Ok, i don’t rely on sat nav, but among its main use as a brilliant pocket sized street map of the country, and its ability to ‘see’ blind junctions and help you around unmarked junctions (as well as its more obvious attributes), the one thing i do like to use now and again is the ‘traffic’ feature.
I don’t have or need a lorry specific one and have no intention of buying one, and my present Garmin is probably around 7 years old but still works well though its obviously well out of date not as that really matters in all honesty.
So my question at last, have been looking at Garmin again cos i like how they work and it’s been reliable, and notice that as you go up a bit in the price range you get into ‘‘digital traffic’’, which apparently updates every minute or two, from what i read it’s not as good as Tom Tom’s better traffic service, so what’s the difference between the digital traffic service and the traffic on my now ageing present Garmin, anyone got the new digital and care to comment, and anyone who uses the TT traffic service would be interesting to hear how that does too.
The 6" Garmin i have in mind with digital traffic will cost around £160, less at 5" considerably more if 7" ooer missus…and i’m in two minds, if the digi traffic is so much better then i don’t mind forking out, but if it’s no better in use than the somewhat slow normal traffic on my old jobbie then i shant cough up.
I know i could go hi tech and use a smartphone and get ‘apps’, but quite honestly i’d rather stick pins in me eyes than get a smartphone, much prefer my old steam powered phones.
is that one of the new TT’s with the all singing all dancing traffic or all they all the same on TT, cos i notice you’ve got to push the price round to about £220 to get an equivalent 6" TT with traffic and maps for life, roughly £60 more than the equivalent Garmin with the same/similar package.
The traffic on my old Garmin is only available when the little traffic button appears on the screen, you then have the option of pressing ‘‘avoid’’, which i avoid or going into the traffic search to see what’s about and then decide, which i do.
Luckily when traffic is available you can search for problems in an ever expanding radius via the menu, not just the route you’re on, its all quite user friendly which is good cos i’m a bloody technoidiot, and i’m hoping for similar easy of use on any replacement… as i say the only fly in the ointment is that it can be up to an hour of travelling before the traffic icon flashes up…maybe my current one is just getting old.
Bloody wish we still had the original Trafficmaster IQ, they were brill.
If you’ve a smartphone use Google maps, free with free and reliable traffic info. I find it very accurate, it uses a variety of sources including other drivers via Waze. I tried Waze but I find it a very ugly app that is a data and battery drain.
No smartphone, not where i want to go, but thanks for the suggestion.
Google maps is fine, and up to a point if i know there’s a serious problem en route i give my fair lady a call and she boots up Google maps at home.
Its a shame you won’t go the smartphone route because it offers several options, two of the best ones being free, plus it has other benefits as well especially ones that you can use to pass the time whilst sat waiting to get loaded/unloaded.
I have a TT 5150 truck version with the live services and I use it for european tramping.
It does what it is supposed to do without problems. Traffic jams, road works etc are clearly indicated and if the alternative routes are quicker, they will be given or mentioned, so you can choose.
The only disadvantage is that traffic info, further away as 60 km will not be included in time calculations, so make allowances for that.
My son uses a garmin, also truck version, and altough working well, traffic info is, in my opinion, better on the TT.
I am quite happy with my TT, and altough quite expensive, would not go back to a normal one without live services.
I will use it more for the services, traffic, speed cameras, weather etc as I would for the navigation.
I will google my loading/delivery adress , and have a general look before I leave, but will use TT for the rest.
edit: I don’t have a smartphone, so can not compare with that.
Conor:
Its a shame you won’t go the smartphone route because it offers several options, two of the best ones being free, plus it has other benefits as well especially ones that you can use to pass the time whilst sat waiting to get loaded/unloaded.
Another being easy access to Street View and Google Earth allowing me to look at delivery points in detail before I even start my journey, down to even the layout of the yard! Not had a dedicated satnav in years and will never have one again
Points appreciated Conor, thanks, in my job there isn’t really any waiting time as such and i’m not one for poncing about with electronic stuff more than i have to.
Bald, that’s some interesting points there, you sound about the same as me, don’t really need it as a sat nav at all, its more as replacement for the old Trafficmaster YQ unit that i’m after, just the sat nav happens to include the street map and is a useful spare set of eyes for hidden junctions etc.
Anyone else has either a Garmin With digital traffic or a TomTom with live traffic, i’d be much obliged for what you think of them.
I’ve the trucker TT6000, and while dozy may not have liked it, I’ve no complaints. The live traffic is GENERALLY quite accurate and at times has been useful, but as bald says, I don’t think it looks at/for traffic information beyond a certain radius.
Thanks Evil, thats you and Bald mention limited distance traffic report, i’m leaning towards Garmin again now, however does the new digi traffic allow an ever increasing radius scan from where you are to search as their old system does? hmm
This is where Trafficmaster YQ scored so well, bearing in mind this was 20 years ago, you could scan the whole country in a minute and select your route accordingly, that’s what i’m trying to get back to but with additional benefits.
One other question Evil/Bald, does the TT traffic offer info about delays not on your chosen route, and can you get a quick scan of delays anywhere other than selected route via the menu without too much difficulty…baring in mind i’m still at pushing button A to connect and B to get my 4d back level at the phone box…
Another +1 for the tomtom, just a word of warning, don’t go for the car option, although it will find you an alternative route it’ll be the dodgiest run ever, with my truck unit I know if it finds an alternative route it’s usually going to be safe to take a truck down there.
Juddian:
Thanks Evil, thats you and Bald mention limited distance traffic report, i’m leaning towards Garmin again now, however does the new digi traffic allow an ever increasing radius scan from where you are to search as their old system does? hmm
This is where Trafficmaster YQ scored so well, bearing in mind this was 20 years ago, you could scan the whole country in a minute and select your route accordingly, that’s what i’m trying to get back to but with additional benefits.
One other question Evil/Bald, does the TT traffic offer info about delays not on your chosen route, and can you get a quick scan of delays anywhere other than selected route via the menu without too much difficulty…baring in mind i’m still at pushing button A to connect and B to get my 4d back level at the phone box…
The map/overhead shows all the holdup in the area, and seems to constantly scan for a quicker route. Hence why it pops up alternative “quicker” routes from time to time that are a single press to accept or decline.
If you want to edit the prescribed or existing route, the easiest way seems to be to add a “way-point” to the exist route. Touch and hold finger on new route, select the options icon & then select “add to existing route”.
There may be an even easier way, as I’ve yet to read the instructions!
tommyboy1289:
Another +1 for the tomtom, just a word of warning, don’t go for the car option, although it will find you an alternative route it’ll be the dodgiest run ever, with my truck unit I know if it finds an alternative route it’s usually going to be safe to take a truck down there.
True, mine has thrown back at me that it can’t find a HGV route a few times. Then the fun begins!
As it then asks if I want to plot a car route…
Conor:
Its a shame you won’t go the smartphone route because it offers several options, two of the best ones being free, plus it has other benefits as well especially ones that you can use to pass the time whilst sat waiting to get loaded/unloaded.
Another being easy access to Street View and Google Earth allowing me to look at delivery points in detail before I even start my journey, down to even the layout of the yard! Not had a dedicated satnav in years and will never have one again
I thought u was working for tesco , you shouldn’t be using anything other than there risk assessments , some drivers just won’t listen
I use tt 5150 with live, the live is great but if the jam is a good way off and not to severe it’s some times best to continue on the original route rather than accept the diversion straight away, as the jams often clear before you get to them.
Also the tt website charges about £47 for live but if you hunt around the tt site you will find the live traffic for the tt truck 5000 and 6000 series for £39
Evening Clown. I have the newer version of the scousers sat nav. TT 5250. The live traffic is due to run out any day because I got 12 months free with it.
Going to have to dig deep and renew it because it really is very good. Spookily accurate with the queues!!
Graphics are good too, and as you have said-it’s a cracking aid to see dodgy junctions coming up.
Thanks lads, alternative routes offered by the satnav don’t bother me, very seldom will it actually have a destination at all, i tend to just let it run so it can keep general traffic going…the Garmin will bring up delays on the road you are on even if no destination, does TT do that?..and for early warnings of cameras/turnings etc, its basically a second set of virtual eyes to be honest.
Ah Beaver, paying dues eh?, sod that i want freeeeeeee for ever, but like the idea of good traffic and so far you lot with TT rate it, but i want a one off payment only when purchasing.
Struggling a bit at the moment, i like Garmins magnetic mount on their higher end stuff but seems to be limited to a 5" jobbie, now lewd jokes aside i want a big un min 6" and probably another 7" like me old ‘un cos me ol’ mince pies aint what they were when i were a lad living in a cardboard box tha’ knows…said the Cockney Yorkshireman…
Can see this is going to be a bit of drama, might pop into Helfords of the morrow and have a play about with their display models, pick a brain or two too.
Nice one Drifty! Have you got your 2016 Cheshire visa stamped yet?
Spoke to my mate in Warrington Borough Council earlier. He reckons we are only letting in 35 scousers this year.
Word is that a class 2 Bootle lad got his class 1, and then mounted a coup against the company artic pilot. Nicked his Scania, and plonked an outdated sat nav in the windscreen. Poor deposed artic driver now does pub gigs as a Bob Carolgees lookalike.
or going into the traffic search to see what’s about and then decide, which i do.
