Attn: Garmin GPS Owners

[Virtual Geezer]

The latest Garmin City Navigator North America NT version 2013.30 is now available for updating the maps on your Garmin device. To get a quick look at the streets south of 466a that are covered you can go to MapQuest and zoom in on that area. I am in process of updating one of my units right now and will report back on what areas are covered.

Another heads up is regarding Garmins lifetime update policy. Garmin now requires that the GPS be updated at every 2 tears or it determines that unit is no longer in service and will be pulled from their database. So upgrade you unit and avoid the possibility of not being able to update the base maps.

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Update

I looked at the maps after the upgrade and am very disappointed in Garmin this time. Garmin purchases their maps from NavTeq and I have found in the past as soon as MapQuest shows a new area it will be in the next Garmin upgrade. MapQuest has been showing Pinellas Pl going all the way from Morse to Buena Vista for over a month now and this is NOT included in the latest map update. Anything west of Birdsong Pl. off Pinellas Pl. is NOT shown in the new update. Defoe Ter and Eastfield Path and streets that run off of those streets are NOT shown. I guess we will all have to wait until the next update to get up to date with the new area.

VG

[aljetmet]

[QUOTE=Virtual Geezer;575107]The latest Garmin City Navigator North America NT version 2013.30 is now available for updating the maps on your Garmin device. To get a quick look at the streets south of 466a that are covered you can go to MapQuest and zoom in on that area. I am in process of updating one of my units right now and will report back on what areas are covered.

Another heads up is regarding Garmins lifetime update policy. Garmin now requires that the GPS be updated at every 2 tears or it determines that unit is no longer in service and will be pulled from their database. So upgrade you unit and avoid the possibility of not being able to update the base maps.

VG[/QUOTE

With you helping us out how could we miss? Designing our house Thanksgiving week in Fernandina, we don't leave home without the Garmin!

thanks! :wave:

[BoSueGT]

Thanks for the information. Since I don't have the free updates I think I'll wait for the next update.

[Barefoot]

Question for VG

My Garmin used to find routes very quickly. Now I get an "acquiring signal" message for 5 or 10 minutes before the Garmin can find a route that previously was quickly found. It does eventually find the information. Do you have any idea why it is deteriorating?

[jblum315]

Cloud cover or rain will slow the response

[Bill-n-Brillo]

Bare - FWIW: I don't have a Garmin - I have a TomTom. So this might not apply...........but with the TomTom, they tell you to link to their web site often and download any updates they have available. Part of that will include the updating of the current locations of the GPS satellites. That up-to-date info should help improve the response times on the GPS.

See the last paragraph in this link: http://www.tomtom.com/howdoesitwork/page.php?ID=19&CID=6&Language=1

Maybe it helps with your scenario - maybe not. Just taking an arguably educated guess at it! :wave:

Bill :)

[JeffAVEWS]

I had a problem with my GPS acquiring a signal and it turned out to be due to the power lead that I wrapped around the mount. It was creating a magnetic field that interfered with the satellite signals.

[asianthree]

Question for VG

My Garmin used to find routes very quickly. Now I get an "acquiring signal" message for 5 or 10 minutes before the Garmin can find a route that previously was quickly found. It does eventually find the information. Do you have any idea why it is deteriorating?

its old, ours is about 6 or 7 years old takes awile but till it dies i am ok don't have lifetime up grade and not paying $100 to do it here for another week and then off we go with a slow gps

[Mack184]

Question for VG

My Garmin used to find routes very quickly. Now I get an "acquiring signal" message for 5 or 10 minutes before the Garmin can find a route that previously was quickly found. It does eventually find the information. Do you have any idea why it is deteriorating?
We have an older Garmin & we bought the "unlimited" update/downloads for it. I noticed that after the last time I installed an update (September) the time to "acquire" routes takes a much longer time. It's not a big deal since I always check the maps because the Garmin likes to send you on wild goose chases through areas because the computer decides that the route it wants you on is 1/100 of a step shorter, even though it leads you through 47 different side streets where a much more direct route is available. While it can be very helpful, I never use it without first looking at a map.

[jblum315]

We have an older Garmin & we bought the "unlimited" update/downloads for it. I noticed that after the last time I installed an update (September) the time to "acquire" routes takes a much longer time. It's not a big deal since I always check the maps because the Garmin likes to send you on wild goose chases through areas because the computer decides that the route it wants you on is 1/100 of a step shorter, even though it leads you through 47 different side streets where a much more direct route is available. While it can be very helpful, I never use it without first looking at a map.

That's why I never set mine on "shortest time." Always on "shortest distance." Because shortest time sends you all over the place on back roads

[Bill-n-Brillo]

That's why I never set mine on "shortest time." Always on "shortest distance." Because shortest time sends you all over the place on back roads

I've always found the opposite to be true.........

Bill :)

[Down Sized]

I've always found the opposite to be true.........

Bill :)

That's why I never set mine on "shortest time." Always on "shortest distance." Because shortest time sends you all over the place on back roads


Now I'm really confused. I wonder if she means what she said or what she thought. Or maybe Tom Tom and Garmin are different? I hate to be find out the hard way.
How do we settle this??:confused:

[Virtual Geezer]

Question for VG

My Garmin used to find routes very quickly. Now I get an "acquiring signal" message for 5 or 10 minutes before the Garmin can find a route that previously was quickly found. It does eventually find the information. Do you have any idea why it is deteriorating?

A couple of things can be happening depending on how often you use the unit. I know if I do not use my unit for a couple of months the first time I try and use it the acquiring a signal takes a long time. If on the other hand I use the unit daily or maybe every other day the acquiring is very fast.

As for routing it is done AFTER the signal is acquired so you have to first wait you get a solid signal and the GPS itself gathers all the necessary settings. At that time the unit will accept your request for a routing and do it's thing. If you try to do a route BEFORE the signal is acquired you will still have to wait for things to be processed by the computer in the proper order.

Using the unit more frequently will help speed things up. Another thing you may want to look at is the memory in your unit. Do you have the ability to add a SD memory card to the unit? The Garmin maps are getting larger and larger so I would add a 4 or even an 8 gig card and that should last a long time. If your unit does not allow for additional memory you may want to go in and delete some of the foreign language voices and help files that you will never use. That will free up some memory and allow things to be processed a little faster.

VG

[Mack184]

That's why I never set mine on "shortest time." Always on "shortest distance." Because shortest time sends you all over the place on back roads


Now I'm really confused. I wonder if she means what she said or what she thought. Or maybe Tom Tom and Garmin are different? I hate to be find out the hard way.
How do we settle this??:confused:
Actually I've not found much difference with either setting they both tend to want you to run the "moonshine route", so I always check out the maps before I go, especially anywhere where I know I'm going to want to stop.

[CFrance]

Garmin's updates are a heckuva lot more expensibe than $100, aren't they? We updated ours once, and it made things worse! I never updated it again. Now you say they are going to "disappear" your Garmin if you don't update every two years. What a ripoff. They're forcing you to spend more $. Any other place but TV, you probably wouldn't need an update. Muskegon, Michigan, hasn't added a new road in over a decade!

My friend went to update her Garmin when she moved down here, and found out she could get a new Tom Tom cheaper. If ours didn't have Europe in it (bought many years ago when they were beaucoup bucks), we'd do the same.

But I had to update the Garmin in the car because it wouldn't find our street when we moved here, and we really needed it! Had no choice, and the car was only 6 months old. I think it cost $179. I was P-OH'D!

[REDCART]

The latest Garmin City Navigator North America NT version 2013.30 is now available for updating the maps on your Garmin device....
VG

Thanks VG for the map update advice. I have lifetime map updates and try to stay current.

George

[Barefoot]

That's why I never set mine on "shortest time." Always on "shortest distance." Because shortest time sends you all over the place on back roads


I've always found the opposite to be true.

It doesn't matter whether I set mine on shortest time or shortest distance, it will often try to take me on unpaved back roads! And yet sometimes, inexplicably, it will take me five miles out of the way to keep me on Country Roads. It's as if a Gremlin lives inside my GPS. I reply on Mapquest and use my GPS as a guide.

[Mack184]

Garmin's updates are a heckuva lot more expensibe than $100, aren't they? We updated ours once, and it made things worse! I never updated it again. Now you say they are going to "disappear" your Garmin if you don't update every two years. What a ripoff. They're forcing you to spend more $. Any other place but TV, you probably wouldn't need an update. Muskegon, Michigan, hasn't added a new road in over a decade!

My friend went to update her Garmin when she moved down here, and found out she could get a new Tom Tom cheaper. If ours didn't have Europe in it (bought many years ago when they were beaucoup bucks), we'd do the same.

But I had to update the Garmin in the car because it wouldn't find our street when we moved here, and we really needed it! Had no choice, and the car was only 6 months old. I think it cost $179. I was P-OH'D!
If you buy the updates piecemeal you are going to pay a fortune. Purchase the unlimited updates/downloads and you will save a great deal of money.

[Virtual Geezer]

I just checked Amazon and they are currently selling the Lifetime map updater for $54.00. Now that is for the portable units and NOT for the units built into a car. You are at the mercy of the auto dealer and they add their markup as they see fit.

Stand alone units are no problem updating but the built in units are a whole different story. I have never looked into the built in units to see what the market / hacker community has to offer in that arena.

VG


Garmin's updates are a heckuva lot more expensibe than $100, aren't they? We updated ours once, and it made things worse! I never updated it again. Now you say they are going to "disappear" your Garmin if you don't update every two years. What a ripoff. They're forcing you to spend more $. Any other place but TV, you probably wouldn't need an update. Muskegon, Michigan, hasn't added a new road in over a decade!

My friend went to update her Garmin when she moved down here, and found out she could get a new Tom Tom cheaper. If ours didn't have Europe in it (bought many years ago when they were beaucoup bucks), we'd do the same.

But I had to update the Garmin in the car because it wouldn't find our street when we moved here, and we really needed it! Had no choice, and the car was only 6 months old. I think it cost $179. I was P-OH'D!

[CFrance]

I just checked Amazon and they are currently selling the Lifetime map updater for $54.00. Now that is for the portable units and NOT for the units built into a car. You are at the mercy of the auto dealer and they add their markup as they see fit.

Stand alone units are no problem updating but the built in units are a whole different story. I have never looked into the built in units to see what the market / hacker community has to offer in that arena.

VG

Thanks, VG, I will definitely get on Amazon for that updater. As for the car, I couldn't even buy the update from Chrysler. They sent me directly to Garmin. So it was Garmin's (over)pricing.

But we will definitely be keeping the portable Garmin as it's international, so having a lifetime update will ensure we don't fly off Garmin's radar. Or would that be satellite.

Again, thanks for the info.

[Dancing Queen]

Thanks yet again, I signed up for reminders last time, but got none, so you are Information Central for Garmin as far as I am concerned thanks Oodles and Bunches!!!!

[buzzy]

That's why I never set mine on "shortest time." Always on "shortest distance." Because shortest time sends you all over the place on back roads


Now I'm really confused. I wonder if she means what she said or what she thought. Or maybe Tom Tom and Garmin are different? I hate to be find out the hard way.
How do we settle this??:confused:

Another goofy thing is that the Garmin will often give you a different routing for the return trip.

[CFrance]

Another goofy thing is that the Garmin will often give you a different routing for the return trip.

That is so true! Our Garmin takes us on a beautiful back-road trip from southwest MI to Up North MI, but won't take us back home that way. And won't even try the route up for our dil after taking her that way the first time.

Also, often when we get to our destination, Jill will say "Arriving at destination, on right" when it's actually on the left, and vice versa.

She still beats my map-reading skills, though.

[jblum315]

My Garmin does not recognize Canal Street until I'm actually driving on it. Then it says Canal Street. So it knows, just doesn't want me to know.

[Down Sized]

:shrug:I would be worried that Amazon's lifetime maps might be a boot-leg copy. Just can't believe that Garmin would let someone sell their lifetime maps for half price. If that we're the case Garmin wouldn't be able to sell many maps.:shrug:

[justjim]

I have two Garmin's---golf cart only to watch my speed and the one in my car to enhance my maps. Bottom line IMHO you are ALWAYS advised to look at a map (they usually cost nothing) and in my opinion you can waste a lot of time and gas to depend only on your GPS.