[REDCART]

Originally Posted by Virtual Geezer

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]

Originally Posted by jblum315

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

Originally Posted by Bill-n-Brillo

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]

Originally Posted by 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!

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

Originally Posted by 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!

[CFrance]

Originally Posted by 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

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]

Originally Posted by Down Sized

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??

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

[CFrance]

Originally Posted by buzzy

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]

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.

[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.