Garmin GDB 55 MSN Direct Receiver Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Here's the conundrum...
I have a Garmin nuvi 255. On the POSITIVE side, with the GDB 55, the 255 IS capable of plotting and changing your route on the fly automatically according to the traffic data it receives. The DOWNSIDE is that the traffic data it has received so far has been next to useless.
For example, last Friday we traveled from Massachusetts to Maryland. Coming down the Jersey Turnpike the unit showed a small (1 or 3 min delay) and kept us on the pike. Just before we reached exit 7, we decided we'd had enough, pressed Detour, and ended up doing something involving route 295. When we reached our destination, we learned from those who arrived hours later that the pike had turned into a virtual parking lot and we'd have lost hours if we'd believed the Garmin regarding traffic.
I'd return the GDB 55 except that the traffic data really can get the 255 to change its recommendations. So, fool that I may be, I'm going to keep working with it on the hope that the traffic data service will improve. I figure (a) it's part of the price of getting in when a service is relatively new and (b)I can always hit Detour manually as we did last weekend should we start getting anxious again.
Unless you *have* to have it, however, I recommend against buying this unit until early adopters report that its performance has improved to being minimally acceptable. At the moment, it isn't!

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Notice: MSN Direct service will be available only until January 1, 2012. Activate a subscription between November 19, 2009, and March 31, 2010, and receive 9 months of MSN Direct service for free.
The MSN Direct Receiver/GDB 55 turns your compatible Garmin into a dynamic on-the-go information source. With the purchase of this receiver, you'll get 12 months of MSN Direct services, including traffic updates, gas prices, weather forecasts, and so much more.


Travel Smart The GDB 55 delivers the content you need for life on the go:

Traffic updates
Weather forecasts
Fuel prices
News stories
Movie listings and reviews
Stock info
Local events, concerts, festivals and more

The GDB 55 sends information to your compatible Garmin navigator so you can avoid traffic, save money at the pump, check the forecast, and find your theatre--while staying on top of news and stocks. The Send-to-GPS feature lets you plan your trip on your PC, then wirelessly send it to your navigator.

Activate and Navigate The MSN Direct receiver is plug-and-play portable, making it easy to connect to your unit when on the go. No professional installation required. Simply activate your receiver following the instructions in the manual. After activation, plug the receiver into your compatible Garmin device, connect to your vehicle's power outlet, and you're ready to receive data.

Subscription Information MSN Direct is available only in select cities where coverage exists. Visit MSN Direct to extend your current service, purchase a service plan for an additional area or view coverage information.

Compatibility nuvi 1200, nuvi 1250, nuvi 1260T, nuvi 1300, nuvi 1350, nuvi 1350T, nuvi 1370T, nuvi 1390T, nuvi 1390T, nuvi 1450, nuvi 1490T, nuvi 205, nuvi 205W, nuvi 255, nuvi 255W, nuvi 265T, nuvi 265WT, nuvi 275T, nuvi 500, nuvi 550

What's in the Box MSN Direct receiver and owner's manual

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Garmin GTM 20 FM-Band Traffic Receiver Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I purchased this for my Nuvi 650. My husband and I do not commute to work during rush hour, but we do tend to drive to visit my parents' around the evening rush hour. We figured it would be handy to help us avoid the Long Island traffic that turns our 25 minute drive into an hour drive around that time. We have several different main road options to choose from, and we were hoping it would automatically route us to the ones that had no traffic tie-ups. Here's how it really works:
It continues to route you the normal fastest way, regardless of traffic. Once you get near the road where there is a traffic jam, a small yellow icon appears on the bottom right hand corner of the GPS, with a number inside it. That number is the amount of minutes you can expect to be sitting in traffic on the road ahead. Touch on the icon and it will show you the stretch of road that has the delay and it will give you an option to "Avoid traffic?". ONLY if you click yes, it will route you to a different road to avoid the traffic. (After you click yes, it will ask you something like "are you sure you want to avoid, this route is already the fastest", but click yes again. That route is the fastest WITHOUT traffic, but not with. You can tell this by the new arrival time you are given when you ask for the reroute. It's usually earlier.)
Overall, I like the receiver, it does what I need it to do, only with a few extra steps. Ideally of course, it would ask you right off the bat when you program your route if you want to avoid all traffic, because that small yellow icon can be easy to miss if you're driving alone in the car and not continually glancing over at the GPS. They should play a little sound or something when it pops up! Then it's kind of dangerous to be poking around on the unit while it asks you twice about the reroute while you should be driving! I definitely don't regret buying it, but hopefully future models will have worked out the kinks.

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1 -- The GTM 20 is an integrated FM TMC (Traffic Message Channel) traffic receiver, antenna and cigarette lighter adapter. Designed exclusively for the American version of certain products, it receives digital information (where available) on traffic and road construction tie-ups that your compatible Garmin unit uses to offer an alternate route. TMC data, available in a fast-growing number of cities throughout North America and Europe, gives prompt, accurate notification of accidents, road construction, police, or emergency action, etc.so you can visually monitor traffic flow and, if necessary, avoid traffic tie-ups.2.Receive Real-time Traffic Data -- In most areas, depending on the service provider, TMC traffic broadcasts are continuoustheres no waiting for scheduled traffic news updates or random alerts. With the GTM 20, you see traffic developments in real-time, as they happen, so you can make the right decision sooner. The system alerts you when a traffic problem is on your route and proposes an alternate route to avoid the incident. Because traffic broadcasts are received via a silent FM data channel, you can still listen to music or news programming on your car radio without interference from incoming FM traffic data transmissions.The GTM 20 is a portable, all-in-one antenna, traffic receiver, and 12-volt cigarette adapter that does not require professional installation.

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Garmin GTM 20 with Lifetime Traffic Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I travel a lot , many rental cars etc.and carry my own GPS, Garmin770. Arrived at a new destination and plugged in my GPS and no power- I thought there was something wrong with the cigarette lighter outlet but noticed the "tip" of my GTM20 was missing. I went to Amazon and didn't feel like spending the $86 for a new GTM20, even though I like hearing the GPS lady warning me there is traffic in 2 miles. I was just going to buy a regular Garmin automobile power cord when I read a review of a guy who had an identical experience with losing the tip. He described in detail how he phoned Garmin support and got the replacement tip kit(fuse,metal and plastic screw in components)-I followed his direction and persisted in holding on for >30minutes but finally spoke to a human and ordered the kit for $11 including shipping and it arrived in 3 days. It assembled quickly and easily and I didn't have to by a new power adapter of any sort. I looked and can't find the review that gave me this valuable information but if you happen to need only the "tip" this review will save you money. I could not find this kit for sale on the Garmin website.

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Traffic tie-ups can't always be prevented. But with Garmin's GTM 20 portable traffic receiver, you can often avoid them. Power your nuvi and get lifetime¹ traffic updates all with one cable.


Avoid Traffic Tie-ups The GTM 20 provides North America traffic information to compatible Garmin GPS navigators. Using this data, your device alerts you to local traffic tie-ups and displays current traffic levels. The receiver also acts as an in-vehicle power charger. Traffic provided by NAVTEQ Traffic.

Coverage AreaNAVTEQ Traffic provides real-time traffic conditions for more than 90 metropolitan markets in North America, including Toronto, Canada. View detailed coverage information.
Click to enlarge

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Garmin GTM 25 with Lifetime Traffic Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I found it very difficult to find information on how this works and what it does, so I took a little gamble based on the only review here at Amazon. After using it for a couple of weeks, I have to wonder if the other review is a shill--it would have been nice to know what to expect, not just "it's great" sort of thing.
So I'll try to pass along my view of what this can do and why it is limited (based on my experiences with a Nuvi 205)
You simply use this in place of your DC adapter in your automobile, making it essentially invisible to you (nice--no extra wires to run). As you are driving, it is a receiver of publicly broadcast traffic information for the area you are in (thus the service is free) "when available". When your Garmin detects these broadcasts, it somehow compares the information it gets with your location and planned route. Garmin puts a little traffic icon on you display, indicating how traffic will affect your travel.
The icon is color coded--Green for no problems, yellow for some delay, and red for major delay. I think Garmin takes into account the delays on your route in calculating the arrival time. It does look for alternate routes, and I believe that if it finds a better one, it will automatically reroute you.
If you tap on the traffic icon, it Garmin takes you to another screen with some options: 1. view traffic map 2: see traffic on route and 3: see traffic in area. Since there were no instructions provided with the product I'm not sure exactly how you're supposed to use these, but I'll share how I think they work:
1. view traffic map: This simply changes your navigation map slightly so that the bad traffic areas are highlighted (in yellow or red) as you drive. I don't know why this is done as a separate map--why don't they just color code the navigation map?
2. Traffic on route gives you a zoomed-out map showing where you are and where the traffic issues are
3: Traffic in area shows a list of all the major roads in your area for which there are reports and color codes them. I found this to be the most useful feature.
So that's what it does (maybe it does more, but I haven't figured anything else out yet), but how well does it work?
The simple answer is that the device does what it is supposed to, but it is limited by the information presented to it. I've used it now a few times in the Philadelphia metropolitan area, and on a vacation that had me drive up the PA Turnpike, to upstate New York, to Buffalo, Niagara Falls, Toronto, and Watertown, NY. For the most part, the information presented on Garmin was never any better than that which could have been heard on a local radio station.
The coverage did not seem bad--every metro area we were near did have reporting. The only places without reporting were pretty rural.
On the vacation, we encountered 4 separate traffic backups (in areas with reporting), only 2 of which Garmin knew about. The two that it knew about, it estimated our delay as about 1 or 2 minutes, but one was really 15 minutes and one was over an hour. The two delays that Garmin did not know about were significant--one was a half hour, and one was a closed highway that cost us over an hour (and made us miss a ferry we were scheduled for). In the worst cases, had Garmin had the information, I'm sure it would have given us a better route. It's not Garmin's fault, but it does show you the limitations.
So bottom line is that this device works, but it is limited in the information available to it. Is it worth getting? That is up to you--I like having some insight into what is going on around me, even if it didn't change things for me. It's kind of neat seeing the list of different roads and there problems--perhaps this will help more if you are a commuter in a major metro area. If you do get this though, don't expect miracles--you'll have to experiment a little and use it like I do--as a tool that provides some more information to you (albeit not perfect)--and not a say-all, end-all on what you should do.

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Power your nuvi and get lifetime¹ traffic updates all with one cable. With the GTM 25 you\'ll receive free lifetime traffic¹ updates from NAVTEQ Traffic, a real-time traffic services provider. No monthly fees or maintenance costs! NAVTEQ Traffic delivers accurate, reliable, lifetime traffic data directly to your compatible navigator.
Avoid Traffic Tie-ups The GTM 25 provides North America traffic information to compatible Garmin GPS navigators. Using this data, your device alerts you to local traffic tie-ups and displays current traffic levels. The receiver also acts as an in-vehicle power charger. Traffic provided by NAVTEQ Traffic.

Coverage AreaNAVTEQ Traffic provides real-time traffic conditions for more than 90 metropolitan markets in North America, including Toronto, Canada. View detailed coverage information. Click to enlarge

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Garmin GTM 12 FM Traffic Receiver Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)After one month's use the traffic module continues to disappoint. While I love the nuvi, I cannot think of a time where the traffic module has given me insight.
From a technology standpoint it works. You can see on a list all the traffic impediments (e.g., construction, traffic conjestion, wreck) and each is rated a green, yellow, or red. If one of these impediments is on your route and it is rated yellow or red, an orange diamond will appear on the map to prompt you to investigate. It can even highlight how much traffic is backed up.
One thing the traffic module does not do is calculate how much time traffic tie-ups will add to your trip. Wish they would fix that. It is also a shame that the FM antenna will not plug into the mounting bracket, therefore you have to plug/unplug vitually everytime you get in/out of the car. These two issues are minor nuisances.
The major nuisance is how the technology is executed - not well at all. I lay all of this at the doorstep of Clear Channel. I find myself in a traffic jam slowing down to 0 mph - but there's nothing on the map. There is an accident on the map (should I re-route?), but when I get to that spot nothing is there and traffic is running at the posted speed limit. Both happened on this morning's commute alone. One time it had a major close-down-the-highway-reroute-all-traffic-to-the-feeder-roads accident as being in the north-bound side of the highway. It was on the south-bound side, and I found myself trapped on the feeder road.
I sent an email to Clear Channel to volunteer sending emails to whatever person that controls this. Got a nice, "Thank you and we will forward your request on to the appropiate person."
My free subscription runs out in 14 months. Something tells me the service will improve by that time. If the service did not improve, I could not for the life of me understand why someone would pay $65/year for it.
This could be a best-thing-since-the-microwave product. Right now it's just a frustrating disappointment.

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Save drive time, gas, and your sanity by adding traffic services to yourcompatible Garmin with the help of the portable GTM 12, a plug-and-play traffic receiver.

GTM 12: Because you have better things to do with your time.

Avoid Traffic Tie-ups The GTM 12 is an FM TMC (Traffic Message Channel) traffic receiver and antenna. It receives digital information (where available) on traffic and road construction tie-ups and sends it to your compatible Garmin device to offer an alternate route. TMC data is available in a fast-growing number of cities throughout North America and Europe, and gives prompt, accurate notification of accidents, road construction, police or emergency action, etc. — so you can visually monitor traffic flow and, if necessary, avoid traffic tie-ups.


Plug and Drive The GTM 12 features a fully portable, plug-and-play design that requires no professional installation. Just use the suction cups to attach the antenna to your vehicle's windshield. Then plug the GTM 12 into your compatible Garmin device, and you're ready to receive data.


Receive Real-time Traffic Data In most areas, depending on the service provider, TMC traffic broadcasts are continuous — there's no waiting for scheduled traffic news, updates or random alerts. With the GTM 12, you see traffic developments in real-time, as they happen, so you can make the right decision sooner. Because traffic broadcasts are received via a "silent" FM data channel, you can still listen to music or news programming on your car radio without interference from incoming FM traffic data transmissions.


Compatible Products nuvi 350, nuvi 360, nuvi 370, StreetPilot 2720, StreetPilot 2820, StreetPilot 7200, StreetPilot 7500, StreetPilot c340, zūmo 450, zūmo 550, zūmo 660, GVN 52, GVN 53
What's in the Box GTM 12 FM TMC traffic receiver and owner's manual

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