XXL 540TM - Drops Traffic Connection

[adidas1124]

My new 540TM drops the traffic connection at the same place on the same highway every day. It displays the same message as though the cord had been disconnected, but I know that's not the case as the TT does not act like it will turn off in 10 seconds.

Am I just losing signal at that point? The traffic reconnects almost immediately, but then traffic data is not the same as it was prior to the drop.

Anyone else experience this?

 

[dhn]

Don't know whether the issue of gps signal blockers comes into play here but might there be something at that point knocking down an fm signal, by chance?

 

[canderson]

My new 540TM drops the traffic connection at the same place on the same highway every day.

Yes - it definitely sounds as though the FM station that your receiver is using for traffic is either fading or is being interfered with at the same point every day. If you could identify which FM station it is that is being used to pick up the traffic in your area, you would likely hear some sort of problem on the regular FM audio for it as well.

The older unit firmware used to display the frequency of the FM station it was using for RDS, but they don't do that now, so you'd have to find out which station it is by asking around. It will be one of the FM stations owned by ClearChannel.

 

[canderson]

Seems Clear Channel owns a boatload of FM in Portland - but then again, since the FCC started to allow one company to own almost entire markets ...

Suspects follow:

KEX 102.3
KFBW 105.9
KKCW 103.3
KKRZ 100.3
KLTH 106.7
KXJM 107.5

If I were a betting man, I'd start with KEX.

 

[adidas1124]

When I saw the 102.3 it triggered my brain... it is such a weak station anyway... is there a way to block that one and default to another?

I know I can manually tune to a traffic frequency, but not sure if that station stays programmed with each power cycle.

 

[adidas1124]

Manually tuned to 105.9 and it worked flawlessly... 102.3 should not be a traffic channel near as I can tell.

 

[sab]

Consider yourself lucky. I purchased my receiver a few months ago and it finds no signal at all unless I am at the top of the mountain on which the antenna is located .

I'll be leaving for a long road trip down south soon, I'm hoping I will finally see it in action as I drive through areas that have traffic coverage..