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TRIP Talk Android FAQ

The application will not install.

TRIP Talk was intended for Android versions 2.2 through 4.2.x. It should install properly on those versions and subversions of the OS, but should also work on later versions. Try uninstalling any previous versions of TRIP Talk before installing a new version. Otherwise, a phone reboot before installation may solve the issue.

I've started the app, but I am not hearing any advisories, what's going on?

Several items can be occurring if you are no longer hearing advisories:

  • You may be in an area where no advisories are in the radius you selected. If you think there should be, try pressing the "replay all" button on the far right of the audio controls. This will reset your connection and replay active advisories near you.
  • Your advisory radius may be set to a low value.
  • You may not be in range of a cell tower to provide data access. Ask a passenger to look at the phone (or when you are stopped) to check for any possible error messages related to the cellular network. Once you are back in range of your network, advisories should resume.
  • Your phone may be simply attempting to acquire a location for your device. If you have wireless location (settings -> location -> use wireless networks) enabled, you can generally get quicker response times as the phone can utilize this less accurate location while it acquires a more solid GPS lock. If you only have GPS location enabled, allow the device sufficient time to acquire a lock.

I am sitting in traffic/an incident and TRIP Talk did not tell me about it. Why?

You may be arriving to the incident before it has arrived to our system. If you don't hear an advisory shortly, then there could be other factors.

Your phone may have lost internet access. Some areas have weak cellular coverage, so this is possible from time to time. The app will not work without internet access, but when it loses internet access, it will continue to try to automatically reconnect.

If the app is still not working as expected, then perhaps there was a problem with the download or installation of the app. When not driving, uninstall the app and re-download and install it in a place where you have access to the internet.

TRIP Talk continues to tell me "There are no active advisories". Shouldn't it be silent?

If the app continues to say that there are no current advisories, your phone may have lost internet access. Some areas have weak cellular coverage, so this is possible from time to time. The app will not work without internet access, and when it loses internet access, it will continue to try to automatically reconnect. When TRIP Talk automatically reconnects, the "No advisories" message will be replayed when there are no advisories.

TRIP Talk is giving me advisories that are in an incorrect location. Doesn't it know where I am?

Your phone may not have updated your location to your current position. You should check your phone's GPS Settings-make sure the phone's GPS is turned on and the phone has a clear view of the sky so your GPS can be read and your location and direction of travel identified. This process may take several minutes. If TRIP Talk experiences a GPS error, it will be displayed in red on the main screen.

The screen shows that advisories are playing, why can't I hear them?

If the screen displays that an advisory is playing, but you cannot hear it, turn up your phone's media volume. There are typically volume controls on the side of the phone, but each phone model may function differently. Check the user guide for your particular phone.

You may also have connected to a Bluetooth connection in your car that is not currently active. Please check the Bluetooth settings (see #17 below).

How do I minimize the Trip Talk App to leave it running in the background while I use my phone for other functions?

You can click the "home" button and TRIP Talk will continue to play advisories for you while you use other phone functions. If you just want to turn off the sound from playing simply toggle the "Main Switch" on the home screen to "Off". To have sounds resume playing again, toggle it back to the "on" position.

Alternately, you may tap your phone's back button. A dialogue window will appear with options to Minimize the app (advisories will play in the background), Quit the app (quit and close completely), or cancel (return to app). Select "Minimize". If you have an action bar, tap the "x" icon, which will bring up the same dialogue window. Select "Minimize".

How do I close the Trip Talk App?

From the homepage of the app, tap your phone's menu button and tap "Quit".

Alternately, you may tap your phone's back button. A dialogue window will appear with options to Minimize the app (advisories will play in the background), Quit the app (quit and close completely), or cancel (return to app). Select "Quit App". If you have an action bar, tap the "x" icon, which will bring up the same dialogue window. Select "Quit App".

Advisories were playing, but suddenly playback stopped, what's happening?

Be sure first that you are still connected to your provider's cellular network. (You need to be connected to receive the sound files). If you are connected, the most likely reason for the playback to stop is that another application began playback of another audio file and halted the TRIP Talk application's audio stream. If this occurs, simply switch back into the TRIP Talk application and press "play" to continue TRIP Talk audio, if hitting play does not resume the audio or you wish to rehear all advisories, press the "Replay" button on the far right of the audio controls to restart your connection.

I cannot retrieve a connection upon startup of the application, what's happening?

Either you are not in an area where the cellular data network is not available, or permissions for network usage have been disabled for TRIP Talk. Ensure your network is within range, and permissions have been set to allow access for this application.

If the app is still not working as expected, then perhaps there was a problem with the download or installation of the app. When not driving, uninstall the app and re-download and install it in a place where you have access to the internet.

How do I change the settings?

Have a passenger operate the phone, or operate the phone when you are not driving. If you have an action bar, tap the "wrench" icon at the top, or tap the 3-dot menu icon on the left-hand side. You will be prompted to acknowledge you are not driving. A listing of "More Features" will be displayed. Select "Settings" to modify.

Your settings will be automatically saved as you change them. You may return back to the main screen tapping the phone's Back button.

Can I select which type of advisories I hear?

Yes. There are several advisory types available for your audio stream.

  • Turnpike - Non-Construction
  • Turnpike - Construction
  • Turnpike - Detours
  • Turnpike - Information
  • Other Interstates - Non-Construction
  • Other Interstates - Construction
  • Other/Local Roads - Non-Construction
  • Other/Local Roads -Construction

By default, the Non-Construction advisory types are selected for you. Construction Options are not selected by default. They generally do not impact traffic. If you wish to include or exclude either of these advisory types from your broadcast, you may do so through the settings page. Tap on the Advisory Type Preferences button, and check or un-check your selections.

I need to call the PA Turnpike - how do I reach someone?

Have a passenger dial, or dial when you are not driving. Tap the "Additional Features" link at the bottom of the main screen. You will be prompted to acknowledge you are Have a passenger operate the phone, or operate the phone when you are not driving. If you have an action bar, tap the "wrench" icon at the top, or tap the 3-dot menu icon on the left-hand side. You will be prompted to acknowledge you are not driving. A listing of "More Features" will be displayed. Select "Emergency Numbers". A list of important PA Turnpike numbers is displayed. Tap on the number you wish to call. You may return to the main screen by tapping "Return to advisory playback" at the top of the PA Turnpike Emergency Numbers page, or by pressing your phone's Back button.

Can I calculate my toll through TRIP Talk?

Yes. Have a passenger operate the phone, or operate the phone when you are not driving. If you have an action bar, tap the "wrench" icon at the top, or tap the 3-dot menu icon on the left-hand side. You will be prompted to acknowledge you are not driving. A listing of "More Features" will be displayed. Tap the "Toll Calculator" option. First, select your Beginning Interchange from the dropdown. Then, select your Ending Interchange from the next dropdown. Select your vehicle's class and number of axles, and then click the "Calculate your toll" button. E-ZPass and Cash rates will be displayed.

Can I view the travel advisories on a map?

Yes. Have a passenger operate the phone, or operate the phone when you are not driving. If you have an action bar, tap the "wrench" icon at the top, or tap the 3-dot menu icon on the left-hand side. You will be prompted to acknowledge you are not driving. A listing of "More Features" will be displayed. Tap the "Advisory Map" option. A map will appear with your current position. Advisories are pinned on the map as triangles. Tap on an incident to view the advisory text.

You may also add a service plaza layer to the map and an interchange layer to the map. At the top right-hand side of the map, there is a small icon for a map menu (to the right of the refresh button). Tap this button, and select the layer(s) you would like to add and tap "Save".Tap on each icon for more information about the service plaza amenities or the toll booth locations.

I have a comment about TRIP Talk. How do I contact you?

Have a passenger operate the phone, or operate the phone when you are not driving. If you have an action bar, tap the "wrench" icon at the top, or tap the 3-dot menu icon on the left-hand side. You will be prompted to acknowledge you are not driving. A listing of "More Features" will be displayed. Tap the "Feedback" option. Enter your name and your comments in the appropriate boxes. If you would like a reply, include your e-mail address. Click "Submit" to send your comment.

When I connect my cellphone via Bluetooth to the car, I cannot hear the alerts.

TRIP Talk attempts to play via Bluetooth through compatible setups, but unfortunately not all Bluetooth users/devices will work well. Bluetooth functionally varies greatly between car manufacturers, and different users have very different Bluetooth experiences.

Smartphones generally have two output channels that can be Bluetooth paired - one is the audio of a telephone conversation, and the other is the audio from media being generated by an application (like the TRIP Talk app). Most often cars Bluetooth-pair to the telephone audio by default, so that a telephone call will be automatically broadcast to the car's audio system via Bluetooth, interrupting any other audio playing through the system.

However, in order to broadcast media from your smartphone, a second pairing to the audio system of the car must be performed. Most often you will simply need to check the option on your smartphone's settings to allow sharing of the "Media Audio" (but you need to have the car running, and your phone in the car so that it can see the active Bluetooth). Once you make this pairing, you will no longer hear any media audio output from your smartphone, since the audio is being sent out by way of Bluetooth transmission.

Now, to hear the TRIP Talk advisories (or other media) on your smartphone through the Bluetooth connection in your car you must select the proper audio input on your cars system. Usually cars have a separate control that allows selection of a variety of input modes, such as SAT, AM, FM, CD or Bluetooth media (or just Media). Select Bluetooth Media (or media) and you will hear both your music and TRIP Talk advisories through the car's audio system.

As Bluetooth connections, car audio systems and mobile technology continue to evolve, we will be keeping on top of the Bluetooth issues and functionality, but there will likely be many differencesamong cars and devices.

Have a question not answered here? Please ask!