannot have a LIVE service, I will just stick to the RDS-TMC. Is it much worst in today's Europe TMC service? Do all LIVE devices also allow RDS-TMC antenna connection? even if it is with the antenna/charger?

 

[canderson]

Taking things in reverse order:

Units that have the capability to deal with Live services will also work with the RDS-TMC antenna if Live is unavailable or if you have no Live subscription.
On the whole, Live covers more streets and is updated more frequently than RDS-TMC.
If you can find a 940 and the owner is capable and willing to provide the email address and password associated with it, I'd grab one in a heartbeat.

That said, if you're looking for one for a bus, understand that the 720 set up for truck use wasn't as comprehensive in its abilities as is an actual "Truck" (aka "Work" and "Pro") model. It could be that the Pro9100 or Pro9150 may have better features for what you're trying to do. Anyway, have a look at the web page here http://business.tomtom.com/pt_pt/ and see what you think of the offerings they provide.

 

[PauloR]

dhn,

I did call the customer service here, who was very helpful, and they said the equipments keep on the LIVE service, as long as it is subscribed, unless the embedded SIM card had been deactivated, which has to be checked individually.

canderson,

Thank you for your clear reply.
As far as I found, there is no TMC service provided in Portugal through TomTom, even though TMC service is said to have started more than two years ago, as seen in this link:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Traffic_message_channel#Portugal
Apparently it has been switched off.
There are a few more countries in Europe where TMC doesn't exist.

Also, in the case of LIVE service, there are a lot of countries where it does not work for older models, due to limitations of their SIM cards. In result, one will be paying for the subscription for 25 countries service and having only 8, as seen here, in the case of TomTom Go 940 LIVE!
http://uk.support.tomtom.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/5826/locale/en_GB

The GO 940 LIVE does, in fact, look very good material!

Regarding your final suggestion, I must say that this GO 720 set up with a Truck nav software, was set up very recently, so I admitted it was using a recent software. Is this not this simple?

Anyway, I examined your suggestion thoroughly and the conclusion is that all those PRO devices that are now for sale have the same navigation software that PRO 5150, they just differ in their communication method (PRO 7100/7150 and 9150) and in their screen size (between PRO 7100 and 7150). The only one appropriate for an individual driver is 5150. The other three models require Webfleet subscription, a fleet management software.
The reason why I am avoiding the PRO 5150 is that I think it lacks some important features, like itinerary planing, POI categories, at least, because it is based in GO 1005 that also lacks those features.
For this same reason I am avoiding the new GO and VIA series, that would have a LIVE service / Traffic problem solved, as traffic is lifetime free. But I'm not yet psychologically ready to let go of itinerary planning and POI search for categories, features that I use as basis of my daily work.
Really absenting is this bad habit of companies that when they have an almost perfect product, the next one has to be worse in many senses. It is really disapointing! Who in his healthy state would think of removing itinerary building feature and POI categories search from a high end PND? Not so bad that they have put back the coordinates navigation!

The previous WORK Truck Navigation software, the GO 7000, I don't know anything about it.
If anyone knows..., I appreciate sharing, including how is the real time traffic info.

Comments are welcome.

Thanks!

 

[PauloR]

Finishing my questions, I made a new thread in the appropriate topic of "Which product should I chose?"
https://www.tomtomforums.com/threads/sat-nav-device-with-particular-requirements.29950/

 

[canderson]

As I responded to your 'wish list' over there...

When you find a 940, let us know As we've discussed elsewhere, little by little, TomTom keeps removing features, several of which are important to you.
Of the bigger items,

No Nav3 units handle 1 (maximum 3 'via' points), 14
No Nav4 units handle 1 (not in the 'old' sense, anyway), 3 (huge problem if you find surprise roadworks or accidents and don't know the area), 6 (zero support), 12, 14

Once you get past the older units like the 940 that were actually fully featured, the closest 'current' product for Portugal in a Nav3 might be a GO Live 1005.