Tomtom advice live traffic please

Kim_kim

My old tomtom has given up the ghost after about 9 years.
The sucker doesn't work & the charger is barely connecting so I need a new one - I love the simplicity of tomtom (so please don't advise another brand).
I've seen the live traffic in action once or twice & as I live near & use the M25 I think this could be just what I need.
Not after any other features (weather - got iPhone, phone calls via sat nav - got parrot).

But the whole traffic thing confuses me & the more I look the more confused I get.
Are there two types of live traffic offered by tomtom? One via an annual subscription & one free via your smartphone?
I'm totally confused.
Of course I would like the free via smart phone one?
Does that use your data allowance on your phone?
Not bothered about that as I have loads.

Ideally I want it as cheap as possible but I realise having free lifetime traffic is worth paying extra for.

Not fussed it's it's a secondhand one from amazon or similar.

Please please advise, been looking for a month now & very confused.

Is it the GO models I need? Are they all live traffic ones?
I think some vias have traffic too?

Are there two types of live traffic?
See how confusing this is!
Ordinary & HD!

Please help.
I'm hoping not much over the £100, less is better.


Eta - a seller has a top gear go 800 on amazon for £90 & Tomtom have some in the clearance for similar.
Again confused about the length of the traffic service.

I'm confused about the RDS receivers too..... Is this how you get free traffic?

DUTR

To confuse you more, there are 3 types of traffic services, TMC, free and the data is transmitted on an FM frequency, this covers motorways and major trunk routes only. The subscription services from about £30 year, this is data packets bluetoth from the phone to the device to decode, beauty of this is that it can cover local B roads and in city routes too, then the Live services add other features . However you mention M25, any of the services will give you adequate information, and TBH you already know M25 anti clockwise from M1 to M23 is slow, besides what rat runs are there that will save you time??

w211

Download a free app called Waze onto your smartphone first, and see how you get on with that.

Traffic updates are fairly accurate, which uses other Waze users data. Very simple to use, and it uses search engines such as FourSquare and Google to find places, so you can just type in a landmark or point of interest, even if you don't know the postcode or address.

Kim_kim

DUTR wrote: »

To confuse you more, there are 3 types of traffic services, TMC, free and the data is transmitted on an FM frequency, this covers motorways and major trunk routes only. The subscription services from about £30 year, this is data packets bluetoth from the phone to the device to decode, beauty of this is that it can cover local B roads and in city routes too, then the Live services add other features . However you mention M25, any of the services will give you adequate information, and TBH you already know M25 anti clockwise from M1 to M23 is slow, besides what rat runs are there that will save you time??

3 types from tomtom?

Which one (or two) types dont require annual subscriptions?

Kim_kim

w211 wrote: »

Download a free app called Waze onto your smartphone first, and see how you get on with that.

Traffic updates are fairly accurate, which uses other Waze users data. Very simple to use, and it uses search engines such as FourSquare and Google to find places, so you can just type in a landmark or point of interest, even if you don't know the postcode or address.

I only want a tomtom - thankyou.
Far to small a screen.

ohreally

A battery for your existing Tomtom is around £6~£10, would that be an option?

DUTR

Kim_kim wrote: »

3 types from tomtom?

Which one (or two) types dont require annual subscriptions?

Nope, only the TMC version is without subscription, the units have an additional aerial to collect the data.
The TT Traffic was £30 a year and uses data bluetooth from the mobile device to get regular data at intervals set from 5 minutes upwards, the TT Live units have their own sim card.

Typhoon2000

Tom Tom traffic is great, and very accurate. There use to be different names like HD traffic but it's all called Traffic now. If you buy a new current device you have a choose of getting and 'always connected' model or connect via your smart phone. Always connected units have this own SIM card built in to the unit that connects via the 2g network. Works in Europe too if you have European mapping. No charge for data. You either pay a fixed subscription every year after the free first year or buy one of the models that come with 'life time traffic' for which there is no ongoing charge.
If you get a connect via smart phone unit you will need a phone that does Bluetooth Internet teathering and a make sure your service provider allows teathering ( sharing your phone internet connection). If you use you smart phone you will be using 3/4g networks most of the time which are more reliable - 2g has a lot of dropouts when it gets congested and mobile phone networks and cutting down on their 2g spectrum. Tom Tom quote the service uses 7 MB a month if you drive an hour a day.
Halfords have the TomTom 600 ( TomToms top of the range unit) for £159 and you get £30 cash back from TomTom). It's last year model without the mic but otherwise identical

Kim_kim

ohreally wrote: »

A battery for your existing Tomtom is around £6~£10, would that be an option?

The connection where the lead goes in is faulty, no doubt caused by me balancing it on that when the sucker went.
It's pretty out of date.

I am 100% sure I want a tomtom
I'm 75% sure I want traffic
But what of the 3 traffics I have no idea!

Kim_kim

DUTR wrote: »

Nope, only the TMC version is without subscription, the units have an additional aerial to collect the data.
The TT Traffic was £30 a year and uses data bluetooth from the mobile device to get regular data at intervals set from 5 minutes upwards, the TT Live units have their own sim card.

Which one is TMC ?

Typhoon2000

None of the current TomToms use TMC which is outdated now, doesn't cover most roads and takes a while to update.