Tom Tom XXL 550TM question

[STRubin209]

I am interested in buying the Tom Tom XXL 550TM unit. One question. If it does not have Bluetooth capability, how does it receive the real time traffic updates that it says it does?

Thanks,

 

[canderson]

I am interested in buying the Tom Tom XXL 550TM unit. One question. If it does not have Bluetooth capability, how does it receive the real time traffic updates that it says it does?

Thanks,

It uses a system broadcast by local FM stations - data under the normal audio. It's called RDS-TMC here in the States. Your car charger will have a special "lump" on the cable that is the receiver.

 

[STRubin209]

It uses a system broadcast by local FM stations - data under the normal audio. It's called RDS-TMC here in the States. Your car charger will have a special "lump" on the cable that is the receiver.

Does it still work in Canada and Mexico then?

 

[dhn]

It will in any country that offers traffic info via fm.

But it is NOT real time. That's LIVE traffic and available (for subscription after an initial free trial) in the States only.

 

[canderson]

It will in any country that offers traffic info via fm.

But it is NOT real time. That's LIVE traffic and available (for subscription after an initial free trial) in the States only.

My local experience with Live is that it isn't exactly "real time" either, but at least it's updated more frequently than the RDS traffic data.

I'm still surprised that Live isn't any more up-to-date than it is on a given day. I'd understand it in the boonies somewhere that they might not have much of a population of units to work with on the uplink, but we're talking downtown Denver interstates here...