Date: Fri, 24 Apr 2009 09:25:41 -0700
Reply-To: Loren Busch <starwagen@GMAIL.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Loren Busch <starwagen@GMAIL.COM>
Subject: Heads Up Warning on Garmin GPS Map Update
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8
If you are using a Garmin GPS unit in your Vanagon or Vanagon Westy you
might find this info of use. The current map update for North America, NT
2009.11, drops/deletes many, many small towns (and I don't know what other
data, some side roads too that I have found) from the database. If you,
like many one these list, prefer to drive the 'Blue Highways' you will find
that many of the little towns, that frequently are attractions, are gone
from your GPS. And, if you load the new version, 2009.11, you will not be
able to 'go back' to the previous setup in any simple manner. The new file
is actually bigger than the previous one so I assume there are more POIs in
it but if finding banks and fast food restaurants is less than critical and
actual road info and towns along the way are important to you I'd advise NOT
upgrading to 209.11.
How did I run into this? Well, about two months ago I acquired an Garmin
Streetpilot 7200, the one with the big screen. And with the exception of
the subject here and only using it on a couple of short trips, I like it so
far. When you first get the unit there is a setup procedure using the
supplied CD that loads mapping software onto your computer (Map Source) and
a procedure in the setup that loads the detail maps onto the GPS unit. Then
a registration and 'unlocking' procedure for the map. At that point Garmin
offered a free update to 2009.11 which I downloaded and followed the
procedure to load it onto the GPS unit and unlock it. All went well, no
problems. But then I noticed on the mapping program on my computer that I
now had both versions, 2009 and 2009.11 available, I could choose between
them, one or the other. When I did I noticed a difference in the screen
appearance, the little black dots for small towns were about half as dense
in the new version. Zooming in and switching between the two version showed
small towns missing. As a test I searched for a ghost town outside Parker,
Az. that I'm familiar with, Swansea. I have used Swansea as a test in
several GPS units and software packages, it's the kind of place I want to go
to. It was there in the earlier map, gone in the new version. So I tried
to repeat the initial setup hoping it would restore my GPS unit to the
original. But to do that I was required to use a storage card thus eating
up storage I wanted for POI files and music. This led me to some online
research and search for support groups. I found zero discussion on the
subject. So I joined a Garmin GPS Yahoo! group and posted my questions and
concern there and got some response. Email to Garmin support produced
useless and disappointing responses. But the moderator of the Yahoo! group
jumped in, he is a Garmin vendor and had the right contacts. The result was
a DVD from Garmin and instructions on how to get back to where I started.
So, I'm all restored to the desired configuration and Swansea is once again
on the map.
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