Garmin users, mapping update now available

[Bob]

Originally Posted by Bumpkin

Is that an oxymoron

[Davy F]

Is there a 'Garmin for Dummies' ?

[Bumpkin]

Originally Posted by Davy F

Is there a 'Garmin for Dummies' ?

Which model Garmin do you have, what mapping program (Basecamp or Mapsource) and what operating system do you have on your computer?

[Davy F]

Originally Posted by Bumpkin

Which model Garmin do you have, what mapping program (Basecamp or Mapsource) and what operating system do you have on your computer?

Zumo 660 and Mapsource.

[Bumpkin]

Originally Posted by Davy F

Zumo 660 and Mapsource.

OK. Are there any particular areas that you're struggling with, or are causing you frustration, in particular?

[Davy F]

Originally Posted by Bumpkin

OK. Are there any particular areas that you're struggling with, or are causing you frustration, in particular?

Yes, reading the instructions !!!

[Bumpkin]

Originally Posted by Davy F

Yes, reading the instructions !!!

Dare I say, typical male behaviour Can't help you with that one.

Here's a video on route planning in Mapsource that you may, or may not, find useful.

[PearlandVera]

I've had a little look at Basecamp and it looks pretty good, it doesn't seem to have a postcode search at the moment which I find handy in Mapsource.
cheers.

[Bumpkin]

Originally Posted by PearlandVera

I've had a little look at Basecamp and it looks pretty good, it doesn't seem to have a postcode search at the moment which I find handy in Mapsource.
cheers.

IMHO that's about all it's lacking now. Address searching is better but still a little quirky (typical Garmin ). If you have the address Basecamp is fine; search by city/town/village first and then, having right clicked the correct search result item and selected 'Show on Map', do a 2nd search for the street level address.

I read a post by a Garmin developer elsewhere who said postcode searching was in the pipe-line for Basecamp. How long before that happens is another thing entirely.

Postcode searching is more useful for obscure addresses that don't have a house number. My house is one such example, street can be found but post code is directly outside my neighbours house so is more accurate. This might not always be the case and in Basecamp house number seems pretty accurate with the limited testing I've carried out.

There are a few Basecamp tutorial videos I've put together here.

[jabberwocky]

I've just purchased a white boxed 660, Now i know it's pre registered and as such seems to have maps already installed, but how do i know what detailed maps are installed?

Trying to embrace basecamp but jeez its hard work...............

[Bumpkin]

Originally Posted by jabberwocky

I've just purchased a white boxed 660, Now i know it's pre registered and as such seems to have maps already installed, but how do i know what detailed maps are installed?

Tools > Settings > Map > Map Info. In theory you should qualify for the nuMaps Guarantee which will provide the opportunity to install the latest mapping for up to 60 days after you get your first satellite fix.

Having said that mine appeared not to despite Pixmania saying that I did qualify. I purchased a Lifetime update anyway as I'm in it for the long haul so didn't bother to pursue Garmin over the matter.

You did buy from Pixmania for £322 didn't you? Or did you find an even better deal

Trying to embrace basecamp but jeez its hard work...............

Persistence will pay dividends. If you've become anywhere near proficient with Mapsource then it's not a huge transition IMHO. I didn't like it much to start with admittedly and reverted to Mapsource. Though, since I got the 660 I've had another go and I'm now swaying back to Basecamp. Both are usable but Mapsource will not benefit from any future development.

[jabberwocky]

Got mine from ebay lad with very good feed back and from Bristol' so close if i needed to visit him too many bad reviews on Pixmania.....

I too thought the free update thing would be a hassle so followed your link and did the life time update, have always used Garmin on bike and for running so won't change.

Found your tutourials very helpful so will recheck our tour to Croatia and see if the routes have changed.

To create more space on the 660 do i delete files like foreign voice and that sort of thing? as I beleive the update map will not completely fit now?

Regards

Martyn

[Bumpkin]

Originally Posted by jabberwocky

Got mine from ebay lad with very good feed back and from Bristol' so close if i needed to visit him too many bad reviews on Pixmania.....

Didn't have any issues with Pixmania myself, pleased with their service and confident that Sat nav is covered by Garmin if there are issues in first 12 months and then there's the exchange scheme thereafter. Pixmania stated that they were out of stock when I ordered and gave a date when they were expecting them in. Good to their word they confirmed despatch on that day and delivered 2 working days later from Belgium. Well packed, item as advertised. Can't complain at all. Obviously your experience may vary.

I too thought the free update thing would be a hassle so followed your link and did the life time update, have always used Garmin on bike and for running so won't change.

I'm sure that contacting Garmin would sort that, it's a NOH unit and these do come with the nuMaps Guarantee.

Found your tutourials very helpful so will recheck our tour to Croatia and see if the routes have changed.

Glad they were helpful

More coming soon.

To create more space on the 660 do i delete files like foreign voice and that sort of thing? as I beleive the update map will not completely fit now?

You can accept the Western Europe region offered in the update and then write the rest to the SD card using Mapsource or MapInstall. If you use Mapsource then download the GDB file from my post on UKGSer.

What I have done is as follows:

• Installed Western Europe onto my 660 and full Europe onto my PC.
• Moved GMAP3D.IMG and any other files with the same name but different extension to the /Garmin/ on the SD card.
• Deleted all unwanted foreign voices.
• Generated the 'rest of Europe' mapping and written this to the Garmin internal memory using Mapsource and the GDB file mentioned above (moving the GMAP3D.IMG file makes this possible.

This still leaves some 400-500MB free on the internal memory, even with about 50,000 custom POIs loaded. Having some free space on the internal memory is desirable as the Zumo creates various files as it works, what I have remaining is ample. Loading routes and favourites to the Garmin takes up so little space, even hundreds of them, that it's not really significant.

With all the mapping data that is used by the navigation function on the internal memory is an advantage IMHO, SD cards are more easily corrupted. GMAP3D.IMG only contains the data for the 3D buildings which are optional eye-candy anyway.

[Rogbear]

Originally Posted by Bumpkin

Tools > Settings > Map > Map Info. In theory you should qualify for the nuMaps Guarantee which will provide the opportunity to install the latest mapping for up to 60 days after you get your first satellite fix.

Having said that mine appeared not to despite Pixmania saying that I did qualify. I purchased a Lifetime update anyway as I'm in it for the long haul so didn't bother to pursue Garmin over the matter.

You did buy from Pixmania for £322 didn't you? Or did you find an even better deal



Persistence will pay dividends. If you've become anywhere near proficient with Mapsource then it's not a huge transition IMHO. I didn't like it much to start with admittedly and reverted to Mapsource. Though, since I got the 660 I've had another go and I'm now swaying back to Basecamp. Both are usable but Mapsource will not benefit from any future development.

I too don't see any necessity to upgrade my Garmin650T now 6 years old, it works fine and the never ending map ugrade works too, the only thing that would tempt me would be a 7" screen I bought the Blackberry Playbook hoping that I could use it as a satnav but the location sensor either isn't there or doesn't work and the currently available mapping software is unuseable, O.K. it's only £10.00 but missing icons show that it is unfinished and location finding doesn't work, no reply from Blackberry on that issur but £10.00 refund resolved through PayPal. I also tried the Archos 10 as a GPS but although the actual mapping software was good, location sensing was awful lagging way behind where I actually was. I like the idea of satnav quoting streetnames but don't think that is a good enough reason th change my fautless current model. I do also have the Garmin PC mapping software and tried it on my netbook but the software would not connect with myGPS unit. that would have given me an 11.1" screen, not sure how legal that would have been in the bottom centre of my windscreen, I actually managed to source a screen mounting bracket for it too. Best buy so far has been the Garmin dashboard mount, nice and heavy with a stcvkyish base that stayd in place nicely, fed up with the suction mount falling off the screen in hot weather.

[jabberwocky]

Having got my lifetime update number i started to update to 2013.1

it downloaded the Western Europe maps 2 + hrs it then started to install maps to the 660 (now 01.00) left it to install, bed was calling, this morning, install stuck on 1% left, now doing nothing for last 3 hrs, i can't disconnect it as it warns device my become unuseable

HELPPPPPP