archercj wrote:First question is does the hardware have to have a special TMC built in. I'm assuming so. So if so I'm stuffed.
Yes, and yes.
Some in-dash units advertise "Traffic Information", but what this generally means is, IF you happen to be tuned to an FM frequency/station that piggy-backs the TMC info on their broadcast (many, in fact MOST do not, and some of those that do require a subscription), then you get a text crawl on the FM display. Certainly not very convenient (or safe) to squint at that while driving. But no reception is possible through GPS with that setup.
Oh, and here is a general tip for you: if you edit your posts, please do not remove the original question..it makes any replies look a bit odd as if they are answering something you did not ask. Better to just post another reply/question in order. Also, if you edit a post, it will not show up as "New Posts", and may be missed altogether if you had additional questions. Like this one.