Chesterfield Posted August 9, 2006 Share Posted August 9, 2006 also - pocketgpsworld have a speed camera database that you can add to your tomtom, and then set up so it warns you at preset distances from any known mobile and fixed camera position. Although it now seems you have to pay £2 to subscribe to the site in order to download this database. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest prescience Posted August 9, 2006 Share Posted August 9, 2006 Chris, That's a great link, have you used the database and how do you find it in terms of accurancy and currancy? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chesterfield Posted August 9, 2006 Author Share Posted August 9, 2006 I find it very usefull - as it can be updated by the public too, it is usually very up to date. The only annoying thing is that becuase it is as "point of interest" database, then tomtom alerts you when you are within a certain distance of one of those poi's, regardless of whether it is on the actual road you are travelling on. You actually have two options - one reminds you if the poi's are ON your route, the other, regardless of route. So unless you program a route for every single journey you make, then I would set it to the "remind me regardless of route" i.e. when going down the motorway, if there is a common mobile camera on one of the roads a couple of hundred yards away, you will be alerted, even though the camera is not actually targeting the motorway. As it installs in sections or groups, you can set different distances for the different cameras. I set up the mobile ones as much further away than the others, as they are the beggars that will target traffic further away. Also set red light cameras to a short distance, as you dont really need to know about them until you are near the lights. Its actually very useful - and if you drive with blinkers like me, then it may certainly help. I havent got round to installing it again yet, (as jacko will testify as he gave me a heads up on the way to JAE). But its certainly soemthing I intend to do very soon. Just a shame that they appear to have started charging for this info (even though its put together by the public volunteering the info) But £2 is a small price to pay for how useful it is IMHO (and Im a tight git). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mugwump Posted August 9, 2006 Share Posted August 9, 2006 Your £2 gets you free downloads for a month, you can pay an annual subscription of £20 which is much cheaper than similar products etc charge for access to their database. Also, they offer an incentive program, if you are the first person to spot a new static speed camera location that gets verified you earn yourself free membership for life. If you read the T's & C's the £2 is for membership of the site, the database is a free benefit of membership (otherwise they could be stuffed under the SOGs act for selling something that was not up to date). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest prescience Posted August 9, 2006 Share Posted August 9, 2006 I find it very usefull - as it can be updated by the public too, it is usually very up to date. The only annoying thing is that becuase it is as "point of interest" database, then tomtom alerts you when you are within a certain distance of one of those poi's, regardless of whether it is on the actual road you are travelling on. You actually have two options - one reminds you if the poi's are ON your route, the other, regardless of route. So unless you program a route for every single journey you make, then I would set it to the "remind me regardless of route" i.e. when going down the motorway, if there is a common mobile camera on one of the roads a couple of hundred yards away, you will be alerted, even though the camera is not actually targeting the motorway. As it installs in sections or groups, you can set different distances for the different cameras. I set up the mobile ones as much further away than the others, as they are the beggars that will target traffic further away. Also set red light cameras to a short distance, as you dont really need to know about them until you are near the lights. Its actually very useful - and if you drive with blinkers like me, then it may certainly help. I havent got round to installing it again yet, (as jacko will testify as he gave me a heads up on the way to JAE). But its certainly soemthing I intend to do very soon. Just a shame that they appear to have started charging for this info (even though its put together by the public volunteering the info) But £2 is a small price to pay for how useful it is IMHO (and Im a tight git). Origin has the same problem with cameras off your route except if the camera is pointing away from you (not quite sure how it works this out, must be within a certain angle) - so a crossing road might alert also You do have the option to have only motorway alerts if you are on a motorway which gets around the problem on those routes. But all in all it sounds like this is just as good and as mugwump has noted, annually, it is much cheaper. Anyways, I have paid my £20 and downloaded the database and will copy it across later (the procedure is very similar to adding a new voice). For my sins, I have the John Cleese voice with its idiosyncrasies (bear right, beaver left etc) installed Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chesterfield Posted August 9, 2006 Author Share Posted August 9, 2006 Your £2 gets you free downloads for a month, you can pay an annual subscription of £20 which is much cheaper than similar products etc charge for access to their database. Also, they offer an incentive program, if you are the first person to spot a new static speed camera location that gets verified you earn yourself free membership for life. If you read the T's & C's the £2 is for membership of the site, the database is a free benefit of membership (otherwise they could be stuffed under the SOGs act for selling something that was not up to date). Yes its pretty good value for money - just annoys me that it used to be run for the benefit of all, and now its popular they start charging for access A good business plan, but in my view a little unethical, as many of the locations will have been provided by people for free in the past, just to help others out, and now some bright spark is using their freely given info to make money.. If I had added one in the past an now found out it was being sold, Id be suing for a percentage. (a very small one no doubt, but still, anyone who has given their time and effort to provide information which is now being sold, should be entitled to a percentage). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mugwump Posted August 9, 2006 Share Posted August 9, 2006 You would not believe how long the "thread of flames" lasted on the pocketgpsworld forum about that very topic, many people like yourself were very angry that they were to start charging. People claiming copyright over their submissions etc... So they offered free lifetime membership to anyone that had contributed to the database prior to 31 Dec 2005. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chesterfield Posted August 9, 2006 Author Share Posted August 9, 2006 Im not surprised that it went on and on. How many people would have contributed to the 9000 camera locations if they had known that some time down the line pocketgps would be charging people to access their freely given contributions. I put unwanted clothes in bags for charity - if they suddenly decided that they would instead sell these items on the market to line their own pockets, they would receive a smack in the gob. Its the principal that I dissagree with here - they are no doubt now making money off the backs of people who had previously given that information in the spirit of simply helping others. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest prescience Posted August 9, 2006 Share Posted August 9, 2006 Anyways, I have paid my £20 and downloaded the database and will copy it across later (the procedure is very similar to adding a new voice). Not that similar though, this update has completely f*cked my TomTom 300 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chesterfield Posted August 9, 2006 Author Share Posted August 9, 2006 Dorian, Whats happened?! I installed it on my 700 (some time ago though, back in december I think) and didnt have any issues. There should be support on the site for any problems that have occured. I know when I installed a whole raft of voices all at the same time, my tomtom took ages to "boot up". As though it was checking every single piece of info before it started up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest prescience Posted August 9, 2006 Share Posted August 9, 2006 It dumped (stalled) 95% of the way through the copy and didn't (won't) reboot correctly. I had made a CD-inspired backup but the CD-restore doesn't work (or hasn't yet). I also took an entire copy of the SD card but I get I/O error when I try to copy that back. I have posted a question on pocketgpsworld forum but no response yet, I may have to return SD card to TomTom. All in all, a bl**dy disaster to date. I will do a complete recharge and try again later Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chesterfield Posted August 9, 2006 Author Share Posted August 9, 2006 Dorian, if there is anything I can do let me know... I have the 700 with the built in hard drive, so can copy any data off that you may need, or I may be able to locate an image of a 300 tonight. Ill have a dig about on the net and see if I can find anything that may help. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest prescience Posted August 9, 2006 Share Posted August 9, 2006 Thanks. Right I have managed to solve it. The problem appeared to be related to the fact that was not much space (I checked and there looked like there was enough) space on the SD card. This caused the copy just to stall w/out any messages or feedback and rendered the unit completely useless The TT300 would appear via USB on the PC (as normal) so I could look at the contents and when I clicked on one of the new files (which were indeed there in the Great-Britain Map directory?) this caused a complete lock up in USB mode necessitating a turn on/off and so I could not directly delete them. FORTUNATELY, I had taken a complete copy of the SD card - but here is a word of warning, the Backup/Restore facility called up from the TomTom CD DOES NOT take a FULL BACKUP and thus if your SD card corrupts, you are f*cked. Please those guys with TomToms do a full backup NOW and do NOT rely on the CD method. From my full back I could completely replace the Great-Britain Map directory and get back to where I was this morning. Then being brave, I deleted a voice I did not use which freed up more space and copied the pocketgps camera files once again - and this time SUCCESS - well its working with them installed at least, I haven't checked them out in detail because its recharging. Looks hopeful. Sorry for the long post, but do please note the backup/restore comment. pocketgps forums were no help unlike us helpful chaps here Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chesterfield Posted August 9, 2006 Author Share Posted August 9, 2006 Glad you got it sorted Dorian! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest prescience Posted August 9, 2006 Share Posted August 9, 2006 Glad you got it sorted Dorian! Bet you are Not that I'd have found you w/out a working GPS Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chesterfield Posted August 9, 2006 Author Share Posted August 9, 2006 LOL - sorry. It used to be good You would have thought that now they are charging for it they would have provided some refference to available space etc. in a propper installation guide. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jacko Posted August 9, 2006 Share Posted August 9, 2006 Relevant posts in the thread split to start a new one specifically about this pocketworld database. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sarnie Posted August 10, 2006 Share Posted August 10, 2006 There he is again, The Thread Tyrant.................. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Liam's Z Posted August 10, 2006 Share Posted August 10, 2006 There he is again, The Thread Tyrant.................. Think he must of broke all his toy's as a child Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jacko Posted August 10, 2006 Share Posted August 10, 2006 There he is again, The Thread Tyrant.................. LOL! You are just impressed with my efficiency! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scott Posted August 14, 2006 Share Posted August 14, 2006 Admin Note - Post removed. As pocketgps are now selling this product, it is illegal to infringe this copyright. So much for trying to help. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chesterfield Posted August 14, 2006 Author Share Posted August 14, 2006 Just a general reminder for all.. I understand that we are all about sharing info, and some may feel it is a little unethical of pocketgps to now sell a product which has been put together for free by people who felt they were helping others for free, only to find that info now being used to line others pockets, but, we have to ensure that we do not open a big can of legal worms for the site. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Removed Posted August 15, 2006 Share Posted August 15, 2006 Scott, PMs work too Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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