Loud Speed Camera sound on Start 25

[Phonoflora]

I have a start 25 which recently replaced an earlier model, and which seems pretty good. However, it has one characteristic we could live without - when approaching a speed camera, in the bottom left-hand corner of the screen it puts up the red and white disc with the speed limit figure in it, and also emits a very loud warning sound which we both find extremely distracting. Going south on the M6 (in the UK) there are wall-to-wall speed cameras, and the racket is almost constant. How can I switch off this noise without interfering with the rest of the sounds? The visual warning is fine, but oh! that sound! Or could it be changed to something less raucous and loud?

On a similar topic, there is a stretch of the M6 (both north and southbound) where there are constant warnings with the red & white disc (as above) showing '40'. These stretches of motorway are patently not restricted to 40mph - they are the normal 70.

How has this error occurred, and can it be corrected? Combined with the irritating noise described above, it make us want to just switch off the device altogether...!

Hope somebody can help - thanks in anticipation.

Phonoflora

 

[Andy_P]

Two parts to this question....

To remove the warning sounds should be easy. Your menus may be slightly different, but on my START 60 you go to the main menu, go to "Services", then "Speed Cameras" then "Alert Settings".

That will show a list of different camera types with a small loudspeaker icon to the left of each. Tap each one in turn and the next screen allows you to set each type to
1. alert you every time, or
2. only when you are actually speeding, or
3. to turn the warnings off COMPLETELY for each camera type (i.e. audible AND visual warnings).

Choose what option you want and then the NEXT screen allows you to choose a different warning SOUND. One of the options is "Silent".

 

[Andy_P]

Second part....

Why are you getting warnings showing '40' on stretches of motorway that are patently not restricted to 40mph?
I'm guessing these are on the new "Managed" sections of motorway where a variable speed limit system has been installed and policed by gantry cameras and signs, but where a reduced speed limit is not actually in force when you pass?

-------------------

TomTom's own speed camera data is actually not that great. It's a LOT better than it used to be, but it still has a lot of errors and omissions.
One of the worst parts of it at the moment is how it handles the Variable Speed sections of motorways and the gantry cameras for them.
It seems to be trying to be clever and to actually set warnings for the reduced speed limits as they occur (that SHOULD certainly be possible on the "LIVE" models)... but it makes a hopeless attempt at it and gets it wrong A LOT.

TomTom are aware of the problem, but it's only one of many issues their service has.
So my best advice (if you DO want speed camera warnings at all) is to turn off TomTom's own warnings completely and go for an alternative set of camera data, such as the one from PocketGPSWorld.com

PGPSW's data for the UK is far more accurate and up to date, and is updated weekly using reports from thousands of users themselves.
You can also customise the warnings, so (if you want) instead of just an alert sound, you can have one of several spoken voices that tell you the actual speed limit for the camera you are approaching, so you don't need to take your eyes off the road.

The way they handle these managed sections of motorway is just to announce the actual camera locations as (by voice) as "Variable Speed camera" and let the user look out of the window to see what the speed limit has currently been set to!

I'll put my cards on the table and mention that I'm one of their (unpaid!) "verifiers" for the data, which means I go to visit the sites of reported new or changed cameras in my area, and reject or correct any reports that are wrong before they make it into the master database, so I can vouch for it's accuracy!

 

[Phonoflora]

Two parts to this question....

To remove the warning sounds should be easy. Your menus may be slightly different, but on my START 60 you go to the main menu, go to "Services", then "Speed Cameras" then "Alert Settings".

That will show a list of different camera types with a small loudspeaker icon to the left of each. Tap each one in turn and the next screen allows you to set each type to
1. alert you every time, or
2. only when you are actually speeding, or
3. to turn the warnings off COMPLETELY for each camera type (i.e. audible AND visual warnings).

Choose what option you want and then the NEXT screen allows you to choose a different warning SOUND. One of the options is "Silent".

Brilliant! It was really about not finding my way through the labyrinth of the menu wasn't it.... Why under 'Services' I wonder...?

Anyway it worked, and we'll both think of you every time we get that nice genteel 'ping' instead of the howl we had before!

Many thanks Andy_P!

 

[Phonoflora]

Second part....

Why are you getting warnings showing '40' on stretches of motorway that are patently not restricted to 40mph?
I'm guessing these are on the new "Managed" sections of motorway where a variable speed limit system has been installed and policed by gantry cameras and signs, but where a reduced speed limit is not actually in force when you pass?

-------------------

TomTom's own speed camera data is actually not that great. It's a LOT better than it used to be, but it still has a lot of errors and omissions.
One of the worst parts of it at the moment is how it handles the Variable Speed sections of motorways and the gantry cameras for them.
It seems to be trying to be clever and to actually set warnings for the reduced speed limits as they occur (that SHOULD certainly be possible on the "LIVE" models)... but it makes a hopeless attempt at it and gets it wrong A LOT.

TomTom are aware of the problem, but it's only one of many issues their service has.
So my best advice (if you DO want speed camera warnings at all) is to turn off TomTom's own warnings completely and go for an alternative set of camera data, such as the one from PocketGPSWorld.com

PGPSW's data for the UK is far more accurate and up to date, and is updated weekly using reports from thousands of users themselves.
You can also customise the warnings, so (if you want) instead of just an alert sound, you can have one of several spoken voices that tell you the actual speed limit for the camera you are approaching, so you don't need to take your eyes off the road.

The way they handle these managed sections of motorway is just to announce the actual camera locations as (by voice) as "Variable Speed camera" and let the user look out of the window to see what the speed limit has currently been set to!

I'll put my cards on the table and mention that I'm one of their (unpaid!) "verifiers" for the data, which means I go to visit the sites of reported new or changed cameras in my area, and reject or correct any reports that are wrong before they make it into the master database, so I can vouch for it's accuracy!

Thanks - Thinking about this one - will pursue my researches a bit!

Phonoflora

 

[Arno]

Thanks - Thinking about this one - will pursue my researches a bit!

Once you have any results, please share your observations with all of us,

 

[Phonoflora]

Once you have any results, please share your observations with all of us,

Yes, I will do, but it might be a while before I use the section of motorway concerned again. We got pretty bored with the constant warnings as I've said above, so it's difficult to recall for sure, but I don't think it was all on one of those 'managed' sections...

Phonoflora