Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #702 in Consumer Electronics
• Brand: TomTom
• Model: 9V00.101
• Released on: 2008-05-21
• Dimensions: .0" h x .0" w x .0" l, .35 pounds

Features

• Latest software version 2v00.007
• Buy in total confidence from celstores
• Plug n Go, includes Lifetime Traffic subscription
• Fit nearly all TomTom units, including Live versions.

Manufacturer's Description
The TomTom RDS-TMC Traffic Receiver gets traffic information to your TomTom. For the one-off cost of the receiver you can get traffic updates and let your TomTom reroute you around congestion.

Box Contains

• TomTom RDS-TMC traffic receiver

Customer Reviews

Buy with caution
Before purchasing this item I read the reviews on this website and was encouraged to read that Tomtom had apparently sorted out the problems with the earlier versions of the TMC traffic reciever. However it just goes to show that you shouldn't believe everything that you read on the internet.

Where I live I'm in range of two Classic FM transmitters (the radio station that carries the TMC signals in the UK) and have good signal strength. No matter what I tried the unit simply wouldn't pick up any traffic signal. The Tomtom recognises the receiver and tries to use it but it's constantly searching for a signal. I tried it on auto-search, tried putting in the frequencies manually, tried driving around, tried different polarisations of the aerial - all to no avail. It was suggested that my Tomtom needed a software upgrade but it still didn't work on the very latest software version. I even tried it on a colleagues Tomtom with exactly the same result.

If could just be that I had a faulty unit but it sounds suspiciously that the problems with the earlier versions are still apparent with this one too. Having looked into it further there are a lot of people still having problems with this version so I'm not alone. It appears to me to be a bit hit and miss as to whether you get a unit that works ok or not. There seem to be plenty of people who it works fine for but an equal number for whom it doesn't. It's your choice really.

Good quality traffic info without subscription - Excellent!
Just upgraded from TomTom Navigator 6 to Go 730 TomTom GO 730, and after reading some good reviews of this latest receiver (and mixed reviews of the earlier TMC traffic receivers), I thought I'd give this a go.

This is the latest receiver TomTom RDS-TMC Traffic Receiver (2008)and has a mini-USB connector in place of the circular plug that earlier receivers use. It is also worth noting that the box says 'One' and 'XL' (x30 series), but the TomTom website shows it also works with the Go series (520,530,720,730...).

Admittedly, the 730 came with firmware 8.002, and this didn't recognise the receiver, but after connecting to TomTom Home (and updating to 8.010), the receiver was immediately detected. (Note: the receiver needs to be powered to work, so you always need be connected to the 12V/lighter socket for traffic info)

On startup, the display showed that a TMC information signal had been found and that the data was updating. A minute or two later, and a green circle was showing (indicating the information was up-to date), and showing me a long jam on my normal route to work! The info gives shows you how long the queue is, and the cause (roadworks, lane closure etc), and can reroute automatically if you want.

Have read lots of reviews complaining about difficulty in receiving signals/aerial placement in car (probably with earlier receivers?), and that doesn't seem to be a problem with this unit, so it looks like TomTom have got it right with this one! Full marks TomTom!

Terrific traffic-jam bypass and other journey problems
This is a very easy product to use! It really is simply plug it in and away you go!

Before you use it, you need to make sure that you have all the relevant updates for your TomTom, and that is as easy as turning on your TomTom and connecting it to your pc, after installing the software of course (but that's a different topic all together).

It may be different for each model, but my TomTom (TomTom One) displays a sidebar on the right hand side. At the top is a little picture of a car. When ever the RDS Receiver picks up any information your TomTom will beep at you, and tell you what kind of delay it is,how long the delay is for (approx) and how far away you are from the delay.

The delay time is then added to your arrival time.

A simple touch of the screen on the traffic bit (well that's where I touch) and you have the option of re-routing your journey to avoid the delay. I had to do this recently and I was very pleased with the result. Although by going the new route I added half an hour to my journey, I at least didn't have to spend 45 minutes in the car, not moving any where, and still being an hour away from my destination, which would of course have made me late!!

If one may be allowed a couple of niggles, I live in the middle of nowhere, so sometimes it can take a good half hour until it finds a signal. Either that, or there just arent any traffic issues, but when I'm in the city I get the green light saying it's located the signal, pretty much instantaneously. The other niggle is that the receiver doesn't much like the heat, so if you can find a way of protecting it from sunlight I'm sure that will help you.

So, to conclude, a very handy piece of kit. So simple to use and 95% efficient.