sunglasses

[billsea]

I have had a Tom Tom Ease for several years and I like it. It works with all three pairs of polarized sunglasses that I own. I want to get a new Tom Tom. I ordered a Start 50M and then returned it because the screen was too dim. I thought it was defective because my Ease was nice and bright. I just got a Start 45M and it is also dim so I now realize that it is a problem with the polarization of my sunglasses. I can't replace all of my polarized sunglasses.

Does anyone know of a model that has the same polarization as the Ease? Has anyone upgraded from the Ease to another model that still works with their polarized glasses?

 

[dhn]

Are you near a big box store with many models on display? If so, you may want to make a visit (with sunglasses in hand) and test them out. Did the 45M have a screen brightness option and, if so, was it set at 100% for daytime?

 

[billsea]

I did adjust the brightness to max and turn off the auto night time adjustment to no avail. Good idea about going to the store with the sunglasses. Can't do that when buying online!

Still interested to know if anyone knows of a model that works with polarized sunglasses

 

[canderson]

It's not a question of whether any given unit works with polarized glasses, it's which way the polarization runs between a particular pair of glasses and a particular LCD screen! If you turn your head (or your glasses) 90 degrees, you'll discover things get clearer.

Unfortunately, there's STILL no industry standard for the orientation of the polarization on glasses and LCD screens, so sometimes they fight each other, and being 90 degrees out, make things impossible to read. The idea of visiting the store is definitely the best solution if you already have an investment in either glasses or mobile devices.

 

[billsea]

Ok. So I did some more investigation about polarized sunglasses. I studied light polarization in my education as an engineer, so I am somewhat familiar with the concepts.

When sunlight if reflected off of water or other surface it becomes slightly polarized horizontally. This is what we call glare. If you use vertically polarized sunglasses it will block the horizontally polarized glare, which we like and think is good. That is why we buy polarized sunglasses. While it may be true that there is no official industry standard for sunglasses polarization, there is a standard imposed by Mother Nature - only vertical polarization works.

To verify this I did an experiment. I went to 3 different stores and tested over 50 different pairs of polarized sunglasses of all different manufacturers and styles. Cheap to expensive. The test was to place them in front of my polarized sunglasses and then turn them 90 degrees. If the light passed thru when they were oriented in the normal direction that means that they were polarized in the same direction as the ones I was wearing. If they blacked out when they were turned 90 degrees that means that they were not polarized at 45 degrees or some other weird angle. All 50 pairs - 100% were perfectly vertically polarized.

So, it is a myth that the random angle of sunglasses polarization is the reason why some GPS don't work with polarized sunglasses.

I think it is extremely likely that the engineers at Tom Tom know exactly what angle their displays are polarized at, and therefore which ones work with polarized sunglasses and which ones don't I think it is also likely that the marketing department doesn't want the words "This GPS does not work with polarized sunglasses" associated with their products so they try to keep this info close to their vest.

I am not trying to cause any trouble or be a smart a__. All I want to do is to find a basic Tom Tom GPS that can replace my Tom Tom Ease which worked great. I have already had to return 2 different models, and I don't want to have to do it again.

If anyone has a Tom Tom unit that they know works with their polarized sunglasses please let me know so I can investigate that model.

I am still trying to find a store that has powered up GPS on display so I can test them in person. I have been to Walmart, and Staples and so far no luck.

 

[Arno]

I am still trying to find a store that has powered up GPS on display so I can test them in person. I have been to Walmart, and Staples and so far no luck.

Best Buys here has at least 3 different TomToms on display all the time.

 

[canderson]

To be fair, MOST sunglasses are vertically polarized, and MOST LCD screens (at this point in time) are polarized at 45 degrees (causing a certain amount of transmissive loss no matter what). Unfortunately, there are exceptions to both that cause the conflict you're seeing, and this isn't the only device to have run into this. TomTom isn't the first to run into this conflict, nor would it be the first time glasses have been 'backwards'. It's been a while, but a search here will demonstrate that we've seen issues before some time back.

 

[billsea]

To be fair, 50 out of 50 is not MOST. 50 out of 50 is ALL. There may have been a time in the past when polarized sunglasses varied but not anymore. All polarized sunglasses are vertically polarized. Go to your local sunglasses store and check it out for yourself. It is an incredibly easy test to preform. It is an unnecessary confusion to continue to bring that up. The polarization of sunglasses does not vary in any important way. The polarization of the display is what is important here.

So it appears that the Tom Tom engineers do know the angle of polarization of their displays. It certainly seem like they should. And by the way I have been to the Garmin Forum and this same confusion is being perpetuated over there. It is not a problem with Tom Tom only. Sorry if I made it sound like it was.

Ideally a vertically polarized display would be the best match for vertically polarized sunglasses. Let me be very specific about my question.

Are their any Tom Tom GPS that have vertically polarized displays? I know that my Tom Tom Ease has a vertically polarized display, but it is old and dying and I need to upgrade.

Once again I am not trying to cause trouble or be a smart a__. I have already had to return 2 units, and I just want to find a GPS that works with polarized sunglasses. Please help me! And please, please, no more talk about the variability of sunglasses.

 

[canderson]

Apart from going to a store (or to Amsterdam) and testing each possible model, there's no sure way for any of us to know where the 'ringers' might be in the product mix, or even (ugh) if there are variations within a given model. I can tell you that none of the several units in my sig line have any issues with my aging Serengeti Drivers.

All you'll be able to get from us is a collective set of anecdotal information based upon the units we actually have in hand.

 

[billsea]

Thanks for the reply. As much as I would like to go to Amsterdam I don’t think I will be able to that.
I have a very hard time believing that the Tom Tom engineers do not know which of their displays are vertically polarized. It is a very easy test to perform. Simple take a pair of polarized sunglasses (all of which are vertically polarized) and look at the screen. Then rotate the sunglasses 90 degrees. If the screen appears the darkest when the glasses are rotated 90 degrees then the screen is vertically polarized. If the screen is the darkest when the glasses are at 45 degrees then it is polarized at 45 degrees. If it is darkest when the glasses are in the normal orientation then the screen is horizontally polarized. Easy peasy.
Are your Serengeti Drivers polarized? If so, could you please do the test and let me know which of the units you own if any are vertically polarized? Thanks.
Anybody else out there that would like to do the test and let me know if they have a vertically polarized display I would appreciate it.

 

[canderson]

Um.. let me repeat post #9 (and yes, I don't think there have ever been a pair of Serengetis made that weren't polarized - that was one of the early selling points). I have what I have to test. As noted, all of the units below in my sig line (and that's my entire stable at the moment) read fine when I'm wearing them. Problem: I have no easy way of knowing which of the models that I don't own are going to cause problems, 'cause as much as I like tulip season in Amsterdam, I'm not going to make it there this year, either!

You'll need replies from as many as you can get in order to help fill out the list.

 

[alfie67]

Anybody else out there that would like to do the test and let me know if they have a vertically polarized display I would appreciate it.

One XL is vertically polarized as near as I can tell; darkest seems just shy of 90 degrees.
340XL is 45 degrees.

 

[billsea]

Alfie67 Thanks for your reply.

Canderson - You said that all of the units in you sig line "read fine when I'm wearing them". Does that mean that they are all vertically polarized?

I understand that some people will be satisfied with 45 degree displays. You may be one of them. I am not one of them. I have already had to return 2 units with 45 degree displays. I want to be sure that I get a vertically polarized display. I am particularly interested in your Via 1535.

 

[canderson]

Sadly, or fortunately, depending upon how you look at it (yuck - now THAT was a pun I hadn't originally intended) the trend seems to be toward 45 degree polarization on LCD for portable devices, but we'll see if it continues.

Meanwhile, I'll have to get each of my devices lined up to see which are 90 and which are 45. They date from 2006 ~ 2012, so it's a pretty good spread.

 

[Wyvern46]

I can tell you that none of the several units in my sig line have any issues with my aging Serengeti Drivers.

Aging maybe...nice glasses.

 

[Andy_P]

All of these tests from other people depend of course on their sunglasses ACTUALLY being vertically polarised themselves. We only have billsea's assertion to go on for that.

Is there a way to definitively state the polarisation of a piece of glass without having a labelled reference piece to compare it with?

 

[billsea]

Andy_P - When sunlight is reflected off of water or other surfaces it is slightly polarized horizontally. Mother Nature provides that reference standard. Just like she provided the reference standard that water boils at 212F.

Go to a body of water on a sunny day. Rotate your polarized sunglasses. When the most glare is eliminated that is when your sunglasses are oriented at 90 degrees from horizontal ie. vertical. When the least glare is eliminated then they are aligned horizontally. Very easy test to do and only takes seconds. .

Canderson - Still looking forward to your test results of the units that you own. In particular the VIA 1535.

Thanks

 

[dhn]

Yes, please don't post links in messages not related to the topic at hand.