TomTom Go 720 : Navigation only via FM transmitter through c   

TomTom Go 720 : Navigation only via FM transmitter through c

Postby Yeblig » Tue Feb 21, 2017 12:33 am

I have recently bought a Tom Tom Go 720 from ebay.
I have updated the maps, speed cameras & postcodes and installed navcore 9.510 using Downunder's brilliant installer.
It took persistence getting familiar with the unknowns, but I found the answers, in time, on this fantastic community & website.

However, one question I'm having difficulty finding an answer to, which I would like to ask the guru's on Navitotal is ......
Is it possible to have the navigation ONLY broadcast by the TomTom's FM transmitter to the car radio without having to have other media broadcasting as well?
(i.e. Is there some software modification that can be done to enable this, or is it possible to broadcast a "silent MP3" [if such a thing exists] in between navigation instructions).

I have read that the reason this is not enabled is because of EU legislation which prohibits the transmission of silence on FM airwaves, but the TomTom's FM transmitter is only a weak, short range transmitter after all !

The reason I ask is that unfortunately my car does not have a bluetooth radio, but I would like louder navigation instructions from the TomTom due to vehicle/road noise combined with less than perfect hearing.

Thanks in advance
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Re: TomTom Go 720 : Navigation only via FM transmitter throu

Postby holyhead » Tue Feb 21, 2017 11:18 am

When you go 720 is not broadcasting music on your car radio, then the internal speaker is used for
plying instructions. You can alway,s try a silent MP3 file but I think it don,t works.

To my knowledge, there is no solution for it. If your radio has an aux then the solution is
Instructions line out (audio cable) and music internal speaker.
Otherwise use an external speaker for the 720

Silent MP3 unpack and use the silent file
[Please Register or Login to download file]
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Re: TomTom Go 720 : Navigation only via FM transmitter throu

Postby Yeblig » Tue Feb 21, 2017 10:28 pm

Hi holyhead,
Thanks for your reply confirming that the internal speaker only is used for navigation instructions & for posting the link to the Silent MP3 file.

However, soon after posting, I found I had answered my own question in my initial post with my suggestion of broadcasting a "silent MP3" from the TomTom via its FM transmitter.

For the record, to help anybody else looking for a solution, I did it the following way ........

1.) I Googled how to make and then complied a silent mp3 file, only 1 minute long which I named "Silence 1 minute.mp3".
2.) I placed this "Silence 1 minute.mp3" in the mp3 folder in the TomTom.
3.) in the TomTom "Change preferences" > "Music preferences" menu I selected "Repeat song".
4.) Next from the TomTom main menu I chose "Music and Media" > "TomTom Jukebox" > "Song" > then selected "Silence 1 minute" .
5.) I tuned one of my car radio presets to an unused frequency of 107.0 MHz
6.)In the TomTom's "Change preferences" > "Speaker preferences" menu I selected "FM to your car radio" and selected to transmit on 107.0 MHz

It worked!!
Navigation instructions in superb clarity with plenty of reserve volume through my car radio speakers, that didn't automatically revert to the TomTom's internal speaker after 45 seconds as normal, but continued to broadcast to the car radio, but between instructions, silence with no radio crackle or hiss. Fantastic!!

This was one of the reasons I bought the Go 720.

If anyone is interested how to make a silent mp3 file, here's how .....
1.) Download a sound editing program called "Audacity".
You can download Audacity portable from here ...
http://portableapps.com/apps/music_video/audacity_portable
The portable app saves installing it on your computer - you can just run it from a folder on your desktop, then delete the folder without having to uninstall the program, so no debris left behind --- or keep Audacity for future use as you see fit.
2.) Go to the Audacity Portable Support page here ....
http://portableapps.com/support/audacity_portable
Now scroll down to the section entitled "Adding LAME MP3 and FFMPEG Support" and follow the instructions for adding LAME MP£ support only.
3.) The easy bit -- Open / Run "Audacity portable" from its desktop folder.
Select Generate > Silence from the drop down menu
Specify how many minutes (or seconds) you want the sound file to be. It doesn't have to be long as the TomTom is going to be asked to auto repeat it and a long mp3 file will just waste storage space.
Then OK
4.) In Audacity select File > Export Audio ... from the drop down menu
5.) In the Export Audio box that opens, be sure to specify the correct export parameters so that you get an mp3 file produced as well as in a convenient location
a.)"Save in" box at top - I chose Desktop
b.)"File name" box lower down - I typed in -- "Silence 1 minute.mp3"
c.) "Save as type" - be sure to select mp3 from the drop down menu
d.) click "Save"
e.) An edit metadata box will crop up to enter various labels to the mp3 file -- fill in as required so the mp3 file can easily be identified in the TomTom.
ie Artist Name -- your name!
Track Title - "Silence 1 minute."
Album Title - Silence
Track Number 1
Etcetra then click OK ---- Done!

I hope this post is helpful to others who wish to have navigation instructions only, without other media being broadcast, through their car's FM radio.
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Re: TomTom Go 720 : Navigation only via FM transmitter throu

Postby holyhead » Tue Feb 21, 2017 10:54 pm

Nice solution and thanks for your feedback.
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