Traffic subscription,who is the best!!!!

Check the coverage maps for each and choose the one that suits you best.

https://buy.garmin.com/shop/shop.do?cID=268&pID=36804#covera...

https://buy.garmin.com/shop/shop.do?cID=268&pID=36805#covera...

or

http://www.totaltraffic.com/LocalTraffic/

http://www.navteq.com/rdstraffic/index_150.htm

How is the ClearChannel compared to Navteq?

Thanks

After contacting Garmin again regarding a demo, and being turned down again... I'm watching with interest on this subject....

I'm holding off on a new unit for several reasons, including this one.

The two services are very area-dependent...

In my experience (see below), Clear Channel is much better *in my area*. Seeing as the difference in price is only $10, I would rather go for the Clear Channel subscription...paying $10 less and finding out that Navteq traffic is sporadic at best would be pretty disappointing...and you may end up purchasing Clear Channel anyways (you can have multiple subscriptions on one GTM 2x unit).

Repost

Clear Channel/TTN vs Navteq traffic (Los Angeles area)

In the Los Angeles/Riverside, CA area, I get the following stations transmitting traffic data:

Clear Channel Lifetime (Los Angeles)
92.3 94.1 98.7 99.1 102.7 103.5 104.3 105.3 (8 stations)

Clear Channel Lifetime (San Bernardino/Riverside)
92.3 94.1 98.7 99.1 99.9 102.7 103.5 104.3 105.3 (9 stations)

Navteq Lifetime ad-based (Los Angeles)
91.9 94.9 97.3 100.3 105.9 (5 stations)

Navteq Lifetime ad-based (San Bernardino/Riverside)
100.3 (1 station)

You can see that Clear Channel is the clear winner as far as transmitting stations are concerned, at least in my area and I find that it's well worth adding the Clear Channel lifetime subscription in addition to the GTM 20's Navteq subscription just for the additional and wider coverage.

You may get wider coverage using Clear Channel but this will depend on your particular area (Clear Channel is -much- better in my area).

Clear Channel Traffic coverage map:
http://www.totaltraffic.com/CoverageAreas/

Navteq Traffic coverage map:
http://www.navteq.com/rdstraffic/

My pre-owned Nuvi 750 came with a used GTM 20. Do I do anything to enable traffic on it? How will I know whether it's active or not? When I click the traffic button on the Nuvi; it just says that no traffic information is available.

Where do you live? That message will occur if you're out of range of a FM traffic service. Also, in weaker areas, draping the GTM-20's cord over your rear view mirror (the cord is the traffic service antenna) will give you traffic service in some fringe areas. If that's not the issue, see below.

First, check to see if the GTM-20 has a current subscription. If not, you'll need to buy a lifetime subscription through Navteq or ClearChannel. I bought a GTM-20 from eBay for my 750, subscribed to ClearChannel and all works fine even though I had to drive down to Phoenix, the nearest city with "traffic" to activate and test it out. Some older GTM-20s didn't come with free or a temporary subscription and even it it did, it might have expired.

With the GTM-20 connected to the nuvi and powered by a cigarette lighter socket, on the nuvi menu page, touch Tools > Traffic

If you don't have a GTM-20 manual, here it is

http://www8.garmin.com/manuals/GTM20-FMTMCTrafficReceiver_Ow...

Be sure to register your GTM-20 on myGarmin (your nuvi, too, if not done yet).

In the New York City and Long Island area, Clear Channel is the best.

dobs108 - nuvi 760

I agree and have TTN on my used GTM 20. My newer GTM 20 that came with my 765T has NAVTEQ. I use the older GTM most of the time. One area where I know NAVTEQ is a requirement is in Buffalo, NY where there is no TTN service available. Likewise, Binghamton, NY has TTN but no NAVTEQ.

Here in SoCal, Clear Channel has better reception by far over Navteq. As I mentioned before, the coverage is very area-dependent.

I never found MSN to offer any degree of RELIABLE data. Reports of old congestion, failure to report congestion, constant rerouting onto roads where traffic data was not available so the service assumed it had to be better than "known" areas.

All of these issues convinced me these traffic services are really not ready for prime time.

Good luck with whichever you choose, but be prepared to wish you did not have the service.

My 265wt comes with the free lifetime traffic. In the NYC area, the alerts are pretty accurate.

Can you run both subscriptions at the same time on a new unit say the 3790t and switch between whichever functions best in your current area? Next question would be since both my nuvi 660 and 785t did not rely on free traffic, can one bypass the adds on the free traffic units by purchasing the appropriate subscription. I would rather pay $60 then contend w/ ads.

See: "Repost: Clear Channel vs Navteq"
http://www.poi-factory.com/node/26104/163110