C5 Trafficmaster button

[PC2CV]

On the MK1 C5 there is a button to the right of the steering wheel that when pressed simply says traffic master. Is it correct that traffic master is now no longer supported, am i correct in assuming it gave traffic alerts?

Did the lower specced versions of the C5 get a cupholder in this location, it seems like it would be more useful than a button.

[Hell Razor5543]

Traffic Master was a voice driven Sat Nav. I had it on one company car. When you pressed the button you would be connected to an operator, who would ask you what your destination was. Once you told them, the route would be downloaded to the system, and then it would talk you to the destination. As there were no visuals, it was a bit awkward when, at about 200 yards distance, you were told "You are at your destination" and then nothing more (especially in cities, where 200 yards could cover 1/2 dozen streets!).

[xantia_v6]

Traffic Master was a voice driven Sat Nav.

Trafficmaster did do GPS-based services, but it is not what Citroen fitted to Mk2 Xantias and Mk1 C5s.

The early Trafficmaster was not a GPS navigation service, it did not use satellites at all, and was uni-directional, with no capability of communication from the car back to the system. It worked with a network of terrestrial roadside transmitter beacons that sent digitally coded data on local traffic conditions to the receiver in the car. The receiver box decoded the local traffic information which was read out by a voice synthesiser.

The service was killed-off in 2012.

[Hell Razor5543]

OK, that was not what I was told, so I have learnt something new. Still, as it now no longer exists it is a moot point.

[Gibbo2286]

The local info was picked up on blue roadside poles, a bit like lamp posts, it collected traffic movement, hold up, information and passed it on to users

Must look out and see if there are any poles still around.

The Trafficmaster on my C5 often tells me the membership has expired and needs topping up adding a phone number where it can be done, I did ask once and was told the top up was thirty quid. Have to press the button to shut her up.

Here we are:
http://legacy.abd.org.uk/blue-cam.htm

[GiveMeABreak]

On the early C5s it was subscription, but I'm sure on my 2005 C5 Exclusive with Navidrive there was no subscription - but it's defunct now anyway. Teletrac is their new name and they now focus on GPS tracking amd Smartnav systems.