newbie with a navi traffic question

[Jamie Evans]

bought a 13 edge sport in the fall and i do a lot of traveling on the wknds. i have navi in it and sirius. is there a way to have a real time traffic issues with the navigation? last two ball trips ive been caught in traffic jams on the highways and looking for a way to avoid getting in that situation.

[rwolson]

My system provides traffic updates when I've set a destination. For example, last Saturday I received an alert asking if I wanted to avoid construction along my intended route. If I don't specify a destination I've seen the highway turn red on the map. However, no actual alert message appears. A Garmin I occasionally still use failed to notify me of heavy traffic until I sat motionless in traffic. I guess the traffic updates hit or miss for all vendors.

 

I expect when more cars start running MFT equivalents and come with their own wireless networks we'll actually receive true traffic updates when the cars phone home. I've used WAZE on my iPhone, but only when I'm stationary. I don't want to play with screen while driving. I know WAZE gives a lot of real time updates.

[egar]

I use Waze as my primary GPS, replacing my Tom Tom device. I find the routing and real time traffic updates to be superior to what Tom Tom is offering. Waze has even provided some real unique routing that I never would have thought about. I couldn't be happier with it, especially considering it is free!

[akirby]

What rwolson said. You need to have a route programmed to get the alerts - otherwise, how would it know which roads you were planning to use?

[TheWizard]

What rwolson said. You need to have a route programmed to get the alerts - otherwise, how would it know which roads you were planning to use?

Garmin does. It merely assumes you will continue on the same road and announces traffic alerts ahead on that same road - whether you have set a destination or not. The funny glitch it has is that it will often say "heavy traffic in 24,901 miles" as you pass a reported problem... that's approximately the circumference of the Earth but I figure the traffic will be cleared by the time I drive that far. :D

Edited April 25, 2013 by TheWizard

[Jamie Evans]

thanks rwolson. yes i have set the destination on the navi but it didnt notify me at all either time i hit the delays. i read about travel link on mytouch system but i guess im not subscribed to that. are you subscribed the travel link service.

[TheWizard]

Traffic and TravelLink are part of the Sirius subscription (technically they're separate add-on features from SiriusXM). Both are activated during the free trial period but after that expires you have to maintain your own Sirius subscription to get the add-ons. Traffic is $3.99 per month and a Traffic/TravelLink combination is available for $5.99 per month (TravelLink gives you weather, gas prices, movie times and other information).

[Eatinitup]

Traffic and TravelLink are part of the Sirius subscription (technically they're separate add-on features from SiriusXM). Both are activated during the free trial period but after that expires you have to maintain your own Sirius subscription to get the add-ons. Traffic is $3.99 per month and a Traffic/TravelLink combination is available for $5.99 per month (TravelLink gives you weather, gas prices, movie times and other information).

 

I have a 2013 Fusion Titanium with a 6 month free subscription... Does your above comments come with that subscription? If so, is it only audible updates or is it something that they actually display on your screen such as maps, etc. etc. ?

[TheWizard]

I have a 2013 Fusion Titanium with a 6 month free subscription... Does your above comments come with that subscription? If so, is it only audible updates or is it something that they actually display on your screen such as maps, etc. etc. ?

Only if you have the optional $795 voice activated navigation system. Otherwise your trial subscription includes only the regular SiriusXM music, news and talk channels although there are a handful of traffic talk channels for select cities that basically do nothing but traffic and weather reports every few minutes all day and night. Those are on channels 132 through 140 (Miami/Orlando/Tampa-St. Pete is on channel 136).

 

Both the Traffic and TravelLink are visual aids although the Traffic system also has audible alerts in addition to marking the displayed road maps with colors and icons indicating traffic problems. The TravelLink portion can display a weather map with radar information as well as local forecasts. It can also display a list of local gas stations with their recent selling price, movie listings for selected theaters, sports scores and schedules, and stock prices.

[Eatinitup]

Only if you have the optional $795 voice activated navigation system. Otherwise your trial subscription includes only the regular SiriusXM music, news and talk channels although there are a handful of traffic talk channels for select cities that basically do nothing but traffic and weather reports every few minutes all day and night. Those are on channels 132 through 140 (Miami/Orlando/Tampa-St. Pete is on channel 136).

 

Both the Traffic and TravelLink are visual aids although the Traffic system also has audible alerts in addition to marking the displayed road maps with colors and icons indicating traffic problems. The TravelLink portion can display a weather map with radar information as well as local forecasts. It can also display a list of local gas stations with their recent selling price, movie listings for selected theaters, sports scores and schedules, and stock prices.

Ahhh OK.. I have MFT but the only option I don't have on my Titanium is Navigation.. Couldn't see spending 795$ for just that one feature, when I NEVER use Navigation, even on my phone. I stay local and when I do travel for work, I take cabs or look at my directions before I leave and remember them.