Garmin Lifetime Updates - should of passed on it?

[easysurfer]

I signed up for the lifetime maps updates for my Garmin Nuvi 260 gps.
GPS is a few years old.

Though the process is tedious (takes hours to download) last year the update was fine as I got the entire US updated.

This year, I find out, the size is too big so I can't fit the entire US. Instead I can only choose regions and have to leave off some states.

The gps has a SD Card slot, but from what I read, if you want to try and download updates to that, there's a lot of hacking around (no clear instructions) one as to do in order to get that to work.

The bottom line, I kinda wished I just didn't do the update. The joy of have the Nuvi 260, along with it's simplicity and small size is that I had the entire US at once.

 

[ratto]

You can't roll back the update?

 

[easysurfer]

You can't roll back the update?

No...such roll back option. The update replaced the internal ram of the unit.

I'll just have to remember if I plan on traveling far on a trip, the make sure that I don't go to a state, unless I do another update to choose an included region beforehand. Which is a pain. But most likely, I don't go in that far a trip all at once.

Garmin has nice devices, but their user guides (if you can call it that) are pretty much useless.

 

[ronocnikral]

i believe the other issue with the lifetime updates is it is only for that device. So, when some punk steals your GPS, you're SOL.

 

[Alan]

We have the nuvi 270 and hit the same problem this year. Never expected the maps for the same regions to incease in complexity each year. I guess it is mostly because they add more businesses, surely they can't add that many more roads.

For the 270 we were able to hang onto all the USA and cut out many of the European countries, as we mostly drive in the UK and Ireland on our trips over there.

 

[BigNick]

We have a 2-year-old Nuvi 1340 which has been telling us to get new maps when we switch it on, for the last year or so.

Looking at price comparison sites, it seems lifetime map updates more or less double the cost of the device. Given the chance of the device becoming lost or "bricked", the risk of the maps overflowing the space, etc, it doesn't seem worth it just to avoid the occasional nag.

 

[easysurfer]

After further reading, Garmin also sells SD cards that come preloaded with maps.

Amazon.com: Garmin City Navigator North America NT (microSD Card): GPS & Navigation

Maybe that's why they make the Lifetime updates so frustrating to use , so you decide to just buy the darn maps on a card.

As another option, one can also buy a DVD from Garmin and then use software to pick and choose regions from the DVD to load onto a blank SD card.


Looks like my solution: Jot down on a piece of paper, which states are not included in my current map update. That way, I can refer to that and if plan on going to those states, remember to do choose a different region

 

[Midpack]

Thanks for the insights. I may have to replace my old nuvi 250W soon (erratic keyboard) and I've only been looking at Garmin and TomTom units that include free lifetime map updates. Maybe not as important as I thought...

 

[Alan]

We also wouldn't buy the lifetime updates in future. We buy the SD cards for the States and countries that we are going to be hiking in and prefer this option than downloading them.

 

[MichaelB]

We also wouldn't buy the lifetime updates in future. We buy the SD cards for the States and countries that we are going to be hiking in and prefer this option than downloading them.

That makes sense. I've only updated once, the night before driving from Chicago to Florida, and after the update my garmin nuvi wouldn't boot. It finally did but only after wasting some time. The one map error I knew for fact was not corrected. You are probably right that the updates are businesses and such, not roads.

 

[easysurfer]

You can't roll back the update?

Haste makes waste. As I think about it now, what I should have done was made an image copy of the partition that the 2011 maps were at. I think the pc just treats that like a hard drive. Then I could have probably just did an image restore via my PC.

 

[powerplay]

Sounds like the updates may not be that useful if mainly businesses are being added. I'll keep that in mind for any future purchase plans and won't get the lifetime updates.

 

[Alan]

Sounds like the updates may not be that useful if mainly businesses are being added. I'll keep that in mind for any future purchase plans and won't get the lifetime updates.

New and re-configured junctions, city one-way changes and the like will also be updated so you need to be prepared for some errors if you don't update.

However, I don't think these relatively minor changes can possibly account for the big increased need for memory that require you to decline to download several States or countries.

 

[Sirka]

Make room for new mapset.

This year, I find out, the size is too big so I can't fit the entire US. Instead I can only choose regions and have to leave off some states.

I had to do some cleanup to make it fit:

Nuvi units come preloaded with many different languages that do take up quite a bit of space, to be able to properly load the update, you need to delete some unused files from the unit:

1. Plug your unit into the computer via a standard mini usb to usb
cable
2. Open your my computer
3. Open the Garmin Drive (F
4. Open the Garmin folder
5. Open one of the following folders: Text / Help / Voice / JPEG /
Vehicles
6. Delete any unused languages ( be sure to keep your preferred
language) or pictures /vehicles if you have any loaded
7. Return to the Garmin folder
8. Repeat steps 5-7 in the other folders listed
9. Empty your trash/recycle bin on your computer

This will give your unit enough space to properly load the map update
for your unit.
Also, you only need one mapset, so remove the others:
GMAPPROM.IMG is the Primary mapset. I always copy the old file to PC for backup before deleting it from Garmin to make room.
GMAPSUPP.IMG is the second, and GMAPSUP2.IMG is the third mapset.
Also I do not see a use for 3D (GMAP3D.img) on my nüvi, since it is not supported.

 

[Alan]

Excellent advice - ta very much

 

[LauAnn]

I wish I would have seen this thread two weeks ago when I updated my four year old Nuvi with lifetime maps. I was a little irked when I found out I would have to choose only a portion of the US to load due to not having enough space. Had I known that, I would have decided to spend an additional 40-50 dollars for a new unit that could handle the increased map file size and give me lifetime maps as well. On the positive side, it looks relatively easy to load a different portion of the US if the need ever comes up.

 

[LauAnn]

Sirka -- just read your reply to the thread. I definitely will try what you suggest. Thanks for the detailed instructions.

 

[easysurfer]

Sirka

Thx for the detailed instructions.

 

[BigNick]

Also, if you know what you're doing (or can find someone in a GPS forum to help), you can often use OpenStreetMap-based mapping for Garmin. It's starting to get pretty good in many places, and it's totally free, and usually very up-to-date.

 

[noelm]

Backup your device

Before you make ANY changes to your GPS device, back it up. Make an ISO file of the device. There is no factory reset option in these devices, so just in case if you have to go back.

With lifetime map upgrades, I would instead buy a device that offers me this option at the time of buying the device. These updates are usually very small so you could essentially update once in 3/4 years and I refuse to pay so much for these small updates.

 

[Walt34]

This is good to know. Instead of updating I'll just buy a new one with lifetime updates.

 

[pb4uski]

A few years ago I was interested in updating the maps on my Sony GPS. For just a little more than what the maps update cost, i was able to get a whole new unit from Magellan.

 

[easysurfer]

Before you make ANY changes to your GPS device, back it up. Make an ISO file of the device. There is no factory reset option in these devices, so just in case if you have to go back.

With lifetime map upgrades, I would instead buy a device that offers me this option at the time of buying the device. These updates are usually very small so you could essentially update once in 3/4 years and I refuse to pay so much for these small updates.

I decided to just leave my GPS with the update that excludes the south eastern states (such as NY and FL) of the US. The update still covers most of the US, and if I travel east, I'll have to do a region update then.

I tried making an image copy of the Garmin partion with a boot cd, but the Garmin disk wasn't recognized. I haven't tried an ISO image like you suggested (good idea), but I figure, the thought of going through the process several times a year is too much effort since I most likely even go the the locations not covered.

Perhaps the newer GPSes have plenty of RAM where lack of memory during updates is a non-issue?

I remember the first GPS I ever got was a Garmin Street Pilot for about $1000 (still I consider it a great purchase as I get lost so easy). Now prices have gone down so much that purchasing one with a included Lifetime Updates reminds me of prepaid Tracfones with included Double Minutes for life of the phone.

 

[Dave J]

I just bought a NUVI 40 with lifetime maps instead of updating my 3 1/2 YO Garmin 750. The battery was getting old and I got new GPS for about the cost of battery and map update.
The free lifetime map version I bought was $10 more than the one without lifetime maps.
A no brainer for me.