Tom Tom Plus Traffic

Joined
Nov 29, 2007
Messages
42
Location
Conshohocken, PA
TomTom Model(s)
GO 720
This is weird, I was trying to get a traffic subscription over the website and it says this:

"The TomTom Traffic service is currently available for Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, The Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom."

This is disappointing, I was hoping to use the traffic updates via GSM phone.
 
I didn't understand that on their website either, but I can't get wireless data working on my Verizon phone so it didn't much matter. However I can tell you that the TMC traffic receiver works very well on my 920T. I see you're in Conshohocken; I commute to Center City Philadelphia from near Mays Landing NJ and have been playing with the traffic receiver for the past week.

No signal at my home (50 mi from Philadelphia), but I start picking one up about 20 miles East of the Walt Whitman Bridge and no problems getting it as I drive around town.

I don't really understand how these subscriptions work and the manual doesn't shed any light on it. But the 920T includes the receiver (which you could buy as an accessory for the 720) and a 1 year subscription. I think the broadcasts are just on the free airwaves, so I guess TomTom must have some mechanism for shutting off your reception on the GPS when the subscription expires?
 
that is exactly how it works. it will shut down the service after 1 year unless you pay the 60 USD per year, by then their website should be ready. the RDS-TMC is unscramble in the air via FM as you said but the GPS manufacturer needs to get a license (location table) from the traffic provider , TTN in this case, to decode the message properly and locate it in the map accordingly.

TT website does not give much info but in US also the Tomtom Plus Traffic service via GPRS/EDGE works provided that you have a compatible phone and that your cell carrier gives you full internet access. this service has better coverage but be minded of the extra data costs from your wireless carrier and the around 30 US subscription fee per year. usually you will need a 5 MB data plan per month from your wireless carrier for this traffic services but it all depends how often you want to update the traffic, how long you commute, and how much traffic you usually have in your city and sourrounding cities. TomTom will only download traffic related to your current location and nearby cities not the hole US traffic to minimize data costs for you.

ckacyon call Tomtom and they will activate a 1 month free trial of the GSM based traffic service for you.
 
ckacyon call Tomtom and they will activate a 1 month free trial of the GSM based traffic service for you.


Thanks for the advise, I will do. I have a promo code card with my packaging, but it tells me that's invalid or incorrect. I will give them a ring and set it up, I'd like to use it over GSM (I have a data plan with my carrier).
 
Ive had my tomtom 720 since Sept. You have to call Tomtom and they will activate the traffic service for free. My profile shows a 1 year subscription. The traffic works great w/ my motorola V3 attached. I have att service w/ the unlimited data plan. lets me know which areas to avoid, specially in the D.C. area!
 
Ive had my tomtom 720 since Sept. You have to call Tomtom and they will activate the traffic service for free. My profile shows a 1 year subscription. The traffic works great w/ my motorola V3 attached. I have att service w/ the unlimited data plan. lets me know which areas to avoid, specially in the D.C. area!

I just got off the phone and my traffic subscription is now active and also showing 1 year. I've got a V3xx with ATT and it works perfectly as well. This will definitely help. I change my thumbs down to a thumbs up! ;)
 
just got mind activated. I am from Alberta so I am going to see how well it works. But its free for 3 months. :D
 
from Alberta , Canada?. sorry but in Canada Tomtom Plus traffic (via GPRS/EDGE/CDMA) only shows road and weather conditions, no traffic events at all yet and probably in select cities. the other option , The RDS-TMC traffic receiver works here in Canada but only in Toronto, Ottawa and Montreal areas. There is no date yet for plus traffic availability in Canada yet, your free trial might run out before it even starts.
 
yeah... thats right, I only got weather and road condition. Whenever I download the GSM info, it will say the no traffic problem or something
 
that is exactly how it works. it will shut down the service after 1 year unless you pay the 60 USD per year

Well they really don't explain this very well. I was just looking at the RDS-TMC on TomTom's site: http://www.tomtom.com/products/accessories/accessory.php?ID=267&Tab=1

It says,

No additional subscriptions or fees required, one-off cost for a TomTom RDS-TMC Traffic Receiver

Maybe I don't understand "one-off", but to me that implies once you have the receiver there are no further costs. But maybe it's different in Europe and the US? And that's another problem with TomTom, their website is very Euro-centric which often makes things confusing for me.
 
OK... now I see. TomTom really does have a terrible website. More info at this link: http://www.tomtom.com/page/rds-tmc

And it says the same thing about no subscriptions, but there's a footnote in this version. And when you scroll down to the bottom of the page it says:

*4 This is not applicable to the United States, where the RDS/TMC receiver comes with a 1 year subscription.
 
Well they really don't explain this very well. I was just looking at the RDS-TMC on TomTom's site: http://www.tomtom.com/products/accessories/accessory.php?ID=267&Tab=1

It says,



Maybe I don't understand "one-off", but to me that implies once you have the receiver there are no further costs. But maybe it's different in Europe and the US? And that's another problem with TomTom, their website is very Euro-centric which often makes things confusing for me.

You understand "one-off' correctly. They advertised it this way originally for about a year, and this was one reason I chose them rather Garmin at the time. I believe it may be possible to hold their feet to the fire with a complaint of false and misleading advertising on this issue.
 
Well so far I like the service in my area, and if I continue to find it useful a year from now then $5/mo doesn't seem unreasonable. OTOH, there may be something better which I'll want to upgrade to by then.

Regardless, TomTom should make it a little easier to understand their policy.
 
Boyd: Do you like the RDS-TMC Service in New Jersey/ New York areas? I thought signal levels were low over there therefore reception was patchy at best? and also because of that you will get the reports kind of late. MSN Direct service is even worst in that area as per other users!!!. there is a lenghty discussion at the gpspassion.com forum about the services in the NJ/NY area.

the one-off cost refers to the fact that in most countries in Europe (except UK and France) the RDS-TMC traffic services are free therefore you only need to buy the receiver
 
I have a 720 and a Motorola V3xx phone using AT&T. I need to know how to manually set the wireless data. Can you help me
 
Have somebody had Tomtom Plus (weather, road, traffic ) working with any AT&T gophone plan ?

Yes, I've gotten weather (the only TomTom Plus service I've tried) working with an AT&T GoPhone on my Go 720. I have a Sony Ericsson W580i.

Here are the settings for the Media Net data account that you'll need to set up on the phone/TomTom:
APN: wap.cingular
Username: (e-mail address removed)
Password: CINGULAR1
 
i had plus services when I had my blackberry but it was always a pain in the ass to make it work.

dumped the BB and bought a treo and now it will not work at all. Have a local electronics store going out of business and found a RDS/TMC antenna for 30% off.

is it worth the $70 + $60 year fees going forward. I have a GPS and traffic on my phone but I prefer to use my 720.

Also thinking about telling TT to go pound sand and buy a Garmin 780
 
My understanding is that if you contact TomTom (call, don't email) and let them know you have a rds antenna, they'll add the first year FREE to your account.

It's 60 bucks a year after the 1st year ..... if you still want the service.

Having said that, you'll also want to verify traffic coverage in your area before committing to the antenna/service.

Here's a link from Tim, the admin at gpsreview.net. Half way down are links to coverage areas in the States.
http://www.gpsreview.net/traffic/
 
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