Considering getting the TrafficMaster Freeway unit.

Only want the voice guidance - have Lexus satnav system, so don't want another screen on the dash - just want to know if I'm heading into bad traffic.


Anyone have any experience of Traffic master (Rod - don't you have one fitted mate?)

Is it worth the money?


The IS200 part is that I was thinking on putting the velcro pad in the little cubby hole under the radio / above the cigarette lighter and mounting the unit there.

Will it fit ok?

Anyone got one there?


Just looking for some sharing of the LOC Collective Mind!

That's exactly where I had mine and it fitted perfectly, I used velcro to secure it. It doesn't get the best reception there though but works fine (I found this out when I moved it to another car and positioned it higher up and received notifications about 100 metres earlier but on a motorway that's nothing!).

I wouldn't be without it, it takes a little getting used to and it has its annoyances - not really its fault just when I get near my office which is right on the M10/M1/M25/A405/A414 junction it goes on for ages saying M25 clockwise traffic flowing freely, then M25 Anti-Clockwise, then A405 each way, then M10... you get the picture. If all routes were clear you'd just get a beep, but if one has a problem it will read then through all the rest saying traffic flowing freely (at least it always says the bad reports first). As I say I wouldn't be without it though as I travel on the M11/M25 and major A roads everyday. You get to learn that if it says 5-15 minutes delay its worth staying on that road anything more and you can think of taking another route. Quite a few times I've been on the M1/M6/M25/M11 and its told me of long delays and I've gone another way and avoided it (like coming down the M6 I've been able to come off at the A50 over to the M1 to avoid a long delay).

If you spend more than 1/2 hour a day on motorways (especially the notorious ones like M6 and M25) its well worth it.

Matt,

I'll vote with Ricky on this. The Trafficmaster Freeway is a really great system. You can't always avoid the jams but at leat you know there is one coming.

sold!

the owners club costs me another £80!


Ricky - spend two days a week in London mate, so spend too much time on the M6 / M1.

this was brought on by the journey last week - was travelling home (M1/M6) and the signs over the road where saying heavy congestion on the M6.

Was considering staying on the M1 and cutting across the A50, but thought "Can't be that sort of traffic at this time of night" - so stayed on the M6.

That was a bad decision.

They had the M6 down to one lane, in the middle of Birmingham - took me about 45 minutes or more to get through.

Was not a happy camper that night

Matt
I've got a TrafficMaster Monitor - uses a colour touch screen. I'm guessing the device you're looking at uses the same technology without the screen??

I think it's a brill system - it's saved me hours and hours. It cost me £700, but has paid for itself many times over.

[quote name='Rodders_UK' date='Feb 26 2003, 10:36 PM']Matt
I've got a TrafficMaster Monitor - uses a colour touch screen. I'm guessing the device you're looking at uses the same technology without the screen??

I think it's a brill system - it's saved me hours and hours. It cost me £700, but has paid for itself many times over.[/quote]
Think it is Rod.


screen looks nice - but I already have the sat nav screen.

I know I am a geek ( ) but not that bad (honest! )

LOL - I know mate - sad to say that I am that geeky - got SatNav AND the TM Monitor

You can never have too many toys I reckon

[quote name='Rodders_UK' date='Feb 26 2003, 10:53 PM']You can never have too many toys[/quote]
second that Rod.

I am officially banned from Staples, as we buy stamps in large quantities there (every six months or so).


So far I have been sent for these on three separate occasions, and returned with 2 laptops and an iPAQ!!



this includes my lovely new Vaio, which I am using as we speak!

[quote name='Mike246' date='Feb 26 2003, 10:24 PM']Matt,

I'll vote with Ricky on this. The Trafficmaster Freeway is a really great system. You can't always avoid the jams but at leat you know there is one coming.[/quote]
Thats another good point Mike. When you hit slow traffic at least you know whether your likely to be stuck there for long. If the traffic master said 5 minute delay its most likely going to be moving within a couple of minutes.

Matt, I also use the RAC and the Traffic Master information phone numbers (I have them programmed in my phone). If you see signs telling you of congenstion or the traffic master unit is saying avoid its good to get a second opinion (especially when you have a company mobile and its free )

Sounds like a good machine

The advatntage of the monitor is that you can (for instance) sit on your driveway and see what the M6 is like all the way from London to Manchester and make a decision whether to go up the M1 or not.

That alone has prolly saved me days of sitting in traffic.

Your right the freeway isn't very good for that it will not tell you what the traffic is like other than the motorways near you (I live near the M11 and it does inform me of the M25 as its a connecting road within a couple of junctions).

For that reason I always have a look at trafficmaster.net before I leave in the mornings and before any long journeys.