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GPS with Traffic, A Myth?

By
Real Estate Broker/Owner with Northern Virginia Homes - FRANKLY REAL ESTATE Inc

A year ago I switched from a Garmin to a TOM TOM 300 because it supposedly had a traffic feature using bluetooth and your cell phone.

In theory, you would punch in the address and according to the traffic it would show you the shortest route. I was excited, I bought it.

Then later I find out that it doesn't work on the Treo 650/700. Apparently with Verizon only one random phone works with the service.

Does ANYBODY use a GPS service (not the built in your car kind) that actually does this Traffic real time re-routing? And I'm not talking about the button on your GPS that you press if there is traffic ahead in order to send you another way.

Also if you do have traffic GPS, how does it work? Radio? Cell phone? I heard that some track other GPS users and help you avoid traffic that they might be on. Others do it based on some radio frequency that covers traffic.

Also one big plus from the Garmin to the Tom Tom is the Tom Tom has a built in rechargeable battery so it doesn't turn off each time I turn off the car. So no having to re-find the satellites each time I turn off the car when showing a house saves about 1 or 2 minutes per house.

And lastly I would like a GPS that will let me punch in 10 places and show me the fastest route. I know some will let you put in a few places, but it only gives you a route based what you punched in, in the order you punch it in. In other words it won't re-sort it.

A secret tip for Rainers... Only one website will give you a "fastest route" search. Switchboard.com . All the others have mutli route (google, yahoo mapquest) but none will re-sort for fastest route. I know some software will do that, but who wants software. (please let me know if you know of other sites, I like being proven wrong and I probably am wrong)

Ok, please help me find a GPS that will tell me the fastest route according to traffic.

Thanks

Frank Borges LL0SA in Northern Virginia

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UPDATE 11-7-07: I just bought the following, I'll let you know if it works:

TomTom ONE 3rd Edition Portable GPS Vehicle Navigator (only the 3rd edition works with the RDS-TMC)

Together with the TomTom / Tom Tom RDS-TMC Traffic Receiver

Update 6-01-08

The RDS-TMC sucks. Totally worthless, I can't figure it out. I must be an idiot. I live in Washington DC area.

Anonymous
Frank
Does anybody have traffic with their GPS yet? I'm still waiting for it!  
Oct 16, 2007 12:53 AM
#17
FRANK LL0SA Esq.- Northern Virginia Broker .:. FranklyRealty.com
Northern Virginia Homes - FRANKLY REAL ESTATE Inc - Arlington, VA

Ok, Im going to buy this now and try it out:

$225 

TomTom ONE 3rd Edition Portable GPS Vehicle Navigator (only the 3rd edition works with the RDS-TMC)

Together with the $125 TomTom / Tom Tom RDS-TMC Traffic Receiver

Let's see if it does what it says it will do. 

 

Nov 07, 2007 07:10 AM
Matthew Rosov
Amerisave Mortgage Corporation - Laurel, MD
Certified Mortgage Planning Specialist

I use Google Maps on my Treo 700p.  It's awesome!  Shows where the slowdowns are.   Always great when I am trying to get to my support group on Friday evenings in Beltway rush hour!

Nov 08, 2007 01:55 AM
Buddy Snipes
Trusted Agent, Inc. - Northlake, GA
Well? How do you like your TT1. Frank?
Nov 19, 2007 10:43 PM
Adam Brett
The Adam and Eric Group - Fullerton, CA
The Adam and Eric Group, Fullerton's Finest
Every company from Garman to TomTom has this built in now using radio.  
Nov 21, 2007 09:07 AM
FRANK LL0SA Esq.- Northern Virginia Broker .:. FranklyRealty.com
Northern Virginia Homes - FRANKLY REAL ESTATE Inc - Arlington, VA

I couldn't get it to work.

As for every company having it "built in", all I need is ONE person to tell me that THEY personally have gotten it to work.

My TomTom One 3rd edition was unable to find the station and I can't figure out how to manually find what the station number is for Washington DC. And for TomTom you have to get an annoying separate device.

 

Frank 

Nov 24, 2007 09:52 AM
Anonymous
Matt

Frank

 This is the greatest comment section I've ever seen.  All you want is the simple answer....and it doesn't seem that you've found it....  I can't seem to get the info either.....  I feel for you.  I've just spent hours on the internet and cant find out  if what  i want to buy exists.

May 03, 2008 09:54 AM
#23
Anonymous
Frank

I bought some device that was supposed to work with the tom tom, but it could never find the radio signal. So it sits gathering dust. Let me know if you find it.

 

Frank     

May 03, 2008 10:24 AM
#24
Anonymous
Renee

I am looking for the same thing.  A unit that based on real time traffic routes me the fastest way.  So far looking at the descriptions of the GPS units I don't see exactly what I want.  I came across the www.dash.net  It sounds closer than anything else so far.  Have you heard of this?  It looks a little big and bulky to me but sounds like it may be worth looking into.  I found them at Amazon.com cheaper than the manufacturers web site.  Let me know if you have found the GPS that gives you best route based in real time traffic (not just alerts).  Thank you,

Jun 01, 2008 11:34 AM
#25
Team Honeycutt
Allen Tate - Concord, NC

I have the Garmin Nuvi unit and I love it, It doesn't have the real time feature or the emergency feature that the Tom Tom has but for the price it get me where I need to go!

Aug 07, 2008 06:20 AM
Lane Bailey
Century 21 Results Realty - Suwanee, GA
Realtor & Car Guy

Dash Express has what I think you are looking for... and they can't seem to get it off the ground.  But the technology is going to be licensed out to other manufacturers.  I'm thinking of getting one of their units in hopes of legacy data. 

Nov 26, 2008 02:08 PM
Anonymous
Frank LL0SA

I own the Dash, and it is in my trunk, while the now $80 Tom Tom is on my dashboard.

 

The DASH express is HUUUUUUUUUGGGEEEEEEEEEEEEE and the interface sucks. I missed many turns due to the DASH interface.

But yes, it has the traffic solution that I wanted. It works amazingly well, real time traffic. None of this radio junk. Also has great search for nearby stuff. It uses the internet so it is constantly updated.

THanks for your comment
Frank

Nov 27, 2008 02:08 AM
#28
Kris Kombrink ~ The Kombrink Team
RE/MAX Excels - Chicago's Western Suburbs - Geneva, IL

Frank, I will admit I didn't read through the comments so pardon me if this was mentioned.  I use Telenav on my Blackberry.  I am pretty sure they have versions for most GPS enable smartphones.  It works awesome.  The traffic is dead on!  It has different options for your route, one being traffic optimized and it's alerts and option to reroute are highly accurate.

Nov 28, 2008 12:18 PM
Lane Bailey
Century 21 Results Realty - Suwanee, GA
Realtor & Car Guy

Frank, feel free to send me the Dash for testing...  My truck is huge, so maybe it could work out.   ;^ )

Nov 28, 2008 02:52 PM
Lane Bailey
Century 21 Results Realty - Suwanee, GA
Realtor & Car Guy

I really think I am going to try one out.  I'm not as worried about portable as I am about the routing and the internet access.

Nov 29, 2008 01:51 PM
Anonymous
FRANK

Oh, I dont care about portability. I care about a larger than a softball device on my window that bounces like a basketball and makes me miss turns constantly.

It was so bad, that at one point I had BOTH the dash and the reliable TomTom on my window at once. One for traffic and 1 to tell me where to turn.

Frank

Nov 30, 2008 02:03 AM
#32
Lane Bailey
Century 21 Results Realty - Suwanee, GA
Realtor & Car Guy

FRank.  Thanks.  That is what I am trying to find out.  I have heard both good and bad about the routing. 

Nov 30, 2008 12:37 PM
Jeremy Patterson
Patterson Power Washing - Yucaipa, CA

I was driving a OTR  truck and have spent several hundreds of $$ on different GPS systems.  The problem that I have had with all of them is that the GPS can only report what has been reported if that makes sense.  Say that there is one accident going one way and ten miles up the road there is just a slow down due to a interchange the GPS will likely only have one of those available to re-route on. What I always ran into is that I would re-route and just end up back on the highway to hit the other traffic jam. Hope that makes sense to ya. It could be that I am from California and there is always traffic.  Jeremy

Jan 29, 2009 07:01 PM
FRANK LL0SA Esq.- Northern Virginia Broker .:. FranklyRealty.com
Northern Virginia Homes - FRANKLY REAL ESTATE Inc - Arlington, VA

Jeremy, did you try the DASH, I dont think it uses reported traffic data. It is based on road sensors I think.


Frank

Jan 30, 2009 01:59 AM
Tom Davis
Harrington ERA,DE Homes For Sale, $$ Save $$ Buy Today ! - Dover, DE
FREE Delaware Homes Search!, $$ Save $$ - Find Homes! Delaware Realtor

Hymm,

Well I am currently using the Tom Tom but I have been thinking about changing for a while now,

Thanks!

Tom Davis

Feb 06, 2010 11:34 AM