TomTom ONE 130s
TomTom’s new ONE lineup boasts a newly redesigned mount, a louder speaker, optional traffic services, and a focus on safety features. Is the new ONE 130 series for you? We’ve taken the TomTom 130s through our test course to see what this little guy has to offer.
Physical Design
The ONE 130 and 130s sport a new design. Gone are the more square bottom edges of the ONE 2nd and 3rd Edition devices in favor of more rounded curves of the 130s. The 130s also is a little bit thinner than its predecessors. The design has also been simplified with the removal of the SD card slot and no external antenna port.
No buttons on the side, the power button is located on the top, and the power/USB connector is on the bottom. Pretty simple. The back features the speaker and pins to connect the “EasyPort” mount. While the power cable does connect to the bottom of the GPS, it is recessed far enough that it doesn’t prohibit you from mounting the GPS as low as you want on the dash. Nice move.
The 130/s is also an extremely compact GPS device. Despite having the same screen size, the TomTom 130 is narrower than a Nuvi 200, about the same height, but a little thicker due to the EasyPort mount system. The screen is very bright, though not as bright as the Nuvi devices. The map and interface is easily visible from wide and tall angles, and is easy to see in most lighting conditions.
EasyPort Mount
One of the biggest new features of the TomTom 130 series is the EasyPort mount. This is a pretty unique way to build a mount, and that uniqueness offers a few advantages, and a few disadvantages. So here is how this thing works.
The back of the 130 series has a round disc that protrudes from the GPS. There are three spring tensioned springs that stick out just a little bit.
Then you have the EasyPort mount itself. Think of it as “clamshell” shaped. One one half is the suction cup. The backside of the suction cup is a big knob that you can rotate to lock the suction cup into place. This produces a very strong connection.
In between the two halves of the clamshell is a ball and socket joint that allows the mount to be angled into a variety of positions. It can be rotated for use with an adhesive disc on the dash, or for use directly connected to the windshield. This joint makes it so you can adjust the GPS to any angle, and is quite handy. On the other hand I found it to be just a tiny bit too tight, and the GPS would sometimes pop off the mount while I was trying to adjust the angle. If you are careful however you can pop off a rubber protector exposing two screws and very slightly reducing the tension on those screws. (If you find the same issue I did.) One eighth of a turn on each screw was enough, and it may naturally loosen with time anyhow.
The other half of the clamshell is a donut shaped piece of plastic which snaps onto the GPS. As I mentioned above there were a couple of times when I was adjusting the angle of the GPS (which moves the ball and socket joint connecting the two halves of the clamshell) and the GPS popped off from the mount. Loosening the joint helped with that minor issue. The GPS can also be rotated on this connection between the mount and the GPS. This is what allows it to change from a windshield mount orientation to a dash mount orientation.
Overall, I’m pretty happy with the mount. It allows for a number of adjustment options and certainly makes it easier to carry around the GPS and the mount. With the mount folded up but still connected to the GPS, the entire system is still 1.5 inches thick– plenty small enough to fit into most pockets and purses.
When I’m out of town for meetings and want to take a quick trip out for dinner, I obviously want to bring along a GPS to get me there, but it is sometimes is a hassle to bring the GPS and the mount and then put the GPS into one pocket and the mount in another. The TomTom EasyPort mount solves this problem beautifully.
Someone mentioned that the suction cup being in your pocket might attract lint and dirt. I didn’t have that issue, but perhaps I just have clean pockets. 
And with the suction cup lock it would probably take quite a bit of dirt before it make the mount less sticky.
video from tomtom.com
Battery, Speaker, Display
What also makes this GPS great for the frequent out of town traveler is that it has a longer battery life than the previous TomTom ONE series devices, up to three hours as opposed to two hours on other models. I tested the claim with the default factory settings and was able to match that, getting about 2:55 before it shut itself off. It is still behind competitors such as the Nuvi 200 series in this regard though, which get up to 4 or 5 hours of battery life.
Along with the EasyPort mount, the other big story here is the speaker. This thing is LOUD. I measured the volume level of the TomTom 130s and compared it to over a dozen other auto GPS devices and the TomTom 130 was the loudest of the bunch– no contest. Putting it directly up against its competition it was a full 22% louder than the Nuvi 200 with both at the loudest volume setting. (Measuring with a decibel monitor.)
Of course most GPS devices don’t sound all that great at the loudest volume setting, and the TomTom 130s wasn’t an exception in that regard, but it will still be louder at 80% volume than any other GPS at 80% volume. If you are lucky enough to be driving a convertible this summer or like the stereo loud, The TomTom 130s might be on your shortlist if for nothing else, just for the speaker volume.
The display is also decent quality for an entry level GPS. It is well visible from wide and high angles and is a large improvement over the display in older models such as the ONE 2nd Edition.
Navigation
The 130 comes with TomTom’s NavCore 7.5 software which has since been updated to 7.522. The map includes the USA & Canada, and a fairly decent POI database. You don’t get the nice branded POI icons like you do on the 700 and 900 series devices though.
The menu system has also been rearranged a little bit from previous versions. Gone is the ‘Show ALL menu Items’ option… thankfully. And many of the items are in a more logical place than before. I can’t tell you how many times I instinctively taped Menu -> next -> next -> only to find that ‘Clear Route’ isn’t there on the top right anymore. While hard for me to retrain my fingers (isn’t muscle memory amazing!) it will be somewhere that more people can find it… Menu -> next -> ‘clear route’ and without needing to change a preference setting to enable it.
Quite a few other goodies have been added that first appeared in the 700 and 900 series devices such as enhanced speech customizations, and additional status bar options like displaying the status bar horizontally.
Speed limit warnings also make their appearance on the device. You can have it show you your current speed and the speed limit of the road segment you are on (if known). If you are driving more than a couple of miles per hour above the speed limit, the current speed and limit will be displayed in a red box to hopefully grab your attention. (You can also set audio tones if you go above a certain speed.)
Routing was plenty quick, and with the enormous speaker the voice prompts were plenty loud. We did run into one, potentially severe issue with text to speech however. During the first couple days of operation whenever the text to speech voice would come on, the map would stop updating. This was extremely annoying as when the voice speaks, most people will have a tendency to look over at the GPS to get a better picture of what is being described. At the same moment you look over at the GPS, the map stops updating.
To make matters worse, when the GPS was talkative, for example saying things like “At the end of the road, turn right, Main street, then stay in the left lane” would cause the map to only update once during the entire few seconds. Turning off text to speech would fix the problem– but that is hardly a fix.
I later performed a factory reset, and the issue has gone away. Perhaps in combination of other features I enabled, I had just taxed the processor or RAM too much. Unlike other TomTom TTS models, the 130s only comes with 32MB of RAM. I’ve since tried to duplicate the problem and cannot, so hopefully this is not an issue other people will run into.
Pro Routing Features
The TomTom 130 and 130s also join the TomTom ONE 3rd Edition in being devices that don’t come with Itinerary Planning (multi destination routing). The other “pro” type routing features are available though such as the ability to set custom detour distances for roadblocks, being able to avoid a specific road or town, offset routing to start a route from a location other than where you currently are, etc.
As with the other new TomTom models, you get the ‘Help Me’ feature to quickly find your descriptive location or emergency services, as well as MapShare to make certain types of corrections to the map database.
We were pretty surprised though to see that the 130 series does not come with IQ routes. In some ways it is a slap in the face to people who might have been previous TomTom owners that had opted in to help provide that anonymous data– only to find now they don’t have access to the data they helped create.
Traffic, Fuel
Something I immediately noticed when taking the 130s out of the box was that there was no connector for a traffic receiver.. and the device doesn’t have Bluetooth yet it is designed as being traffic compatible. The included manual (yes, it actually comes with a printed, abbreviated product manual) shows how this will work. You plug a special “y-adapter” type thing into the USB port. This adapter then has two plugs, one that splits off to power and a second for the RDS-TMC traffic cable. So it looks like it won’t be getting a nice integrated/combo power/traffic cable and instead you will have a dashboard full of cable flavored spaghetti. The power cable is also required when using the traffic cable.
The 130s is also compatible with TomTom fuel prices. You can subscribe to the service and download the updates from your computer into the GPS.
Purchasing Guidance
This is a pretty slick little GPS. The most attractive trait is the compact size of the GPS and the mount. When you arrive at your destination just pop the mount off the windshield, fold the mount, and slide it into your pocket and purse. No messing around with detaching the mount and stowing it away somewhere else in the car or trying to stuff it into another pocket.
Due to the slower processor and less RAM, the 130s does feel a bit sluggish running through the menu system compared to its upper-end siblings, however I can walk through the menu system with my eyes closed so other people probably won’t notice it as much and it wasn’t excruciatingly slow.
The loud speaker is also a big winner for those who have noisy car environments. Plus, the ability to have most of the “pro” type routing features, optional traffic service, optional fuel prices, and MapShare make this a very functional device at a great price.
| Store | Rating | Best Prices |
|---|---|---|
Compare all prices on the TomTom ONE 130S Auto / Road GPS - Clamshell ranging from $95.95 to $299.95. | ||
 |  In stock at OfficeMax | $149.99 |
 | In stock at www.sayera.com | $138.00 |
 | In stock at PCNation | $129.94 |
 | In stock at AllAmericanDirect.com | $139.99 |
 |  In stock at Newegg.com | $149.99 |
 | In stock at RadioShack.com | $149.99 |
 | In stock at ClubMac | $135.99 |
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Great review. Will you be reviewing the 330s as well?
This sounds like a pretty nice device. I’m curious though, I would think that the need to attach a cable to the windshield for traffic would be a deal breaker for many. I’m concerned about it in my consideration of the 930T. In your review of the 920T (I think) you thought it had better reception than Garmin’s solution. Do you think there is a significant advantage, discounting for a moment the bother required to attach and unattach it from the windshield? Are there ways to minimize the need to fuss with it, like lay it on the dash, or something?
Yes, we will be taking the 330s for a spin as well. While the TT traffic system might have a tiny advantage when it comes to reception, the advantage is minimal. I just leave the traffic cable on the windshield at all times, and take the theft risk.
newbie question here: if there isn’t an SD slot, does that mean that you can’t put other maps on it or can you just download them into the “hard drive”?
You would have to backup the original maps, then load the new maps in their place. Then once done, put the originals back.
Tim, is the IQ Routes capability a software feature? If so, might there be a chance TomTom could add it later if there’s enough clamor for it on the 130?
Geoff – You can read about that in our article: TomTom IQ Routes for older devices?
No Bluetooth is pretty annoying; now they want me to spend an additional $100 to buy a receiver to do what my phone could do with my old One.
I’m about to buy a basic GPS. I’m deciding between the Tom tom One 130S and the soon to be released Garmin Nuvi 205. I realize you haven’t seen the latter yet, but from your experience and the available specs, any advance opinion? Thanks.
What is the reply on #8? I would to see the comparisome.
Thanks
Ruth
PS to my last question. Aside from the Where am I and the traffic capability, is there any difference between the Nuvi 200 and the 205? Do you think there’s a chipset or RAM change?
Steve, I’d compare it to the currently shipping Nuvi 200. I don’t know if there is a chipset or memory change. There are a few other subtle changes such as a turn arrow at the top and some graphical rendering (terrain) changes.
I am going to make a purchase this week, and I’m looking at the TomTom 130. Do you know what the cost is for future map updates? (Yes, obviously it is subject to change in the future.)
Jason, map updates for this device will likely be $99.
Thanks for the reply Tim. How does this pricing compare with other comparable devices like Garmin’s Nuvi 200, 260, etc?
They compare well. Since the 130 series is still fairly new they are still priced a little higher than the 200 and 260 which have been out for longer. You can compare prices on those models over here.
I want to buy my husband a GPS unit for his birthday (June 6). Which of the following is the better unit in your opinion: TomTom One 130S or the Garmin 340? Thank you in advance for any effort you may afford this matter…
The Garmin c340 is a discontinued product, so you would likely be better off getting the TomTom 130s for that reason.
I am considering the nuvi 200 and Tom Tom 130s. Is wither more useful as a light duty hiking aid to avoid getting lost? I am aware that there are handheld devices more suited for that type of use but was wondering if these can pull double duty at all.
Both are capable of showing your location even if you are not on a road, but since they only show roads on their map it might not be a large asset of you are lost hiking– perhaps better than nothing, but certainly not a substitute for map and compass.
Are both capable of having a waypoint entered such as where my vehicle is parked being entered so that I can return to it?
Yes, neither have a function designed specifically for that, however it is possible with both devices with some creative functions.
Looks like nuvi 200 will accept 500 Waypoints while Tom Tom will accept 48 if I am reading specs correctly. I guess the next question becomes can you select a waypoint as a destination? I imagine entering a waypoint when I park my car, turning the unit off and then hiking on public land that is not more than a couple thousand acres. Then turn the unit on to double check my map and compass coonclusions as to direction of my car.
“…the speaker. This thing is LOUD.”
You sure??? I bought a TomTom One 130s earlier today and the audio is awful. Well if you want loud you need to change it to the non-computer generated voice, but you’ll loose the text to speech capability, which is what you’ve paid this model over the other less expensive models of TomTom. I returned it right away, and went to another shop thinking it might just be the unit I’ve bought, but all of them is the same, even the store associate say that’s the problem with this new model. You can check other web reviews and the cons are always the audio, that’s why i’m reacting to your review saying that the speaker is LOUD.
I bought a Nuvi 260 instead and this is their comparison to their volume.
TomTom 100%
Nuvi 40%
Steve – Yes, you could use the GPS that way.
Jun – Yes, I’m sure the volume is very loud. I didn’t test this with my ears, but rather measured it with microphones.
I’m not saying you didn’t hear what you heard. The first thing I did when I purchased the 130s was to update the firmware. Perhaps the software update addressed a volume issue. Also, perhaps the store settings were not setup correctly. There is also a chance that there is a bad batch out there as I’ve heard reports of people being less than impressed with the speaker and exchanging it for another identical model that was extremely loud. But with both devices setup for a text-to-speech voice the 130s was 26% louder than the Nuvi 260 with a text-to-speech voice and both devices set at 100% volume.
Again, I’m not denying your experience, but that isn’t the same experience I had.
Quoted from your response on May 10th:
“Yes, we will be taking the 330s for a spin as well. While the TT traffic system might have a tiny advantage when it comes to reception, the advantage is minimal. I just leave the traffic cable on the windshield at all times, and take the theft risk.”
Thankyou for making these great reviews. I have a TomTom 130S, I am considering to exchange for the TomTom 330s, but from your comment, it seems that there’s only a tiny bit of advantage in upgrading. Perhaps just a bigger screen. But please make suggestions !
Louise – My comment about “tiny advantage” was in reference to TomTom’s traffic receiver versus Garmin’s traffic receiver.
As to the 330, it does offer a few advantages over the 130s such as a widescreen as well as multi destination routing. It also allows custom POIs to be added from the device itself, although that function will have little appeal to most users.
Looking at a Fathers Day gift. Either One 3rd Edition or 130 (not s) After reading the cnet review I was going for the One 3rd edition. After reading yours I am thinking the 130 (newer?) would be good. Given same price whats your recomendation between the two units?
Gary, I’d go for the 130 over the ONe 3rd Edition provided that you find a store with a good return policy on defective devices. It is difficult to tell how widespread the speaker issue is, but it is clear there is an issue with some of them.
Thanks for replying !
I bought the 130S at $198CAD without tax. If I were to “exchange”:
for the – TomTom ONE XL-S GPS, I will need to add $100CAD plus tax.
For the normal TomTom ONE XL GPS, I’ll need to add 50CAD plus tax.
Would you think I should “stick” to my 130S at my $198, $255 for TT ONE XL, or $311 for TT ONE XL-S ? Your recommendations will really help !
I have a 130s on my hand, and unfortunately I am in a situation as mentioned many times before by other people, that the volume is barely hear-able.
You mentioned that you’ve updated firmware? How do you do that?
tomtom.com/home
That program will update your device. You might also try different voices and different volume settings…. we haven’t yet identified exactly what the issue is– if it is indeed a software issue, configuration issue, or hardware.
Bought one of the 130S’s last week. My question is, text to speech…..does this mean it will say, “in 2 miles, turn left onto Main Street” or will it just say “turn left in 2 miles”. Reason I ask is that my unit didn’t announce 1 street this weekend during a trip to Boston. I bought it for the “text to speech” feature.
Any help is appreciated.
The 130s does have text to speech, so yes it is able to say “turn left on Main St”. To enable that, you must have a voice selected that is labeled ‘Computer’, as well as the voice preferences set to read street names aloud.
Tim-
Thanks for the tip….this is great site!
How do you tell the difference between the one 130 and the 130s,
I have one but unable to tell which it is?
Thanks
I don’t believe there is a physical difference… if it has a text to speech voice installed among the other voices it is the 130s.
How much is the annual map update for the 130s, in US Dollars, for USA/Canada?
Bob – TomTom offers map updates quarterly; you can take advantage of them as frequently or infrequently as you would like. They generally cost $99 but have been known to go on sale from time to time.
Tim – I have recently gone through two of the ONE 130S units. I did the 7.522 update and also updated the map. After the updates, both units started having text-to-speech problems. In other words, if the next turn was on Main St., they would say to turn on Penny Lane (or some else totally different). This happened with two units from different Radio Shack locations. I tried resolving the issue via tech support, but (and I hate to say it), they are very lacking in knowledge of their systems. One lady told me she didn’t know what GPS was until she started working for TomTom.
Chris, I haven’t heard of that issue, so I’m not certain what advice to offer. The most likely scenario is that either the map database is wrong (you can report through MapShare) or the street has multiple names. It is somewhat common for a street to have multiple names with the “local” name being different from what is written on the map.
Tim, Thanks for your quick response. This has actually happened for several streets in two different cities, and in my case, there are no multiple street names. The latest map actually has the correct street names. Now that I think about it, it’s probably the interaction between 7.522 and the latest map. I remember on my first unit, I updated the application first, then didn’t update the map until three days later. The voice was working fine until I updated the map.
Tim – thanks for all the helpful info on this site. I was asked what I want for Father’s Day, i travel so I want a gps. And I want text-to-speech gps (my wife has the ONE 3rd Edition, which I like except for no text-to-speech). I’m looking at the ONE 130S or the Nuvi 260. What is your take between them if any (outside of the loudness difference you reviewed)?
Larry – If overall you are pleased with the ONE 3rd Edition, then I’d go with the 130s since you would be familiar with the operation, probably have the HOME application already installed, and it would probably just make things easier.
If there are things other than the lack of TTS that bother you about the TomTom, let me know what those are so I can let you know if it is better on the 260.
Thanks Tim,I was leaning toward the 130S. The only issue I had with my wife’s One 3rd Edition was when I go to New York or Dallas from Colorado, it seems to take a long time to update from the satellite. This isn’t the best when I’m in my rental car ready to drive off. How is the 130S (or Nuvi 260) in this regard?
Tim, what a great site! Thanks for answering all these questions. One thing I’m curious about is whether I’ll really miss the 130s not having an SD slot. I’m sort of a hacker type guy and I’m all excited about putting lots of custom POI datasets on there. But it doesn’t seem like there is very much room for them. Is there a lot of unnecessary stuff that can be removed? I’ve already removed some of the splash images but the biggest problem is that US+Canada already takes like 95% of the total space. Perhaps I’d be better off with something with expandability. But one selling feature of the tomtom is the user supplied corrections. Do the others not have this?
You can remove any extra voices (especially any unused text to speech voices). Some of the custom POI databases (even those that come with the device) can be large. You might for example wish to remove things like the Church POI database, Schools, Playing Fields, Fire Stations, etc. If you are feeling really brave, I’ve had some luck recovering some space by making a good backup, formatting the card, reinstalling the application and maps, and then installing back just the other custom features I’m interested in.
But new custom POI databases, if you wanted to add something like WalMart for example, don’t take up much space at all.
User supplied corrections also take up a little space, but again not a ton. No, other manufacturers currently do not have a MapShare type program.
Scott – They will be similar in that regard.
Just an FYI for others who are having volume problems on their 130s. We got one from Radio Shack that has very low volume for the text to speech computer voice. It was definitely louder for the other voices that can’t do text to speech. We upgraded the firmware / application running on it and it didn’t improve. Then we got another one from amazon.com and it is much much louder. So I think there must just be a bad batch of them. If you get one that is too quiet, return it for another one.
John, I noticed you said you updated the application. Have you tried the new map as well (v720) ? I got two from Radio Shack and when I updated the application and map, the text to speech started saying wrong street names for many streets. I have a feeling Radio Shack may in fact have received a bad batch. I’ve returned both units. The first one was fine for volume, then the second was bad.
Chris, I haven’t noticed that but I didn’t use it for navigation after upgrading and noticing that didn’t solve the volume problem.
Tim
In one of your latest responses, you mention adding in a Walmart custom POI database but I thought the 130/130S did not support custom POI. This is mentioned in your web page that brought me in to this review. You said that not many people use them. Maybe I misunderstand what they are. I had a TomTom ONE (taken by an opportunist in a hotel lobby)and found the Australian link http://www.ozpoi.com/ invaluable for adding POIs. I would be disappointed not to be able to add in the location of local store chains and public conveniences!
I am looking to replace it when in the USA next week since the new ones are not available here yet, hence the search that led to your site. I have established that the warranty is world wide but am a bit concerned about the voice level issue.
1. Does the voice level problem only occur with the computer generated voice? I was planning on just getting the 130 anyway since TomTom Australia has told me that the text to speech won’t work with the Australian map on the 130S. I won’t have much time to test and return if the voice is too low.
2. Is it easy to remove a map and install a new one (which I will need to do once I get home)? I assume I use TomTom Home to do this. My old model had an SD card.
3. Does the new mount rely on a suction cap on the window? I am told that these marks tell would-be thieves that there could be a GPS inside your car.
Justine – You can add custom POIs to the device through TomTom HOME. You cannot manually add a custom POI category through the device itself like you can other TomTom devices.
1) It appears to be device specific, while the non-TTS voices are generally louder, the speaker issue seems attributed to a specific batch of devices.
2) Yes, exactly, through TomTom HOME.
3) Yes, you can see the pictures through my review (and the video) above. I carry a small face cloth to wipe the windshield when necessary.
Hello. Quick question. I currently have gps software that runs on my ppc and love it. I do lie this AIO unit for my traveling purposes though. I currently have mutliple destination routing but primary use it for avoiding certain areas in a route.
With the 130 – As far as waypoints, if I create a route and then want to avoid a certain area, can I enter a via somewhere that will route me the way I want to go to avoid that area? Thanks in advance!
Rob, yes, you can add one via point to the trip. You can also tell it to exclude a particular road.
Hi
Thanks for the great review, Would you be comparing the 255 and the tom 130s soon?
As both seem to be the new models with “text to speech” from each company?
To John
Did you update your software from the one you got in amazon.com yet?
let us know is it the batch from Radio Shack that is having problems with the volume or is it also amazon.com
Again thanks for the review
Hi Tim, I am about to purchase a 130S online, under product information it says “RDS-TMC Traffic Compatible–NOT INCLUDED.” Is this something that I need for this device to work and will I have to purchase this separately? Second question, do I have to do any form of subscription before using this device?
No, you do not need the traffic receiver to use the device. If you were to purchase it, the device will alert you to live traffic conditions. There is no subscription needed to use the device.
Hi Tim, I just asked two questions a minute ago and am making a correction. Under the description of the product where it spoke about the “RDS-TMC Traffic Compatibility” it said “Receiver not included” do I have to purchase this receiver separately for the equipment to work?
No, you do not need to purchase the traffic receiver for the device to work. That is only if you want to add in live traffic reports to the device.
Greetings Tim,
Please, can you tell me the noise level measures that you have done between TT 130 and Garmin Nuvi 200 ?
I’m interested in the measure in decibel that you found (particularly for the Nuvi 200).
Thanks a lot.
Orbitica I didn’t save any notes beyond what I included here, sorry.
Tim,
My parents want to get a bare bones gps and after research and reviews, I like the 130 for them. One question…the Magellan model I have alerts me if I happen to run into a traffic delay by displaying a detour icon that I can touch and it will provide me with re-routing options to avoid the delay. Very helpful. Does the 130 have a similar feature? Thanks.
Tim,
Forgot to ask in my above question…if the 130 doesn’t have this detour/re-routing feature, can you recommend a similarly priced, equally impressive model that does?
Yes, the 130s has a detour function. It doesn’t automatically prompt, but you can select it from the menu and have it create an alternate route.
Seems there are still 130/130S with volume issues in the stores.
I really wanted to buy a 130 on June 19 in downtown Chicago and not every TomTom reseller has it. Ended up at Radio Shack and because of the previous comments about volume, asked to hear it – it was unbelievably quiet compared to the TomTom One Third Edition they also opened for me and which I somewhat reluctantly bought (as I had wanted the extra battery life and lighter weight).
While I was there, someone else returned a 130S saying that it was a lot quieter than another one from another store (that I won’t mention here). The staff returned his money but were sceptical on the comparison as they said they came from the same manufacturers.
Justine,
I’ve written a few comments about units from Radio Shack and also about a possible software bug. I tried two units from RS. The volume on the first one was actually loud enough that I didn’t have to use 100% volume. I returned it because after I updated the operating software along with the map, it started saying incorrect street names (the text-to-speech was saying incorrect street names). The second unit then had really low volume and it was garbled. When I updated the software and map on it, I got the same text-to-speech errors. So, I have returned two units to RS. I’ve actually talked to someone at the main TomTom office, and they said they would call back but they never did. Also, their regular tech support is pretty poor. One person told me they didn’t know what GPS was until they started working for TomTom !!
I bought two TomTom XL 330s and returned them both because the speakers were too soft. Today I picked up the 130s, and it sounds great. But as soon as I connected it to a computer to update it, it froze. It asked me to disconnect and reconnect, but when I did, it showed me a “disconnect” error, and a big red X. Now it won’t do anything but flash the red x and I can’t use it. I can find nothing on TomTom’s website about this, and I’m about at the end of my patience with their products. Has anyone else experienced anything like this?
Mike – The “red x” issue isn’t unique to the 130s. It can happen to any TomTom when the application becomes corrupt or the wrong application is installed.
See this thread in our forums for the fix:
red x on TomTom 720 screen won’t start & reset doesn’t w
TomTom’s website does have information about this error too:
My TomTom device flashes with a red ‘X’.
If you still have trouble, I’d reply to that forum thread (or create a new one over there) and we can probably get you running.
Bought the 130s yesterday… outstanding unit. Very easy to set up and use. But, as above, the volume was really hard to hear. I too messed up with updating with tomtom.home. Customer service was excellent. First off they said: Ignore the “disconnect and reconnect” prompt. It’s mistake and they’re trying to fix that. I too got the big red flashing “X”. They walked me through a hard reset and had to reinstall the operating system. They couldn’t help the sound issue… suggested sending it in for service or taking it back to Radio Shack for an exchange… which I did. The replacement unit is VERY LOUD – you have to actually turn the volume down to 70% to be comfortable. I love the product and the customer service!
would like to know how you got rid of the flashing x becasue no matter what i do i cant get rid of it… if you could maybe give me the customer service number it would be appreciated
Tony, that means the application is corrupt. Typically it happens when you disconnect the device before the application is fully installed. Reinstall the application and it will be fixed, see this thread in our forums (red x on TomTom screen won’t start ) or go to tomtom.com/2053 for instructions.
If you get the red X after unplugging the GPS like the screen says, look for the article telling you to browse to the device when connected to computer, remove all files in the home directory in the GPS, *BUT* leave all folders and files in the folders, restart and reload the application from the “HOME” folder. This is the only way I got mine to work again.
I just got my 130S today and want to know if I can skip past the update download screen and restore files and programs from my wife’s recently updated (yesterday) regular TomTom One 3rd edition due to the red X problem? Or are the updates and other programs specific to the 130S?
The application is specific to each model.
I purchased a 130s today and seemed to have an audio problem where promts were hard to hear. There was no volume. I took unit back and exchanged it. Volume is very nice and clear now. I had to call customer service to remove the other device from my account. Answered quickly and helped me right away.Now to test it on the road.
Hi Tim, Thanks for your great website.
1. Do you know how many POIs comes with the 130s? I only see “millions” in other reviews, doesn’t say how many exactly. One of the reviews said, can’t find a Barnes and Noble
2. Up to how many POIs can I add before I ran out of space? estimate?
3. There are only two things that’s stopping me from buying, first is you can’t search a restaurant by cuisine type. Sometimes when you’re in a new place, you feel like eating some specific cuisine. Is there any way to get around that?
4. Second is, I’m worried that this GPS is not for long term use if you want to always have updated maps, perhaps longest is 5 years since with all the map updates, it would eventually ran out of space, no SD card slot.
5. I currently have a magellan 3225, pretty happy with it, but it seems slow when recalculating when you miss a turn, takes about 12 seconds (could be the free 6 million POI update I got from the net) to give a new route from right after I get past the street I’m supposed to make a turn. How long does 130s take to recalculate? Another thing I don’t like about the 3225 is that when you miss a turn, it usually gives you longer recalculated routes but if I cancel the recalculated route and re-enter my original destination (it’s easy, I can go to previouis destinations) it would give the better/best route. This is not an issue if you know the place, just ignore 3225’s recalculated route and keep going the good route, and eventually it will recalculate and give the good route. But, I don’t always know the place and that’s why I want a GPS that will recalculate and still give me the best route, is 130s dependable in this area of recalculation?
6. You don’t need to answer this one, just curious if you don’t mind, are you based in Canada or U.S.? which city? You have the same name with my techy colleauge.
Again, nice work on this website. More power!
1) Roughly 2-3 million, TomTom won’t confirm.
2) Probably a couple million more.
3) Not really– other than the type is sometimes/often included in the name. If you’re looking for a steakhouse, “steakhouse” is often in the name.
4) I’m not certain you would get five years from any GPS due to the rapid pace of development and the changing technology. I think there would be technical barriers almost as fast as drive space limitations.
5) I think you will find it recalculates faster and more accurately based on your description.
6) US, New England area. I think I’m on the opposite side of the continent from you.
I’m exchanging mine with Amazon now due to a quiet speaker. Otherwise I’m pretty happy, especially at this price point.
I finally got a response from the Concord, MA, office about my issue with the 130S text-to-speech saying the wrong street names during a route. For example, if you are supposed to turn on High Street, it could say “Turn on Hill Ave”. As I suspected, they have verified that the problem is with the current version 720 map. Most users may or may not have this problem. If you only upgrade the application, there is no problem. It only occurs after the map is updated.
My replacement unit has a loud audio section. I really like the 130, especially for the price. Just make sure you’re OK with the sound level. If it’s not loud and clear, go ahead and exchange it. Amazon sent me a new unit via overnight UPS.
I’m a newbe to gps, I tryed to tell the wife that her and Mapquest printouts were my gps but after her seeing my sons’ unit and the one her friend had I broke down and ordered a 130s supposedly new from [snip, see comment policy]. I just have a few questions;
1. Can you charge the unit via the usb port leaving it connected for a few hours?
2. If you start a trip and go off the route for lunch or lodging and turn the unit off does it remember the plan and continue on powering up?
I’ll be on the volume problem and won’t upgrade the map for now until I here the problem is resolved.
1. Yes, although it will take twice as long to charge.
2) Yes.
The speaker issue isn’t related to any map upgrade or application upgrade. It appears to be a production issue.
I just got one of the 130S units from BB 15 minutes ago and speaker issue was present – very garbled at anything over 85% and too quiet to hear at any level below that.
I thought I would take it apart and see what was causing the problem, but the speaker would only come part way out. I smacked it back into place… voila! perfect speaking voice with no distortion at even 100% – I guess the Fonzie method of getting things to work does prevail every once in a while.
I wouldnt recommend this method, but I had the replacement plan, so figured the worst that could happen is it didnt work at all after I put it back together.
Chris, thanks for sharing. That is interesting because it is the first report I’ve seen that actually starts to narrow down what the issue might be.
Hi,
I know the TomTom 130s has text to speech but will it indicate both the street name and the distance? ie you will turn right on main street in 100 feet or will it only say turn right on main st? Please let me know since I just purchased the garmin nuvi 200 and may take it back.
Thanks.
Dave
There are multiple verbal instructions given for a particular maneuver. I don’t think each instruction includes all of the text, but for a given turn yes it will verbally tell you the name of the street and distance provided there is enough time.
Ok. Thanks for your response. The guy who helped me at Best Buy said it only said the street name so then I was swayed towards the Garmin. In your opinion which is better for in city driving? I believe the Garmin only says turn left in 500 feet and doesn’t name the street. Please let me know what you think and thanks again. I really appreciate it.
Dave
The Nuvi 200 doesn’t speak street names, you need to move up to the Nuvi 260 to get that.
i bought 4 tom tom units, from last november, 3 tom tom 3rd edition and the last one is tom tom 130. For the tom tom 130 the volume level is very too low. at 100 % volume is equal as the tom tom 3rd edition at 20%. very disapointed about model 130, i don’t know if they all have the same problems, at 100% volume level you must place it at few inches from your ears to hear something.. very poor volume…
Claude, apparently you didn’t read any of these comments before posting yours.
Thanks Tim,
Yes I’m in the opposite side of the continent. I’m in BC. Would you know what the size is of the original POI file in MB that comes with 130s? and how much more free space is available in the unit? I just want to make a really close estimate of the number of POIs available and how much more I can add.
Thanks Tim,
Would you know what the size is of the POI file that comes with 130s in MB? and how much more free space is available? I just want to make a really close estimate of the number of POIs I can have.
The original POI file size is 68.6 MB. My 130s has about 18 MB of free space on it. I wouldn’t read much into the size of the original POI file as it likely uses a different format than custom POI files do. I’ve got a custom POI file with 10,000 locations that takes up about 0.5 MB of space. So you could roughly estimate that 100,000 POI locations would take up 5 MB of space. So I could fit probably fit another 400,000 POIs on the device… If I could think of that many.
Hi,
I am trying to decide between the TomTom 130 and the Magellan Roadmate 1400. I have found both of these for the same price but can not find any reviews on the Magellan 1400. Are they comparable and if so which one would be a better buy?
I just purchased the TomTom 130 and am very pleased with it. I have just one question; how do I delete a location from my Favourites? There is a delete option for Recent destinations, but I can’t see one for Favourites. Thanks!
Menu -> Change Preferences -> (next) -> Manage Favorites -> (select favorite) -> Delete -> Yes -> Done.
Hi, I want to buy a basic GPS device with GPS faatures- speaking street names,good re-routing, good points of interest database etc. and I researched and almost settled on Garmin 255 which has just come out. I was waiting for its price to come down and came across omTom 130S model which seems quite comparable in efatures. Have you looked at Garmin 255 and what will be your advice – should I wait to but that or go with TomTom,right now? thanks.
Hi, I’m taking a trip soon, about a 7 hour drive, can I rely on the tom tom 130 to take me all the way or should I have a backup google map…thanks
Avsal – I rely on GPS 100% of the time, but that is also my job.
I’d rely on it to take me anywhere and any distance the maps cover. But there is certainly no harm in printing out a backup set of directions, just in case. It can sometimes take some getting used to the type of directions the GPS gives you, so having a backup isn’t a bad idea.
Can the 130S manage POI’s like my older One XL?
I used to create site locations in the cities I’d visit and make them a POI, but I don’t see this feature in the software, just creating and managing favorites.
No, the 130 series, like the ONE 3rd Edition, doesn’t let you manage POIs “on-board”.
Hi, Tim. How do I check the version of the map on my 130S?
My software version is now 8.010. After I upgraded from 7.xx (didn’t check, didn’t backup, my mistake) the compass icon has shrunk and now I can’t modify it. Worse, I tried operating my Tomtom from the computer, had to download some software to do so and then I lost my only computer voice. I had to re-download and install it. It’s almost a week and Support still haven’t told me why I lost the compass preference settings and my voice.
So far the unit performs better than their customer support.
Thanks.
You can find your map version by clicking on the satellite reception icon in the lower corner of the map view, and then clicking on the button that shows your application version. (version 8.010) I believe there were some application changes that impacted how the compass is displayed, so far from what I’ve been able to determine this was an intended change.
Nice site. Thanks for the information. I just switched from a Garmin c330 to the Tomtom one 130. I tried to setup the fuel information and pay on tomtom website but it would not allow me too. I called them and they said it is not an option that will work with the one 130? Have you heard this before? I was surprised since it is in their menu etc. You also list it above as a feature. Wonder if it will be in future releasesw. Thanks for your help.
Tell them that tomtom.com/6610 says it is compatible.
Has anyone figured out the 720 map update and pronouncing street names correctly? This seems to be an ongoing issue with my XL330s unit and it’s getting frustrating after numerous calls to support.
David, did the 720 map come on your device when you purchased it? If not, did you have to call to get the updated map?
Looking at the 130 and Nuvi 200. 1st time user. Do they both recalculate new routes if you get off the specified routes, or do they direct you back to the specified route?
thanks
The 720 map did not come with my device. I called and got it placed into my account, with the latest map guarantee service they offer.
David, the reason I asked is because so far everyone I can recall that has reported that issue has upgraded their maps by calling support to a version that was not automatically offered through the LMG. For example I have a 130s that came with the 715 map and don’t have that problem. The LMG function within HOME, and the regular update check through HOME both say I have the latest map available for my device.
Now of course we know the 720 map is out for some devices, however I don’t wonder if it is known that the current 720 map is incompatible with the new 130/130s/330/330s and that is why it is not being offered automatically.
Perhaps TomTom developers know there is an issue and thus are not releasing it through TomTom HOME. And perhaps TomTom support doesn’t know of the conflict and is giving the maps out when people ask.
Henry, yes they both will automatically create a new route. They will take you back to the original route if that is still the best way, but they will consider alternatives from that new point.
Thanks for the info. Both are being offered at [the same price]. any preference or benefits between the two for performance or any other reason.
Thanks,
Thanks.
Both are offered at the same price here and is there any performance or other benefit of one vs the other.
hmm so what you’re saying Tim is that this is a fairly common issue. From what I’ve asked support, they hadn’t heard of the issue except for when I brought it up to them. I’ve reverted back to 715 for now since it works fine, and maybe I’ll give it some time to see if an update becomes available sometime in the future. Not much else I can do anyway.
I guess I’m saying it seems common for those who found there exists a higher map version, and called TomTom support to request it. From x30 owners I suspect that scenario of events is not common. However for those who did follow those steps the incorrect street name issue seems common.
Hi, this is a great forum. I was reading a post regarding deleting from favourites. I have a question regarding deleting from recent destinations. How do I select one destination from the list to delete? Right now I have to delete all recent destinations. I look forward to your response. Thanks.
You can’t delete just one– it is all or nothing.
We wanted to buy the Tom Tom 130s. The salesman said they have alot of returns of this model due to incorrect turn directions. He recommened the garmin nuvi 260. Is the Garmin a better choice for this problem?
Sandy, I haven’t heard of issues with “incorrect turn directions”. I haven’t experienced it with my 130s.
My 130 did’nt come with a software disc, Do you have to log on TomTom web sight to get updates ? And is it true what I’m finding out that updates cost $ after a month it was bought ?
Bob, you use the TomTom HOME program for application updates and MapShare map updates (both free). The installer should be on the device itself, or you can download it from TomTom. Official map updates do cost money, as they do from every GPS company.
Does the map share get check for any viruses and for it being accurite. So how is the Official update differ from MapShare ?
MapShare updates are updates made and submitted by fellow users. They are typically fairly accurate. They are not susceptible to “viruses”.
I have good news and bad news regarding the TOMTOM 130S. The good news is that I have “fixed” the extremely low speaker volume problem. The bad news is that in order to make the unit work properly, I had to rap the rear speaker section with my hand. Amazingly, the volume problem disappeared! The volume is so loud now that I cannot set it higher than 85% or it will wake the dead!
I know that this is a primative fix but the unit works great ever since I made the “repair”. It is my belief that the speaker diaphram sticks and this is a original manufacture or quality control problem.
I had originally contacted TOMTOM customer service about the problem. They had me do a re-boot but that accomplished nothing. They denied that there was any problem with the unit. I am glad that I “spanked” my GPS because I am happy with it small size, LOUD volume, and good performance all around.
Your method for fixing low volume on the 130S worked like a charm. After giving the unit a good wack against the palm of my had, the volume became so loud, I had to turn it down to 85%. Thank you!
the “Fonzie” method works again… this shoudl become the standard fix for these things. I did it, andwe took a 1200 mile trip to Rapid City South Dakota – not a single volume issue.
For those of you who updated maps and found that the spoken street name no longer matches the correct street, I’d like you to try something. If you don’t immediately understand these instructions, I would not attempt. Mount the TomTom’s drive on your computer. Open it, then the USA_and_Canada folder. Make a backup of the ‘cphonmlh.dat’ file for safe keeping in case this makes it worse. Delete the file from The TomTom, run HOME and install any suggested updates, and then reboot your TomTom. Some users have reported that procedure fixes the street name/voice mismatch.
I just bought a 130-S from BB. I live in Honolulu and our addresses have a “dash” in the middle, ie 47-544 Lulani Street. I have not been able to figure out how to insert the dash. The 130-S is unable to find any addresses because of this problem. I can navigate to an intersection, but woud like to know if anyone knows a fix for this problem.
Richard, see comments #247 and 248 on our TomTom ONE 3rd Edition page for a similar question/answer.
Tim, thanks for the quick reply. Entering the address without the dash doesn’t work in Hawaii. The Google Maps suggestion does work but is very inconvenient. Since Tomtom is silent regarding a fix, I guess I’ll return my unit and try a Garmin.
Hi, I have a brand new Tomtom 130 that has the flashing X after updating the unit. I’m confused by comment #69 by “J” to “remove all files in the home directory in the GPS, *BUT* leave all folders and files in the folders.” Exactly which folders and files are being referred to? Thanks.
Mel – I would ignore that for now and follow the steps at tomtom.com/6363 first.
We have just purchased a tom tom one 130 Took a trip to Atlanta, we had trouble with it losing its satellite fix.. It couldn’t find us and even showed we were driving off the interstate and even driving in water. Gave wrong turn for our destination too.. Thank God we knew where we were going.. Any comments or solutions ?
Rene, I’d follow our Acquiring Satellites tips or contact TomTom support.
I figured out how to correct the low volume issue. I took apart the speaker assembly and noticed the speaker cone was pushed out. I pushed it back in and the volume increased dramatically. Here are steps: Use a small flat blade jewellers screwdriver to pry up the speaker grill. Start in one spot and work your way around. Try to get under the rubber surround. There numerous clips that hold it in place, they seem sturdy and none of the broke. The speaker is held in place by the rubber surround and some sticky tape and has two small wires. When I removed the grill the speaker popped out of the surround. Pull up the speaker, it is held in place by the sticky tape and will give some resistance until it finally detaches, be careful not to pull to far and damage the speaker wires. Now you can push the speaker cone in, it is plastic and will make a snapping sound as you do this. Push only on the outer areas of the cone and avoid the center dust cap. Turn on the unit and do a volume test. Then power it off. Now re-attach the speaker to the grill by sliding into the rubber surround lip. I used the small screwdriver to help get it all the way around. Pay attention to the clips on the grill some are larger then others. The hole at the very bottom is smaller than the rest of the holes, line up one of the smaller clips to this hole. The tricky part is dealing with the mount clips in keeping them from coming out of the holes. This the part that took some time getting it just right. Once the holes and clips are lined up, begin at one area of the grill and start pusing it back into the unit. Once it is correct, the grill will sit uniform all the way around. Once back together, the sound that it originally produced was equivalent to about 75% of the current levels. I was astounded at how much louder it got and there was no distortion at 100% like before. I hope someone finds this useful. Good luck!
Josh – I tried your speaker fix, and it worked perfectly. Thanks for the advice. That was the problem and it made a dramatic difference. I was a little hesitant about being so intrusive…I didn’t want to void warranty in case it didn’t work. But it did. You have be careful not to pinch the rubber surround. I found the hardest part getting the speaker back into rubber surround especially around mount clips. Thanks again.
I have a symbol on the left side around the middle that when I hit it it says that my location is stored. What is this ? When I hooked the GPS to the computer nothing about that was seen. Thanks
Bob, you turned on the Quick Menu option for saving your current location as a favorite. To turn it of go to Menu -> Change Preferences -> Quick Menu Preferences, and then uncheck ‘Add position to favorites’.
I can’t find “Quick Menu Preferences” I followed your instructions and found nothing.
It is in there… you might need to right arrow through a few of the menus to find it.
Do I have to use a particular voice for the text to speech feature to work?
Yes, see our article on how to Enable Text-to-Speech.
Tim,
Thanks for the advice. I had to repeat the instructions at tomtom.com/6363 three times, but it eventually got rid of the flashing X.
A couple months ago, I purchased the TomTom One 130s for a birthday gift. The volume was too low (couldn’t hear at highway speeds). I had read about this in a CNET article by Bonnie Cha, but didn’t think the odds were that I’d be afflicted. Murphy’s law, I was. So I brought the unit back to Best Buy for an exchange, but had exactly the same problem with the second unit. Returned it for a refund, then tried another more distance store (RadioShack), hoping maybe they’d have an different batch. This third one worked perfectly right out of the box. Had never had a GPS unit with such a loud volume level.
Then, two months later for no apparent reason (didn’t reset, didn’t drop, never updated the software), all of a sudden, the exact same volume level problem reappears. Now I’m out of the 30 return window and have to call TomTom to see about repair/replacement. I’d already tried resetting to factory conditions, restarting (holding power button for 15+ seconds), updating the application software, uninstalling/reinstalling the application software) to no avail. TomTom’s tech support had me do a simple reset (holding the power switch) and then turning the volume up to 100% and testing. The volume was still way too low and noticeably distorted on top of that. The guy immediately tells me, “that sounds good, that should be OK.” When I told him it was way too quiet, he insisted that it was loud enough because he could hear it through the phone, implying that I was being unreasonable and was probably out of options, but that he’d go check and see what else (if anything) could be done.
Long story short, I complained to a supervisor and got a return authorization. But now, before I’ve sent it off, I stumbled upon this web-site full of wonderful information, and see a user post saying that he rapped his speaker firmly with is hand. Lo and behold, I slapped the speaker grill on the back of my unit (firmly with the flat of my hand, and the thing is back up to very loud (undistorted) volume levels! Don’t know what to do now…return for new or live with what we’ve got.
Thanx for a wonderful site.
Hi, I have a couple of questions about the 130s
1. Since it’s a new model, are all the map versions the same no matter where you buy,or are some already carrying updated maps?
2. Without opening the box how do you know what version it is?
3To charge at home do you have to use a tt home charger or will any charger like from a phone or razor work?
Thanks for any help.
1) There will likely be some with different map versions but it really doesn’t matter since TomTom offers a 30 day latest map guarantee.
2) You don’t.
3) Some will work– you would just need to make sure they have the same power output to not fry the GPS.
Joe,
re power charging at home. I find a Blackberry charger works very well – used it in both USA and Australia (same charger with appropriate fitting) but for Third Edition TomTom so imagine it would work for 130S as well.
This was posted in the forums, but for those who updated to the 720 maps and are getting the incorrect street names using the TTS, read here for a fix; http://www.gpsreview.net/forums/viewtopic.php?t=7076
Hi,
One more question about the 130s,if I have an alternative route to a site that i prefer to take, can it be saved and used whenever i want to go there or do I have to enter it each time I want to use it. If not, which TT do I need to look at to get this feature? Thanks
You can add a via point to a route, but you can’t “save” that setup. (Although it only takes a second or two.) If you want more than one via point to build a route or to save that route, any TomTom other than the ONE 3rd Edition, 130, and 130s would work.
Tim I must ask you, do you work for TomTom or for this web sight ?
I work for this website. You can checkout our Ethics page if you have any questions.
New to all this. Just bought the TomTom 130-S. It is great…ONLY when I select a route and start it, after about 2 -3 minutes I get a demo/ad series of images run. The voice to tells me where/when to turn, but i have to keep touching the screen to see the route. Please tell me how to fix this.
Phil – Can you describe in more detail what you see?
It is like it is running an instore demo, listing the features of the unit. It is annoying to have to constantly keep touching the screen to get to the map. I assume that there must be a setting to remove or stop the screenshots/demo stop running.
Phil – did you ever figure out how to get rid of that – mine does it too.
hmmm…. I’m not really sure what to tell you on that one, Phil. There used to be a ’show tips’ or ‘hide tips’ setting which would do something similar to what you describe– though not while actively following a route. Last I knew TomTom didn’t have specially built “in store” models. You might need to contact TomTom support about that one.
I have a severe hearing impairment and do NOt expect to use the audio on a GPS when I buy it. It would be used by me either at a stop – or while my wife is driving. Are any units especially suited to this type of usage??
Harry, the TomTom models offer more customization of what you can add to the map display than many other brands, so they would perhaps be a good pick. You might want to consider a device that has a widescreen though so you can fit more on the map display and it will make it easier to scan the map. For those, consider the TomTom ONE XL-S or the TomTom XL 330s.
Three Tom Tom 130S and none of them worked properly. First could not find the satellite and froze up and, second had the volume issue common to this model from a particular store, third froze up like the first…store refunded my money and thought that this was not the model/make for me.
Just purchased the TOMTOM XL330-S and boy was I disappointed. At first I thought the unit was defective as there was no volume. I then located the volume and pumped it up to 100% as well as used the tomtomhome website to update my software. Well, the volume and the speaker was low and muffled at times…kind of like underwater with a muffled tone. After reading this site, I popped the speaker with my palm. On the third pop, the speaker completely changed. It is now AT LEAST 35-50% more powerful and is NOT garbled. Thanks for the tip!…you saved me much time and hassle by bypassing a return. We’re coming in loud and clear now.
Tim,
Has TomTom shown any interest in this discussion on volume which at least now has a way to fix it? It clearly was more than an isolated batch that it appeared to be at the beginning.
TomTom is aware of the issue. They are encouraging people who have the issue to exchange it as that might be fastest. Or if they prefer support will exchange it.
Thanks to whomever decided to give their Tom Tom a LOVE TAP!!
It worked! I could barely hear it, called to exchange it and then figured I’d give it a google! WOW…WHAT a difference!
I am going to call TomTom tomorrow and ask if there is still reason to exhange or if it is permantly fixed!?
I’ll keep you posted!
I’ll be darned!
I was about to return the 130S to BB tomorrow due to the speaker problem. After trying the palm trick, I hit it against my knee and low and behold John Cleese can be heard in all his glory!
Thanks for the tip.
Hmmm where do I send my tech support fee too at TomTom for finding that the “Fonzie” method of repair was needed to get these things to sound right
Comment no. 38 is correct. After map updates street names are “very” incorrect. “All” street names are “very” incorrect. Maple Drive is now called Smith St.(ex.) In addition the word “bridges” is pronounced “branches” by the computer voice. That is no small problem. Do not update the map on these units. Otherwise these units are good, if you can live through the mispronunciation of the word bridge.
TomTom replaced my 130s in 6 days. I shipped it out on a Friday….received the new one on the following Thursday.
Ordered a 130s for a good price from a private seller on Ebay, I was hopeful it would come in time for our vacation, but it didn’t so the wife borrowed her sisters’ Nuvi 260. The only thing I mainly disliked about it was asking the wife to read me the next turn off the display, seems the 130s speaks it more in advance, also like that TT provides USB cable and has pretty good interface program for updates, maps, backup, and trip planning.
The 130s was waiting at the post office when we got back having gone pp instead of priority, as it was supposed to. Excited I charged it using the usb cable and after powering it up was having problems with the voice, I’m not quite sure what the problem was now but in the process of trouble shooting decided to download another copy of the female computer voice and had problems during the install with reading some file so downloaded the male voice which worked. DL’ed the female voice a few more times and it finally worked too. Had a similar problem upgrading the firmware update I think deleting the questioned file after backing it up and reinstalling helped. Didn’t update the map however, also did give it a few slaps in desperation during the sound problem. The volume is great.
I was in contact with support during the voice install problem, their first level support didn’t help resolve the problem, so second level was supposed to get back to me after the weekend (I called on a Friday) but they never did.
The only little thing that bugs me is somehow during the trip testing using a Dunkin Donut POI as a test route it got stored as an icon in the favorites menu.
Overall the wife likes the Nuvi for its simplicity and I like the TT for its advance turn notification and Home program.
PS
One thing I don’t like about the 130s is if you go off route it doesn’t announce that it’s recalculating the route as the Nuvi does.
Tim
I noticed on a test trip it seemed not to pick the interstate name over the state route name, Interstate 355 over Illinois 9, or do you think someone renamed it? Seems there’s no way to remove map corrections and go back to the origional or or is there?
Are these units designed to stay in the heat of a parked car sitting in the sun all day ? Bob
when I zoom out on my 130 how can I keep it in that position with out it automatically returning to normal veiwing screen ?
Once thing I really like about Garmin is that it tells you which side of the road your destination is. Does TomTom, Magellan or any other GPS that yo know of can give this neat piece of information?
Patrick, it isn’t likely someone renamed it. You can remove corrections from the MapShare preferences if you want to try that.
Bob, see Will Heat Damage my GPS? and TomTom Destination Left / Right.
Changing auto zoom isn’t on the ONE series, only the GO series.
In response to comment no. 169: The TomTom One 130S
does a fine job with this feature
172. How so Errol? Can you please elaborate further. I really like what I read about TomTom and I dont want the left/right feature to be a factor which will make me go for Garmin.
I recently bought the 130S and was very happy with it unitl I tried to take advantage of the newest map gurantee. After downloading the new map I could not install it, being told I needed to remove 16 or so MB more (this is AFTER removing the old map). I don’t have any extra stuff on it and have removed all the extra voices, etc. it came with…still not nearly enough room to go ahead with the installation. Is the memory of this model so small it can’t take the map upgrade of the gurantee it advertises on the box?
Which map version are you trying to install?
Version 720 (of the USA & Canada map) is the one I downloaded with the newest map guarantee, which at 905.2MB is about 64 MB larger than the one it came with (Version 715.1728). Is the available memory really that small or is something going wrong?
Not sure what to tell you, Jerry. When I look at the version 720 map it is about 850 MB in size, about 8 MB larger than the original.
I had my tom tom 130 with very low volume. i send it back to tom tom in US, and they send me another device, the volume is so loud now, wow what a difference. I love it now…
In response to comments nos. 173 & 169 : TT one 130s
informs you to keep right or left after making a turn so that you will be prepared to make the next turn if it is coming right up.
In response to comments nos. 173 & 169 : TT one 130s
has only 1000 mb of data capacity.They don’t leave
much space for upgrades without deleting what is already stored on the devive 1st. That can somtimes be tricky
I mounted my 130 on my motorcycle’s handle bars and I have slight vibration when cruising. Do you think this little vibration could be enough to make my GPS brake ?
Bob – it wouldn’t shock me if it did break, but you could probably get away with it for awhile. Specific to this model with the speaker issues people have been happening I’d worry about the shaking impacting that issue as well.
179. Thanks Errorl. I realize that TT tells you to keep left or right while navigating. However, my question is about the final destination. When you use Garmin, it announces “Arriving at destination on right” or “Arriving at destination on left”, which comes very handy to know which side of the road your final destination is. From what I understand, TT says “You have reached your destination”. How do you know if you destination is on the right side of the road or left?
Bob, the 130s won’t announce it verbally, but when known it is displayed on the screen. The screenshots in that link were taken with a 130s.
Have been having a fun day dealing with tomtom tech support…The first person told me that the 130s memory is too small for the latest map download (Which does download compressed at about 850mb but unpacks to over 900 apparently) and that I would need to send the unit in to tomtom to get the new map installed, then transferred me to person #2 who told me that no, the 130s memory is not too small, the unit I have must have a memory problem, return it. Gotta love conflicting support person info within the same call. Spent the better part of the afternoon exchanging the unit only to find that…wait for it…the new one also cannot take the new map. Spoke to support person #3 who was extremely helpful and sent me a special newer map designed specifically to fit on these versions. Updating now, hopefully it will work. Shouldn’t be a problem for most, but if this happens to you, call tech support and tell them you need the map upgrade specifically for the 130 versions (which they will send you through tomtom home after you fax or email them your proof of purchase). Don’t let them tell you to send in or return the unit, it’s just a waste of time, the unit is fine but the memory is just too small for the map the guarantee downloads. They do know about this problem, and have a map designed to fix it, you just have to find a customer service rep who knows what they’re talking about…third time’s the charm i guess.
I got a TomTom 130S for Christmas. I had the same problem as some other users had reported trying to download the latest map. I made it fit but had to wipe out a lot of POIs. I was left with only 1.4MB of free memory. I was lucky to find this site and the news about the special map for the 130S. I sent an email to tech support but have not received a reply yet.
I have a concern. Is the company going to continue issuing special maps for the 130S or is it going to stop in a few months and we are going to be stuck without being able to update our navigators?
Any comments?
Thanks for the information Jerry, I just became a owner of the 130s and downloaded the new map as well and ran into that problem.. I guess i need to block a few hours of time to talk with them
The comedy of errors continues…the map upgrade fit fine, but I now have the “voice saying wrong street name” problem! This LMG is really great, it automatically downloads a version too big to fit on the device and the tech support “fix” makes the text-to-speech useless! Will be calling tech support again on Monday but will likely just have to live with the outdated map version. Anyone have any news on a fix to the wrong voice problem? I wanted to test your theory Tim, but as I didn’t understand it, I’m taking your advice to not make this problem any worse! The funny thing is, the only reason I have this problem is that I was offered a new version through LMG, I should have left well enough alone!
Decided to not go the tech support route again after my resounding success with it so far
instead decided to gamble on my minimal knowledge of computers and try Tim’s fix, and it worked PERFECTLY! (and was actually not complicated at all) Thank you Tim (and whoever came up with this idea), as soon as I deleted the file, the text to speech was reading the correct street names again! I’m glad I didn’t have to revert back to 715, as I’ve noticed a few changes I like on the update. If anyone else’s 130 is downloading the 905mb map through the latest map guarentee, get tech support to give you version 720 for the 30 series (just about 850mb) then if installing it screws up your text to speech just remove the “cphonmlh” file (as per Tim’s suggestion in comment 123) and you will have the best of both worlds, the latest map with correctly read street names. I love this page, so much more successful advice than tomtom tech support!
Tim: I queried you on 3 June (15.) and you graciously answered. I never did buy my husband the 130S (or any other GPS) and am glad I didn’t having read about all of its inherent problems on your Web site. My husband and I are not tech savy and only want a GPS with “basic” features but have decided against the 130S having read all 187 comments. We did want a GPS with the “Text-to-Speech” function, however, and have since decided that the Garmin Nuvi 260 might be better suited for us. Please give me/us your thoughts…
Don’t forget that this site is the equivalent of an emergency room for GPS devices. People generally come here for one of two reasons. (a) they are researching a GPS for purchase or (b) they are having a problem with their GPS. The people who purchase their device and are happy with it won’t typically report that back by nature.
That isn’t to say that there are not issues with the 130s– there are some speaker problems out there and there are some compatibility issues with the 720 map. But there are bugs out there with every GPS on the market today. The Nuvi 260 for example has had many owners report issues with satellite reception.
This isn’t to say either that I’m trying to convince you the 130s is the way to go– rather to just offer some perspective that the vast majority of 130s owners are quite happy with their GPS.
In general, I sum up Garmin vs TomTom like this… Garmin for simplicity, elegance, “just works”, stability. TomTom for customization, cutting edge technology, more bells & whistles.
I’ll tell you what. I’m glad I didnt get the 130S for an extra 50$ it wouldnt be worth it. You dont need a voice yapping in your ear all the time telling you street names (I hear enough yapping from my wife)My 130 is great, but also like you I read all responses and I dont think I will download any upgrades or new maps. I might try the map share thou. As for the street names its no problem just looking at the unit and reading the streets. Bottom line very happy with my 130
Re: 15 & 189. Thanks Tim. You’re the best! We value your opinion and appreciate your response. We just want a decent (basic – entry level) unit with the “Text-to-Speech” function. We really liked the mount on the 130S; however, we’re both overwhelmed by all the other stuff (features and problems). As you may remember, I was originally interested in a c340 (after having used my son’s c330 on a trip to St. Louis). With the exception of a few problems (in the city) acquiring satellites (it took 3-4 minutes), it worked fine; however, we wanted to know (hear) the street names announced. If you have an even better recommendation than the 260, please let me/us know. With kindest regards and best wishes…
I just came across this website. Great info here!
I was looking at buying the TomTom ONE 130s. I’m new to the whole GPS thing…only having checked out a friend’s old Garmin. I prefer the display of the TomTom. But have a question regarding POIs. I know the 130s doesn’t break restaurants out into cuisine type. But can you still search by “brand”. For example, can I search for the nearest “Outback” or “Walmart”? Also, I’ve seen boards out there with downloadable POIs and voices, etc. for the TomTom…can the 130s accept these?
Vonnie – If you otherwise liked the c330, then the Nuvi 260 is a good safe bet and you can find some good deals on it right now. I also really enjoy the mount of the 130s, and still consider the 130s a good pick in this category.
Kathy – Yes, you can search by brand. You can also download additional POI files right from TomTom’s software which is handy– no need to fool around with downloading from other boards, etc.
Tim,
Great site. I live in western Canada and could currently buy one of 3 GPS units for about the same price. TomTom XL330, NUVI 250, or the GAMRIN C550. What would you recomend?
Got done with work tonight and by the time i releized it was already 20 mins before the support closed… It looks like i ran into one of the poor informed tech support guys because all he told me was to delete the map that i had and download the new one… i explanined to him thats what i did and ended up with the large map file… i explained to him everything that was mentioned in the posts above. i guess he didnt want to deal with it because he was about to leave. maybe tomorrow i can reach someone in ts to actaully listen to what im telling them is wrong.
I just purchased the 130s this afternoon. I can not get the text to speech to work When I pick a voice the prompt appears and mentions that I have selected a human voice and that I can choose a computer voice for reading warning messages. When I get to the next screen the Read aloud names box is not able to be checked. Any help would be great….
Tony, see comments #32 & #138.
Spanking the TomTom. It works. I was ready to take mine back to the Radio Shack til I found this forum. One smack on the back and it is loud.
Thanks
Recently purchased 130S from one of the big guys (they were on sale). Sound problem was there and it was significant for Samantha (text-to-speech). I tried what suggested here, and it worked! All she needed was some spanking
Thank you for the help!
BTW this device is really tiny, but it is pretty good. Much faster than my old bulky navigator, which takes forever to find a street name versus almost-instant lookup in this TomTom.
Do you know what temperatures this device can handle? I don’t like to carry a GPS around, and I leave it in the car pretty much all the time but now I noticed it got really hot in my car that has been parked for couple hours under the sun.
Deniz, we have an article, Will Heat Damage my GPS?, but the information is also in your user manual specific to your device.
Downloaded and installed map 720 on my One 130 last night with no issues or problems.
Tim, I just ordered the 130S. What do you recommend I do 1st with the GPS? Should I upgrade the application, then the map or test the unit as is and then upgrade or etc. I am a newbee with GPS. Any suggestions I didn’t mention is welcomed.
@Kenny, the first thing I’d do is a full backup from the TomTom Home program. This is useful if you ever need to do a complete reset of the unit. I restored my first 130 to the factory settings before I returned to it. (It had the low volume problem.)
Then I’d upgrade the GPS’s software version. After all that is sorted out I’d try to upgrade the map using the latest map guarantee. I have the 130, not the 130S: some are reporting the latest map guarantee version you download for the 130S doesn’t fit, and you need to call TomTom for a special version.
Kenny, I’d just take it out of the box, turn it on, and try it out on some familiar routes… get to know the characteristics of the device and how it works. Worry about updates, etc later.
Tim,
Has 130-S automatic switching-off after keys are pulled out from ignition?
Thanks
Hi, I’m trying to decide between the tomtom 130s and the Nuvi 260. I’m not able to find a breakdown of the exact features offered by each device. I looked at the comparison charts on this site but don’t see all of the bells and whistles that the tomtom is supposed to have and the 260 doesn’t. Also, is the mapshare capability of the tomtom any good? Can you point me in the right direction? Thanks!
Hello Tim,
does 130S have automatic power off? like Stan is asking?
Peter/Stan,
It will not power off automatically since it has a built in battery unless the battery is not charged. It will run on battery power when not plugged in or when you remove the keys.
The built in battery doesn’t have much to do with it as other GPS devices that have built in batteries do have an auto-off function. But no, the 130 series doesn’t auto-off on external power loss.
Just bought a 130S, when planning a 170 mile route, it tells me it will take 4.5 hours, which is over an hour longer than I know it should take. I used the fastest route too. Any tips?
Mark, your first hand knowledge will always trump the database.
Re:Auto-off. Actually, the ONE 130 does have an auto-off function. Go to “Brightness Preferences” in Preferences and the check box for auto-off is the third screen. I had called cutomer support and they said there was no such function but I managed to find it by accident.
Yeah, you are right… I was thinking of auto-on.
Re:Auto-off. I can’t seem to find the third screen. When I go to Brightness Preferences, I can only get to a second screen that says never turn off screen, turn off screen between instructions and always turn off screen. Is there a particular option you must select to get to the third screen?
I don’t have my machine with me but I believe if you touch “Done” a couple of time it takes you there.
I just updated to 8.01 and it has the option to “switch off when external power is lost”. The older version that came installed (I think it was 7.51) didn’t have this feature. It’s located in the Brightness preferences. You have to hit done twice and the option will come up.
I’m very interested in the 130s. However, I can’t decide between the 130s and the Garmin 260w. Which one would you recommend? Thanks.
I have had my 130s for almost a month. I updated to version 8 software. I just recently took advantage of the map update. I ran into all issues mentioned. After several different map updates I was told by tech support that version 720.1843 (Released 8/11) took care of all problems. I updated my unit even though the file size was shown to be 904mb. It took up about 840mb and the 130S seems to be working fine.
I recently updated mine too and the map is 720.1802 using 851.1mb. My LMG says it is the latest.
I recently bought an 130s during trip in U.S. The advertising of the text to speech said the 130s will give the name of the street. My experiance during my trip was that the message was more general like : prepare to turn to right in 800 yard or turn right. Is it ok or i miss something in the set-up. Exept that, great GPS for the money.
Is there an option to enable a beep or voice prompt when you miss a turn and a new route is calculated? I think this is an important feature which, if not already existings, should/could be added with a firmware update.
Tim
Thanks for this great information, I am considering a 130 and this site really helped me with my the decision (to buy).
Your input, assistance and opinions I appreciate greatly, who knows I may post a question or answer on here someday.
Although the speaker may be an issue, hopefully by now those models are gone, and although I don’t like the extra cables for the traffic updates I will most likely not that additional feature anyways.
It’s the second time my wife handed me the 130s mount in pieces, I gave her the righty tighty lefty loosey spiel and showed her mount and unmounting again. I hope practice will help her but was wondering if a bean bag mount might be needed and if anyone else is having similar problems?
How Mac-friendly is the 130s? Compared with nuvi 260, which would you consider the most Mac friendly?
@Brett – I don’t have a Nuvi, but the 130 is quite Mac friendly. The same software (TomTom Home) is available on both Mac and PC, and it has the same features with the notable exception of controlling the unit virtually via USB (you have a mockup of the screen you can click on). For the moment, that last feature is PC only. I haven’t tried using VMWare Fusion to access that feature, but I’m guessing it’d work.
Sylvian – Make sure you have enabled text to speech. It sounds like you might not have.
Andre – No. Most people find it annoying when the GPS yells “recalculating”. You can’t turn back time so it doesn’t really provide useful information to know you’ve missed a turn. Why get stressed out when you don’t have to? Just let it route you the current fastest way.
Patrick I haven’t heard of others breaking, so it doesn’t seem to be a common issue. You can get beanbag mounts from companies like Arkon.
Brett – They both have a few quirks… I’d rate them fairly equal in that regard.
On the 130 S can other US computer voices be downloaded? If so, exectly where do you go to do that?
Helen – Yes, through the TomTom HOME software.
Tim – Re: 226 Andre
I completely disagree. If I miss a turn, I want to know about it. A short beep is not annoying. Besides, the recalculated routes usually consist of a U-turn. Without knowing that you made a mistake you would think it’s the GPS’ mistake. Anyway, if it were an option we would both be happy. But not so…
Thanks!
Stay away from this device until they have updated it! I had the ‘honor’ to test 3 of them. It is nice, everything can be customized, but it is of poor quality
1) too low volume – bad speaker
2) good volume, the unit died within the 1st hr of usage. It stopped receiving GPS signals and went blind. Return number 2.
3) The third unit got suddenly totally slow in updating the screen and informed me to take some exits about 30 secs after I had passed them at 45-55 mph speed (open sky area with 11 satellites connected). In open residential areas at 15-25 mph, it took the screen about 1 block to update a turn. The reception quality was still 11 satellites. A factory reset and deactivation of any POIs etc did not help at all. Most annoyingly, it ‘jumped’ the car icon onto exits, parallel streets etc only to begin recalculating the route and being inactivated forever in areas of soso-satellite connection. I was extremely disappointed and returned the 130 for a refund. I now have a Garmin 205. The latter is much less adjustable and does not allow to update POIs or voices, but is 5 times faster in screen updates and much more accurate.
Bottomline: Technically immature attempt to provide a great low priced GPS. I would buy it again once the reviews tell me that those things have sufficient quality and durability combined with better processing and reception abilities.
I’ve had it for about 3 weeks and I had no such problems. My volume was loud; I would intensionally go off course and it would recal within seconds. The only issue I have is the pronouncation. I use the computer voice and the word “bridge” is pronounced branch. There are others like San Francisco off the top of my head. Are others getting the same pronouncation problem?
Overall, I would definately recommend it.
In response to comment no. 231. I also have
experienced the mis pronunciation of bridges
as branches. Tech support said that they may fix this problem in the future. I have the 130s.
I purchased 130s this weekend. Now that I see this LMG/720 problem it worries me that I will not be able to get any future updates for 130s. New maps will be most likely bigger and bigger. Is TT going to release smaller versions of the new maps? I am not sure about that. I just tried installing 720 and it does not fit on my device, so even after at least a month that this problem is known, I will still need to call the support to get the correct map (and probably have to fix text2speech manually).
I really like 130s, but I wouldn’t like to get stuck with the current map and never be able to upgrade it.
btw, does anybody know what folders/files can be safely removed from the device? I can see lots of license files for example that I don’t need.
It seems that TomTom Home can’t differenciate the 130s and provide the correct map size.
It also wants to make sure you download items you have no use for ie; if I only use the computer voices why would I have to have the other voices.
I am looking to purchase a GPS. I like the TT1 3ed. What are the differences between the TT1 XL, 130, 130S, and the LE? Do these have re-route, route planning, what else should I know? Thank you.
Update on the 720 map installation. I actually managed to install 720 without getting the modified version from the support. I removed some POI (schools), unused voices and I manually deleted most of the stuff from helpme/other and HOME installation files, licenses. That gave me enough space to install 720.1843 using LMG function in HOME (and some extra space left). This might cause some issues with the future firmware updates, but I will deal with that later.
Sheri – all of those models will automatically reroute. The LE is the most basic. The 130 and 130s add the EasyPort mount as indicated in the review at the top of this page. The 130s has Text To Speech. The XL adds Multi Destination Routing and a Widescreen display.
Once you program a destination and your following it and then you want to check out a POV on your route, How do you clear out that POV and still keep the original directions
You can “check out” a POI without actually creating a route to that POI. But if you have created a route to the POI, you can go back to routing to the original location by Menu -> Navigate to -> Recent Destinations.
Thanks Tim. but how do you “check out”
Menu -> Browse Map ->Find -> Point of Interest ->
Is there a legend of all the colors and shapes on the 130 screen ?
Not that I’m aware of but you could use something like the program from colorschemeeditor.com screenshot here to get a feel for what the different features are.
The volume level on the 130S is fantastic. I spent a week in L.A. with a convertible and hearing directions at highway speeds with the top down was no problem.
I do have one question. The “Samantha” voice (which I believe is the only voice that supports TTS) seems to have disappeared, even though I can see files related to that voice when I connect it to my computer. Is there any way for me to add that voice back? If I restore the software, is there any way I can back up my favorites and restore them to the device?
Mike, you can reinstall the voice from the TomTom HOME application if it is indeed corrupt.
Tim, that voice doesn’t show up as an option. Is it because the 130S thinks that it’s still installed? I can see some “Samantha” related files on the TomTom’s internal memory card. Do I need to get rid of those first? This is the error I get when I try to run a backup..
An error occurred while reading this file: “Volumes/lNTERNAL/VocalizerTTS/enu/speech/components/
synth_samantha_dri40_155mrf22_270_06.dat”
You may need to uninstall it, yes.
I got to say, I could’nt live with out my TT 130. But while in Busch Gardens it did a crazy thing. It told me to take a off ramp then another and so forth, It made me do figure 8’s (it would of made me do figure 8’s all day) Whats up with that ?
replace my one 3rd edition with a 130s will I have to uninstall tomtom home on computer before connecting my 130s?
No need to uninstall HOME.
I was just wondring if you have to go between tomtom 130 and tomtom one 3rd edition which one you will pick in terms of pros?
I’d go with the 130 over the 3rd Edition for the mount convenience, updated software, etc.
Thank you very much for your reply Tim. Just one more thing, do you know if we can enter canadian postal codes to search an address as i know you can search by U.S zip codes but couldn’t find a way to search by canadian postal codes with tomtom 130.
Bought the tom tom 130s last night from BB, was extremely disappointed the the volume level. Thought that maybe to reduce costs, tom tom decided to go with a cheaper speaker. I was about to return the product when i googled the problem and came up with this site.
I tried the fonzie method by hitting the speaker with my palm and the volume immediately doubled. I hit it a second time to make sure i was solved and the volume went down. Hit it a third time and now the unit is incrediably loud without distortion at the highest settings. I actually have to turn it down.
My question, is this fix permenant. Any memember have reoccuring problems or should i just exchange it. Currently the unit is working and is really loud but it bothers me the second time i hit it, the unit become low again before hitting it a final time.
thank ou
Do any other comparably priced gps units have the ability to avoid a certain road like the 130?
I just bought TomTom 130s and I love it. It makes our trip hassle free and the text to speech sound is so loud. We are planning a trip to Canada next week. Do I need to purchase Canada map to plan our route or put it as our destination?
Arslan – Very few that I can think of.
Vilma – If you purchased it in the USA or Canada it already has the Canada maps loaded.
Dani – I’m able to search by Canadian postal codes on my 130. What steps are you taking?
Any idea when we might see a major update to the USA maps? I love the 130S, but we had a thirteen mile Interstate extension that opened last year that the current maps do not show.
All I can really tell you Mike is that TomTom releases updated maps about once per quarter.
Hi Tim! thanks for reply. this is the path i follow: first tap on NAVIGATE TO and then i tap on ADDRESS and there i only see icon for ZIP CODE i never saw any icon for POSTAL CODE. Please provide me the path you follow to enter canadian postal codes and yes i have tomtom one 130.
Dani – that is the steps I’m taking, it allows me to enter a postal code there just fine.
Great site Tim. I’ll be flying to Orlando in a week and after a few days I’ll vagabond around the state in a rental car. I expect to look for local POI’s while driving and I’ll park and walk extensively. After my trip I’ll have no further use for a GPS so I’ll give it to my son. He’ll be happy with whatever he gets. Cost is not an issue. I won’t play music through the GPS nor will I use my cell. I will take it with me when I go walk-about and expect it to return me to my start point. I’d like detailed spoken instructions from the unit. I don’t mind if it has features that I’ll not use ‘cuz my son may use them. As I said, money/cost is not a factor. I’m fairly techno savvy but would expect a unit to be fairly user friendly. I have no brand loyalty but TomTom and Garmin are the most available brands in my area. So…. what unit do you recommend? Perhaps you could suggest a choice from each brand. Thanks for your help.
Tim:
Very recently I purchased a GPS TT One 130. If it is possible, I would like to set up a few destinations which can be quickly accessed. Can this be achieved with this device? If so, how is it done?
Menu -> Add Favorite.
Tim:
Ta 4 terse tip. Menu-> Add Favorite-> enter info. Correct?
Hi Tim… I value your opinion highly but I realize every opinion is subjective. I’m still waiting for a reply to my previous post (#263). I’d really like your recommendation ‘cuz my time line is short.
Specs: widescreen, text to voice, good Canada & USA maps, good for walk-about, don’t care about Bluetooth, music or traffic reports. Cost doesn’t matter. Garmin or TomTom ‘cuz most selections available in my patch of the world (Winnipeg, MB. Canada) Thx.
p.s. If you won’t answer my question, please send a courtesy reply telling me so. Thx…cheers
Tim:
On Control Panel, under Add or Remove Programs, below Tom Tom HOME, there is this entry… VC_MergeModuleToMSI. On another forum it was claimed that it was related to TT HOME and also that it was not related. Has it actually anything to do with Tom Tom HOME? Speaking of which. Would installing it on TT 130 pose any threat to the operation of device? Being not at all well versed in electronic technology, I would not have a clue on how to uninstall it. Should TT HOME be uninstalled from my PC?
toolman – Unfortunately, I get several hundred questions per day and can’t answer them all. I try to answer most that are relevant to the page they are on. But I’d look at these two.
Glen – I don’t know.
Tim:
Please excuse my being a pest but, how do you delete list of Favorites?
Menu -> Change Preferences -> Manage Favorites.
Thank you for info re Fave’s, So much to learn, so little time.
Would 130S or 330S be still usable in other countries if unit was bought from the US?
Yes, although you would need to purchase a map for those other countries.
This site is really helpfull. I bought a 130s because i am often in the US and it will help me get around. I would like to use this in other countries where I go to some of which have maps but also some thqt does not. I would like to uss the 130s in these countries with or without a map while just walking. Can this be done?
Ed, I guess that depends on what you want the device to do for you. You could mark waypoints on a blank map using favorites, and browse a 2D map showing those locations as well as your relative position, but you wouldn’t be able to create/follow any routes.
Hi Tim,
Could you please tell me how to delete old destination addresses, ( not favourites )on my TomTom One 30 series.
Thank You.
Menu -> Navigate to -> Recent Destination -> Delete.
Hi Tim,
Thank You.
You have an excellent site. It has helped me a lot
What is the difference between 130 and the 130s
The 130s has Text To Speech, the 130 just has voice prompts.
I just bought a 130 and am thinking of exchanging it for a 130s. I could do without the text-to-speech but what really bothers me is the 130 doesn’t show the street name of the next turn on the screen (only shows major highways). Does the 130 show the street name of the next turn on the screen or does it just speak it to you?
That last sentence should say 130s.
Or better yet, is there a way that I can get my 130 to show the name of the next street I’ll turn on to on the screen. I have the “show next highway / signpost” box checked but the only thing that shows up at the top of my screen is the next “highway”. If the next turn is onto a street then nothing is shown at the top of the screen. It doesn’t show street names until I’ve turned on them and then it shows the name of the current street I’m on at the bottom of the screen.
I had a map from TomTom but for a different Nokia model ie TomTom One Xl not text to spêech. Would it be compatible with 130S? How do we get it synch to each other? Is it just a copy and paste job ? Thank you Tim.
No, maps are licensed, activated, and then locked to individual devices.
I just bought my Tomtom one 130s and had the issue with low volume. I thought like a previous poster, my problem might be an upgrade. I tried upgrading which produced the red x of death. I had to delete and reload the tomtom os and it came up fine. Also, I tried the slap the back of the speaker approach and had no luck. I did find an easier way of placing my mouth on the speaker and gently blow/suck air in and out and the Tomtom sounds excellent. Do not use a great amount of force. This is easier / safer then smacking the unit.
About a week ago I purchased at Tom Tom 130s for my nephew for college. I was working fine and then it lost the signal for about 4 days. I thought it might be the area however, he has traveled over 3 hours and still has the same problem…can anyone offer some assistance
Katie – See our page on Acquiring Satellites. You can also use TomTom HOME and go to Remove Items -> Items on Device -> QuickGPSfix Data, delete the item under that section, then reboot the device.
Can someone answer a question about map updates? My map version is currently 715.1728. I understand the current map version is 725. Before I shell out $60 for a Midwestern map or $80 for a USA map, is there a site that shows roads that have been added or even a graphic representation of the current maps? I had a 13 mile interstate extension that opened near me eleven months ago and I’d like to know if it is on the current maps before I shell out the money for it.
Mike, there isn’t a site where you can get a definitive “yes”. You can check mapinsight.teleatlas.com and if you don’t see it there, then it likely isn’t in the 725 map. If it is there, I’d ask around in our TomTom Forums to see if anyone there with the 725 can check your specific location.
Tim, thanks much for the tip. I was not aware of the TeleAtlas site, but I now have it bookmarked as I suspect it may come in handy for future updates. The tollway extension I made reference to does appear on the TeleAtlas site, so I am going to take the plunge and download 725.
Keep in mind that the Tele Atlas site represents the very most recent data, and is updated just about daily. So that route might not be in the 725 map.
Thanks…I’ll keep my fingers crossed. I did a Google search and someone on another forum said that it was in 725 and posted an accompanying screen shot to prove it.
Hi, I returned a ONE 130s because of the speaker problem. I bought a XL 30 series. My questions is when I went online with it I can not log into my account with my new device. what do I do? thanks
Danny, TomTom uses one account/email address per device. So you will need to setup a new account/email address for the new device. Or, you can contact TomTom support by phone and ask them to enable you to setup your new device on the old account.
Thank you, I will call them tomorrow
Hello, I have 2 questions, firstly just bought the TomTom 130, so I tested it this morning to give me the directions to go to work. I have driven this route for 20 years,which is the shortest and quickest. Anyways it gave me the wrong turn-off exit from the freeway, one exit to soon. Is this common? Secondly, what’s the biggest difference between the 130 and 130s?
Thanks.
The only difference between the 130 and 130s is that the 130s has Text To Speech. As to the route, you won’t always agree with the route picked.
Thanks very much, very informative web site.
Kind regards.
For the sake of prolonging battery life and perhaps the life of the power button switch what does the other 2 battery saving prefernces do? preferably I would like a soft switch to power off or automatically go off after reaching destination esp. if i have like 5-10 destinations a day. What setting would you recommend aside from manually shutting it off and on 20 times a day. I luv my 130s by the way esp with the McDonalds and WallGreens Icon I downloaded for my POI.
After updating application from ver 7.52 to 8.010 showed auto-off function after disconnecting power simulating turning off the ignition in car.
I am looking to purchase GPS for my parents in rural northern Michigan. Are there satelites everywhere, or will it be a waste to them?
This sight is so helpful! Thanks Tim!!
The GPS satellites are not stationary like satellite TV satellites– they cover the entire globe equally.
I have had the tomtom 130 for 3 mouths and I love it. But the battery dies in less then a week with the gpsis turned off. I have charger it with the computer and the car charger and the next time i when to use it the gps would not turn on. I had to hook it to the car charger and wait 5 min for it to turn on. Other then that it is great. I like how easy it is to update it on tomtom web site.
I have a Tom Tom 130S and was wondering what the Battery life expectancy is, and what is best use of battery, charging and discharging?
Thanks
Hi,
I am loking for system for my son. Do you have a preference between TomTom130, magellan Roadmate 1200 and the Nextar Q4? Thanks.
Neil, battery life is “up to” 3 hours. I typically get about 2.
Denise, I’d probably put them in that order.
Sorry I misled you on Battery life, I meant before the battery gave out totally, in life expectancy!
Can one replace the battery with new one or is the GPS throwaway?
1,000 complete charge/discharge cycles is frequently cited to be about the norm. The battery is not replaceable.
Given the tendency of the TomTom (in my experience) to lose power over a few days or so when not in use, the 1000 charge/discharge cycles might be reached fairly quickly – I hope not. I guess it can still be used when plugged in to the car kit.
I tried looking through the questions to see if you had already answered this, but there was so many! =]
I am considering the TomTom 130 for an upcoming road trip (which will take around 18 hours), as well as the fact that I am moving to a new state soon. I saw that you noted the battery life at just under 3 hours. Is it possible for me to plug the GPS into the car while I drive, to avoid having to pull over every couple of hours to recharge?
Thank you for your help and great information!
Alexandra, the 130s comes with a car charger and you can use the device and charge it at the same time in the car.
is the a way to adjust the audio settings so that it does not announce every exit along the route as you drive along on the freeway?
Larry it shouldn’t announce each exit unless the device wants you to take that exit. I’ve never heard of that behavior before.
Hi Tim,
I have a 330s that I bought recently. The device works fine but when I try to operate it from Tomtom Home it says that this feature is not available for the device or the operating system.
Can you help?
Tilak, I’d contact TomTom support or ask in our forums.
i am wanting to buy a gps for my husband for x-mas. I want to spend in the price range of $100 to $180 dollars. What is your opion on a good one to buy. We have never had one berfore? Thanks
tim,
new to GPS – buying as gift – looking at tomtom130 and Garmin Nuvi 200 but want text to speech – what do you knw about nextar Q4-04, X3-08,m3-03,X3-03, or Q3-12 – I couldn’tfind out much which led me to look at Garmin or TOMTOM – any suggestions for text to speech units for young (22) driver -mainly city driving
I bought a 130S a couple of weeks ago and love it. I finally realized that only a computer voice will give me street names, so I installed it. Also, I have given up mounting it on the windshield– it wouldn’t stay– and have it on the dash with the adhesive that came in the box. I wish it turned off by itself.
Thanks to your reviews, I chose this model.
In your opinion, is it worth it to buy the “replacement plans” or “service plans” that many stores offer with these products? Or do they hold up pretty well? I’m only going to be using a GPS in my car (debating between the TomTom 130 and Garmin 205). Would a replacement plan be a good investment? They are usually only for a year….
Thanks for your help!
I have a TomTom One 3rd edition. I wanted to try it for geocaching which requires entering waypoints or latitude & longitude. Is there a way to do that on this device? Where can I get instructions?
I figured out how to fix the problem with no tools at all. Yes the speaker cone is popped out and that is why it is quiet. Solution? Wrap your lips around the entire back panel and blow out gently until you hear a pop. That is it! It will be much louder. You might need a big mouth though lol. It worked for me.
I came here to evesdrop. Someday I will know what to buy.
I have the TomTom 130s that I purchased back in May. In June I called their service department, because my suction mount was not holding in the lock position, and would slowly start to loosen off, and then the whole unit would pop off the dash. They were very good and sent me a whole new mount within a few days. Now it is happening again. Tim, have you heard of this happening? Is it a problem with the mount? Has anyone else experienced this? I really like the unit, but I’m frustrated with this problem. Thanks.
Lisa, you might want to read How to make GPS Suction Cup Mounts Stick – Tips, Tricks & Mods. It is a problem with just about every suction cup out there. I haven’t heard a significant number of more complaints about the 130 series over other devices.
I had this problem on one of the mounts as well. The lock ring wouldn’t stay put. A replacement didn’t have this issue and still works fine.
Thanks Tim. Next trip I will try rubbing alcohol on the dash disc and the suction cup. I’ll let you know what happens. Thanks again for your help.
I couldn’t decide and bought a TomTom 130s and also a Garmin nuvi 260w. I haven’t opened either and need to return one. It’s for a sixteen year old girl (with no sense of direction) to drive around town. Which one should I keep?
If you keep the GPS unit plugged into the cigarette lighter as you drive, does the battery retain its charge? Also, if you have the GPS unit turned off, but plugged in, will it charge the GPS unit? accessory use the
The battery does retain the charge while driving with it plugged in. If it is turned off, but plugged in, and power is being sent to the plug, it will also charge.
Tim, do you by any chance have information on whether or not Tom Tom has addressed the volume problem with 130*/330*? It’s almost 2009 but people are still talking about this.
Ron, TomTom addressed it quite a long time ago. I haven’t heard of many people recently receiving one of the impacted devices. It isn’t a software issue. You can actually fix it yourself quite easily in most cases with the technique outlined above.
Tim, first, awesome site! (Thx _so_ much!)
TomTom ONE 130 OS bug? (Same w/ TT ONE 3rd Ed.)
When living in rural location, rural route street ‘numbers’ generally appear on map databases vaguely or incorrectly, so one wants to set “home” as “my location”, ie, as a LatLon, _not_ as a street address per se. (Command sequence: “Change Preferences” >> [2 of 5] “Change Home location” >> [2 of 2] to “My Location”).
So one sets “home” as point where one physically is (opposed to entering specific street address), TomTom records location as Lat/Lon. If you ask TT where you are at that time, it will correctly show location on map, describing nearest streets w/ included text annotation (ie, clearly TT does know LatLon positions in map database). So far, so good.
But, when somewhere else, if one subsequently tries to go _to_ your “home” location (still as LatLon you set), TT is stymied; it says, “No route found”. Likewise, if one tries to use 2nd screen command, “Prepare route A to B”, w/”home” as _destination_ (ie, “B”), TT still stymied. (Of course, if street address was entered as “home” location, there’s no problem at all.)
However, if one tries to navigate _from_ “home” location (still set as LatLon), to somewhere else, no problem, TT finds route! Likewise, if one uses 2nd screen command, “Prepare route A to B”, with “home” as _start_ point (ie, “A”), then TT manages just fine as well.
So, one can go from a LatLon (”home”) location to somewhere else, but TT doesn’t seem to be able to show you the way “home” when “home” is expressed as a LatLon!
Since one is getting an asymmetric response from, if you will, a reciprocal command, this looks like a possible OS bug.
Tried TechSuprt; they don’t seem to understand. (One can readily report map bugs from TT ONE via TT Home app [on one's PC], but amount of text “allowed” for such corrections is limited… so not enough text to report a problem like this.) Comments /suggestions?
Jeremy, Tech Support probably isn’t aware of the bug, however one of their Product Managers does because I walked them through it a couple of months ago. Here is a workaround. Instead of using ‘My Location’, go to ‘Latitude Longitude’ as the add type instead. So long as you are currently at the location you want to mark, the default lat/long will be your current location.
For some reason using ‘Latitude Longitude’ instead of ‘My Location’ gets around the ‘No Route Found’ error.
Tim,
Awesome site since I am a newbie to the GPS world. I’ve bought a Garmin Nuvi 200 and also a TomTomOne 130 and can’t make up my mind, would you recommend one over the other? I see Garmin has 5 stars compared to the TomTom’s 4 stars. One thing I worry about is the lack of text to speech on the Garmin, meaning it does not talk you to your destination, is that correct? Appreciate any feedback, thanks!
Kim, the Nuvi 200 has voice prompts, but it does not have Text To Speech. See that link for the difference.
Does the TomTom One 130 allow you to search for what’s nearby? Such as find the closest bank?
Katie, yes.
…I’m a VERY young newbie(still in high school)… and i’m getting the tomtom one 130s for Xmas… and i dont really have $ for updates… so would it be free to find banks and gas stations and stuff… and are the map updates free????
You can find banks and gas stations, etc. That is free. Community shared map updates are free too, but the official map updates are an extra cost should you want one.
Using favorites, XL 330-s shows a route through a city. But a prefferred route is known. Used TRAVEL VIA to specify desired route. Used POINT ON MAP to select desired direction. How can I tell gps the preffered route and store info in favorites ?
Basic question “How can the FAVORITES routes be modified”.
Don, you can’t. Favorites are just individual locations, not routes. You can’t save a route. To save a route (multiple points, with vias) then you would need to upgrade to one of the TomTom models that has Itinerary Planning.
I have more than one TomTom 130 S device. Is there a way to backup both without overwriting the backup of the other device?
Ok well i got my new TomTom One 130-S Tim, and it WAS great… but my TomTom Home is’nt working at all… I even UNinstalled it and downloaded the one from the TomTom webstite… both times i got the same result: I cant do anything because something keeps poping up saying I have a certificate error!
…. I am VERY frusterated… how do i get TomTom Home to work on Windows XP without saying i have a certificate error?
Paul & Krisstal – Those are both questions probably directed at TomTom support or asked in our forums section.
I’m a new GPS owner. My TomTom One 130s doesn’t tell me street names. I have a computer voice activated and I’ve marked it to read street names aloud. Is there something else I need to do to make say the street names?
i have the same problem let me know what the problem was
I am considering purchasing a TomTom One 130S or XL 330S. I am particularly interested in using the device on trips to the U.K. and Europe, as well as here in North America. I realize that I will have to buy U.K. and Europe maps, and the lack of SD card capability makes swapping maps very inconvenient. Will the text-to-speech feature work with U.K. and Europe maps (using English computer voice) installed on a TomTom unit made for the U.S./Canada market? Does either the One 130S or XL 330S have an advantage for the application I am interested in?
Last summer I used a factory-installed GPS unit that came with the new Renault I rented for 3 weeks in France and Switzerland. That GPS device (I don’t know who makes it) was fantastic. Now I would never drive in Europe without a GPS. I know that TomTom originates in Holland, so it should be good for Europe and the U.K. An older TomTom “Europe” model got good reviews there; however it did have SD card capability for adding maps.
Any advice would be much appreciated! Thanks.
ok,get ready for a laugh.I got a tomtom 130 for christmas plus a leather carrying case. It seems i can not remove the easy-mount so that my gps will fit into the case. I know that this is a silly question but how do you disconnect the easy-mount from the gps. Thank-you, Robert.
Pull carefully and firmly. The circular plastic part will pop off from around the speaker.
I know that you can search for things such as “bank” or “gas station” to find the closest one…but how do you search for a particular place if you do not have the address. I was faced with this dilemma the other day. I wanted to just type in the name of the company I was searching for, however I did not have the physical address. If there is a way…how do you search for a location by name?
Thank you!!!!
I don’t have my 130s in front of me now to confirm this sequence, but it should be here:
Menu –> Navigate to –> Point of Interest –> POI Near You –> Search POI.
Thank you! Ive found it now.
Hello again,
I was wondering if there was a way to make an itinerary on my TomTom 130. What I am actually needing to do is choose a specific Interstate that I want to travel on during my trip. Everytime I try to plan a route — it skips me over that Interstate. I am trying to avoid the states that the “fastest” and “shortest” routes are taking me through due to weather.
If you can help me with a way to make an itinerary (if it is possible on the 130), or how I can choose my route it would be greatly appreciated! I bought this hoping I wouldnt have to use an online site for my map!
Thanks for your help!
As a first time owner/user, I was a little disappointed in the map quality. Three streets in my little subdivision mispelled, couldn’t find my office (on the map) because the street name was changed 10 years ago and the old name is reflected in the TomTom. A 230km highway trip yielded two missing interchanges on the TransCanada. The One 130 is an entry level unit for sure, I guess I was expecting more (for Christmas). Maybe I wasn’t as good as I thought.
Purchased a 130S. Sounded like it had a sock in it. Brought it back for exchange. Same problem. Opened up two more packages at the returns desk, no luck. The speaker problem is widespread. This product is a dud.
The issue doesn’t seem widespread based on the purchasers I’ve talked to, rather it is found in “batches”. If you find one bad one at a store you will probably find several, however I don’t think there are widespread issues in total.
Hi all. I am interested in purchasing a GPS, but do not understand what value there is in having multiple waypoints (48 in the 130) when you can only use one in any route. Can you design a route without a destination and use all of the waypoints, and then save the route? For example if you were to travel across the country, and wanted to stop at multiple sights, how would you make up a route without a gps having mutipoint routing possible? Thanks for any input.
You can store multiple waypoints on the device (what TomTom calls favorites) as a convenience to quickly access frequently used places. You could store the locations of relatives there for example. Or I recently went on a trip and used it to store the locations of the airport, hotel, and office I was working at. I think you are referring to something different, “via” points. The ONE 130s can only accept one via in a route, other TomTom models can accept more.
Thank you for your quick response Tim. It appears I should be looking at models capable of more than one via. By your response it seems that either the TT one xls, or 330s would be satisfactory. Any major difference between those two, or did I miss a better model having that capability (without breaking the family bank that is)? It seems it would be a useful capability for long cross country trips that we do twice a year, unless I misunderstand their purpose altogether. Thanks again.
The 330s is newer than the XL-S and effectively replaces it. It comes with a newer software application version and an updated mount design.
Does the 130s have text to speech in Spanish? I want to give it as a gift to someone who does not know english. If not, want model/brand do you recommend for that?
Sorry, this may have been answered already but there is so much GREAT info on here I may have missed it. What is the difference between the TT 130 and the 130s? And how do they compare to the Nuvi 255W?
The only difference is the 130s has Text To Speech and the 130 just has voice prompts.
Thanks Tim, but how does the 130 compare to the Nuvi 255w
The 130S can do Text To Speech, meaning it can speak street names and freeway signs. The 130 will just give you audible direction info…left, right, etc.
Thanks Tim. I got that part. Do you have any comments on the comparison to the nuvi 255w???
Tim, I have three issues with my unit.
1) When going on a long trip on the freeway it will direct me to take most exits and then get back on the freeway again until the next exit where the process repeats.
2) On a trip from Salt Lake to Socorro, NM it picked a route that was about 5 hours longer than the route it should have picked. I asked it to pick another route and it picked one that was even further out of the way. I tried shortest distance, shortest time, etc and it didn’t matter. I finally ignored it’s route and started on the route I knew was shorter and it eventually rerouted to the correct route that I was already on. That totally blew my confidence in the unit. If I didn’t already know where I was going(thanks Mapquest) I would have spent 15 hours driving for a 10 hour trip!
3) The estimated time of arrivals are always exceptionally long. Even if I drove the speed limit exactly or a little slower I would beat the ETA by a longshot. This isn’t easily seen on short trips, but if you go on a 8-10 hour run it will typically tell you the trip will take a 30-50% longer than it really does.
I know you will probably have a hard time with a solution for #2&3 but hopefully there is a fix for #1 because it is really annoying.
Just bought a Tomtom ONE 130s, haven’t hooked it up yet. It’s my first GPS so I have a couple of dumb questions:
When I hook this unit up to my computer via USB, will that charge the unit?
Also, should the unit be fully charged in order to use it for the first time, or can I just hook it up to my cigarette lighter and go?
Thanks!
Frank
Frank, 1) Yes, although charge rates are about half of what it would be in the car. 2) It is generally a good idea, but probably not critical.
Hello, I’m sorry if this has been asked before but how do you mount it to the windshield? Do you have to buy something like a window mount or what have you. (I have not bought this gps yet but was thinking about it) I see in the picture that it screws into some sort of window mount thing. Sorry if this question is stupid.
Jimmy, all of the mount pieces are included in the box, you don’t need to purchase anything extra. It mounts by a suction cup.
I thank you for the answer. I shall run out a buy this little GPS system. If I can talk my wife into me getting it that is.
What is the size of the POI library. Thanks,
Anil, TomTom has not released that information as far as we know. Based on what I’ve experienced, I’d assume around 2-3 million.
I just bought a TomTom One 130S and someone told me that you could place a call through it if you have bluetooth on your cellphone. Can you explain me how to do that? Thanks!
Jolene, the 130s does not support that function.
Wow, thanks for replying so quickly!
Just another little question.! I used my GPS for the first time today and I noticed that when it tells us to turn in a certain distance, it says ” turn in 450 yards” instead of in meters. How can I change that?
Jolene, if you are using a recorded (not TTS voice) then try the “units” menu under “change preferences”. Otherwise check the language setup you have. If you are using a USA voice it will typically say yards and Euro voices will typically use meters. You might need to try a few voices.
I’ve own the 130S for over a year and there is one thing I can’t figure out. Sometimes I get, what looks like a lit candle inside a square colored red in the left top corner. What the heck is this ????
tim any comment ?
It doesn’t ring a bell with me. I’d ask Tomtom.
tim – brilliant website, i found it a few days ago and it helped me decide on the 130s. so, because the mere mention of the words “tech support” send me halfway to coma-land, i figured i’d ask you first…
i just brought home my second 130s after the first one had software problems. but i am having the same problems with this one, so, i guess i need some outside help.
both times i plugged the gps into my computer and started up tomtom HOME. it told me i needed updates (application, free map, safety cameras), so (the first time) i let it do its thing. however, once it was done updating and i ejected the device from my computer, i got the big flashing red x. with my first device, i went online and followed instructions on uninstalling and reinstalling everything on the device save for the map. this made the gps functional again, but it uninstalled the computer voice (samantha) and i wasn’t able to download her again because there wasn’t enough space on the 1G hard drive. thinking that something must have gone wrong, seeing how that voice fit on there with the map before, i exchanged it at the store to try again.
but the same exact thing is happening on the new 130s. i have not gone as far as to delete all the contents again, because i do not want to delete samantha again (the whole reason i spent the extra money on the 130s instead of the 130 was so that i could use the text-to-speech feature). the only thing i allowed tomtom HOME to update this time was the 7.522 application, cause i figured the map update was simply too big. but as soon as the app updated, the red x was flashing and my computer is telling me simultaneously that the samantha voice needs to be downloaded, and that it already IS on my device and that the item cannot be used with the current version of the application. also, the options for backing up/restoring, operating, and map sharing on HOME are greyed out, so i haven’t been able to back up any of my information.
i went through the instructions for disabling spotlight to run on my device, and it helped free up some space (i have 29.3 MB free space with the map and the computer voice and all other factory-installed goodies on there), but my device is still flashing the big red x.
it seems like there is something defective with the application…have you heard of this problem before? i was hoping to start my drive cross country in a day or two…help!!
i have the tomtom130s does it tell you which lane to stay in on the freeway
Johnnie – the 130s might say things like “keep left” but it does not have the Active Lane Guidance feature.
tim –
My wife and I are interested in purchasing a 130s, but are weary of getting entangled in a possible “money-pit” in regards to the map updates. In your opinion, how frequently would you recommend updating? Is this something that could be done infrequently? We are average travelers so I was thinking that we wouldn’t need to spend the money to update too often.
Thanks!
Scott, “it depends”. Some people never update their maps… some do it four times per year. I’d suggest people do it at least once every two years, or simply purchase a new GPS. People doing extensive time-sensitive traveling, or in areas where there are lots of intersection changes will want to do it more often.
Anyone having problems with their TOMTOM 130S “locking” up?
I’ve had mine for about a year and about 3 months back it gives me hassles upon turning on or docking to my PC. I plug it in to the USB to try and charge it and when I try to turn it on and it doesn’t do anything. It just sits there.
I doubt that the battery is that dead…I just used it about 2 weeks back.
Today I put it in the USB port to charge it and 2 hours later nothing.
Any help is appreciated.
-Chris
Chris, are you on the latest application version? If you are, have you tried reinstalling the application (by deleting and installing again0?
Hi,
I recently rented a car with a GPS system. It was great(except for one incident of telling me where to go- not relevant here); nevertheless, I want to purchase one. Stupid questions–
1. I was amazed at the amount of info it has. At first I thought it had this info via a satellite connection. However, in reading info on this site, it appears to be self-contained because of the mention of map updates. Correct?
2. The system I had plugged into the cigarette lighter. However, when I unplugged it (to hide it) it kept right on talking (hmmm?). Does it need to be plugged in? Do I need to keep it charged up?
Thanks for taking the time to answer.
Ann
Ann –
1) Correct, all of the information is “on board”.
2) It doesn’t need to be plugged in to work, however if it isn’t plugged in it will run on the battery that will need to be recharged within a couple of hours.
Me again. Thx for the info. If all of the info is “on board” how did it know I passed up a street it previously told me to turn on :-0. It actually told me to do a U Turn as soon as possible. Yikes! (is there an elf sitting on my roof?
I’m so impressed. What system do you have?
thx again,
ann
The GPS “listens” to the satellites. The satellites broadcast the current time. By measuring the difference between the current time and the time the satellite sent the message, the GPS determines the distance from the GPS to the satellite. By knowing the distance to several satellites, the GPS can figure out where it is. Now that the GPS knows where it is, it can determine that you missed a turn based on where the internal map says you are and where it wanted you to go.
Great site. I just recently exchanged a Garmin Nuvi 255 for a TomTom One 130s, and so far I’m happy with the switch — the main reason I switched over to the TomTom unit was because these units are able to block specific roads, unlike similarly priced Garmin unit, which can only block certain types of roads (e.g., toll roads and highways) as a global feature.
Anyway, I am just curious if the TomTom unit is able to do a trip summary like the Garmin unit was able to do. I like to take the GPS unit out when I go jogging to see the distance I’ve traveled, and the Garmin unit did that with its “Trip Summary” feature. The sense I’m getting by reading reviews online is that the TomTom 130s is not capable of this feature, but though I’d try to see if someone on here knew if it did.
Thanks,
Mark
Mark, that is correct, the TomTom 130s doesn’t have a summary screen like that.
I am traveling the the UK next week, so I bought the UK&Ireland map pack from TomTom. Backed up my unit, and had done lots of reading prep. when I do the update through Home, it shows the map ready to download, but says “This item cannot be installed on your device”. When I use their model locator and type in the first two digits for the serial it identifies the unit as a 130S, I have the package infront of me…its a 130..not the speech one. I bought and selected the map for the 130 non speech..could this be the problem? Thanks for any help you can provide
I’m going to be taking a long river trip in my houseboat. Are there any GPS devices that would work for this purpose?
Thank you!
Joel
Doe any one know if TomTom 130, 130s, or one xl can be used while driving?
They can all be used while driving. Not very safe to do so, but they can be operated.
I know not safe. I bought a new car with NAV but the NAV cannot be used while driving and it really bugs me.
Between the three TomTom 130, 130s, or one xl which one would you recommend.
Hello Tim thank you for all the great work you have been doing….. My question to you would be I just bought the 130s and I even follow the directions for the text to speech and well with the menu up for the speech preferences I am not able to choose the read aloud street names, the box is grey and well I guess that means I cannot use it, why would that happen if it says text to speech on the box and how could I correct that:)
Estrella, I’m not sure. Perhaps contact TomTom support.
Hey tim well I called TOM TOM like you suggested and well the thing was he said I had to re install Samantha and then choose her….. that was the rookie move that I did in the first place, I didnt even choose samantha as a voice and that is why it never gave me the option text to speech….. so if you want text to speech choose a computer voice if you want the text to speech:)
I recently purchased the GPS130S from a relative who upgraded. The problem I am having is that she lived in Blatimore and I live in Charleston, SC. I can’t seem to find the way to change the city/state of origin to mine. Everytime I try to set a travel route, it has me coming from Baltimore. It’s driving me crazy. Needless to say, she couldn’t find the manual. I have tried EVERYTHING. Please HELP ME!! Thanks…..
Beverly, if the GPS hasn’t found its location from the satellites, then it will route from the last known position. There is no function to change the default starting point, so you will just need to leave the device outside, stationary, where it has an unobstructed sky view until it finds its location.
Thank you so much Tim. I will definitely give that a try this weekend Will give you feedback on how it went. Really appreciate your help.
I have had a TomTom 130 GPS for one year. The one thing it is missing is current elevation. It has not been problem-free. Not long after it was purchased it lost its ability to capture satellites. I called TomTom and they were very helpful. The technician asked me to turn it off, and then hold the power button down for about 15 seconds to restart it, and that brought it back to life. It sounds like a reboot procedure. Then a couple of weeks ago, it became confused about my location, telling me I was out in a field instead of on the highway, and giving me directions to get back on the road. I checked the satellite status and discovered that although it could see 8 satellites, it only locked onto 3 of them. I did the 15-second reboot, and I have had to do that again once since. Then yesterday, it rebooted on its own while I was driving. I am considering re-installing the software on it, because it behaves as if it has become corrupted.
Can anyone tell me if I can purchase the silver circular attachment that goes on the back of the 130s and where? I need a replacement for that, so that I can purchase a mount for it. Nothing seems to fit the back without this particular missing part. Thanks for the help.
Beverly, I think the only place to get that is from TomTom: http://www.tomtom.com/products/accessories/accessory.php?ID=553&Product=488&Category=0
I’ve never used a gps navigator but am now looking for one and considering the Tom Tom 130. One feature that is really important to me is while driving/traveling to be able to locate a place like a nearest favorite restautrant, or Starbucks (I have trouble staying alert/awake on the road without it)…what is this feature called in gps/navigator language, and do both the Tom Tom 130 and 130s have this feature?
Looks like I found the answer in one of the previous posts…loooong list
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So I am looking to buy a gps unit If it is refurbished will I be able to use the free download online to have up to date maps or would it be better to just buy a newer one, i can’t seem to figure it out. Thanks
TomTom’s policy is that refurbished devices don’t qualify for the latest map guarantee. However it doesn’t work out that way 100% of the time– often people are able to get it. But if you want to be assured you will qualify, buy new.
This is my 8th gps unit and I only bought it for the MPH as the speedo in my old Toyota truck wore out. Much cheaper to put in the gps.
My TomTom 130s seems to only know the speed limits on Interstate highways and not on ANY secondary roads or even divided highways. So if I ask for the fastest route from Albany, GA to Birmingham, AL it takes me 40 miles and almost one hour out of the way. But if I go to the TomTom web site and ask for the same route, it gives me the shorter and faster route. Why? My 130s seems to think that all roads go 35mph unless they are interstate Hwys. I’m talking legal speed limits here. I’ve tried resets, reloads, reboots, hard starts etc etc. It’s less than a year old so this problem should not be caused by out of date maps.
Actually, it probably is because your maps are older. The newer TomTom maps as well as routes.tomtom.com use the newer TomTom IQ Routes which picks much better routes and has better time estimates. Although I can’t remember if those maps are compatible with the 130/s.
I left my EasyPort mount in a rental car. Anyone know if TomTom uses a standard mount or if they have different EasyPort sizes for different models?
Hi, i purchased my tomtom one 130 from the amazon website, and on their site they said that this gps can play mp3s, store pictures, etc, but i have not been able to find how to do that. Is it really able to play mp3s?
No, the 130 does not have a media player.