RDS- TMC Traffic Subscription Renewal

[ApK]

As usual DHN was right.

But just think of the odds we can get in Vegas if we bet when he's wrong one day!

On a totally unrelated note, DHN, check your private messages for a money-making proposition for you....



On a serious note, is there any reason to think that the cheap antennas with the one free year would stop working?

Just because TT stopped offering it, there's been no change in the service itself and they have not patched the TT app to block it, so the old antennas with valid subscriptions should continue to work in the older models, yes?

ApK

 

[gordom1237]

That's my last hope. Have one on the way to my house ($3.39 plus shipping) but won't be able to report back for a couple of weeks. Going on a trip. Hope I don't run into any traffic...

 

[dhn]

But just think of the odds we can get in Vegas if we bet when he's wrong one day!

Geez......I'll take that bet. Ever notice how often others (politely) uh, modify my responses!

 

[spook45]

I just got off the phone with TomTom Customer Service. I am arranging for the RMA replacement of a Refurbed 730 I just received. I asked both the Tech and CSR point blank if TomTom had decided to no longer support traffic on the 730. The answer was yes. They will now only support the charger/traffic dongle on the newer gps units. When I explained that the newer charger/traffic dongle did not work on the older units they were surprised.

It looks like TomTom has just turned us old loyal customers into orphans. I don't know about you but I can you it doesn't make me feel either good or happy.

I would buy a new charger/traffic receiver if it would just work with the older gps units.

 

[dhn]

If your old rds-tmc antenna is of the type where you plug the usb connector from the car charger into the rds-tmc antenna and then plug the antenna into the unit, you **may** still get traffic to work. No promises whatsoever.......

1. Make an Explorer, not Home, backup of your unit's contents better safe than sorry........)

2. Use Explorer to look at the contents of the unit and look for the file subscription.bif in the rdstmc folder.

3. Open the bif file and look for the value after the label Expiration Date. It's the date in unix. Copy the value here:
Online Conversion - Unix time conversion in the Unix time stamp field and click on 'submit'.

4. If the date turns out to be in the past, then replace the value in your bif file with this value:
1982959536

5. Save the file.

Start up the unit in the car hooked into the rds-tmc antenna and see if traffic is recognized.

Candidly, this is a 'wing and a prayer' solution that probably will NOT work but give it a shot. Nothing to lose.

 

[mvl]

That time value is pulled from the receiver (which itself is read-only).

Changing the time value won't work, as the receiver overwrites it.

Spook45, you should check the round-plug receivers on ebay (the ones under $20, just make sure it's for the USA). They work, and many of them are lifetime traffic.

 

[spook45]

Spook45, you should check the round-plug receivers on ebay (the ones under $20, just make sure it's for the USA). They work, and many of them are lifetime traffic.

Thanks, I will do that mvl.

 

[ApK]

Just scored one for under $4 delivered! it's the right model number (same as my old one), but we'll see if it actually give me another year sub when it arrives.

I figure one more year will last me until I'm forced to replace my 630 for some reason.

 

[spook45]

Just scored one for under $4 delivered! it's the right model number (same as my old one), but we'll see if it actually give me another year sub when it arrives.

I figure one more year will last me until I'm forced to replace my 630 for some reason.

Just picked up one myself from ebay for a little over $4. I will test it out when my current traffic receiver expires.

 

[gordom1237]

Back from my trip. The $3.39 RDS-TMC receiver I had ordered arrived and seems to be working fine other than I'll have to lift my mount another inch to allow for the straight pin connection. I'm assuming it'll work for a year. TomTom just saved me $$ by discontinuing their support of the $64.90 renewal which they did eventually refund to me after a couple of hate emails. I ordered an extra so I'm good for two more years and it only cost me $6.78 plus about $10.00 shipping and handling. That's $129.80 for two years renewal less $16.78 for two receivers which makes $113.02 that TomTom won't get from me in the next two years for traffic. Thanks TomTom! That''ll compensate me for the shipping of the non compatible lifetime receiver they told me to get that I had to eat.

P.S. I did notice that they have stopped suggesting that an "optional traffic receiver" was available for the GO 730 on their website. I think CS is starting to catch on.