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[pscocoa]

I found the Trafficmaster system well worth the sub of £30 pa even with the odd glitch - but only for motorway work.

The dynamic system I now use is obviously a lot better but you inevitably can end up with a hazard (and therefore traffic jam) having been cleared before the message gets to the car system and you curse that you would have been better staying with the jam. However, I would say that for 90% of the time it is bloody helpful in conjunction with radio traffic reports TP and TMC.

[tunnie]

they still cannot make enough money from subscriptions

Who says?

The fact they are shutting it down?

[VXL V6]

Had Trafficmaster since my second Vectra (Back in the days of company cars) and found it a Godsend, retrofitted it to my Omega's and still find it useful. It's all about how you interprotate the information it's giving you.

[TheBoy]

they still cannot make enough money from subscriptions

Who says?

The fact they are shutting it down?

Sky Analogue was still making shitloads when your mob kicked me off shut it down

Its not uncommon, when you get young graduates involved in business decision making roles, to close profitable product lines or business units.

[tunnie]

they still cannot make enough money from subscriptions

Who says?

The fact they are shutting it down?

Sky Analogue was still making shitloads when your mob kicked me off shut it down

Its not uncommon, when you get young graduates involved in business decision making roles, to close profitable product lines or business units.

Migrate to digital you mean? To increase capacity

[feeutfo]

I presume they have developed the Nav based in car units? £250 odd a pop?

They where £350 a pop iirc. Neighbour has one. Says its very good.

[TheBoy]

they still cannot make enough money from subscriptions

Who says?

The fact they are shutting it down?

Sky Analogue was still making shitloads when your mob kicked me off shut it down

Its not uncommon, when you get young graduates involved in business decision making roles, to close profitable product lines or business units.

Migrate to digital you mean? To increase capacity

The 2 could (and did) run side by side .

They made a schoolboy error of assuming that everyone on the older service would pay £100 to 'upgrade' and pay the more expensive subscription for an inferior service when the, still profitable, old service was shut down.


I suspect TM are doing similar, purely becuase, although its likely still to be profitable (based on the fact the expensive infrastructure will have to remain), its not growing. Growth is the be-all and end-all in a public company. Profits mean nothing.


So, I maintain, as somebody has used TM Oracle daily for the past few years, rather than someone who has briefly encountered it, its a shame its going. But ho-hum.

[feeutfo]

So, this TMC malarkey....? 

[VXL V6]

So, this TMC malarkey....? 

I'll get the popcorn and sit and wait.

[Lampynoiseboy]

It may use the same sensors, but neither myself or FatherT ever really found it accurate or useful 

Trouble is quite often it would report a major issue, but the road continues to be fine. So we never really trusted it enough to re-route!

So if the radio said the m40 had severe delays on, you'd ignore that too 

TBH, in the 4yrs I've used Oracle daily across 5 cars (Bullet, Tractor, Goldie, TBE and the Rover), I can only think of one occasion where a reported significant delay (30min +) was non existent.

In the Rover, it was particularly good, as reception was astounding - used to pick yup the A43 pole near Tesco from Boots, and the one on Jnc11 roundabout one from the roundabout at the top of the hill near Middleton Cheney.


If its what I'd call a borderline delay (20-30m), I'll get Mrs TB to check live traffic cameras, to get some idea if traffic is crawling, or at standstill - latter always means reroute.


The black units are better as well, as it gives a clue how far away the problem is. The silvers lack this.

I've never once in 25 years of driving found a radio traffic report that's accurate to less than 1 hour.....most times the incident is long over by the time they report it, or wrong direction/road/location

Useless b*ggers

[feeutfo]

So, this TMC malarkey....? 

I'll get the popcorn and sit and wait.

Has he been on yet? Or he's deliberately not bighting, more likely.

[VXL V6]

So, this TMC malarkey....? 

I'll get the popcorn and sit and wait.

Has he been on yet? Or he's deliberately not bighting, more likely.

He no bitey yet.

[feeutfo]

So, this TMC malarkey....? 

I'll get the popcorn and sit and wait.

Has he been on yet? Or he's deliberately not bighting, more likely.

He no bitey yet.

How long has he had that c70 do you rekon? Must be two years at least...?

[CaptainZok]

Shove up and pass the popcorn.

[TheBoy]

It may use the same sensors, but neither myself or FatherT ever really found it accurate or useful 

Trouble is quite often it would report a major issue, but the road continues to be fine. So we never really trusted it enough to re-route!

So if the radio said the m40 had severe delays on, you'd ignore that too 

TBH, in the 4yrs I've used Oracle daily across 5 cars (Bullet, Tractor, Goldie, TBE and the Rover), I can only think of one occasion where a reported significant delay (30min +) was non existent.

In the Rover, it was particularly good, as reception was astounding - used to pick yup the A43 pole near Tesco from Boots, and the one on Jnc11 roundabout one from the roundabout at the top of the hill near Middleton Cheney.


If its what I'd call a borderline delay (20-30m), I'll get Mrs TB to check live traffic cameras, to get some idea if traffic is crawling, or at standstill - latter always means reroute.


The black units are better as well, as it gives a clue how far away the problem is. The silvers lack this.

I've never once in 25 years of driving found a radio traffic report that's accurate to less than 1 hour.....most times the incident is long over by the time they report it, or wrong direction/road/location

Useless b*ggers

Thats where TM comes in . I agree the radio is shite.