Garmin (wifi traffic updates)

No, your traffic updates will either come through your internal traffic software, if you are connected with a traffic cable. If your unit supports traffic and you are in an area that has traffic.

Otherwise, you may get traffic through the SmartLink app on your Bluetooth connected phone. Wifi has nothing to do with traffic, only Map and Software updates.

For Garmin devices with FM or HD traffic, traffic is received through the GPS or its power/traffic cable when there are nearby FM or HD traffic signals available. For Garmin devices that are able to and are linked to a cell phone with the Garmin app and with the cell phone receiving cellular data, traffic and other updates are obtained through the cell phone and sent to the GPS device.

No wifi is involved.

I have often wondered just where the traffic info originates. Those FM or HD traffic signals.. are they automatically generated.. as in.. there are sensors in the road? In the Edmonton AB area it seems only some roads will show traffic problems.. there can be total grid lock on a secondary road and nothing shows on the Garmin.

Yet, the Google seems to be able to show traffic conditions that are reasonably current and on many more roads than Garmin ever shows.

No wifi is needed as I know

Thanks, that does offer some info. I fear that the page is years out of date and wonder if there are more sources of info than those listed. For sure, the areas covered by the Live Traffic are enormously wider than mentioned there. In fact, the Live Traffic Coverage link takes us to a page with nulink_traffic_coverage in the URL and hasn't nulink been defunct for years? For example, in AZ, the live traffic data only states its info and coverage include Phoenix and Tucson and in WI, the only in-state info and coverage is from Milwaukee yet Smartphone Link users know that traffic is provided essentially everywhere a cellular link can be made.

One of the mentioned sources of data is data from millions of cellular phone owners and I wonder if this may be the current predominant source of traffic for the FM and HD radio providers as well as the most important source for Smartlink.

The traffic data collection system must be mostly automated now with some human input and it'd be nice to learn more about this system's operation and funding. I also don't understand how data from Garmin device owners is obtained unless it's either referring to older devices no longer in use or to historical (not live) data from devices sent to Garmin during map updates for those using Garmin Express of have authorized Garmin to collect data from devices when connected to GE for software or map updates.

Traffic alerts come from a traffic data collection system that analyzes traffic flow data collected from more than 2 billion observation points every month:

data from millions of Garmin device owners
data from millions of cellular phone owners
incident reports
radio feeds of live information
news stations
historical traffic data from HERE Traffic Supply
historical traffic data from Garmin device owners
fixed traffic sensors on major roads giving extremely accurate traffic reports

Years ago I had a Garmin traffic subscription. It came through the power adapter. I never renewed it as there were never any traffic alerts for the area I covered for work - the entire northern third of northern California. Until I got down as far as Sacramento there was never an alert. I still use the old 760 on long land trips but Google works well for most things and it does give me traffic alerts - even in what Garmin seemed to consider "the boonies".

What if I have FM/HD traffic through power cable and have SmartLink, do I get traffic data from both sources or only one?

If Smartphone Link on the phone is not running, HD or FM Traffic is used.

If Smartphone Link on the phone is running and the phone is paired in bluetooth with the GPS, Smartphone Link takes precedence. HD and FM will not be used.

dobs108

Traffic data in Edmonton via Garmin is useless. It’s a total joke when it does show up. Last night at 9:30 pm on the Whitemud westbound at the Terwillegar Exit it said traffic ahead and there was hardly anyone on the road and traffic was free flowing. Traffic by Google Maps is 1000x better.

My experience comparing Google traffic (Android Auto) and Garmin Live Traffic (Smartphone Link) has been exactly the opposite of yours'. I have not yet tried Google's Waze app, so it may be better than Smartphone Link.

Traffic displayed on Google Maps on the phone or computer is the same as Waze traffic.

Waze has more info, for example, specific incidents, or comments posted by other Waze members. Waze takes a lot of resources, data, and battery. The phone must be plugged in to power.

dobs108

As mentioned, it will come through your cable it's connected to or built in traffic antennae in the unit.

Google's Traffic in mostly Waze traffic, since they bought them out.

...is that you don’t live in Canada.

True but "something" turns it on and off and sometimes it is accurate. I wish.. whatever it is would work on all the streets / avenues that are affected by train crossings. Give a body to make a change in plans before getting trapped.

My understanding is the smart cable allows for real time traffic.

Never even heard of a smart cable. I thought that you had to link it with a smartphone to get real time traffic.

As with TV's some FM stations have Info Sub channels. In the old Bygone years when TV's had all kinds of tuners and adjustments, you could roll the Picture and see the "Info" Band/line

Garmin's Traffic feature has helped me many times. No WiFi needed.