V70: General Real time traffic Information S/ware upgrade

[100K+]

V70 D5 Manual 2015MY
Today I received in the post an offer to get the above software at a discounted price of £50 a saving of £30. I'm not a great user of the inbuilt sat nav, but when I have used it, it has shown me when roads I plan to use are closed ( Red crosses) and when the traffic is slow moving ( red/brown lines along carriage way)

What therefore is this upgrade actually upgrading??

Bearing in mind this old cynic is STILL mad about the fake leather seats - see other thread, and perhaps you can see why I'm looking for a catch and am reluctant to part with any cash, as I already appear to have what they are selling....

Anyone already upgraded and what do you think??

Cheers

Bob

[ShadeTek]

If you have a phone and a data connection to the net, if you go on to Google maps and select the TRAFFIC option it, will give a fairly accurate display of what the current traffic situation is on all major and A routes. It's free. I have the traffic option on my Sensus and it is no where near as good as Google Traffic.

[Steff79]

I would be interested to know what it is updating as well since I also have a 2015 V70.

You can download map updates on to a USB stick from the Volvo website and then load into the car through the USB in the centre cubby hole. I have just done it on my company V60 .......wanted to test it on that first in case it messed anything up!...

[100K+]

Originally Posted by Steffan Eldred

I would be interested to know what it is updating as well since I also have a 2015 V70.

You can download map updates on to a USB stick from the Volvo website and then load into the car through the USB in the centre cubby hole. I have just done it on my company V60 .......wanted to test it on that first in case it messed anything up!...

I've just done this for my car too. Not set it to car yet as it took over 4hours to down load to stick - and it says it can take hours to update once you start the update process. Waiting until I go see my daughter 3 hours away before I set it away.

So if this is a free update, what as Steffan and I wonder do you get for your money?

Cheers
Bob

[ShadeTek]

Originally Posted by 100K+

and it says it can take hours to update once you start the update process. Waiting until I go see my daughter 3 hours away before I set it away.

You can stagger the update as it resumes the update where you left off and can be done over several journys.

[SwissXC90]

Originally Posted by 100K+

So if this is a free update, what as Steffan and I wonder do you get for your money?

Compare old map and new map and note the differences

Given that there are millions of street nodes and millions of POIs this may take you some time....

...and thus don't even waste any brain cells thinking about it. Just accept the fact that the manufacturer made some improvements and you may never know what they are.

[100K+]

Originally Posted by SwissXC90

Compare old map and new map and note the differences

Given that there are millions of street nodes and millions of POIs this may take you some time....

...and thus don't even waste any brain cells thinking about it. Just accept the fact that the manufacturer made some improvements and you may never know what they are.

..but yes if you do compare maps, by then its too late - its cost you £50 - and that is what Steffan and I agree on. If you can't notice improvements why pay £50 for the privilege and as Shade Tec says believes google traffic maps is actually better.

It just seems daft to shell out £50 for something we already have just cos someone says its an improvement.
Or have I missed something....

Cheers

Bob

[SwissXC90]

Originally Posted by 100K+

..but yes if you do compare maps, by then its too late - its cost you £50 - and that is what Steffan and I agree on. If you can't notice improvements why pay £50 for the privilege and as Shade Tec says believes google traffic maps is actually better.

It just seems daft to shell out £50 for something we already have just cos someone says its an improvement.
Or have I missed something....

You missed something - you don't know where the improvements are and you won't know their impact until you make the purchase.

Let me paint a scenario for you:

Why bother buying a new paper map, when that UK road atlas from the 1960s that your Mum and Dad used when you were a child was absolutely fine where you drove way back then?

Well, if you don't want to spend the money, and never drive out of your local area, then you never need a new map

BUT what about that one time you want to drive to some area of the country you have never visited, that you don't know, and where they made some changes in the last few years?

Your old paper map doesn't necessarily know about the changes

You could go to your bookshop, with your old map in hand, and sit there and compare every page of the old map with every page of the new map to look for changes. And use the knowledge you gained to help you make your purchasing decision.

But would you really do that?

Or would you just say: "Aw heck, my old paper map is now 5 years old, time to get a new one"

Well, the same applies to electronic maps.

At some stage they get old, and you get a new one.

And what does that cost? Something, or nothing, depending on the supplier of the map.
And is it justified? Yes, or no, depending on where you drive, how often you drive, whether you like the technology or not, and whether you have sufficient free funds to make the purchase.

So should you do it?
Yes or no, depending on how you feel and what YOU want.
And only YOU know the answer to that.

[Tatsfield]

I totally agree with these views about the map updates and I've had my 2012 system upgraded to accept downloaded online map updates but the OP said that he was being asked to spend money on an update to the sat nav operating system to enable real time traffic reports. My car has this so the question is, what more does the new system upgrade offer? If it makes the real time info more reliable, I'd buy it. Currently my system often asks me if I want a route change because of traffic conditions, I accept the change and nothing actually happens. It'll do this ten times on a 100 mile trip and make no real route changes at all. If the new system made real rout deviations that saved time, it would be worth every penny of the £30.

[1monkey600]

Originally Posted by 100K+

V70 D5 Manual 2015MY
Today I received in the post an offer to get the above software at a discounted price of £50 a saving of £30. I'm not a great user of the inbuilt sat nav, but when I have used it, it has shown me when roads I plan to use are closed ( Red crosses) and when the traffic is slow moving ( red/brown lines along carriage way)

What therefore is this upgrade actually upgrading??

Bearing in mind this old cynic is STILL mad about the fake leather seats - see other thread, and perhaps you can see why I'm looking for a catch and am reluctant to part with any cash, as I already appear to have what they are selling....

Anyone already upgraded and what do you think??

Cheers

Bob

I got it done on mine just before Christmas.
The inbuilt TMC which updates via FM radio is quite hit and miss when it comes to getting good, regular reception. The TMC symbol on screen only appears to be on screen about 50% of the time.
The RTTI software allows you to receive traffic updates via a linked mobile phone or, I presume, an inbuilt modem, though, so it is available and providing data practically continuously, just like on my standalone Tomtom in the old BMW.

Shortcomings - I would like an on-screen icon to show that I am still connected to the traffic update website because it can be difficult to trust it when headed into a notorious bottleneck without even amber warning on the track ahead. It has happened once or twice when, as expected, there is heavy traffic but turns out the phone had disconnected itself.

Mine cost just under 30 euro when done alongside towing module software (76 euro inc vat, total for both). I was happy to pay 30 euro for it to give it a go but not sure I would spend £50 for the amount of time I need it. I definitely wouldn't pay £80 for it.
The actual RTTI software costs less than 20 euro retail price so worth negotiating doing it alongside any other work at a dealer.